Headliner Eminem takes the stage on Saturday night at Music Midtown. / Photo By Liqi Shu, Staff Photographer
Iggy Azalea was as sassy as ever when she took the AT&T Stage on Friday. Even during daylight hours, her fierce persona and ensemble of female backup dancers had everyone in awe. Cool and collected, Azalea strutted on the stage with tight black shimmering spandex shorts, drawing audiences’ eyes to her infamous hips as she began rapping “Fuck Love.” She followed up with one of her lesser known tracks, “Bounce,” which was as catchy as most of her songs are. She surely connected with the “ATL” when she extended “Bounce” with a quick build up and house-like drop, and killed the rapping game. Her sound established the ultimate balance of pop, rap and house. The moment the back track of “Problem” blasted across the field, audiences went wild. Though Azalea is often known to botch her lip syncing, her presence on stage and rapping on top of the track didn’t bother audiences in the slightest. While “Black Widow” and “My World” were among the crowd favorites with the rap-pop blend, the ultimate highlight was when she said, “I think you look really cute Atlanta. You’re really stylish and really beautiful and, real far from mediocre,” and T.I. entered the stage to perform “No Mediocre” with her. To no one’s surprise, Azalea ended her set with “Fancy,” pleasing her mainstream and dedicated fans alike. As one of Music Midtown’s more freshman performers, Azalea had the daytime field pouring out with fans enthusiastically joining her in song, dance and rap, clearly taken by her sassy stage presence.
Lorde‘s 8 p.m. set time on the Honda Stage was perfect for her transcending to a nocturnal performance. Lorde began the night with “Glory and Gore,” and continued on with a stream of sultry tracks, including her cover of Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights.” With a prevailing dark and somber tone, Lorde epitomized the “confessional bedroom pop” style, with much less of the electro-pop/rock style that her top hits’ radio edits embody. Forty-five minutes into her performance, the New Zealand singer-songwriter played a slow and contemplative version of “Royals,” a far cry from the hard-driving version audiences have come to expect. Lorde’s hypnotic set and performance aligned with her image as a self-identified feminist, known for criticizing mainstream pop culture, pop icons and romanticized themes that drive the music industry. Her performance was a testament to the audiences’ willingness to accept its atypicality, dreaminess and breaking down of the mainstream influence on her music. Nevertheless, “Team” had a much more uplifting tone, with a catchy and fast-paced beat that brought audiences out of the Lorde-trance and back into the high-energy festival spirit.
Friday headliner John Mayer was the main attraction of the night, with his back-to-basics, sensitive acoustic style. Sporting a black t-shirt, light wash ripped jeans and John Lennon reading glasses, his performance felt as intimate as ever, despite the tens of thousands of fans filling the entirety of Piedmont Park to hear his showcase of many newer, lesser-known tracks. With a folk and country edge, the words of “Wildfire” had the audience taken with the pure bliss of this last-day-of-summer performance as he sang the lyrics, “Cause a little bit of summer’s what the whole year’s all about.” It seemed as if Mayer was pouring his heart out to and for the audience, with not only his infamous “concentrated face,” but with veins nearly popping out of his arm during his complex guitar solos. After his extended guitar solo, he played “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You),” returning to his peaceful and euphoric performance to unify the diverse crowds. When Mayer took breaks, he had a quirky and casual way about him as he conversed with the audience, saying, “There are 48 more hours of your summer. You can have the best night of your summer. 2014. Best night of your summer. Who told you? I did. Don’t give up.” In that spirit, he launched into “Who Says,” followed by “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.” The moment Mayer played his cover of “XO,” even a condemning audience would’ve been taken with his flawless and pure voice in this soulful ballad. Mayer didn’t disappoint with classic hits, including “Neon,” “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Why Georgia,” with their melodic blend of blues, pop and contemporary soul.
Third Eye Blind‘s 3:15 p.m. performance on this sunny Saturday brought out a surprisingly huge audience, with even more people packed into the off-the-beaten-path Honda Stage where Iggy Azalea had performed on Friday. When “Never Let You Go” came on early during their set, audiences returned to their ’90s prime days and jammed with this dynamic and vibrant classic pop-rock song from 3eb’s Blue album. This was the only song after earlier singles, such as “Jumper” and “Semi-Charmed Life,” that competed with the band’s previous success. The band extended “Never Let You Go” with a guitar solo that matched the “angst-ridden” post-grunge, alternative, pop rock of the ’90s. Aside from nailing their classic top singles, 3eb did one of the most memorable covers of the weekend with The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”
Proudly sporting his Atlanta Falcons jersey, Atlanta’s own B.o.B. took the Electric Ballroom stage at 4:45 p.m.. Even festival goers looking for shade and a seat on the hill crowded around to get a taste of this pop-rapper’s “dirty south” edge. He began his set rapping, but quickly changed gears to more commercial hip-hop tracks, starting with “Magic.” While his set’s early rapping was a bit cacophonous, the self-referencing Bobby Ray embodied all the traits of a great performer, making the performance an absolute spectacle as he jumped into the crowd and crowd-surfed. He pleased audiences with big hits, including “Strange Clouds,” “Beautiful Girl” and “Headband,” but then he did the unthinkable: Without a dancer on stage, B.o.B. insisted that some ladies join him on the stage. He randomly chose four girls to get up on stage and perform as his back up dancers. Within minutes, these girls were dancing (using that term lightly) in harmony, “twerking” for B.o.B. to see. Clearly impressed, B.o.B. picked up one of the girls and she continued to grind on him. But once that activity subsided, B.o.B. continued with more hit songs, including “Up Down,” “Haterz Everywhere,” “Bet I” and crowd favorite “I’ll Be in the Sky,” an easy-listening catchy pop track that brought his performance back to a slightly less crass level. This highly sexualized set continued to shift on the spectrum, with his sweeter Taylor Swift hit “Both of Us.” He ended his set saying, “Remember ATL, don’t drink and drive, just smoke and fly.”
