Author	Topic:   Waterstock Rock 2006 Review
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:08 PM       Bigger, better, and still room for improvement! That would sum up my take on Waterstock 2006. The main bands Quiet Riot, Dokken, Cinderella, and Poison were the best lineup Waterstock has seen in its three forms. There is talk of next year being a two day festival. An attendance record was set this year and it was no surprise since Poison and Cinderella were bringing their 20th Anniversary show to Des Moines. The young bands Endeverafter and Lorenzo were also fantastic and hung around much of the day to get their names out by visiting with music lovers. Cover bands Cold Filtered and Night Train had a sizeable chunk of the crowd getting into familiar favorites with Cold Filtered doing some original tunes, as well. The schedule was completely thrown off, but it may have been for the better. Where Endeverafter was supposed to play the side stage at 11:30AM, things were actually kicked off by Lorenzo on the side stage. Lorenzo came out to play a 30 minutes set and then were going to meet at the merch table. As soon as they got to the merch table, they were told to hit the stage for another 30 minute set. The second 30 minute set got cut short as Cold Filtered was hitting the main stage. They got out about a third of Little Thing For Your Little Sister so it was great that they got to get back up for a short time after Cold Filtered was finished. Lorenzo looked and sounded great. The first set contained a couple of clever cover tunes that helped this new band relate to people who had never heard of them before. The second set stepped up on the rock side of the band. Lorenzo is a 5 piece from Cincinnati, OH, with some great songs. A strong stage presence helped pull people up to the stage to see what they were all about. Lorenzo returned to the stage after Cold Filtered's main stage set for a repeat of what I would consider their 4 strongest tunes, which also happened to be in the second set. Keep an eye out for these guys as their CD Love Shape Bruise is available on Tuesday. Also, check their site out at www.lorenzolounge.com. The guys were very cool and hung around til the end of the day. I ran into the singer, Mark Lorenzo, after Poison was done playing. They were great about taking pictures, autographs, their merch was reasonably priced, and it was the songs that really drew people to them. Lorenzo Set List Drowned Fallen Always Something There To Remind Me Hateful Breakdown Squeeze Box 2 A.M. Walk I Think About Sex The Breaking Scars Naked And Wasted Nothin' Left To Talk About Little Thing For Your Little Sister Walk I Think About Sex Nothin' Left To Talk About Little Thing For Your Little Sister http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:08 PM       I was very surprised that Cold Filtered played their first set on the main stage, but they seemed to have the audience to pull it off. As turned off by this band as I was after seeing them at Keyster's and opening for Ted Nugent, I must say that they have greatly improved. The addition of the second guitarist seems to be what put them over the top in my book. Their new drummer also made a sizeable difference with the much needed intensity that he plays with. Cold Filtered started out with a Tesla cover, but worked in some original stuff during their set. The singer seems to have more confidence and worked with the audience better. He also didn't sing like he was doubled over for the first few rows, either. His voice sounded good on the first set and the band seemed cohesive. The second guitar player, while filling out the sound, could use some stage time with the band as he was the only one not interacting much on stage. I'm sure that will come with more shows. As Cold Filtered played other sets throughout the day, there was only one issue that I and others began to notice. The singer, while having a good voice during their main stage set, could use some sort of vocal effect to fatten up his voice. Many of the covers they do are just out of his comfortable range where he tries to use a screaming voice with some falsetto. Have you heard Chris Cornell do Black Hole Sun? He sounds great during the entire song until he starts yelping the title in the end of the song. That just ruined my whole Black Hole Sun experience. Well, the Cold Filtered singer sounded like that on tunes that were in his upper register at times. It caused a lot of moments where he went a tad sharp. Overall, Cold Filtered entertained their fans and is certainly a band who has come a long way in a year and still has some room to grow. Check out their site for some original music, as well. Night Train is just simply something I can't get into. A couple of guys from Cold Filtered put on wigs and leather pants to join others in a tribute to GNR. While there were many entertained, it's just not my thing. I know there is a huge debate on what makes a tribute band and how far bands can go in replacing members to keep using that name, but it's a different argument to make. Putting on wigs and trying to cop someone else's moves and play their music when you are in no way related to the band is acting. It might be good for VH1 movies, but certainly isn't my particular taste. I'm stating my own opinion here and like mouths, everyone has one. I didn't watch for long and I found this a good opportunity to hang out with other bands and their members. http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:09 