Live 105 BFD4 and Kroq Weenie Roast Reviews
LOOKING BACK INTO MODERN ROCK'S RADIO FUTURE,GENRE'S PIONEERS WOW THE CROWD AT LIVE 105 SHOW
review by Brad Kava of the San Jose Mercury News (6/16/97)
THE concert was celebrating 11 years of modern rock radio at KITS-FM (Live 105), but from the audience reactions, you could just about see the birth of a future radio format.
Just as rock radio gave us classic rock, pretty soon you are going to see more classic modern rock.
The audience at this sold-out Friday Shoreline Amphitheatre show didn't just like the baby bands and the flavors of the month, as they have in years past, but they went truly bonkers for the artists who helped shape the music that started out as alternative to mainstream radio, and has since become mainstream.
''I grew up with the Cure. This is the music of my generation,'' I overheard a man in his late '20s telling his date.
The audience ate up the English band that was a cornerstone of the first year of modern rock radio. It also danced and sang along with other oldie bands making comebacks, Erasure, Social Distortion, Dick Dale and Echo & the Bunnymen.
The audience was a mix of ages. The average was about 20, unlike, say Wild 107 or KOME shows, where it is solidly in the low teens. It also seemed skewed to the North, attracting a lot of East Bay and San Francisco fans.
''I love the Cure. They are so cool. I've listened to them most of my life,'' said Zia Butterfield, 13, of San Francisco, who affected young goth chic, with her blond hair dyed black and a black Cure T-shirt.
'''I first heard them when I was, uh, 12.''' This show, which went from 3-11 p.m. with barely a break between bands, threw down the gauntlet for other radio stations. It had the best lineup of any local rock radio event in mixing old and new bands, offering nine top-shelf acts for only $15. (No wonder club owners wring their hands this time of year).
And one of the best things was that the headliner got 90 minutes, rather than the brief 15-20 minute sets these shows usually limit bands to.
Dick Dale, whose popularity got a big boost from the soundtrack of ''Pulp Fiction,'' played twice, once at 3 to a fairly deserted theater, and then again at 6, when the place filled up as people got off work. He wasn't just blisteringly fast; he seems to have learned something from the Mermen, slowing down some surf songs, adding some Hendrix and jamming more.
Squirrel Nut Zippers, who have been on the circuit for a few years, hit the big time recently because of their crackup MTV video for ''Hell.'' Backed by horns, they reaffirmed that '40s swing is making a comeback to a whole new audience.
Backstage, the Zippers were even zanier. Two of them climbed on the roof of their trailer, dropped their drawers and mooned their crew. Liverpudlians Space, who have one album, were kind of cool, despite their backstage fight over a missed cue. No telling if they will be around long enough to be classic modern rock, but there was some zing to their short live set.
Formed in 1978, Social Distortion's Los Angeles punk is now almost easy to listen to. It sounds anthemic and happy. They crossed over generations with a set that had all ages plugged in and dancing and included Johnny Cash's ''Ring of Fire'' and their own ''Ball and Chain'' and ''Story of My Life.''
San Francisco's Third Eye Blind struck a chord with ''Semi-Charmed Life,'' hook-laden and very poppy, sort of Crosby Stills and Nash go alternative. The audience liked it, but it was only semi-keeping me awake, given the harder rock on the bill.
Singer Stephan Jenkins held court backstage, talking about how people keep writing off formats, such as ska or punk, but the songs were more important than the format.
''If Motley Crue made a phat record, it would be hot,'' he told KOME-FM manager, Ron Nenni. (But would Nenni play it? Not likely.) That was another backstage shocking aside. Fierce competitors KITS and KOME are now owned by CBS/Infinity and are sister stations. So, officials from both mingled, although a bit uncomfortably. Their voices were friendly enough, but their faces looked like someone had placed sandpaper in their underwear.
More music, more music: Toad the Wet Sprocket, a band that sounds all wet on the radio, was better than expected live. Its music is mellow, in the same vein as Third Eye Blind, but the live drums and guitar on hits from their last three albums give it enough of a kick to keep it current.
Bunnymen Will Sergeant and Ian McCullough, who have been toiling in clubs under the name Electrafixion, got their old fans excited by returning to the old name and old songs.
Sans makeup, except a little lipstick, Cure frontman Robert Smith danced sidestage and sang along with ''Back of Love'' out of sight of the audience.
''No one came out to see Electrafixion but you change the name and they love this,'' Smith said between songs, sipping a Gordon Biersh pilsner. ''I grew up on this music.'' McCullough inexplicably wore a full-length coat on a hot day. ''He should lose the coat,'' Smith added. ''Fashion is one thing.''
A half-hour set by Erasure brought down the house. Clad in blue, red and silver metallic outfits, their dance music had the entire audience doing just that, with more energy than any other band of the day. It was the '80s answer to the Village People. Who said disco is dead?
And finally, the Cure. This is the first time Smith has kept a lineup intact after a tour. They did a set that was as long as most modern rock bands do on their own, but was half as long as a normal Cure show.
