Nokia Unwired Tour (feat. The All American Rejects, Hoobastank, Ozomatli,
and Diffuser): Oct. 25, 2003
Okay okay. So my review of the concert may be a bit bias, considering
that I got to meet Hoobastank, the bassist of Diffuser smiled at me, and I held Tyson Ritter's hand. Nevertheless,
I'll try my best not to scream, "This was the best concert ever!" even
though it really was. :-]
The night started out with Diffuser. Previous to the concert, I hadn't
heard of them or was familiar with their music. Once they came out, however,
I was pretty impressed. Their energy was amazing. They were completely hyped even
though they did have a sense that a lot of the fans there that night were there
to see AAR. I must admit. I was so impressed that I think I can officially be dubbed
a fan. If anyone hasn't seen this band in concert yet, you must. I know I sound pretty
corny and cliche, but really. Diffuser=Great Band.
Next came Ozomatli, who were also really awesome. I thought it was cool how this tour was
pretty much a mixture of styles. Diffuser brought the pop punk, Hoobastank brought the
rock (well, not "hardcore" rock, but you know what I mean), AAR brought the pop (or pop rock
or whatever), and Ozomatli brought the Latin/Hip Hop. Not only was their performance off
the hook (lighting wise and energy wise), but their songs are amazing live. Unlike a lot of
artists, you could actually understand what they were saying and the instruments rang clearly thoughout
the venue. Not to mention, their hip hop is quality hip hop. I'm a huge hip hop fan and it's
hard to find a group that makes quality songs. And, not to sound like a broken record, but
everyone should also check this band out if you haven't already. If you see them in concert
you definately won't regret it. Their set and their performance changed the way I viewed
performances and concerts. I mean, concerts are about having fun and Ozomatli totally brought
that to their performance--especially when they went off stage and onto the floor to do a last
performance.
Alas, Hoobastank. Admittingly, I didn't own nor was completely a fan of Hoobastank before this
concert. I knew about their 2 "hits" and I enjoyed those, but those songs didn't make me want
to immediately buy their CD. However, I was highly pleased with their performance which is why
I ended up buying their CD and getting tickets to see them again (Meteora World Tour). Considering
that, since I wasn't a fan of theirs at the time, I don't remember what songs they sang. But I can
say that when they played their hits, they got the crowd going crazier than ever. They got everyone
hyped, even me, and I don't even get THAT hyped when I see a band I'm not a big fan of. And like
I said earlier, maybe I'm just cutting them some slack because they were sweet guys when I met them.
But out of all honesty, even if I hadn't met them, I'd still think they put on a pretty damn good
show. Actually, beyond good. Excellent.
And lastly, AAR. I'll admit I was acting like a real teenybopper when they came out (I had a sign
that said "Forget Arnold! Tyson for governor!" which some 12 year old b!tched at me about. Other than
that, a lot of people thought it was pretty funny and actually wished it would come true). For
a pop band, I have to say that they rock out like they're at a rock show. Their set was awesome,
they played beyond excellent, but what pleased me was how hyped they were. I told my friend, who
had previously never been to a "rock" concert, that AAR would be the most mediocre part of the
show. If anyone was going to get crazy it would probably be Hoobastank. But man, I was totally
wrong! Not only did Tyson have the crowd going extremely crazy during The Last Song (which
probably seems impossible...to have people go crazy during a song like that, but believe it), but
someone from backstage even did a huge stage dive during that song. It was pure madness, yet
extremely fun. They started by getting everyone hyped, then they let everyone rest awhile while they
played The Cigarette Song. However, they closed the night in one of the best ways possible
by getting the crowd as hyped as they did. I know I'll definately be the first one in line
for tickets the next time they go on tour!
All in all, no words can describe how awesome the concert was. Sure, it wasn't "hardcore", but I've
never seen any bands like the ones on the Nokia Tour who all had so much energy and so much passion
for what they were doing. I mean, lets just say that the only reason I was going to the concert
was for AAR, but after seeing those other bands and how much dedication they have, I think I'm
going to say that I went to see all of those bands--Diffuser, Ozomatli, Hoobastank, and AAR.
