I only caught the last four acts on the bill, so I'll give my impressions of them. I chose not to rank, as I was only familiar with two of the bands at the time, but you can figure out what I thought pretty easily.
1. Ashes Divide- I was actually hoping to not like them when planning this excursion. I couldn't justify the price tag (two pavillion seats, I hate the lawn), distance (nearly two hour drive), and some of the other stuff (aka it took three shots to ask this girl to go with me) for one band. I checked Ashes Divide out on Myspace before deciding to go through with the whole thing. Good move. Billy Howerdel strayed enough from the A Perfect Circle formula to create something new, but stayed close enough to make it recognizable and listenable. The biggest problem with them was the sound lends itself more to an intimate club setting over a 20K+ outdoor show. On the plus side, they really connected with the crowd and performed well despite the limitations.
2. The Bravery- I hate to completely rip apart a band, but these guys didn't do it for me. Their songs all sounded the same, and try as they might, they either didn't bring any energy or it just went over everyone's heads. Having only two albums under their belts, they're still very green and may turn into an excellent live band, but that remains to be seen.
3. Chris Cornell- The man, the myth, the legend. Chris was the main reason I wanted to be there in the first place and I was running down possible setlists on the drive. Best case scenario: he gives a three-hour retrospective of his career. Worst case: he relies too much on his new album. His set started off with "Cochise" and though I wish he'd leave it off the setlist, it set the tone. He mainly stuck to the heavier material, and while I knew Chester Bennington would come out for "Hunger Strike," I was still blown away. The band quit the stage and Chris performed a solo number of "Like A Stone" (I was hoping for "Seasons," but this was more than an adequate substitute.) "Burden in my Hand" was a welcome surprise. "Black Hole Sun" was excellent, and it takes real talent to sing while crowd-surfing. The closer, an epic rendition of "Jesus Christ Pose" was straight out of Lollapalooza 92. Only complaint: His new songs were disappointing. He played "Watch Out" and "Long Gone" and both were completely ruined by the synthesizers.
4. Linkin Park- Going into the show, I really did not like their music. I was roped into staying for their set (see above), but had heard from many reviewers that they were an excellent live band. Their entrance rivaled Metallica's and they kicked right into overdrive from the opening notes of "One Step Closer." "Leave out all the rest" had this cool horror movie/ Stairway to Heaven vibe surounding it, as did "Shadow of the Day." They transitioned well from the slower songs to the all-out rockers, and the whole crowd went nuts when Chris Cornell walked out for "Crawling." Singing "Happy Birthday" was a nice touch as well. They closed with "Bleed it Out" which was just fricken' perfect. Needless to say, I've been converted and can't wait for the next tour.
