Rock Insight

The Rock Insight blog has moved. The new address is http://www.louisvillemusic.org/rockinsight/

HullabaLOU 2010 was a sight to see.  In all, 66 bands performed during the 3-day extravaganza, drawing in 78,753 fans from 47 states and Canada.  The headliners (Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, and The Dave Matthews Band) weren’t the only reason for such a good turnout.  The secondary acts were nothing to sneeze at, including the likes of Train, The Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis & the News, Al Green, Loretta Lynn, The Black Crowes, and many, many more…

The Churchill Downs Entertainment Group, led by President, Steve Sexton, conducted on-site research and found that 99% of the fans would recommend HullabaLOU to a friend, 70% said they would personally return next year, and 28% said they might come next year- depending on the lineup and the weather.  So will there be a HullabaLOU in 2011?  “The answer to that question is a resounding yes!” says Sexton.

Over 26,000 friends accumulated on the festival’s Facebook page, where fans are now encouraged to post their input about the now past event.

My personal memories of the event are many.  I have to say that Bon Jovi, Dwight Yoakam, and Al Green were my favorite 3 performances of the weekend.  Honorable mentions go out to bands like Exile, The B-52s, and Train, and there were so many other great acts over the weekend.  I also received first class treatment from the Churchill Downs Entertainment (CDE) staff, and would like to sincerely thank them for their hospitality.  I got a chance to interview Carolyn McLean, Public Relations, CDE, and ask her thoughts about the event as it came to a close.  A memorable quote from her resonated with my sentiment at the time… “I’m pleasantly exhausted right now!”  With Dave Matthews singing in the background, we talked about HullabaLOU and her specific role in regards to the event.  You can listen to that interview here:

On a side note, I also got the chance to meet some local celebrities like Jeffrey Lee Puckett (Courier Journal music journalist), Terry Meiners (radio personality), and some disc jockeys like B96’s Mark Gunn and WAMZ’s Coyote Calhoun.

HullabaLOU was good times had by all; I can’t wait for next year!

Sigh.  HullabaLOU is almost over, and for this I am sad.  Yes, it’s been hot and humid, yes my feet have blisters from my unforgiving leather sandals, and yes I’ve had to wear my SPF 10,000 in a 2-inch thick layer all weekend to keep from becoming a lobster, but I am not ready for the rock goodness to end.  But it must.  Time to enjoy one last day of festival fun.

Today, the menu consisted of Dave Matthews Band, Dwight Yoakam, The Black Crowes, Steve Miller Band, Tonic, Loretta Lynn, 38 Special, Kansas, Taj Mahal, Zac Brown Band, and more.

My Day 3 was a solo one, since by now, my wife came down with full-blown bronchitis and also had to watch our granddaughter, Ella Marie.  The timing wasn’t good, but “the show must go on.”

I watched a small portion of Taj Mahal, who sounded fantastic.  He asked the crowd if the clouds were always “this big and puffy in Kentucky?”  Considering the popularity of the “Gettin’ Lucky in Kentucky” t-shirt, and our overall obesity rates in the state, “Big n’ Puffy in Kentucky” may make for a more accurate/realistic clothing line.  I’ll be the first to wear one.

My second mini-portion came from Stealing Angels.  The female vocal trio (and band) performed a cover version of Cheap Trick’s classic, “I Want You to Want Me.”  They did a nice job, and I was really impressed by the vocal harmonies possessed by the group.

