30 Seconds to Mars with Cobra Starship and Head Automatica Entertainment Art Congress Theater Chicago, Ill. October 20, 2006

At Warped Tour 2000, I knew there was something wrong when Gabe Saporta, vocalist and bassist for the New Jersey band Midtown told my friend Maggie she'd need a small shirt, because she was a little vegan girl. Though half a decade later, I would never have dreamt he would be screaming into the audience he's marrying a stripper who is also a bunny, airing on MTV November 6th. I had hoped he was joking, but the whole mess was an affront to God or whatever left is sacred one could believe in. It was New Kids on the Block meets Big Fun singing "Teenage Suicide (Don't Do It)" from the movie Heathers. The sixties Bandstand guitar player was theatrically shaking off his horn-rimmed glasses and hopping around like he was held together by brass brads. It's projects like these that show you what a concept band member would do if given the chance. I was embarrassed to be there. If this is rebellion, I'd rather conform.

Head Automatica appeared as spontaneous generation while more tired show go-er's were trudging upstairs to the balcony where they could sleep in the back and not look at the stage. These boys had some serious energy although their performance was really nothing different from Hot Hot Heat with slower tempos. Their style has been compared to Elvis Costello, but one would just be clued-in to know "Graduation Day" is just sung, played, and executed the same way as "Big Tears", one of Costello's most colossal hits. Play them together. It's nearly seamless. You might hear a little bit of Julian Casablanca of The Strokes behind the vocals of Daryl Palumbo, but you can't deny a slight Joey Ramone undertone which comes with the accent. New York talk is more impervious than the British tongue and doesn't go away like Clapton's when he sings blues. Honestly, the most fun part of the show, when boys were droning and booing quietly to themselves, was listening to Palumbo speak. "We love Chicago. We love the food here. Who wants to go get Italian? *crowd cheers all throwing up right arms at once* Okay, you pick the place, we'll meet out front," he slurred in his dirty toddler talk. They'd be best-advised to write more songs like "Lying Through Your Teeth", which really showcases their signature drive. Very unique vocal stretches and rolls, very happy, and what spectacular lead guitar riffs! Perfect radio lyrics lavaed up to the wings, "Everybody knows you're a liar. Why don't I?" I respect the hell out of this band as thieves who didn't ask anyone to pay more attention to them than they already were.

The house lights went down and a strange tapestry of faces was unfurled of heavy eyelined men with white scarves tied around their mouths. There were four distinct types of lighting: Smells Like Teen Spirit Pep Rally Brown, Blue Man Group Cerulean, and White Stripes Red. These swatches didn't belong on the same paint card. There was a symetrical head arc on the main floor of kids rushing to the headliner. Silhouettes of 30 Seconds to Mars came out, and the one drumming on some congas was wearing a Fedora and getting screamed at although his face wasn't visible. He was Bono meets Justin Timberlake. Later, he would be Davey Havoc of AFI meets Justin Timberlake. This was Spinal Tap. It was an ode to a rock band. It was a movie.

Frontman Jared Leto moved off to the right, shirtless, beating a box with another, thrusting his hips stage left, and girls were screaming worse than their mothers had on old Beatles footage. The tribal drumming stopped, and Leto returned in his eyeliner and black jacket behind his white guitar with the red strap. He wasn't going to play and sing at the same time. He wasn't going to sing much. He didn't sing well. He was going to promote. He was going to drive girls to the balcony ledge where they sat with their shoes off going through fantasized human contact withdrawals as they watched him get sucked down by the more ravenous females in the front when he went crowd surfing. The guitar player, Tomo Milicevic, who was actually making noise disappeared. The bass player, Matt Wachter disappeared. Shannon Leto on drums was raised on a high block and looked as though he thought of nothing except what he was doing. But Jared, who makes a point not to play any venue that promotes 30 Seconds to Mars as his band, used his appeal blatantly. His voice shook as he skipped around on stage. I tried to think of where I had seen this before. Oh yeah. Madonna in Osaka Japan jumping around to Open Your Heart. Leto asked the crowd if they had seen the video for "To the Kill". He then told some boys who started a circle pit how to build one correctly. "You guys should be excited, because this is the biggest show of the f**king tour. I want to see this pit five feet on either side. Open it up nice and wide over here. And stand back if you don't want to get in it. Spread that motherf**ker nice and big." That's when I left. So clamorous without anything to say. So disappointing. MTV2 Generation, I guess I'm not.

