URBAN LEGEND: A Review of Project Revolution 2008

*Posted August 8, 2008*

I should write something about music since the subject has been lacking on this website.The leadership of Top Man seem to only listen to two bands, Pearl Jam and whatever movie or TV soundtrack and theme is currently popular.The Project Revolution Tour, headlined by Linkin Park, don’t make fun of me just yet, recently paid a visit to the Post Gazette Pavilion, and I was in attendance.There were over ten bands or so that performed on two stages, and I am only giving reviews on the bands I watched and was interested in.

$Ten Years - The only band I really cared about on the side stage.Didn’t know much about them other than their radio hits, “Wasteland” and “Beautiful.”The guys looked like punk teenagers but put on a pleasant show.Solid band.Grade: B+

$Ashes Divide - I was really looking forward to seeing these guys.Their lead singer, Billy Howderel, was a guitar tech for Tool, was the brainchild for A Perfect Circle, and is now leading this band.They certainly did not disappoint.Highlights were a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and their hit “The Stone.”I will be buying their album.Grade: A

$Busta Rhymes - I laid down in the lawn and rested.I hate rap.Grade: F

$The Bravery - Not a terrible band, their radio hit “Believe” is a solid song, but I just wasn’t diggin them too much.Linkin Park could have gotten a better main stage band.Grade: C

$Chris Cornell - Easily the highlight, my favorite musician of all-time did not disappoint.I was expecting a lot of solo material, which would have been great, but 9-10 out of his 12 or so songs were all Soundgarden and Audioslave, pure awesomeness.Cornell was back to sporting his long hair and the rest of his band was solid.The guitarist, have no idea who he was, was playing the tough solos just like Kim Thayil and Tom Morello.He opened up with “Cochise” and closed with “Spoonman,” but the highlight was “Hunger Strike” where Chester Bennington of Linkin Park came out and sang the Cornell parts and Cornell sang the Vedder lines.Everything I expected plus so much more.Grade: A+

$Linkin Park - I realize that chicks and high schoolers love Linkin Park, but they always do put on a good show.The new album was certainly a downgrade for them, but they did include many of their “older” hits.Highlights included a pure drum solo by Rob Bourdon, and Cornell coming back out to help sing “Crawling.”Opened with “What I’ve Done” and obviously closed with “One Step Closer.”Grade: A-