Once again this year, I got to go to the KROQ Weenie Roast y Fiesta. The tickets went on sale on Wednesday, with the show being on Saturday. I decided if I was able to get actual seats I'd do something with the tickets. If I could only get general admission on the lawn then I wouldn't buy the tickets. Well, I ended up getting some Loge seats about halfway to the stage. Through a lot of hassle and some wheeling and dealing, I managed to sell those tickets and end up with a 12th row seat plus enough money to pay for that ticket, the 2 original tickets I bought, food, and some extra money to add to our bank account. Score! So anywho, here's a recap of the bands. I linked to performaces from the show for most of the bands. A couple of them weren't posted so I used other live performances.
*update*: CBS (which owns KROQ) has apparently been busy removing all the live performances from youtube the past few days. Good job taking down free publicity for your bands and events. Let me know how that works out for you. I'll still post links to videos in case there's someone you haven't heard.
1.
LudoThe side stage opened up with Ludo. They were fun to watch. A little goofy. They shouldn't quit their day jobs, because I don't see them doing much beyond one or two minor hits, but I enjoyed my time watching them. The ended with a spot on cover of Faith No More's "Epic" which was great. The singer matched the voice perfectly.
2.
The FlobotsWhile everyone was watching Ludo, I moved to the stage next to them to be up close for the Flobots. I'd heard a few songs besides "Handlebars" and love their style. I don't agree with all of their politics, but they mix rock, rap, reggae, funk together well. Plus, how many bands have a lead viola? Hopefully people will accept them for more than just "Handlebars".
3.
MGMTKevin and Bean always bring up how awful Frente was at Weenie Roast 2 back in the day. I was there for that performance. MGMT couldn't even open for Frente based on what I saw. I'm not sure which was the highlight of this half hour: The singer trying to walk across the stage high-fiving people and falling over from being drunk/high or the woman who passed out from the heat in front of her 10 year old and lost control of her bowels as security tried to carry her to the EMT tent. Bad times.
4.
The BraveryDuring that time I stayed where I was for the Flobots so I had a front row spot for The Bravery. They changed my mind about them when they played on the main stage last year, so it was nice to get to see them again, up close this time. Another solid performance.
5.
AtreyuThere was a half hour break before Atreyu went on. This is when I got some lunch. Sadly, I just couldn't seem to make it back for Ateyu's set. Instead, I sat in the shade and got to meet the head Flobot and the singer for Seether who were both hanging out unnoticed in a shady part of the festival area.
6.
Flogging MollyI'd been wanting to see Flogging Molly for a few years. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn't 100+ degrees at that point. They really got things going with a high energy set.
7.
SeetherNot much to say here. They were better than I expected, but nothing to get excited over.
8.
Scars on BroadwayThis was my second break. The sun was way too hot. I would have stayed if they were playing as their regular band System of a Down instead of this weaker side project.
9.
PennywisePennywise is a band I've listened to off and on since high school, but have never seen live. They seemed really excited to be there and took requests from the crowd. They even mixed in a cover of the Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop". Good fun.
10.
Bad ReligionBad Religion played last year, and was better that time. They ran through their catalog of hits, but didn't seem to have the energy or urgency they brought to the songs last time around. It was a good time for a sing-a-long, but those in the pits seem disappointed.
11.
Rise AgainstRise Against was the third returning band, but unlike Bad Religion, they seemed more comfortable this time around. The highlight of their set was probably the acoustic version of "Swing Life Away".
12.
The RaconteursWhen Jack White is taking charge, the Raconteurs are good. When he steps back and lets the rest of the band take over, they're average. We got both sides of it in this set. They have the potential to be bigger and better than the White Stripes were/are.
13.
The OffspringNo, Jeri, the Offspring didn't repeat the horror from when they played before the Cure. However, while they were playing, several large fires broke out on the lawn with flames shooting up about 10 feet at one point. They have so many hits at this point, there were several I really missed. They did play a few new songs which fit nicely.
14.
MetallicaMost of the crowd seemed to be there solely because of Metallica. They got their money's worth. They played the hour and 20 minutes they were scheduled for, then came out for a one song encore. When that didn't satisfy the crowd, they came back again for seven more songs. I was exhausted by the end of it. They didn't play any of their new songs, but also wisely stayed away from the St. Anger CD. I don't know how they rock so hard for so long night after night. I'm glad I finally got to see them, and may have to go back when they tour in the fall.