They mixed new and old, sounding only a little rusty. Smith said earlier that this show was a warmup. He's bringing the band into the studio to record new material next week.
His set ran from the old to the new, including ''Killing An Arab,'' ''10:15,'' ''Boys Don't Cry'' ''A Forest'' ''Just Like Heaven'' and ''Mint Car.''
Like those of the other 20-year-old bands on this bill, this wasn't just nostalgia, but showed some staying power.
Brits Pull Tricks At KROQ Show Petty Rivalries, Food Fights, And Chatter Obscure Performances
From AllstarMag
Stellar lineup and great performances aside, the KROQ Weenie Roast and Luau on Saturday (June 14) at Irvine Meadows in Southern California proved to be a bottomless pit of shenanigans, back-biting, and rivalry.
Most of the brouhaha came from the overpowering British contingent. Blur, apparently not happy with their mid-afternoon time slot, found a way around having to play several bands before their arch enemies, Oasis. After claiming that their equipment wasn't at the venue on time, the lads inched their way up the schedule so that they could go on just a few bands before Oasis. Oasis' Liam Gallagher was his usual attitudenal self, although the Gallagher brothers did hang side- stage to meet the evening's surprise guest, luau guru Don Ho.
Then there was the outspoken Ian McCulloch of Echo & the Bunnymen, who made some comments toward Blur about them "shutting up" so they could play their set. (Courtney Love, by the way, told folks that she came to the Weenie Roast specifically to see Echo & the Bunnymen.)
As for Radiohead's onstage antics, they opted to insult the audience instead of the other bands. The lethargic crowd was evidently getting to Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, so right before the band played one of their better known songs, Yorke said something to the effect of "this is for all you mindless fuckers."
While fans may have been expecting Noel Gallagher to join the Chemical Brothers onstage during their set (Gallagher appears on the Brothers' Dig Your Own Hole), it didn't happen. When asked why, the Brothers said matter of factly, "Because he didn't want to."
The only collaborating done onstage was between Ho, four members of Reel Big Fish, and Goldfinger drummer Darren Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer and the Reel Big Fish guys backed up Ho onstage for "Tiny Bubbles." Reel Big Fish's Andrew Gonzalez was heard uttering, "I can't believe we're going to play with Don Ho."
The Offspring incited a minor food fight when they encouraged the audience to pick up some of the trash around them (a noble idea), and, well, throw it onstage. Just another day in L.A.
Allstar Gossip
What member of a band who played the KROQ Weenie Roast and Luau in Southern California on Saturday (June 14) said to talk show host Jon Stewart: "Man, they sold out," while they were witnessing the Foo Fighters photo shoot for Details backstage at the event?...
What recently rehabilitated lead singer of a major band was seen drinking and smoking weed at the show?...
What radio station who hosted a Weenie Roast and Luau on Saturday refused to give tickets to any online publications?
Oasis, Blur & The Cure: The Weenie Roast Chronicles
by Josh Jason (Microsoft Music Central-6/16/97)
See 14 alternative-rock superstars in 12 hours! That's the real appeal of all these alternative radio station summer/Christmas concerts that have risen phoenix-like from Saint Cobain's scattered ashes.
So when pioneering L.A. alternative radio station KROQ threw its "5th Annual Weenie Roast & Luau" last Saturday (June 14) with a lineup that stretched from Social Distortion, the Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, the Offspring, the Foo Fighters, Oasis, the Wallflowers, Radiohead, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to the Chemical Brothers, Blur, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Reel Big Fish, and Third Eye Blind ... well, you had to be there. TLN correspondent Josh Jason was. This is his report:
Me and Jenifer got lost comin' off the freeway and had to park all the way out by the wild animal park so we missed Third Eye Blind, and also Reel Big Fish doing their Cure and A-ha covers.
The place is all tricked-out in palm trees, tikis, and shit like that Exoticon festival me and Jenifer went to at the Park Plaza in L.A. back in like 1995. The Squirrel Nut Zippers are all wearing clothes left over from an old Kid Creole & The Coconuts video. Jenifer says they sound like it, too.
Then Radiohead come on in T-shirts and like Jenifer's English friend, Nigel, says, "trainers," and look down at their feet and do a bunch of new stuff and that "Creep" song. Jenifer's dad says that when he went to high school in the '60s and they had battles of the bands, the losing band would have to get their heads shaved on stage, but now the losers come onstage with their heads already shaved. He thinks like music hasn't been any good since Jimi Hendrix died, but he might be right about Radiohead.
We go get some iced mocha lattes and a couple of vegetarian plates. Jenifer used the portable ATM to get the money from her dad's account. When we get back, the singer for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones is up there in a lemon-yellow leisure suit and matching flat-cap — the rest of the guys look like an old Specials video, including that one dude who just dances around like Bez used to in the Happy Mondays. They did that song from the Clueless movie, which we've both seen like a million times, then they brought up eight dudes dressed like old-time spacemen in goggles, gold skullcaps, orange shorts, blue shirts, and metallic belts — and one dude in a lab coat and plaid pants like that old Thomas Dolby video — to dance with 'em. About half the crowd was up and skankin'.
