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EVENT: Viva Salt Lake ARTIST: POD with Candlebox, Roayl Bliss, End Ever After, Metal Gods & Blaze of Glory DATE: June 7, 2008 VENUE: Gallivan Plaza, Salt Lake City REVIEWER: Shauna Brock
A year ago, a small, local radio station in Salt Lake City got an idea – to put together a series of concerts that included big-name bands for a price that wouldn’t gut the audience like catfish. What they stared was a revolution. Hosted by the locally owned 94.9 “The Blaze,” Viva Salt Lake isn’t trying to be OzzFest or Warped Tour. It’s a day of unpretentious fun that includes cover bands, local acts, and some of the most popular talent in the world. All for only ten bucks. It’s a day to come downtown to Gallivan Plaza, a park and amphitheater in the center of Salt Lake City, and enjoy great music while browsing merchandise from local vendors. No one really takes anything very seriously – after all, this time around the concert sported two cover bands.
On June 7, 2008, rain clouds parted over the Salt Lake Valley, offering a reprieve from the unseasonably cold weather and giving rocker chicks and metal heads the chance to get together, mosh, and bang their heads.
“How many of you are teenagers?” yelled out one of the DJ’s from 94.9. A cheer went up from the crowd. “How many of you brought your teenagers?” A louder cheer. The generations came together for a lineup that included cover band Blaze of Glory (made up of 94.9 staffers), cover favorites Metal Gods (who can be seen every Thursday night at Liquid Joes), local heroes Royal Bliss, breakthrough artist End Ever After, and national favorites Candlebox and P.O.D. (Due to travel delays, End Ever After missed their performance but made an appearance on stage to say hello to the fans and then spent time at the autograph booth, hosted by independent record store Graywhale Records.)
Blaze of Glory took the stage just before 2 PM, starting off the day with a little bit of fun and warming up the already excited crowd. The selection of rather well done covers included a range of artists from Wolfmother to Judas Priest to The Clash. The theory of the band, as stated by morning DJ Marcus, was for the DJs to get the chance to actually play their favorite songs live, instead of just on the radio. Not detracting from the comedic effect most DJs strive for in today’s air time, Marcus took the stage for a couple of acoustic songs including Poison’s “Every Rose has its Thorn.” Midway through, another DJ from the station joined him on stage – in a tutu – and danced around for the rest of the song.
In between sets, local artist Spencer Nielsen spent his time entertaining people in the specialty lounge. A talented singer/songwriter, Spencer and his band are known for their spectacular ability to make the piano rock as loudly as any guitar, providing an interesting contrast to the hard rock feel of the days’ show. Their presence in the specialty lounge, an open-air area set up in the center of the courtyard, allowed those who entered to enjoy mixed drinks and passersby alike to enjoy the music performed inside.
Liquid Joe’s cover favorites Metal Goods took the stage next, in full eighties regalia and with a humor that catered to the “older” people in the crowd: “Be nice to the security guards, guys," they said. "They have guns and can legally fondle your daughter!” The Metal Gods brought a sense of humble humor to the history of the eighties metal movement while still rocking tunes from Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Def Leppard. And, when they launched into “Cum On Feel the Noize” as a tribute to fallen rocker Kevin Dubrow, the entire crowd sang along.
But despite the fun they provided, the crowd wasn’t there just to see cover bands. Given the loss of End Ever After, local rock heroes Royal Bliss agreed to do a slightly longer set. Recently signed by Capitol Records, Royal Bliss has taken the rock world by storm with songs such as the ballad “Devils and Angels,” and the tribute to our fallen soldiers, “Brave.” Their first major label release, Life In Between, is due out in August.
The band has been performing in Salt Lake for the past ten years and plan to stay in the city while they pursue what the city hopes will be an electrifying career. Led by singer Neal Middleton and lead guitar player Taylor Richards, Royal Bliss is a good, old-fashioned American drinking band (and they prove it with merch such as the band logo emblazoned over the Budweiser flag.) Fan favorites include “Fine Wine and Champagne,” “Here They Come,” and “I Was Drunk,” which will be found on their upcoming album. Performing at their second Viva Salt Lake, they had fans of all rock genres pressed right up to the gates from the opening chords of “Brave.” Without taking themselves too seriously, the band consistently brings a very professional performance and their own high energy to the stage. After the last note of the final song echoed away, the crowd refused to budge and even 94.9’s DJs got in on the action, chanting “one more song” until the band took the stage again. Kind enough to grant a two-song encore, Royal Bliss was the perfect warm up for national veterans Candlebox.
Compared to the energy Royal Bliss brought to the stage, Candlebox began their set with a near lounge-act mentality. But within just a couple of songs, they’d built off of the crowd’s excitement and kept the party going. Over the course of their set, the band did not disappoint, giving credence to the songs that made them stars, such as “Far Behind,” “Cover Me,” and “You," all the while introducing new, incredibly energetic songs such as “Stand,” and the title track of the new album, “Into the Sun,” which is due out in July.
Of course, the highlight of the show for many fans was the five-minute lyrical walk down “legalize pot” lane. Given the fact that the band’s personal politics are well known, a marijuana flag would have added a perfect touch to their stage set.
But the headliners of the night were still to come. With the sun going down and the temperature falling, fans waited, anxiously, for P.O.D. Having recently reviewed the new album, When Angels and Serpents Dance for this webzine, I found myself wondering exactly what to expect. The performance I was lucky enough to witness far exceeded any of my hazy expectations.
The crowd, by this time made up mostly of teenagers and people in their twenties, pressed forward. With members of the SLC Police Gang Unit looking on, the fans exploded when the band took the stage, but they heeded the rules laid out after the first song, “Boom” - “One: have fun. Two: no one gets hurt.” As the show continued, one of the biggest circle pits I have ever been witness to opened up and kids and adults had their way with each other in a nasty but controlled manner.
There was so much energy in the show that now, listening to the band on the radio is a disappointment. They come across much better live than they do over the airwaves, due in part to the passion of the crowd. Lead singer Sonny Sandoval did seem to tire quickly – but I was unsure if it was because of his own high-energy style of performance or because they were having technical difficulties with the mic. In the end, the key to P.O.D.’s live performance is the rhythm section, which never let up the entire time the band was on stage.
New songs such as “Addicted” come across very much as they were produced on When Angels and Serpents Dance – which is both a good and bad thing. When a live song sounds too much like its album counterpart, it takes away the excitement of the performance. On an up note, “Kaliforn-Eye-A,” rather lackluster on the album, sparks to life in front of a crowd.
The large radio hits, of course, had more crowd involvement. P.O.D.’s well-known “Youth of the Nation” anthem was even more poignant that night than it was on the day of its release. “Who's to blame for the lives that tragedies claim / No matter what you say / It don't take away the pain,” begins the last verse. In a country, a world, torn apart by terrorism, school shootings, and violence, the kids singing along to this song have experienced these lyrics in a way that many of the adults present could never fathom.
As the set neared its completion, however, the crowd started to lose focus. Perhaps the result of a very long day, or perhaps because there was too much energy to soon, I did start to wonder about P.O.D.’s ability to sustain throughout a two-hour solo-set. Still, I was still very impressed by the shorter set they performed at Viva. It isn’t always the band’s fault if the crowd is too tired to keep up with them.
Overall, the show was a good mix of P.O.D.’s old and new material, and the crowd was very involved. The live set was much better than I expected it to be, and I left with the exhausted energy I knew I was supposed to have.
All in all, a great showing for the second Viva Salt Lake. Next year, I hope to see more local talent on the ticket, but in the end, it’s always a great party. Here’s to the calling of the revolution!