PM       Endeverafter blew away most everyone who caught them. I had people thanking me for encouraging them to come out early to support them. These guys look, act, and play the part of 80's rockers, but seem to have more going for them in the musical composition of their songs. Rhythmic breakdowns, extended guitar parts, and more intricate arrangements keep them from sounding too much like anyone in particular, but make for better music. They mostly played new songs from their CD which will be released August 8th, but played two from their website, Next Best Thing and Baby Baby Baby. Baby x3 is my favorite from the site and they encouraged the crowd to sing along as they closed with it. The guys even got some choreographed windmill guitar action going at the end of the song. I'm hoping they stick around for quite some time and that they are a part of bringing great rock tunes back in style as other bands have been on the verge of doing the last couple of years. These guys hung around most of the day with no rock star attitude and just made themselves available to everyone. They flirted with the girls, of course, but seemed to really be about seeing what people thought of their songs and doing the requisite PR for a young band. These guys seem level headed enough to really go a long way with their music. Just so you can imagine, I did read about one guy hearing someone near him say "you suck" when the band first took the stage, but quickly shut up as they rocked their collective ass off. Check out their music on My Space at www.myspace.com/endeverafter and see when they will be in your area. Endeverafter Setlist Wanna Be Your Man Bright Lights, Big City All Night Next Best Thing Poison Baby Baby Baby http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:09 PM       In a surprise to me, Quiet Riot hit the stage before Dokken. In my humble opinion, that should have been reversed, but I'm not in charge of these things. Quiet Riot really knows how to work a crowd. CC DeVille and Rikki Rocket were seen enjoying the show from the side of the stage, too. They were getting a kick out of how good it sounded and some of the funny lines Kevin used in his lyrics. "So you say I got a funny face, well, F#CK YOU!" I've heard Kevin use it several times before, but it's just funny every time. That man still has the voice and energy that he has always had. Frankie was wearing a green outfit and playing drums as strong as ever. The nice thing about Frankie and Kevin is that they both use their instruments the same way and with the same intensity. Frankie is all over the kit and Kevin easily adds some vocal gymnastics to the melody lines. I love watching these guys perform and this year they have Alex Grossi back in the band as well as Sean McNabb, who played with Quiet Riot before and with Great White and House Of Lords. These two guys interact very well with Kevin and Frankie and really put on quite the show as well. I was fortunate enough to visit with Quiet Riot after the show and asked Kevin about the new CD. He said that it is completely finished and that they are targeting the end of August to try to get it out. I can't wait to hear it. Kevin said that the 70's influences are very strong on the CD with one song sounding like the Small Faces and bits of Humble Pie and Led Zeppelin really influencing their music. I overheard him talking to someone about how it was great to do 80's music in the 80's, but that's not really where they are at musically now. I'm very encouraged by this as I've always loved their music, but hearing Kevin's solo CD last year just really opened my eyes as to how much more they could be capable of. When I visited with Sean, just to see if I had things right, I asked if he had played in QR before and he mentioned doing so in the late 80's. This was the time period that Paul Shortino was singing for the band. I also mentioned to Sean that the last time I had seen him was when Great White was on the Poison tour a few years back and that I thought I had recognized him. I think he was glad someone actually knew part of his musical background. He and Alex were also kind enough to take pictures as were Kevin and Frankie. One of the guys I have met at concerts in Iowa and originally in Omaha, NE, brought a vest originally worn by Chris Holmes from WASP. Since Frankie played in that band for a while, this friend brought it to get signed by Frankie. Banali is great with fans of this caliber and asked to get back in touch via e-mail. Quiet Riot Setlist Put Up Or Shut Up Slick Black Cadillac Love's A Bitch Mama Weer All Crazee Now Red Hot Mama Red Hot (From Kevin's solo CD.) Thunderbird The Wild And The Young Let's Get Crazy Cum On Feel The Noize Metal Health http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:10 PM       Dokken had started playing while I was still chatting with the guys from Quiet Riot. I hadn't realized it until I started walking away from the merch tent, so I went back over to the VIP section to get a look. Dokken looked and sounded good, but I had been standing much of the day so I took a little time to grab a bite to eat. I listened and got most of their set list, but also spent some time visiting so I missed a few things. The set list, as much as I got while missing a few titles is as follows: Dokken Setlist (Opening Song) Into The Fire Dream Warriors Kiss Of Death (Another song here...) Alone Again Paris Is Burning It's Not Love (included a bass solo) (Another song here?) Tooth And Nail In My Dreams I did get the opportunity to meet Jon Levin briefly before the show and was able to have him sign Hell To Pay and take a picture. After the set, I met Don Dokken and he did the same. I also had to tell Don thank you for continuing to put out music. I've heard all the Don rumors about his attitude, hair, and whatever anyone else wants to say about him, but he was genuinely nice and grateful to those of us that asked for time. Many bands are content to rest on their laurels with past accomplishments, but I appreciate those that keep moving forward. I love new music. My friends tell me that I'm stuck in the 80's, but I don't really listen to a lot of old tunes. While I love the classics, I like to see what the bands are still up to and I am always trying to get ahold of the new stuff they put out. Dokken and many others have still been recording over the years so I keep supporting them. http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:10 PM       Cinderella is one of the best live bands ever. Great songs. Superb showmanship. Excellent musicality. They play the hits, but it seems fresh every time just because they are timeless songs. The show started out with some sound difficulties on stage, but out front, they still sounded great. The sound problems were an irritant to Tom and Jeff was doing his best to help. Cinderella used a few lights and a little pyro during their show. They did some of their famous moves such as the swinging guitars. Tom played the sax for Shelter. Fred came out front to help on the harmonies for Last Train. They employed a keyboard player to the far left of the stage who has toured with them before. These guys really need to record a new CD. I know they have had their legal tangles, but Cinderella is too good a band to keep playing a greatest hits set and I hope they start moving forward soon. There is obviously so much creativity among these four that they really need to have the outlet as Cinderella. Cinderella Setlist Fallin' Apart At The Seams Last Mile Somebody Save Me Night Songs Hot And Bothered Last Train (Fred stepped out for the harmonies.) Coming Home Gypsy Road Nobody's Fool Shelter Encore: Don't Know What You Got Til It's Gone Shake Me Poison just blows me away every time. They get away with playing familiar hits and cover tunes, but they do it with such energy that they will always have my support. Their classic opener Look What The Cat Dragged In immediately had everyone singing along and they rolled right into I Want Action and their cover of We're An American Band. Poison had to stop American Band after a fight broke out in the cheap seats. They started it from the beginning, though, once security had the troublemakers cleared out. Poison had the crowd singing along at every turn. They were energetic. The pyro was in place several times throughout. CC's solo was actually better played than at any time I've ever heard him. He truly seemed more humble with how well he was received and he looked like he was having a blast all night, including singing I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine. It was the newest original song of the night. Rikki's drum solo was once again what every fan wants to see. They want rhythms they can get into, some cool effects, and above all a rising drum kit. Rikki is one of the best showman in the business. (I know. Nobody has touched Tommy Lee's showmanship, yet, but Rikki is still near the top in showmanship.) Bobby was smiling all night and had some great interaction with CC. CC was showing Bobby how he was almost out of picks on his mic stand, while Bobby seemingly wasn't going through enough. Bret and Bobby had some cool interaction, too, as they raced across the stage at one point. Bret and CC were totally in a groove together all night and seemed to really enjoy being on the same stage. Bret was the ultimate frontman (I'll say this until David Lee Roth reunites with Van Halen.) and was genuinely happy to be back at Waterstock and it must have felt great to bring the whole Poison show with him this year. Bret's voice was spot on all night and he had fun playing a little harmonica and some guitar. The guys just tore up the stage with familiar tunes. I'm hopeful that since CC has some problems worked out that he and Bret can get back to writing some great songs and getting them on CD in the near future. Poison Setlist Look What The Cat Dragged In I Want Action We're An American Band I Won't Forget You Ride The Wind CC's Solo I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine Something To Believe In Your Mama Don't Dance Let It Play Fallen Angel Rikki's Solo Every Rose Has Its Thorn Unskinny Bop Nothin' But A Good Time Encore: Talk Dirty To Me http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/18/06 11:11 PM       There is a subject that does need some addressing about Waterstock. I paid $125 for a VIP ticket. This was to include the possibility (they make it sound very likely) of meeting all the bands, free food, and four beer tickets. It also was to include better seating/standing and outhouses that were only to be used by VIP's. Well, I met and got pictures with two members of Cinderella and two members of Dokken. If I'd really kept my eyes peeled, I would have done the same with Fred Coury, but I missed that opportunity. CC and Rikki could be seen easily from where we were, but they didn't come to the fence to meet us. Lorenzo and Endeverafter spent a great deal of time with people in this area, but they and Quiet Riot were out for everyone to meet and greet, not just VIP's. After spending $125, I wasn't any better off than I was the last two years in this area. When KGGO ran Waterstock the first year, they had a tent that each band went to in order to meet the fans. This was something we all expected last year, but were let down when Lazer took over. Last year I was able to meet most of the bands on the left side of the stage as they came to the fence to sign for us. It wasn't an organized thing, but the bands took this opportunity on themselves to be available. I'd heard that last year the VIP's were able to roam around the entire backstage area even while the bands were eating and hanging out and this made for quite the VIP experience. This year a buffer (read fence) was put in place so that the bands could eat and have air conditioned tents in privacy and they could opt to engage the fans. While a few took this opportunity, no member of Poison came out to the VIP area and other band members did so at their own risk, but there was no encouragement from the promoters for the bands to interact since VIP's paid so much money. While we did get some free food, it was about two small meals worth. A burger, brat, or hot dog, a bag of chips, and a drink for $7 in meal tickets. That's two McDonald's meals worth where as VIP's got the shaft like everyone else at Waterstock. As for the beer tickets, I don't drink so my roommate got those. With as much food and drink as was left over, it would have been nice to have just opened this up to an all you can eat type of thing. Most people aren't going to gorge themselves at an outdoor event like this, but could use a little extra since the body uses up a lot of energy. Here are my suggestions for the VIP's for Waterstock next year and even a some for general admission at Waterstock. Starting with the VIP area, keep the area the same size, but open it back up with the bands for interaction. Let the bands know this is happening and that you are only selling 50 or 60 VIP tickets. That's all. Do not have any more VIP's than 50-60. Let the bands know they are encouraged to take time for each VIP. Yes, you'll get the occasional crazy person with a VIP ticket, but for the most part people that pay that much are well behaved. We had no trouble on our side of the stage as opposed to the fighting that broke out in the General Admission side. Keep the food portion to an all you can eat type of thing without really saying that. Just let VIP's know that water and food are free to them and that they can't take it out of the VIP area. This will keep them from sharing it with friends outside of the VIP area. As for the beer, the thing they have in place is fine as 4 free beers are probably enough. The VIP experience needs to be worth the money shelled out and something hard to come by so that it will be highly valued. One last thing for VIP's, throw in a Lazer 103.3 or Waterstock T-shirt to commemorate the experience. Shirts are cheap and free advertising. When you have people paying $125 to purchase your concert package, throw in a freebie like this. (Yes, I know it's about that much to see Bon Jovi, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and others, but this is an audience that you are poised to advertise to in a much bigger way, so add value at all opportunities.) As for the rest of Waterstock, lower the food and drink prices. Water that runs $2 a bottle for an 80 cent bottle is outrageous. Sure, charge a dollar, but water is something everyone must have readily and cheaply available at an outdoor show that lasts all day. Lower food prices. A burger you can get at BeBop's for $1.50 shouldn't cost $4 and not taste as good. Sure, charge $2 for it and still make a nice profit. The same goes with the hotdogs and pizza. It's a matter of economics and also treating your audience well. If you lower prices, more people can buy what you are selling. This will keep profits up and people happy. It also allows them to buy more of what you are selling. There were T-shirts, banners, tattoos, radio and Waterstock merch, as well as band merchandise that people would love to have purchased if it weren't for paying out more in food and water. I know I would have been able to do more than the Poison bandana and Cinderella key chain I purchased. My total cost was $190 for this event which included buying my roommate's ticket. That's about $90 more than last year for about the same experience. Make this more of a bang for my buck next year. Overall, Waterstock truly rocks and I'm anxious to see what is in store for next year! http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
Super Dongman	posted 6/19/06 2:12 AM       Listen dude, I can understand why you're a little upset about your "VIP" being a rip off but when you start saying things like a fight broke out in the "cheap seats" you really offend a lot of people including us! We drove all the way up from Kansas City and spent probably $500.00 for the weekend! Just beacuse you spent the "big bucks" doesn't make you the center point of Waterstock. My girlfriend and I were right up front for most of the day and had a blast! I think a lot of people are getting sick of your little reviews and all. You're not the Waterstock GOD! Lazer did a awesome job putting this all together. We'll be here for sure next year and we'll wave at from the "cheap seats'! By the way Motel 6 sucks and we eneded staying at America's Best Inn on Merle Hay Road, I highly recommend it!!!
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/19/06 2:25 AM       Not sure where the attitude is coming from, but by cheap seats, I meant the $35 ticket side instead of the $125 ticket side. That's all. It's not a comment on who bought which tickets. So how much did you end up spending at Waterstock? Tickets, parking, food, souvenirs? I mean without travel costs, but just for the even itself. I've never done a $500 show and I don't go anywhere I can't make it back to after the show. That's just my preference, but I'm a cheap bastard. :) I like a lot of bang for my dollar which is why I usually hit shows that have multiple bands. Of course, you have to see legends like Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, George Thorogood, and Billy Idol whether they have openers or not. Some artists are just that good. I think the last show I spent over $100 on was Bon Jovi and the presale sucked since you could get second row three hours after the tickets went on sale to the general public. Sorry if my pickiness sounds snobbish, but it's not. I just like a lot for my money. :) Hope you enjoyed the pictures! http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
Super Dongman	posted 6/19/06 3:39 AM       I didn't mean to come across as a major you know what and I'm sorry if I offended you a little bit. I guess I'm just tired from the trip and regret going back to work tomorrow. lol Keep in touch and we'll see you next year! To answer your questions, food prices were about right for the event and I thought the "Offcial Waterstock" shirt was price too high. Come on Lazer, at least have the bands names on the shirt! I noticed that they didn't sell too many of those shirts anyways.
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/19/06 12:56 AM       You brought up a fantastic point!! No band names on the Waterstock shirts is a travesty! I know they are copyrighted or whatever, but still, if you're going to have a Waterstock shirt, it's always good to advertise who was there in order to make the point that it will be as good next year. I gotta return to work today, too, and I'm burnt to a crisp! HAHA!! Hope you used some sunscreen. It will certainly be an interesting Monday, right? Glad your travel was safe! Oh, and we are having Summer Jam next month if you're up for two months in a row in Des Moines. :) http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
Mark	posted 6/19/06 1:17 PM     S.O.P. :) After introducing myself to you Saturday morning I feel I can address you as such. Great review! I have some differences of opinion which I'll post later. I had an absofreakinglute blast Saturday. A lot of which was made possible by the Centerville posse who my buddy and I "teamed up with" for the Cinderella and Poison sets. Great photo's and I'll be back later for my take. Keep it loud and proud!
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/19/06 2:28 PM       Man, it was great meeting you! Glad you had a great time. I'm dying to hear everyone's opinions. It's cool to get all the different opinions on here. That's what Shabbytrick put this site up for. Keep rockin'! Will I see ya at Summer Jam, too?
