Rock n' America Day 1 Review
Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 10:31AM "If you missed the 80s, you missed out!" Great White frontman Jack Russell bellowed from the Rock n' America stage. Rock n' America officially opened Friday with a theme of all 80s metal and old fashioned heat.
Who played the first official day of Rock n' America? Lizzy Borden, The Sweet, Trixter, Great White and Twisted Sister. On the side stage, bands like Toxin, Axe, Bulletboys and Faster Pussycat rocked out.
The Zoo Amphitheater in Oklahoma City is old so the venue isn't necessarily modern but it is nice. The walk from the parking area to the gates is super long which is unfortunate, but it is what it is I guess. The Zoo Amp has good gradation - I think it's hard to find a bad seat in the house. You can see from pretty much everywhere! The side stage is just to the right of the main stage which is okay...except for the fact that the sound is being run through one PA so when the main stage is being swapped and instruments tuned, you can hear it a little.
The standout bands of the day? The Sweet, Faster Pussycat and Twisted Sister. Jack Russell and Great White sounded much better than previous reports and YouTube videos would indicate. Jack continues to mend from two back surgeries so the set is a little more subdued. He was standing on his own just fine but there's no wild jumping around - and that's to be expected. By the time Great White was finishing their set with "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" the crowd was more energized. The sun had finally let up and it wasn't oppressive anymore. People seemed to be dancing and generally the crowd was happy. The main mix for Great White wasn't great - a problem that plagued the entire set.
The Sweet seemed to really surprise people. Yes, there was a red cape and some hits. A lot of people kept walking by saying "I didn't know they played that song!" For many - like me - it was a first time seeing the band live. I was entertained.
Twisted Sister always rocks but the set was a little more subdued than the last time I saw them. I'm not sure why - it just was. But I liked the opening with the cries of "Twisted Sister, come out and play!" over and over. Yes, Twisted changed the order of their set which I like. I just wish they'd drop "The Price" and keep the entire set straight metal - people were into it. Dee Snider also mentioned his upcoming series on A&E that debuts next week and Jay Jay French went on his usual rant about how American Idol sucks. The band's encore included a very nice tribute to Ronnie James Dio.
The thing that is weird about Rock n' America is that there is a “no cursing from the stage” rule...but it's a rock show. So saying there's no cursing is insane. It just happens and must be some crazy rule from Oklahoma City or something. But apparently the bands are getting fined or something every time they drop an F-bomb. Just odd.
What else? Oh yeah, Faster Pussycat ("Goth Cat") was great -- even with Taime Downe's crazy potty mouth. He swore, bless him! "Bathroom Wall" rocks and I swear it had the biggest sing a long chorus of the day. The Bulletboys didn't play "Smooth Up in Ya" which is inexcusable in my book. I'm not sure if they were cut off or what, but the 20 minute long music jam at the beginning should have been shortened to accommodate the band's biggest hit.
I'm guessing attendance on Friday to be somewhere between 3,000 – 5,000.
I've got photos but I haven't had time to edit them - so check back.
Reader Comments (18)
Not playing "Smooth Up In Ya" was the crime of the day, has to be, though I must say I wasn't there, regrettably.
Look, Torien, we know you have a lot of good songs, even great songs, but to not play the favorite to the crowd is just plain mean!
You're not a one-hit wonder by any means, but what's the problem?! Is it that people don't like your other stuff as much as "Smooth Up"?
Not playin' it makes them only more aware of the fact that it's better than your other stuff. It just makes the omission all that more glaring. So what! Play it, anyway!
You're not the Stones, with so many hits, it doesn't matter if you omit one or two of the crowd-pleasers. You have a limited catalog. Work with it!
"Smooth Up" is a killer song! One of the Top 10 Greatest Glam/Hair Metal tunes of all time, in my book!
Isn't that enough attention for ya, Torien? Sheeez!!! You think you would be proud of your greatest accomplishment!
It's one thing to be noted for putting on a great set rather than be noted for omitting your best song. Now when people reflect back on Rock'n'America 2010, when they think of Bulletboys, you'll forever be in the "Yeah, but..." category when people are talking about the different band performances.
What a way to make people not like you even more!
p.s. I am so jealous of everyone at this show! Talk about one-stop-shopping to see all your favorite bands!
Now...the reason I say it wasn't neccesarily Marq's fault is because a guy kept telling the band, "You have one more song." And the band kept ignoring him.
The same thing happened to Faster Pussycat. After 30 or so minutes they were shut down.
My only complaint is how in the world does Trixter get the main stage (and play for 45 min - 60 min) and Faster Pussycat and The Bulletboys get the side stage?
But I still had a great time.
So, naturally, I didn't see the Bulletboys performance at Rn'A, but Stranger's comments sound like an explanation as to why they didn't play "Smooth Up".
It stands to reason they were probably saving it for their last song or encore. And it makes sense they didn't have a chance to play it because they were most likely cut off, as everyone who witnessed their show seems to be saying here.
The fact that Stranger reports Torien arguing with officials after Bulletboys were shut down lends credence to this theory. They would have played "Smooth Up In Ya" as the grand finale.
I retract my rant on Torien being a horse's a*s and I declare myself one for being so ready to blast him even if the town gossip on him bears credence. Torien my be a bit of a jerk but not enough to intentionally deprive the crowd of their "piece de resistance".
Can't wait to hear more about Rock n'America!...
p.s. Anonymous! What th...?! I seriously doubt Faster Pussycat or Bulletboys would play there for a mere thousand buxx. If that were the case, I think I'll have 'em play my backyard barbeque next Saturday. I saw Trixter at M3 and they may very well be more than competent musicians, but, man, are they BORING! So boring, as a matter of fact, I took the opportunity to use the VIP facilities during their set. Trixter is a Side Show act at best. How they keep getting main stage status is one of those strange phenomenons that occur in this country where certain sh*t inexplicably floats to the top. Mediocrity never ceases to appear front and center for no apparent reason when it comes to our culture. They wind up on the main stage all because of their ever boring "Hit", "Give It To Me Good". which has to be one of the dumbest Hair Metal songs ever recorded, and considering the genre, that is saying a lot. The most exciting moment for Trixter's bassist at M3 was watching Kix from the side of the stage as they proceeded to blow the curls right out of his hair. Torein gets a reprieve. Trixter gets shot out of a cannon. Hu-uh-lo-oh!
Dokken was good but Don can't hit those highs like he used to. THC...Rocked!
To the two slightly intoxicated young women that tried to high five each other for 5 minutes without once making hand to hand contact...Thanks for the laugh.
To dancing grampa (anyone who sat on the west end of the stage saw him).... Rock on brother.
I hope they do it again next year but I hope they wait until its cooler outside.
firehouse was good. c.j. can still hit most of the high notes.
The fest was overall pretty good! The size of the crowds was PATHETIC though! To say there wew 7,500 people there on Saturday is being VERY gracious. The venue holds 10,000. Friday was dead with maybe 3,000. Saturday was more like 6,00-6,500 and Sunday about 4,500.
People complain that ROK changed their music from 80s to newer rock but there is a reason why.