Wednesday, May 20, 1998
Aspiring bands rock festival
MUSIC: Performances prove Vegas can attract more than lounge
acts
By Mike Prevatt
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
You would never know it, among all the neon, sex and Lego-esque
architecture, but a burgeoning music scene exists in Las Vegas, and
the inaugural EAT’M conference and festival exposed it the best way
they knew how.
Setting up 15 stages, most of them on The Strip, the Emerging
Artists and Talent in Music convention featured over 150 artists
and bands, a majority from the pop and rock genre, from Thursday
through Saturday.
Despite the unconventional locations (aside from the typically
music-oriented Huntridge Theater and the Beach nightclub), the
musicians utilized their spaces appropriately, proving that music
indeed has a place in Las Vegas. It fills a void in a city that
prides itself as the new world capital of entertainment, a void
usually filled in the past by kitschy lounge acts and adult
contemporary radio tracks playing through the casino PA system.
Another aim for the EAT’M organizers was to feature local
talent. While many of the bands originated from Los Angeles and
other parts of the country, over 15 percent of the acts came from
the local scene. Bands like the ska-influenced, Vegas-fave Attaboy
Skip, attracted a huge crowd thanks to its loyal, local following.
Many Las Vegas musicians not featured in the festival attended in
support of their musical peers, a testament to the seemingly
uncompetitive, nurturing artist camaraderie in the local scene.
Thursday night kicked off the live performances, albeit
sluggishly.
L.A.’s Charming started things off at the Star Steppin’ Lounge
in the middle of the MGM theme park. Its synth-pop, melodic style,
which compares to the Sundays and Lush, was reminiscent of those
John Hughes film scores of the ’80s. Without a drummer and bassist,
Charming suffered from a two-dimensional sound, but still
exhibiting a certain "charm" to its sunny pop. At the same time, in
the Desert Inn’s Starlight Lounge, local faves Home Cookin’
thrilled the crowd with their funky rock and R&B party
sounds.
The McCarthys, a young punk-pop outfit, set up camp at the
strangely chosen Gameworks ueber-arcade and playground outside the
MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Onlookers and fans of the Vegas-based
foursome casually sprawled out on the floor while the band ripped
through melodic, yet sometimes disjointed, power-pop. Despite their
amateur, juvenile lyrics, the band displayed their desire for
sharing a good time and vibe, as well as potential for future
success.
The slightly more charismatic Evenrude followed the McCarthys
with its own lively brand of groovin’ punk and rap, much like 311,
Korn and Incubus. As the L.A. band jumped all over the stage, crowd
members began to follow suit on the Gameworks’ floor, even starting
a mini-mosh pit. Evenrude represented the night’s first real
contender for mainstream success, showing both in the songs and
live performances a talent that could attract major labels.
Friday night’s acts offered a little more polished talent, with
rich musicianship and stage charisma found throughout the stages
set up around town.
Clearly the highlight of the festival, Attaboy Skip drew the
youngsters attending into a frenzy with their highly entertaining
half-hour set. Cranking their Oingo Boingo-meets-Reel Big Fish
sound, these local darlings have already released two independent
labels. Amidst the sea of ecstatic skankin’ and sweaty teens,
Attaboy Skip emerged as a talented eight-some ready for the big
time.
Back over at the MGM, two artists aimed to prove their musical
worth, with different levels of success. The L.A.-based Josh Young
Band, fronted by the very talented Josh Young, took stage at the
Star Steppin’ Lounge with his bluesy, jam-oriented rock. Destined
for mainstream rock markets, his Matchbox 20-goes-Jonny Lang style
provided a laid-back show with introspective lyrical depth.
Skycycle, an MCA outfit from Los Angeles, roared with their
Weezer-glam style on the other side of the park. Despite the decent
turnout and melodic tunes, the band failed to create much of a live
presence or inspire the crowd to respond much, save a few fans in
front of the stage.
The eye-catching event of the evening was the highly touted
appearance at Luxor’s spectacular new Ra nightclub by electronic
newcomer Ana Voog. Popular for her revealing web site
(anavoog.com), Voog had the attention of the entire capacity crowd
with her electronic house styles, with hints of Portishead and
Bjork here and there. Performing alongside two musicians and two
naked female mannequins which she later "dismembered," the near
nude Voog pranced onstage and sang with precision during her
perverse but attention-grabbing set.
Saturday, the last day of the EAT’M festival, featured the
kick-off of the 1998 Vans Warped tour. Showcasing punk and hardcore
bands like MxPx, the Aquabats, the Smooths and Wank, the most
interesting aspect of this six-hour thrash fest involved its
location: the parking lot of the elegant and extremely conservative
Desert Inn Resort.
A few thousand Gen Xers each paid the $5 admission and came out
for the festival, all baking under the torturous Las Vegas sun. But
that didn’t stop the skaters, moshers and crowd surfers from having
a good time. Performances were mixed. Kottonmouth Kings offered a
horribly bombastic performance with their rap-thrash show, even
though the crowds ate it up. Home Cookin’s return performance
equalled its fun and funky show from two days before.
The highlight of the day’s festivities were Orange County punk
veterans, the Vandals. Despite songs about diarrhea, pizza, lame
rollerbladers and other seemingly silly topics, the Vandals
delighted with a tight set featuring their pure punk sound. A cover
of "Summer Lovin’" (ahem, from "Grease") had girls screaming,
especially. One could feel the rebellion in the air, against the
backdrop of the ritzy hotel and golf course.
Of course, that was the spirit of the EAT’M live performances.
Who knew Vegas could serve as a music scene (a la Austin, Texas, or
Seattle) when so inundated with glitz and fantasy? But any backdrop
needs a score, and even in a environment where featured music is
usually undaring and quiet, EAT’M showed that among all the facades
and cheesy musicals, the once-shielded Vegas pop scene stands as a
force to be reckoned with … to give a completeness to the notion
of Las Vegas as the entertainment capital of the world.
Attaboy Skip was one of the highlights of the weekend,
attracting a huge crowd in their EAT’M appearance.Photos by MICHAEL
ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin
A young man surfs the crowd during the 1998 Vans Warped Tour
kickoff.