Usually we have to cut summer school to attend BFD, the annual rock-out sponsored by Bay Area indie station Live 105, but this year’s weekend date made for the ultimate Saturday in the park — or Shoreline Amphitheatre, as the case happened to be. Among the stars of the fest’s heavyweight lineup: Franz Ferdinand, the Strokes, AFI, Wolfmother, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and locals Every Move a Picture.
We don’t like to play favorites, but we do like when bands pick us as favorites: “This has been one of the coolest festivals we’ve ever been a part of,” said She Wants Revenge frontman Justin Warfield before reconsidering and bestowing the ultimate distinction: “No, the coolest festival we’ve ever been a part of.” Ouch, Coachella! Warfield also wasn’t shy about showing off throughout the set, which included “Red Flags and Long Nights” and “Tear You Apart.” Sporting a George Michael, Faith-era get-up, lots of oh-no-you-dih’nt finger moves, and Freddie Mercury attitude, he made sure the crowd stuck around for the entire set before fleeing to scout a location for teenage phenoms Panic! at the Disco.
In the not quite as enthusiastic category, Echo and the Bunnymen were cool as seasoned rocker cucumbers throughout their performance. Their greatest hits set list, which included “Lips Like Sugar,” “The Killing Moon,” and “The Cutter,” was enough to send any fan into a euphoric ’80s-hit coma, but frontman Ian McCulloch looked as though he could’ve used an “I’d Rather Be Recording for a John Hughes Soundtrack” bumper sticker to go with his cigarette. Maybe the indifferent approach was a result of his before-dark set time, or perhaps it was just bad boy demeanor as usual. MELISSA GOLDSTEIN
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