Musicians Wow Crowd at De Luna 2010 (Vanguard)

I entered De Luna Fest 2010 with a positive attitude hoping for an event that was worthy enough to become a tradition. The atmosphere was small but positive with the giant beach ball water tower acting as a trademark of sorts for the event.
Toward the entrance was a small stage designed for smaller acts, and then on the beach were two major stages side by side. This design allowed for one major act’s equipment to be set up and sound checked while another was playing.
Here at the main stage my De Luna experience began as Michael Franti played joyously to an enthusiastic crowd Saturday afternoon. This excellent show was soon followed by the bland rumblings of 30 Seconds to Mars who repeatedly insisted in the De Luna Fest guide that the group is not “emo.”
I felt unconvinced by actor Jared Leto’s constant stream of obscenities spewed in between songs that I deemed an effort to make the band appear more “adult.” On the small stage, Better Than Ezra played an excellent set to a small-but-devoted crowd.
“Any of you who may have troubles with fainting or seizures need to move to the sides of the crowd as what my hands are about to perform on the fret board may just blow your mind!” singer and guitarist Kevin Griffin warned.
311 became the event of the night as the beach area became packed.
Even far behind the sea of people, the music was still loud and clear with a concert screen planted in the beach area for easy viewing. 311 ran through an impressive set of hits, including many fan favs off their album Grassroots.
311 claims to have never played on a beach before, which accentuated the song “Amber” as it reverberated through the night sky with the waves in the background.
After 311 concluded, a mass exodus of people began to stream out of the venue. I had expected many to stay for headliners Stone Temple Pilots, but Scott Weiland, lead singer of STP, has faced lip synching rumors fueled by a YouTube video in which Weiland takes a stage dive and the vocals keep rolling. Eric Kretz, the band’s drummer, claims to the De Luna guide that Weiland made a heroic attempt to keep singing even once he fell off the stage, thus causing the confusion.
STP’s performance at De Luna became an important test of the band’s validity. The Deleo brothers improvised their guitar and bass solos on every song. Weiland appeared sober and sounded great. Whatever public perception, STP’s performance was an undeniably live rock and roll show.
The influx of concerts in the Gulf area is fostering a burgeoning music scene. Festivals like De Luna and the Hangout are no exception, and this growth also brings tourism dollars to the damaged economy of the Gulf Coast.
I hope to see De Luna return next year bringing positive vibes back to the beautiful beaches of the Gulf.