Vegoose 2007

Just so you know what I passed up. That's Chan Marshall by the way - Meooow

VEGOOSE 2007!

I simply love Vegoose. While some multi day rock festivals suffer from daunting, over-lapping schedules and multi trek walks from one stage to the other, Vegoose benefits from the exact opposite. What's more, because there are fewer bands playing, artists are given the luxury of playing longer sets and we the fans are all the luckier for it.

I'm not dogging on the likes of Coachella (which I've attended six times) and Lollapalooza (which I've attended three times). On the contrary, the idea of getting to see forty of my favorite bands over the course of three days is almost dream like. I'm merely stating that Vegoose is every bit as exciting and a lot less chaotic.

There's been a lot of debate about Sin City's two day rock fest this year. Complaints have surfaced that the line-up wasn't as stellar as years one and two. There was also a collective fear that final night head-liners Rage Against the Machine would somehow take away from the carefree, laid back atmosphere of the event (Vegoose started out as a jam band and indie act affair–the aggressive Rage is a far cry from both of those genres).

As for the former statement, I suppose it just depends on your opinion. The first year boasted names like Sleater-Kinney, Arcade Fire, Spoon, The Flaming Lips, Beck, The Shins, and Dave Matthews Band. While 2007 wasn't as loaded with high profile names, the line-up was hardly weak (names like Iggy and the Stooges, Rage Against the Machine, and Daft Punk jump right off the page).

As for the latter statement, I've seen Rage Against the Machine several times and they're not the problem. It's their fans. No, scratch that. It's a few scattershot, ignorant fans. Some might argue that a festival like Vegoose is no place for a band like Rage, because many of the "ignorant fans" are so ready for their heroes to take the stage, that they'll do anything to get the show started early. This includes heckling all bands playing earlier in the day, picking fights, and throwing crap at the stage. Kyle and I dealt with such nonsense earlier this year at Coachella. Iconic acts like Willie Nelson and Crowded House were continuously assaulted (verbally) by impatient Rage fans. Do these so called fans really think that by yelling and throwing bottles, that Rage will actually hit the stage sooner? Furthermore, do they honestly believe that Rage (a band that, while aggressive, is comprised of a group of highly intellectual individuals whose musical tastes range from the extreme to the likes of the same bands these fans are heckling) would condone this uber-lame behavior? Having said that, the Rage fans at this year's Vegoose were far more respectful than the ones at Coachella. There were minor incidents – drunk idiots picking fights etc., but you get this many folks together in one place, and that sort of thing is bound to happen.

Now that I've rambled on, let's get to the heart of the matter. The festival itself. Usually, The Boneman accompanies me on the annual Vegoose excursion, but this year, he decided to defer his credentials to music guru Kyle England as a thanks for all his hard work on Zboneman.com through the years. Besides, to deny Mr. England an opportunity to finally see Daft Punk, would be unthinkable.

Vegoose 2007 was an amazing experience. At the moment I'm getting the rest of the report together. We should have it up later tonight. Watch for Kyle's report as well.