"So what's your favorite thing you've seen so far?"

I think the first time someone asked me that was Friday afternoon. And I kept hearing that same question through the final night of the inaugural Lost Lake Festival in Phoenix, by which point it was still the same thing I'd been saying since the first day ended, Chance the Rapper.

There were plenty of great performances over the course of the weekend, though, from local heroes Playboy Manbaby to hip-hop icons Run the Jewels and Huey Lewis and the News.

Yes, Huey Lewis and the News.

Here's how I'd rate the best performances I saw at Lost Lake. Opinions may vary.

1. Chance the Rapper

Chance brought the opening night to a joyous conclusion as he led his gospel choir in repeating "Are you ready for your blessings? Are you ready for your miracle?," a shower of confetti raining on the crowd as they sang, "When the praises go up, the blessings come down.".

It was the perfect ending to a deeply spiritual performance by a true hip-hop original whose sound is steeped as much in gospel, jazz and classic soul as anything resembling modern hip-hop.

Chance was in good spirits, having just unboxed the Grammys he won earlier this year, which he said made this his first concert as a Grammy-winning artist. Not sure if the math checks out on that, but it sure put him in a good mood, so I'll take it.

In addition to those gospel singers, Chance was backed by the Social Experiment, including Nico Segal, who Chance introduced as "the man of the hour" and "the Artist Formerly Known as Donnie Trumpet," as well as musical director Peter Cottontale.

A soulful, uplifting rendition of "Sunday Candy," which he noted was the only video they filmed for the Social Experiment album, was among the many highlights of a set that offset selections from "Coloring Book" with a medley of Kanye West songs that ended with "Ultralight Beam" and a playful rendition of DJ Khaled's "I'm the One."

At times, it felt more like a gospel tent revival than a concert by one of the hottest names in hip-hop, he'd filled the park with such positive energy – an energy in short supply in these divisive times -- if that performance didn't "make you remember how to smile good," as he promised in "Blessings (Reprise)," it wasn't for a lack of trying.

2. Playboy Manbaby

These locals turned in a ridiculously entertaining set, rocking the crowd with the reckless abandon that's made them one of Arizona's fastest-rising live attractions.

Robbie Pfeffer made the most of the occasion by treating their well-deserved place on the festival stage with a self-effacing sense of humor while rocking a Scottsdale Jazz Festival T-shirt.

"Hello everybody, we are the Pixies," he joked.

The singer later told the crowd, "We've come a long way to be here." According to Google Maps, he said, "By walking, this is seven minutes from my house."

After leading his bandmates through such crowd-pleasing highlights "Don't Let It Be," their latest and greatest, as "Bored, Broke & Sober," "You Can Be a Fascist Too" and "Last One Standing," he told the crowd, "We are Playboy Manbaby. After us, all the bands you paid money to see."

But there's no way the fans shouting along on the call-and-response of "You Can Be a Fascist Too" wouldn't gladly pay to see them play again, especially after Pfeffer climbed into the crowd for some up-close-and-personal crowd interaction on their final song. It was brilliant, hilarious showmanship. And the crowd ate it up.

3. Run the Jewels

The most anticipated hip-hop name on Sunday's bill was Run the Jewels, who did not disappoint. Killer Mike and El-P strolled on stage to Queen doing "We Are the Champions," encouraging the audience to sing along, then proceeded to prove why the champions title applies.

The intensity of their rapping was matched by the sonic assault of the speaker-rumbling low end. They blew out the PA for a verse or two of "Legend Has It," two songs in, but just kept going, clearly unaware that no one in the audience could hear what they were doing.

Their set was packed with any number of their greatest hits, from "Blockbuster Night, Part 1" to "36" Chain," preceded by El-P announcing that they'd gifted everyone in the audience with an invisible 36-inch gold chain they should wear with pride and not let anybody tell them they can't live their life the way they please, especially politicians.

They talked a lot, to be honest. But they're better at talking than most entertainers. Everybody says they're glad to be in Phoenix. Killer Mike adds, "And your marijuana is top-motherf--king-tier" with expert comic timing.

DJ Shadow's "Nobody Speak," on which they were the featured guests, was a refreshing change of pace that made the explosive rendition of "Close Your Eyes (And Count to F--k)" that followed that much harder-hitting. And they signed off with a string of their most heartfelt moments – "Down," which Killer Mike preceded with a speech about putting an end to suicide, "Thursday in the Danger Room," sent out to friends who didn't make it this far, and "Angel Duster."

