Photo Credit: Richard Giraldi

If Lollapalooza 2009 day one could be summed up in one word, it would be wet.

Rain took over Friday at Grant Park. Not only did the rain make for a smaller early-afternoon crowd, but it also caused a run on plastic rain ponchos. I, like many other festivalgoers, wasn’t sure of the Lollapalooza umbrella policy, so naturally I came unprepared for the torrential downpour that soured the early afternoon.

A 40-minute wait for ponchos at the Lolla general store was common for at least a few hundred fans. Then when the products finally arrive: Youth size? Really?

The weather also played a role in making a somewhat lackluster lineup appear even more lacking. Many smaller acts were victims of fans rather staying dry than listen to the tunes.

The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem is where I started my much-delayed day. Lead singer Brian Fallon has this sort of Springsteen-meets-Billy Joel Armstrong thing going for him. The songs were punk power-chord rockers in their essence, but Fallon’s powerful vocal delivery gave the songs a sense of urgency and importance.

After a short pit stop to refuel with a bite to eat – Black bean burgers on a pita? What the what? – I made my way towards the Budweiser stage to get a spot for Ben Folds, who did not disappoint.

Ben Folds

Folds raced through a fun and focused set of Ben Folds Five and newer solo material. “Rockin The Suburbs” from the 2001 album of the same name excited the crowd in what appeared to be the first full-on audience sing-along of Lolla ‘09. The punchy “Hiroshima” from 2008’s Way To Normal enticed the crowd with it’s big hand clap and foot stomp backbeat, while “Narcolepsy” the 1999 Ben Folds Five album “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner” featured an extended jazz-piano bridge. This was the first performance of the day to really take hold of the crowd and proclaim that Lollapalooza 2009 has begun.

Ben Folds -- “Narcolepsy” Clip -- Live at Lollapalooza 2009

Next up was Portland’s The Decemberists. Honestly, I’m wasn’t big on them – not that I don’t enjoy their music – but I never payed much attention. However, it must be said any band that attempts to seamlessly play a rock opera in a one-hour festival slot automatically gains my respect.

The Decemberists

And The Decembrists not only gained my respect, but a new fan as well. The band plowed through their newest effort The Hazards of Love with no stops in between. From the gooey acoustic opener “The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle the Thistles Undone)” to the harpsichord-into-big riff rock jam “The Wanting Comes In Waves / Repaid,” the set featured absolutely no lulls. The band recalls a much younger and more ambitious Fleetwood Mac in their professional-yet-whimsical musical approach.

Of Montreal

After a quick stop at the Vitaminwater stage to check out a rambunctious Of Montreal, my colleague and I staked out a spot for Depeche Mode.

Depeche Mode was one of two headliners for Friday evening. The other was the much younger Kings of Leon. But with a new album to boot, the Mode was the obvious choice. A full review of Depeche Mode at Lollapalooza can be found on loudlooppress.com right now.

University A Cappella! is a 16 song greatest-hits album that takes you through perfectly arranged (beat-boxing and all) songs such as “Jeasusland,” “Landed,” “The Luckiest” and “Not The Same.” The University of Chicago’s Voices In Your Head does its own rendition of “Magic” and outshines Folds’ version with their intricate and fresh arrangement.

 The album’s biggest highlight comes in the re-worked version of “Effington,” originally off of Folds’ 2008 release Way To Normal. One of two songs Folds recorded featuring solely his voice, the take is a pure joy filled with foot-tapping fun that begs to be replayed over and over again. Even the tormented lyrics could be mistaken for the most joyful words ever spoken.

Folds’ songs seem to have been perfectly written for a cappella covers, which is impressive because each song can fit into a different style. From the Blues and R&B feel of “Brick,” done by Ohio University’s Leading Tones to the angsty rendition of “You Don’t Know Me” done by University of Georgia’s Someone Else’s Money.

If there was any question whether Folds thinks outside the box, Ben Folds Presents: University A Capella!, proves that he is ever expanding his artistic limits while appreciating those of others, in this case: college students.