I arrive at The Meadows Music Theater around 11:45 AM. Radio 104 Fest is set to start at noon. The clouds overhead look ready to burst at any minute. This would be a shame because half of the performances and many of the activities take place outdoors. From outside the venue, I hear “Spaz Jack,” a local band that won a spot in the festival in a battle of the bands contest.

The set up is much the same as it was for Big Day Off III, (see AMZ November 1997) except today there is only one substage. There are plenty of food venders, a tattoo booth, and a ramp for skateboarders and in line skaters to show their stuff. I wander into the entryway of the theater where there’s a T-shirt stand and more food venders. “The Mighty Mighty Bosstones” won’t be on the main stage for little while.

At this point “Smokehouse Prophets,” should already be playing on stage two, but they’re still setting up, so I head back to the main stage. Shortly after I take my place at the base of the stage to shoot pictures, the Bosstones come on stage, jumping right into their act. Since I’m not a big Bosstones fan, I snap a few pictures and head back to stage two, where "Smokehouse Prophets” are playing. They blend reggae and rap with good vocals and a base line that’s excellent. The band and the audience are both having fun. The crowd is pretty small, though. The lead singer points out that the bands on stage two are representing the indie labels.

After "Smokehouse Prophets," "Bond" prepares to take the stage, though about forty minutes later than the schedule says they're supposed to be there. “Third Eye Blind’s” album is playing over the amps. At the same time, I can hear Frank Sinatra playing in the theater as “Harvey Danger” sets up.

When “Bond” finally starts playing, I find that my guess was correct. “Bond” is a reggae band from the UK; they are definitely very cool. The crowd here is large for stage two and it’s obvious many of them are already fans. Their first song is about mass murder. It simply blows me away. Their next two songs, the single from their album and a song about fashion and Yoko Ono are just as good. I’m going to have to check out their album some time. It’s tough to pull myself away to check out “Harvey Danger.” Much of the “Mighty Mighty Bosstones” crowd has left for parts unknown. Most people are seated again, which is a shame because “Harvey Danger” has a lot of energy. I can’t stay long, though. I have to head over to stage two again for “2 Skinnee J’s.”

From the very first song there is chaos on stage. The two rappers, J. Guevera and Special J are all over the place. They jump around like madmen, sharing the rap, bouncing it back and forth. Instrumentally the same thing is happening. Sometimes the keyboard carries the song, sometimes the bass or lead guitar.

They fly right into the song, “Whammy!” It’s an out of control, quirky song. The crowd is loving this! The energy they produce is infectious, making it impossible to stay still while they play. This band is an explosion on stage. “Wild Kingdom” is up next. It’s one of my favorite songs and sounds just as good live as on the album. I watch as J. Guavera jumps off the stage and into the pit, diving at the barrier and reaching for his fans. They shake his hand and grab at him, as he continues his fierce rap. Through the pandemonium produced by the band, A. J. Stumpy Johnson just stands there smoking and drinking a beer, a counterpoint to the chaos.

Guavera shouts into the crowd, “2 Skinnee J’s is not a mosh band!” They don’t want any of their fans getting hurt. The band jumps quickly into its fourth song. A lot of the people in the crowd know the songs and sing along. They slow down long enough for an announcement. “K’s Choice” missed their plane and won’t be able to play at 4:00 as planned. “2 Skinnee J’s” have been asked to take their place on the main stage. The audience cheers them on, as the indie band moves up to the big leagues. They play “(718),” a song about changing phone numbers and neighborhoods. Keyboard player, The Spice, puts down his strap--on keyboard for a while, picking up a trombone. At the end of the song, drummer, Andy Action, flings his drumsticks out into the audience.

When they finish the set, the boys look exhausted. It’s obvious they put every ounce of themselves into their show. We all know there is more to come at 4:00, so no one is upset by the shows end. Some of the band members break down the instruments, while others pull T-shirts and other souvenirs out of a box to sell to the fans. People line up to shake their hands and buy the items. The Spice wraps his long hair, wet with sweat, in a towel. Something striking about this band is that they don’t fit the rock star stereotype at all. They don’t look like stars, but it would seem inevitable that they will be. Each of them contributes to all facets of the show from packing and unpacking to selling shirts.

I push my way back through the crowd toward the theater, planning to watch them set up from back stage. As I enter the stage area, I see drummer, Andy Action setting up his drum kit on a platform. In contrast to what went on  at stage two, the band has help from stage crew here. They slide the platform on to the stage behind the curtain. “Fastball” is just finishing a song. They begin to play their hit single, which means this is probably their last song.

Things slow down for the audience as they leave the stage, but backstage flies into high gear. The stage crew pulls the “Fastball” drummer’s platform back stage. They push Andy Action's drum kit into place. “Fastball” packs their instruments away while “2 Skinnee J’s” set theirs up. Taking a seat in the pit with the other photographers, I wait for them to begin. They hit the stage with as much energy as before.

The J’s launch into “The Good, the Bad, and the Skinnee.” The crowd here is much larger; their response to the band is just as enthusiastic. One thing is certain: you can’t get bored at a 2 Skinnee J’s show. It’s hard to take everything in because they provide a constant state of sensory overload. I’m realizing now that I’m right about the acoustics being bad in here. It was much easier to hear the words of the songs at stage two in the parking lot. I’m trying to figure out what the second song is, but I can’t catch any of the words. The third song I recognize instantly, though. It’s “Pluto,” one of my other favorites from the album. The refrain is unmistakable as they sing, “Pluto is a planet. . .” During the fourth song they go into overdrive, singing “Jump up, jump up!” They jump around like jackrabbits, but they keep on playing. They’ve reached a frenzied energy level now!

