Category Archives: Music

ROCK THE BELLS: Technical difficulties make for strange Wu-Tang set

Wu-Tang Clan headlines at at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on Sept. 8, 2103. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

Wu-Tang Clan headlines at at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on Sept. 8, 2013. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

One of the most hyped sets of the weekend at Rock the Bells’ kickoff date at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore hit a sour note Sunday night due to technical difficulties.

Headlining act Wu-Tang Clan was joined by a virtual version of late member ODB. The group’s last performance with ODB was at the original Rock the Bells at the National Orange Show Events Center in 2004. He died a few months later.

On Sunday night, Wu-Tang was the closing act on the main stage for the festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

The band came on stage a little bit late , but as soon as they appeared, the hands of thousands of fans went in the air and the palms made a “W” shape.

The group had the crowd going with his such as “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta … Wit” and “C.R.E.A.M.” and about a half dozen other songs before technical difficulties cut the backing track.

At first, Wu-Tang member Method Man tried to improvise, freestyling.

Method Man performs onstage with Wu-Tang Clan at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on Sept. 8, 2013. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

Then, when the backing track was still down, he became more agitated.

“This … don’t happen at rock ‘n’ roll concerts,” he said.

His ire rose and he growled, called out fest founder Chang Weisberg from the stage and threatened to leave if things weren’t fixed soon, ODB hologram or not.

Fellow Wu-Tang Clan member The RZA tried to put the situation in perspective, citing the group’s own computer going down, explaining that there was a lot of technical equipment involved for the virtual performance.

When the music came back, it sped up and Method Man got angry again and suddenly it was time for the hologram. Like Saturday night for Eazy-E, a stage lowered from the ceiling. The RZA tried to get everyone to summon ODB by chanting his name like in the lyrics to the song “Method Man.”

“If you say it loud enough I think he might appear,” The RZA said.

And then, he did. Dressed in an orange shirt and jeans, the wildest member of Wu-Tang appeared and started performing “Shame on a …”

Wu-Tang Clan performs with a virtual ODB Sunday, Sept. 8 after technical difficulties at Rock the Bells. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Unlike Eazy-E’s virtual performance, which was understated, ODB, moved around, leapt, danced from side to side and flailed his arms.

His son, Young Dirty …, who was the model for the hologram, joined him on stage to perform “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.”

After that, ODB was gone and a three-dimensional Wu-Tang Clan logo floated and spun in his place while the group started “Duel of the Iron Mic.”

After ODB disappeared, some fans started to head toward the exits. The events from before the hologram stole the thunder from what could have been a truly memorable performance for the right reasons.

As far as onstage tantrums go, Method Man only ranks number three on the list of those I’ve personally witnessed. Sly Stone’s epic meltdown at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival back in 2010 is still number one, followed by Shelby Lynne’s profanity-laced tirade at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival back in 2008.

ROCK THE BELLS: Deltron 3030 is out of this world

Deltron 3030 performs during the Rock the Bells Festival in Devore on Sunday, Sept. 8 ,2013. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

The most interesting act at Rock the Bells is likely Deltron 3030. Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala were backed by not only a full band, but a string section, a brass section and backup singers.

As the sun set over the hills of Devore, Deltron 3030 took us n a journey to outer space.

Kid Koala showed up on stage first, looking the most modern of the trio, wearing a baseball cap and a T-Shirt as he manned the turntables.

Dan the Automator, on the other hand, was looking fancy with a tuxedo jacket (with tails) as he conducted the musicians on stage as well as the crowd.

Del looked the most like he came from outer space, wearing a blue helmet with a visor and reflective sunglasses behind it. He also sported a white track jacket and cargo shorts, but those were way more Earth-based.

Fun fact: Deltron 3030 had the most women on stage at Rock the Bells. I counted nine between the backing vocalists and musicians.

A good chunk of the set was dedicated to material on a forthcoming album, the long-awaited “Event 2,” due out Oct. 1.

One of the new tracks, “Nobody Can,” required crowd participation.

“Deltron is our hero, if he can’t save us nobody can,” Dan the Automator taught the crowd.

Another highlight of the new material was “Melding of the Minds,” which features Zack de la Rocha, of Rage Against the Machine fame, on the hook. Sadly, he didn’t appear on stage as a surprise guest, but to be fair, the stage was already really crowded.

However the highlight of the set is the closing song, Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood.” (Both Dan and Del have been part of Gorillaz.)