Then the Wallflowers come on instead of Blur. I asked some dude with a laminate and he said Blur's equipment showed up too late 'cause of traffic. The Wallflowers all had on rockstar shades — Jenifer says it's 'cause they were lookin' right into the setting sun — and they were all wearing black except the bass player. They did their big hits and that old Clash song "Long Black Cadillac," which Nigel tells us later is really by some English rockabilly geezer named Vince Taylor, who's mostly famous for wearin' black leather and makin' phone calls to God. Whatever.
Social Distortion look like rockabilly dudes, too — except for the hippie drummer. The singer has his shirt off so you can see all his tats. He says he remembers when KROQ first played Social D back in 1980 — wow, me and Jenifer weren't even hardly born then — he was workin' in a porno shop. Cool. He also remembers how they said punk rock was a menace to society and now it's kinda safe but what can you do? Play all your old hits, I guess. People up on the hill start moshin'.
Then they crank up the fog machine and Echo & The Bunnymen come on and they're all in black except the bass player, the keyboard player, and the singer, who's wearin' an electric blue shirt under that double-breasted coat. He looks great — Jenifer says he's like thirtysomething, but I think she read that somewhere on the Internet — and they do tons of old stuff, including that song from the Lost Boys movie, and some cool new songs, too. Nigel says they were takin' the piss out of James Brown, the Doors, and Natalie Cole's dad in the middle of "Do It Clean." He's such a trainspotter.
Then Blur comes on, looking totally boring — except for the singer, who's wearing a green California 86 jersey and says, "I'm wearin' green 'cause I'm a green man. It's like these revolving stages; it's like music of the spheres, you know what I mean?" No. Me and Jenifer go get another mocha latte and think about buyin' some new toe rings.
The best part of the Foo Fighters was when Pat Smear — who was wearing an ocelot-print, fur-trimmed, three-quarter-length-sleeve women's black top that he got out of a thrift shop, a black miniskirt, and patent leather pumps — lifted up his dress and showed us his pink bikini briefs. The rest of the band was wearing white T-shirts and black pants. They did a bunch of stuff off their new album and their other record. Jenifer likes it when that other dude who used to be in Nirvana screams, but I like the songs I know from the radio.
It's finally nighttime, so these three big fat Hawaiians come out and dance with flaming torches and then 12 babes come out and do the hula. The Hawaiian dudes are pounding on logs and shit and KROQ's morning dudes Kevin & Bean yell, "Don Ho is in the house!" And the dude comes out in a white tuxedo jacket, a black T-shirt, jeans, wraparound shades, and a pink lei, and starts singin' "Tiny Bubbles!" And everybody sings along!
Then the fake volcano onstage lights up and starts smokin' and these styrofoam peanuts that are supposed to be lava pour out. Finally — me and Jenifer had tickets to see 'em twice but they canceled — Oasis comes on. Liam Gallagher's buzzcut has grown out a bit and he's wearing shades and this blue shirt with epaulets over a Union Jack T-shirt and jeans. Halfway through they add a keyboard player and do all their old hits just like on the CD — except Noel Gallagher, the lead guitar player, sings "Don't Look Back In Anger" all by himself.
Then the Offspring come out and the guitar players are wearin' glittery tops and spiky hair like those punk-rockers in that old CHiPs episode and they play all their hits, including "Smash It Up," which Nigel says is either an old Damned song or a damned old song 'cause I can't understand him sometimes. Then they ask everybody to hold up lighters like at a Led Zeppelin concert, then wave their hands in the air over their heads, then pick up all the trash that's filling up the place and throw it at the stage. And everybody does just what they're told! People are heavin' water, beer, food wrappers — all this shit — down the hill for like at least five minutes. The stage got covered in trash, but most of it landed on the people in the first 20 rows. We were laughin' our asses off.
All I could see of the Chemical Brothers was these two dudes turnin' knobs up on stage — it was so loud I could feel the bass vibrating on my chest — while this video screen showed pictures of black and white dots, cops, psychedelic colors, and religious stuff. I don't know what it all means either, but Jenifer says it's about time we saw something from 1997 and I kinda have to agree with her — though a few other people didn't, I guess, 'cause they were walkin' out.
Then the stage turns around and we get to watch 30 minutes of roadies tryin' to get the Cure's equipment workin'. Finally, at 20 minutes after midnight, Robert Smith and whoever else is in the Cure nowadays come out and start doin' all their old hits. The bogus fog is so thick that Jenifer says the only thing she can see is that ol' Haystack Hair is still wearin' more eye shadow than both our stepmoms combined. Somebody said KROQ was playing the show live on the radio so we told Nigel we're Audi 5000 and drove home listening to it.