The Black Crowes is who I really wanted to see from the early sets, and they did not disappoint me.  Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson have had a good thing going for some time now, and are one of the most well-loved acts of their genre.  Chris’ vocals are filled with as much soul as there is incense in the air coming from the large gourd-like burners onstage.  “She Talks To Angels” was just fantastic.  From seeing them live, I also noticed that guitarist, Luther Dickinson, often plays with out a pick.  Even when he solos and is shredding it up on his Fender Stratocaster (or other axe of choice), it seems a guitar pick is not an essential item. On a side note, he also slightly resembles “Skitz,” a phenomenal local bassist (formerly of Institution).  Good ol’ heat was an issue, par for the course, and Chris said to the crowd that he hoped they were videoing their set, because he might evaporate.  “I’ve never evaporated before… I might evaporate off into the cosmos,” he said.  Drummer, Steve Gorman, and keyboardist, Adam MacDougall, seem to “talk” out their parts as they play, reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix as he soloed away in his own little world.  My only criticism of the Crowes comes as a strike to the entire genre they belong to at times, and that is “jam bands.”  I love me some jam bands just as much as the next guy (wearing a tie dyed shirt), but I have a rule: no “jamming” when it is over 100 degrees.  I need hooks and melodies and lyrics to distract from from the heat.  If you jam for more than 30 seconds, you break my rule.  Get back to the hook; I’m hot.  ‘Choruses, take me away!’

I walked down to see Tonic for a bit, and as a result, I probably missed the Crowes’ “Hard to Handle.”  It was not worth the trip in any way, considering the aforementioned, and the fact that Emerson Hart’s vocals sounded terrible.  I am not saying he sang poorly, the sound was just bad.  The vocals were too loud and full of treble for me.  I’m a big fan of “If You Could Only See,” but it was hard for me to get past the mix.

Next up, Dwight Yoakam.  All I can say is I was super-stoked to see the man who brought us songs like “Guitars, Cadillacs” and “Fast as You,” AND characters like “Doyle Hargraves” in the movie Slingblade and “Doc Miles” and the Crank movies.  Leading up to Dwight’s set, I was reciting lines left and right from Doyle/Slingblade to my media-counterparts (Jason Ashcraft/LMN, Kyle Merideth/WFPK).  This was much to their annoyance, I’m sure.  “We don’t got no G*d d*mn band!  We don’t need to f**kin’ practice, Randy!… I’ll whip the dogsh*t out of you…” Classic lines, used many times at my own band practices.  Anyhow, aside from playing some rude/odd characters in movies, the Pikeville, Kentucky native plays some incredible music.  Do you remember my story from Day 1 about listening to country music in the car non-stop when I was a kid?  I remember hating Dwight Yoakam then, and in recent years, I have become addicted to his music.  He played several of my personal favorites, such as “Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose,” “Guitars, Cadillacs,” “Fast as You,” “1000 Miles From Nowhere,” “Little Sister,” “Honkey Tonk Man,” and others.  During the song, “This Time,” the power for the entire stage blew out!  Dwight kept singing for a bit, thinking it might come back on momentarily, but eventually abandoned that notion when the silence persisted for over 2 minutes.  He returned with a Johnny Cash cover of “Ring of Fire” in a true-Dwight Yoakam style.  On a complete tangent, his guitarist and bassist win the “Shiniest Sequin Country-Western Outfit” award of the year.  During his set, he humbly thanked everyone for letting him share the stage with another Kentucky native, the legendary Loretta Lynn.  Dwight showed true character, talent, and professionalism throughout the night, and solidified his ranking in my book as a top HullabaLOU performer for the entire weekend.

KANSAS and I got face to face for the second time since February 2009.  Almost immediately after arriving to see the second half of their set, I was reminded of what talented, technical musicians they are.  Rich Williams (guitar) and Dave Ragsdale (violin) were tearing it up in a dual solo.  To see these guys trade licks is phenomenal.  Steve Walsh (vocals, keyboards) was very energetic tonight too, coming out from behind the keyboard to the front of the stage to work the crowd as a frontman.  This was not something I remember him doing as much at Belterra Casino last year.  I wasn’t there to see much by the band, but I did catch the famous closer, “Carry on Wayward Son.”  I could hear bassist, Billy Greer, say, “Are you ready?  Are you ready?!,” off the microphone to the people up front before the song started.  ‘Wayward’ kicks my ass every time I hear it… especially live.  And to top off a great KANSAS quickie, I caught a drumstick autographed by Phil Ehart!

