Seen It Live: The Bamboozle Roadshow (6/26/10)

>> The Bamboozle Roadshow ran from 5/21/10 - 6/27/10, but no two shows were exactly the same. The bands playing varied from day to day, and so did the set times for each artist. The line-up for the date I attended consisted of Michael & Marisa, Mercy Mercedes, Drive A, Great Big Planes, Cady Groves, Vita Chambers, The Ready Set, & Stereo Skyline on the 2nd Stage. Forever The Sickest Kids, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, & LMFAO all played on the Main Stage. I didn't get to see the first few acts on the 2nd Stage because I went to All Time Low's In-Store performance at Looney Tunes that morning. Click the links below for pictures and videos from both the Roadshow, and the in-store performance.

[Pictures] [Videos]

>> Typically, waking up early to get ready and wait in line for over an hour in the hot sun isn't my idea of a good time, but being with my friends and knowing that I'd be meeting All Time Low made it all worthwhile. I hadn't seen ATL live since December 2008, so the thought of seeing them again, let alone twice in one day, was enough to guarantee a good time. Plus, I knew this set was going to be acoustic, and the other at the roadshow would be electric- so it was like seeing two completely different shows even if they played some of the same songs. So even as I was baking in the sun, I was just thinking about how the rest of the day was going to turn out. There were a lot less people there than I had expected, I'm assuming they reduced the amount of tickets sold because of the time constraint. Once the doors opened, my friends & I walked up to the front of the first row. We were close and had a great view, except there was a speaker right in front of us that blocked Zack. So in all of my pictures and videos from the performance, you see Jack, the speaker, Alex, and Rian. It was fairly unfortunate, but nothing could bother me at that point :) ATL is one of my all time favorite bands, and I'd been dying to see them perform songs from their new album. Here's a video of the band playing "Damned If I Do Ya" Acoustic at Looney Tunes.

> They played a couple of songs including "Damned If I Do Ya", "Weightless", and my personal favorite, "Jasey Rae". I've heard acoustic songs by the band, and I've seen videos of acoustic performances, but nothing compares to actually witnessing them. I'm a sucker for almost anything acoustic, but this performance was simply incredible. The band is obviously quite talented, but they're also very funny. Additional entertainment came in the form of a bra, and a rubber chicken that were thrown on stage. Alex even had the chicken sing a verse or two (right). The songs were amazing, the jokes between them were great, and the screaming fans were only slightly obnoxious. After the performance, everyone got back on line to wait to meet the band. They were really personable, especially Jack. He made sure he connected with each fan by not only talking to them, but also by holding everyone's hand for a few seconds. It's those little things that help show that bands really do care about their fans. I asked Jack if they could play "Stella" at the Roadshow. He said he really wanted to but couldn't, and then said he'd make sure they'd play it on tour in the fall. Can't wait for that :) As for the rest of the band, Alex complimented one of my friend's outfits, Rian had a big smile on his face, and Zack and I bonded over his tattoos. I probably would have been happy if my day had ended there, but fortunately, I had a whole lot more to look forward to.

>> The whole in-store performance and meet-and-greet took about an hour which was good because it meant that I wouldn't miss too much of the Roadshow, where doors opened at the exact same time as the ATL show I also attended. I missed Mercy Mercedes which broke my heart, but I've seen them 3 times already, so missing one show wasn't too bad considering why I wasn't there. Later in the day, I wanted to talk to them, so I actually waited on the line at their tent this time. (When the line to meet them was just as super long at Warped 09, I skipped it. Instead, I went back to the tent later & actually got to talk to them about how their lives have changed over the past 2 and a half years that I've known them. They're some of the sweetest, most down to earth people I've ever met.) I didn't get to talk to them as much as I would have liked, but I'll (hopefully) see them again soon. Mercy was the only artist that I was really upset about missing. I would have liked to see Drive A and Cady Groves, but I don't know their music all that well. I wanted to see them more for the experience, but the timing just didn't work. The first thing I did when I arrived at the Coliseum was to find my other friends, and to scope out the merch tents. I visited my friend Joe at the Juicebox tent, I met Marky at the Glamour Kills tent, and I picked up a sampler at the Victory Records tent. I also handed out some fliers along the way. After getting a feel for the small portion of the parking lot that was dedicated to the Roadshow, I walked over to the 2nd Stage in time to catch a few songs from Vita Chambers. Regardless of the size of the crowd watching her, she was going all out. Let me just say, that girl can sing. She caught my attention with what seemed like a rock sound infused with hip-hop beats. She then covered a song by Lady GaGa, which caused the crowd to go crazy. She had a really great set. The Ready Set played next (left). I'd already seen them at the actual Bamboozle festival back in May, but they always put on a good show. Aside from the performance itself, my favorite thing about seeing TRS again was the fact that they were representing Juicebox Clothing. This was the first time that the majority of people at a festival-type show were wearing something other than Glamour Kills. As much as I love GK, it was great to see so much Juicebox in one place, and especially on the stages. There's just something unique about Long Island, and I doubt I'm the only person who thinks so. I may be a bit biased in this respect, but I'm just proud of where I come from :) Stereo Skyline was the last to play on the 2nd Stage. I haven't seen them since October 2008 when my friends & I bonded with Kevin because he worked at a pizza place. Things have certainly changed since then. I knew the words to all the old songs like "Heartbeat", but most of the crowd knew that, plus all the words to the new songs like "Tongue Tied". It was quite strange to go from knowing them as a good local band, and then to suddenly realize how big they're getting. They have their own headlining tour now, being supported by acts like The Audition, Cash Cash, The Downtown Fiction, & Cady Groves. They put on a great show, and the new guy (Clayton) seemed right at home. Things are going quite well for Stereo, and who knows where they'll go from here.

>> Forever The Sickest Kids was the first to play on the Main Stage. This was my 3rd time seeing them live, and the second year in a row seeing them on the Bamboozle Roadshow. They're always great live, and they really get the crowd going every time. They played classics like "Hey Brittany", "Believe Me I'm Lying", and "Whoa Oh!" as well as some new favorites including "She Likes (Bittersweet Love)." Even though I've seen them before, FTSK does their best to make each show unique, and I'll say that they have succeeded. There is never a boring moment during an FTSK set, on stage or off.

>> The next two bands took me back to my childhood. Granted, I'm not that old, but I practically grew up listening to these artists. I always liked Simple Plan, but I was never a HUGE fan. I was more focused on Good Charlotte, they were basically my life in middle school. I was looking forward to seeing Simple Plan because they were there, but they weren't supposed to be one of the highlights. Their set reminded me of the time I saw Blink-182 last summer: I hadn't realized how much I truly loved the band until they got on stage. I knew a lot more of the songs Simple Plan played than I had expected. Everyone went crazy for songs like "Shut Up!", "Addicted", and "I'd Do Anything". I got chills when the band played "Perfect"; SP is a band that has lyrics everyone can relate to in one way or another. They got a good reaction when they played a new song called "You Suck At Love." Everyone seemed really excited to hear something new from the band that we've all grown to love. After Simple Plan finished, the highlight of my day started. I got chills as soon as Good Charlotte took the stage. I've loved them for years, and I never thought I'd be able to see them live. This was such a great opportunity for me, and everyone else in the crowd. They played some of their classics like "Girls & Boys", "The Anthem", and "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" as well as a new song called "Like It's Her Birthday." The new song sounded great, I can't wait to hear what Good Charlotte will put out next. They're the kind of band that, even if you haven't listened to them in a while, one note brings you right back to the last time you fell in love with them (musically, of course).