Unlike past years where the sun reigned down on the patrons of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival and left scores of sunburns to be had- this year’s mostly cloudy weather throughout most of the day was a welcomed relief from festivals of [...]]]>

Congrats Detroit! You gave Mayhem their first sellout of 2010.

Unlike past years where the sun reigned down on the patrons of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival and left scores of sunburns to be had- this year’s mostly cloudy weather throughout most of the day was a welcomed relief from festivals of the past. Inside of a sold out DTE Energy Music Theater, Mayhem provided 9 hours of hard rock and metal that was most likely the third year festival’s most profitable show to date. There wasn’t a seat in the house as Korn & Rob Zombie headlined a high quality day of music.

And because doing a rundown of every single band there could get boring- I am gonna dish out awards- much like I did last week for Warped Tour. There were plenty of observations and stories to go around about Mayhem 2010, and here are my awards for the sights and most importantly, the sounds of Mayhem 2010:

The Perhaps Worst Example of the Sad State of the Concert Business These Days go to…Mayhem itself. Five Finger Death Punch singer Ivan Moody stated during the band’s set that this was the first sellout for Mayhem this year. My response is: with this lineup- really? It seemed just about every band was highly impressed with the number of people in attendance, so way to represent metal Detroiters….

The “Let’s Throw The Schedule For A Loop” award goes to: Atreyu. Don’t know if this was planned out after the initial schedule came out, but most people seemed surprised when Atreyu came on right after Chimaira, instead of finishing out the side stage action of the day. The band played their usual spirited 45 minute set, but it was a good hour earlier than expected. This left In This Moment to play after Hatebreed’s fiery set, and sent most people to grab a spot on the lawn for the main stage action.

The Award For A Potential Arena Tour on Their Own goes to: Five Finger Death Punch and Lamb of God. They may not seem like the most likely tour mates, but given the crowd response for both bands’ 40 minute sets. Five Finger Death Punch proved that they are far superior live than to their albums, and Lamb of God keeps demolishing crowds. Also, it seemed FFDP won the contest for most people wearing their t-shirts, beating out the headliners with the greatest of ease. I am sure the bands feel they could easily sell out a theater, but I don’t think either band should rule a return to the outdoor sheds next summer on their own.

The Most Improved Award goes to…Winds of Plague. It was just a matter of time before the Los Angeles deathcore band honed their set and sounded truly dangerous live. Mayhem was proof of that, as the crowd seemed to response quite well to the band as well. Perhaps the experience on Mayhem has made the band step their game up a little.

The Better Late Than Never Award goes to…Korn. The band was supposed to come out about 9:55, but didn’t go on until almost 25 minutes later- cutting their set brutally short. But until that point, the band blazed through a hit filled set that would satisfied the Korn fans still there- at least until the house lights came on.

The Best Set of the Day goes to…Hatebreed. Maybe, it was just the number of people or the songs they were playing- but the hardcore metal band ignited the pits in the parking lot during their 40 minute set. The set was short, sweet and absolutely no filler. Jamey Jasta’s potshot at the fans that weren’t moving, saying “if you see somebody not moving, they’re probably a Blackhawks fan” was one of the funniest moments of the day.

The Avett Brothers have just completed a second pass through metro Detroit in the last six months and are drawing in new fans and keeping the old ones happy with their always-impressive live performances. The summer crowd was a mish-mash of diehards mixed with newbies whose interest was peaked by the 93.9 [...]]]>

Concentration: Scott Avett

The Avett Brothers have just completed a second pass through metro Detroit in the last six months and are drawing in new fans and keeping the old ones happy with their always-impressive live performances. The summer crowd was a mish-mash of diehards mixed with newbies whose interest was peaked by the 93.9 annual summer Riverfest promotion. Opening bands on the bill at the Fillmore Detroit were UK stars One Eskimo and singer-songwriter Justin Nozuka.

