EVERETT – This wasn’t just a taste.
It was an all-you-can-eat buffet.
The “Taste of Chaos” punk rock tour hit the Everett Events Center on Saturday night, bringing nearly six hours of virtually nonstop music to an eager teenage crowd that only wanted more.
Julie Busch / The Herald
Eyeliner, hair dye, and black T-shirts were the order of the day among the mostly under-age crowd of about 6,500 that started trickling in when the arena doors opened at 5 p.m.
Most of the seats were empty, though, because the event was general admission. About three-quarters of the crowd was crammed into the front half of the floor. The tightly-packed bunch pushed and pulled, resembling a wheat field blowing in the breeze. More often than not, a crowdsurfer with arms and legs spread was being passed toward the front of the mass, with about a dozen security guards there awaiting the landing.
Bellingham duo Idiot Pilot unleasehed the fury just after 5:30 p.m., although tickets listed the show time at 7, with a rousing four-song set that only a couple of thousands were fortunate enough to catch.
That started a string of chest-thumping bass, raucous drums, screeching guitars and full-throated screams from bands that included A Static Lullaby, Saosin and Bleed the Dream.
The interactive event had fans trying out new video games, getting autographs and entering contests in the concourse.
Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson of Idiot Pilot were among the performers signing CDs, shirts and body parts, among other things.
Caitlin Beebe, 16, of Bellingham had the pair sign one her black sneakers.
Because there was no place to put the second stage that the tour usually employs, it became a roughly 10-by-10 platform next to the main stage.
It was all the same for the fans, though, who were saved the running back and forth from one spot to another. Second-stage bands also got the chance to play to a larger crowd than they likely would have seen otherwise, filling time between acts on the main stage and leaving gaps of mere seconds between each group.
While the evening was already chaotic by most standards, it was about 7:30 when Killswitch Engage singer Howard Jones demanded that fans get serious about their night. The most hard-edged band of the bunch proceeded to thrust 30 minutes of metal into 13,000 ears.
Senses Fail kept it moving with a rapid-fire set of eight songs in 30 minutes.
My Chemical Romance had its share of fans who sang along happily with its hits, “Helena” and “I’m Not OK.”
The Used started its 55-minute set with three songs from its new “In Love and Death” album, “Take it Away,” “Listening” and “I Caught Fire.” But singer Bert McCracken drew some big cheers when he asked fans if they wanted to hear some old stuff. The band mixed in “The Taste of Ink” and “On My Own” from its 2002 self-titled debut into its eight-song set.
McCracken didn’t win over any fans among the security guards, who were enforcing a no-moshing rule Saturday. He ensured the chaos continued through the end of the night, saying, “We’re gonna play the hardest song we ever wrote, in hopes of getting each and every one of you kicked out.”
With that, the band launched into “Sound Effects and Overdramatics,” and about five distinct mosh pits opened up, with arms flailing and bodies bouncing from side to side. The crowd remained intact and was treated for it.
My Chemical Romance joined The Used on stage and performed a remarkable rendition of “Under Pressure,” originally recorded by Queen and David Bowie, with McCracken and MCR’s Gerard Way volleying the vocals.
It was a perfect ending to a night bursting with pressure, and a kind nod to some legends of rock.
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455, or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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