Stapp plays through throat woes
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It might not have been scripted, but the women weren't all radio contest winners -- the crowd had been seeded with screened "fans," whose looks were as important as their allegiance to the music, in true television style. After all, the T-Mobile Rocks the Rock Concert was revolutionary -- the first ever, public rock concert on the legendary prison site. And like all good revolutions, it will be televised: coming to VH1 on November 5th.
After a week of on-again, off-again promises by Creed for the massive promotional event on Alcatraz -- putting television, radio and cell-phone execs in a tizzy -- in the end, the evening featured one of the strangest dual-headlining rock shows in memory.
Tuesday, after recurring throat problems sidelined the hyper-kinetic Stapp, Creed pulled out of its commitment to not only the radio winners flown in from across the country for the San Francisco concert, but to fans at multiple shows on its already rescheduled tour behind last year's Weathered. Wednesday, while in Dallas for a series of promotional appearances, the Wallflowers were contacted and booked to replace Creed.
"VH1 called and said the 'other group' had some issues and couldn't make it," frontman Jakob Dylan said backstage a few minutes before the Wallflowers' powerful forty-five-minute set. "After five minutes of figuring out logistics, we said yes and went out and had sushi. We're the first rock band to plug in at Alcatraz. There's a lot of things you do, just to say you did them."
Yet, by the time Dylan and his bandmates had touched down in a private jet at San Francisco Airport Thursday afternoon, Stapp -- against doctor's orders and reportedly with significant prodding from VH1 -- decided to honor the band's promise to play the show. And he and Creed rescheduled the Weathered tour for a third time this year.
"Us playing this show is only being made possible by me taking an anti-inflammatory shot known as Decadron," said Stapp in a statement. The group said that they were not being paid for its appearance on the Rock, which quieted the rumors swirling that Creed appeared only because of contractual obligations.
Regardless of how all came to be on the Rock for an event more than a year in the planning, the show came off flawlessly. A cold spitting rain that was hitting faces in the early afternoon disappeared soon before showtime, revealing cool clear skies. The radio winners from across the country were treated to free booze and dinner, and at 7:45 p.m., the Wallflowers took the stage, opening with "When You're On Top," the first single off their new album, Red Letter Days. Following it up with the muscular "Everybody Out of the Water," off the same disc, the band then ran through a string of hits including "One Headlight" and "The Difference" before closing with an unpolished, but ultimately successful cover of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding."
The sound mix, which was remarkably clear and crisp during the Wallflowers set, muddied up Creed's opening songs, though it didn't keep Stapp and his bandmates from raging across the stage. As the band kicked into "My Own Prison," with Stapp's requisite comment about the surroundings, the crowd began to lip-synch along with every tune, many holding cell-phones up throughout the concert -- less a nod to sponsor T-Mobile than a bit of ambiance for friends stuck at home. As "My Sacrifice" came to a close, the band said a quick goodbye and hopped the first boat for the mainland.