Lindey-9/28-12:20 am
The boys in Good Charlotte have been shunned -- by their peers, critics, and, for band co-leaders (twin brothers Benji and Joel Madden), their father. It's no wonder the Maryland pop-punkers feel most at ease performing in front of the "Good Charlotte Army," a legion of fist-pumping disciples who empathize with the band's tales of heartbreak and suburban angst.
At the Xcel Energy Center on Saturday night, Good Charlotte led crowd sing-a-longs of earnest hopefulness and teenage togetherness like cheerleaders for the anti-Abercrombie crowd. The often-dissed group sounded surprisingly tight and forceful. Read more here
Lindey-9/28-12:30 am
After the Marilyn Manson trial, you'd think some of the ASIA security guards might pay a little more attention to what happens onstage. Saturday at the Good Charlotte show at Xcel Energy Center, singer Andrew McMahon of opening act Something Corporate dove into the crowd after performing the hit "If You C Jordan." The guards mistook him for a wayward crowd surfer, wrestled him to the ground and dragged him away, kicking and screaming. Once backstage, the mop-topped singer escaped unharmed but emerged again in a fit of rage in front of the stage to verbally confront the guards and wave to frightened fans.
Lindey-9/26-4:39 pm
According to a Brand-Link Study conducted by The NPD Group, Old Navy is the apparel chain store most often shopped by consumers who also buy music from today's popular music artists. NPD's Brand-Link Study found that 33 percent of Good Charlotte fans shopped Old Navy, while the same could be said for only 19 percent of Alan Jackson fans. Beyonce fans, however, showed the highest affinity for Old Navy: Over 45 percent of consumers who purchased a Beyonce CD also shopped at Old Navy. Sometimes the relationship between an artist and a brand appears obvious because of demographic or geographic differences; however, the Brand-Link study shows that patterns are sometimes subtle, and stereotypes often do not hold true. For example, it might not be surprising that fans of cross-over country-music artist Alan Jackson are likely to be loyal Bud drinkers who also enjoy Jack Daniel's. And it wouldn't be surprising that Beyonce's fans prefer Corona beer and premium Vodka brands such as Grey Goose and Skyy. Belying the expectations, however, the Brand-Link data shows that fans of Beyonce show a higher incidence-rate for purchasing Jack Daniel's than do fans of Alan Jackson.
Lindey-9/26-4:40 pm
Good Charlotte is slated to appear on a compilation album titled Rock Against Bush, which is being assembled by Fat Wreck Chords president and NOFX frontman Fat Mike. Good Charlotte, Green Day, Sum 41, and a number of other punk acts will contribute songs to the record as part of a campaign to vote George Bush out of office next year. Good Charlotte guitarist Billy Martin told LAUNCH that the band isn't afraid of the same kind of backlash that hit the Dixie Chicks.
"I mean, we considered that at the same time, you know, but I think that the Dixie Chicks have a little different of a fan base, you know, and sort of a following than we do," Martin said. "And although it's not as completely more appropriate for us to do it, I mean, I think for me personally, it's more of just about...more of like a friendship thing, you know, but I'm gonna go along with it because the rest of my band really wants to do it, and I back whatever everybody wants to do, so it's cool."
Good Charlotte is currently on the road with Mest and Something Corporate. Mest had to fill in for Australian band the Living End when their visas to enter the U.S. were denied. The tour is in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Thursday (September 25), and Dayton, Ohio on Friday (September 26).
The latest single from Good Charlotte's the Young And The Hopeless is "Boys And Girls." The band recently won both the MTV Viewer's Choice Video Music Award and the Much Music People's Choice Video Award.
The Donnas, Sonic Youth, and others are part of a second organization, called Bands Against Bush, which plans to work for the defeat of the President in 2004. They're looking to stage events across the country on October 11. Meanwhile, Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello is joining singers Billy Bragg and Steve Earle on the politically-themed Tell Us The Truth tour.
