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Sven, Rob, and I slept in late. When I awoke, Sven was already up, showered, and watching the Live 8 concert. He told me I was just in time to see Green Day. MTV was on a commercial break, so I jumped up, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and came back. Next, I packed a bowl and pulled the old Wake & Bake maneuver. Soon, my head was in a happy place.
I was excited. This was going to be a memorable day. We would be seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer play the Giant FREE Las Vegas Centennial Celebration concert.
I sat in awe and watched Green Day do an amazing version of Queen's "We are the Champions" that brought goose bumps to my skin. It was THAT GOOD! Billie Joe sang his ass off! I was dumbstruck. Even Freddie Mercury would have been proud of the performance Billie Joe turned in.
I don't care what you think; Green Day is a good band. I'm not saying they are the Paradigm of Punk; they are by no means close. (Hell, Green Day's major Pop-Punk blue print was Pete Shelley and The Buzzcocks…) But before Green Day got big, lots of people loved the band. Then of course, once they got some major recognition, it was everyone saying they sold out. Their commercial stuff for a while was a bit disappointing, but they were and still are talented musicians.
We continued to watch the Live 8 concert on MTV as we got ready to go to the show. I hopped in the shower and by the time I got out, Rob was awake. He got motivated and hopped into the shower. We rolled a couple of fat joints and popped them into my cigarette pack and soon, we were ready to go. I ate a heroic dose of mushrooms and we were on our way.
We hopped a bus, got the five dollar all day pass and began our trek out to the soccer fields at UNLV for the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration. The show was originally supposed to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, but one hundred and fifteen degree temperatures and blacktop don't mix, so the show was moved to the grassy UNLV Soccer Fields. The bus brought us right out to where we had to go.
Sin City KNOWS how to Party and gave away 50,000 FREE tickets for the July 2nd show.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the most respected bands in Rock with good reason. They are known worldwide. They have platinum albums. And they just plain ROCK! Up to the date of this show, it was The Chili Peppers' only listed show for the year. I hadn't seen the Peppers live since Woodstock '99. That show was literally a riot. This show would be just as intense. If you are going to have the Peppers play, you need an opening band that can rip it up as well. Las Vegas knows how to put on a show and got Weezer, currently one of the most popular bands in America. Every show on Weezer's tour is SOLD OUT... including this one for 100th Anniversary of Las Vegas! From their popular "Undone (The Sweater Song)" and the catchy "Buddy Holly" to the newest hit "Hollywood Hills" Weezer has a knack for writing cool songs that really hook you in. I had never seen Weezer play before and was looking forward to this performance. With the exception of the global Live 8 concert, this show promised to be the HOTTEST party in America! We arrived at the show and got in line enter. There was no shade and we had to wait for a while. We could hear a band beginning to play inside, but could not distinguish who it was. After we got inside we found out that The Adolescents were the opening act. I went ballistic! I wish we had known that they would be the special guests. We would have gotten to the venue much earlier. I love The Adolescents and had not seen them since the Inland Invasion II concert with the Sex Pistols.

Sven, Rob, and I picked a place to meet up after the show in case we got separated. Then we wandered around for a while checking out the vendors and the food places in our hike towards the stage. The mushrooms were really kicking in at that point. I was pretty spacey, seeing trails, and having a blast. I felt like a balloon as we walked around.
The Camel cigarette company had several cool "Oasis" tents with water misters. There were dancing girls in bikinis under showers outside and air conditioning inside. We went in to check it out. They offered two free packs of smokes if you took their survey, so we all did it. Yay! Free smokes Rock! That would save us a chunk of cash for the day!
They also had cheap beers in their tent. After free smokes and a few drinks, we took off. Rob decided to go look for Bill while Sven and I went towards the stage. As we walked around, I shot photos of everything.
As we neared the stage, we saw that the area in front was fenced off. We queued up to go into the closed off area. We were given bracelets as we entered. The number of wristbands was limited. Once they were gone, no one else would be allowed into that area. We could see as we approached that the security guys were nearly out of bracelets.
Sven and I were lucky enough to get in. Rob was not so lucky. We did not see him again until the end of the show.
I only got to see a few of the bands songs, but what I heard sounded great. I got about a dozen distant photos of The Adolescents as they were doing their last few songs. The pictures are nothing to write home about, but at least I got something.
Some people, who obviously had NO IDEA who this band was, were shouting for them to finish up and get off the stage. They were making me mad. I didn't want to ruin my killer trip, so I just chalked it up to their ignorance, and said nothing.
The Adolescents are one of Southern California's best-loved hardcore bands.
Their original lineup was only together briefly, and the majority of their limited discography was actually recorded during a late-'80s reunion. Nonetheless, their impact was an enduring one.
Along with Agent Orange and Social Distortion, the Adolescents helped in defining the blueprint for Orange County punk.

