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| Because of last year's picture debacle....I chose not to take pictures at all this year and just enjoy the concert. So this will be a similar review. First off.....Florida turnpike tolls....eat ass...it cost $2.50 just to DRIVE THERE!!! Fnyack. But even before that....lemme tell you what I did. I hear the radio say EDBD11 and I say cool...I'll go again. I ask Kennah if he'd like to go, he says "wub" in Kenny-esque style. I go online and get the hotel room, I go to Carribean Connection....my local Ticketmaster location and buy the tickets, I pick Kenny up, I drive down there, Kenny has exactly one red cent on him...I shit you not. I buy...EVERYTHING. I racked up probably a $500 credit card bill overall paying for everything for 2.....well....one teenager and one adult. So Kenny owes me a pretty penny and if he doesn't pay I'll have to go to his house and bust his knee caps (knows Kenny's gonna read this). Furthermore...I tell Kenny about two weeks in advance "We're gonna drive down there Saturday, go to the concert Sunday, drive back Monday....I asked Monday off from work" In Kenny's ADD prone mind....he apparently heard "Sunday" and left it at that. So he tells me ON SATURDAY that we have to leave Sunday night because he has to babysit his nephew....who coincidently in named after the Master Debater. Yes, he's the Baby Debater. I tell his bitch ass "Hell no...you find someone else to babysit.....bitch" "No, we can just drive back....I'll drive if you don't think you can" "The hell you are, tell your sister to ask one of her friends" "But......." "Do it Kennah!" "Eeeeeeee......" *CLICK* Anyways it got worked out....so we drove down there on Saturday....walked around a little. We played putt-putt....I won by a stroke....went to an arcade and played airhockey....I won by 2 goals....played F-Zero arcade and I won my race and he took like 6th....played a bunch of Soul Caliber II and I ANNIHILATED Kenny. A security guard was watching us and after I beat Kenny like the fourth time, he stepped in and used some key to get free lives. So I owned him too. All in all I only lost like twice and won probably ten times. Kenny and I played some rummy later on that night.....I had to teach him how to play and the little bastard beat me.....he beat me in a game he'd never played before....after I OWNED him all day.....I was very sad. Anyways.....the traffic getting to the concert was just as tough last year......pretty much everything I said about last years concert holds true for this one....the airbrushed titties...the traffic...the sun...though I was smart enough to use lotion on me exposed bittles and left my shirt on LONG enough not to get burned anywhere except the tops of my shoulders..... There was a T-divider again this year...but the stage wasn't split in two. So it took awhile to change and shit like that...but not excesively so it was cool. I took Kenny a grand total of 120 seconds to get lost. He "says" he went right and I KNOW I went right, but when I turned around his bitch ass was gone. Kenny followed me around EVERYWHERE this year and last, so the one time he doesn't is the one time I don't check to see if his bitch ass IS there. He wandered off to the same spot on the T-divider eventually and I knew that's where he'd go, but I walked around a little and checked out the eye candy. Before I get to the bands we saw, we missed Soil (I would have liked to hear "Halo" live) and Smile Empty Soul....which was no big loss. But while I was walking around I also missed just about all of Finger Eleven's set, except "One Thing" or whatever that song is called. Which is actually growing on me. |
| 3 Days Grace: When I first heard "(I Hate) Everything About You" I thought "Pretty good song, but I bet the rest of the album won't be anything like it" I was right for Jimmy Eat World, The Vines, The Hives...etc But from their performance I'd say I was wrong. I really enjoyed the guitar. It was hot as fuck that day....and their lead guitarist wore gloves.......still makes me shake my head. |
| I shoulda pissed when these guys were up. Kenny and I were confused as hell as to why this band was so high up in the order and then one of the radio djs that would come out and tell us who was performing and shit....Damageplan is partially made up of former members of Pantera. Otherwise, I doubt they would have played before even Shinedown. They played a Pantera hit or two...but I'm not really into Pantera either. |
| Fred's rating: 9/10 |
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| I saw Puddle of Mudd back when they FIRST came out with "Control" and I didn't know them very well. NOW, I have both albums and I think they're one of my top 10 favorites....maybe 15. But anyways, it would be hard to say if I like Trapt or Puddle of Mudd better and it would be hard to say whether they had a better set....but it may have been because I was so tired from the Trapt set (I'm a loser, I headbang and sing along....can't help it....I do it at home too) that I couldn't really get into Puddle of Mudd the way they deserved. They did a damn fine set...but I just didn't enjoy it as much...a shame really. |
| Earthday Birthday 11 |
| This is not the old Drowning Pool. I liked the Dave Williams lead Drowning Pool. But after Williams died they replaced him with Jason Jones. He's mediocre at best. They played a bunch of the old stuff and some new stuff...but it just didn't have the boom Williams brought. He REALLY couldn't do that growling/yelling stuff on "Bodies" but I won't fault the guy for it. They weren't bad, I enjoyed it but...eh... |
| These guys are from my "hometown" of Jacksonville...but even then I'm not a big fan. I like "Fly From the Inside" and all...but they just don't do it for me. However, they did put on a pretty kickass performance. The singer is just way too Scott Staap-y for me.....people that sing that way just seem unnatural. Good performance of "45" though. |
| Trapt returned again too. Since last year, they've become much more popular from being one of the FIRST bands last year to being the THIRD to last this year. But unlike last year when the crowd seemed to erupt when they got there, it didn't seem like anyone was into it this year. I sure as hell was. I like just about every song on their album but I guess nobody there had it because they only got uppity during "Echo" and "Headstrong" |
| I'm not a fan of Hatebreed. Jamey Jasta doesn't sing....he yell/growls. So I took that opportunity to go take a leak and get some water. I got back...bobbed my head a little...recognized the line "Now...is the time...for me to rise....blah blah blah" But still...don't care. |
| Sevendust again this year. I'm pretty sure they come to this concert every year since it's in their home town. I'm happy to say they did a much better set than last year. But it was hella short. Kenny and I both noticed it. "Praise" and "Denial" are my favorites and they played both so I was happy. And he DIDN'T forget his lyrics this time. |
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| Finally, the headliners The Offspring showed up. I've always been fond of The Offspring. They didn't disappoint me. "Gotta Get Away" "Hit That" "Come Out and Play" "Get a Job" "Want You Bad" "(Can't Get My) Head Around You" "Self Esteem" and of course to Kenny's dismay and yet just about everyone elses enjoyment: "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" The one song I realized was missing was "Original Prankster" another one that Kenny hates. Damn them for not annoying Kenny more. They did the most talking, joking and stuff. "Screw it man.....we can do what we want....we're the headliners.....we got hits man" And it's true. I don't know why but I really like Noodles...the guitarist. Might just be the name. I enjoyed it so much that I'm considering going back and getting some of their old cds....which I don't often do. They didn't blow the crowd away like Godsmack did last year....but they did rock.....I ranked them in a tie with Trapt for the best of the concert. |
| Now....ON WITH THE BANDS. Due to the sheer number of bands, I'll try and keep it short and sweet. First up: Shinedown |
| Unlike last year...this concert was "Measureable in Awesomeness" but that doesn't mean it wasn't awesome. Here's this years list from best to worst. I told Kenny he could list them too next to mine....but he never told me and I don't feel like calling him. Trapt and Offspring tied for the best Puddle of Mudd Sevendust Shinedown 3 Days Grace Drowning Pool Hatebreed Damageplan I gave it a 9. Damn fine concert but no Godsmack makes em lose a point. - Fred |
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| Riot Rinse Repeat. Bringing the nifty since 2002 |
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