Comments

Just a slight correction... Written by Guest on 2006-10-31 03:29:15 The drumming that took place wasn't done by 30 Seconds to Mars. You're referring to the group, Street Drum Corps. There are three performers in that group and they're all percussionists. 30 Seconds to Mars has four members and they only play their respective instruments (Shannon: drums, Jared: guitar, Tomo: guitar and Matt: bass). The "shirtless, tribal drumming" was done by SDC, who marched out with the flags during the 30 Seconds to Mars intro/"A Beautiful Lie".    It's a shame you didn't stay for the rest of the show. From what it sounded like to me, you left fairly early. The band was just getting started. Oh well. Their sound isn't for everybody. No harm done. Publicity is publicity, so... thanks. -SloneRanger

Written by Guest on 2006-10-31 13:28:19 And the song is called "The Kill."

Might I suggest WWW.CONFRONTMAGAZINE.COM Written by Guest on 2006-11-01 15:05:25 At least they get their facts straight.

QUIT YOUR JOB Written by Guest on 2006-11-01 15:15:26 DONT YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE BEST ?

Written by Guest on 2006-11-01 15:20:44 I agree with the above comment... you didn't stay for the 30 stm show, you commented more on the opening band and the venue than the band. The guy who came out shirtless w/ a fedora, you automatically ASSumed was Jared, but it was actually Bobby Alt from Street Drum Corp. If this is any indication of your jornalistic abilities, please go work in the obits section or something where your opinion does not matter or get published. I'm not a MTV2 generation either, but at least I would try to be openminded, or I wouldn't take the assignment. This is just plan lousy and sloppy writing.

yep. Written by Guest on 2006-11-01 15:32:00 "Big Fun singing "Teenage Suicide (Don't Do It)" from the movie Heathers."    I gathered that you have some kinda taste to reference a classic movie such as this.     Why not do your research on a band before talking crap about them, when who you were actually refrencing was an opening band.

here Written by Guest on 2006-11-01 15:33:46 visit here to see what real 30stm fans have to say about this article:    http://thirtysecondstomars.emiforums.com/index.php?showtopic=302374&hl=

. Written by Guest on 2006-11-01 22:40:58 Hahahaha, check your facts, little boy. The 3 shirtless drummers were the Street Drum Corps, not 30 Seconds to Mars. Maybe if you did some research & thought before you wrote, this article would be near decent.    p.s. Ignoring issues on the band, this article is in general badly written. It's rambling and pointless, more like a free write than a structured report. You have like 12 different thesis statements. Take some writing classes.

Comments Written by Lumino Staff on 2006-11-02 13:30:29 Lumino welcomes constructive criticism. However, the comments in this story were deleted because a) You seem to be the same person repeatedly posting and b) you have resorted to name-calling. - Lumino staff    Also, note that we will again delete any profanity-filled posts in another day or so. If you can politely comment, those will stay.

not the same people commenting Written by Guest on 2006-11-03 11:36:48 just a note to the staff. it's not the same person repeatedly commenting, this "article" has be posted and linked on the bands forum for all to see and be made aware of. so you may get a lot of similar comments, i do agree that name calling is not good, but i'm sure you will get more negitive responses to this article. it's ridiculous, inaccurate, and i would be ashamed to have it on my magazine website for anyone to see. just my opinion.

Written by Guest on 2006-11-03 12:03:12 is this a gossip mag?? because the story is full of lies.

Written by Guest on 2006-11-03 12:13:40 Please check your facts before you try to call yourself a journalist.

Congrats! Written by Guest on 2006-11-03 16:14:01 This was utterly pathetic. I never thought it possible to write something this pathetic, but you've managed. Check your facts, understand what or who it is you want to write about BEFORE you do. Honestly though? Somebody had a good suggestion - get another job. Now.

Let's try this again Written by Guest on 2006-11-03 17:01:42 It seems to me like you went in with some [false] preconceived notions and let them get the better of you. Too bad for you and anyone who believes what you have written.

Written by Guest on 2006-11-12 23:57:03 wow, you little scenesters really know how to start a mob. Have any of you ever even heard 30 Seconds to Mars? I think they were invented by viacomm!

Follower Written by Guest on 2006-11-20 22:10:19 I like Jared Leto. He is pretty, and talented, and something that should be aprececiated. This is just something that makes him look like he is not talented, and he is, he can act, and cook, and write songs that make me not so mad about my life. Not fair.. Sooo not fair. = (

Write Comment
Name:	Guest
Title:
Comment:
Code:*

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!