Top 5 acts of Lollapalooza out of approx 16 or so attended recorded now while I still remember what the hell I did to myself over the past three days:

5.The Hold Steady

Who would have ranked higher, I'm sure, had they not played at 1:30 in the afternoon, which notably, did not keep Craig Finn from drinking copious Bud Lights during his performance. Small crowd, great sound, new stuff sounds thematically similar to Separation Sunday but music-wise even better.

4. Calexico

They brought a European singer whose name escapes me out to sing a beautiful version of "Alone Again Or" which they dedicated to the recently deceased lead singer of Love (I'm way too exhausted to check names if you can't tell). Their horn section garnered the most appreciation from the crowd that I saw all weekend.

3. Blackalicious

I missed Sonic Youth to see Blackalicious at a small side stage: life is full of tough choices, I guess. Their tiny stage was along the path between the two main ones, and as the GAFREAKING JILLIONS of people passed by, the crowd just got bigger and bigger. By the time they ended their freestyle-packed set with "Supreme People" there wasn't a head around that was not bobbing along. Also led an inspired chant of "F*ck George Bush" that seemed to come out of nowhere and actually gave me chills.

2. Wilco

Boy has Jeff Tweedy put on some serious post-rehab weight, but he was in VERY good spirits and holyjesus was Nels Kline amazing on guitar. They only played one song from an album released before Yankee Hotel or Ghost is Born (the first tune was a crowd-pleasing "Shot in the Arm") and debuted four new songs each one sounded great and very different from either YHF or GiB. It was nice to see Jeff look honestly delighted at the sight of 50,000 fans filling the foreground as the sun set behind the skyscrapers along Michigan Ave. But the wryness was not gone for long. He closed with "I am really proud of you Chicago. You really know how to go to a festival." The old kidder.

An Unmistakable #1. Ween

I am not just saying that because I decided to go to their set here. They just rocked way way harder than everybody else. Their sound was perfect, the crowd was smallish for a headliner (they played against Death Cab you'll remember) but they were like crazy robot musicians whose only programming is to KILL YOU with how great they are. Seriously. I had heard maybe two Ween songs ever before seeing them. By the time they had finished maybe the best fuck-you song I've ever heard - I think it's called "Bye Bitch" (?anybody know what I am talking about?) I was so so sold. They had another great screw-you song - "Piss Up a Rope" I think. Anyway, they have great break up songs is my point. They were so worth it. Go see them if you ever have a chance.

Honorable mention: the Violent Femmes reminiscing about playing the first Lollapalooza and playing a super tight yet varied set; the Thievery Corporation w/special guest star Perry Farrell who teased w/the opening chords of "Summertime Rolls" at the end of their super energetic set; the Dresden Dolls who I caught while in line for beer - I know nothing about them and you could tell they FELT what they were playing more than your average band; the Flaming Lips put on a HELL of a show with Wayne in a big ball crowd surfing, dancing santas, lots of aliens and crowd-pleasers but I was too far to the side of the stage and the sound SUCKED so I didn't enjoy them as much as I could; the Trib's after-report is that there's a feeling Manu Chao were kind of robbed of doing Their Thing by having to perform to a smallish crowd (they were opposite Kanye West) but that smallish crowd was ready to form the smallish Manu Chao Army about three songs in. I thought they relied on the "rock ballad/one-word chorus/crazy thrashing punk section/inspired guitar solo" formula a bit much - well - that's pretty much their show - but the crowd that was there flipped out for them and I was glad to see (continued...)

( continues...) what all the like-soccer-everybody-loves-them-but-us hype was about.

Duds: Built to Spill - poor Doug look pissed and confused; Andrew Bird felt like in front of 10,000 people was the time to experiment with the really slow-ass "arty" versions of his songs - interesting choice; The Diva aka Ryan Adams - I know, but I couldn't help myself. And Ryan, well he has clearly had a theme summer because he did THREE Dead covers. See now, I hear the collective groan, but this pleased me - in fact I was thrilled - I am a huge Dead fan and I looooove it when he does covers. I was happy. Until he cut a good ten minutes into Iron & Wine's time slot with totally self-indungent re-freaking-diculous guitar solos. He's such an impossible (but predictable) jackhole. But - honestly - hearing someone who can play guitar THAT well do Franklin's Tower? Awesome!

