The temperature, reaching well into the 100s, mixed with a less than overwhelming lineup made for the perfect late-arriving crowd scenario. The later sets from Ben Harper and Relentless 7, Flogging Molly and Social Distortion were worth the effort, thankfully, and provided Sunday's defining moments -- a fitting bookend to a weekend's worth of live music.
There is just no getting around Sunday's lineup. Yes, it featured marquee acts in Molly and Social D, but even if those bands played the best sets of their careers it does not hide the fact that the day's earlier lineup (Slowpoke, Carolina Liar, Airborne Toxic Event, The Bravery) produced pretty lackluster crowds. It is not those bands' faults that the sun was out to kick everyone's ass, but I can guarantee you that played a big factor in some fans waiting until things cooled down to make their way to Tempe.