Sonic Youth, Breeders Rock All Tomorrow's Parties

Saturday at All Tomorrow’s Parties climaxed with Sonic Youth's blazing one-hour set, which centered around their seminal 1988 album Daydream Nation. Watch our video of the noise pioneers kicking things off with a roaring, distorted “Candle.” The track runs for seven minutes, with Thurston Moore ripping away at his guitar for a raucous wave of distortion.

Video from day one of All Tomorrow's Parties: the Stooges, Mudhoney, and T Model Ford

Earlier in the night, alt-rock vets the Breeders played a set that included the minimalist, cheeky “Bang On,” off 2008’s Mountain Battles. When Rolling Stone caught up with guitarist Kelley Deal, she went into MTV VJ mode, chatting up Tim Biskut and Eric White, who have an art exhibit at the festival based on Adult Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show. Deal also recalled a somewhat embarasing technical glitch at a Cleveland show earlier in the week. “I had this screaming lead coming up,” she explained, but despite having “four pedals” and her “Marshall amp” good to go, “I didn’t plug my guitar in!”

We also talked with filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, who curated ATP's Sunday lineup. “For me, it’s a big release to be at a music festival,” Jarmusch said. His chosen lineup included the Greenhornes, Black Angels, GZA and Raekwon. “There was a lot [of hip hop] I would have chosen, but I just had to go with the Wu Tang,” he explained. Jarmusch also told us about getting his fill of massive rock festivals at Bonnaroo in 2007. “When the Police played, they shut down all the other stages, so I went to eat dinner,” he said. “I have a problem when Sting takes his shirt off.” Come back to rollingstone.com tomorrow to hear about Jarmusch's plans for an upcoming Stooges documentary.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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