KROQ Weenie Roast, May 16 at Verizon Amphitheater

After the Doves show, I stayed in Orange County overnight (though the drive back home and back to Irvine again wouldn't have killed me) then having lunch with Josh before heading over, I got to the KROQ Weenie Roast. This used to be an amazing festival show that alt-rock radio kings KROQ would put on through the year in the '90s with bands you wouldn't believe, and I didn't go to any of those then (though not for lack of trying), but most of the shows have gone to crap, getting some big names but generally nothing I would want to see (though I went to one a few years ago, when they had some bands worth seeing). And people still go to the show and it still sells out. This year I already knew about the Giant Drag show for the same night, and I thought I might be able to get a ticket for the Weenie Roast, so I felt I had to decide between the two. But Weenie Roast tickets usually sell out instantly so I figured I would leave the decision to fate, try to get a ticket and if it didn't work then go to the Giant Drag show in L.A. instead. I went online when the Weenie Roast tickets went on sale, within a week or so of the show, and as quickly as I went to the LiveNation site, one came up (just one, since I decided it would just be easier to go alone). The best seat was in Loge, which is usually where I sit when I'm there, or worse, and it's fine but it's nothing to fight for. So there was Loge and Terrace behind that then the Lawn. I could pass. But I hung around the site, just to see how quickly it would sell out, for my own curiosity. Sure enough, next it was down to Terrace and Lawn. Half a minute later, just Lawn. But I kept going and refreshed the page and somehow an Orchestra seat came up. I don't know how these things work but I know an opportunity when I see it so I jumped on it and got the ticket. Row Q, most of the way up the section, off to the side, but still closer to the stage than any other time I've been there. So not only did I get a ticket but I got a really good one. As it turns out, when I got there, early enough to see White Lies (the first band on the main stage), barely anyone else was there and I saw no reason to be a goon and stick to my assigned seat. I nonchalantly walked to the front of the section, to the third row (not wanting to be too obvious about it), and watched from there, then Cage the Elephant, which were some ridiculousness, but the singer had a lot of energy, singing while walking up through the middle of the place (and within feet of me). The two bands I had come there to see, the Airborne Toxic Event and the Silversun Pickups, were next, and I got to see them from that close but the seats had started to fill with tools so I moved it back, finally going to my seat, to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs turn in another great performance. They seem to change up their set for every show, never relying too much on the first album and "Maps" but having the confidence to push their new stuff, which is better than the crowd wants to pay attention to. I wasn't there for Weezer, especially seeing their disappointing and way-too-big show just a few months before but here, the size of the amphitheater was perfect for them and it reflected on Rivers, who, while also not playing guitar but rather jumping around the stage and singing, seemed like he was actually having a good time, which lightened the mood of everyone on stage, giving for a better performance than they've probably done in a while. Apparently Josh Freese was on drums, playing below his ability, but leaving Pat to play guitar and hey, man, whatever. Weezer switched from being the last act on the bill of the end of the day to instead around 5, and I don't know what went into that decision but a more than noticeable portion of the audience cleared after that, maybe more than half. It also made it so I didn't have to stay until the very end (if I even felt like that much like seeing Weezer) so I could leave to get back to L.A. in time. I stuck around to see the first half of Jimmy Eat World's set, which was mostly from Bleed American, which is all I would want to see, but it's sad that the band has to rely on material from such a while ago. I had no problem missing Rancid and Kings of Leon, who are apparently a big enough draw to play last, but I heard some of their set on the radio later that night and they sounded all right. As it was, I left in time to get back to L.A., went to the parking lot, which was devoid of people, and some girl walking in asked for my ticket, thinking it might work (I would bet my teeth that it didn't), but I gave it to her anyway, leaving one of the rare times that I didn't keep the ticket to a show. Of course I'd say the best performance of the day was the Airborne Toxic Event, even though they changed it up by making about half of their set new or unreleased stuff, or at least stuff I hadn't heard, which was an odd decision, being the only time they'd play such a big show for KROQ and playing a set that might not play to the crowd who, at best, only know the stuff on the radio. Though it was the first spark of life in the crowd for the day when the band went into "Sometime Around Midnight", though I suddenly realized I'd have to share that song with a lot of people, whether I wanted to or not.