Last, but not least, was Dave Matthews Band.  Dave had the honor of headlining the last day of the big event, and with his popularity, it should come as no surprise.  This is the band that plays multiple sell-out dates wherever they go, has sold over 30 million albums, and headlines festivals across the country (i.e.- Bonnaroo).  The band was in good form tonight, and thankfully played “Crush,” which is one of my personal favorite DMB songs of all time!  They also played hits like “Don’t Drink the Water,” “Why I Am,” and “You & Me.”  Dave also took part in the duet/collaboration them of the weekend by having Zac Brown join him for a Bob Dylan cover of “All Along the Watchtower.”  He closed the show with the mega-hit, “Ants Marching,” another one of my personal favs.  Remember what I mentioned earlier about The Black Crowes breaking my “no jam bands when it’s 100 degrees rule?”  Lucky for me, while listening to DMB, there were a few advantages: no sun, less heat, a good buzz, and a seat.  For me, these components are essential for a quality jam band experience.  It was a winning formula.

My regrets of Day 3 were missing Loretta Lynn, The Steve Miller Band, and The Zac Brown Band.  Most of all, I wanted to see Loretta, but it was a little too hot for a reporter who was also a little too hungry at that time… nonetheless, a move I deeply regret now.  I was anxious to see Steve Miller live and also see what the hype was all about for Zac Brown.  Another time I suppose.

So with the end of Day 3, HullabaLOU 2010 is officially over.  Over 60 bands performed on 5 stages over the course of 3 days.  I’m exhausted, but thankful to have been part of such a great experience.  I’m confident that with a turnout and response like this, we can expect a HullabaLOU 2 in 2011.

So we have arrived to Day 2 of HullabaLOU, and ‘the weather outside is frightful.’  Hot, steamy, and humid like nobody’s business, but nothing gets in the way of rock and roll.  If Al Green can do it, I can do it.

Saturday’s lineup included the likes of Kenny Chesney, Al Green, Huey Lewis & the News, Ricky Skaggs, Michael McDonald, Ben Folds, Joan Osborne, and some throwbacks such as War and Steppenwolf too.

The first band I picked up for the day was Louisville’s very own Villebillies.  I did a Louisville Music News cover story on these guys back in June 2004, and they have only improved since.  The band played the Budweiser stage and had a very large crowd of enthusiastic fans waiting to see what they had cooked up.  The band intros with a few bars of Sabbath’s “Iron Man” before driving into “One Shot,” full of energy. Appropriately for being at Churchill Downs, the Villebillies were “out of the gate.”  The band played some familiar tunes like “Whiskey,” “Burnin’ Down the House,” “Rolling Stone,” and “Grass Roots.”  They played some unfamiliar ones too, which shows me its been a while since I have seen them live.  Demi Demaree and the boys inject hometown references in their music wherever possible, and demonstrates a sense local pride that is contagious.  This would fall on deaf ears if they weren’t so damned talented about it!  I can’t help but to get some of their lines stuck in my head all day after listening to them just once.  The line, “If the whiskey don’t kill me, I don’t know what will,” should serve as good advice for this weekend!

Next, we caught some Michael McDonald, sans organist at first.  To entertain us in the meantime, they jammed some Doobie Brothers’ “It Keeps You Runnin.’” One thing about the band that immediately impressed me was the saxophonist, Vince Denham.  That guy can play, and has a resume a mile long to prove it.  Maybe that’s why he has been with the band for 20 years.  Memorable moment: McDonald begins playing “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and I overhear someone in the crowd say, “That’s Snoop Dogg!”  I finished taking my pictures, but on the way back, I couldn’t stop myself from flexing my 90’s musical trivia strength.  “It’s actually Warren G and Nate Dogg,” I corrected the gentleman in the crowd.  We were, of course, referencing the keyboard/bass line that was sampled from that song in the rap song “Regulate.”  I then proceeded to rap the lyrics over Michael’s playing to prove my point further.  I consider it one part community service, one part cruelty to eardrums.

Steppenwolf was a bit of a disappointment to me until they got to their hits, “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Born to Be Wild.”  Sadly, all I could think of during “Magic Carpet Ride” was the movie “Team America: World Police” by the creators of South Park.  There’s a hilarious scene in that movie where the puppets (marionettes) are dancing to that tune at a party.  It is shame for Steppenwolf that the association of their tune and that movie scene cannot be separated in my head for love or money.  That’s the danger, I suppose, with selling songs for movie soundtracks… especially those combining puppets and the Matt/Trey duo.  “Born to Be Wild” was a treat, though it was a little less edgy than I hoped for.

