crue fest chronicles

Alright, here it is the anticipated blog of the week....psych! But I thought I'd write about my times at one of the most blooming rock concert festivals. Overall, it was awesome. Some of the bands I have previously seen-including Motley Crue. But it was well worth it. In fact, I took advantage of the Subway $5 deal, which cost me $16 in the end (included parking) plus at the venue I upgraded my seat for $10. Which made it $26. But oddly enough I guess, I spent almost as much on alcohol there as I did with my seat. But that's Verizon for you.

This was pretty much the day I like out of most of the year...which was pretty much enjoying the outdoor heat and listening and being loyal to most of the bands. I've become more open recently to the newer ones on the side stage. One major one to note: is Cavo, an up-and-coming band from StL! I was very naive at the fact that their current single 'Champagne' is at #2 on the Billboard Rock chart and in the top 10 on the Alternative chart. That same day (Tuesday) their major-label debut CD came out. Oh, by the way, we (WLCA 89.9) are not even playing it. I was scratching my head at this one too. I must admit its a very cool song and maybe it will help me get back to listening to current rock music. They did a great performance on the side stage. I wasn't crazy about Shram, though.

Then I caught Theory of a Deadman's performance on the mainstage. I was proud to see those guys get a huge viewing audience. I wasn't ever a fan of their music, but after meeting Tyler and the boys I'm glad they are getting a lot of attention. The same goes for Rev Theory, who I caught next at the side stage. I'm not sure if every band says this, but they did say that St. Louis was their greatest fanbase. I'm glad I got to catch them again and I hope they come around to StL soon. Afterwards, I got to catch up with Matt and a couple of the band members (BTW, Anthony (or Blaze), Matt wanted me to tell you hello).

I got to see Godsmack for the first time, and boy I was impressed by the way they got the crowd going. I didn't even realize I knew the words to most of their songs! These guys have come a long way from being just an Alice in Chains tribute band. They've had several #1 albums and a dozen hits since the start of this decade. Then Motley Crue hit the stage and did the whole 'Dr. Feelgood' LP in its entirety. Vince Neil informed us on every track, even saying "if you guys got the vinyl version, this is the end of side one...". But it was a cool performance. I was also satisfied that there was more Nikki Sixx and less Tommy Lee. I remember the last time I saw the Crue (4 yrs back) that Tommy Lee did a 20-minute drum solo on a stage hanging from the ceiling.

So, it was probably my last concert of the summer. But definitely not this year. I'm still considering Farm Aid, which will be in October. I think it will be the one where I get more bang for my buck. I'm also trying to squeeze in Six Flags into my busy schedule, but it's not likely happening :...(