The crowd cheers! It must be getting pretty hot for the rappers on stage. The two J’s take off their shirts. During all of the chaos, A. J. Stumpy Johnson is still just standing there drinking beer and smoking. One wonders how he can remain so calm and quiet. Even I’m having trouble staying still with their irresistible beats. Finally, it becomes apparent that he won’t stay still for the whole show. With much fanfare, A. J. Stumpy Johnson is introduced. The rest of the band begins chanting to quirky music, “Strut your stuff!” Johnson comes to the front of the stage and begins to dance. He removes his bright pink jacket. Johnson “struts” for quite a while as the band plays and urges him on.

“2 Skinnee J’s" closes out the set with “Organic Machine.” The refrain
repeats, “These are not the J’s you’re lookin’ for.” At the end bass player, Eddie Eyeball drags his bass by the neck around the stage. Andy Action throws his sticks into the audience again. These guys really put on an awesome show!

“Pure” is nearly finished on stage 2, but I manage to catch their last song.
I’m wishing I didn’t miss most of their set because they sound really good.
The lead singer stands on an amp, picks up a bottle of water, drinks it and
proceeds to spray the crowd with it. A band called “Rustic Overtones” plays in the vending area near the skateboard ramp. They’re an interesting band, playing instruments that were obviously purchased in thrift shops and rummage sales. They’ve been playing on and off all day.

“Cherry Poppin’ Daddies" are back on the main stage. There are eight band members in all. They have a horn section with two saxophones and a trumpet, guitar, bass keyboards and drums. The lead singer just sings. There are people dancing even in the back rows. They have some strong guitar parts in their songs, but the brass section is drowning them out. I’m thinking the problem is the acoustics again, which seem to be muddling everything together. They play the hit single off their album. These guys are excellent performers.

I make my way back to stage two to see if “K’s Choice” might have arrived by now. They haven’t, but a three piece band, “Guster” is playing. This band sounds fantastic, so I stick around. They’re from Somerville, Massachusetts, but the drummer is a local boy, originally from East Hartford. “Airport Song,” that is slated to be their single, is up next. Great harmonies blend with the rhythm and lead guitars and drums beautifully. Another album I’m going to have to sample! They play a song from their first album followed by a new song, “Happy Hour.” The two guitarists trade lead and backing vocals back and forth depending on the song they’re playing. Both singers are good. Though they don’t sound alike, their voices blend well. Some of the guys from “2 Skinnee J’s” are in the audience listening. The band plays, “Parachute,” from their first album. It’s obvious they’re enjoying making the music as much as the audience is enjoying them.

I notice a crowd forming to my left. The guys from 2 Skinnee J’s are signing autographs again. They’re signing girls’ arms and shoulders, or whatever else they’re presented with. These guys just don’t quit! Their efforts are paying off too. Their CD sold out at the record store booth.

Back on the main stage, “Soul Asylum’s road crew is setting up. Dr. Judy, of Love Phones fame, is standing off stage, waiting to introduce the band. There are so many photographers here, it’s tough not to trip over them in the pit. There’s a stationary video camera at the right of the stage and a mobile cameraman on the right. Finally, “Soul Asylum,” is ready to come on stage. Dr. Judy does the honors as the band begins to pick up their instruments.

Many of the seats, whether close or far from the stage, are empty. There
isn’t much excitement in the audience or on stage for most of their show. A few people stand up, probably the die hard “Soul Asylum” fans. It’s finally starting to get dark out, so the stage lighting  can get more creative. For their last song, Pirner, discards his guitar and moves to the edge of the stage. He’s just singing now. A few more people start to get into the song. While the instruments play, Pirner dances around a lot when he isn’t singing. My impression is that he’s not really into it either.

“The Action Girls.” are up next. A bank of lights lowers to the floor. When the rigging rises again a few moments later, three oriental rugs have been added as a backdrop. A smoke machine billows fog across the stage. Roadies unroll two more oriental rugs at the edge of the stage. The lights finally go down in preparation for Scott Weiland’s entrance.

They open with the STP song “Tumble in the Rough,” perfect to get the
audience’s juices flowing. It’s completely dark now, so the lighting is
awesome. Next up are “Opposite Octave” and “Desperation #5.” Weiland glares out at the audience, making me wonder if this is feigned anger for effect or if it’s real. Either way he’s a great performer with an intense stage presence. They roll right into the single, “Barbarella.” “The Action Girls” sound great! They aren’t Stone Temple Pilots, but they don’t have to be. During an instrumental part of the song, Weiland dances slowly around the stage, feet shuffling, his hands behind his back, fingers moving back and forth together. It’s creating an uneasy edge of the seat kind of tension. His discarded cigarettes make trails of smoke at the edge of the stage, adding to what the smoke machine is producing. Most people are on their feet by now. Everyone is really into the show.

Weiland opens his black vest during the song “Lady.” There are two white
flashing lights on each side of the stage. The guitarist also plays keyboards on the song. Weiland picks up a pair of maracas to play over his head. They seem mostly a prop, because I can’t hear them. He backs up slowly, then struts toward the edge of the stage. They play “Where’s the Man” followed by STP’s “Vasoline.”   The drummer sings backing vocals on this show stopper of a song. These guys are every bit as good as “Stone Temple Pilots!” Weiland picks up a tambourine during “Mocking Bird.” I see him almost crack a smile, but he manages to stop it and slip back into his steely glare. The drummer sings backing vocals again on “Cool Kiss.” They close the show with STP’s “Piece of Pie.”

There’s supposed to be another band, “Propellerheads,” but as Weiland and “The Action Girls”  leave the stage, everyone gets up to leave. It doesn’t really look like anyone else will play; it’s 10:00 PM. I decide to make my exit as well.