Next was the highlight of my day, and a string contender for the whole weekend…  Al Green.  The reverend was on his game at HullabaLOU, adorning a full black/red tuxedo, and (in typical Al Green fashion), he handed out red roses to the ladies in the audience as he lulled them with his debauchery!  Leon Phelps (a.k.a. The Ladies Man) would be proud!  Al rocked some Motown hits throughout his set like, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” and “My Girl.”  He also did his own hits you would expect, like “I’m So Tired of Being Alone,”in which he asked, “Can you feel the groove?”  He added, “I bet there’s people out there wondering if Al’s still got it!”  Of course, for the next few moments he showed each and every one of us that Al’s still got it.  For the second time this weekend I heard “Pretty Woman,” but obviously with a different spin than Bon Jovi’s version last night.  With songs like “I’m Still in Love With You,” “Love and Happiness,” “L-O-V-E (Love),” and the like, it’s no wonder that orgasms are to Al Green’s music like hamburgers are to McDonald’s… ‘billions and billions served’.

We caught the tail end of Huey Lewis & the News on the far side of the track, and I think I heard “Heart and Soul” as we approached.  Huey gave a pure and honest quote about an upcoming song, “We’re gonna’ play a song we wrote 25 years ago… who would have known we were going to have to play it every night of our lives?!” The song in mention was “The Power of Love,” written in 1985 and still rock-able material today.  “Do You Believe in Love?” was next in the encore set, and was then that I started to feel overwhelmed with songs with “Love” in the title… I mean, first Al Green’s assault of hot and sticky songs, now 2 in a row about love from Huey?!  I thought this was a family show!  Huey gets a pass since that tune was his first top ten hit.

I have some regrets about Day 2, but only a few of them were in my control.  I regret not seeing Joan Osborne more than I did (I passed her stage on the way to the bathroom and heard “What If God Was One of Us?”).  I also regret not seeing Ricky Skaggs, and for that matter, watching the Bluegrass Stage more in general.  We had to leave the show a bit early due to a family emergency, so our time with Kenny Chesney was cut short.  This really is of little consequence to me as a fan, considering I’m not much of one (no disrespect, Kenny, I’m just not that familiar with your work!), so it’s of little consequence to you as a reader as well.  I would not have had much to say about Mr. Chesney that would have been worth reporting anyway.  There were a great number of people in the audience that would have had plenty to say about him, as he was one of the biggest draws of the weekend.

Day 2 was done, one more day to go…

Where to begin?

With a music festival of this size, it is difficult to find a starting point. It’s like going to King’s Island and thinking, “what do I want to ride first?”

Day 1 brings a smash line-up including the likes of Bon Jovi, Dierks Bentley, Train, The Doobie Brothers, The B-52s, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Exile, and many more. So where do you begin?

For my wife, Tonya, and I, the first band of the day was Exile. The band had not been together for a year and a half, but that really didn’t matter to me, considering that most of the songs I knew by them were written pre-1985. Exile was one of the bands I looked forward to seeing the most, but didn’t realize it until I actually saw them play. It was crazy how many hits they had that I remembered from my childhood. Riding in the car with my Mom and Step-dad in the eighties/early nineties meant country music… so it should serve as no surprise that I grew up to play in a metal band (Surviving Thalia). Coming full circle is a bitch. The guys rocked out their original rendition of “Heart and Soul,” which as the band confessed, was a flop for them, but worked out great for Huey Lewis when he covered it. They showed off their talent for vocal harmony in their own cover version of “People Get Ready.” For anyone in the crowd who did not know who they were, the hit “Kiss You All Over” from 1978 should have done the trick. Last but not least, their closing song was one of my favorites, “Super Love…” I ‘ain’t no doctor’ either, ‘ain’t got no PhD’, ‘but if you wanna’ talk about’ hit songs and a solid musical career… ‘you better talk to’ Exile.

