Date: Aug 20th, 2011
Line up: Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, and Shwayze & Cisco Adler
Location: Sunset Cove Amphitheater, Boca Raton, FL
What: Seedless Summer 2011 Tour
The parking lot of the Sunset Cove Amphitheatre was buzzing as the mass of young (and young at heart) surfer kids moved towards the main entrance. The air was heavy with excitement and everyone had some extra pep in their step. It may have had something to do with the beer can in hand, but who am I to judge?
I knew it would be packed since tickets were “no longer available” on Ticketmaster and Slightly Stoopid’s Facebook page was loaded with “any extra tickets?” posts. Some of my friends even opted to stay home, too afraid to take the chance that they wouldn’t be able to find tickets. But I found out later they were still selling them at the door (maybe I shouldn’t tell them that part!).
The security at this place was insane. You would have thought we were trying to cross the border or adopt a Chinese baby instead of doing something so completely harmless like sitting on the grass and listening to music. We had to make two lines; girls in one and boys in the other. Everyone had to have the contents of their bags out in hand, and were then patted down. Even the girls wearing hardly any clothes with, obviously, no places to hide anything were searched. I was able to escape this, thankfully. Sometimes, it’s downright good to be press!
I hope the security came through and found something real like a bomb instead of a couple joints because they cost me the opening act: Schwayze. I was pretty bummed but with Rebelution on stage, it’s hard to stay that way for long.
Miles and Kevin from Slightly Stoopid both made short appearances on stage with Rebelution and you could tell these guys were like one big family. And with eight shows still remaining (and over a dozen behind them) on the Seedless Summer Tour, they kind of have to be.
Rebelution played one of their new songs: “Sky’s the Limit.” It starts off with a rolling guitar solo and transforms itself into an upbeat dance tune with a catchy horn line. An instant hit, for sure – “Sky is the limit, get out of my way, you can’t bring me down.” Those young girls really go crazy for Rebelution, and with good reason.
Much to the protest of the audience, they ended their set at around 8:45pm with “Baby That’s All I’ve Got.” Between sets the DJ kept the crowd moving by playing some classic Sublime and Bob Marley tunes and it wasn’t long before the backdrop was changed and Slightly Stoopid took the stage.
Miles got everyone on their feet as he asked, “How you feelin’ South Florida?” They started with a short instrumental and transitioned into one of my favorites: “Officer”. By now, the sun had gone down and all the blankets that were once spread nicely on the lawn were either crumpled up or being danced on. The sound at the Sunset Cove Amphitheatre was amazing and you could hear every instrument perfectly. From the horn section to the bongos, every note fit snuggly with the next.
I made my way up to the stage to get some pictures and it was great to see one of my favorite bands up close. It’s amazing to watch Kyle and Miles switch back and forth between bass and guitar with such ease. I was trying to keep a set list but between being so close you could feel the bass radiating from the speakers and watching the security guards take down crowd surfers, I got a little excited and lost track.
Towards the middle of the set, a fan rushed past security and started dancing on stage. The security guards were right behind him but the kid gave them a run for their money as he danced around Miles and Kyle for a few more seconds before being escorted off stage. I almost felt lucky to be a part of it all. When I made it back to the lawn and told my friends what happened, they had no idea.
The boys picked up the pace and went through some of their big hits like “Somebody,” “Jet Plane,” and “Fat Spliffs.” At one point Kyle pulled out a blunt and lit it up right on stage. After taking a few big hits, he passed it off to some lucky guy in the first row. It may have pissed off the security guards but the fans were going wild. Maybe it’s different for you guys in California, but we just aren’t used to seeing people smoke in public unless it’s ducked down in a dark concert.
Then, they brought up a very special guest. The man himself: Don Carlos. He strolled out on to the stage in a full suit and performed his legendary hit “Pass Me the Laser Beam.” He was nothing short of amazing and I only wished he performed longer. I would have liked to see an entire set from Don Carlos. But, a little dose is better than none at all.
By now it was almost 10pm and the crowd was getting drunker and crazier by the second. The boys on stage must have sensed this because they went into one of their punk rock tunes, “Questionable.” As soon as the song started there was a surge in the crowd and everyone was pushed back a good ten feet as a mosh pit broke out in front of us.
The mood of the entire show changed so quickly and after one more song, Slightly Stoopid snapped back to their mellow vibes and played “Collie Man.” After all that excitement Kyle must have thought it was a good idea to light up another blunt and pass it back to the crowd again.
I overheard one excited fan next to me say “That’s so cool! It’s like we’re hanging out with them!” and it’s true. That’s exactly what it felt like. Miles took a minute between songs to tell the crowd, “Thank you, Boca! Every time we come back it just gets better!”
At the very end of their set they brought Schwayze on stage and I was glad I would at least get a little glimpse. He did a little Jay Z rendition – “It’s, about, to go, down Got six model chicks, six bottles of Crist’, Four Belvederes, got weed everywhere” – and the show was over. I tried to make it out of there before the hoards of people started packing up their dirty blankets and heading for the exit. And as we were leaving I heard the boys playing an encore and wished I stuck around for a few more minutes. But, I decided I had my fill and would have plenty to talk about on the ride home and for days to come.
– Article & Photos by: Ashley Allred
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