Manowar	posted 6/19/06 3:56 PM     While I whole-heartedly agree with your assessment of the show itself, S.O.A.P., I must say you are way off-base regarding the handling of the VIP area, man. I too spent the $125 hoping to meet some rock stars. Sounds like we rubbed elbows with pretty much the same people, except I DID get to meet CC Deville, who was nice enough to stop by and sign some autographs earlier in the afternoon. He even took some pictures with us. Really cool guy. We knew going in that there was a possibility to meet some people, which we did, and some of the band members (like the guitarist from Quiet Riot) hung out for quite a while back there. What we did NOT expect was the bands to HAVE to show up. I'm sure it's completely up to them as to whether or not they stop into a VIP area and hang out. I'm not sure blaming the radio station/promoters is putting the blame where it should be. I personally think both of them did a great job, and I can't wait until next year. For a guy that claims to go to a lot of shows, your complaining about things you have no control over, such as ridiculous beer/food prices, t-shirts, etc is off base. Everyone in our group, and many other groups I talked to throughout the day, agreed with me that the $125 was worth it for 3 reasons alone... 1.) We were super close to the stage, whereas the "general admission" folks were farther back. 2.) We didn't have to fight with anyone for personal space. The VIP area was well-spaced and wasn't too crowded. 3.) Meeting SOME rock stars. We certainly didn't think as you seemed to that we were entitled to meet everyone. We were just happy to have met who we got the chance to meet. Overall, a GREAT show. And we can't wait until next year!!!
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/19/06 8:24 PM       Glad to hear you had a great time, too! I haven't heard anyone, yet, that had a bad day. About the concessions, I'm just saying that with as many people that come out, it would be great to be able to get more for the dollar and they can still make a nice profit, as I'm sure they do. This happens at every show and it just seems to get worse every year at every venue and they still won't let us bring our own food in for a lot less. It's a complaint most everyone has, but no promoter does anything about. With the VIP stuff, I was comparing it to last year where I paid for the GA ticket and was able to meet more people in the bands and get pictures and autographs just like I did this year. For the extra $100 I spent, I didn't come out any better so the value of the VIP ticket wasn't as good for me. They are just my opinions. Everyone complains about high prices and not enough for their dollar. I just happen to do it in, well, according to Microsoft Word, an 8 page review. :) I'm anxious to hear what everyone else thought of the sets, set lists, who was the favorite band, who impressed the most, what players stood out, which female fan had the best...oh, wait, shouldn't go there... :) You know what I'm sayin'! What did people think of the local and regional acts? How close was the tribute band to the real thing? I'm just one voice in the wilderness. One pebble of sand on the beach. Let 'er rip people! Oh, and tell us all where your pictures are online? :) I'm still waiting for Shabbytrick to get off work, quiet dealing with the family, and get his stuff online! HAHA!! (JUST TEASIN' YA, DAVE!!)
Mark	posted 6/20/06 8:46 PM     For as picture perfect as Saturday and Sunday went for me, Monday and Tuesday are kicking my ass. :) Alas I'm back for my take on Waterstock '06. I can't stop spinning the 5 song CD I picked up from Lorenzo and the full length CD, "Loved Shaped Bruise" was released today! They were much more deserving of a later time slot and larger audience to showcase their music. Very cool guys as well. Sorry to offend anyone but I'm lukewarm towards CF but my hats off to the local boys. As SOP stated they had the crowd to pull off a mainstage spot. However, Night Train was a waste of time. Endeverafter was everything I hoped they'd be after listening to their songs on Myspace. Quiet Riot was a very pleasant surprise although I don't know why. Kevin Dubrow's showmanship was as good as anyone's all day and he sounded great! The same can't be said for Dokken and I'm glad I picked this set to take a break from being in the mix down front. I thought he sounded like crap in comparison to when I caught him early on the Whitesnake/Scorpions tour a few years back. From what I could tell on the video screen he didn't look much better then he sounded. Cinderella who was I most anxious to see I thought played an outstanding set. Tom Kiefer is a spooky looking cat though. And what can I say about Poison? They exceeded my expectations and it was great to see CC DeVille in good physical shape and mental shape. I can't help but think his sobriety helps the dynamic of Poison and their performance. All in all an almost perfect day. I got to hang with some cool ladies and despite being subjected to the "cheap seats" lol I wouldn't have traded them for the VIP's. I don't mind being among the masses despite the rowdy A-hole who pushes their way to the front. I called to check on the VIP seats and despite being told their were "plenty" left, I didn't think the limited food and beverage tickets made it worth it. I didn't expect any guarantees to get pics or autographs but I can understand hoping the bands would try and be more accomodating. I did figure their would be opportunities to be meet and greet at the merch tent. I think SOP is right to suggest they should sell a limited number of VIP tix and definetly provide more complimentary food. Overall though I thought prices were about what I expected for food and drink. Believe it or not the entire day cost me less than $50. Not too shabby for 12 hours of entertainment. As for SummerJam, my wife and I share a lot in common except for the love of all things that RAWK! I try not to spend too much money on none family related functions but since I did exceptionally well on my Waterstock budget I might be able to swing it. I'll keep you updated!
