The first-ever Field Day Festival didn't turn out the way anyone would have planned it.

It rained for more than 10 of the outdoor show's 12 hours. It had marathon lines for food, confusion about whether beer was even available and loads of hurt feelings and anger about changed plans, lost deposits and fees and canceled bands. Instead of glorious nature views and fields for kitschy kickball and Wiffle ball tournaments, it featured an obstructed view of the New Jersey Turnpike.

Luckily, Field Day organizers were planning an alternative rock music festival, with fans and musicians who are used to disappointment and soldiering ahead in not-so-great conditions. Even luckier, when all was said and done, Field Day featured a remarkable collection of talent that, for the most part, was at the peak of its powers. In the end, what didn't kill it really did make it stronger.

"I wanted to tell the organizers that I'm sorry that it had to come to this," said Radiohead front man Thom Yorke, before dedicating an impassioned version of "Just" to them. "We'll live to fight another day."

Yorke's announcement came early in a 110-minute headliner set that was easily worth the price of admission on its own. With the release of its fine new Hail to the Thief album, Radiohead is clearly rock's best band, a truth it proved over and over again as new songs such as "There There" and "2+2=5" grew into stadium-rock anthems. The reggae-tinged "Backdrifts," the band's best chance at a mainstream hit in years, featured a fuller sound than it does on the album or even in the MTV2 special filmed on Thursday night at the Beacon Theatre.

Few bands can move from rock to dance music as gracefully as Radiohead, from its gorgeous rock ballad "No Surprises" to the twangy techno of "I Might Be Wrong" or from the art-rock opening of "Sit Down. Stand Up" to its closing frenzied dance beat and the chant of "The raindrops."

It's a transition that the Beastie Boys used to make in their live show as well. However, this time out, they left the instruments behind, relying on DJ Mixmaster Mike to supply all the music. On most nights, that wouldn't be a problem, but the Beasties still seem to be shaking off the rust from a three-year hiatus. The rappers' hour-long set included some abrupt stops and starts and jokes about being a "well-oiled machine." Yet when they got things working, on "So Whatcha Want" and "Shake Your Rump," the Beasties showed they still have considerable hip-hop charm.

Maybe the Beasties were thrown off by their early start time. They started nearly an hour early after Beck had to cancel his set. The rain reportedly got the best of Beck, who was rushed to the hospital after he reportedly slipped while dancing to Underworld and cracked a rib. It was a testament to the strength of Field Day's lineup that his last-minute cancellation didn't greatly upset the crowd.

After all, by that point, it had already been treated to stadium-headliner-quality sets from Blur and Underworld. Blur's hour-long set drew heavily from its excellent new "Think Tank" album, including spirited versions of the elegant "Out of Time" and the goofy good-time single "Crazy Beat," though singer Damon Albarn got the biggest support for turning the Beatlesque "Tender" into a stadium sing-along and, of course, leading the crowd in a huge "Woohoo!" during "Song 2."

It was Underworld, however, that first gave Field Day its festival vibe. With its hard-driving beat and soaring synth lines, the electronica duo transformed the crowd, mostly huddled out of the rain until that point, into arm-waving, high-stepping party people during its hour-long set, especially during its '90s hit "Born Slippy." Singer Karl Hyde helped set the mood for the rest of the day, leading the crowd in a sing-along of "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

Out on the second stage, the quality of music was generally just as high.

Of all the "girls with guitars" on the early part of the bill, Irish newcomer Gemma Hayes was by far the most impressive. Her songs rocked harder than Liz Phair, who opted for a more laid-back acoustic setup, and the ever-dainty Beth Orton. Phair did charm with her classic "---- and Run," but other standbys such as "Supernova" sounded limp. Hayes, though, launched full speed ahead into songs from her debut album, "Night on My Side," closing with the powerful "Tear in My Side," its slo-core droning guitar chords made all the more effective by the intensifying downpour and whipping winds.

It was New Jersey's Thursday, though, that rocked the second stage the most, with metal-tinged songs from its forthcoming album and emo-core from its breakthrough "Full Collapse" album, especially "Understanding in a Car Crash" and "Standing on the Edge of Summer." The successes of Thursday and Hayes show how festivals such as Field Day can build a loyal following, giving fans headliners like Radiohead while still introducing them to newcomers.

Field Day could easily have been a fiasco, forced only three days earlier to move from Enterprise Park at Calverton to Giants Stadium and scale down from two days to one, after failing to get the proper permits to hold the festival. There's plenty of blame to go around on that - from the organizers to Suffolk County and Riverhead Town governments and area environmental groups.

Nevertheless, getting the concert off the ground is a victory for founder Andrew Dreskin.

Perhaps he will put aside the hard feelings and start work on making Field Day 2004 everything he hoped his inaugural concert would be. Maybe now that Long Island knows what it missed, it will send some support his way

Glenn Gamboa

New York Newsday
08.06.03