Music Midtown 2005, The End Of An Era
by terri sapp
Fabulous Photos by Leah Yetter
© Concert Sutra, All rights reserved
click photos for Sunday photo gallery
There’s no secret that some of my favorite events of the year happen on the weekend of Music Midtown every year. A weekend full of so many different types of artists all coming together in the middle of the City of Atlanta to put up their best effort to draw the biggest crowd between six stages. This year, hats off to 99x, the local “Everything Alternative” Radio Station, who managed to book the most impressive line up on one stage that I have ever experienced.
Out of all of the bands that I was overjoyed to see, I have to say that the most unexpected delight of the weekend was the grand finale headliner on the 99x stage, DEVO! Even though it had been nearly 20 years since DEVO had played Atlanta, you wouldn’t have known it from the warm welcome they got from all the happy “spuds” and future “spuds” on Sunday evening. The DEVO energy dome hats must have been working to keep the rain away, because Sunday ended up being the only dry day of the festival. DEVO packed a high-energy punch with or without “flower pot” energy dome hats and radiation suits. Their message is as politically charged as ever and complete with social commentary and fun. Their set list was a balanced mix of their more popular songs and rarities. We got to hear “That’s Good,” “Girl U Want,” “Whip It,” “Satisfaction,” (Rolling Stones cover) “Uncontrollable Urge,” “Mongoloid,” “Blockhead,” “Jocko Homo,” “Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA,” “Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy,” “Gates of Steel,” Encore: “Freedom of Choice,” and “Beautiful World” with a special appearance by Booji Boy. Booji Boy seems to be sort of the social voice of DEVO, with his stories and lessons. My favorite ever Booji Boy moment was his role in the 1982 Neil Young movie, Human Highway. Continue reading
Each and every year on the first weekend of May in Midtown Atlanta, the biggest and best festival in the Southeast takes over! The most special aspect of Music Midtown is that no matter what acts are booked to play, this weekend is nothing but fun. 2004 is no different. I have attended this festival for the last several years, and have found that even if there don’t seem to be any artists that you aren’t interested in experiencing, you can always find something new that will catch your attention. Not only are there several different stages set up in the middle of the city, but the price of the weekend three-day pass is truly noteworthy. This year, I was able to catch a total of fourteen bands over the course of the weekend, and the ticket price is under fifty dollars!