Vegoose: Day 1

This should be up at www.mbayink.com shortly, but if you can't wait, here it is!
Photos to come...

I definitely should have dressed up.

During the seven hours I’ve spent at Vegoose thus far, I’ve seen some of the coolest, most creative costumes that are making me a little sad I didn’t think more about getting into the Halloween spirit.

I’m going to name off some of the best costumes I’ve seen so far. And remember, it’s HOT. The temperature is supposedly only 70-something degrees, but when you’re sitting in that blazing sun without any shade, it feels a whole lot warmer than that.

1. Marge Simpson

2. A blood covered surgeon

3. Hunter S. Thompson (at least twice, and an obvious pick, but I still approve)

4. A contestant on the old school Nickelodeon show “Double Dare,” complete with goggles and knee pads. I loved that show!

5. Mr. T (again, twice)

6. Towelie from “South Park.” Don’t forget your towel!

7. The Pope (dancing like crazy)

8. Goose and Maverick from “Top Gun”

I tried to take pictures of some of these characters, and I’m going to do my best to get them on this site tomorrow morning. Be patient. It’s worth it, especially the dancing Pope.

I’m surprisingly awake, considering I only had five hours of car-sleep. After leaving Salinas at 12:45 this morning, we got to our friend Stephan’s house in Las Vegas at about 8 a.m.

Since we are newcomers to Vegas, Stephan is our unofficial tour guide, and we will hopefully cruise The Strip with him later tonight.

And as for the music, there’s a little of that, of course. The festival site is on a practice field next to Sam Boyd Stadium, the football stadium of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

If you’re attempting to see every band, there’s a lot of darting between the four stages, although it’s not nearly as hectic as the annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee (the promoter of which is the same), which I’m estimating is about four times as big.

The site was practically deserted at 11 a.m. today, when we got here. That gave us plenty of room to get up front for the first show of the day, a performance by North Carolina band Toubab Krewe. The band’s funky blend of surf rock, Afro-beat and Caribbean jams got a solid crowd going after a few songs, and reminded me of the best thing about music festivals: the exposure to new music.

But I couldn’t resist a set by one of my favorite bands, Gomez, who played immediately after. For some reason, these guys are always a side stage act, and I can’t figure out why more people haven’t caught onto them. Not that I’m complaining, since I got a spot right up front, getting to hear psychedelic, bluesy old songs, such as “Devil Will Ride” and “Fill My Cup.”

Other highlights today were the always-amusing Cat Power and the pale-faced Raconteurs.

The stage antics of folk singer Cat Power, or Chan Marshall, have been highly publicized, and I was hoping to see some weirdness. Luckily, Marshall came onstage smoking a cigarette, looking confused as to where she should put it out.

After an awesome rendition of “The Greatest,” Marshall applauded her backup group, the Memphis Rhythm Band. After a long embrace with a band member, she had more appreciation to give. “Thanks,” Marshall said, looking out toward the crowd. “Thank you. Thank you, God.”

The Raconteurs went on at 3:50 p.m., and it seemed everyone at Vegoose was there to see them, as the crowd became a mob of people pushing each other to get a good spot. The group – whose vocalists are White Stripes singer Jack White and fellow Detroit singer Brendan Benson -- rocked the hardest out of anyone tonight, although as I’m typing, The Mars Volta is beginning its set.

Tonight, there’s so much more. It’s 6:30 p.m. now, and I’m headed out to catch some of The Mars Volta, a group that’s known for its epic, practically life-changing live shows. I’m also hoping to see some of the hip-hop of Jurassic 5 and Tom Petty’s big headlining show (supposedly his last tour ever) before we head to the 1 a.m. STS9 show. Yes, it’s been, and continues to be, a long, but extremely fun day.

Check back here tomorrow for some more updates, and more importantly, photos.