Bamboozle: the beast of the east

With the recent announcement of the Coachella 2011 line-up, Southern Californians and people all over the country have shown great enthusiasm for the event, which will begin on Apr. 15 and go for three full days.

However, there is another festival, that also makes a big impression every year, and it is called the Bamboozle Music Festival.

Held at The Meadowlands Sports Complex the first weekend of every May, this event has grown in size every year. It started out with humble beginnings in Asbury Park, New Jersey as a mainly alternative rock festival going by the name of the Skate and Surf Festival. In 2003, the organizers made the move to the Meadowlands Complex, changed the name to the Bamboozle Festival, and thereby cemented their concert event as one that could garner national attention and international travel every year. As the festival has evolved, so too have its headliners.

This year, the festival will again continue its trend of getting bigger and more diverse names to end the days properly, with appearances by rapper Lil Wayne, classic rockers Motley Crue, and R&B artist Bruno Mars alongside a multitude of alternative rock bands on the bill. Other performers include Taking Back Sunday, The Gaslight Anthem, Anberlin, New Found Glory, the reunion of Gatsby’s American Dream, and A Day to Remember.

Over 100 bands and comedians are expected to perform starting on Apr. 29 and ending May 1 and this rock-n-roll circus of sorts is set to attract perhaps its largest crowd yet. Of course, there are plenty of mediocre bands on the line-up that patrons will have to endure to see their favorites, but that is the case with any music festival.

After all, if people are not enjoying the music, they can just flock to the popular carnival rides including a Ferris Wheel that offers a view of the New York City skyline.