Bobapalooza: It Became a Legend…

After the success of the first Bobapalooza, there was actually demand for a second. To my great surprise (and more than a little gratitude) I actually had friends asking me when I’d be doing it again, and some folks were even planning ahead. Who was I to say no? And so… _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, here we are at last. Like the man once said, “Let the battle cry go forth: GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.” You hoped for it, you cried for it, by the ones and twos you demanded it, and now at last it’s back: Bobapalooza! Only this time, it’s 2012, and that can only mean one thing – Bigger. Louder. Faster. (Okay, that’s three things. This is music, not math.)

So here’s the deal: I’m looking for new music, and I’m hoping Facebook will provide it. Specifically, I’m giving all my Facebook friends the chance to get me to actually listen to all the music they’ve tried to expose me to over the years I’ve steadfastly ignored up to now.

So here’s how it works: imagine you’ve heard about a music festival coming to town, and on the list of bands is THE band. The one that makes you say, “I don’t care what the ticket price is, I will sell my own children if I have to, I MUST BE THERE.” Any band, any era, living or dead, still together or not. Pick your favorite song and post it to my Facebook wall, and please note that it’s for Bobapalooza 2012.

But wait, there’s more! Some of you may remember the Stage of Legends from 2011. It’s coming back this year, with a twist: this time, YOU get to decide! That’s right, not only can you nominate your favorite garage band for the main stage, you can nominate your favorite garage band from Seattle circa early 1990’s to be a Bobapalooza Legend!

Now the rules:

MAIN STAGE

1. You have to pick a band you would sit through the entire set. Not “I love this song!” I want “I love this band!”
2. Yes, you can post as many as you like, but really, how many bands are THAT good?
3. If you intend to post more than one, please don’t spam the feed (more than 10 bands a day from one person is a bit much. I do have a life. And see 1 & 2.)
4. If you post it I will listen to it, so please, be gentle.
5. Please note that this is a Main Stage entry.
6. Any band that made it to the show last year will not be considered for the main stage this year.

STAGE OF LEGENDS

1. All of the rules for Main Stage apply, only even more. I mean, think about 1 & 2 especially. These guys are supposed to be LEGENDS.
2. Testify! Tell me (and the world!) why you think this band deserves to be named a Legend. For an idea of the sort of thing I have in mind [insert shameless self-promotion here] look at the write up from Bobapalooza 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/notes/bob-bonsall/bobapalooza-2011-the-lineup/10150218756477042)
3. Any band that made it to the Stage of Legends last year will not be considered this year, however, Main Stage acts may still be nominated.

“Do, or do not; there is no try.” Once a band has been nominated for the Stage of Legends, they are no longer in the running for the main stage. The whole point of the SoL is to give a fair shot to lesser known bands. If you think your favorite band has what it takes to compete with the big boys, put ‘em in, but don’t hedge your bets. Go all the way or don’t go at all.

Starting June 15 I will decide who the winners are, and I will post my fifteen favorite bands for the main stage and the five act Stage of Legends (yes, I am heavily influenced by the sadly departed HFStival. Sue me.) I will also give credit to the first person who suggested them, so get in early for your shot at fame!

If you still have questions, please feel free to comment in this thread or on my Facebook Wall. Insightful questions will receive careful, well-thought out answers. Off-hand questions will get off-hand answers. Questions that prove you didn’t bother to read everything I already wrote will be met with shame and ridicule, not necessarily in that order.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

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The response was, if anything, even more overwhelming than the previous year. But don’t just take my word for it when you can… well, you can still take my word for it:

Bobapalooza 2012: The Lineup!

First I want to thank all of my wonderful contributors: Chuck Stewart, Corey Carpenter, Erin Wendt, Janet Currie Konigsberg, Jenn Stevens Booth, Jennifer Bonsall Zetlin, Kae Bieber, Leigh Bonsall, Matt Foster, Micah Stromberg, Mike Reinemann, Myke Harryson, Nayden Hitchev, RL Mirabal, Scott Soper, and Yillah Natalia. With over 100 acts to choose from, this year was amazing and wonderful, in terms of both talent and diversity. The truth is I could have picked at random and still had a great lineup, I had so many great acts to choose from, and I thank you all for that.

But that’s not what you came for. You came to see –

THE BOBAPALOOZA 2012 LINEUP!!!

Ahem. Sorry about that. I get a little excited sometimes. Anyway, let’s start with THE STAGE OF LEGENDS. While I had a lot of great acts to choose from, in the end I decided to go with the five acts that, for my money, have most changed the way that we approach music. Either directly or indirectly, through their influence they have made a mark on the world of music that is as lasting as it is undeniable. They are:

Bob Marley (nominated by Leigh Bonsall) – How do you know someone is a legend? Well, it never hurts to have even Eric Clapton covering their work. As Leigh put it, “He’s Known worldwide and started not only a music movement but a lifestyle.”

David Bowie (nominated by Kae Bieber) – Who is David Bowie? What year is it? This man raised self-reinvention to an art form before most of us even knew who we were the first time. Kae nailed it when she said “he is a music and writing genius, gets hotter with age and he’s not a shabby actor either.”

Michael Jackson (nominated by Scott Soper) – The King of Pop. Over the course of a tragic and tragically short life MJ defined and re-defined pop music again and again. Like the legendary phoenix, he became even more renowned after his passing, and as Scott noted, ” if dying is the best thing he ever did for his career, is that not the definition of a legend?”

The Cure (nominated by Janet Currie Konigsberg) – They may not have created goth rock, but they defined it, mostly by refusing to be defined by it. The Cure have always had a distinct, unique sound, that Janet sums up best: “A band like the Cure often goes overlooked when speaking of legends, yet are loved by many and have often played a huge part in many Gen X’ers lives. They came on the scene over 30 years ago and honestly, you couldn’t suck cool air in the 80’s or 90’s without taking in some of their particles. The best part? They still sound amazing today! The Cure: the band that made you want to slice your wrists, yet kept you from doing it simply because you wanted to keep listening.”

N.W.A. (nominated by Scott Soper) – Ice Cube or Dr. Dre could make a run for the Stage of Legends all by themselves. Add in Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, as well as an album that changed not only the way we view music but arguably had a major impact on society as well, and this was an easy pick.

And now, the MAIN STAGE! I expect this one to be even more controversial than the Stage of Legends. I had to turn away a lot of great bands, some because they just weren’t to my taste (hey, it’s BOBapalooza), and others because there are only fifteen places on the stage and I couldn’t put everyone up there I wanted to. But enough hedging. Here’s the lineup you’ve been waiting for:

Gorillaz (nominated by Corey Carpenter)
Silversun Pickups (nominated by Kae Bieber)
Amadou and Mariam (nominated by Yillah Natalia)
Rancid (nominated by Jenn Stevens Booth)
Lindsey Sterling (nominated by Leigh Bonsall)
The Band Perry (nominated by Erin Wendt)
The Airborne Toxic Event (nominated by Matt Foster)
Manchester Orchestra (nominated by Janet Currie Konigsberg)
Grimes (nominated by Mike Reinemann)
Deadmau5 (nominated by Erin Wendt)
Fun (nominated by Leigh Bonsall)
Glen Hansard (nominated by RL Mirabal)
Muse (nominated by Matt Foster)
Foxy Shazam (nominated by Micah Stromberg)
Adele (nominated by Erin Wendt)

Thanks everybody, and we’ll see you again next year!

Come back tomorrow for the Official Bobapalooza 2012 Playlist™, and Friday for the big Bobapalooza announcement you’ve been waiting for!