A Watered-Down Lineup

O.A.R. was one of the luckier groups at the Green Apple Festival: It didn't get rained out. (By Katherine Frey -- The Washington Post)
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"I'm from Seattle, Washington, and I'm sorry I brought the rain," said "American Idol" Season 6 finalist Blake Lewis, who sang (and beat-boxed) "America the Beautiful" along with one of his own singles. "Mother Nature is beautiful and she's giving you some wet love right now."

"Maybe they'll look back and call this Woodstock 2008!" said Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network, in reference to the rainy 1969 celebration of peace and music. She then gave the fans the number for the U.S. Capitol switchboard and urged them all to call their congressional reps on Tuesday -- the actual Earth Day -- to voice their concern about the environment.

The festival was temporarily suspended just before 2:30 p.m. when the skies parted. "Holy Moses!" actor Chevy Chase marveled as rain began to drench the crowd. Moments later, an official announced that an electrical storm was passing over the Mall and that attendees should head to the nearby museums. A soggy sprint ensued.

The announcement came just after a powerhouse performance by the Indiana band Umphrey's McGee, whose singer, Brendan Bayliss, said: "You're all getting wet for a good cause."

The group's final song, "All in Time," was a festival highlight, what with its chugging metallic riffs, shifting time signatures, tricky chord changes and sweet harmony vocals, along with Jake Cinninger's blinding guitar runs, which seemed to split the difference between jazz and hard rock.

After the delay, Chase returned to the stage. He was incredulous to discover that thousands had reconvened in front of the stage, given that it was still raining heavily.

"There's still some smoking going on, but apparently the wrong thing," he joked.

After a little more speechifying, another guitar wizard, Warren Haynes, performed a solo set in which he alternated between acoustic guitar and his signature Gibson Les Paul. The adopted Allman Brother also toggled between his own catalogue and covers, opening with "Fallen Down" and closing with a warm, soulful cover of "One," the popular U2 anthem about tolerance and unity. His walk-off gesture? A peace sign, natch.

"People have to bring back the '60s kind of mind-set, that young people can make a difference," he said backstage. "We kind of lost that for a while. It's not too late, but it's getting later and later all the time."

Five minutes later -- just after 4:20, in fact -- the concert was called off, with another thunderstorm approaching the Mall.

Billed but never staged: Haynes's power-blues group, Gov't Mule; Toots and the Maytals; Washington-based electronica duo Thievery Corporation; and the hip-hop band the Roots, with special guests including Doug E. Fresh and Will.I.Am.

"I'm bummed, but one thing that helps is that there are seven other shows that are going great," Shapiro said. Then, he quickly went into promotional mode, promising to return next year for the second Green Apple Festival on the Mall.

"April 19, 2009," he said. And he already has a weather forecast: "I hear it's supposed to be a lot nicer than today."