The headlining Avetts played songs from their 10+ albums and sessions with such intensity and vigor it was often hard to tell the newer songs from the older ones because their catalog is so deep.  The show was a roller coaster ride with fast-tempo jams like “One Line Wonder” from 2004’s Mignonette up hill and the mellow “January Wedding” from I and Love and You on the downside. Everything in between was spot on as well and I often come away from their shows with some new favorite songs.

Commonly heard upon exit from fellow audience members were statements such as, “That’s the best concert I’ve been to all year!” I couldn’t agree more.

Well, the 16th annual Vans Warped Tour is in the books, and the sun stayed away in the second half of the day- sparing many fans worse sunburns than they already had. This year’s Warped brought an intriguing blend of bands [...]]]>

Warped brought the noise to the masses once more to Comerica Park.

Well, the 16^th annual Vans Warped Tour is in the books, and the sun stayed away in the second half of the day- sparing many fans worse sunburns than they already had. This year’s Warped brought an intriguing blend of bands that skewered every where from Top 40 hip-hop to death metal, making it one of the most diverse lineups in the tour’s history.

The crowd at Comerica Park looked a bit smaller than in past years, so I am not sure if the economy has finally caught up to Warped Tour, or perhaps people weren’t as enthralled with the lineup as in past years. For whatever reason it was, fans still dug their favorite bands and probably found a few new ones that will rock their world in years to come.

This year’s Warped Tour felt like a 8 hour session of ADD, as I bounced from set to set and getting a taste of a lot of bands (that’s probably due more to the schedule of the day versus real ADD). So, after checking out the bands- here’s the awards I’m giving out at the Detroit stop on the Warped Tour:

Best Way to Start The Day Award: If you weren’t rattled out of your slumber by the 11:55 am start time of Bring Me The Horizon, then you just should have stayed out of bed. The British band played to one of the larger audiences of the day as they wailed their way through cuts from “Suicide Season” and new tracks from their upcoming release, due in October.

Best New Soundalike: We’ve already had Rome Ramirez come in and do an admirable job with Sublime this summer, and at Warped Tour- Zoli Teglas stepped in and nailed the vocals during Pennywise’s set. One of the cornerstones of Warped, Pennywise made a bold move as their first major tour with the new lead singer was for Warped. “Bro Hymn” sounded as good as it always has.

Most Shamelessly Entertaining Set: Andrew W.K.’s half hour set had one theme and one theme only in his set: Party. The white tshirt clad man spent his set kicking, screaming and motivating the crowd to make the most of the day. Plus, handing out free stuff during just about every song had the crowd liking him. For the set closer, the signature “Party Hard”, Oompa Loompas (you know from “Willy Wonka”) were on stage dancing along, and giving everyone a good chuckle.

Glad You Showed Up Award: After sets later in the day that could have been better, Suicide Silence’s 7pm-ish set was the way to help bring home the day. Starting with the furious “Wake Up”, the California deathcore band ignited what was becoming a sleepy crowd and didn’t relent during their set. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the band, but on this night- it was exactly what was needed.

Most Disappointed to Miss: Sorry to the guys in Parkway Drive, but there were too many bands bunched into a mid-afternoon slot to make it over there in time. Perhaps another time… Yeah, Sum 41 as well. There was too much jammed into the last part of the night as well.

Biggest Crowds of the Day: Just as a spot check, most likely this crown will be a tie between hometown rapper Mike Posner and Nevershoutnever. Posner’s brand of hip-hop is nothing new and seemed bland, but I guess I was in the minority. Either way, the guy still had people waiting to meet him at his booth 2 hours after he was done. Nevershoutnever….well, I just don’t get it. Guess I’m getting old….

Most Destructive Set: Dillinger Escape Plan. See, I almost made it through this without talking about them- but too bad. Their set was as spastic and vicious as ever, with the band’s equipment being smashed up and the band jumping on their equipment any chance they got- it showed a little danger in a day that was mostly tame.

That’s my rundown of Warped Tour. Check out interviews in the coming days that I did with Iwrestledabearonce and Eyes Set To Kill. If you want more Warped info, check out www.warpedtour.com.