4. Pixies

The most anticipated rock act of the festival's first day, they treated fans to a ferocious trip down Alternative Memory Lane while tearing new holes in the listeners' nostalgia with raucous renditions of "Planet of Sound," "Caribou," "Monkey Gone to Heaven," "Debaser," "Wave of Mutilation" and "Where Is My Mind," to name just a few of the obvious highlights.

The Pixies, of course, are no strangers to working the festival circuit. It’s been 13 years since an invitation to rock the masses at Coachella brought them back from an 11-year hiatus.

And despite parting ways in 2013 with the great Kim Deal, a founding member whose throbbing bass and harmonies were handled with aplomb by Paz Lenchantin of A Perfect Circle, that old spark remained as fresh as if Black Francis had just stuck a fork in a nearby electrical outlet.

Their performance was a feedback-driven onslaught, Black Francis emitting those throat-shredding howls that helped defined the Pixies' standing on the cutting edge of alternative music years before Nirvana took their whisper-to-a-tortured-scream dynamic to the masses.

5. Noname

This Chicago rapper's soulful blend of hip-hop, jazz and poetry went over big with a crowd that was swimming in people wearing Chance the Rapper No. 3 caps. She and Chance are clearly kindred spirits and it goes beyond their having worked together.

Blessed with a magnetic smile and wearing a Lil Kim "Crush on You" T-shirt, Noname brought an unassuming charm to the proceedings as she made her way through such obvious highlights as "Comfortable," "Get Money," "Church/Liquor Store" and "Freedom (Interlude)."

After bringing her set to a climax with an emotional read on "Casket Pretty," she told the crowd, "All right, I'm done with this sad s--t," ending on a high note with "Forever" and a very soulful "Yesterday."

6. The Shelters

Every so often, you see a band that makes you feel like rock and roll could be the biggest thing since, you know, rock and roll. At Lost Lake, that band was the Shelters. They had me at "I own a 12-string Vox guitar."

And by the time they signed off with a cover of "Lost Woman" from the Yardbirds' Jeff Beck era that ended with a taste of Link Wray's "Rumble," it was obvious that they had done their part to prove that aging rock fans who insist that rock and roll is dead are just bitter about the fact that they had fuller heads of hair when "Over Under Sideways Down" came out.

Hey, I did too. But this renewed my faith in rock and roll as something we can pass on like a quirky family heirloom to a generation raised on Lil Yachty records. Not that Lil Yachty is a bad thing. But these guys are so brilliant at the misplaced art of rock and roll that Tom Petty himself was moved to co-produce their album.

And in truth, there are times when they sound like a reckless young Heartbreakers wired on "Nuggets" and speed with the actual musical chops to back it up. Other times, they sound more like the Kinks' first album, which can only be the biggest compliment I've ever paid a rock-and-roll band.

They're so rock and roll, in fact, that when it came time to salute their fallen co-producer, they bypassed the obvious crowd-pleasing choir – a "Full Moon Fever" hit or "American Girl" – in favor of a Mudcrutch song.

You know who would've thought that was the coolest thing they could've done?

Tom Petty.

7. Huey Lewis and the News

I saw a kid in a Kesha shirt losing his mind to Huey Lewis and the News. That's the power of love. And the "Back to the Future" franchise.

The News set the tone for their set with the sound of a beating heart, which could only mean they planned on starting their performance with "The Heart of Rock & Roll."

Now, there's a decent chance they open every show with that one. I would, too, if it were my hit. But it felt more like a mission statement in this context, with the News as Lost Lake's undisputed elder statesmen, especially when Lewis sang, "It's still that same old rock and roll music that really really drives 'em wild."

So did it really, really drive 'em wild at Lost Lake?

There were smiles all around for that opening song. And Lewis and his bandmates held a large, enthusiastic crowd's attention as they blew the dust off an astonishing array of timeless hits: "If This Is It," "I Want a New Drug," "Jacob's Ladder," "The Power of Love," "Heart and Soul and "Working for a Living."

The singer's voice has aged if not like fine wine like a favorite beer. And his bandmates definitely earned their paycheck, from the four-man horn squad and a killer rhythm section to the lead guitarist who re-created every solo with both passion and precision.

I remember when the lineup was announced, being worried for Lewis and the News. I thought they'd be the odd men out, if only for the generational considerations. But they came, they saw, they conquered. And it really, really drove 'em wild.

8. Odesza

This was, by far, the weekend's most visually stunning performance. It was breathtaking, really, which suited the vibe of the music.

