Seraphina Lotkhamnga on April 13th, 2014

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Who: Outkast on the Main Stage
In 3 or Fewer Words: Crowd’s not vibing.
Memorable Because: There were many awkward moments during the hotly anticipated Outkast reunion show despite the fact Andre 3000 and Big Boi were as on point as at anytime through their admirable partnership. Biggest bummer: The crowd was unfortunately rather sedated. Fans seemed to be on board during opening number “B.O.B.,” but the enthusiasm quickly died down. “Are y’all still alive?” Andre repeatedly asked, clearly frustrated with the “haters” in the crowd, and, especially, with the lack of an efficient monitor. It was a sad but true testament to what a festival crowd is full of today: hype kids waiting for a recognizable hit. Drastically different from Girl Talk’s preceding set, not bombastic as Kanye West’s set in 2011 and lacking the nostalgia-tripping of Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg’s gig in 2012, Outkast’s set was as barebones as it got for a hip-hop act closing out the Main Stage. The only frills here were a polar bear and a bike, and fans were obviously too unfamiliar with the duo’s catalog to greet the material with much more than vacant stares. Although the crowd wasn’t entirely to blame; the set had some slow moments with Andre’s poor decision to do a few slow songs from “The Love Below” (like “Prototype”) during his solo moments, an unnecessary plug for Future’s forthcoming album and essentially planning a backloaded set. The well-received moments, however, did genuinely shine: Big Boi’s collaborations with Sleepy Brown (“I Love the Way You Move”) and his choice to do “Shutterbugg” from his recent solo album “Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty,” and of course the string of hits like “Ms. Jackson,” “Roses” and “So Fresh, So Clean” revived the crowd. Most importantly, the closing number “Hey Ya” received its desired results, although the duo had meant to close with “The Whole World” (Killer Mike even came out on stage). But a 1 a.m. curfew is a 1 a.m. curfew, and there’s always Week 2. Closing thoughts? This reunion might have sparked fireworks at Rock the Bells.
What I’d Tell My Friend Who Was At ††† (Crosses): Did their set include a meltdown?
– S.L. (Photo by David Brendan Hall)