They were replaced by Sandy Hansen on drums and the Agnews' younger brother Alfie on guitar. This lineup recorded the comeback album Brats in Battalions, which was eventually released in 1987 on the band's own label. Alfie Agnew departed for college, to be replaced by Dan Colburn. After touring for most of 1987, both Colburn and lead singer Cadena tired of the band and left as well. Rikk Agnew and Steve Soto decided to share lead vocal duties and keep the band going. They recruited new guitarist Paul Casey, who left a few months later. He was replaced by a returning Frank Agnew.
In 1988 The adolescents signed with Triple X and recorded the album Balboa Fun*Zone which won some praise, but deviated from the group's trademark style. The Adolescents broke up in April 1989, this time - for all intents and purposes - for good. Triple X issued the split LP: Live 1981 and 1986 as a capstone.
Soto, Hansen, and Frank Agnew formed Joyride, which released two albums in the early '90's. Rikk Agnew resumed his solo career and also toured with Christian Death's reunited original lineup. Also in the early '90s, Cadena, Royer, and Rikk Agnew started performing together as ADZ, releasing an album together in 1995. The Adolescents occasionally pop up from time to time to do shows such as the Inland Invasion II concert with the Sex Pistols in 2003 and the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration.
The Adolescents finished their set and the roadies began to set up for Weezer.

During the break, Sven and I met some cool kids, and this nice couple named Eric and Elizabeth. We chatted with them for a while and went to get drinks. We returned just in time for Weezer, one of the most popular groups to emerge out of the post-grunge alternative rock scene. The band received equal amounts of criticism and praise for their hook-heavy guitar pop. Weezer drew its influences from bands like Cheap Trick and The Pixies, and combined their melodies with doses of '70s metal learned from bands like Kiss.

What truly set the band apart was their geekiness. None of the members of Weezer, especially leader Rivers Cuomo, were conventional rockers. As a result, their music was infused with a quirky sense of humor and an endearing awkwardness that made songs like "Undone (The Sweater Song)," "Buddy Holly," and "Say It Ain't So" into big modern rock hits during 1994 and 1995. The singles were helped immeasurably by clever videos, which may have made the songs into hits, but they also made many critics believe that the band was a one-hit wonder. Rivers Cuomo began to feel the same way, and decided that the band would not rely on any visual gimmicks for their second album, 1996's Pinkerton. The album didn't sell as well as their 1994 eponymous debut, but it did earn stronger reviews than its predecessor.
Rivers Cuomo, the band's primary songwriter, was originally raised in Massachusetts. He moved out to Los Angeles to go to college in the late '80s. During high school, he had played with a number of metal bands, but once he arrived in college, he became interested in alternative and post-punk music.
By 1993, he had formed Weezer with bassist Matt Sharp and drummer Patrick Wilson.

Over the course of the next year, they played in the Los Angeles club scene, eventually landing a record deal with DGC.
Three days before the band began recording their debut with producer Ric Ocasek (formerly of The Cars), they added guitarist Brian Bell. Upon completing the record, Weezer went on hiatus temporarily. Cuomo was studying at Harvard when their eponymous debut record came out. With the support of DGC and a striking, Spike Jonze-directed video, "Undone (The Sweater Song)" became a modern rock hit in the fall of 1994, but what made Weezer a crossover hit was "Buddy Holly."
Jonze created an innovative video that spliced the group into old footage from the sitcom Happy Days and the single quickly became a hit, making the album a multi-platinum hit as well. By the time the album's final single, "Say It Ain't So," was released in the summer of 1995, the group had gone on hiatus, with Cuomo returning to Harvard. During the hiatus, Cuomo became a recluse, disappearing at Harvard and suffering writer's block.

When Weezer reconvened in the spring of 1996 to record their second album, Cuomo had written a loose concept album that featured far more introspective material than their debut. Ironically, the band sounded tighter on the resulting album, Pinkerton. Released in the fall to generally strong reviews, the album failed to become a hit, partially because Cuomo did not want the band to record another series of clever videos.
Reluctantly, the remaining members of the band contented themselves to being a supporting group for Cuomo, largely because each member had their own solo project scheduled for release within the next year. DGC, however, had the band make one last chance at a hit with "The Good Life," but by the time the single was released, MTV and modern rock radio had withdrawn their support not only to Weezer, but their style of guitar-driven punk-pop in general. Shortly after the tour in support of Pinkerton was completed in 1997, it appeared as though Weezer had fallen off the face of the planet.
Stung by the public's initial dismal reaction to their sophomore effort, the band once again took time off to regroup and plan their next move. Discontented with the sluggish rate of the reassessment period, Sharp left the group to concentrate more fully on The Rentals, fueling rumors that Weezer had broken up.
But a funny thing happened during Weezer's self-imposed exile…

