Pumping fists and thrashing heads welcomed home the ninth annual Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans this weekend. The festival was held Friday through Sunday at New Orleans City Park with a wide variety of sounds featuring local and touring artists. Rage Against the Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins and Wilco headlined the weekend. As soon as Rage opened Friday night with “Testify,” the crowd erupted into chaotic mosh pits. Zach de la Rocha told the city of New Orleans on Friday night to keep their city from the U.S. government’s control. This sent a shock wave of applause through the crowd. Chants of, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me,” filled the crowd and sent the band back on stage for an encore. Other notable acts also filled the day. Galactic took the stage midday to a lively crowd. The band brought three emcees with them to round out their set. Charli 2na of Jurassic 5 and Lyrics Born were crowd favorites. Two crowd members started pop-locking and break dancing to show their enthusiasm for the band. Saturday night ended with the other huge headliner of the weekend – The Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan and company took to the well-lit stage filled with a vibrant light show and heavy sound. “No hurricane could destroy this fucking place,” Corgan said to a packed crowd. “I came here expecting a living funeral but found a beautiful city.” Saturday was packed earlier with crowds showing support for their favorite bands. Circa Survive played on the main stage to an early afternoon crowd that was more than ready for the band’s longtime performance. “Circa Survive was the reason I came to Voodoo this year,” said informational systems and decision sciences freshman Zach Bordelon. “We were surprised to see a lot of people accepting us,” said lead singer Anthony Green. “We were very energized by the positive reactions we got from the crowd.” Motion City Soundtrack held nothing back as they attacked the stage in the late afternoon. The keyboardist’s bangs flung from side to side following each whip of his head as lead singer Justin Pierre quivered at the top of each high note. Hands in the shape of rock signs lined the stage as the band played their most popular song, “Everything is Alright.” Sinead O’Connor offered a diversion from rock as she captivated the crowd with her mellow Irish sound. O’Connor let her music do most of the talking as she revealed her inspiration. “All of my songs have some scripture. Some of my songs have all scripture,” she said. Two free-spirited women danced in the middle of a still crowd during O’Connor’s spiritual performance. Crowd members said they were touched when O’Connor embraced her bandmates for an a cappella trio. Coheed and Cambria contrasted O’Connor’s performance as they raised energy levels, which led the crowd into the first mosh pits of the night. David Tyler, Lake Charles resident, said he appreciates the band’s originality. “They have a good metal sound not found in many bands these days,” he said. Coheed and Cambria played both old and new material to a responsive crowd. Bassist Michael Todd said the band is happy to play in such a welcoming city. The New York native said he loved the city’s hospitality and “southern comfort.” Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals brought the ever-familiar soulful vibe to the festival. Ben Bourgeois, mass communication sophomore, said they were the best he’d seen all day because Harper was emotionally connected with his music. “They had the crowd in their hands the whole time,” he said. Harper fired up the crowd with a revolutionary approach toward the government, which motivated supportive screams. “Don’t you dare speak to us like we work for you,” he said. The weekend held up well on the end of weather, but the patrons were somewhat displeased with the amount of mud on the fields of the main stage. Todd said the band was forced to cancel their past New Orleans performance the week after Katrina. He said despite the devastation, Voodoo Fest is in the perfect location. “New Orleans is the birthplace of modern rock,” he said.
—-Contact Adam Pfleider at apfleider@lsureveille.com