All Points West, 2009
All Points West, 2009
by Emily Tan
Stormy weather didn’t stop people from flocking to Liberty State Park for this year’s All Points West Music & Arts Festival. With a lineup that included MGMT, Coldplay, Tool, The Ting Tings, Vampire Weekend, Mogwai and The Cool Kids, there was a little something for everyone. Despite weather reports, no one expected the heavy winds that started to pick up during the Fleet Foxes set. Attendees weathered the storm and made sure to catch Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and last-minute addition, Jay-Z, who paid homage to the Beastie Boys with his rendition of “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” Day 2 brought sunny skies and lots of excitement as herds of Tool fans filled the park in anticipation for their favorite band to close that night’s festivities. St. Vincent, Gogol Bordello and the Arctic Monkeys were crowd pleasers.
Torrential rain earlier Sunday morning delayed the entire event by at least 4 hours, but those adamant on seeing Coldplay or MGMT (two of the night’s big acts) waited it out. Unfortunately the late opening canceled a few sets including Jersey locals, The Gaslight Anthem. However, the show went on with lots of mud slinging and memorable performances by The Black Keys, Echo & The Bunnymen and Lykke Li. Depending where your loyalties laid, Coldplay — who also performed a piano version of the Beasties’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)” and an acoustic rendition of “Billie Jean” by the late Michael Jackson — and MGMT’s almost simultaneous performances made for a great ending to an otherwise soggy festival.