Left Coast Live Music Festival: weekend recap & photos

OK Go @ Left Coast Live  on June 25th, 2010

This last Friday and Saturday night, the Left Coast Live Music Festival transformed downtown San Jose into a vibrant entertainment hub for music lovers. With over 100 bands spread across 35 venues and with a host of other attractions, LCL 2010 made South First Street come alive! (Photo slideshows below)

Neon Trees

Only in its second year, the Left Coast Live Music Festival and Conference was an impressively well-orchestrated music experience.

Every thirty paces brought attendees within earshot of another great band, DJ or performer filling the night air with compelling beats and scorching guitar riffs.

There seemed to be a little bit of something for everyone – from hard rock jams, electronic dance beats, bubbling jazz, eclectic world rhythms and more.

During the daylight hours, performances took place in a mix of indoor and outdoor venues. The main stage at the intersection of South First and Reed St. played host to LCL’s headliners, including OK Go, Ya La Tengo, Neon Trees, Crash Kings, and Free Energy - among others.

Ya La Tengo

Probably the two most dynamic main stage performances were offered up by the Neon Trees and OK Go. During the Neon Trees' set, Tyler Glenn prowled in perpetual motion across the stage, pausing in dramatic poses to belt out the band’s catchy lyrics.

As the final main stage act on Friday, OK Go treated San Jose to spectacular explosions of multi-colored confetti and up-close-and-personal forays into the audience by lead singer Damian Kulash. The band even brought out a set of hand bells to absolve the audience of its collective sins – or maybe just to show off their quirky bell-ringing chops.

After hours, the action moved off the streets and into neighboring bars and clubs. Festival-goers could move from venue to venue with their LCL wristbands to sample a cornucopia of sound options.

Cecil “Big Jay” McNeely

Although the main stage drew the largest crowds, several of the weekend’s best moments were delivered by lesser known indie bands on the side-stages.

A few particularly noteworthy sets were played by Montana 1948, Picture Me Broken, Blowupdollz, Northern Son, The Daylights, Two Sheds, Worker Bee, and the Blank Manuscript – just to name a few (click here for highlights). With upcoming new releases from Picture Me Broken and Montana 1948, expect to see more about them and other LCL bands here in the coming weeks.

A definite highlight of the weekend was the explosively energetic “honking” performance by 80-something sax maestro Cecil “Big Jay” McNeely and his band. The spunky octogenarian was absolutely electric at Milano Restaurant on Saturday night.

It took San Jose a couple decades to grow into its tagline as the “Capital of Silicon Valley.” But with the energy of Left Coast Live – as well as the downtown Music in the Park series, South First Fridays, SubZERO, Cinequest, and a growing list of similar events – San Jose shows every sign of being on its way to taking its place as a capital of art, culture, and live music in addition to high-tech innovation.

Left Coast Live Photo Slideshow (Friday, June 25)

(click to watch Friday's slideshow)

Left Coast Live Photo Slideshow (Saturday, June 26)

(click to watch Saturday's slideshow)

Be on the lookout over the next few months as the San Jose Indie Music Examiner continues to spotlight many of the great local indie bands that were featured at LCL 2010!

For examiner.com coverage of other music festivals, visit the 2010 Music Fest Guide!