Where Major Lazer were all about whipping your shirt off and twerking along to tracks like "Bubble Butt" (not that there's anything wrong with that), Odesza's music speaks more to the soul, their ethereal vocals and atmospheric textures complemented by a gorgeous light show with colorful lasers slicing through the desert sky.

And when they did fall back on thumping house beats? That was pretty special, too. Hell, they opened the set with no fewer than eight people banging on drums, including the masterminds behind those tracks, Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight (as well as two horn players)

Highlights of their set ranged from the soulful "All We Need" to "Higher Ground," on which Naomi Wild appeared to re-create her aching vocal, and "Across the Room," a track that features Leon Bridges, who did not appear to re-create his vocal. This could grow into the kind of destination festival where guys like Bridges fly in just to be that special guest, but give it time. As first years go, it felt pretty impressive.

9. The Roots

The Roots are hip-hop legends for a reason, having revolutionized the genre by incorporating live musicians. Not that DJs aren't musicians. I would never make that argument. But the Roots bring "traditional" instrumentation to the table – bass, drums, keyboards, flashy lead guitar and horns, including tuba.

It helps that they're brilliant, exciting musicians, from Black Thought, their MC and spiritual leader, to Questlove, a drummer whose understanding of the groove is limitless.

In many ways the Funkadelic of their generation, they filter hip-hop through the sensibilities of classic funk, jazz, soul and even rock 'n' roll. At Lost Lake, in addition to shining a spotlight on each member of the group, they tossed in covers of Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie," Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?"

Of course, their own songs were better, including "The Fire" from "How I Got Over," "Clones" from "Illadelph Halflife," "The Next Movement" and "You Got Me" from "Things Fall Apart" and "Get Busy" from Rising Down."

10. Soulbugs Superjam

You know who had more hits than Huey Lewis and the News? The Beatles. They weren't there, of course. But they were there in spirit, being saluted as they were at Soulbugs Superjam by the fabulous Dap-Kings with a little help from their friends.

After setting the tone for the tribute with a very funky instrumental rendition of "Lady Madonna," their baritone sax player taking the lead, they welcomed the first of those friends to the stage, Miss Star Duncan Lowe with a very soulful read on Paul McCartney's "Got to Get You Into My Life."

A steady succession of guest singers followed: Saundra Williams on "Hello, Goodbye," members of the Shelters on "She Said She Said" and "Taxman," Luna Aura on "Come Together," Frenship on "Good Day Sunshine" and Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot on "Oh! Darling" and "Don't Let Me Down," and Huey Lewis on the only early Beatles song to make the grade, their version of the Barrett Strong song "Money (That's What I Want)."

The tribute ended with Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant leading an all-star choir in a rousing rendition of – what else? – "Hey Jude" after a suitably tender performance of "Here, There and Everywhere."

11. The Killers

The Killers were received like proper rock gods as Saturday's headlining act.

They came on to a shower of confetti, setting the tone for their set with the Bowiesque funk groove of "The Man," the lead single from "Wonderful Wonderful."The set went on to feature maybe two more tracks from their first album since 2012.

They wouldn't be headlining festivals the size of Lost Lake and Lollapalooza after all these years if they didn't understand the importance of giving the people what they want.

They may have held off on their breakthrough single, "Mr. Brightside," for the encore. But they played it. They played all the hits from "Hot Fuss," the triple-platinum debut that put them on the map outside Las Vegas in 2004, bringing the set to a crowd-pleasing finish with an electrifying "All These Things That I've Done" while setting off another shower of confetti as Brandon Flowers led the fans in a spirited singalong of "I got soul but I'm not a soldier."

They'd touched on every phase of their career by then, including such radio staples as "Somebody Told Me," a slow, loungy snipppet of "When You Were Young" and "Human." And as much as their sound has evolved through the years, it held together as a set, including the "Wonderful Wonderful" tracks.

The one constant, of course, is Flowers, especially now that guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer have taken a break from touring.

Looking as stylish as ever, Flowers clearly brought his A-game to the concert, as a singer and a host. He introduced one of those new songs, "Run for Cover," by asking, "Are you ready to hear your new favorite song? Cause we happen to have it." And that's exactly how the crowd received it.

They had the fans waving their arms from side to side when they opened the encore with "This is Your Life" from 2008's "Day & Age." That response only got more intense when they segued into an electrifying rendition of "When You Were Young," which rocked like Springsteen raised on punk. And there was only once place they could go at that point, bring the concert to a close with "Mr. Brightside."

12. Futuristic

Local rapper Futuristic had the undisputed rock-star moment of the final day when he walked through the crowd on outstretched hands like Iggy Pop gone hip-hop while rocking a Phoenix Suns basketball jersey.

