My Bloody Valentine End ATP NY With Earsplitting Set

The anticipation was palpable yesterday at Kutshers Catskills resort. In between ping-pong matches, golf, film screenings and Food Court noshing, All Tomorrow's Parties attendees were all abuzz about My Bloody Valentine's looming set -- the band's first American appearance in 16 years.

The crowd swelled noticeably throughout the day; the leather-clad fashionistas arrived, as did scores of journalists, and none other than Patti Smith showed up to, as she was overheard saying, "check out the groovy music." But anyone who endured the earth-shattering sets of the day, which included Mogwai's anthemic thrill ride and the full-on sonic assault of Dinosaur Jr., might have replaced "groovy" with "really, really, really loud." No wonder the staff, who made attendees sign waviers that included a hearing-loss clause, were shoving free earplugs into willing hands all night.

While Day Two's headliner Lightning Bolt opted for a scaled-down, floor-level set, MBV's setup was a decidedly different affair. Equipped with just stacks and stacks of, well, Marshall stacks and a tripped-out light show, Kevin Shields and crew proceeded to tear through their hour-plus, swirly-twirly set to the delight of the adoring crowd. Highlights included a magical performance of 'Soon' and a 20-minute wall-of-noise finale that left thoudands of shoegazers blissed out and blown away...and possibly a little deaf.