Next, it was a trip to the media room, or as I like to call it, “The Land of Milk and Honey.” Yes, in this 90 degree weather/100 degree heat index, there was a sense of relief to be found within the confines of the Churchill Downs press box, and I was quite thankful for the air conditioning and amenities the good people there provided. It’s there that I caught my only glimpse of The Doobie Brothers that day, as they answered questions for the local press. I asked them, “Is there anybody you’re listening to now that you think might have the same kind of longevity as you?” The response included the likes of Train, Kings of Leon, and John Mayer, though admittedly they said that was a difficult thing to predict. From what I heard through the grapevine, The Doobie Brothers put on a show that day that should set the standard for bands who desire longevity like theirs.

Next, I watched The B-52s perform on the Fleur De Lis stage, one of 5 stages at HullabaLOU. The “funny quote of the day” goes to Fred Schneider in response to Kate Pierson’s comment, “It’s hot up here, where’s the golden mist?” Fred’s response, in an inquisitive tone, clarified, “The golden mist?!” In that vein of fun rock and roll lives the B-52s, a band that you can’t help but to smile while watching. They sounded great, and the fact that they rocked out “Love Shack” made my day. In a little bar somewhere, there lives the memory of my coworker, Aprile, and I performing that song on Karaoke night… an infamous, reputation-building night for being uninhibited by the structure of Corporate America. I do a pretty mean Fred on vocals. An invitation will definitely be sent to the band to perform at my next party, because they are that freakin’ fun. I would totally “shimmy” at that party. Guitarist, Keith Strickland, and Kate came to the press box to grant an interview following their set. Keith was sporting a “My Morning Jacket” t-shirt, and had very positive things to say about Louisville’s hottest act. “They’ve got a lot of light in their music,” he said. The band is bound to continue touring and doing what they do best… and why not? It has served them well for over 30 years.

Train took the main HullabaLOU stage that evening, and put on an energetic show. Among other songs, they performed their hits “Calling All Angels,” “Drops of Jupiter,” and “Hey, Soul Sister.” Mid-set, frontman, Pat Monahan, said to the audience, “Now when I come out there, don’t say ‘I thought you’d be taller!’” as he descended into the crowd via ladder from the high altitude stage. While performing “Marry Me,” he worked his mojo on the ladies reaching out for hands and posing for pictures. “Now that we’re married, we need to have our first dance, so let’s practice,” said Pat to the pleased crowd of thousands. Train commanded the evening and showed that they belonged right where they were- on the main stage.

Dierks Bentley caught my attention the most when he covered “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” by country legend George Straight. What a great song to begin with, and his modern flare made it just as relevant as it was over 20 years ago. I love covers when performed well, tastefully, and sparingly. He was joined by Sam Bush (one of many Kentucky natives on the bill) for a tune (”Falling for You”?) that he claimed Sam learned 3 minutes before coming on stage. The duo also rocked a version of “Crossroads” for the HullabaLOUers. Dierks’ big hit, “What Was I Thinking,”was the icing on the cake of a well-played set.

Friday’s headliner was the iconic Bon Jovi, a band I have been waiting my whole life to see. Biased? Yes, but I think many others would agree they did their damnedest to steal the show and be deserving of the precious headlining spot on opening night. They worked in a list of hits including “Bad Name,” “It’s My Life,” “Keep the Faith,” “Dead or Alive,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and many more… Dierks joined the band for “Dead or Alive,” and I think he fits the “I’m a cowboy” line a little better than Jon, but they made for an excellent duet nonetheless. Jon even squeezed in some Roy Orbison in the form of “Pretty Woman” before “Bad Medicine.” The highlight of the evening for me was “Livin’ on a Prayer.” I think everyone within a 10 row radius heard me singing along. That’s not a good thing for them, but dignity aside, I had a blast doing it.