Jenifer's dad was waitin' up for her, so we smoked a bongload with him. I told him the reason we were so late was that Microsoft was payin' me to write about everything that happened, so he was cool with it, but he wants to know if Paul Allen can get him a deal on one of those pieces of Jimi Hendrix's old busted-up guitars or something. Can I?" [You'll have to ask Paul himself, at Starwave — Microsoft Corporate Correctness Editor]
Modern Rock Nostalgia From Dick Dale to the Cure, flashbacks define Live 105's BFD concert
by JAMES SULLIVAN of the San Francisco Chronicle (6/14/97)
Bay Area modern rock station Live 105 is an industry leader in taking chances with brand-new music. But oddly, the bill at yesterday's station-sponsored show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre was knee-deep in nostalgia.
At the fourth annual BFD -- the listener-appreciation party with the unprintable name -- '80s New Wave-era bands the Cure, Erasure and Echo & the Bunnymen appeared to woo fans largely too young to remember their first albums.
Granted, those bands are all benchmarks of New Wave -- the good old days, in Live 105 terms. Even more curious were appearances by 60-something surf guitar pioneer Dick Dale and earthy rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket, neither of whom get much space on the Live 105 playlist.
BRITS WERE MAIN DRAW
To their credit, the sun-drenched audience members were gracious to those acts, though it was clear they took the day off primarily to see the Brits. And not just the elders: contemporary U.K. chameleon Blur was greeted with controlled ecstasy, its own New Wave-type material predictably succeeding best.
Retrogression was the order of the day, as the sound system pumped an endless stream of synth pop -- Eurythmics, New Order, Soft Cell's ``Tainted Love'' -- onto the concourse while the crowd filtered in.
As the sun began to beat down, dudes took off their shirts and a few women peeled off their own to reveal bikini tops. In deference to Robert Smith, the Cure's gloomy, pasty-white singer, a few people came dressed in face powder and knee-length black trench coats.
``I'm here for the same reason 99 percent of the people are here,'' said one school-age girl in an argyle sweater, checking her place in her Anne Rice book while Toad played ``For the Cure.''
Making one of just a few stateside appearances, the Cure was the only band to come on when it was actually dark. A good thing too, considering that Smith surely wouldn't take well to sunlight. When the Cure played well-known songs such as ``Fascination Street'' and ``Just Like Heaven,'' the crowd was rapt, but not bonkers.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
There were plenty of other attractions. The recent reunion of Echo & the Bunnymen, a contentious bunch, has been eagerly anticipated in some circles. No showstopper, the band nevertheless sounded no worse for the hiatus, weathering sound problems that stripped Ian McCulloch of his vocals for the first half of ``Lips Like Sugar,'' one of its most recognizable songs.
McCulloch was the most star-like performer of the day, taking the stage in dark glasses and a fur-lined overcoat.
Blur's Damon Albarn, on the other hand, made a simpler but no less apt fashion statement: His footballer's T-shirt was emblazoned with the number 86 -- maybe a reference to the year most often recalled by this year's BFD lineup?
Looking down before his second number, he spotted the previous band's set list at his feet and joked that he must be doing Echo's ``Rescue'' next. The wordless impersonation of McCulloch that followed -- a sort of wounded-goat braying -- was hilarious.
Obviously, not every ticketholder could be expected to care for every group on the schedule. Throughout the amphitheater, there were plenty of diversions. In fact, though the lawn area at the sold-out show was packed all day, the reserved seats remained half-full well past sundown.
DOING STUPID THINGS
Out on the concourse, wandering packs of young adults puzzled over the ``Incredible Feats of Stupidity'' booth and watched guys bouncing around inside an enormous moonwalk.
BFD was alternately dubbed the ``Beach Ball,'' so Dale's presence earlier in the day made perfect sense. Part of the BFD proceeds this year will benefit the Surfrider Foundation, a coalition of surfing enthusiasts devoted to improving water conditions at West Coast beaches.
Just before Dale's entrance at 3, the Stanford Marching Band, clad in Hawaiian shirts, pranced through the reserved seating, opening the festivities with a loopy version of ``Hard to Handle,'' the Otis Redding hit resurrected by the Black Crowes. They were later invited to leave because they were blocking the entrances to the reserved seats.
BEACH SCENE ONSTAGE
The stage was flanked by potted trees and lifeguard chairs. Cut-out, cartoonish rows of waves added to the oceanfront effect.
After Dale, North Carolina's Squirrel Nut Zippers offered another anomaly with their Prohibition-era jazz revivalism. With their rhythm section augmented by trumpet, trombone and banjo, the group charmed its way through the flapper ditty ``Prince Nez'' and its sole radio hit, the punky urban-calypso ``Hell.''
Playing their radio hit is what bands are expected to do at these radio station events, and that's exactly what the next few acts did. U.K. band Space played its suave Bahamian pop hit ``Female of the Species,'' best known as a highlight of the retro-London ``Austin Powers'' soundtrack.
Next up were hometown heroes Third Eye Blind. Dressed in Mao-style military garb, the band provided one of the night's ironies by singing ``(I Don't Want to Go to) London'' while sharing the bill with a bunch of British bands.
