IGGY POP CONCERT REVIEW: R.O.A.R. FEST 1997

IGGY POP CONCERT REVIEW: R.O.A.R. FEST 1997

by John Shane

There have been many great experiences at concerts over the years. One of the greatest shows I ever saw was at Tinley Park Ampitheater. It was the HORDE tour with Neil Young and Neil played in a terrible thunderstorm that almost brought the whole show down. But Neil played on. It was one the highlights of my life. However, one of the most surreal experiences I ever had at a show was also at Tinley Park. This time the scene was quite different. Almost vacant, really. My friend Jake and I decided we would make it out for this obscure festival to see Iggy. We decided to get there early. On our way, we dropped some acid and we jammed Street Crazies all the way there. Once we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed that there was nobody there. I mean nobody. We practically strolled into the pavilion with not a soul checking tickets. And there we sat tripping for the next 8 hours. Besides the lack of audience, which did slowly start to filter in as the day progressed, the acts that followed were lacking to say the least. The Bloodhound Gang came out and did something that resembled entertainment. Strangly, they went on to be the biggest success since then. Linda Perry came out and played some of the worst music I have ever heard. Jake and I were quite obnoxious as we were seated right in front of her and laughed and mocked her the entire set. She got so mad that she wrapped her own chords and stuff after the set and stormed off. I feel bad about that. But we were really high. But then Karma hit and Wesley Willis came out on stage to sell some cd's. Jake was kind enough to go up there on stage in front of the entire pavilion (even though it was practically empty) and buy a cd from wesley. Wesley gave him a head bump and Jake sat down. After the next act, we noticed that the cd was gone. We turned around and there was this low-life scumbag white-trash couple. They were giggling at us when Jake asked if they saw the cd. We knew it was them. Obviously Stooges fans. Reverend Horton Heat played a strong set and Jake and I rocked out to those guys. Then Sponge went on. And suddenly the entire place filled up. However since Jake and I were parked right in front of the stage, we formed a black hole of sorts with this other guy that sat in front of us and the three of us refused to stand for the entirety of Sponge's contrived, annoying set of pop rock dreck. At one point our disatisfaction seemed to catch the lead singers attention, and he leaned over and had the place shine the spot light on us, and he sang to the three of us. But the three of us were unphased and we would not relent. The lead singer had failed and we had won. Finally afterward, Iggy went on, and suddenly these two german girls started talking to us. They were both rather unattractive but we were nice and they seemed to want to talk. But then Iggy invited everyone on stage and so Jake and I rushed to the front row. We spent the rest of the show right in front of Iggy as he flinged sweat on us and rocked the house with some deep tracks.