For the past ten years, the Bamboozle festival has summoned everyone from My Morning Jacket to Lil’ Wayne to perform in the Garden State. And this year is no different,as the Bamboozle has once again put together an impressive repertoire of artists that represents a wide range of genres.
Foo Fighters, Skrillex and Bon Jovi are scheduled to play the main stage on May 18, 19 and 20 respectively at the New Jersey festival where they will be supported by alternative stalwarts Incubus, Blink-182 and the Bouncing Souls.
This year, to celebrate their tenth anniversary, the festival will return to where it all began in Jersey shore city of Asbury Park, a city that has seen
major rejuvenation after being economically suppressed for the last 30 years.
The return to Asbury has really sparked the excitement of festival founder John D’Esposito.“The great thing is that we’re not confined to a parking lot,” said D’Esposito referring to the Giants Stadium parking lot where the festival has been held for the past six years.
“These artists wouldn’t have confirmed to play if we were in the parking lot because these artists could fill Giants Stadium. We’re stoked that we’re going back home and trying new things.” One of the most anticipated performances of the weekend will be by the dubstep king Skrillex who first got his feet wet at the Bamboozle back in 2009.
Many festival-goers will be hoping and wishing for material from his long awaited first LP Voltage at his performance on Friday which will be one of his first shows in the United States in 2012.
Performing in the 80’s nostalgia slot this year, past performers include Bret Michaels and Motley Crue, will be Bon Jovi. The hair metal veterans and Jersey
natives are not supporting a new record so a “greatest hits” kind-of set will be expected. Their last album, The Circle, was released in 2009.
The Foo Fighters on the other hand are a band that perfectly fits the original archetype of a band that would have played in an early incarnation of the festival,
an alternative group that leans toward a classic rock sound with a punk ethos thrown into it. They will continue to support their uber-successful 2011 disc Wasting Light by the time they hit the main stage in May.
Among the others performing on nine stages including the renowned Asbury Park Convention Hall will be Mike Posner, The All-American Rejects,
DJ Pauly D, Jimmy Eat World, Boys Like Girls, Mac Miller, ASAP Rocky and dozens more.
Due to limited parking, Bamboozle officials and D’Esposito have stressed the use of mass transit to reach the festival site. If you are coming from New York City, take NJ Transit from Penn Station on the North Jersey Coast Line to the Asbury Park station. A ten minute walk from the train station will get you to the main stage.
What started as his canvas to fill a void that other festivals failed to capitalize on, D’Esposito’s festival has turned into one of the most eclectic and respected festivals in the country. But what will really satisfy him is when the first band begins to play because of all of the “haters” who doubted him.
“People would always say that Asbury would never be ready to put on something this big,” said D’Esposito. “But now that all of the politicians and
business owners are on board, now was the best time to do it.”