The Beatles provided an unlikely recurring theme throughout the night, with both Space and Echo & the Bunnymen hailing from Liverpool, Blur opening with its backhanded tribute ``Beetlebum,'' and Toad covering ``Hey, Bulldog.''
Toad betrayed its utter disregard for style by covering Neil Young's ``Cinnamon Girl'' and using a mandolin on ``Walk on the Ocean.'' Still, the set was a likable run-through of its best material.
Past BFDs have included appearances by station mainstays like Green Day, Bush, No Doubt, and Garbage, so this year's lineup was a bit of a surprise. In the absence of a nationwide consensus regarding the current meaning of ``alternative'' music, however, each modern rock station is feeling its own way.
Oasis leads the way as the English take charge at KROQ's Weenie Roast & Luau.
By ROBERT HILBURN of the L.A. Times (6/16/97)
Britannia rules. At least that was the case Saturday during KROQ's fifth annual Weenie Roast & Luau benefit concert, as a delegation of British bands dominated the marathon 12-hour affair at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.
Of the five clear high points in a 14-act main-stage bill that leaned to bands with current hits on KROQ-FM (106.7) and other "modern rock" stations, four involved British forces.
It was a timely chance to survey the relative strengths of the two scenes because there has been a leadership void in rock since the fading of grunge, the hard-core Seattle style that fueled the U.S. domination of rock through the first half of the '90s.
Saturday's British charge was led by Oasis, the wonderfully melodic Manchester outfit that was making its first formal concert appearance since it broke off a U.S. tour last year amid rumors that the often battling Gallagher brothers had decided to split apart.
Instead, the group returned to the recording studio to work on a new album (due later this summer) and to take a much-needed break from years of virtual nonstop touring.
In resuming live shows, Oasis seemed like a band reborn. Though the group didn't preview any material from its upcoming album, the quintet played such favorites as "Champagne Supernova," "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Wonderwall" with sometimes breathtaking intensity and grace.
Not only were the textures more muscular than before, but the songs were also stretched out dramatically--as if the group was so delighted at being back onstage that they wanted to squeeze every liberating ounce of emotion from the songs. The band was in such good spirits that songwriter-guitarist Noel Gallagher had his arm around younger brother Liam, the band's singer, at the end.
Introducing Oasis, KROQ air personality Rodney Bingenheimer called them the best band in the world. For a group that has only released two albums, it's a bit of a stretch--especially since U2 is still alive and kicking. But Oasis' performance showed that the gap is certainly narrowing.
Adding to the British assault was a dramatic midafternoon set by Radiohead, a band that has battled back from the one-hit-wonder stigma of its 1993 "Creep" success to earn widespread respect. Thom Yorke's stark, uncompromising tales of psychological struggle seemed the last thing the audience wanted to hear on this party-minded occasion, which was enlivened by a surprise appearance by luau king Don Ho, but the determined Yorke sang with a show stopping defiance.
In addition, England's Chemical Brothers and the re-formed Echo & the Bunnymen contributed noteworthy moments. The Chemical duo lacks the striking attitude and showmanship of the more compelling Prodigy, but its dance textures are far more forward-thinking and involving than most of the U.S. acts on Saturday's bill.
And these British highlights don't even count the Cure because Robert Smith and the other members of the headlining band occupied a sort of emeritus role at the end of the evening.
The set, which ended just before 2 a.m., reminded us of both the youthful sensitivity that has made the Cure one of the most popular bands ever on KROQ, but also of the fact that the band probably reached its creative peak in the late '80s. Blur, the final English entry, connected with the audience with its peppy, stylish "Boys and Girls" and current novelty, "Song 2," but was generally anonymous.
Unlike the individuality and ambition of the best British acts, most of the U.S. groups Saturday seemed boxed in by stylistic conformities. This was especially true of both ska devotees Reel Big Fish and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (though the Fish was far more appealing, thanks to such humor-laced songs as "Sell Out"), and the fleetingly appealing, jumping jive archivist approach of the Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Only the Wallflowers, who overcome their own obvious '60s-roots influences by the superior songwriting of Jakob Dylan, and Third Eye Blind, a San Francisco group with an intriguing literate bent, left you with a strong sense of future expectations.
Social Distortion played with an almost noble independence and power, but the group's themes have lost the essential element of discovery. The Foo Fighters delivered an equally passionate set, though the band's material doesn't match its musical precision.
Given its Orange County ties and ability to mix punk energy and mainstream pop-rock musical hooks, the Offspring was in a position to steal the evening. On record, the group shows signs, in such songs as the new "Gone Away," of stretching the boundaries of punk, but Saturday's set seemed rigid and undemanding.
And the energy that was generated was undercut by the boneheaded decision of singer Dexter Holland to urge fans to throw garbage at the stage. It led to a barrage of trash, including cups of beer. Though apparently no one was hurt, the potential was there for someone to be hit by coins or other sharp-edged items that have been hurled at shows. Talk about stupid.