Day 1 had finally come to a close, bringing Louisville its first dose of HullabaLOU. My regrets of the day include not seeing The Doobie Brothers, Gladys Knight, The O’Jays, and Sam Bush play. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to see EVERYONE I wanted to see due to overlapping times and stage locations, but one can dream. I also knew this was going to be a long weekend ahead, and that my arm would probably be sore the next day from “rock-fisting” so much to Bon Jovi’s set… Rockin’ ain’t easy.

This post is to announce my attempted return to blogging, as my hibernation period has been sweetly interrupted by some recent concerts.  First, the 2010 Forecastle festival brought me out of my den to see The Smashing Pumpkins, and this weekend marks the first annual HullabaLOU festival at Churchill Downs.

I’ve been dormant for too long; let’s see if I can stay in the habit of writing this time.  If I go another 7 months without a post, I’ll have to take more crap from Jason Ashcraft every time I see him around town!  (Much love, Jason!)  I don’t want my editor to shut me down either…

Smashing Pumpkins at Forecastle 2010

By Jason Koerner

The Smashing Pumpkins headlined the 2010 Forecastle Festival on Saturday, July 10. Other notable performers that evening included the likes of Cake and Devo. The fringe benefits of doing this SP review came in the form of seeing Cake cover “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, and of course, getting to officially claim my place in history as a product of the Eighties by bearing witness to Devo’s “Whip It” live. Widespread Panic headlined the three-day event on Friday, while the Flaming Lips closed the show on Sunday.

The new Smashing Pumpkins lineup features Jeff Schroeder on guitar, newest member Nicole Fiorentino on bass and Mike Byrne on drums. At just 20 years old, you could say that Mike is doing pretty well for himself. This of course leaves Billy Corgan, vocals and guitar, as the only original member of the band that began in 1988.

The band opened with the song “Today” from the early album Siamese Dream. Next, Corgan propelled the audience into the future with the new “Astral Planes” and made it quite clear this was not going to be a sing-a-long evening of 100% old material.

The concept of the new “album” is an unusual one, but I like it. The title, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, actually describes what will become eleven EPs, each including four songs on CD and one bonus song on 7” vinyl. It will lastly be complied into one complete box set containing all 44 tracks, as well as some extras, I”m sure. Volume 1: Songs for a Sailor, was released on May 25, and features the above mentioned “Astral Planes”; “A Song for a Son” (performed that night), “Widow Make My Mind,” and “A Stitch in Time.” The bonus track for the release is “Teargarden Theme.” Volume 2: The Solstice Bare, offers the track “Freaks” (also performed that night) so far, with more to come. Did I mention the best part yet? You can download all 44 songs as they are released from the band’s official website (www.smashingpumpkins.com) for FREE! Not bad, not bad at all.

The stage was decorated by only two props, which appeared to be giant fans with their blades decorated by one of those “BeDazzler” devices you see on TV – on steroids. I have to admit, the lights did reflect nicely off the jewel-laced, flowery-looking backdrops!

Corgan fired up some old tunes throughout the set that pleased the crowd a great deal, such as “Cherub Rock,” “Perfect” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings.” The band sounded great, and if you were not a sucker for nostalgia, you would have adjusted to the new “Corgan + 3” lineup no problem.

Billy entertained the crowd with a few well-placed comments as well. At one point he asked, “What do they make here in Kentucky? They told me, bourbon, baseball bats, horses and hot Kentucky women!”

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was a great album, and it gave us the closing track of the night, “Tonight, Tonight.” The song sounded great, but the fact that it was literally “tonight” by now meant the sun was no longer beating down on us … bonus! The tune was accompanied by the visual stimulation of concert-goers releasing lanterns glowing in the night sky. The encore was “Gossamer,” which equated to a fifteen-minute jam session that apparently has gone on much longer in the past. I like me some strong finishes for encores, so it was a bit of an anticlimactic moment for me, but no hard feelings. I respect Corgan’s artistic endeavors, so it should have come as no surprise.

It was a terrific show overall. When combined with the slew of activities, bands, booths and events that the Forecastle planners provided, it made for a really great day on the Waterfront … nice job to everyone involved. At the end of the day, I also came out with a souvenir of the event signed by the very talented artist Jeff Gaither, who designed the flyer and artwork for the festival.

