North Coast Music Festival: Grace Potter channels Grace Slick, Phantogram is downright eerie, and Maps and Atlases become the compass of a great weekend

September 3-5, 2010, in Chicago's Union Park

By Mary Schmitt
Published: September 7th, 2010 | 3:00pm

The Chemical Brothers played a dynamic set to the festival's largest crowd on Friday night.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals put on a spectacular show Saturday. They had some of the loudest guitars of the weekend as Grace Potter’s vocals brought to mind some of the classic female rockers of eras past—even nailing her best Grace Slick for a cover of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit."

The New Deal played a solid blend of garage rock and keyboard jam music for midday festival goers.

Jay Electronica went old school with his classic hip hop style. He made a point to let the audience know that this “ain’t no rap, this is hip hop."

Umphrey’s McGee went on opposite Moby’s DJ set, and from the two sides of the park, there couldn’t have been a more diverse set of people on Saturday night. Umphrey’s McGee played along in their usual jam style.

Moby had the most coherent DJ set of the dance-heavy festival, and proved once again that he is king of the mix boards.

Family Grove Company rounded out the early part of Saturday on the Red Bull Stage by playing some great three-man band jam music.

Loyal Divide played Sunday, as they jammed guitars and bass in a five-person ensemble that was a definitive crowd pleaser.

Phantogram was the most minimalist act of the weekend with only two members, but yet the filled the park with their eerie experimentalist indie just the same.

Maps & Atlases were one of the biggest draws on Sunday afternoon, and offered some breezy indie numbers that fit right in with the spirit of the festival.

Mayer Hawthorne & his backing band, the County, were another of Sunday’s highlights. With five instrumentalist members who brought a rollicking tide to his neo Motown vocals, it was the perfect cap to the festival before the night brought on Nas & Damian Marley.