Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 9/1/09 Section: Arts & Society

Media Credit: MCT campus Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, was among the headliners with Jay-Z and MGMT.

There was a New York City skyline to the north, and the Statue of Liberty to the south. Right in between these two landmarks was the All Points West festival. The festival, started last year, is held in Liberty State Park in New Jersey and featured big names such as Radio Head, Kings of Leon and Baltimore favorites, Animal Collective.

This year's lineup was just as impressive, if not more so, featuring big time names such as Coldplay, Tool and Jay-Z. Beastie Boys were originally scheduled to perform, but the band had to pull because of medical related issues to Adam "MCA" Yauch, with Jay-Z filling the gap as a headliner on the opening night.

Hova came out at around 9:30 p.m. and immediately performed a cover of the Beastie Boys' hit, No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn. The crowd was energized from the get go, giving Jay-Z a lot to work with, and he was quick to give back, thanking fans for about a six minute period.

The day really got going when Fleet Foxes stepped on stage. The wind started to blow and rain started to fall, creating a slop out in the crowd, and making the folk group look like "a guild of wizards." Technical difficulties in the beginning cut the set short, so Robin Pecknold didn't get to belt out Oliver James or the haunting Tiger Mountain peasant song. They did, however, please the crowd with tremendous renditions of White Winter Hymnal and Mykonos.

Following them was arguably the greatest performance of the weekend given by The National. Their enthusiasm was contagious as the band busted out Fake Empire and Mr. November. During the latter, front-man Matt Berninger climbed into the crowd, dancing around in the mud with the spectators.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were next to perform, and like always, won over the crowd. After seeing them live at All Points West, I think it's safe to say that Karen O is one of, if not the, most charismatic and unique singers in the past decade. Whether it's because of her attire or dancing on stage, Karen O always delivers a show, and this was no exception. Heads Will Roll was easily the best song of the set, and this was one of the best performances of the weekend.

Saturday saw the White Rabbits kick things off with a powerful performance to a crowd of about 500, all covered in the mud that still lay about from the storm the day before. After hearing their drum heavy Percussion Gun, it's easy to see why they are such a critically acclaimed group.

Continued...

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