Best and worst from Day 3 of Weekend 2 at the Big Gig
Summerfest 2022 wrapped up its second weekend Saturday with some familiar faces and yet another day of surprisingly good weather.
Here’s some of the best and worst of what festgoers heard on the grounds Saturday.
Third Eye Blind
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its self-titled debut album, Third Eye Blind started with the visual at the UScellular Connection Stage Saturday night: lots of lights, drummer Brad Hargreaves on a very high drum riser, and lead singer Stephan Jenkins dressed all in white.
Perhaps trying to be an American variation on David Bowie’s Thin White Duke or a California variation on a K-pop star, Jenkins was definitely the center of the quintet’s set, and something to stare at when the vaguely alt-rock music couldn’t hold the attention.
And it frequently couldn’t, whether the approach was a three-guitar riff-o-rama not reminiscent enough of Drive-By Truckers, a basic pop cookie like “Never Let You Go” or the third-rate Foo Fighters overdrive of “Narcolepsy.” Badly pacing the more stimulating songs like “Graduate” within a regularly decelerating performance, Third Eye Blind showed its age, badly.
Lupe Fiasco
By this point, Lupe Fiasco is a Summerfest staple. The Chicago-born rapper is a tried and true headliner known for his energetic sets and ability to work a crowd — and his Saturday night performance at the Miller Lite Oasis was no exception.
As the show began, the hitmaker asked the audience a simple question: “How many old-school Lupe Fiasco fans we got out here tonight?” Hundreds of woos happily answered as he started working the crowd.
Fans were already moving and grooving at the start of the show, but “Touch the Sky” really got people going. After all, old-school, pre-crazy Kanye West is always a crowd-pleaser. Fiasco fanatics continued to turn up to “Superstar,” “Daydreamin’ ” and “The Show Goes On.”
Midway through his set, Fiasco gave the spotlight (and microphone) to Milwaukee artist and activist Fatima Laster, who encouraged local fans to visit 5 Points Art Gallery on Milwaukee’s north side.
Fiasco’s 70-minute performance was short but sweet, and we already know he’ll be back next year. At this rate, he’ll likely headline the Big Gig for as long as he’s making music.
Mt. Joy
An overflowing crowd hopped up on the benches and picnic tables in front of the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard as the members of Mt. Joy emerged from an orange fog and frontman Matt Quinn began strumming out the chords of “Lemon Tree.”
The song soon swelled to a stomping rocker as the five-piece rock band built out a multilayered melody in front of a stage set with glowing orbs. Quinn’s vocals wandered from a delicate line of psychedelia to a growling crescendo. It was quite an energetic and exciting journey.
And that was just the first song.
“How’s everybody doing?” Quinn said, mentioning it was their first Big Gig stop. “You’re looking pretty good, Summerfest. Let’s have fun.”
With the creative, joy-filled set list that followed, it would have been hard not to.
The chorus of “Jenny Jenkins” teased a slow turn before a sparse guitar strum gave way to a bouncing swell of music and the bouncing heads in the crowd. “Let Loose” was a building, bluesy burn that drove atop Jackie Miclau’s organ runs and Sam Cooper’s soulful, impassioned guitar lines before building to a raucous crescendo on the back of Sotiris Eliopoulis’ thundering drums that marked just the beginning of extended jam.
As the large crowd roared and a big grin beamed from Quinn’s face, it was clear Mt. Joy’s first Big Gig won’t be its last.
For reviews of more of Saturday’s performances at Summerfest, go to jsonline.com/summerfest.