For most bands getting on their years, sometimes the stage show and showmanship starts to dwindle off a little- something that definitely was not the case for the longtime German band The Scorpions. The band’s nearly two-hour set [...]]]>

Klaus Meine & the Scorpions live in an earlier date in 2010 (Photo: www.scorpions.com)

For most bands getting on their years, sometimes the stage show and showmanship starts to dwindle off a little- something that definitely was not the case for the longtime German band The Scorpions. The band’s nearly two-hour set showed that they still gives us the big stage show and rock spectacle that bands 20 years younger than them struggle to do.

Playing to a crowd around 10,000, The Scorpions started off with the title track from their new album, Sting in The Tail, showing off a band still in good form and running around stage with the greatest of ease despite most of its members pushing 60. Guitarist Rudolf Schenker was the most active, as he kept fans on both sides of the stage entertained.

The Scorpions spent a good part of the first half of the set on new material, such as the ballad “The Best Is Yet to Come” and the driving track “Raised on Rock.” As to be expected, the loudest reception early on came through fan favorites “The Zoo” and “Tease Me, Please Me.” The band also did a mini-intimate set at the catwalk of the stage, playing the Crazy World-era ballad “Send Me An Angel,” which got a big pop from the audience.

After a very spirited drum solo from the sole American playing with them, James Kottak (including a very unusual visual montage behind him), the band seemed to hit their stride. With the big riffs of “Big City Nights” and “No One Like You” carrying them, the band would go into bigger songs like “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and kept the fans jamming all the way to the end.

Given the Scorpions enjoyable set, and a 50-minute performance from a resurgent Cinderella (I honestly could hear “Gypsy Road” and “Shake Me” all night and be just fine), this was quite the show. If this was in fact the last time the Scorpions hit Detroit, nobody in the audience should complain about the show they put on.

I ♥ She & Him. That’s what the concert t-shirt reads that I bought, and I usually don’t buy concert t-shirts. However, there was something so real and pure about this duo that I could not resist the t-shirt, or declaring my love. She [...]]]>

Zooey Deschanel of She and Him.

I ♥ She & Him. That’s what the concert t-shirt reads that I bought, and I usually don’t buy concert t-shirts. However, there was something so real and pure about this duo that I could not resist the t-shirt, or declaring my love. She & Him consists of Hollywood free-spirit starlet Zooey Deschanel and indie-rock superstar M. Ward. Both are equally talented, she not only being an actress but also a talented musician and singer-songwriter and him a guitar-playing singer and production genius.  M graciously allows Zooey to glow in the spotlight and that she does.

The pair, along with the Chaplin sisters and their traveling band meandered into sold-out Royal Oak Music Theatre on a lazy Sunday night. The crowd was fairly young and mellow, but the show was not. Performing with old soul and energy She & Him killed on songs like “Thieves” and the crowd sing-a-long “In the Sun.” Deschanel’s voice was soothing and M’s almost sultry on “Brand New Shoes” while “You Really Got a Hold on Me” was lovely and fun.

Playing a strong repertoire from both their albums, Volumes 1 and 2, She & Him definitely certified their place in the music scene. Their musical combination is divine – part indie, a portion folk, a quarter bit vintage soul, and a smidge of country with small bits of everything else thrown in. This girl and boy make my heart swoon.  They might make yours too…

She and Him are touring throughout the summer. They play Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN tonight. For more dates, check out www.sheandhim.com. Both of their albums are available at Amazon.com.

(Photo and review courtesy of Christian Spencer & Nicole Cummings. If you want to check out more photos from this show and others, check out www.flickr.com/photos/christian_nicole).

The warmth and humidity came in for Day 2 at Rock on the Range. After an ok, but far from stellar first day, the second day lived up to expectations and saw major crowds (somewhere in the 20,000 range) that rivaled [...]]]>

ROTR 2010 is in the books and everybody is heading home.

