Another weekend in Union Park is gone - where did the time go? The weather was pretty perfect - especially when compared to the heatwaves of the last few years that also seemed to conjure up dust bowls on the softball fields. I have this odd, sinking feeling about the festival that I've known and loved since its inception...I might just be getting too old for the crowd. What was once a place to listen to great bands that were mildly under the radar has now turned into an all out war on fashion with some bands playing in the background. I'm looking at you, dude in the dog costume:

In years past, I was able to look past the skinny hipster boy wearing the fleece-lined hat in 100 degree weather. This year, all I could see around me were young kids looking like they were teaching themselves how to smoke while wearing high-waisted jean shorts with tucked in blouses. Their outfits were so loud it was hard to even hear the music.

Still, all was not lost. I did get to listen to some good music, hang out with some great friends, drink too much good beer and eat the greatest no-meata-fajita in the world.

Sadly, I wasn't present on Friday night to hear the set list request playlists of Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill and Tortoise. Word around the Twitterverse is that fans left mostly happy eventhough the Built to Spill set had some sound issues.

Saturday I made it in time to see F**d Up get crazy on stage. Picture a shirtless hairy fat dude screaming to some punk rock grooves. The bassline was just funky enough to be danceable and therefore made me love it more than I ever thought I would. To sum the experience up, there was a whole lotta butt crack, air drums, air guitar and overall geeked fans in the crowd.

Going from that level of high-intensity energy to the cutesy pop stylings of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart was a bit of a letdown. It's not that the group wasn't good, they just weren't ready for a festival like this one. It was like you were getting ready to go out for a night on the town with Andy Dick (pre-rehab) but ended up staying at home babysitting your teenage cousins.

The evening started picking up as soon as Yeasayer hit the stage. They ended up being a bit more electro than I remembered them being but it was a positive change. It was kind of like a mixture of Brooklyn's Amazing Baby with old school New Order.

Next up to tickle my pickle was Beirut. Wow, that guy can really put on an amazing live show. His voice was just as smooth as on his albums and I fell in love with horns all over again. (No, Mom, I will not pick up the trumpet ever again.)

Before the Beirut set was up I had to sprint over to see Matt and Kim because I kept running into them back by the press area and they constantly had smiles on their faces. By the end of their set, every kid in the crowd had smiles on their faces. Seriously, they put on a great act and got everyone hyped and dancing. Major kudos to them.

To end the night, The National just killed it. While their sounds can be slow and sorrowful, their power and intensity made them not just a great choice for headlining but a great choice to keep the kids pumped to come back the next day.

Sunday was a bit of a daze. There was little sleep the night before and an early family brunch in the morning followed by more of that delicious beer. The Killer Whales were never a top priority on my list of bands to see but they ended up being the perfect way to wake up! The friends I was with didn't seem to enjoy their particular brand of scream rock but I was feelin' it! It's not the type of music I'd generally put in my headphones but for a festival of rock, the band was just perfect.

The Thermals were next on my radar and I hate to say it but I wasn't really all that into them. I know, I know, I should like them. They're a "cool" band, but there's something about Hutch Harris's voice drives me insane. The highlight of their performance was a cover of Green Day's, "Basket Case" which really wasn't too shabby.

My favorite act of the day was without a doubt, The Walkmen. My lord their drummer, Matt Barrick, could kill someone with two flicks of his drumsticks. Hamilton Leithauser's vocals can be a bit whiny at times but in the middle of a park on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with some horns behind it, there was nothing more beautiful.

I'm sure that for many, The Flaming Lips were the be all end all of the festival. Wayne and the boys were certainly a spectacle and I enjoyed watching some of their set (Wayne coming out in a giant bubble at the beginning was a nice touch) but decided to leave early so as to not battle the crowd for a spot on the transit home.

For interviews, photos and hopefully some videos sooner rather than later, check out Pitchfork's coverage of the three day festival. Many thanks to their peeps for pulling it off as smoothly as they did.