Elvis Perkins in Dearland - first show of the day; ended up being the best (or only) singer/songwriter of the day.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Good, but sullied by the fact that I saw them in April and the setlist was pretty much the same.

Viva Voce - Their show certainly got me more interested in getting their record that came out last year Get Yr Blood Sucked Out.

M.I.A. - Perhaps the best show of the day; the two female emcees came out dressed like extras from a Wreckx-N-Effect video, and throughly killed on stage. They had problems with their turntables that briefly stopped the set and it still didn't matter. Definitely the best show up to that point.

Blonde Redhead - If I hadn't just seen M.I.A. prefacing this show, I'm sure it would have been easier to digest. Still, I can't hang that on them, they played great.

LCD Soundsystem - Very impressed by the band and the singer; I was working off little exposure to them (the "I've heard good things" method). "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" was the highlight, since Daft Punk themselves were setting their set just a stage away.

Daft Punk - Last show of the night. I tried to get as close to the stage as possible. As it turned out, it didn't matter how close you were. You just needed some room to move your feet, that's all. An unbelievably elaborate light show, by the men in silver astronaut suits, perched above the stage in a electronic pyramid. I've said to much already; I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.

M.I.A. and Daft Punk were best shows of the day, though I'm not sure who topped who. I was impressed with little else at the festival, though. Too many overhyped bands for far too high a price.

While the best artists of the day on Friday were by and large all digital, expect the opposite to be true with Sunday's list of bands. I expect Iggy and the Stooges, The Wailers, Yo La Tengo and TV on the Radio to take us back home.

ps. On the train on the way to festival, I was invariably surrounded by others who were also en route to the festival who were talking about who they were going to see. I sent the following text message to my brother following a quite concerning conversation I overheard between two guys who were sitting in front of me on the train:

Text 1: "Conversation on the Train: 'Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse and then Pearl Jam: who wouldn't pay $80 for that?' I was looking [down] at my schedule like it was [the game] Battleship. [All the time, thinking] 'Miss.'"

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