Fitz and The Tantrums took the Honda Stage immediately following B.o.B. This Los Angeles retro indie pop band of six was formed in 2008, but only truly made their mark in 2010 when their full-length album Pickin’ Up the Pieces began attracting a massive audience. With an upbeat and soul-inspired sound featuring some Motown accents, the band was a perfect midday listen. They surprised audiences with their unique cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” a choice that was perfectly in line with their fresh and infectious sound. Audiences were pleased when they could sing along with Fitz and The Tantrums’ top hits, including “More Than Just a Dream” and “The Walker.”
Lana Del Rey‘s contemplative daytime performance was the highlight of the festival. Del Rey’s vocals were as strong as ever, and were complemented by her old Hollywood femme fatale image. Despite her widely criticized image from discerning audiences unwilling to accept her artistic persona, Del Rey captured audiences with her effortless and intentionally lethargic performance, aligning with her highly constructed image of old-American glamour. Music Midtown’s audience was taken by her ethereal presence, driven by the purity and strength of her vocals. While her voice was overpowered by her band and the outdoor stage, those willing to lend an ear were absorbed in her retro ’60s-sounding pop and sensual performative quality. Wearing a cross necklace, red babydoll dress, delicate gold hoop earrings, softly waved hair and her distinct hand tattoos, she dressed her part, singing “Blue Jeans,” “West Coast,” Summertime Sadness,” “Born to Die” and “Video Games” (interestingly, her top hit “Young and Beautiful” was left off the setlist). Del Rey seemed overwhelmed by the crowd but eager to be a part of it as a Marilyn Monroe-type icon, walking into the audience, signing autographs and taking a selfie with an audience member’s Polaroid camera. Throughout the performance, Del Rey’s music videos played behind her, adding to her iconicity quality, with black and white filmography showcasing the intoxicating and elegant life of the Jackie O archetype she strives to epitomize. She even left her post on stage to grab a cigarette, and placed it on the microphone stand for “Video Games.” Every element of her performance was a part of her brand, including her final number, “National Anthem.” The finale encapsulated Del Rey’s commentative lyrical tendencies, reminiscing a bygone era.
British indie pop rock band Bastille was the ideal post-Lana Del Rey and pre-Eminem performance. With their easily digestible synthpop and indietronica sound, Bastille began the night on a high with top hit “Bad Blood.” The stage was powerfully illuminated in red, adding to the intensity of this nighttime set. The band’s recorded sound translated during their live set, with a memorable performance of “Of the Night,” their unique recreation of “Rhythm of the Night,” mashed up with “Rhythm is a Dancer.” Bastille’s rich vocal sound and energetic quality extended to their shocking and crowd-pleasing cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs.” Formed only in 2010, audiences expectations were moderate, and Bastille far surpassed them, culminating their set with their hit single, “Pompeii.”
Audiences stood with their eyes glued to the stage as a mini-psycho-docudrama film about “Stan” and a missing Marshall Mathers projected on the video screens. Like clockwork, Eminem appeared on stage in a hoodie and sneakers, as if no time had gone by since his last appearance in Atlanta nine years ago. His performance began with a fluid original rap with a violent edge. His backup singer complemented rapid long-form narrative raps, adding to the element of psychosis and paranoia through the intertwining of tones. His unfiltered and shameless pop cultural image was on point for his performance, and he focused on performing his newer tracks, rather than appeasing his ’90s fans. The grand boom box set illuminated the stage from behind him, creating the ultimate spectacle for Marshall Mathers’ return to the stage, most notably during “White America” and “Mosh.” After a long run of newer and lesser-known songs, purple haze clouds filled the stage screen, and B.o.B. returned to the stage for a performance of “Airplanes, Part II.” As soon as “Stan” came on, new and old fans joined in for the inevitable singalong, followed by a mashup of classic Aerosmith hit “Dream On.” As the night progressed, Eminem played more of his mainstream songs, including “My Name is,” “Toy Soldier,” “The Real Slim Shady,” “Berzerk” and “‘Till I Collapse.” He dedicated “Love the Way You Lie” to the ladies, followed by “Monster” and “Not Afraid.” His performance stopped at 10:15 p.m. and audiences started leaving to get out of the festival. All of a sudden, Eminem continued his performance with “Lose Yourself,” and the sidelines of Piedmont Park were as packed as the inside, with fans returning for more of Slim Shady.
– By Maddie Lampert, Contributing Writer
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