Maybe it was the picture perfect weather, maybe it was the enthusiasm of all of the fans which rubbed off on the bands? Whatever the case, Vegoose' inaugural year was an unqualified success - at least from the standpoint of the fans and the music they were treated to. Before I talk about what a well-put-together festival Vegoose turned out to be, I'm going to follow zboneman tradition and list my Top Five favorite performances. Note that I'm leaving The Flaming Lips off this list, because although they certainly put on the most bombastic production (really putting the festive in festival) The musical end of their set was a tad trite, with Wayne Coyne's croaking semi-laryngytic voice straining even on the low notes. Still the happy crowd was singing loud enough to cover him. God bless the Lips, but musically there were too many better acts. Not to mention the fact that Adam and I got our mugs on the cover of The Vegas Journal - that's me in the glasses. (Thanks to Craig and Linda Flowers for noticing and grabbing us a copy.)

1-SPOON

First place goes to SPOON, but by the slightest of margins over ARCADE FIRE who made more than a believer out of this kid. Those Canadians are an absolute phenomenon the way they've gone from relative obscurity to being one of the most confident and exciting headliners in the world. Congratulations to all of them (especially Sarah the violinist who made eyes at me, till my knees just about buckled.) But on with Spoon. Having only enjoyed their records and never having the chance to see them live - I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. Singer/songwriter/guitarist and looming giant Britt Daniel is hands down the most compelling frontman I've seen since Shane McGowan. He's better looking and has plenty of teeth, but I haven't seen that sort of well deserved swagger and strut for quite a while. Live these guys have a sound that is like something from a dream - elements of John Lennon, David Bowie, Thom Yorke, and Mick Jones delivered with a visceral immediacy that caused every muscle in my body to involuntarily lock up. All I can say is I'll be listening to my Spoon records in a whole different light. These guys are a revelation and I won't miss any chance to see them again.

2- ARCADE FIRE

Adam and I heatedly debated the issue as to who delivered the best performance between Spoon and the Canadian conquerors. I enjoyed Funeral - but again the record doesn't hold a candle to the life and passion and unbridled joy and energy these seven happy people can produce on stage, it was truly inspired. Watching these guys is something of a Dr. Jeckyl affair. To hear them play the somber and funereal tunes from their debut with such pluck and infectious playfulness, struck me as a little odd, but can be easily forgiven when you consider how much fun these guys must be having. They're all grins and gratitude and you just have to fall hard for these guys. They really are brilliant and how often do overnight success stories turn out so well for everyone? Very close second.

3- DECEMBERISTS

Number three was a no-brainer. The Decemberists were in rare form, and not only did they steal Saturday outright, but they easily put the two bands to follow The Shins and Beck to fight for the title of most lackluster set of the festival. The Decemberists' skewed take on acoustic guitar driven left field pop has never sounded so vivid, vital and hum-along infectious. Definitely the best act of day one. Front-man Colin Meloy deserves to mentioned in the same breath as Britt Daniel and Win Butler of Arcade Fire.

4 - SLEATER KINNEY

The female power-trio acquitted themselves as well as any band at the festival. The gals tore tracks from their new album The Woods to shreds, and just seemed to be having a grand old time bringing the good hard-core guitar rock to bear amid so many mellower bands.

5 - THE MAGIC NUMBERS

This new foursome consisting of two pairs of brothers and sisters showed why they have become an overnight sensation by word of mouth and constant touring. With only one album under their belt they share alot in common with Arcade Fire - strong material that they absolutely belt out of the park live.

I wouldn't say there were really any major disappointments - I guess I was expecting a little more out of the Shins, but then again they had the unenviable task of following the Decembrists. Beck was his usual, funny, lively, jovial self - bouncing around in a Cub Scout uniform with the rest of his band thusly clad. The problem with his set was that he split it between Sea Change and Guerro and those two albums are like oil and vinegar. Not bad, but not his best set. Honorable mention goes to Devandra Banhardt.

Vegoose was very well organized, the crowd as easy going and problem-free as any I've seen at a festival. The weather was most cooperative and the band selection was masterful. I picked a stage and stayed there. Some of the other guys we went with spent their time in the stadium watching the jam bands, Dave Matthews, String Cheese Incident, Moe, Phil Lesh and friends' Widespread Panic and Trey Anastasio among others and they also had very positive things to say about the festival. The only downside to a festival like this is you just wish you could rub a lamp and have a Genie duplicate yourself so you could see all the outdoor bands as well as the Jammers. I'm praying that the event pencils out for it's promoters because this is a festival that should go on and on - thanks for inviting us.