• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Wednesday, December 3, 1997

MUSIC:

KROQ concert livens up Irvine's holiday turkey, mashed potatoesBy Michelle Zubiate

Daily Bruin Contributor

A scene unfolds: over a thousand screaming kids swing, dance and pay homage to a zoot-suited man who knows more moves than Michael Jackson. The man disappears and in his place an army of biker oompaloompas fight with the evil villain Silver Skull. After the fight is won, a party breaks out among foul-mouth punks who rock as a naked man runs back and forth in front of them. A final score of peace and harmony develops as brass-playing pilgrims and Indians work the crowd before them. Sound like bad acid trip? Well, it could have been.

It was a night of freaks and fun at the UCI Bren Events Center on the dismal Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. KROQ presented a night of ska and punk madness. The lineup for the night: Cherry Poppin' Daddies, The Aquabats, Blink 182 and Reel Big Fish. The crowd they played for was almost a little too young (as evident in the lack of cars in the parking lot and the line of minivans dropping them off) but there was no shortage of energy running through their veins. Cheers and screams began almost the instant they entered through the doors of the venue. Begging to be entertained (because it wasn't a school night), these kids were in the right place. A show was about to begin that would replay in their dreams and taint their virgin eyes forever.

Cherry Poppin' Daddies opened the show with just the right blend of swing and ska to carry the crowd throughout the entire set. The audience warmed up quickly to the unstoppable beats of drummer Tim Donahue. Vocalist Steve Perry had all the right moves. His splits and kicks would give Jean Claude Van Damme a run for his money. Their hits, such as "Sound System," provided the audience with a clean opening act ... that is if you didn't recognize the sexual connotations behind their lyrics. Cool jives, cool sound ... the night had just begun.

The next band played it up for their hometown Orange County "kids." Clad in bright orange shorts, blue shirts, goggles and gold helmets, the Aquabats were almost more of a circus act than a band. By far the most entertaining band of the night, the band played favorites like "Superrad" and "Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates" amid staged fights, pratfalls, and the random antics of the Professor, Silver Skull and the Prince of Karate. The odd little Willy Wonka men had a raw ska/punk edge that cranked up the adrenaline. Although bizarre in their stage scenarios and lyrics, the Aquabats' serious talent is undeniable.

So how do you follow an act like that? Blink 182 gave the audience what it was begging for: a chance to scream and to be dazzled by vitality. Blink 182 and their unruly energy took the concert to a soaring level of alternative-rock bliss. As soon as the first chord broke out, the crowd was on its feet and singing along to the hit "Pathetic." Different from the rest of the night's group, Blink 182 was a three-man band that did not have an ounce of ska in their tones, yet the audience loved them anyway. Not a single person in the crowd could sit still as Mark Hopus and Tom Delonge led them through "Voyeur" and "Josie." Drummer Scott Raynor pounded through the best song of the night, "Dammit." Amusing banter and improv lured the audience into Blink's rebellious world of no-rules-and-dangerous-fun.

Once Blink 182 had opened punk's floodgates of mischief, however, they were never to be closed again. Kids began repeatedly throwing things, and even people, on stage. The chaos reached a climax when a naked guy managed to run back and forth on stage several times before security tackled him. Unaffected, Blink 182 jammed on without missing a beat and ended the set with a powerful performance of "Enthused."

Reel Big Fish and its incredible horn ensemble topped off the night with a crowd-pleasing performance. A highlight in their act was the instrumental "241." The song's groove-magic sounded even better in person than on the album. Dressed in Indian and pilgrim costumes, they gave the audience a strong start but began to lag after playing all 15 songs from their album, "Turn the Radio Off," a new song titled "Brand New Song" and a few covers of 80's songs, such as Duran Duran's "Hungry Like a Wolf." Tired and up a little past their curfew, the audience managed to stick around for the encore to hear the long-awaited, played-out "Sell Out."

The night's only weaknesses could be found in the makeshift lighting attempt and those moments when the house resembled Romper Room. But past all that, it was a terrific night for ska's best and punk's lighter side.