Bamboozle celebrates music in passionate style
By Meghan Louttit, Adviser
May 9, 2006 | 10:41 a.m.
A sea of black T-shirts and sweaty, sunburned faces greeted each band that graced the stages of the annual Bamboozle festival, held in East Rutherford, N.J. May 6 and 7. The love of music, the love of live music and the ability it has to affect your life -- this was what the bands and participants at Bamboozle came to experience and celebrate.
Bamboozle boasted an impressive array of bands (more worthy than even the Warped Tour) that would satisfy any punk/hardcore/emo/goth kid's dream. Nearly 70 bands played each day to large, moshing and impressively diverse crowds. From the wide display of styles from the gothic fans of HIM and Aiden to the pop-punkers who danced along to Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco, it was evident that, at least for these two days, music truly did bring people together from all different backgrounds, experiences and tastes.
Saturday started off with a mix of bands, including The AKA's, whose set is never complete unless there's significant political bashing, and Bayside, whose members have recovered gracefully after losing their drummer to a tragic car crash barely seven months ago. The effect of the loss of a great friend and musician was evident during their set when lead singer Anthony Raneri told the audience, "This isn't a fucking fashion show. It's not about who has what haircut; it's about the music. This is life. This is real life, so treat your friends like gold."
Saturday also featured Halifax, gearing up to release their sophomore CD, and Silverstein, who literally tore up the stage by smashing their instruments after their set. This cliché rock-star antic was a bit annoying, but it couldn't overshadow their musicianship or the lead singer's charismatic stage performance. Armor for Sleep also secured a spot on the main stage, and although they put on a decent show, it was almost like reliving the Warped Tour. The performance was solid, but they played so many old songs that it was hardly evident that they were getting ready to release a new CD.
The highlight of Saturday was when the tour featuring Fall Out Boy, The All-American Rejects, Hawthorne Heights and From First to Last began. From First to Last kicked off the end of Saturday and get the vote for best performance of the day in terms of overall musicianship, vocals, stage presence and rousing up a crowd. Taking the stage to the "Star Wars" theme and decked in gray and black makeup smeared all over their bodies and faces, their performance was nothing short of phenomenal. For a fairly unknown band, playing for a crowd that was mostly waiting around to hear Fall Out Boy, From First to Last impressed, and by the end had a circle pit in full gear and audience members throwing trash into the air.
Lead singer Sonny Moore, though only 18, has an undeniable stage presence. No one in the audience could take their eyes away from him, especially when he looked them in the eye and stated what everyone there could already feel: "This is what it's about, live fucking music, right here. This is real."
Fall Out Boy, while bringing calmer crowds, also brought a palpable excitement that was felt the entire day by the entire audience, whether they were excited to see them or not. Despite giving only a mediocre live performance, Fall Out Boy, following Jersey legends Thursday, closed the first day of Bamboozle with a bang.
Despite the huge helping of bands Bamboozle offered to the eager concert-goers, these music fans only left wanting more. In saving some of its biggest acts for Sunday, Bamboozle ensured that everyone would be coming back for seconds.
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For more about Bamboozle visit its Official Web site at: <a href=http://www.thebamboozle.com>http://www.thebamboozle.com</a>
Or check out its MySpace page at: <a href=http://www.myspace.com/thebamboozle>http://www.myspace.com/thebamboozle</a>
Read part 2: <a href=http://speakeasymag.com/index.php/entertainment/article/ent_051806_003>"Bamboozle maintains passion on day two"</a>