The stage was set and soon Weezer was rocking. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic. Having never before seen Weezer, I was ready to hear what the hype was all about. I had heard their music on the radio and it was pretty good stuff, but their live performance was great! The crowd loved it. We sang along to the hits and had a great time. I lit up a half joint and smoked it, enjoying the lift in my buzz.
As Weezer played, the sky grew darker. By the end of their performance night had official set in.
The lights from the stage, combined with the hallucinogenic properties of the mushrooms and the buzz of the weed, set my head to wandering and I really enjoyed the effects.
After Weezer, I wandered around to check out the rest of the area, find a men's room, and get another drink. It really was really hot, about 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and we had to keep drinking lots of water so we wouldn't dry out. A spring water company was giving out free water all day, as much as you wanted.
It was great! They weren't charging three or four dollars a bottle; they just gave it to you!
I drank a bunch of water and then found the men's room. I had drank a lot of water that day… a lot. So, after my pit stop I felt much better. I even stopped for a few minutes to pet the horse of one of the mounted police that were riding around keeping order. I made my way back towards the front and met back up with Sven. He took a turn looking around and getting a drink. Moments later he was back.

Sven and I sat on the grass for a while to relax. We chatted with Elizabeth and Eric. He invited us to the club he worked at called The Beach. He gave us four VIP passes that would waive the cover charge and get us each a free drink. We said we would see if it was possible.
We stood back up as the field lights dimmed and the stage came to life. The crowd went wild as the Red Hot Chili Peppers came onto the stage.

Few rock groups of the '80s broke down as many musical barriers and were as original as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band created an intoxicating new musical style by combining funk and punk rock with an explosive stage show.
The Chili Peppers spawned a slew of imitators in their wake, but still managed to be the leaders of the pack by the dawn of the 21st century. The band was formed by Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary, and Hillel Slovak, while they attended Fairfax High School in the late '70s/early '80s.
Balzary played trumpet and Slovak showed great musical promise on guitar. Kiedis focused on poetry and acting. During this time, Slovak taught Balzary how to play bass, while the duo encouraged Kiedis to start putting his poetry to music. The trio was influenced heavily by the bands of the up-and-coming Los Angeles punk scene such as the Germs, Black Flag, Fear, Minutemen, X, etc, as well as funk bands like Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly & the Family Stone.
The trio began to rehearse with drummer Jack Irons, leading to the formation of a group that played strip bars along the sunset strip during the early '80s. It was during this time that the quartet honed their sound and live act. The band began using a stage gimmick that would soon become their trademark - performing on stage completely naked, except for a tube sock covering their genitals.

By 1983, Balzary had begun going by the name "Flea," and the group changed their name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Word spread quickly about the band, and they soon signed a recording deal with EMI. But, before the Chili Peppers could begin work on their debut, both Slovak and Irons announced that they were leaving to focus more on another band they were in. The Peppers released their self-titled debut in 1984 with replacement members Jack Sherman on guitar and Cliff Martinez on drums. The group began to build a dedicated underground following with college radio buffs. In 1985, Slovak and Irons returned to the Peppers, resulting in the album: Freaky Styley, which was produced by the one and only George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic fame.
Their next album, 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, was the group's first to make an impression on the charts, and they followed it up a year later with The Abbey Road EP, in 1988. Later that year, tragedy struck when Slovak died from a heroin overdose on June 25th. After Slovak's death, Irons left the group for the second and final time. Although Anthony Kiedis was fighting his own battle with drug addiction at the time, he and Flea decided to soldier on.
After a new lineup consisting of former Parliament guitarist Blackbird McKnight and former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro didn't work out, the duo found worthy replacements in newcomers John Frusciante and Chad Smith. The revamped Chili Peppers were an immediate hit.
Their first album together, 1989's Mother's Milk, became a surprise hit due to MTV's exposure of their videos for a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" and a song about their fallen friend Slovak, entitled "Knock Me Down." The album was certified gold by early 1990.

In September of 1991 the Peppers worked with producer Rick Rubin and released Blood Sugar Sex Magik, their first recording on the Warner Brothers label. It spawned such hits as "Give It Away" and the group's first Top Ten single, "Under the Bridge." Blood Sugar Sex Magik would become the Chili Peppers' most successful release yet, going on to eventually sell seven million copies in the U.S. alone.
In 1992, the band was once again plagued by personnel problems when John Frusciante became addicted to hard drugs, and abruptly left the band. The Peppers enlisted new member Arik Marshall, and headlined Lollapalooza II in the summer. When the band returned to the studio to work on their sixth release, it quickly became apparent that Marshall didn't fit in, and was replaced by former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. After a hiatus of four years, the much-delayed One Hot Minute was released in 1995. While the album was a sizeable hit, it failed to match the success of its predecessor. It became obvious during the album's subsequent tour that Dave Navarro wasn't working out. He left the band in early 1998.
After Frusciante had left the group, he released a pair of obscure solo releases, yet rumors circulated that the guitarist was on the streets, destitute, and ailing with a death-defying drug habit.
After checking into a rehab and putting his demons behind him, Frusciante emerged once again re-focused and re-energized, and promptly accepted an invitation to rejoin the Peppers once more.