LIVE COVERAGE: Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater

Kendrick Lamar performs on stage at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on Sept. 7. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

I’m back at San Manuel Amphitheater for the second day of Rock the Bells.

You can follow along with me on Twitter at @vanessafranko or here.
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ROCK THE BELLS: Behind the scenes for Eazy-E

A worker checkes the lighting for a hologram performance for this weekends Rock the Bells concert on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 in Devore. (Stan Lim/Staff Photographer)

I’ve been fortunate enough to cover a number of special events and festivals during my tenure at The Press-Enterprise, but I had the opportunity to do something really special on Friday night–I spent the evening being a fly on the wall, or in this case, on the field, for the final preparations in advance of Rock the Bells’s San Bernardino kickoff.

I want to extend a very special thank you to Guerilla Union for allowing us to tell an infrequently-seen part of the story. This is the second blog about the behind the scenes experience. You can also see Stan Lim’s photos from behind the scenes over at PE.com. You can also read about Eazy-E’s performance with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony here at the Audio File.

We started to gather around 8 p.m. on Friday night, posting up along the back barricade of the VIP pit in front of the main stage at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore where thousands of fans would be standing Saturday night.

The stage floated down and a test pattern appeared as workers spent hours testing and tweaking lights and more.

Suddenly, the N.W.A. classic “Straight Outta Compton” played over the speakers at half-volume. The house lights are still up, but the magic is getting closer as security comes by to lock up the phones of the lucky people watching.

Before the show, at festival founder Chang Weisberg’s final pre-fest meeting with the staff, the head of Guerilla Union warned the staff not to take photos. It is all about the element of surprise for the fans. He also directed them on how to work with the staffs behind the technology.

“The hologram team are kind of like headliners,” Weisberg said.

By 9:10 p.m., the house lights are off and 20 minutes later, we get our first sounds of Eazy-E. The “Whassup L…” is cut off before he can finish the A for Angeles. Eazy-E’s widow, Tomica Wright, has come down to the pit, noting that she hears that familiar voice.

Next up are the bone rattling tests of various frequencies, the low-end version of the high pitches that drive dogs crazy. The vibrations shake the stage where Eazy-E will perform so the technicians calibrate the sound. It feels like I’ve been swallowed by a sonic whale or it could be a weird scene out of “Lost.”

Chang Weisberg, founder of Rock the Bells and head of Guerilla Union, watches as a crew sets up the stage while Chris “Broadway” Romero, V.P. of Animation and R & D for Play Gig It, works on his computer as they prepare to test a hologram featuring the late Eazy-E from NWA, the evening before the concert on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 in Devore. (Stan Lim/Staff Photographer)

At 10 p.m. we see our first hologram on the stage, a woman with long blonde hair twirling and dancing. Those watching a few people down from me joke about her signature moves as she dips and bends.

About 20 minutes later, the dancer is gone and Eazy-E is in her place. Two workers stand next to the hologram in order to size him appropriately. I can’t help but think of Mike Teavee in the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” after he travels through Wonkavision.

Weisberg, who has been working with the family and AV Concepts and Play GIG-IT to bring this to life over months, watched the hologram on the big stage.

“Oh my God, there is Eazy…E,” he said.

He and Wright walk around the pit in front of the stage, examining Eazy-E from every angle and taking notes.

Meanwhile, DJ Yella, who was in N.W.A. with Eazy-E, steps on stage to rehearse “Straight Outta Compton” and “Boyz-N-The Hood” with the hologram.

At this point, the three dozen or so people in the pit move closer to get a better look at the performance.

This isn’t like Tupac Shakur’s hologram at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival–Eazy-E isn’t as static. He’s moving and performing and interacting.

Soon, Eazy-E’s protégés, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, are on the stage to rehearse. Weisberg said they had been practicing in a theater with holographic capabilities, but that it was not as large as the stage at San Manuel Amphitheater.

Bizzy Bone asks that someone take a picture so he can post it on Instagram. But with the no camera rule for the night, he accepts the promise that someone will snap one for him on Saturday.

After running through “Foe Tha Love of Money” with the hologram, Wright suggests that Bizzy and Krayzie Bone swap places as to not interfere with the hologram. Bizzy moves around more on stage.

They practice again and again in preparation for Saturday night’s performance.

And after Kid Cudi finished his Saturday night set to end day one of the festival the work started all over again, this time preparing for ODB’s performance with Wu-Tang Clan on Sunday night.

ROCK THE BELLS: Kid Cudi’s cave closes out day one

Kid Cudi wrapped up day one of Rock the Bells’ Los Angeles area date, but before he emerged from a cave-like structure on the stage, the crowd heard some ground rules first.

