NBT also hosted spontaneous acoustic performances throughout the day between the main set times that were held in random areas of the amphitheatre. At first it was great because it felt like a sneak peek of the show to come, but as the day waned and bands that'd already played appeared again, hearing those songs over again was like listening to 97x for eight hours straight: a bit repetitive and tiring.
Neon Trees battled some technical difficulties at first on the smaller stage, but bounced back to impress the fans and according to frontman Tyler Glennband, “Prove that this stage was better than main stage.” The band included a girl drummer (Elaine Bradley) who played some sweet beats and served as eye candy for the guys in the crowd. Of course, they played their best-known hit, “Animal,” which marked the first crowd sing-along of the day, but also showed their individuality and signature sounds with tracks like “Love and Affection,” and “Your Surrender.”
Switchfoot hit the main stage mid-day and couldn’t help but open with hit single “Meant to Live,” offered up a decent tribute to the Beastie Boys with a cover of “Sabotage,” and also played “The Sound,” and “Dare You to Move,” among others, rocking the fans through them all.
[image-1]By the time their set had concluded, NBT was starting to feel like a parade of 97x's already overplayed songs while also a straightforward exposure opportunity for the participating bands -- or perhaps it just proved I need to stop listening to Fisher and Boy every morning and change it up from time to time!
A Day to Remember hit the stage loud and proud. The band's head-banging syncopated rhythms went from cool to rather obnoxious and repetitive at about three songs in, but the minor chords and metal-esque ballads accompanied by the strained screeches of the singer ended up making for an energetic, entertaining set overall.
Paper Tongues kicked off their set with a tuneful guitar solo and energized the crowd as they danced all over that stage with their hip-hop fused rock; even the drummer Jordan Hardee kept on his feet for a good half the set. “Higher,” “Ride to California” and “Rich and Poor” won over the crowd and their overall bubbly performance seemed to keep a lot of the fans afloat and refreshed their attention for the better part of the afternoon.
One of the bands I’d been waiting for, Gainesville's own punk rockers Against Me! [pictured right], took the stage and delivered an epic set that included my all time favorite (and also fitting for the setting), “Sink, Florida, Sink.” They also raged some “Teenage Anarchist,” and “Don’t Lose Touch.” Lead singer/guitarist Tom Gabel's vocals were simply amazing, and they heightened the energy level in the amphitheater and provoked some intensive crowd surfing.
The Dirty Heads brought the laid-back reggae rock feel to the place, keeping the fans relaxed but also displaying some impressive live chops. Their funky nature really came out during “Neighborhood,” “Paint it Black,” a Rolling Stones cover, and for their hit, “Lay Me Down,” which the crowd knew verbatim.
Australian trio Sick Puppies came on directly after and lady bassist Emma Anzai seriously dominated the stage and wowed the crowd, leading the band into harder and harder musical passages, and waking up the crowd after the chill-out set by the Dirty Heads with hits like "You’re Going Down" and "Maybe" serving as particular stand-outs.
Next up: [image-2]to an extended jam of ambient noise that reminded me of the Mars Volta. With “Back Against the Wall,” “Aberdeen” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” they left no rest for the crowd either.
Chevelle, by far the oldest band of the bunch to play so far, started kind of slow and then launched into the spirited “Jars." Chevelle has always had a deep, clean, succinct and potent sound. With the sun long gone and the chilly night closing in, their energy alone warmed everyone up during songs like “Letter from a Thief” and “Sleep Apnea.” They played hits from their entire catalog and blew the audience away.
Despite their hot set, the cold and restless crowd was ready for some excitement when The Black Keys [pictured left] hit the stage. The popular Ohio duo immediately blasted the crowd with a raw, grungy alt rock-blues sound that drew everyone to their feet for some dancing. The Keys staged one of the best sets of the day, by far, commading the crowd's attention with playing that came off as effortless. Frontman/singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach molded his voice uniquely to fit the mood and tone of songs, like “Your Touch” and “Chop and Change.” Although their progressions were presented in a blues framework, they also had lots of soul and showed it off during songs like “Everlasting Light,” when Auerbach hit that high falsetto and wooed the crowd even more. And when they launched into “Tighten Up” one of the hits off 2010's Brothers, the crowd went nuts and the dancing hit a peak. Overall, The Black Keys brought it -- great stage presence, great sound, great energy. I could have listened to them for hours!
[image-3]Last, but for most of NBT's attendees, certainly not least, uber popular New Jersey rock band My Chemical Romance. To be honest (and possibly annoy some fans), I never really got into My Chemical Romance, but on this night, the quartet put on an epic show. Any bias I may have had shot right out the window when they opened with “Na Na Na” and the crowd around me lost all control. The band seriously revved up the crowd and took the show to a whole new level of rocking.
They were entertaining to say the least. With his crazy red hair, tight pants and flamboyant over- the-top, punk-rock attitude, frontman Gerard Way [pictured right] demanded attention and had fans drooling all over each and every number. His voice carried through the amphitheatre all the way to the interstate and warmed the hearts of every teen girl in attendence while causing thrashers in the pit to turn up the heat when they rocked out “Thank You for the Venom,” “Planetary Go!,” “Give ‘Em Hell Kid,” and “House of Wolves.”
The poetic lyrics, Way’s intense gaze, and the band's face melting guitar riffs and rhythms shattered any doubt I’d ever had and certainly made the long cold day worth it for their hardcore fans, playing old tracks along with the new, including “Teenagers" along with the title track off their new album, "Danger Days, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.”
After such an amazing performance, the crowd obviously begged for more and lured the band back to the stage for an encore that included “Cancer” and “The Kids from Yesterday.”
Overall, My Chemical Romance offered up an intoxivating performance, a perfect end to a great day of music but making it a hard event to follow for NBT 2011!
More photos by Andrew:
