With this year's Bamboozle Festival boasting its most eclectic lineup yet, your friends here at Punknews saw fit to craft a guide of sorts to Asbury Park's biggest party. We're cool like that. Here's a list of must-see acts for Sat., May 19. Doors are at 2 p.m., so bring your dancing shoes. Check back tomorrow for a preview of Sun., May 20. As for the Friday show… go see Skrillex. I hear he's big with the kids.
Anti-Flag
The guys in Anti-Flag are super good dudes who just so happen to rip through some tasty, angry politipunk tunes. Last time I saw them in concert, Justin Sane saved a kid who was having an asthma attack. This time, the life they save could be your own! Or, ya know, not. âJoe Pelone The Dear Hunter
Opulent rockers the Dear Hunter just played an epic show at the Somerville Theatre where they performed the entirety of 2011's nine-EP, 36-song The Color Spectrum. So if there's a deep track from one of those conceptually colorful EPs you wanted to hear, go see their set and try shouting it out. At the very least, frontman Casey Crescenzo has no "We didn't practice that one!" alibi. âBrian Shultz Foo Fighters
By the time Foo Fighters take to the main stage at the end of Saturday night, they'll probably be the only band playing. So your choice would be to either beat the traffic leaving Asbury Park, or let your final set of the day be taken over by arguably the most consistent "singles" band of the last two decades. I'll probably be doing the latter, but hell, you should at least watch them play "Everlong" before you high-tail it home, right? One of their concerts alone is usually more pricey. âBrian Shultz Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music's first tri-state appearances in some time really culminate with their sold-out show at the Blender Theater at Gramercy with Iron Chic and Daytrader the following Monday. But we take it you probably don't have a ticket to that, in which case you should get over to whatever stage HWM might be appearing on Saturday and join the rare sect of Bamboozle with beards, beer guts and button-up plaid shirts and holler along to punk classics from the last 15 years like "Rooftops" and "Wayfarer"--as well as get a nice sampling of how the tracks off their new album, Exister, fare live. âBrian Shultz Jimmy Eat World
Can you believe Bleed American is over 10 years old? Me either! This band isnât one for stage banter, but you can rest assured theyâll use all their time playing the songs we love. Itâs going to be a really great moment when Davey von Bohlen of the Promise Ring joins them on stage for "A Praise Chorus." Someone take pictures for me. âKira Wisniewski Less Than Jake
Everything gets better when you sprinkle in some Less Than Jake. You get ska. You get punx. You get songs about Johnny Quest and Pez. They could exclusively play material from any one of their albums (well, maybe not In With the Out Crowdâ¦) and it would be the best, clam flammit. âJoe Pelone Powerglove
Hells yeah Powerglove! Video game metal all up in your stupid face! This is basically what it sounds like in the brains of 12-year-old boys across the United States of America. Better brush up on your air guitar and get ready to button mash like a mid-level boss.âJoe Pelone The Promise Ring
Letâs be honest: so many of these bands in this lineup owe at least a little bit to the Promise Ring. No one does Midwest emo quite like they do. Davey and the boys may have gotten a little older, but these reunion shows have been nothing short of absolutely delightful. Itâs sweet, sweet nostalgia that just tastes so good. Letâs just all hope they play "Red Paint" while youâre drinking (to to two) cherry cokes. âKira Wisniewski The Protomen
I almost donât want to hype the Protomen, because this retro â80s power rock band works best as a WTF surprise jam. Combining Survivorâs energy with Meat Loafâs bravado, the Protomen (un?)ironically have the rockinâ chops to make you come alive. The idea that this band will share space with the Dear Hunter and My Children My Bride has me very, very excited. âJoe Pelone Boysetsfire
Boysetsfire comes out of the woodwork for another set of reunion appearances. The last time I saw them it was a raucous time at the Studio @ Webster Hall, with the crowd going apeshit for the post-hardcore heroes. It should be interesting to see them back at a festival setting in the U.S. where they used to dominate these sort of circuits. They seemed to have as much energy as ever at that show, so I take it they'll be ripping a bigger stage here to shreds yet again. âBrian Shultz