Concert Review Live 105’s BFD: A Day To Remember

For Bay Area rock fans there’s nothing better than BFD. The annual event sells out very year and is, indeed, a big deal. The all day festival is produced by Live 105, a long standing favorite radio station among indie rock listeners. The party starts early and features performances from dozens of artists. All of them diverse, all of them great entertainers. The main stage, and the name prominently printed on the tickets, was Linkin Park. But during the day a few unheralded bands stole the show.

Biffy Clyro is a Scottish rock band that doesn’t receive anywhere near the critical acclaim that they deserve. The band knows how to sell records, having sold millions in the UK, and they also know how to put on a show. Front man Simon Neil, going shirtless, didn’t mutter a word throughout the quick 30 minute set but made an impression nevertheless. The songs are catchy, the amps were turned up and Neil had a few solid solos, wailing on his Strat front and center. If given the opportunity to catch Biffy Clyro’s set early in the day at a large festival, take it.

Once every few years an artist just oozes the words rock star. Tyler Glenn is one of those people that just looks like a rock star. His jeans are skin tight, his hair is ridiculous, his on stage antics are reminiscent of Steven Tyler, and his personality takes over the stage. Glenn fronts the fast growing Neon Trees. A rock band that has been making a name for themselves for the past few years.

The band is memorable in every way and attracted a large crowd on a small stage in the parking lot of the massive Shoreline Amphitheater. Once Glenn was done posing for the press cameras he turned his attention to the fans pressed up against the barricade. Leaping off the stage he made sure they had some face time with him. This band is fortunate. Not only do their songs immediately resonate with a large number of people but they also had the most polarizing front man of the day. And Snoop Dogg was on the same bill.

The thousands of fans eventually made their way into the actual Amphitheater. A list of A-list bands crossed the stage over the next three hours. The too cool Julian Casablancas nonchalantly sang through his set. Snoop was, well, Snoop. And Linkin Park brought their arena style of rock to the 20,000 screaming fans. It wrapped up the day well and brought what may be one of the most solid BFD line ups straight to the fans that listen to Live 105 religiously.

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *