The Oxhorn Music Mix

The Sun sat lazy in the sky over Baltimore, slow-burning. On scorched earth below, ten thousand souls gathered for a weekend of sonic exorcism. We arrived at the Virgin Festival as the first acts of Saturday took the stage, and went straight to the DJ tent to escape the irreverent mid-day Sun. Under the shade lazed the boys and girls rolling on E, Booka Shade spun and drummed a vicious set of minimalist house that cascaded through the fairgrounds like a placid tidal wave. Hands in the air, the crowd massaged the palpable beats that spat through the heavy, humid air.

Peter Bjorn and John

And now, Peter Bjorn and John take the stage, playing their fucking hearts out. I might’ve mentioned it was hot, but these guys are jumping up and down on the stage and dancing like maniacs, all the while pumping out perfect pop. They drip sweat and ooze charisma, charming the crowd with little jokes. Before starting “Young Folks “, the eponymous Peter quipped, “We’re gonna bring out some guy we found backstage to play bongos. I think his name’s Mark. Hope he’s good.” And they were great.

Beastie Boys, et al.

As you would expect, The Beastie Boys moved the crowd with class. Dressed in sharp suits they mixed deep grooves from their new album with classics like “Brass Monkey” and “Sabotage.” Then it was time for Modest Mouse and boy did they disappoint. The crowd came to rock and the Mouse dropped the ball hard. The songs sounded hollow, their energy subdued. We made it back to The Police in time to see “Roxanne” and then were swept away into the night, to wait in a long line of cars to return to Baltimore.

Overpriced Tickets

The entire day was amazing. The crowd was enthusiastic, the vibes good. The sound good. The light show, very good. The food, ok, but overpriced. The tickets - overpriced. The $20 “convenience” charge by Ticketmaster? Repugnant. Will I go next year? Definitely.

Forget Ticketmaster, get Peter Bjorn and John tickets here.
photo by Evan Oxhorn

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