Logistically, the set changes frequently took longer than you would expect (sometimes 20 minutes or more) given the revolving stage format. Musically, too, the lineup suffered from the absence or a strong female voice.
Generally, however, KROQ did an outstanding job of making its Weenie Roast a comfortable, even classy experience, which raised funds for AIDS Walk Orange County, AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Surfrider Foundation and Heal the Bay. Fans were greeted by hula dancers and given complimentary leis. And, the station's emcees avoided the excessive self-promotion that often mars such events. Measured against the sometimes barren nature of radio station concerts, in fact, you might even call this one an Oasis.
Review by Charles G. Pham
I was fortunate enough to attend both the San Francisco's BFD gig as well as KROQ's Weenie Roast and Luau. I also was fortunate enough to meet The Cure at the BFD. All the bands performing at the BFD came out at a Live 105 booth to sign autographs. Some bands came before their scheduled set, others after. The Cure came 'round to the booth after watching Echo & The Bunnymen play on stage.
BFD was brilliant. They sounded perfect, like usual. At one point, Robert tried speaking to the audience but fumbled and said, "This is why i never talk!" I thought that was funny. Also, the crowd was really into it, but not as much as they were into Erasure (for obvious reasons i think--then again, i'm not from SF so i shouldn't assume). Anyways, The Cure were in top form, and Robert looked great. When i met him in person at the booth, he looked amazingly young, circa "Love Cats" video--thinner with shorter hair. He also had no make-up on during the autograph session so that was nice to see the real Robert. Nonetheless, eyeshadow was in full-effect during the gig. I also asked Roger if he was going to, if no already, put out that solo project of his and he just smiled and laughed as i was rushed on by. Weenie Roast was a drag. The Cure didn't hit the stage until 12:20am!! The crew couldn't get the Keyboards plugged in right and there were buzzing noises coming from the amps. It took them over a 1/2 an hour to fix everything. About the Cure...well, i carn't really say objectively. After the BFD on Friday, i flew to Orange County Saturday morning and went straight to Irvine Meadows. By the time the Cure came on at 12+am, i was out of it. I almost fell asleep, if you could believe that. It basically stemmed from the Chemical Brothers set prior to the Cure's slot. The Chem Bros are cool, but their set was way too long and repetative. When the Cure came on, i was falling in and out of sleep, a big headache, and very dehydrated. But i did stay fer the entire set. They sounded alright, but not as clean as they did at the BFD. The show ended around 1:55am. Madness I tell ya. As you can tell from this post, i'm still out of it...
BEST PERFORMANCES:
BFD: 1-The Cure 2-Social Distortion 3-Echo & the Bunnymen
Weenie Roast: 1-Radiohead 2-Echo & the Bunnymen 3-Oasis 4-Wallflowers 5-The Cure
Review by Anthony DeTroia
The second show was just as good. They didnt play until 12:00am (midnite).The sound tech were terribble when the show started on want, jason's bass drum mic was off.Roger got their attention and had them fix the problem and later on the first encore when Robert was playing Lovesong, his guitar was buzzing, so a guitar tech I think handed him an acoustic and robert look displeased and sang anyway.He wanted an electric. When he realized it wasn't gonna happen,he went in to the guitar solo half way through and pulled it off.On Friday I'm in Love,Jason gave the four count with his sticks and Simon stopped every body so he could switch basses.His first one was buzzing.Then when they did start Friday, Simon came in on his part too soon,he stopped and The Cure were laughing at him.Perry had a few problems as well during these two songs.Boys Don't Cry great version.On A Forest at the end when Simon was ending it,Robert was strumming to make Simon goof up, but Simon laughed him off.The rest of the show was great ..... on Just Like Heaven,Robert got lost and sang new words and two days in a row,Shiver and Shake was shakey,but great.
Review by Melon
Hey all. Well, apparently it's not impossible to get tickets to the weenie roast without paying through the nose for the suckers. My boyfriend and I drove up at about 8:00 and were immediately flagged down by a guy with two tickets. He sold them to us for $50 each and told us that earlier they were going for $200 apiece! The down side was that we missed some of the bands I wanted to see (Radiiohead, Blur, Echo, Third Eye Blind), but we did get there in time for Oasis whose set rocked (and I don't consider myself an Oasis fan... or at least I didn't!), and of course we got to see the Cure! These are my impressions of the Cure part of the shows:
BFD It was very fresh and energetic if it lacked the technical brilliance of the later Swing Tour shows. It reminded me of the opening night in Worcester both because I hadn't seen them in so long and because it sounded about that good. I got the impression that Robert was enjoying himself, though he did seem pretty self-conscious. To clarify a comment that he made that was brought up earlier: he said "I was asked why don't I talk more and I would but..." at which point the crowd screamed, he blushed and turned away. I wasn't too impressed with the set. Except for Shiver and Shake, there was nothing too unexpected. What they did play sounded great, but I was hoping for some gems :). I was at the front of the lawn and had a pretty clear view, but thank god for those giant screens, even if it did sort of make it seem like I was watching the whole thing on TV. The crowd was great where I was. The lawn was choc full of Cure fans and we met some nice cure couples, two from San Diego and one from Sunnyvale. I looked all over for Descent signs, balloons, and nametags but didn't see anything. I dodn't even see anyone I'd already met before--there were so many people there I guess we just all got lost in the crowds. Anyways, it was a great show, great experience, and a great time.
