Official word has come down that this year’s two-day crowd numbered around 40,000, up from the 37,000 at last year’s festival, but far below the 72,000 figure in 2005.

No details on how the 40,000 broke down over the two days, but the guess here is it was roughly 20,000 apiece Saturday and Sunday. One difference: Saturday’s crowd seemed more consistent throughout, where Sunday’s showed up later, much of it arriving in time to see Muse and Rage Against the Machine after nightfall.

5. Either a guy dressed like Bono, or a guy who always dresses like Bono and thus wasn’t really in costume at all

4. Animated bar owner Moe…second row at moe.

3. A lighter

2. A keg

1. Either Kirk Hammett dressed as himself, or a guy who pulled off a really, really convincing Kirk Hammett

In the 2.5 hour break I took to blog this afternoon, the air quality at Vegoose took a turn for the worse. I have allergies (but not asthma), but still had trouble breathing as I made my way from the entrance toward the far stage for Muse.

However, I suspect it wasn’t residue from the California fires drifting our way. Instead, judging by the insane haze hovering over the Umphrey’s McGee crowd — seriously, it looked like a chemical spill or the dust surrounding the Peanuts character Pigpen — the clouds of smoke from various substances both illegal and legal seemed to be the culprit.

Impressive. Or something.

Over the weekend, it was often difficult to determine who was wearing a costume, who was sporting goofy hipster gear and who was just dressing like their own (freaky) selves.

I’m pretty sure that the Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson and Mr. T. get-ups were reasonable facsimiles. But as I was sitting in the guest tent before Rage Against the Machine, this long-haired dude sporting sunglasses, mild facial hair and an all-black ensemble caught my eye. Was that Metallica’s Kirk Hammett?

I nudged Julie, as she thought the same thing. We watched him fumble with the Port-a-Potty door, go, leave and then come back and engage some guy waiting in line — who proceeded to shake his hand and do a little “right on!” gesture. Which perplexed us further. Could that be Kirk? Hanging out with the commoners before joining the fray for Rage?

We still don’t know.

Patrolling around the back perimeter of Muse’s (chronically insane) crowd, I saw a guy drop to his blood-encrusted knee and propose to his slutty-fairy girlfriend. She happily accepted, and the pair proceeded to roll about the ground in full make-out frenzy. How, er, sweet…?

So despite my gripes of the first day, there were some excellent flourishes that made the festival stand out. For starters, it was clean. Yes, there was a ton of dust and random bits of dirt and such that of course. But in terms of random garbage, foodstuffs and bottles strewn about, the folks running Vegoose did an amazing job having people keep the grounds non-trashed. Kudos.

Also, any of the security guards and workers I encountered were incredibly pleasant, nice and helpful — whether directing me where to go or simply making things easier for me. (I walk with a cane.) This hasn’t always been the cases at other festivals I’ve been to, so the friendliness of the people helping out was duly noted and much, much appreciated.

Laying on the grass listening to Robert Randolph & The Family Band early on Sunday, I’m struck by how different the vibe seems to be on day two compared with day one. Where Saturday felt like a race against time, today is shaping up to be a lazy (not to mention hazy) experience.
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1. Devo ca. the “Whip It” video, complete with red flowerpot hats and all-black ensembles
2. The dude pretending to be a shower, by sporting a shower curtain wrapped around his body
3. Robots. Of all shapes and sizes — folks wearing Daft Punk masks, people wearing silver from head-to-toe, and my personal favorite: The “Glowbot 5555,” the guy sporting a boxy outfit, slinky tubes for arms and legs and light-up green accents. Awesome.
4. Ghostbusters fighters.
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Michaelangelo and Raphael, specifically.