Tours with the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam brought them through the year 2000 without problems.The Peppers holed up in the studio in November of 2001. By the summer of 2002 they had a new album ready to drop entitled By the Way. The following tours were well-received by the bands fans and it was easy to see and hear why. The Red Hot Chili Peppers performance was nothing short of Rock & Roll perfection. From their opening notes to the closing, the band shredded their way through what was practically a Greatest Hits show. Anthony Kiedis sang his ass off as Flea ran and jumped around the stage wearing only his underwear and a propeller beanie. At one point after they first took the stage, Flea gave a shout out to the Live 8 concert and asked that we all do a small part and make donation as well. Then it was back to the music. Anthony Kiedis is not one to spend a lot of time talking between songs, so the show moved right along from one song to the next. The light show and stage sets were great. Near the end of the set, Flea pulled out his trumpet and wailed. The crowd loved it! Soon, the show was over and the incredible fireworks display began. The show cost fifty thousand dollars!

Chili Peppers
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Chili Peppers

It was the biggest, longest, and most elaborate pyrotechnics display I had ever seen. By the time it was over the entire place was filled with smoke and smelled like burned powder. The field lights came on and lit the area up as bright as day, signaling that the entire show was over.
Sven and I headed to our planned meeting place. As we moved in the direction of the exit, I was asking people if they wanted to sell their laminated passes to a couple of tourists from New York. Most told us no, but this lovely young woman said I could just have hers.
I offered her ten bucks for it, even after she offered it for free. She said to just take it. Her friend offered hers to Sven for free as well. We thanked them profusely and gave them buttons to check out the website.
Sven and I were both in shock! We were standing there holding passes… and we didn't have to pay for them. Score one for the good guys! We were holding them and still couldn't believe it.
The passes say "Concession" across the bottom, but otherwise, they are the exact passes the bands were wearing. The band ones said "Artist." They are really incredible with laser pictures on them. Sven and I marveled at our newly acquired souvenirs in disbelief.

To make sure that they didn't get lost or stolen, we put them inside our shirts.
As we neared the meeting point I saw Tony Cadena, the lead singer of The Adolescents, at the band's merchandise booth. I walked up, shook his hand, and started talking to him. We made conversation about the Inland Invasion show that they had played with The Sex Pistols in California. He had to finish getting packed up and we had to meet Rob and Bill, so I thanked him for a great time and we snapped a quick photo together.
We soon met up with Rob and Bill at our designated meeting point. They were waiting for us when we got there. As we discussed our plan to get home, I was looking at the ground and found a great score: a $20 bill! As I saw it, so did Sven, who was closer. He reached down and scooped it up! I called him a bastard, claimed the money, and tried to snatch it from his hand. He argued that he got it first, so, it was his. We laughed about it and Sven said it would go towards the cab ride home. We walked to the nearest major intersection where we thought we could get a cab. But it turned out that we couldn't get one there and had top walk to the nearest public area.
Bill decided that we should walk to the Sunset Station Casino, which we could see in the distance. We decided that would be our best bet and began hiking. Funny thing about desert walking... There is very little humidity in the air so; things look closer than they really are. That was the case here and we ended up having to walk about five miles to get to our destination. Luckily for us the sun was down and it was only around ninety degrees. We joked about what the Hell we were thinking listening to Bill. He took it all in good nature and laughed with us.

As were got closer to the Sunset Station, we turned on to a road with gas stations and convenience store. We paused to get drinks and I pounded down a thirty-two ounce Gatorade. We arrived at the Sunset and stole a van cab from a couple that was waiting…lol. It was so funny. The looks on their faces were hilarious. We all laughed at them, even the cab driver. True to his word, Sven put the found twenty bucks towards the cab fare. Bill and Rob covered the rest of the fare and the tip.
When we got to the house, Bill went straight to bed. He had to work in the morning and needed sleep. I smoked out with Rob while Sven checked email and then I checked mine. It appeared that I was truly getting boned for the Billy Idol show. So, Sven and I decided to revise our plans for July 3rd. We chose to do the Adventure Dome, the indoor amusement park located at the Circus Circus Casino. in the morning and then do the rides at the Stratosphere Tower at night when we would have been doing the Billy Idol show. Sven and I chatted for a while longer and then went to sleep.

Home

History

Prologue

June 30

July 1

July 2

July 3

July 4

July 5

Epilogue