The warmth and humidity came in for Day 2 at Rock on the Range. After an ok, but far from stellar first day, the second day lived up to expectations and saw major crowds (somewhere in the 20,000 range) that rivaled any of the Sundays during the 3 years of Rock on the Range. Out of the 20 or so bands that played on the last day of ROTR 2010, we were able to get a glimpse some of the bad, and some of the good of Sunday at Rock on the Range. Here are the three stars and other notes of Sunday:

Star #1: Airbourne: Even though the sun was beating down and the set time was early, Airbourne delivered major stage entertainment to the Kicker Stage. During their 35 minute set, the new school Austrialian answer to AC/DC banged their way through first album such as “Girls In Black” and new tracks, such as “No Way But the Hard Way”. Complete with a wall of Marshall amps and loud guitar sounds- Airbourne was more than suitable for a main stage spot, let alone a side stage slot.

Star #2: Bullet for My Valentine: Another band that should have been higher up on the billing, the Welsh metallers gave the crowd their all, and got it in return with some of the best crowd surfing of the day. During their 40 minute set, the band played just about every song that most of the fans knew (such as “Waking The Demon” and “4 Words to Choke On” and showed perhaps even though they are big, they are still hard rock’s quietest biggest band.

Star #3: Limp Bizkit: Yep, bring on the haters. Even though they started a little late, the late 90’s rap metal superstars still proved that the crowd is with them, and vindicates them (to a degree) for the verbal abuse the band took right before they went on their hiatus. Playing a “Chocolate Starfish…” heavy set list, Fred Durst, Wes Borland and company had it rockin’ like it was 1999. For as many people that supposedly hate the group- there were plenty of those people singing all the lyrics in “Break Stuff” and others.

Other Notes:

-Slash’s solo band debut was mostly a jukebox type setting, hitting on mostly Velvet Revolver and Guns n Roses material. Singer Myles Kennedy proved he has a mighty voice and up for the task and handles the Guns n Roses material far better than expected, but it seemed that the crowd wasn’t quite up for yet another Guns n Roses karaoke band.

-With a larger crowd, the Jager stage was far beyond viewable capacity for most of the bands that played on that stage. Due to the 80 degree plus temperatures, many people tried to find shade, and took shelter by the Jager Stage. It made sets by Taproot and others not viewable, but at least I was able to find a good spot for Mushroomhead’s headlining performance on that stage.

-Circa Survive is probably really good for the Warped Tour, but for the fans of most of the bands on the bill- it left them scratching their heads.

I had a chance to interview Skinny from Mushroomhead today as well- expect that interview up within the next few days.

Well, that’s it from Columbus and the fourth annual Rock on the Range for this year. Big crowds, a lot of heat and some good bands was the name of the game this year. And yes, everybody with me is still singing Limp Bizkit lyrics- love them or hate them- it gets stuck in your head.

The opening day of the 4th annual Rock On The Range was a weird day weather wise, with sunshine creeping through clouds and brief drizzles. As nearly 20 bands descended on bustling Columbus Crew Stadium, the biggest names and [...]]]>

Day 1 @ ROTR is in the books, Day 2 starts soon.

The opening day of the 4^th annual Rock On The Range was a weird day weather wise, with sunshine creeping through clouds and brief drizzles. As nearly 20 bands descended on bustling Columbus Crew Stadium, the biggest names and hard rock and metal collided. 30,000+ made their way into the stadium in what was referred to as the festival’s biggest crowd to date to witness a mixed bag of good, bad and sloppy performances.

Much like the weather on Day 1, the bands that played the first day of Rock on the Range varied greatly. Some bands impressed, while others disappointed. But after checking out Day 1 at ROTR 2010, here is who takes my three stars of the day:

Star #1- Killswitch Engage. With lead singer Howard Jones playing his first show since coming back from a “personal break” that he took from the band during their winter tour, Killswitch played with a fire that showed that the band picked up right where they left off. Spanning their catalog of albums, Killswitch had the Kicker Stage going for a 45-minute set. Guitarist Adam D was his usual comedic self and the crowd ate it all up as crowd surfing and empty beer bottle throwing was the norm throughout the set. And the crowd did go crazy as the band launched into their closer, the Dio classic “Holy Diver.” In a day that varied greatly, Killswitch Engage proved that they are dependable as always.

