All Points West 2009, Day 1: Rain & Shine

Numerous attendees arrived equipped with umbrellas and raincoats while others, who were caught in the rain, improvised and ripped up plastic bags and turned them into rain bonnets or mini ponchos.

While the media found refuge inside the press tent where a strong wi-fi [internet] connection and electrical outlets were made available as well as refrigerated drinks and warm snacks in addition to the bowls of pretzels and Chex Mix aligned on top of each laptop station.

Outside, the show went on and right on schedule. Chants of “Blake’s Got a New Face” vibrated off the Bullet Comet stage (a.k.a. the main stage) where Vampire Weekend drew a soggy following who danced along to the band’s charismatic performance.

And then after a solid 3 hours of pouring rain the heavens opened up and rays of sunshine beamed over the crowd.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at APW 2009 photo by: Leslie DJ

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs soon followed in an electrifying performance. Lead singer, Karen O, emerged onstage draped in a dangling black, multi-lettered getup that included skin tight flower-patterned leggings. She belted her heart out to opening track “Heads Will Roll.” Their set included hits like “Maps,” “Date With The Night” and “Cheated Hearts.”

The evening closed out with the self-proclaimed greatest rapper alive, Jay Z. He opened with his interpretation of “No Sleep Till Brooklyn a Beastie Boys classic and would later go on to say that they were true pioneers and the reason why he was a successful hip hop artist, “give it up for the Beastie Boys, they paved the way,” he said. But before Jigga Man took the stage strobe lights filled the sky bouncing off skyscrapers across the bay and occasionally illuminating the Statue of Liberty. After a nine minute countdown displayed on the stage monitors Jay Z sauntered onto the stage dressed in all black with his signature leather jacket and dark shades. The crowd greeted him with deafening cheers.

The moment the first beat dropped the kids took to the mud and danced on the water soaked grass splashing passersby in the process. He performed everything from his most recent material including the lead off track of his “American Gangster” LP as well as “99 Problems” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” from The Black Album  to classics like, “Big Pimpin’”, “Can I get a”  “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “N***a What, N***a Who?” and “Jigga My N***”

After performing “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” clips of a young Michael Jackson flashed on the screens behind him which played to a snippet of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” Jay addressed the crowd saying “give it up to Michael Jackson the greatest entertainer of all time.” After a rousing round of applause and screams of “YEEEEEAAAAH” Jay continued, “We don’t mourn death we celebrate life, it’s a beautiful thing that he had five top ten album [after his untimely death] but what would have been beautiful was for him to see it. Don’t wait till the person’s gone to tell them you love them,” he concluded in a tone that conveyed sorrow.