Friday night boasted a stellar lineup including the ever-eclectic Tortoise, prolific indie-rockers Yo La Tengo, a reunited Jesus Lizard making their first hometown performance in years, capped off with a headlining performance from Built to Spill, all performing sets hand-selected by their fans.
It was clear that the night would belong to the Jesus Lizard from the first moments the quartet appeared on stage and front man David Yow advised the crowd to “ask for a full refund at the door on the way out” before jumping into the audience. The chaos continued to ensue, with Yow swimming on top of the audience, and ended with Duane Dennison writhing on the ground as if in the midst of an electrical shock.
It was a hard act to follow, and though Built to Spill valiantly delivered their melodic, swirling rock’n’roll, they couldn’t match the adrenaline rush of the Jesus Lizard.