Weenie Roast I was kind of zombieish by the time they got on. I hadn't eaten in a while, was feeling lightheaded and was dead tired, so I was somewhat lacking in the enthusiasm department. I thought they sounded technically better even considering the problems with the equipment, but there were times, during Fascination Street and A Forest for instance, when Robert's improvizing sounded pretty scratchy and somewhat less than Guitar God calibre. I had a much clearer view so I had more of the live feeling and less of the "I'm watching this on TV" feeling. I would have been more excited had they played just one song different, but considering they had little time to rehearse for these shows, I suppose I can forgive! The crowd was much less enthusiastic than at BFD. In fact, by the time they hit Disintergration, the crowd was much less, period. I'd say almost half the people in the stadium desserted--I guess all the people who had come to see the Offspring or something. There were fewer Cure fans in my area, though some pretty die-hard seeming ones did move up right behind me. The one comment of Robert's I remember: "It's so hard to sit around all day (drinking) and come out here and make sense and as usual I don't fucking do it." He also completely ad libbed the second verse of Just Like Heaven, flabbergasting the singing-along-to-the-singles fans, hehe.
Overall impressions and comparisons I was pretty aware of the Cure fan quotient at both of these shows, which I'd say was the biggest difference between these and an actual Cure show, where everyone's a fan. BFD was better for three reasons: venue ( the Shoreline is much bigger and cleaner than Irvine Meadows), the crowd (almost everyone stayed to the end of the set and there were lots of Cure fans there) and Live 105--they really kept the show going, having the bands perform pretty much one right after another except for a couple of intermissions. It was mch longer between bands at the weenie roast, breeding restlessness and boredom. KROQ is obviously a higher budget radio station, but some of the flashiness got on my nerves (ie., the fake vocano spewing lava). Also, at BFD Erasure went on before the Cure and were tremendously popular--they really mobilized the crowd, getting everyone up and dancing. The chemical brothers, on the other hand.... Like John said, "Are we at a rave?" Sure they were good, but the significance of live techno frankly escapes me. There was nothing to see. People fell asleep. The long interval between the brothers and the Cure and the late hour didn't help much either. Everyone seemed pretty listless.
Overall, though, it was wonderful. I had a great time and it was well worth every penny I spent and every mile we travelled. Sorry I didn't get to meet more Descenters! If anyone wants a review of the bands other than the Cure that I saw, email me. Thanks for reading.
Review by Rayna Khaitan
i've been meaning to write a review of friday's show earlier, but there are just too many things that have distracted me. i'm here now, though -- in a strange mood, but nonetheless here. so if you're interested in a gushing tale of adoration, please read on...
for pics, which should hopefully be up soon... go to:
... when i first heard that the cure were going to be at bfd, i was literally bouncing off walls and people, smiling (to the point where i looked evil), dancing around campus telling my friends about the amazing news. i was in utter disbelief. august '96 (a month which i equate to a dream) was not even a year ago, and here i was seeing the cure again! ..my life suddenly had meaning again.
... friday the 13th...a ridiculously crazy and hectic day. after just an insane amount of mystery in the parking lot, witnessing my best friend getting kicked out, and watching him sneak back in half-naked, i was ready to find a hole in the lawn and just bury myself in it... besides everything in front of me, my head was throbbing with emotion i didn't want to deal with. after erasure, a couple of the djs did their best to emulate cheerleaders "rara"-ing for the next act. meanwhile, i was debating whether or not i should kill the people next to me. this group of 10-14 year olds and a chaperone...the boys were throwing worms in the girls' hair, and though they were shrieking, you could tell they were LOVING every second of it. them combined with their chaperone's comments (ie. "i can't wait for the cure. they have so many BIG radio hits!") disturbed my excitement, so i slipped a little bit away and found a new place in my head.
waiting...9:15.. a dark stage and music that i love too much; "want" begins. slowly and amazingly, they took the stage. i wished i could take the everything-building-up-inside-me and seal it within the confines of a clear glass case. if i could feel THAT much all of the time, i could define happiness with absolute precision. the setlist and a couple of robert's cute little comments have already been posted, so i'll skip those. i can't read my writing that well anyway; my vision was blurred and i was shaking so hard... about a third of the way into the set, they played my favorite song from wms: "treasure." i fell into tears at that point. the trance i was put under with the start became something much more forceful and i could never assign a name to it. the other highlights (for me) were: "never enough" (my first time experiencing that live), "prayers for rain" (intense as hell, mesmerized the crowd..and he didn't even have to hold the "rain" part for very long), "from the edge of the deep green sea," "shiver and shake," and "disintegration." but mentioning those just means that they were strikingly powerful and beautiful, a bit more penetrating than the rest.. all in all, though, the cure have never sounded more perfect.