Kid Cudi wouldn’t allow pictures at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore, so here is a poor drawing of his stage set instead. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

Rule No. 1: No pictures or video of Kid Cudi’s performance allowed.
Rule No. 2: No throwing things onto the stage.
Rule No. 3: No pushing and shoving
Rule No. 4: Keep partying alive? (I think that’s what I heard, but it seemed way more Andrew W.K.)

I kept expecting number five to be “The fifth rule of Kid Cudi is to never talk about Kid Cudi” a la “Fight Club.”

I’m not sure about rules 2 through four, but number one was definitely broken by everybody and their cell phone. However, I squashed my inner rebel tendencies and instead of snapping a forbidden picture of the cave that could have belonged to an Austin Powers super villain, I drew the stage instead (see right and see why I write instead of draw).

The cave was the predominant structure on stage. Rock shards shaped like obelisks lined the front of the cave. At the top of the cave there was a large white circle, with black concentric circles with dots and the outline of a man drawn inside. I have chosen to recreate that man with a stick figure. Kid Cudi even had a little row of low rocks in front. It was like a white picket fence fit for a caveman. Or, with the celestial space theme going on the screens, maybe it was a space cave?

Anyway, when I saw the stage, I had no idea what to expect when Kid Cudi appeared outside of it, but he was wearing a black ringer T-shirt with white 3/4 length sleeves with Pink Floyd on on the front of it. His pants were black leather with white panels and weird zippers on them.

As he moved around the stage, opening with the song “REVOFEV,” I kept noticing how wide and bright his smile was, which then just made me more confused about rule number one.

I heard him do “Down & Out” and “The Soundtrack to My Life” before I started making my way to the door to beat traffic and rest up for a second day of Rock the Bells fun, in which I might just speak to everyone in Wu-Tang Clan and ODB song titles.

I’ll be back here tomorrow and if I can get a signal, you can follow me on Twitter at @vanessafranko, too!

ROCK THE BELLS: Kendrick Lamar strikes up the band

Kendrick Lamar told everyone to pull out their cell phones and they obliged. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Kendrick Lamar rocked Rock the Bells.

As part of the collective Black Hippy, Lamar had a huge solo set backed by a real live band.

Black Hippy, made up of Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab Soul and Jay Rock, had the penultimate set on the main stage for the opening day of Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore.

I missed the beginning of the set while I was working on my Bone Thugs-N-Harmony/Eazy-E article, but fellow journalists told me Ab-Soul started the set and brought out guest star Danny Brown. I caught the very end of Schoolboy Q’s set, but didn’t see Jay Rock at all.

Kendrick Lamar performs on stage at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on Sept. 7. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Then it was time for Lamar, who brought energy and was one of the most dynamic performers at Rock the Bells I’ve seen in a while. He jumped in the air, played to the audience and most of all–just nailed his performance.

Highlights included “M.A.A.d City,” “…Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Swimming Pools.”

He encouraged the audience to have a good time.

“This is your moment to let this…go,” Lamar told the crowd.

ROCK THE BELLS: See photos of Eazy-E, Tech N9ne and more

Rock the Bells kicked off its 10th anniversary on Saturday with the first of two days of music at San Manuel Amphitheater.

The big news of the night was Eazy-E’s virtual performance with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but there was plenty of action earlier in the day, too, with artists including Tech N9ne, Jurassic 5 and Fontana’s own Hit-Boy.

Click the link to see photos from Rock the Bells or click on the photo below.

Tech N9ne performs at the Rock the Bells Festival in Devore on Saturday, September 7, 2013. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

We’ll be back out there again tomorrow for Wu-Tang Clan, J. Cole and more.

ROCK THE BELLS: Hit-Boy’s homecoming with Audio Push

Hit-Boy, a Fontana native, performs at Rock the Bells Saturday, Sept. 7 at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

Rock the Bells had some Inland love on its lineup Saturday when Chauncey Hollis, a.k.a. Hit-Boy, took the Hip Hop DX stage mid-afternoon.

Hollis let everyone know where he is from repeatedly throughout his set, with a number of shoutouts to the Inland Empire.

“I’m really from right down the street,” he told the crowd.

Before he became a mega-producer for artists like Jay-Z, a performer in his own right and a label owner, Hollis, who grew up in Fontana, attended the festival as a fan.

” This …is a dream being up here,” he said.

RELATED: See photos from Rock the Bells

Wearing a black and gold jersey that had his name and the number 87 on the back, Hollis bounced around the stage.

