Green Man Festival at Spirit Mountain in Duluth.

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Get the buzz on Green Man: Sarah Henning's take on Friday's musical acts, photos galore and a special Sunday report on the festival's quirky vibe.

Green Man Festival at Spirit Mountain in Duluth.

First Reports

When "Blister in the Sun" was thrown down, a guy nearby started dancing so wildly, he dropped his joint in the grass and didn't even stoop to look for it. And if that isn't a testament to the infectious power of the Violent Femmes, I don't know what is.

Normally, if someone wearing fingerless, fringed gloves says "I wanna rock" and then plunks down at a keyboard, it's a cue for riotous laughter. When Mark Mallman says it, he produces punch-you-in-the-face arena rock

Olympic Hopefuls: The Minneapolis band's set was crammed with bust-a-gut funny songs about abusing prescription drugs and outrunning cops on motorbikes. The matching tracksuits are sexy. Really. But the Weezer-esque band's appeal stands without the gimmick.

The Owls: That is, until mid-set, when the repetitive tempo and whispery voices started to sound whinier than the Napa Valley.

Erik Koskinen Band: But Koskinen is too much of a crowd pleaser to get mired in a single genre. His set borrowed from honky tonk country, rockabilly and blues, with an invigorating sonic layer added by Tim Nelson's surf rock guitar.

Little Black Books: The tent shook from the start with the drive-it-like-it's-stolen rock of Duluth foursome Little Black Books. ... Somebody forgot to tell Kevin Grapski that bass players are meant to be heard and not seen. The way his gangly frame shook, kicked and jumped made him look as if he was covered in dung beetles, Fear Factor style.