This past Saturday, the first annual Virgin Music Festival at the Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore, Md., featured an all-star lineup of bands that catered to a variety of tastes. With headliners like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who, popular indie acts The New Pornographers and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and an all-day "Freak Show Tent," there was always something for the thousands of concertgoers. So, without further ado, here's the best and the worst of Virgin Fest 2006.
Best Dressed:
Gnarls Barkley's set was not well received by the crowd, but that didn't stop the duo of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo from dressing like it was 176 A.D. The DJ and rapper were clad in Roman garb and surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women wearing little more than a toga and a smile. That made all the men in the crowd crazy, indeed.
Worst Scheduling:
Not only was it nearly impossible to get to the show in time to see opening acts like Drive-By Truckers and Wolfmother, but the Virgin Fest decided to separate the drinkers from the stoners by having the Red Hot Chili Peppers play opposite of The Flaming Lips. The point of a music festival is to have enough stages for the audience to have choices throughout the day. But note for future Virgin Fests: Don't charge people $100 for 12 hours of music if two of the three most noteworthy bands are playing at the same time.
Best Sing-alongs:
Even with a new album coming out in October, The Killers played it fairly safe by trotting out many hits from their popular debut, "Hot Fuss." Brandon Flowers and company were effective at rousing the crowd from a humidity-induced malaise and by the time they reached a crescendo with "All These Things That I've Done," it finally seemed like Virgin Fest was less like a money pit and more like a rock festival. Speaking of a money pit...
Worst Prices:
One 20-oz. bottle of Mountain Dew cost $4. 'Nuff said.
Best set length time:
The wait for the Chili Peppers was a long one for the many drunken, belligerent fans who had been muscling each other for hours near the stage. With a set lasting more than two hours (including an encore featuring a 20-minute rendition of "Give It Away"), the California band didn't disappoint, unless you were sorry that Flea didn't wear a diaper.
Worst Drive:
With plenty of space in the infield, Pimlico was a smart place to stage a major music event. Too bad finding a way there was enough to drive a concertgoer insane. Located in the middle of West Baltimore, it proved to be inaccessible from the major highways and featured limited parking lots. Luckily, Pimlico is not a standard venue, but a day at the races could be proceeded by a day of headaches.
Best Band:
With a crowd of mostly 20-somethings, younger acts figured to rule. The Who transcended their era, though, and offered a varied set of classic hits and even a few new songs from an album that has been in progress for over 20 years. The age gap was no problem as The Who was a hit with all age groups and proved that good music is just as relevant in 2006 as 1966.