Final notes for the curious: Beers were $5. Water $3. Pizza $4. The longest I waited in line for the bathroom was about five minutes. High temp was about 92. The bleed of sound from stage to stage was usually AWFUL but if the band was loud it was tolerable. Total estimated attendance for the whole three-days: 170,000.

And really, I mean it this time: This is IT. I am never going to one of these things again. I don't care how good next year's lineup is. No, really. I mean it.

I think it's called "Bye Bitch"

Really prettty, really bitter song called "Baby Bitch." Jon Auer (Posies) covered it on his solo album 6 1/2.

They had another great screw-you song - "Piss Up a Rope" I think.

From their country album, where they went to Nashville and had top session players do their songs.

Go check out Ween's Chocolate and Cheese.

Honestly, they can do everything from an absolutely perfect Prince number (Gene's fakey-Prince puts Beck's to shame) to gorgeous power pop to a Steely Dan bit to pure Nashville country. Dean's a killer guitarist.

Not bad for two pot-heads from Philly.

Go check out Ween's Chocolate and Cheese.

Already there, my friend. I picked up White Pepper, Quebec, 12 Golden Country Greats (which, hilariously, as you know, only has ten tracks) and Chocolate and Cheese at a quick stop at the Virgin store on Michigan Ave. Saturday morning. I am ready to be Ween-ified.

Now I am going to go sleep like someone who has to be clear-headed at a status meeting at 8 am.

Already there, my friend. I picked up White Pepper, Quebec, 12 Golden Country Greats (which, hilariously, as you know, only has ten tracks) and Chocolate and Cheese at a quick stop at the Virgin store on Michigan Ave. Saturday morning. I am ready to be Ween-ified.

Excellent! Uh, you'll need The Mollusk too.

They're sort of a conceptual art experiment where God reached down and gave insane doses of talent to a couple of goofbutts. Note how their pop obsessions continually circle back (no matter what genre) to the most challenging kinds of pop music. Like, they sit around grooving on Prince all weekend and just go, "Yeah, let's do a fucking Prince song." Or Steely Dan. Or, any number of Prog Rock ripoffs. Or Motorhead. I have no doubt they could roll out of bed and record a spot-on Pantera or Beach Boys classic before they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes if they so chose.

Uh, you'll need The Mollusk too

I curse the Virgin mega-store's incomplete stocking of Ween albums!

I just caught up in Beep Me - all the relax- and health-ma I've got is aimed at your household, Hec. What a stressful and scary weekend.

Now to bed for reals.

What a stressful and scary weekend.

For me and JZ. Emmett, however, went off to a baseball tournament, had a walkoff in the semifinals. Then in the finals he knocked in two RBIs to tie the game, scored the go-ahead and caught the final out to ice their second tournament win in a row.

Emmett, however, went off to a baseball tournament, had a walkoff in the semifinals. Then in the finals he knocked in two RBIs to tie the game, scored the go-ahead and caught the final out to ice their second tournament win in a row.

Holy crap! Go, Emmett!

Two bands I forgot to mention in last night's re-cap were The Shins and The Raconteurs. The Shins new stuff sounded really great but they had no luck whatsoever connecting with the crowd.

The Raconteurs were OK. Brendan Benson and Jack White had a super homoerotic vibe going on. They did a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" that they had fun with. Now that I've seen them and listened to the album, I can say I am not really a fan. I like "Steady As She Goes" but the rest is meh.

holyjesus was Nels Kline amazing on guitar

Damn fucking straight. Nels Cline's been blowing my mind since I first saw him with Watt in the mid-90s. If you have any taste for avant-skronk-jazz, his solo albums, particularly Destroy All Nels Cline and the two by the Nels Cline Singers, are peachy-juicy.

And really, I mean it this time: This is IT. I am never going to one of these things again. I don't care how good next year's lineup is. No, really. I mean it.

I said this two years ago about the Austin City Limits Fest and have stuck to my guns so far, but I also sorta miss it.

And David, I just saw all those posts about you and JZ, too, and MY GOD am I glad that everyone's ok.

And David, I just saw all those posts about you and JZ, too, and MY GOD am I glad that everyone's ok.

Thanks, Cor. Right now, we're looking okay. Number one on my personal hit parade of least favorite experiences? Standing in puddles of my loved ones blood in the emergency room.