Rappers OutKast and Ludacris turned out to congratulate the city’s first female mayor-elect, Shirley Franklin. The rappers performed for a crowd of nearly 8,000 people Saturday night, along with violinist Ken Ford and 3rd Faze, a pop trio that was introduced by actor Chris Tucker, who lives in Atlanta. “Y’all better shut up or I’m going to get the big head,” Tucker said as the audience roared and cheered. But the screams continued. “OK, tell me how fine I am then!” Not everyone came for the politics – or even knew who had won the November election. “I’m here for… Read more »
Although the Ozzy Osbourne/ Rob Zombie Merry Mayhem tour has encountered its share of setbacks-including the postponement of 10 shows after Osbourne broke his leg in a bathroom mishap and the recent cancellation of the last two shows due to routing problems-Osbourne continues to be pleased with the proceedings. Fans, he says, are particularly happy that he’s gotten back together with Zakk Wylde, who was his guitarist in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Osbourne said that bringing Wylde back into the band was a reaction to the fans’ expressed wishes. “I listen to my fan base,” he says. “I… Read more »
Rap-rock quintet 311 ended its two-month U.S. tour on a high note with a festive homecoming performance at the sold-out Universal on Halloween. Band members hit the stage in various costumes – a firefighter, G.I. Joe, a bearded wizard, a futuristic Uncle Sam, an armored monster – and launched into more than 90 minutes of tracks from all six of their studio albums, with extra emphasis on “From Chaos” (Volcano/Jive), the band’s most recent effort. The 1997 alt-radio hit “Beautiful Disaster,” featuring Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney on dueling harmonic guitars, was a crowdpleasing opener, followed by the party-minded “Freak… Read more »
Punk as an aid for getting in touch with one’s feelings has superseded the other modes evident at this year’s Warped Tour. As in their ordinary lives, these fans had too many options. Thirty bands played on eight stages, and the event also included professional skateboarding and mountain- biking displays, a wrestling ring, a Playstation tent, numerous ways to spend money or learn about political causes and of course the chance to peruse one another’s concertgoing finery. So most fans locked into a perambulatory pattern, meandering around the festival’s circular layout as the fairground grew dusty, then muddy, from the… Read more »
This ninth edition of the KROQ Weenie Roast, which saw the annual all-day charity festival return to its traditional Irvine home after it was held in Anaheim last year, was largely divided into distinct segments representing two contrasting sides of modern rock music. There were the angry young hard rock bands (Disturbed, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Crazytown), who toiled under the hot afternoon sun, and the superior veteran headliners (Jane’s Addiction, Blink-182, 311, surprise guests Stone Temple Pilots), who brought the better music and benefited from their post-sunset show times. Occupying a mid-day space somewhere between those groupings was the… Read more »
Billy Idol rang in the summer solstice Thursday night with a tight, concise and energetic show befitting one of glam-punk’s most sovereign and feisty pioneers. At 45, His Right and Honorable Rude Dude can still whip crowds into giddy submission, as the 2,000 or so nostalgists and newcomers attending his Kiss the Skull Tour at the Fillmore happily discovered. With the house lights lowered, an introduction of ambient synth washes conjured visions of deep space nebulae (or any fantasy H.R Giger might dream up), before Idol sauntered out, trademark sneer intact, for the first of a long string of chartbusters:… Read more »
Their embraceable debut (1997’s Middle of Nowhere, featuring the Number One single “MMMBop”) sold millions of copies and established Hanson as TRL’s preeminent poster-teens. The grittier follow-up (2000’s This Time Around) alienated bubblegum-dependent younger fans and has yet to go platinum in the states. Now the brothers Hanson – Isaac, Taylor and Zac – are hard at work on a record they hope will marry the success of one to the punchy feel of the other and in the process show the world what they’ve know all along: Hanson are a hard-working, musically gifted and educated rock band. Sessions for… Read more »
I had a chance to speak with my buddy Tay Jardine of We Are The In Crowd. Now every time Tay calls in, God knows where the conversation will head… including this one where we talked about the passing of Robin Williams, the movie ‘Hook.’ Salute Your Shorts and of course their upcoming tour with New Found Glory.
Tune in to The Gunz Show tonight at 9PM ET to catch up with We Are The In Crowd and Let It Happen!
We Are The In Crowd and Wax are holdin’ us hostage, and if you’re listening in this Takeover Tuesday at 4PM ET (1PM PT) they’ll take over your speakers too.
