Wow.
It all started after a 6 hour drive to Chicago. We managed to find Hutchinson Field within the enormous Grant Park at around 2pm. It was a very nice place, although the heat was overpowering. As we headed toward Hutchinson Field to find the line, we could hear some faint music. As we got closer, we realized it was Radiohead doing their soundcheck and they were playing "You and Whose Army?". It was really strange to see Radiohead play some songs without cheering or any sort of reaction afterward. Some of the songs they played were "Idioteque", "The Reckoner", "Like Spinning Plates", "The Tourist" and "National Anthem." Although, we didn't get to see much of the performance since we were trying to find the beginning of the line.
Anyway, after standing in line for awhile, we finally made our way into the fenced area. Hutchinson Field was huge. We bought some expensive merchandise and walked past the $4 water stands; heading toward the stage. We found a comfortable spot about 20-25 feet away from the stage. There we stood burning up for another few hours except when we were hosed down with water. It almost made up for the $4 bottled water.
And finally around 6 or so, The Beta Band stormed the stage. To be honest, The Beta Band was pretty boring and I thought lacked any sort of excitement. They would only get response from the crowd when the lead singer/guitarist Stephen Mason would put something on his head or made fun of MTV. I was let down (no pun intended) because I was eager to hear what they sounded like live. Although, they did play most of their strongest material covering songs on Hot Shots Part II and Three Ep's.
After The Beta Band, Kid Koala came out and played a short and sweet set. It was really refreshing to watch a DJ perform before a monster "rock" band like Radiohead. He even threw in a few Radiohead clips like "Fitter, Happier" and "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors". After a mere 20mn give or take, the stage was empty except for the old Radiohead roadies, and you could feel the anticipation. The crowd was getting more and more packed and people started appearing out of nowhere and somehow managed to be in front of me. Nonetheless, I was craving some Radiohead. Not too long later, Radiohead peaked their British faces and the crowd erupted.
They busted into "The National Anthem" which may have been their weakest song live, but was still a great opening song. The rest of the set was nearly flawless. They played a monster 24 song set which included a song from Pablo Honey, a few from The Bends, a couple B-sides, and the rest coming from Kid A, OK Computer, and Amnesiac. Thom was especially in a great mood that night. Cameras were setup in awkward places all over the stage, and during "Pyramid Song" and "You and Whose Army", Thom would look into the camera and make funny faces. It was great. He smiled a lot, I mean, more than most bands I've seen live. He seemed to enjoy the crowd response and loved interacting with us. Some of the standout songs were "Idioteque" (great dancing at the end), "Talk Show Host", and "True Love Waits" which was a nice surprise. Once again, it was played as a solo performance by Thom. Any song that would have played that night would have been great. Radiohead are at the top of their game right now and their recent live performances just reinforce the idea that they are one of the most amazing bands ever.
mr p