 Dan Estrin |
 Doug Robb |
 Chris Hesse |
Review and Photos by Terry Mayer
The MTV Campus Invitation Tour 2004 wrapped up its series in Whitewater, Wisconsin last Thursday night with a whimper rather then a bang. With Ima Robot, oh wait they canceled last minute, well lets continue with The Lost Prophets, oh wait, they canceled as well. But, not to worry MTV managed to find last minute substitutes in Muzzy Lucton and The Pipe Circus, WHO?Has anyone every heard of these guys? Doesn't matter - you probably will never hear of them again. Muzzy was forgettable with no stage presence and had no defined musical direction. The songs meandered and ultimately got lost in its own confusion. The Pipe Circus, a six-piece fusion funk band based in Whitewater, was better, but not by much. Their attempt at Chili Pepper funk was weak by comparison. Their musical signature is one of safeness and conformity.
Hoobastank - or in a word Hoobastunk (Hoobastink is acceptable when you see them live) quickly took to the stage. Markku Lappalainen (bass), Dan Estrin (guitar), Chris Hesse (drums) and Doug Robb (lead vocals) came out to the rabid cheers of the crowd, but after the debacle of the first two acts - anything would have been an improvement. "No Moshing" signs were posted up all over the place with local law enforcement patrolling the crowd. The kids stayed on their best behavior. That is until lead singer Doug asked why no one was moshing - then proceeded to tell the fans to ignore the signs and the police and go ahead as they played "Out of Control." Why not? Divert their attention to make the music sound better. "What Happened to Us," which should force the band to take a deep, long look in the mirror, and "The Reason" were played with tepid enthusiasm. While Robb is capable of singing with emotion - he must've left his feelings with his accountant. Some newer songs off of The Reason had more distinguished guitar riffs and choruses then their earlier work, but wasn't enough to carry the show. Hoobastank's music, while sometimes laden with infectious hooks, sounds pretty much the same. Apparently, they found a money-making groove and have no desire (or fear) of ever escaping the mold and venture into new territory.
The concert was laden with generally poor performances by suspect performers. You know the concert is hitting a low point when the highlight of the evening is the free t-shirts they tossed out in between sets.