( 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.

Well, I hope above all that you never experience that again. That goes for us all.