The GREAT Bamboozle.

The decision has been made.  I WILL be attending this year’s Bamboozle tour. Call me an emo-scenester all you want, but it will be me who has the last laugh while I am watching Weezer, Saves the Day, MGMT, Motion City Soundtrack and Minus the Bear (among many others) rock the f*ck out at the Meadowlands in NJ on May 2nd.

Courtesy of TheBamboozle.com.

What started as a three-day music festival in Asbury Park, NJ in 2003 has now evolved in to a country-wide tour. In addition to New Jersey, The Bamboozle roadshow now stops in Chicago and California. The line-up varies from state to state, and to be quite honest, New Jersey has the best line-up. I’m not just saying this because I’m partial to New Jersey (it’s my home-state and I first started going to The Bamboozle there in 2005), take a look at the line-up and decide for your self:

May 1st:

Saves the Day

Paramore

Drake

Angels & Airwaves

Bullet for my Valentine

Relient K

(This is just a list of my personal favorites, click here for the full line-up.)

May 2nd:

Weezer

MGMT

Girl Talk

Say Anything

Motion City Soundtrack

Kevin Devine

Piebald

Hey Monday

Minus the Bear

OK Go

(This is just a list of my personal favorites, click here for the full line-up.)

When I first started going to The Bamboozle in ’05, my friends and I would get tickets for all three days. Decked out in our studded-belts, converse and band-tees, we would hop around the festival seeing all of our favorite musicians, chasing cute boys in bands and trying to get autographs and pictures with as many band members as we could. Right before Fall Out Boy became huge, they performed at The Bamboozle in 2005. It was easily one of the best performances that I have ever seen AND I somehow managed to get a picture with drummer Andy Hurley.

Andy Hurley from Fall Out Boy. Courtesy of FriendsorEnemies.com.

Gosh I was so much cooler back then than I am now. Too bad I lost the picture, though.

Not wanting to (completely) relive my punk-kid days, I am only going to this year’s Bamboozle on Sunday, May 2nd. I don’t think my body can handle mosh-pits and crowd-surfing to that extent anymore.

I must stop and vent for a second though- it really bothers me when people won’t go to concerts of bands they love because of the “young punk-kids” that are going to be there. Yes, middle-schoolers with multiple piercings and mohawks are annoying, but should that stop some one from seeing a great performance? NO.  Just throw blunt-objects at them, sit back, relax and enjoy the show like I do!

Despite the masses of black-nail polish-wearing 14 year-olds who can’t even tell you what I Am The Movie is, I still plan on having a great time and seeing all of my favorite bands.  Check back in May for a full Bamboozle report!

And, for your viewing pleasure, I have included a few select pictures from my High School band-stalking days:

Motion City Soundtrack Concert in 2005. Me and my friends Ali, Lauren and Jackie with Justin Pierre, lead singer of MCS.

Me with Matt Watts and Tom Gryskewicz of the Starting Line at the Nokia Theatre in 2005.

Ben Jorgensen of Armor For Sleep and I outside of the Surf Club in Ortley Beach, NJ summer 2004.

My Dinosaur Life

On January 19^th, Motion City Soundtrack graced the U.S. with their new album, My Dinosaur Life. Full of power-punk/pop ballads, lead singer Justin Pierre does not let listeners down with his usual catchy and off-beat lyrics.

But how does this album stack up to Motion’s past hits such as Even If It Kills Me, Commit This To Memory and their 2003 classic, I Am The Movie?

On Motion’s past albums, Pierre explores all different kinds of vocal ranges, but My Dinosaur Life stays true to fast repetitive choruses accompanied by powerful vocals and wacky lyrics. Take track No. 5, Delirium, for example:

“There’s a buzz there’s a buzz there’s a buzzing of bugs
From flower beetles yellow jackets silverfishes to slugs
It’s always raining caterpillars from the circular fan
And my heart is pounding brightly.”

Poetic.

This album isn’t totally wow-ing me yet, but it usually takes me three-to-four listens to warm up to a new CD.

 

My Dinosaur Life is retailing at $9.99 at major stores such as Target, but fans can listen for free at Motion’s website. As a poor college student, I took the latter option but would probably purchase the album if I end up loving it, as I am a huge and long-time Motion City Soundtrack fan.