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Rocking your way this summer
Campus Times
May 21, 2004
Another summer is upon us, and concert promoters are throwing every package
they can conjure into local venues, expecting us to fork over increasingly asinine
percentages of our revenue for the privilege of sitting in the same room with
some of our favorite artists.
But before you fork over your cash, it’s best to consider exactly what
you’re paying for. This guide will be a handy reference point of what you
can go see, and why or why not you should.
KISS will continue their never-ending farewell tour with a series of dates.
Although, this time, the only “farewell” is to one-half of the groups
core line-up. Guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss have not been invited
on the outing, and two stand-ins have been appointed to fill their platform
boots. Of course, they’ll be wearing the former members’ make-up,
so KISS is hoping you don’t notice. With the two most talented members
of KISS nowhere to be seen, the only reason to go see this Jewish drag-queen
revue is to find out who will be wearing more make-up: KISS, or opening band
Poison. Use your money to buy “KISS Alive!” instead, but if you must
continue to support this increasingly dismal nostalgia act, you can do so June
19 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.
The annual Vans Warped Tour is always an inexpensive, if somewhat brief, way
to check out a slew of bands in a single day. Seasoned veterans like the perennially
incredible NOFX and the Vandals will bring the experience, and Bad Religion
will bring their latest rewrites of the same songs they’ve been playing
since 1980. For novelty’s sake, you can also get a look at Story of the
Year and Coheed and Cambria, who will play 25 minutes of filler before closing
their set with that one song you like by each of them. The most curious band
on the bill is Juliette Lewis + The Licks (yes, that Juliette Lewis), who seek
to prove that actors can really rock; just ask Dogstar. The band you should
not miss is The Bled, whose technically proficient hardcore will make you realize
just how silly the STAR FM pop-punkers who round out the bill really are. The
Warped Tour comes to our area on July 1 and 2 at Cal State Fullerton.
The annual Hootenanny fest celebrates its 10th anniversary by reuniting the
first year’s headliners, Reverend Horton Heat and the Cramps. Other than
the well-respected stylings of Big Sandy + His Fly Rite Boys, nothing else on
this bill will appeal to you unless you have at least 18 tattoos. But attendees
do get sets from scads of psychobilly luminaries, and the eternal Cramps are
worth sitting through any band for. So sculpt your pompadour and carry it to
the Oak Canyon Ranch on July 3.
Lollapalooza returns this year as well, and boasts an uneven, but largely
outstanding, lineup. The two-day outing features respected names like Sparta,
Modest Mouse and the Pixies, but it will be Sonic Youth who sends you home realizing
that you have had a religious experience. Morrissey headlines the first day,
and he will have mirrors set up all over the stage so he can stare at himself
while he sings. The Flaming Lips will play the second day, but you won’t
see them because the ho-hum acts that round out that bill aren’t worth
making a second trip for. You can catch this one July 22 and 23 at the Ventura
County Fairgrounds.
Canada’s finest, Alanis Morrissette and Barenaked Ladies (damn, that’s
sad), will team up for the “remember us?” tour. Why no one invited
Three Days Grace to open the show, we’ll never know. Alanis hasn’t
made good music in years, and Barenaked Ladies haven’t made good music
period, so if you decide to brave the Greek Theatre’s atrocious parking
for this schlock, you deserve what you get. This mid-'90s reunion happens July
29 and 30 at the Greek Theatre.
Ozzfest 2004 has become more of a psychological experiment than a concert,
but the soundtrack is usually pretty good. This year, Judas Priest and Slayer
will appease the old-school metal heads (the guys with mullets), while Atreyu
and Bleeding Through will entertain the emo-metal set (the guys with lip rings).
Up and comers Lamb of God and God Forbid will earn their hype, while Slipknot
and Black Label Society will diffuse theirs. Of course, the real reason to go
is to watch Ozzy shamble aimlessly around the stage while Black Sabbath chugs
away behind him. You can share this show with San Bernardino’s finest on
July 31 at the Hyundai Pavillion of Glen Helen.
Britney Spears is returning to Southern California to sing all of her hits.
Actually, “perform” is the more accurate term. There’s nothing
I can say about Britney you don’t already know, so you’re either going
to this, or you realize the folly of paying $100 to sit with 35,000 other people
and hear her CD really loud. I think live music should be, well, live, but if
grand-scale karaoke is for you, you can catch the spectacle Aug. 7 at the Verizon
Wireless Ampitheatre.
Finally, a well-rested and reformed Van Halen will return to the road this
summer. Vocalist Sammy Hagar is back in the fold, and the band is geared up
for their first tour in almost 10 years. Sure, Sammy gets flack because he’s
no David Lee Roth, but I’m still trying to figure out why that’s a
bad thing. These seasoned veterans know how to put on a rock n’ roll show,
so expect to get your money’s worth here. Van Halen plays the Pond on Aug.
16 and the Staples Center Aug. 19 and 20.
There you are. Now choose wisely.
On a final note, I would like to send a hearty congratulations to our outgoing
seniors. I wish I were joining you, but apparently it takes five semesters to
earn a two-year degree. Best of luck, and I will join you in December.
For the rest of you, have a great summer, and I will ramble at you further
in September.
Taylor Kingsbury, a senior journalism major, is a columnist for the Campus
Times. He can be reached by e-mail at happyendingrocks@hotmail.com.
