I think it’s passed the point of cliche to complain about how late rappers are to take the stage at festivals, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the preeminent memory I have of Doom’s show. His poor DJ, Dr Who Dat?, had to kill time for about 15 minutes or more with general chatter and freestyling one of his own songs. I don’t know what was taking Doom so long, but it was starting to rake on my nerves. Few things are worse than standing in the freezing rain and waiting for a rapper who is frequently accused of lip-syncing in concert. I can’t think of a better way to set me up to not enjoy a concert.

So, true enough, Doom’s show was a bit of a letdown. Yeah, he opened with “Hoe Cakes,” like at Pitchfork, but that was only a momentary treat. Doom’s show was a bummer that was only made worse by the fantastic performance of Method Man and Redman the next day. I don’t know what Doom’s problem is — stage fright, a preference for the studio over the stage or what — but he needs to figure it out and fix it before his next tour. It seems that anyone less than a diehard fan who’s seeing him for the first time is bound for a letdown.