2008 Woodie Awards
Park Show Rocks On Despite Set-backs
Dave Bauer
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Arts and Entertainment
Rock The Park," which was held Saturday, Sept. 18 at Yogi Berra Stadium, didn't have the typical "concert event" feel to it.
While I was in attendance, I kept thinking back to past experiences at the all-day concert event known as "Ozzfest." Obviously this event did not have as grand a scale as Ozzfest, but the aesthetic is the same, or could have been the same.
At Ozzfest, there was such an aura, a vibe, that simply lifted my spirits. Seeing hours upon hours of great bands and meeting people of all walks of life had a major impact on me.
Year after year, there seemed to be a recurring theme: I found myself interested in less and less of the bands but still wanting to be a part of this event, part of this vibe. Rock the Park and Ozzfest could have had this in common. The aura or vibe of a concert can be drastically altered if the smallest of details becomes tampered with.
This was unfortunately the case for Rock the Park." Originally slated to begin at 2 p.m., this wasn't the case and the time spent waiting around endlessly easily changed what could have been a good concert to a dismal display of something that should have possibly been rescheduled.
The weather played a big part in all this; the chance of a storm coming at any minute made it impossible to fully be excited about the upcoming bands.
As time went on, the audience became agitated and they had every right. Finally, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a twinkle of hope appeared. Set up for the first band, Sonicult, was beginning. It was unfortunately taking so long that the hope slowly faded and agitation began to grow.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., the waiting around had ended. Sonicult, a local band from New Jersey, and winners of 105.1 FM WDHA Southern Jersey's own rock station's "Battle of the Bands" contest had begun their short but good set.
Their sound, falling somewhere between Staind and Tool, was surprisingly solid, especially after a day of such mishaps.
While I was in attendance, I kept thinking back to past experiences at the all-day concert event known as "Ozzfest." Obviously this event did not have as grand a scale as Ozzfest, but the aesthetic is the same, or could have been the same.
At Ozzfest, there was such an aura, a vibe, that simply lifted my spirits. Seeing hours upon hours of great bands and meeting people of all walks of life had a major impact on me.
Year after year, there seemed to be a recurring theme: I found myself interested in less and less of the bands but still wanting to be a part of this event, part of this vibe. Rock the Park and Ozzfest could have had this in common. The aura or vibe of a concert can be drastically altered if the smallest of details becomes tampered with.
This was unfortunately the case for Rock the Park." Originally slated to begin at 2 p.m., this wasn't the case and the time spent waiting around endlessly easily changed what could have been a good concert to a dismal display of something that should have possibly been rescheduled.
The weather played a big part in all this; the chance of a storm coming at any minute made it impossible to fully be excited about the upcoming bands.
As time went on, the audience became agitated and they had every right. Finally, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a twinkle of hope appeared. Set up for the first band, Sonicult, was beginning. It was unfortunately taking so long that the hope slowly faded and agitation began to grow.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., the waiting around had ended. Sonicult, a local band from New Jersey, and winners of 105.1 FM WDHA Southern Jersey's own rock station's "Battle of the Bands" contest had begun their short but good set.
Their sound, falling somewhere between Staind and Tool, was surprisingly solid, especially after a day of such mishaps.