Star #2: Helmet. The band’s mastermind, Page Hamilton, just turned 50 but compared to the boredom-inducing tone of some of the bands, Helmet had more energy during the band’s 35-minute set than I saw from guys half his age today. Playing a fan favorite set which included the grunge-era mainstays “Unsung” and “In The Meantime,” Helmet didn’t perform to the biggest crowd of the day, but they may have had some of the best mosh pits of the day and the people that did attend, saw a band re-energized and ready to go in the new year.

Star #3: Sevendust. Being the first band on the main stage was not the best scheduling strategy, but long time hard rock warriors Sevendust did a fine job in their 30-minute set. With guitarist Clint Lowery back in town, the band sounded tight and got the fans out of the weather doldrums and made the most of their set.

Other Notes:

-If you were there, I am sure you saw the trainwreck of a performance by Puddle of Mudd earlier this afternoon. It looked like lead singer Wes Scantlin was on a different page than the rest of the band, switching lyrics mid-song during the set and in a very ADD style, taking three tries to get fan favorite “She Hates Me” started. It got confusing and you could tell at least the lead singer had been partying just a little bit too early. Good cover of “TnT” by AC/DC though.

-The Deftones decided to use the first part of their set to play most of the band’s new album. But let’s be honest- even though the new album is good, the band has been gone for a while and the band’s more feverish tracks were in order. It seemed to me that the crowd seemed puzzled as to how to react to the band and the lack of enthusiasm was already zapped out of the crowd by the time the band played some older material. Love the band, but this was not one of their better performances.

-I didn’t know what to make from Rise Against’s performance. I like the band, and have seen them a bunch of times, but I don’t know if the Budweiser drinking, downhome folks of Ohio viewed a Vegan band from Chicago as one of them. The band seemed to make it out ok, but wasn’t blowing a lot of people away in the crowd.

On Day 1, I did interviews with Ryan of Puddle of Mudd and Richy Nix. Those interviews will be up within the next few days. Now, it’s time to chill out and get ready for the Limp Bizkit headlined second day at ROTR. See ya then…

I wouldn’t call myself a fan of the Detroit-based rap duo Insane Clown Posse by any stretch of the imagination but I sure have run into plenty of “Juggalos” over the [...]]]>

From another show on the "Bang! Pow! Boom!" tour from wikipedia.com. I couldnt have gotten this close without getting sprayed down with Faygo.

I wouldn’t call myself a fan of the Detroit-based rap duo Insane Clown Posse by any stretch of the imagination but I sure have run into plenty of “Juggalos” over the years. I’ve been to plenty of shows around town that have had a smattering of Juggalos in attendance (if I really have to explain what a “Juggalo” is at this point, well you haven’t been around Detroit much the past 13 years, have you?). Juggalos have been spotted at the occasional Kottonmouth Kings or Hed (pe) shows over the years, but I had never experienced an Insane Clown Posse (I.C.P.) show itself and decided it was time to embark on a little sociological experiment.

Against the advice of people at the various outlets I write for and others I know, I decided to see what the big deal is all about for myself. So, I somewhat reluctantly hit up Meadowbrook Music Festival in Rochester Hills as the “Happy Daze” Tour rolled through the Juggalo’s “hometown.”

In the past, I had been told there were three likely scenarios that I would encounter:

1) I’d get my ass kicked on site for looking different than them (i.e. white-boy dreadlocks, baggy shorts, Psychopathic Records t-shirt and a hatchet man medallion)

2) I would get sprayed with Faygo (I.C.P.’s beverage of choice) like the family dog getting a bath by garden hose

3) Somebody would be passed out on the hood of (or possibly under) my car when I walk out of the venue.

