by TONI BARTONE

Senior Staff Writer

The ironic scent of grilled hamburgers filled the air… by TONI BARTONE

Senior Staff Writer

The ironic scent of grilled hamburgers filled the air and live Dave Matthews Band albums blared out of car trunks in the massive gravel parking lot outside the Post-Gazette Pavilion. My friends and I garnered some strange looks when we stopped at a fancy golf course to ask directions on the way there, and the overcast sky threatened rain. We sat on blankets behind my friend Lindsay’s car, chatting and shunning the ubiquitous corporate ads, scheming about how to smuggle in our own food and wishing we had brought some beer, since the gates didn’t open until 2 p.m.

I kept telling myself I was there only to see Neil Young and Dave Matthews, and because part of the ticket price was going to an important cause – supporting family farmers. But as I walked back with a $3 Dasani water to my lawn seat during Lee Ann Womack’s set, I came to the conclusion that this amphitheatre concert malarkey wasn’t my thing.

My friends and I watched from our blankets with half-interest as a seemingly endless smorgasbord of bar bands and contemporary country recording artists performed half-hour sets. We perked up when the sun came out and during the Drive-By Truckers set, which included “Let There be Rock,” a song about “the rise and fall of arena rock,” according to the lead singer. We cracked up to the lyrics: “I went to see Blue Oyster Cult when I was 16/I thought them lasers were spiders chasin’ me/And I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd, but I sure say Molly Hatchet.”

Gillian Welch, a folk artist who contributed to the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, also highlighted this portion of the concert, appearing onstage without the fanfare of most of the other artists, and performed only two songs on acoustic guitar.

The chemically altered crowd got unsteadily to its feet as Kid Rock took the stage, interspersing “Cowboy” with mediocre covers and originals. My friends and I stood up briefly to view the spectacle before us, but sat down again when a drunk woman faced us, dancing and shouting. Later, during John Mellencamp’s set, I got lost trying to find my friends on the lawn, but I felt slightly smug as a pretzel vendor mistook the $10 bill I had given him for a $20.

“Good food is good, and bad food ain’t shit,” Dave Matthews said when he took the stage as dusk rolled over the amphitheatre. Despite that and other off-kilter comments, Matthews played a superb solo acoustic set, which included mostly older work, and a cover of “All Along the Watchtower.”

Neil Young finally emerged, with an acoustic guitar and harmonica and a “Stop Factory Farms” T-shirt. “Corporate farms are controlling the destruction of family farms nationwide,” Young said, clarifying Dave Matthews’ previous remark. Switching between piano, organ and guitar, Young played a subdued, heartfelt set.

Walking away rather exhausted while Willie Nelson played “America the Beautiful,” my own elitist and hipper-than-thou attitude was beginning to annoy even me. Though I got to savor the last bit of summer on a beach towel in front of a stage, I resolved to stick to smaller shows.

by DAVID J. McCARTHY

Senior Staff Writer

So far my concert experience was nearly complete: I bought a bootleg T-shirt and purchased overpriced food. All that was left was for my dad and I to find our spots on the lawn.

The first song I paid attention to was Keith Urban’s “Song For Dad.” It was a thoughtful piece that had me thinking of my own father.

Next came Toby Keith, for whom the crowd cheered especially loud when he brought out Willie Nelson. The two men contributed to a funny tune with the refrain, “I’ll never smoke weed with Willie again.” Nelson stayed on stage for the duet “Beer For My Horses,” and Keith closed with a sing-along to the patriotic “The Angry American.”

While the cameras prepped for live coverage, Gillian Welch came out for a quick two-song set. Her first number, “I Want to Sing that Rock and Roll,” sounded good, but unfortunately most of the crowd wasn’t too attentive.

After a long delay, Kid Rock finally appeared to enthuse the older crowd with a rockin’ cover of Bob Seger’s “Fire Down Below.” The younger fans responded when Rock played a television-edited version “American Bad Ass.” Rock again winked at classic rock with a few licks of the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” before transitioning into “Cowboy,” which again had chunks of lyrics removed. Rock even cleaned up his anthem, “Bawitdaba,” making his performance a lackluster one. Kid Rock without curse words gets you the same feeling as his backstage box of condoms: empty.

Performing without his band, Dave Matthews was the first artist to address the show’s cause, urging his fans to “eat good food.” He then sang a spellbinding rendition of “Grace is Gone” and continued his charm into the old classics “Dancing Nancies” and “Too Much.” To huge applause, he showcased a morbid unrecorded track called “Gravedigger,” which haunted listeners. Cheerfulness returned with “Where are You Going?” and “Crush,” featuring an impromptu scat session, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy. It was only fitting that Matthews encored with Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” because tonight he had become Dylan: a lone man and guitar with a poet’s voice.

The high continued into John Mellencamp’s set, which opened with the rousing, farm-related “Rain on the Scarecrow.” Quickly, however, I became disappointed as the newer “Peaceful World” left my lips silent. Modest hits of “Paper In Fire” and “Crumbling Down” followed, but the void left in the absence of “Jack and Diane” and “Cherry Bomb” was inexcusable. Mellencamp’s slow version of “Small Town” lacked intensity. The only gem came with his finale, “Pink Houses,” which featured an all-smiles Gillian Welch singing the first verse.

Farm Aid’s war horse Neil Young took the stage wearing a bright red shirt with “Stop Factory Farms” across the chest. He voiced his distaste for corporate farms, stating “they can’t make good food.” Young, with only an acoustic guitar, piano and harmonica, treated the crowd to some mellow classics including “Old Man,” “Heart of Gold,” “Harvest Moon,” “After the Gold Rush” and “Sugar Mountain.” Between each number, he continued his crusade against big corporations and the government, stating that they “suck.” Even though he sang about “gettin’ old,” his message was timeless.

I didn’t stick around for much of Willie Nelson’s set and headed for the parking lot early. Farm Aid had its low points: frequent breaks between sets for commercials and the seemingly endless promos for the “Willie Nelson and Friends” concert. They gave the evening a very artificial and overproduced feel. But the performances of Matthews and Young redeemed the night and made it truly memorable. Overall, I enjoyed Farm Aid and hope that its morals and music touched more than just myself.