Greetings everyone and welcome to this month ‘s edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood.” Just over a week ago I attended two very different radio station Barbecue’s in Northern California. One was a classic rock festival with performances by Stone Temple Pilots, Cheap Trick and Fuel. The following day I covered for PR Photos The “1st Annual Sonoma Country Music Barbecue with Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, and Thompson Square, Pete Stringfellow, and McKenna Faith”. Both shows were all day festivals and though they compared in some areas, in others they were two different experiences.
107.7 The Bone first annual ”Bonehead BBQ” at Fort Mason’s Great Meadow with Stone Temple Pilots, Cheap Trick and Fuel 8/21/2011
The first thing I notice about the Fort Mason area was what a beautiful place it was for a show. Located just off Marina by the bay in San Francisco. I arrived to the event early and purchased at ticket at the door. Since I didn’t have credentials I got as close as I could to the stage. The area was set up with everything from merchandise booths to several different food stands with some of the best barbecue from several different area restaurants. The show started with a local group called “The Hooks” and were then followed by Fuel. Though I wasn’t familiar with any of their music they both put on energy filled sets.
I walked around and checked out the festivals booths. Things were really well set up and it didn’t feel overcrowded. I was able to get a good sense of the crowd. The majority of people seemed to be Stone Temple Pilots and Cheap Trick fans. So naturally the crowd was a little older but many brought their teen age kids with them. The radio station was broadcasting live from the event. I ended up getting some atmosphere pictures along with photos one one of the DJ’s Nikki Blakk interacting with fans. I love photographing from a fans perspective, where you get more real expressions with that.
Cheap Trick took the stage with a mix of their own music playing. This was going to be an interesting experience. I was not to familiar with their music besides some of their radio tunes. I was interested in seeing what their live show was like. I know many bands that I’ve seen over the years were influenced by their music. They hit the stage dressed like they did in the 70’s and played about an hour. I’ll have to say it was entertaining but still am trying to understand their popularity. At times they reminded me of a cover band. The crowd seemed to love them as they played some of their favorites. The band however did not do an encore or play one of their biggest hits “The Flame”. Still the crowd seemed to eat up every bit of their 60 minute set.
60 minutes later I was still waiting for Stone Temple Pilots to hit the stage. During this time I started to reflect on some of STP’s past performances I’ve seen. My first thought was how glad I was to see Scott Weiland alive. I’ve sen him at his lowest. In September 2000 I attended a Red Hot Chili Pepper / Stone Temple Pilots show in Irvine, CA. What was supposed to be a double bill tour was over after the second night. Both singers would be in rehab with in days. My next “STP” show was their reunion tour in 2008 at the Hollywood Bowl. This marked the rebirth of STP. They put on an amazing show. Scott looked sober and happy. “We’ve been doing this for seventeen years, and to play this venue… There are maybe five things in your life you remember, this is one of them…” said an overwhelmed Weiland between songs.
After almost a 90 minute wait between set breaks STP finally hit the stage. Once again, Scott looked great. I almost thought some college professor was on stage as he was dressed in a sweater and button down dress shirt. The band sounded as tight as ever. Playing almost all of their greatest hits along with new songs. The band clearly had the energy and the showmanship that made them one of the top live acts in the 90’s. Scott looked happy and healthy and the band sounded amazing. Scott stopped several times to say what a beautiful place to play at. After the show ended a DJ came on stage and talked about how STP was one of the only classic rock bands left. I thought to myself that wouldn’t be true if more people came out and supported rock music shows and festivals.
The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood 