photo credit: kemikore mediaworks

In an act of Summerfest self-fulfillment, day two paralleled last years weather patterns, with the excruciatingly heated first day being followed by a torrential reprieve on the second. This time, the rain would prove to be on the oppressive side, leaving gloomy clouds hanging above the festival goers and acts of Summerfest. Several weather defiant bands would throw caution to the wind and houston made the best of what mother nature had to offer in the form of the notorious mud-people. Inclement weather wasn’t enough to deter the whole of houston to miss what the festival had in store and the bands played on’ a testament to the music loving spirit of Summerfest.

– sunbear/grizzly


photo credit: DFWdavis

Spreading picnic blankets over the incline of Eleanor Tinsley Park’s hillside to the dreamy, sparkly post-rock of the Lymbyc Systm was an alluring welcome to the second day of Summerfest’s festivities. The sibiling duo had all of Houston in a tranquil state, unaware that the heavy rain-clouds were rolling our way. By the time Uh Huh Her’s bittersweet synths had taken Houston captive, so had the rain. The downpour wasn’t as light an affair as it was last year, with many festival goers seeking shelter under a giant Red Bull tent. Still, Lucero’s equipment was rolled out with the Tennessee band following shortly. Paying no mind to the rain, save for their pedal steel guitarist occasinally tipping his set to drain it of the precipiation, Lucero performed to a morose, soaked crowd, playing cuts from their latest album, 1372 Overton Park. They quickly lifted the spirits of the somber crowd and kept Summerfest alive with their gruff Replacements-esque rock

photo credit: 29-95.com

Canadian’s purveyors of the theatrical, Stars had their stage decorated with white roses that proved to be more than pretty props as they were thrown to the audience as they played songs from their forthcoming album The Five Ghosts. Singer Torquil Campbell was taken aback as he noticed The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne enjoying his band’s set from sidestage. Older fan favorites were played including “your Ex-Lover is Dead” and “Elevator Love Letter”, a symphonic delight for Summerfest attendees.

photo credit: marcofromhouston

Sunday’s lineup was definitely lacking in the hip-hop department, but that’s what local giants Bun B and Slim Thug were there for. Not that it was really that surprising, but Bun was named the “special guest” weeks before the show, shining that extra bit of spotlight on Houston’s beloved Underground King. Slim Thug came and started off the hour-long showcase, shortly after the rain subsided. As Thugga so gracefully claimed, “Yo, it’s hot as fuck, but I came to party. I just smoked backstage, so I’m with y’all,” we knew the intentions and end-results of a set like this mid-afternoon. He pimped out some of his biggest hits, from “Still Tippin'” and “I Ain’t Heard of That,” and more recently released “Thug From Around the Way” and “I Run.”

photo credit: marcofromhouston

Slim ended his set with 2005’s “Three Kings,” which is almost too perfect of a transition into the Bun B segment of the set. Bun B came out as gleeful as a thug can get, despite muddying up his brand new Jordans earlier that afternoon. Bun is too obvious of a hometown hero. He shows up to every hip-hop show in Houston, and people STILL act surprised and go ape shit when he hits the stage. It’s even more convenient that he has songs like “International Players Anthem” and “Big Pimpin” at his disposal, to wake a tired crowd up in a few seconds flat. Throughout the set, Bun embraced a lost childhood, demanding beach balls to kick off from center stage and shooting off water cannons, among other things. I guess it makes things easier to relate to.

photo credit: herbinhouston

What can be said about The Flaming Lips‘ live-show other than “spectacle?” We all know of the bubble, the psychedelic lights, confetti, giant hands and lasers: the kind of stuff that would blow the minds of the drug-free and and drug-induced alike. Seemingly birthed from a giant glowing woman’s womb, the band came out one by one, welcomed by all of Houston who patiently waited 10 years for this event. And then there was Wayne: walking about the crowds hands in a giant inflated bubble like some sort of indie-rock messiah, here to save us from boring live shows and rain woes. Opening with the eight minute “The Fear” straight into “Worm Mountain” from last year’s Embryonic, the Lips wasted no time in bringing out the big guns: everything from confetti cannons, to giant balloons, bear costumes (hey, thanks!), and an army of of dancers donning the fatigues of Yo Gabba Gabba’s DJ Lance.

photo credit: polythene ∆R▲CELY

There was a positive electricity in the air, as the Lips played older jams like “She Don’t Use Jelly” and “In the Morning of the Magicians.” Wayne Coyne was nothing but affirmative as he encouraged the crowd to feel the collective love in the air and smoke pot. He even apologized for his band’s decade long absence citing no personal agenda against Houston, only that they’d never take such a Bayou-city free tenure ever again. Audience participation was a must as the Embryonic song “I Can Be a Frog” prompted animal noises from the whole of the festival. Just after breaking out the laser embedded giant hands from Michel Gondry’s “The Science of Sleep”, the band kicked into their calling card love song “Do You Realize” in a hail of playful confetti indirectly mirroring the rainstorm that had earlier, beset Houston. What a sight it was, the Lips’ live show and their love and positivity radiated throughout the festival, propagating a sense of adulation and camaraderie in all of the fest-goers, closing out the two day festival on the highest note possible.

photo credit: jeremy keas