Gen-X Tour Rolled Through South Florida
This Tuesday, the Gen-X Summer Tour rolled into Miramar, Florida, that brought together some of rock’s heavy hitters that took over the Miramar Amphitheater. The event was presented by Rockfest Concerts, an established concert promoter primarily known for their flagship event, Rockfest 80’s. The concert was well organized with the look and feel of a major concert yet took place at a venue small enough to bridge the gap between the rock gods and their fans.
There were plenty of good things going for this show, including near perfect weather and that the show took place the night before the 4th of July, which meant many could party all night without worrying about waking up with a nasty pre-work hangover.
The idea of “promote it and they will come” certainly wasn’t the case at this show. This first-class event should have had a better turnout. For those who missed it, they missed an epic night of music that brought out the very best of each band that performed that night. Rockfest Concerts certainly didn’t cut any corners with the music, venue and setup, it was clear that this was a first-class show.
The Miramar Amphitheater was completed in April 2017 and was the perfect venue for this concert in terms of size and location. The stage was certainly impressive as it was quite wide, large in length that was able to accommodate the large amount of guitars, amps and gear that the bands travel with.
Considering that the venue is an open-air facility, the acoustics were superb. The sound traveled well through all parts of the venue, including the lawn section at the back of the venue that comprises only a small part of the amphitheater.
The biggest issue was certainly the lighting; while the stage and sound were impressive, the lighting didn’t live up to the expectations that major touring acts usually play under. A spotlight from the front of the house could have made a world of difference; however, it wasn’t there. There were times where the band stood in the dark, even during a guitar solo. The lighting was average at best.
Alien Ant Farm: The band opened to a small group of fans that had arrived early to catch their set. What they brought was plenty of energy to get those early arrivals in jam mode status very early on. Lead singer Dryden Mitchell sounded great, along with the other three members of the band. They closed their set with the song brought a Grammy nomination to the band in 2001, their rock version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”
Lit: Although the band sounded good musically, their on-stage presence could have been better. The band didn’t show the high energy that everyone came to see. When we think of bands from the ’90s we tend to expect a lot more. Most of the people who came to see Lit stayed in their seats until the band closed the night with their only major hit, “My Own Worst Enemy.”
P.O.D: If you’re a true fan of this band, you already know that regardless of the venue you always get the band’s best effort. Just because P.O.D. had several mega hits in the ’90s, they don’t always appeal to a mainstream audience; they seem to have a dedicated group of fans who can recite word for word most of the bands hits for the past 20 years. Sonny Sandoval doesn’t mess around; he brought the “Boom” on stage from the first strike of the drums. If you want the type of show that keeps you standing during the entire set, P.O.D. delivers, and they do so consistently. Next time the band comes through your town, don’t miss them.
Buckcherry: This is a band that you have a love/hate affair with. The interesting part was that there were many that left after the P.O.D. set; what they missed was a show that could only be described as “sexy”. Buckcherry glam frontman Josh Todd didn’t skip a beat that night with a show that was truly amazing. The rock gods must love a Buckcherry show, because they were nothing short of superb.
Overall, if you are a fan of any of Buckcherry, P.O.D., Lit or Alien Ant Farm, you were treated to a night of quality music from bands who still care about their performances. These same bands brought their best in terms of sound and performance in an effort to stay relevant in an ever-changing and highly competitive music market. Those who attended left satisfied, knowing they were treated to a memorable night of rock music. One can only wonder how long Josh Todd (Buckcherry) will continue to rock the stage and maintain the high energy shows that Buckcherry fans have come to expect.
