#4

Well... the Rolling Stone entry form was all sorts of fucked up, so I didn't get my entry for this week in. But I wrote it, so I might as well share. Tell me this wouldn't be the sickest concert:

Picture Randall’s Island, located in the East River, outside of Manhattan, New York, filled with music lovers of all ages. Welcoming the Summer Solstice, the fans are gathered with tents, coolers and sunscreen for three days of music. The first day includes Bedouin Soundclash, Rx Bandits and 311. Incubus closes the first night. The second day includes Action Action, Long Beach Short Bus and Queens of the Stone Age. Audioslave closes the second night. The final day starts off with Gruvis Malt, Kings of Leon and The Raconteurs. The Red Hot Chili Peppers end the show, but not before all of the bands that can fit up there on stage start banging away to The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”

Awesome as it stands, this isn’t any old straightforward Rock n’ Roll show. The fans and bands are gathered for The Tribute among Friends, a three-day festival promoting unity and harmony through music. The artists don’t only talk the talk… they also sing the song.

At Tribute, the band onstage pays respect to other bands playing the festival. How does this happen? When Incubus takes the stage, they don’t only play their hits such as “Wish You Were Here” and “Pardon Me.” They play Audioslave’s “Like a Stone,” 311’s “Beautiful Disaster” and The Chili Pepper’s “Blood Sugar Sex Magik.” Audioslave plays Incubus’ “Make Yourself” and QOTSA’s “Do It Again.” And it just might happen that when The Chili Peppers are covering Audioslave’s “Cochise,” Tom Morello jumps out on stage to tear up the guitar solo. So it goes: Rock n’ Roll idols paying Tribute to their contemporaries. Unity in its most rockin’ form.