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Rockin' the pasture
from: journalstar.com
by L. Kent Wolgamott
photo by Michael Paulsen/mp Lincoln Journal Star
It was plenty hot at Comstock Rock Saturday. The official high temperature at Broken Bow, the nearest town of any size, was 93 degrees and there's no shade to be found at the concert site.
But that didn't stop festival goers from having fun, whether they were swimming in the nearby Loup River, cooking up salmon on a gas grill in the camping area or sweltering in the sun to catch the first bands of the day.
When photographer Michael Paulsen and I arrived shortly after 4 p.m., UFO, whoever that is, was on stage, finishing its set with a Spinal Tap worthy number titled " Rock Bottom."
But Saturday night's primary acts were two 80s bands that remain relevant today -- JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS and Cheap Trick.
Eric Sardinas, a frequent visitor to the Zoo Bar, had the 6 p.m. slot and took the brunt of the heat. I was wandering the grounds, talking to people and checking out the festival. So I didn't see much of his set. But his blues/rock guitar was clear as a bell a quarter mile or more from stage, back amongst the campers where breakfast was being cooked and much beer consumed.
I watched Jett's set from the back of the stage. There's always something thrilling hearing the roar of several thousand people coming at you and it's illuminating to watch the band and its music connect with the audience.
There was much dancing during Jett's show, some thrusting of arms into the air and, in a couple cases, breasts flashing. Given the plethora of Mardi Gras beads around womens' necks and based on the conversations I had earlier in the day, that kind of flashing is pretty commonplace at Comstock Rock.
Despite the heat, which made everyone a sweaty mess, Jett and the BLACKHEARTS tore through a 75-minute set. For me, the highlights were a pair of songs that will be on an album to be released this fall. The tunes were pure Jett, coming right from the heart of rock 'n' roll. I can't wait to hear the record.
As would be expected, the biggest cheers from the crowd came during the opening riffs of " I Love Rock 'n' Roll." But the tight, propulsive set connected throughout.
By the time Cheap Trick took the stage at 9;30 p.m. the sun had set and things started to cool off a bit.
But it still had to be hot for the sharply-dressed men from Rockford, Ill. --- singer Robin Zander in his white suit and hat and guitarist Rick Nielsen in an all-black ensemble.
The darkness also meant that the big video screens on each side of the stage were visible, projecting giant images of the Tricksters to the crowd, which grew to 8,000 or more in the area in front of the stage.
Bashing their way through three decades worth of hits with flair and humor, Cheap Trick did themselves proud. That's no surprise, the band played 200 shows last year -- they're very good at what they do.
Like Jett's, their music remains fresh and vital. There were no dinosaurs to be found at Comstock Saturday -- just a couple helpings of real rock 'n' roll and a bunch of people having a very good, if very sweaty time.
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