SonOfAPreacher	posted 6/20/06 11:51 PM       Kyle Munson from the Des Moines Register has some things about Waterstock on his blog. His newest entry links mine, so that was cool. http://blogs.dmregister.com/?author=5 http://spaces.msn.com/sonofapreacher
Shabby Trick (Moderator)	posted 6/21/06 1:52 AM       Glad to hear he is linked to your review. I've always found Kyle's reviews to be rather poor full of insults of both the bands and fans that attend the show. Its good that people will be able to get the your review next to Kyle's as I think they will clearly see that his review is very week compared to a well thought out intellegient review. http://www.freewebtown.com/waterstockrock/index.html Waterstock 2006
Mark	posted 6/21/06 3:18 AM     Munson is a snob which is what most "critics" are. I give him credit for linking SoP's review. SoP might consider copyrighting his work. :)
Darren	posted 6/21/06 8:36 PM     Well...I would not say NIGHT TRAIN was a "Waste" of time...BUT!!!! It is silly how (WE) guys in their mid 30's with families, careers, etc...decide to throw on some wigs and spandex and go out and try and look and sound like a "has been" band from the 80's!! By no means are we trying to be taken seriously as a real band! Thus the reason why everyone of us is inolved with writing our own material on the side with our own projects! Since Brian (Lead Vocal for CF) sings GNR songs so well, he and I thought it would be fun to do a show or two as a GNR tribute band. We got the idea from watching DUECE(local Kiss Tribute band made up of some excellent local musicians). It was one of the best shows I had ever seen at the House of Bricks...and it was PACKED! Infact, standing in the front row rocking out right next to me was Corey Taylor from SlipKnot! So, we put the band together with the intention of doing just a few shows here and there and to just plain have fun! Funny thing was we went over VERY well and the money was great!!! Not to mention we were having a BLAST doing it! So YES! The concept of tribute bands is silly...but if the response is THAT good and no one gets hurt and we all have fun...we may as well keep doing it! Of course if we sucked at playing the songs then that is a different point to make. Then I would consider hanging up my wig on the whole deal! You decide!!! Thanks for the voice!
Super Dongman	posted 6/21/06 11:08 PM       Dude, I thought your band "Night Train' was great! In fact I wouldn't shut up about how pumped up I was to see you guys that my girlfriend told me to shut up! We drove up from Kansas City. I have a lot of respect for a group of guys to pull something like that off! Good job guys!!!
Mark	posted 6/22/06 3:37 PM     Let me re-phrase my assesement of NT. It was a waste of "my" time. :) Even that may have been a bit harsh but my point of contention is that it was not what I was there to see. That's not to say that you/they didn't pull off a comendable tribute. In fact I think you guys are very talented. Maybe I'll get into specifics in the other thread but I'd just as soon see a Lorenzo or more CF originals on the mainstage and leave the GNR cover songs to CF's 2nd stage sets. Certainly quite a few others had a different opinion including KGGO's Heather who mentioned she saw the band over the weekend and gave NT props on the air Wednesday. She suggested people go out and see them if they can. If your good enough for free pub then my opinion really doesn't mean squat. :)
Dustin G	posted 6/22/06 4:01 PM       Some very good comments here! I was so excited to see Night Train. I had a realtive playing in the band and to get a chance to see them finally was awesome. I was in the GA area, however I was right next to the orange VIP area. I stood in place for 6-7 hours not moving to have a spot right behind the "high priced area" I was very impressed with Quiet Riot. Not being a huge fan going into the show, they rocked hard! Crowd interaction was good, and they were obviously having a good time. Dokken wasnt as good, but they sounded alright just not much of a show. Cinderellas front man looked like he was pissed around something, but his voice was good, and the band played well. Poison who is in my top 5 bands was awesome to see with a sober CC. He sounded very good. The crowd was fired up to see Poison, and they didnt dissapoint. Now Im really looking forward to Summer Jam after that rock fest!
