Voodoo Experience 2009: Friday In Preview

Submitted by eggs on Mon, 10/26/2009 - 04:06.

The BOT crew are steadily gearing up for a trip down to New Orleans to attend the 2009 Voodoo Experience for the fourth year in a row. We've got the whole gang going this year, and are coming up with several great ideas for costumes to suit us at this year's festival.

So many of our favorite acts are set to hit the numerous stages surrounding City Park next weekend, including a bevy of first day performances from the likes of Eminem, Ween, Justice, The Black Keys and a whole bunch more. In my preview of Friday, October 30th, I've talked about the bands I'm most excited about seeing. As always, though, visual stimuli deviates me from my intended schedule, so expect different and expanded coverage after the festival concludes.

In the coming days, Toast and Bacon will be bringing you their favorites from both Saturday and Sunday, but for now check out my preview of Friday, October 30th at the 2009 Voodoo Experience after the jump.

Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship? ::: 3:00 pm ::: Bingo! Parlor

A sizable collective of local area musicians from the Crescent City, Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship? make noise with whatever they find around them adding to an orchestra of accordions, foot-stomping, horns, percussion and whatever else they come across, this early afternoon set should be the perfect way for us to open up our 2009 Voodoo Experience. According to their MySpace, they're also good friends with some of our friends, Houston folksters listen!listen!.

The Cool Kids ::: 4:00 pm ::: Playstation/Billboard.com Stage

Chicago hipster hip-hop at its finest. I caught the The Cool Kids opening up for Q-Tip last year, and their set was quite good. They have clean rhymes mixed with almost 80's-esque beats that match together quite nicely. I'm really looking forward to catching at least a bit of their set.

Tao Rodruigez-Seeger Band ::: 4:15 pm ::: Preservation Hall

Grandson of famed folk singer Pete Seeger, Tao Rodruigez-Seeger is following in his footsteps both by backing Pete during his regular live shows, and by bringing forth a new set of folk songs of his own. I hear his shows are very good, so I'm looking forward to checking him out.

Janelle Monae ::: 5:00 pm ::: Voodoo Stage

We caught most of Janelle Monae's set at Bonnaroo this year, and were impressed with both the quirkiness and the raw energy of her performance. Her music is a jazzy mix of R&B, hip-hop, rock and pop, but it's her enchanting voice that is currently winning critics and new fans over worldwide.

Preservation Hall Stars w/ Special Guests ::: 5:30 pm ::: Preservation Hall

If you are going to this festy, you are most likely aware as to who the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is. Hell, they have their own stage/tent named after them! A slimmed down version of the namesake band will be performing with a host of guests for a special showcase on early Friday evening.

The Black Keys ::: 5:40 pm ::: Playstation/Billboard.com Stage

I've been obsessed with the gritty blues-rock of The Black Keys ever since catching them live for the first time last summer. The guitar and drums duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are not to be missed – especially if they decide to work out some of their soon to be released hip-hop material.

The Knux ::: 7:30 pm ::: Soco/WWOZ Stage

I actually saw The Knux for the first time the same night I saw The Cool Kids, when they both opened up for Q-Tip here in Houston. The Hollywood-via-Houston-via-New Orleans rap duo are pretty much the southern version of their Chicago tour-mates. They should be pretty good at dusk, and a great way for those hip-hop heads to get amped up for the nights headliner.

Justice ::: 8:00 pm ::: Playstation/Billboard.com Stage

Easily my most anticipated act on Friday, French DJ's Justice will be performing a pre-headlining set across the field from the main stage. On top of kicking our asses with their excellent mixes, they'll be collaborating with the Life Is Art Foundation for a "one-time only live performance." Along with adding many full-scale art installations throughout the Voodoo grounds, the Life Is Art Foundation will be choreographing Justice's performance with something called the Illusion Eyetrap, which they describe as "a mediation exhibit featuring 63 enormous [illuminated] helium balloons." They add that "Justice will bring the installation to life as music and light mix to evoke a range of moods in communal celebration." Fuck yes. See you there.

Ween ::: 9:00 ::: Soco/WWOZ Stage

I just recently caught Ween at San Francisco's Outside Lands Festival, and was very happy with their set. I got my "Roses Are Free" which is something I was seeking out of one of their live shows for years. With the Eminem conflict, I might have to miss most of this set, if not all of it, but I'm sure the rest of the BOT crew will be getting their weird on with Ween.

Eminem ::: 9:30 pm ::: Voodoo Stage

I never expected to see Eminem top the bill when they released the 2009 line-up, but it definitely excited me more than just a little bit. I've been a fan of Marshall Mathers for quite some time now, and this is the first opportunity I've ever had to see him live. This will be Eminem's first ever performance backed by a full live band according to his Twitter, one which will find him performing tracks from both his solo efforts and his material with the Detroit rap collective D12, whom will all be there to lend additional lyrical support. All of that on top of being his only major show of the year, and this should be one hell of a performance!