He's a talented and charismatic rapper whose speed is undeniable (as he displayed on "King Speech"), as are the pop sensibilities he flashes on a cut like "Too Easy," which had the audience singing along with a chorus hook that finds him boasting, "I make it look easy." Which he does.

"Too Easy" also featured one of Futuristic's more inspired boasts: "I'm the best in the east and I'm living on the west coast."

He's funny, too. See "King Speech," where he rhymed "I know that I am the best / There's something I need to confess" with "I still use an iPhone 5 but somehow I got success."

Other highlights of his set included "No Way," "Do It" and "Feel Good," where he rapped "I'm doing things they wish they did." Which is probably true. When he left the stage, for example, a large crowd stayed behind and chanted, "One more song." At a music festival.

Sunday at Lost Lake Review

How brutal was the sun as the inaugural Lost Lake Festival rolled into Day 3 at Steele Indian School Park? My iPhone powered down to save itself while the guys in Fayuca were sweating their way through the first performance of the day. And I was sitting in the shade.

The heat became a running joke as Sunday afternoon wore on.

The Shelters, playing second, were having a laugh about their regrettable footwear decisions.

"Did anyone else wear black shoes today?," singer-guitarist Josh Jove asked. "'Cause my foot is on fire."

Later, their other guitar-playing vocalist Chase Simpson joked, "Hey Andrea, can I get my shoe tech up here? I need the white shoes."

Murs blamed "the elements" for his bubble machine not working right. And local rapper Futuristic, who dressed for the heat in a Phoenix Suns basketball jersey, asked, "Why is it 172 degrees in October out here?" before suggesting that the sun had caused his DJ's laptop to malfunction.

"It's so hot out here and I was spitting so many fire bars," he said, "it fried the computer."

But enough about the weather.

Let's talk music.

The Shelters emerged as the rock-and-roll highlight of the day with a set that left no doubt as to exactly what it was that made Tom Petty want to make a record with them. And they did a Petty cover in their co-producer's honor.

Danny Brown and a good day for hip-hop

It was a good day (and weekend) for hip-hop, from Murs and Futuristic to Danny Brown, who made his entrance to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man," a fitting introduction to "Die Like a Rock Star," his opening number.

Brown has one of modern hip-hop's most distinctive voices. And he used it to brilliant effect on such obvious highlights as "Lie4," "Side B (Dope Song)," "Dip," "25 Bucks" and "Smokin and Drinkin," which emerged as a crowd-pleasing call and response with the audience.

The back half of his set was packed with heavy hitters from his latest album, "Atrocity Exhibition," bringing his performance to a mesmerizing climax with "Pneumonia," one of last year's greatest hip-hop singles, before signing off with "Attak," a Rustie track from 2014 that included a guest rap from Brown.

He also dusted off one of his earliest recordings, "Grown Up," the audience throwing their hands in the air on cue when he rapped, "Who ever thought I'd be the greatest growing up? Hands up."

The most anticipated hip-hop name on Sunday's bill, of course, was Run the Jewels, who crushed it hard with a performance as electrifying as it was wildly entertaining.

MORE LOST LAKE CONCERTS:

Lost Lake Festival in Phoenix Friday, Day 1: Chance the Rapper, Pixies, Playboy Manbaby

The Killers were received like proper rock gods Saturday at Lost Lake Festival

In terms of artistry, intensity and command of the stage, Run The Jewels are a tough act to follow.

Major Lazer lean on party vibe

But if festivals have taught us anything, it's that the only sound currently challenging hip-hop as the music most likely to bring a crowd together as one nation under a groove is EDM.

And having seen the crowd that British DJ duo Snakehips drew late Sunday afternoon when it was still too hot to do much dancing and the the even larger crowd that grooved to Big Gigantic, an EDM duo with live drums and saxophone, it's hard to question Superfly's decision to have Major Lazer follow Run the Jewels.

They kicked the party into high gear with dancers, streamers, pyro and speaker-shaking EDM beats.

One of them even climbed inside a giant hamster ball like Wayne Coyne for the EDM set and allowed himself to be passed through the crowd. And I say "one of them" because at that point in their set, the crowd was packed in so ridiculously tight, I couldn't get in close enough to figure out which guy it was.

Which brings me to my next point: Major Lazer were the clear crowd favorites of the day at that point.

Here's the thing, though. Even back-loading the set with songs as guaranteed to get a big reaction as the multi-platinum "Lean On," which remains their biggest single, "Light It Up" and "Roll the Bass" was no match for the festival phenomenon of people drifting off before the set is through to mark their territory for the final artist of the day, Odesza.