toms*cinderella*girl	posted 6/22/06 6:57 PM     Okay...my turn! I thought the entire show rocked! My hubby and I had such a blast! We were in the VIP section and were standing in the second row right in the center of the stage. We were there for the whole show and it was so awesome to be so close!!! The show was definitely worth 10 hours on our feet and dealing with the heat. We didn't arrive until Night Train was about to take the stage. At first sight, we got a laugh out of the wigs they were wearing. Once they started to play; however, we were quite impressed with their talent. At first glance, one would think GnR was actually on the stage. They sounded great and had all the moves down. Then there was Endeverafter. We had never heard of them before. They were pretty good, though, and also have a lot of talent. They really seemed to enjoy what they were doing and I am sure we will be hearing lots more from them in the future. Quiet Riot was awesome. Kevin just rocks and is so energetic. He really got the crowd involved and was so much fun to watch. I loved the song he did for Randy and thought he did an amazing job singing that. We caught a guitar pick from Alex, who is also awesome. Dokken was okay. We were never really huge Dokken fans anyways. I could've done without them. I think a lot of the problem was that I knew Cinder was next and I just wanted Dokken to hurry up and get off the stage. I really feel that Dokken should have played before Quiet Riot and don't understand why they were in that order. Don Dokken seemed so old and haggard. It seems he didn't do anything to make himself look presentable. And....apparently he can't even make it through one set without his cigs and beer. We were just not very impressed with them. We did catch a guitar pick from Barry Sparks, though. Then, there were the Cinder Boys!!! They were awesome and so worth the wait. I felt so bad for Tom because they were having sound issues and he could not hear himself singing. He kept telling the sound guys that there was a problem and he was really upset about it. Despite all that, I think he sang great! I love his presense and his talent. He can play so many instruments! Of course, not to mention, he is a beautiful man! HAHA. I reminded my hubby of that through their whole set. He would just laugh at me. I have loved Cinder for so long and this was my first time seeing them from the front of the stage! It was an experience I will never forget. Eric was also awesome and interacted with the crowd. I would've liked if Jeff had come to our side of the stage from time to time, but he stayed right where he was for the whole set. We loved Cinderella and they rocked for the entire hour they played! Our only disappointment with them was that they didn't play longer! Lastly, there was Poison! OMG...they are better than they ever have been in our opinions! They rocked and rocked and rocked some more. We danced and screamed so much that we were begging for a slow song to slow things down a bit. :o) Bret was amazing as usual and we really admired his class by stopping the show to break up a fight going on. C*C* is just crazy!!! He seemed sooo happy to be there and was just amazing. He has to be one of the best guitarists in the world! Bobby was also having so much fun out there. Rikki is awesome on those drums!!! WOW! His drum solos are always so breathtaking. They were all just so on that night and there are no words to describe how awesome they were. Now, as the pain leaves our feet and our ears are getting back to normal, we are so sad that it's over. It was just an awesome time. We enjoyed the VIP experience; however, we had hoped for a bit more since the tickets were so much. We had hopes of meeting some of the bands and probably could have, but we didn't want to give up our spots in front of the stage. :o) We were thankful we were not on the GA side, though. There was way too much pushing and shoving going on over there. We pretty much had plenty of space around us, except for one drunk that tried to push his way in front of us. He was quickly yanked from the crowd, though. We loved Waterstock '06 and cannot wait to see what's in store for '07!
Darren	posted 6/23/06 5:14 AM     Tom...! You are the reason we keep doing what we do! Honest fan opinion...! We love you and hope to see you again! Muaw!
toms*cinderella*girl	posted 6/23/06 12:51 AM     Here are the pictures my hubby took! We thought we would share them with everyone. He really got some good ones! Let us know what you think.... http://waterstockrock.shutterfly.com/action/
Mark	posted 6/24/06 7:00 PM     Those pictures are outstanding TCG! Thanks for sharing them. For those keeping score we are one week closer to Waterstock 2007! :)

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