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"Taste of Chaos" not filling |
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Written by JACKIE LEE KING, photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
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Wednesday, 09 March 2005 |
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“Are you tired of being called children…are you tired of being called a demographic? You are our most valuable weapon because you are individuals and you have the fucking power because you are young and you don’t care, ” said one of the bands during a song break at the Taste of Chaos show as it rolled into Chicago.
How ironic a statement considering the crowd of merchandise-wearing consumers eagerly awaited more snacks to gorge themselves upon. In these larger shows it’s difficult for a band to feed loyal fans the substance they need; so a little coaxing is needed.
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"Taste of Chaos" with the Used, My Chemical Romance, Killswitch Engage, Senses Fail, Underoath, A Static Lullaby and Haley |
 Entertainment
 Art
Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, Ill.
March 9, 2005 |
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Audience members were programmed instructions like on the back of a shampoo bottle…clap, jump, surf, lather, rinse and repeat…” All the bands were good and hyped each other very well, but hasn’t this packaged tour crap gone far enough? I’m not saying all festivals are bad (it depends on the genre and talent), but you have to wonder what these shows are really about: music or marketing?
On any night of the week you could have caught one of these bands at your local venue and it wouldn’t have to be a five-hour show. What sucks is that if you are a fan of a particular band you only get to see a limited 20- to 30-minute set, and then you get to see the stagehands moving equipment.
The headlining bands in the Chicago stop of "Taste of Chaos" were The Used, My Chemical Romance, Killswitch Engage, Senses Fail, Underoath, A Static Lullaby, and Haley. All the bands put on a thrilling show with lots of energy, but a sampling is not always what you want. Sometimes you want the whole enchilada, and for the most part…the audience became stuffed with appetizers instead of a seven-course meal.
One band commented that the show was “not about only listening to your favorite bands, it’s about having a good time.” Did he just tell us to eat our broccoli?
From what I saw people stuck to their own appetites. When another band was playing, people swarmed to buy souvenirs, take bathroom breaks, and secure drinks. Other times they were cycling though the body-surfing circuit and not really paying attention to the bands. The one exception was when My Chemical Romance and The Used teamed up for the encore to perform the song “Under Pressure” that they had recorded to benefit the Tsunami relief fund. People came back into the venue to hear this song, but by then some audience members were already calling their parents for a ride home.
Filling up on Crudités is not really satisfying, but I wasn’t the only person at the banquet. Good eating. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
