Local Bands Make Fine Declaration at Independent’s Day

IRVINE — The Independent’s Day ’94 festival Saturday at Irvine Meadows had to be one of the most imprudent rock concerts ever staged in Orange County. But in the end, anyone with a patriotic regard for the local grass-roots rock scene had to conclude that, all in all, it was a glorious Twenty-Second.

Mistakes, there were a few, and not too few to mention. But by doing things their way, the show’s two young promoters gave the Orange County punk and alternative rock scene a much needed shot of specialness at a critical time. Yes, the Offspring’s success finally gave Orange County rock a strong national profile this year, but back on the home front, with Bogart’s gone and not replaced as a central, professional-caliber venue, grass-roots bands have struggled to find a decent, high-profile stage on which to play.

Promoters Tony Cardullo and Jaime Munoz provided six such stages, temporary ones built on the concourse and walkway outside the main amphitheater at Irvine Meadows. They invited 75 unsigned or emerging independent-label bands to come play on them--none of them having a draw of more than a few hundred fans.

The promoters, whose company is called Taurus Enterprises, appear to have lost money on their bullish faith in the grass-roots concert market: They estimated near the end of the 12-hour festival that they had sold about 2,800 tickets, when they needed to pass 3,500 to break even (an additional 1,000 people, including all the musicians and their guests, got in free). But just pulling off an event of this scope was an achievement.

Against all odds, the sound and lighting were excellent, bands playing simultaneously in close proximity on stages placed back-to-back didn’t impinge on one another, the fans (most of them in their teens and early 20s) were, with a few scant and quickly dealt-with exceptions, a happy and considerate lot, and the show ran on time (even if it did run on and on and on).

Most important, for much of the marathon there was that refreshing sense of newness and unpredictability that can make a festival special. A lot of people had turned out to see a bunch of less-than-famous bands--a cross-section that by no means represented the artistic or commercial cream of O.C. alternative rock. That in itself was special, and the bands came through. The 57 that I sampled for at least one song all played with effort that suggested they viewed Independent’s Day as more than just another gig.

The day also had its lessons.

* Rock festivals, like work days, are best when they don’t go beyond eight hours. The rock segment of the show hit a palpable peak near the eight-hour mark, with back-to-back sets by Bitch Funky Sex Machine and One Hit Wonder. Bitch Funky laid into its heavy, Black Sabbath-meets-the-Chili Peppers set with impressive force and fury. As for One Hit Wonder, I may grow tired of writing glowing reviews about this splendidly aggressive and winningly catchy punk-pop band, but I doubt I’ll grow tired of hearing it play.

After that, it just got too late and too cold for most of the crowd, which thinned out drastically after 9:30. Spirited sets by the Crowd and the reliable Burnin’ Groove were highlights of the home stretch. Otherwise, hard-core punk and wrathful grunge, two styles over-represented on the bill, dominated the night hours of the show.

That made the KUCI-sponsored ska stage a welcome respite. Such bright, sharp bands as Larry (humorously dressed in matching Los Angeles Lakers basketball uniforms), Reel Big Fish, the Skeletones and See Spot kept the fans hopping happily.

See Spot’s easy-rolling blend of ska with traditional New Orleans jazz and Dixieland proved an especially helpful remedy for nerves frazzled by the rage and doom set. Also on the Jamaican-inspired list was Common Sense, which, when I could pry myself away from One Hit Wonder’s simultaneous set, offered trenchant, tightly played reggae.

* If you’re an emerging Orange County band and your sound doesn’t have much to do with punk or ska, you face an uphill fight for recognition. Two of the day’s best sets came from the roots-rocking Mystery Train and from Psychic Rain, which played a sharp and emotive brand of rock that had a bit of Elvis Costello, Graham Parker and Neil Young in it. Neither attracted much of a crowd, as the masses pursued more punkish fare on other stages. About 100 fans watched as Psychic Rain’s Greg Stoddard sang his heart out on the walkway stage, but hundreds more filed by without even slowing for a look as they made their way to the main concourse.

“At least if people walked by they can get a little taste of it, and that’s what it’s all about,” Stoddard said cheerfully after his band finished.

* If Liz Phair feels like an exile on the male-dominated Chicago scene she dubbed Guyville, she should check out O.C., where the female rock musician is a woefully rare bird. The vast lineup offered just one all-female band, Milk N Honey. Otherwise, the O.C. women’s club was, as far as I could tell, limited to one singer in the ska band called Larry, and a grunge bassist or two. A couple of Los Angeles bands were fronted by women singers: Human Waste Project (led by a charismatic, blond Courtney Love-type yeller) and the rap-metal act, Manhole.

Independent’s Day wasn’t gender-biased, but merely reflected a general lack of women playing rock in O.C. Only Gwen Stefani, the singer of No Doubt, and Kim Shattuck and Melanie Vammen of the Muffs come to mind as well-established female rockers on the local modern-rock scene. Country, folk, pop and blues--different story. But where are the rockin’ lasses?

* The day’s youngest bands bore the brunt of the festival’s only major mess-up. Because of a miscommunication, Munoz said, the stage set aside for high school bands was left without a sound system for several hours. Hence, bands could be seen lounging forlornly on the stage when they should have been bashing it out. Eventually, all the high-schoolers got to play, with the last two, Needless and Elvis Disciples, staying five hours past their scheduled starting times to get a chance to perform. Two fledgling bands I saw, Outlook and Dennis, already had a decent idea of how to shape a song and write a melodic hook.

*

There were various strategies for sampling the numerous options laid out on helpful program leaflets that gave a grounds map and accurate schedule of performances. Jennifer Johnson, 18, knew she wanted to see Outlook, which included friends of hers from Santa Margarita High School, and Common Sense. Other than that, she said, “I’ll just pick the (bands with) the best names.”

A large, friendly, gap-toothed skinhead named Colonel said he was there to see the hard-and-fast bands (HFL, the Grabbers and China White were favorite options for the hard-core punk set; the more melodic Gameface was another favorite of the punkers, and showed in a strong set that it has moved at least part of the way out from the shadow of Big Drill Car, its better-established sound-alike).

As for the non-punk stretches, Colonel said stoically, “I’ll deal with it.” Hours later, he passed judgment on the proceedings with a grin and a thumbs up. With punk available in most time slots, he didn’t have to deal with much else.

Matt Curto, director of operations at Irvine Meadows, gave the Independent’s Day promoters high marks for what he viewed as a trial run to see how they would function.

“They’ve done a very good job. I’d cut it down a bit next time.”

That part makes lots of sense and is easily done. What remains to be seen is whether Irvine Meadows and its regular promoter, Avalon Attractions, will do what they can to improve the chances for a successful sequel by sharing costs and assisting with promotional resources for an Independent’s Day ’95.

Just as it’s good ecology for lumber companies to plant seedlings in the forests they harvest, it’s good business, and simply a point of honor, for promoters who rake in big profits from the Orange County market to nurture the musical grass-roots as well.