fresh from months of endless LA smog, it was the first night in a long while that i watched stars appear in the sky-- the turbulence of everything together was INCREDIBLE. (as a sidenote, i'm issuing an apology: i know this entire "review" is silly, overdramatic, and cheesy, but sometimes writing pathetic attempts at poetry in my journal...well it just ISN'T enough -- (shy smile)
Review by Dave (MrPinkEyez)
well for anyone that cares i would like to tell my story about going to cali to see the cure and meeting them.
it startred off by flying from philadelphia to arizona last wednesday to meet my friend. we left for the 12 hour drive to mountain view california on thursday. we got to the shorline ampitheater on friday with only lawn seats in hand. there was no way i was traveling 3000 miles to sit in some crappy lawn seat. i figured what the hell why not explain my story to the people in the office. i told this woman who worked in the office that i came all the way from new jersey to see the cure and all i had was lawn seats and i wanted her to upgrade my seats (it was worth a try). she said there was nothing she could do at that time but to try back later. so we were hanging out by the live 105 van thing where bands were signing autographs. people like toad the wet sprocket were there. i thought no way would the cure do that so i headed for the bathroom. then my friend was nice enough to come running after me....the cure were signing things. we crushed our way to the front and got to see the band up close. then i went back to the box office to see that woman about the tickets. she was walking out the door and she handed me to orchestra tickets that were about 20 rows from the stage (thanks!). my friend and i went to our seats for about 30 seconds and quickly made our own upgrade to about the 5th row and by the end of the show we were 2nd row. killer show but to short and not enough different songs. but who's complaining it is the cure.
next day head to san fran for the quick tourist thing then the six hour drive to irvine. we had no tickets but a lot of faith. we were cutting the drive close because time was running out. then there was an accident on i-5 that closed the road. people were getting out of their cars..it was hell! finally the road opens and we're on our way. we have no idea how to get there but we make it at about 7:00 pm. we thought the cure were to go on at 9:00 pm but found out they were not scheduled to 11:00. still we had no tickets. scalpers wanted $50 apeice! i didn't want to pay that much because we heard about fake tickets. so we hung out at the box office hoping that they would release some tickets. (for all you 90210 fans, while we were sitting there this girl walks by and i said that looks like clair..and it was. i went to say hi but got the blow off. bitch!) anyway, this guy with a pass offers to walk us in for $90 for the both of us, plus he would give us one orchestra ticket. so he walks us right pass the gaurd and we were in. then we begged people that were leaving for their ticket stubs hoping to get a good seat. finally we get some good stubs and all we have to do is wait for the show to start. i was just standing where people leave and the most amazing thing happened....this lady walks up to me and said she was leaving and wanted to know if i wanted her backstage pass! she gave me two all access passes for free! some people were paying $150 for them. i almost passed out. at first i didn't know where they were good for but i soon found out. before the show started i was climbing seat to get to the front row. then this gaurd caught me and asked to see my ticket...i was like, uhhhhh then he said "oh it's ok, you have a pass". i was like yeah, i do. then i asked where the pass was good for and he said "anywhere you want". i said like down there, in the front row? he said 'sure". so i was like excuse me all the way to the front. luckily i brought my camera and snapped some great photos.
after the show we went backstage. we hung out for about an hour and a half until the band came out. by this time there was only a handful of people hanging out. i went up to robert and was talking to him. i asked about the album that's due out around christmas and he said it was a singles album with some new stuff. i also asked when they were palying again and he said in about two months they'll be back for a theatre tour (i guess small clubs). then i asked about the charm around his necklace and he said "it is a handmade heart". i asked him who made and he said "mary". then we walked out to the little bus that was driving them and he was getting directions for this girl to the after party at the hotel. we went to the marriot and checked in. my friend made friends with one of the crew and we were in the lobby talking and we were about to go upstairs to room 1706 to the party and then the cure came out of the elevator. robert and simon were holding hands and having a good time. there were some other fans there and we talked for a bit.
next day we head to the four seasons where the cure were staying. we didn't see anyone so we just hung out. we don't look like typical cure fans so we kinda just blended in. then we walked through the lobby and roger was just sitting on the couch waiting for his ride. we sat down and had a conversation for about 15 minutes. he is a real down to earth guy, real normal. he said he was glad to be playing again because he s[pent the last six months watching tv. he said they had just got together in some castle and listened to each others songs for the new album. he said they had about 50 between them all. he said the new single will be out october 17th. i asked why they didn't play it and he said robeert hadn't finished the lyrics. i said it was good to see the cure doing things so quickly and he said, "we're the new cure". i asked about all the demos that never make it to the albums and he said they just get trashed. then he told me he was going through some old stuff and he found a tape from disintegration that had a demo on it with lyrics. i told him that would be priceless.
anyway.....then we drove to las vegas and then back home and i just got home from my cure trip.