Have you ever sat/stood in the sun for 8 hours+ and listened to live music? Then how can you consider yourself a DIE HARD fan...I know some of you are thinking..."I never said i was a DIE HARD spinmaster" and to those I say "oh ok then...I apologize" Folks let me tell you about some of the things I saw. I saw nonstop music in front of my very own eyes and not only from where I sat. I saw it from around the world SIMULTANEOUSLY.
A performer would end their 20 min set...and as the stage would revolve to reveal a whole new set of equipment we would be shown a performance happening in London, Australia, or Beijing. I have to say I found myself at times...dare I say it...Overwhelmed. I could not believe that there was all this music Going on. The show kicked off in Australia at about 9:30 PM in the US on July 6th. And it was a revolution that the world really needed. I'm not sure how many people were really affected by the performances. I don't know how many people will change the error of their ways. The american Public I know doesn't really like to listen to anything. So we'll see what happens in the course of the next three years.
Anyways back to the music. I must say I have never seen the likes and varieties that were on stage in front of me before. There was easily something for everyone. KT TUNSTALL opened for the NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY crowd. She carried herself very well I thought not easy opening first in-front of giants stadium sized crowd. From what I remember TAKING BACK SUNDAY was the next to perform and they unfortunately played all new tracks. Which was a little disappointing but in an effort to save the world it's all about the HITS! No matter how long a history you have people will only respond to you if they can hear you on the radio. KEITH URBAN certainly surprised me, with his cover of GIMME SHELTER. It was a duet with Alicia Keys and wouldn't be the ONLY time in the WORLD that the song would be covered. Because we were shown a DUET from africa later in the day by ANGELIQUE KIDJO and JOSS STONE. Which was definitely more soulful and had some real authentic african flavor to it. Both renditions were amazing and did the stones proud but the New York version had the pace that really livened up the crowd. Even with the likes of AKON and LUDACRIS that followed I was more or less satisfied with. I found myself entranced with everything they had to say and do. I wasn't necessarily blown away but nor was I ready to throw my bag of tomatos...that I...somehow got through securtity....I just told em it was an ongoing compost pile and to NOT LET ME IN with them they'd be killing the earth "YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE THAT DESTROYS THE EARTH DO YOU?" Boy did they back down...imagine that on your resume. "the guy who destroyed the earth"
Wow anyways it was time for some alternative acts. So instead of spreading them out and giving them their own time and place they squeezed them and put em back to back. AFI was strong Davey Havok's Vocals had never sounded better. While wearing pants that he painted on he proclaimed his ideals and things he's been doing to save the world. Telling us that he has been a veagan for about 10 years now. GOOD FO HIM. FALL OUT BOY who I was surprised to see on the bill and also more surprised all their 14 year old fans were able to afford to $50+ tickets. Anyways Pete Wentz had his classic effort to try and steal the show yet realized he probably couldn't so decided to do some self conscious speeches saying "We'll just get out of your way...and we'll make it quick" Clearly he felt the tension of performing in front of the world. I would be a little nervous too if this band of my came from nothing and has evolved into a cultural teen popper phenomenon WHICH SEEMS like overnight, but the boys in Fall out boy definitely did their homework and put in the many sleepless nights that make up ROCK AND ROLL.
Now my order's gonna get a little funky here because I'm not quite sure who came out next but I think it was John Mayer who played a pretty motivational set. And provided us with faces of shock and horror as he twanked around on his rattle-trap guitar. I'll admit he can play, and he seems like a nice guy. BUT MARK MY WORDS I will NEVER PURCHASE AN ALBUM...he was good listen to his music folks. MELISSA ETHERIDGE I feel came out next and provided the WORLD with her tribute song that came with the movie AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. This might have been the defining moment of the day. That really channeled everybody's INNER HIPPIE she had a good half hour set it seemed that dragged on for way to long full of speeches and spoken word that easily motivated and tied together the whole reason why we were there. And was the only person to make use of the BIG BAR of WIDESCREEN TV's in the center of the stage to provide lyrics for the whole crowd...because lets be honest none of us know and Melissa Etheridge songs...unless you consider the chorus to "Come to my window" a song.
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