If next year’s event is anything like this year, it looks like I will be attending the event. I try not to pass up good times.

The fact that music has many positive effects on our psychological well-being is not “new” news to many of us.  However, as the holidays grow nearer, I felt it might be a timely reminder that our favorite (or well-selected) tunes can bring some holiday cheer and/or relieve some Yuletide stress.

Strangely, the web site I found to share with you is not a psychological journal entry, or even close, but instead a Senior Living Facility’s site.  Enjoy…

http://www.brookdaleliving.com/sounds-that-soothe-holiday-stress.aspx

It seemed fitting to me to post at least one blog entry discussing bands who wear masks or dress in elaborate costumes as they perform (considering the fact that the last two concert reviews I’ve done were ICP and GWAR). 

The real question for me is twofold:

1) Why do bands do it? (fairly simple answer, I feel)

2) Why are people so attracted to bands who do it? (more complex)

From a psychological perspective, we could go on and on in any number of directions. 

Freud would probably say that bands are sublimating their aggressive drives (i.e. Slipknot) with intimidating make-up and violent lyrics… since it is more socially accepted to do that vs. actually killing people, after-all.  But what about the fans?  Arguably, they are doing the same thing, only vicariously through the band’s efforts. 

For artists and fans alike, common responses to the questions posed are that it serves as an escape from reality, it serves as an expression of the music, and it directs focus entirely on the music itself- not the members. 

Maybe it’s just fun to dress up…  

Maybe it’s just all about “Daddy Issues.” 

Cynically speaking, it’s probably more about the gimmick- that leads to the money- than anything else.  Others may argue that point vehemently.

Here’s a semi-comical look at some famed bands utilizing the art of disguise in their music… enjoy, and happy costume-wearing to you all!

http://www.avclub.com/austin/articles/who-was-that-masked-band,1164/

And then I had to go to work the next day.
It may have been difficult to explain why I was covered in blood (both green and red blood at that) under any other circumstance, but after a GWAR concert, it’s just protocol.
The band from outer space visited Louisville on a previously normal Wednesday night, November 4, at Expo Five. This was a Terry Harper production… and another expensive clean-up bill for the local promoter (think about Insane Clown Posse less than two weeks ago).

GWAR consists of members Oderus Urungus on vocals, Balsac the Jaws of Death and Flattus Maximus on guitars, Jizmak Da Gusha on drums, and Beefcake the Mighty on bass. This concert – I mean “death-rally” – was on my Bucket List. It’s one of those things I felt compelled to do before I die … if you know anything about GWAR, you know it is a “must-see” at least once in your life. I’m actually glad (and disturbed) I did.
Aside from the musical onslaught, GWAR makes the time in-between metal melodies just as brutal. Story-telling, videos, live “theater,” and much more make this band a true entertainment package. Admittedly, I knew little to nothing about them, their music, or why I was there on a work-night, but it didn’t take long to learn that this band had a thirst for performance … and blood … and excessive sexual innuendo.
No one is safe from GWAR’s grip. The audience is assured to have ringing ears for a few days and alien blood in every cavity. The front row has an up-close-and-personal view of Oderus’ “manhood” extending far over the stage monitors. Celebrities are not even safe from GWAR’s antics, and Michael Jackson proved by coming back from the dead and being an extraterrestrial -molester. President Barack Obama wasn’t left alone either, as he was decapitated onstage. Every victim to the band’s wrath subsequently doused the audience in blood and guts. It was like Groundhog Day on Halloween on LSD.
Per the music, I have to say I was actually impressed! I don’t know why I would have expected any less from a band that has been around for 25 years wearing costumes I couldn’t even walk in, let alone play an instrument in. The drummer was fast, accurate and heavy. The guitars shredded solos, and even the bass was heard grooving a few times. Vocals were right for the part, and the band played really well together. Other than the alien suits and simulated murders, it was like a regular concert!
Fans of the band (affectionately called “The Slaves of GWAR”) can check out the latest info about their Masters at www.gwar.net. The band’s new album, Lust in Space, and many other items can be purchased online.