Which is sad. Not only did they miss out on one final chance to jump with Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, which is bad enough, they also missed out on this heartfelt sendoff: "Love and unity, that's what this festival's about. That's what Major Lazer's about."

Well, love and unity and jumping up and down, which from the looks of it, can be its own reward.

Fayuca get the party started

Long before Odesza took the stage, local rockers Fayuca got the whole thing started.

Being first to take the stage on a festival bill can be a thankless task, especially if you're playing on the final day. Sure, it's an honor to be nominated, but most of the people you could've won over are sleeping off Saturday night, and if you're talking Arizona, there's the matter of the unforgiving desert sun.

But the members of Fayuca not only rose to the challenge, they managed to make it look like they were having fun, especially trumpet player Danny Torgersen of Captain Squeegee and Henri Benard, as animated a percussionist as you could hope to witness.

After setting the tone with the breezy reggae vibe of "White Lies," which featured the truly heroic guitar work of bandleader Gabo Fayuca, they abruptly shifted gears into the reckless punk abandon of "The Cycle," built around a raunchy psychobilly riff.

Torgersen slipped the chorus of a Bush song into "Pick Up the Pieces" and sang lead on "Mary Jane," a reggae song that as the title would suggest did not encourage you to just say no.

The Shelters make the world safe for rock and roll

Every so often, you see a band that makes you feel like rock and roll could be the biggest thing since, you know, rock and roll. At Lost Lake, that band was the Shelters. They had me at "I own a 12-string Vox guitar."

And by the time they signed off with a cover of "Lost Woman" from the Yardbirds' Jeff Beck era that ended with a taste of Link Wray's "Rumble," it was obvious that they had done their part to prove that aging rock fans who insist that rock and roll is dead are just bitter about the fact that they had fuller heads of hair when "Over Under Sideways Down" came out.

Hey, I did too. But this renewed my faith in rock and roll as something we can pass on like a quirky family heirloom to a generation raised on Lil Yachty records. Not that Lil Yachty is a bad thing. But these guys are so brilliant at the misplaced art of rock and roll that Tom Petty himself was moved to co-produce their album.

And in truth, there are times when they sound like a reckless young Heartbreakers wired on "Nuggets" and speed with the actual musical chops to back it up. Other times, they sound more like the Kinks' first album, which can only be the biggest compliment I've ever paid a rock-and-roll band.

They're so rock and roll, in fact, that when it came time to salute their fallen co-producer, they bypassed the obvious crowd-pleasing choir – a "Full Moon Fever" hit or "American Girl" – in favor of a Mudcrutch song. You know who would've thought that was the coolest thing they could've done?

Tom Petty.

Murs

After catching a bit of A Tribe Called Red, a Canadian EDM crew who were doing a powwow-step remix of "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" with dancers in Native American outfits when I rolled up from the Shelters, I headed off to Murs. And he was great, as always.

First, he introduced himself with "Better Than the Best," a brilliant collection of boasts whose oft-repeated chorus is "The best to ever do it / The best that ever did it / Murs is better than your favorite rapper, admit it."

It takes a certain type of charm to pull off claims as outrageous as "I'm positively the best rapper that you ever heard, obviously." But he made it look easy.

After making his way through such obvious highlights as "Bad Man!," "Lookin' Fly" and "Fresh Kicks," he pointed out that his son's pre-k teacher, Miss Sara, was in the audience, then told her "Don't judge me when I bring him in on Monday" before assuming the role of a character that wouldn't be considered a very good role model for pre-K children in "The Worst."

Highly Suspect get heavy and political

Highly Suspect had a goofy pitchman hyping their arrival, saying things like “Are you excited in ways you’ve never imagined?” Then, the Massachusetts rockers hit the stage, guitar-playing vocalist Johnny Stevens in a Bad Brains T-shirt, and settled into the headbanging stoner-rock groove of “Bath Salts,” their opening number.

The highlight of their set, by far, was “Viper Strike,” which Stevens introduced with “Here’s the deal. It’s not cool to be racist. It’s not cool to be homophobic and if you’re not down with that you can leave.”

I’ll give the couple who’d been standing next to me the benefit of the doubt and tell myself they left right then to get a better spot for Danny Brown.

But “Viper Strike,” is Highly Suspect’s finest hour, a dynamic Nirvana-esque rocker with Stevens delivering the verses in a spoken sneer, from the opening line, “Oh, you’re racist? Jeez, that’s neat” to “Guns don’t kill people. White people kill black people. With guns.”

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