August 22-Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco CA
Yay: Tickets are only about $85 and you’ll not only catch Thom rocking Golden Gate park for the very first live music show after dark, but also get a glimpse of new Beck material, the groovy awesomeness that is Manu Chao, local, overbooked heros Cold War Kids, stoney Steel Pulse, plus Black Keys, Black Mountain and a host of others. And all this is just on Friday.
Nay: It IS a festival. You’ve been warned
Setlist foreshadowing: A good festival mix. Im sure In Rainbows will be the focus, which is quite dandy in my book. Expect dreamy anthems like “My Iron Lung”, “Fake Plastic Trees”, “Subterranean Homesick Alien” and “Lucky”. Ok, maybe Im just dreaming.
August 24 and 25: Hollywood Bowl
Yay: Probably the best all around venue in the world. Every seat is amazing, you can bring food and alcohol in, you’re under the stars and listening to Johhny Greenwood lull you to never never land. This one’s pretty much ‘Yay’ all around. Tickets are sold out and going for about $300 a pop. But would you rather fix your radiator or change your life?
Nay: The “Hollywood” types can be interspersed with the die-hard fans at the Bowl. We once sat next to the most vapid couple on earth, who discussed celebrity gossip in the 2nd row of a Sigur Ros show. Take your chances and don’t be afraid to tell those wankers to shut it.
Setlist Foreshadowing: We’ve got 3rd row seats, so it better be every goddamn melody to ever come out of these boys. Including Tom’s solo album and Greenwood’s score to “There Will Be Blood”. At least 5 songs from OK Computer.
August 27th: Cricket (?) Wireless Ampitheatre
Yay: Its closer than LA and SF.
Nay: Kinda everything else. I only bought lawn seats for this one cause if there’s anything 10 years of San Diego crowds have taught me, its that they’re a collective bunch of cell-phone using, bro-loving douche bags that don’t know how to STFU and enjoy a real concert.
Setlist Foreshadowing: Hopefully something nice and even. Its toward the end of their tour, so I would not expect fireworks at this one. Wait a tick, its Radiohead. Just go. Maybe they’ll piss off newbies and play only “Pablo Honey” songs and B-sides.
