Rock ‘n’ roll is good for mental health.
Just ask Jason McMaster, frontman for the ’80s hair metal band Dangerous Toys. He offered his opinion on the subject from the stage Sunday, June 12, of the Orange Loop Rock Festival inside the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.
“My therapist says if I put the microphone down, I’m a (blanking) angry son of a (blank),” McMaster said. “I think my life sucks without you guys in it, and without a microphone in it. Get I get a (blanking) amen? Amen for mental health because I need help!”
The crowd heartily obliged, and Dangerous Toys then tore into their set-closing song, “Scared.”
Stone Temple Pilots, Hoobastank, Puddle of Mudd, LA Guns, Treach from Naughty by Nature and more performed mostly hard rock with a grungy influence and hair metal on two stages Sunday, the final day of the three-day fest.
Treach was the wild card. He rocked amped up versions of the Naughty by Nature classics on the Showboat’s Bourbon Room stage. The spot was the former main stage for the House of Blues before it closed.
“I got to rock out tonight,” said Treach as he took off his sweatshirt to reveal a Rolling Stones ’75 North American tour T-shirt.
His walk-out music was “Summer Breeze,” seemingly paying respect to the recently departed James Seals of Seals and Croft.
The fest was basically a hometown show for Stone Temple Pilots, as members Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo are from Point Pleasant. Their fest-closing set gained momentum as they played their alt-rock classics, including “Vasoline,” “Big Bang Baby” and “Sex Type Thing” with frontman Jeff Gutt.
Original frontman Scott Weiland, and his replacement, Chester Bennington, both passed away. Gutt has been in the band for the last five years or so.
“This is one of my favorite STP songs,” said Gutt while introducing “Plush.” “I’m just like you — I was a fan before all this.”
Gutt is a former contestant on “The X Factor” and lead singer for the band Dry Cell. His voice has similar range, and the tattered soul stylings, of the late Weiland. He looks like him, too.
“This is a great lineup, seeing the ’80s and ’90s bands together,” said Chris Hallett, 50 of Northborough, Mass., of the fest. “We see a lot of ’80s things and a lot of ’90s things, but this is one of the few that get the ’80s and 90s bands together. You don’t see Stone Temple Pilots with L.A. Guns.”
L.A. Guns played a loud and raucous set on the festival Beast Stage just before STP took the stage in the main room.
“Any alcoholics out there tonight? How about perverts? Any pervs out there?” said L.A. Guns frontman Tracii Guns to cheers while introducing “Sex Action.”
When not rocking, fans had plenty of diversions at the Showboat, which traded out the gambling games for arcade games, pinball machines and more.
“I wish the go-karts would stay open so I can race them later — they look awesome,” said Katie Di Pietro, 28 of Vernon.
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Hallett made the trip to the Showboat primarily for Dangerous Toys.
“They’re the least-known best band here,” Hallett said. “I proposed to my wife on stage at one of their shows.”
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There were no proposals during the Dangerous Toys set on Sunday, yet a proposal was made during the Hoobastank set in the main room.
Overall, the crowd of approximately 2,000 on Sunday liked what they saw. They came in all shapes, sizes and ages, from a young woman with a T-shirt that read “Music and Sex” to senior citizens with canes. The proceedings were moved inside for the weekend due to the threat of inclement weather, organizers said.
Chevelle, Hinder, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Great White, Slaughter and more played on Saturday, June 11, and tribute bands were featured on Friday, June 10. Four thousand, five hundred attended over the three days, according to a festival rep.
Sunday even included a tease for the upcoming return of the Bamboozle Festival, which is coming in May of 2023 from Orange Loop show producer LincStar Events at an undisclosed location: Boozle the clown rocked out to AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” just prior to Treach’s performance.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
