Sam's Recs: Rock on the Range Preview

By: Sam Boyer, PR Director / '90s Blogger

Whoa, this is my first Exec Recs entry. I vaguely considered making a "Best of Green Day" list, but I won't subject you to my fangirlery. Instead, I'll focus on the super rad Rock on the Range lineup this year. Here are the bands that I'm dying to see, which are mostly '90s bands (shocker).

1. Soundgarden

Ah, we meet again. I skipped Arcade Fire's set at Lollapalooza 2010 to see these guys because I was convinced that I'd never get the chance to see them again. Apparently I was wrong. Now that Chris Cornell and company have a new album (which isn't too bad), a more extensive tour is in order. Hopefully I'll get to hear my favorite song this time around.

2. Smashing Pumpkins

Okay, so this isn't the ideal Smashing Pumpkins lineup. It's just Billy Corgan and some other guys. But I was still pissed about missing the recent Columbus show. So SP headlining Rock on the Range kind of feels like an apology to me. Yes, I'm implying that a band with no knowledge of my existence is playing a festival just for me. But I really hope this won't be an entire set dedicated to Oceania. I need to hear some Mellon Collie tracks, guys.

3. Alice in Chains

I'm not too keen on seeing Alice in Chains without Layne Staley. I've actually been avoiding it. But the word on the street is that the new singer is awesome and I'm a dummy for not seeing this band live. Oh, and can I just say that if I do catch Alice in Chains' set in May, I will have seen three out of the four major grunge bands live (because I will obviously never see Nirvana). This is a proud moment.

4. Korn

I'll admit that I like Korn. I've never been big on nu-metal in general, but Korn is actually pretty good. Maybe it's all that bass in every song. I do have a love affair with heavy bass bands (see my Primus obsession). Plus, Korn's live shows are supposed to be pretty intense. Let's OPEN THIS PIT UP. Well, not really. Let's headbang at a safe distance.

5. Bush

Bush opened for Nickelback not too long ago, so I'm not too heartbroken about missing that show. But now I can finally see Gavin Rossdale in all his glory without having to deal with Nickelback fans. My quest to see as many '90s bands as possible continues. (Fun fact: I had a brief conversation about Bush with one of my English professors last semester. We both agreed that the only really great Bush album is Sixteen Stone.)

Ben's Recs: BenFest (No Holograms Allowed)

By: Ben Haager, General Manager

During this past week's installment of ACRN's Best Gosh Darn News Show hosted by Chris Dobstaff, Scott Smith and myself, Scott posed the question of what six bands Chris and I would have headline a festival (reuniting bands included). No holograms allowed since they are dumb. In fact, there may be a Disco Demolition-type public destruction of all hologram technology at my festival.

B. B. King and Buddy Guy: Is having two artists as a headliner a way to cheat the six band max? Absolutely. But I don't care. I just wanna see B. B. And Buddy jam together before it is too late. I've already seen Buddy, so B. B. would do just fine on his own. But the two bluesmen on the same stage would be phenomenal. 

Rage Against the Machine: Rage has been performing sporadically over the past couple years, so this is a possibility that I'm definitely willing to entertain. They would be required to play, at the very least, one new track because we all know they have some.

They'll begin with this: 

Violent Femmes: This would be a tough reuniting, since singer Gordon Gano and bassist Brian Ritchie clearly have some issues to work out. But hey, it's not like they're Creedence. And the Pixies have reunited multiple times. 

Soundgarden/Temple of the Dog/Pearl Jam: Soundgarden is back and Pearl Jam really has never left. So this is what is going to happen: Soundgarden is going to play a set. Then Eddie, Stone, Jeff and Mike will reunite with Chris and Matt (that's right, I'm on a first name basis) on stage for some Temple of the Dog songs. Then Chris will leave and Pearl Jam will play. It'll be a re-enactment of the formation of Pearl Jam. Also, Matt Cameron, who drums for all three, might die from exhaustion.

Watch the Throne: Need I say more than Kanye West and Jay-Z? One stipulation: they can not perform “Lift Off.” Although Beyonce will be allowed on stage for visual appeal.  

(Apparently Kanye has decided skirts are in)

Metallica: My brother has seen 'Tallica play and I haven't. That will be fixed. Lou Reed is not allowed within a 100-mile radius of the festival to prevent any Lulu temptations. Also, no St. Anger.