Fortunately for me, none of those three things happened. But here’s what I did see:

Meadowbrook was filled with 4,000 or so of the Juggalo army. They wore a lot of the same clothes (see above), had their own language going on (I wouldn’t say their catch phrases “woot, woot” and “family!” are creative, but after you hear them 7,000 times in 4 hours – it tends to get stuck in your head), and all of them had the same sort of “I’m a bad ass” attitude. Oh yeah, there were a few acts on the bill as well…

Here is the lowdown on the different groups at “Happy Daze”:

-New York rapper Necro was better suited on this bill than his disastrous venture on the Sounds of the Underground 2007 tour, where he was relentlessly booed and heckled by metal fans to the point where I actually felt bad for him. Fans of I.C.P.’s music probably loved it, but others, maybe not so much.

-The women of Kittie seemed like the odd fit on the bill and as the band played through their 30-minute set which leaned heavily on the band’s new album, Into the Black, the crowd seemed to embrace them as well. Lead singer/ guitarist Morgan Lander and drummer sister Mercedes ripped through tracks like “Cut-Throat” and “Never Again” for a semi-hometown crowd (They hail from London, Ontario – two hours from Detroit and as close as they were gonna get to home on this tour). For the surprisingly high number of females (a.k.a. Juggalettes) in the crowd, I am sure they were happy to see a little bit of estrogen fueled rage, instead of the usual Faygo filled pandemonium.

-Coolio was up next- yep, that Coolio. Coolio’s set was a family affair, with his son, nephew and other family member playing hype men and DJ. Even though my days of listening to Coolio stopped in the mid-90s, at least he seemed to have a good time during his set. Later, he was spotted dancing around the concourse during the Kottonmouth Kings set, despite the mental and/or physical state he was in.

-With the exception of Kittie, the longtime stoner rappers Kottonmouth Kings were the group that I had the most knowledge of going into this show. After seeing them a few times over the years, I had a pretty good feel for one of KMK’s shows, and this 55-minute set was no different. The group was out in support of their brand new album Long Live The Kings. Along with new member Dirtball, D-Loc, Daddy X and Johnny Richter had everybody (including me) bobbing their heads and signing all about the benefits of the green plant discussed in nearly every single one of their songs. It’s a guilty pleasure, but I don’t care; Kottonmouth always puts on a good set.

-Headliners Insane Clown Posse came on for a 90-minute set, which featured nearly 800 two liter bottles of Faygo launched and sprayed into the crowd. Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J gave their fans the “Vegas Spectacle,” with the stage setup and dancers looking like they were gearing up for a weekend stint at Caesars. I don’t really know their music all that well, but I will give them credit for at least one thing; they really have their aim down with those two liters. Some of them went halfway into the pavilion.

Most of the comments from fans at the show were geared towards them feeling out of place in a venue as nice as Meadowbrook. These fans were not used to this sort of setting. Guess what; neither was I. Being out of your element isn’t always necessarily a bad thing and the place still looked in order when I left (with the exception of Faygo sprayed seats), so they were respectful at the very least.

Even though hitting up one of their shows won’t make me run out and buy one of their albums or join the “family,” the fact that I made it out of the venue without any major incident pretty much debunked a lot of myths people I know have about the group and their fans.

To check out more information for the “Happy Daze” tour, go to www.insaneclownposse.com for the rest of the dates and group info.

The Local Natives are commonly compared to their contemporary indie peers—Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Yaesayer, etc.—the very convenient list goes on to capture just about every band that has [...]]]>

Local Natives' Taylor Rice & Baba Booey from "Howard Stern"- seperated at birth? Maybe. (Photo: Christian Spencer & Nicole Cummings)

The Local Natives are commonly compared to their contemporary indie peers—Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Yaesayer, etc.—the very convenient list goes on to capture just about every band that has a song playing on college radio.  It’s a lazy comparison—Local Natives, especially live, have a lot more working for them than much of today’s indie scene. Their melodic tunes have more depth and sense of history —glimpses of the Beach Boys intertwined with hints of earthier groups like The Samples or Rusted Root.  There is a maturity to the Local Native sound that is missing in many of the routine sounds of their contemporaries.

Live, they shine. At the formerly smoke filled 400 person Blind Pig in Ann Arbor they put on a positively exciting performance.  They deliver their sound with such an authoritative intensity that their recorded music sounds bland in comparison.  What’s also intensely engaging is how well the ‘Natives work together as a band, they are convincing in their collaboration and everything fits and feels necessary. Unlike many lopsided acts out there today, the Local Natives work to prove that every member plays an integral role in the music. We’re convinced.

(Photo and review courtesy of Christian Spencer & Nicole Cummings. If you want to check out more photos from this show and others, check out www.flickr.com/photos/christian_nicole).

The “Too Fast For Love” tour has started just started, and the lineup of 3OH!3, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy and I Fight Dragons made for quite the entertaining bill for the mostly teenage crowd of 2,200 or so at the [...]]]>

3OH!3's "Streets Of Gold" is out June 29th.

The “Too Fast For Love” tour has started just started, and the lineup of 3OH!3, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy and I Fight Dragons made for quite the entertaining bill for the mostly teenage crowd of 2,200 or so at the Fillmore Detroit on Cinco De Mayo. The tour showcased some of the more popular and catchier bands out there on the fringe of Top 40, and kept things light and easy going throughout the night.

Chicago based group I Fight Dragons were first up to bat, and their set had a flare of nostalgila as the old school Nintendo gaming system played a big part in their system. Power Gloves, Power Pads and blips and beeps were the main themes during their 25 minute set. It was a tongue in cheek niche that this reviewer thought would be lost on the young crowd- who probably weren’t alive when the video game system was popular- but they ate it all up. The songs off their EP, “Cool Is Just A Number” seem catchy enough, but can the band embrace a larger fanbase with their gimmick? We’ll see.

Travie McCoy (of Gym Class Heroes) was next, and two things are for certain- 1) his solo album drops June 8^th and 2) Gym Class Heroes is not breaking up. McCoy’s solo debut is about a month away from release, and through his 30 minute set- he may have delivered the most constantly good tunes of the night. The new albums seem to alternate between bouncy, upbeat hip-hop lite tracks and more introspective, moodier tracks (one tends to think these songs could have been written after his breakup with Katy Perry- but you never know). The new songs were good, but to show off some of the GCH tracks would have been a nice bridge between his older stuff and the new stuff.

Cobra Starship was next, and during their 55 minute set- fun was the name of the game. Lead singer Gabe Saporta and company seemed to have a blast in probably their most elaborate stage setup to date, with a gigantic ghetto blaster stereo as the main focal piece. Starting with “The City Is At War”, the crowd seemed to get into them the most throughout the evening. This reviewer was a bit surprised when McCoy didn’t join the band for their first track together, the highly energetic theme song to “Snakes on A Plane”, and opted for a girl in the audience to do it. Personally, after hearing her- I’d rather hear McCoy do it. The band ended their set with the title track from their latest “Hot Mess” and the band’s first major Top 40 smash “Good Girls Go Bad”.

3OH!3 headlined this show, and compared to Cobra Starship, their setup was a bit more sparse. Their hour long set was a good time as well, with getting into songs like “Punk Bitch” and “I’m Not Your Boyfriend, Baby”, but one tends to think that a little air was let out of the building after Cobra Starship performed. With two Top 40 hits in the past year, the once seemingly court jesters are aiming at making a huge claim on the pop charts. June 29^th’s “Streets of Gold” will be the real test if the group will be making that move or not.

Listen, if you’re expecting these groups to solve world hunger or please (most of) the critics during their show, forget it- Save that for Bono or Pitchfork Magazine. But if you are looking to check your brain at the door, have a few drinks and have a good time- the “Too Fast For Love” tour wasn’t a bad place to be at. To steal one of Cobra Starship’s song titles, if you’re out of high school and have a hankering for these groups- let’s call it for what it is- a “Guilty Pleasure”.