He talked about being on tour all summer and bringing the music of the I.E. around the world.

Hollis also reiterated his many projects and noted he wasn’t just a producer or a performer, but also run his own label, HS 87.

With that, he brought up Roosevelt and later the Inland Empire’s own Audio Push.

Hit-Boy and Audio Push perform Saturday, Sept. 7 at Rock the Bells. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

The Inland duo stayed on stage with Hollis for the remainder of his set, debuting new material from their new release, which Hit Boy produced, “Come As You Are,” which drops on Tuesday.

The set continued with Hit-Boy and Audio Push running through some of his most famous beats, including tracks from Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar. A fellow writer described it as hip-hop karaoke.

ROCK THE BELLS: Eazy-E joins Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on stage

Eazy-E appears in hologram form on stage with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at Rock the Bells on Saturday, Sept. 7 at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. (David Bauman/Staff Photographer)

Glen Helen Regional Park, the site of the Us Festival and birthplace of Ozzfest made music history again on Saturday, Sept. 7 when Eazy-E appeared on the stage at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater.

The return of Eazy-E happened on what would have been his 50th birthday, summoned by the music of his protégés Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and N.W.A. bandmate DJ Yella.

RELATED: See photos from Rock the Bells

Midway through Bone Thugs’ set, they welcomed DJ Yella onstage and in an instant, Eazy-E appeared in hologram form on the middle of the stage, flanked by his protégés. Cell phones lit up the crowd as people tried to capture the special moment.

A hologram of Eazy-E appears on stage with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at Rock the Bells at San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Eazy-E greeted the crowd before going into verses of N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” and his solo hit “Boyz-N-The Hood.” He also performed on Bone Thugs’ “Foe Tha Love of Money” before disappearing.

Beyond Eazy-E, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s set was well-received by the crowd. They first reunited at Rock the Bells a few years back and are currently celebrating their 20th anniversary.

They came out to the stage to the “We were getting high,” line from Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova,” which was playing repeatedly.

Highlights from the set included ” Days of Our Lives,” “East 1999” and set closer “The Crossroads.”

ROCK THE BELLS 2013: A peek behind the scenes

Chang Weisberg, founder of Rock the Bells and head of Guerilla Union, speaks with his crew members the evening before the concert on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 in Devore. (Stan Lim/Staff Photographer)

I’ve been fortunate enough to cover a number of special events and festivals in my tenure at The Press-Enterprise, but I had the opportunity to do something really special on Friday night–I spent the evening being a fly on the wall, or in this case, on the field, for the final preparations in advance of Rock the Bells’s San Bernardino kickoff.

I want to extend a very special thank you to Guerilla Union for allowing us to tell an infrequently-seen part of the story. This is the first of a handful of blogs about being behind the scenes at Rock the Bells.

At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, the seating bowl and lawn are empty at San Manuel Amphitheater. A Ferris wheel stands lit on the far reaches of the expansive lawn, but it sits motionless, awaiting the tens of thousands of hip-hop heads headed to Devore for the kickoff of the 2013 run of Rock the Bells.

With less than 18 hours to go before the gates open to the masses and Rock the Bells officially starts its 10th anniversary celebration, festival founder Chang Weisberg addressed his team for a final meeting before the show.

“The site looks incredible,” he told the four dozen or so staffers gathered under a permanent pavilion backstage.

RELATED: See photos from Rock the Bells

The music festival, put on by Weisberg’s Pomona-based promotion company Guerilla Union, is back at San Manuel Amphitheater for the first time since 2011 and is hosting more than 50 performers, including Kid Cudi, J. Cole and A$AP Mob, in addition to very special performances by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Wu-Tang Clan that will revive late hip-hop legends Eazy-E and ODB, respectively.

Weisberg calls on various members of the Guerilla Union staff during the Friday night run-through, and they provide information on the logistics of the weekend, like where to pick up golf carts, checking out radios and when breakfast is served for staff.

He makes it a point to note his appreciation for the staff as well.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Weisberg said.

He reminded the staff of the heat and the long days ahead and reminded them to stay hydrated. He urged them to drink a couple of bottles of water on Friday night.

“I want everyone to be safe,” he said.

As the meeting wound down, Weisberg reflected on how someone compared him to a bride with Rock the Bells cast as the wedding day.

“At the end of the day, the bride is the fans,” he said.

After the meeting ends, the staffers return to tasks such as working on credentials, awaiting a contest winner and getting the stages set for the performances that are yet to come.