Saturday 29/04/06 KFMA Day @ The Desert Rocks, Tucson, Arizona

In the desert southwest, USA’s infamous KFMA is known for new rock and once a year they put on a massive outdoor festival.  Today The Cult, The Strokes, AFI, Rise Against, Rock Kills Kid, 2 Cents and Fivespeed make the hot sun and massive amounts of beer memorable. 
 
Fivespeed open and bring on the taste of heavy metal. ‘Morning Over Midnight’ shows off their intense instrumental skills, it’s modern with harmonies and Shane Addington pounds the drums something fierce. 2 Cents blow the crowd away with their new piece ‘A Song For Darrell Abbott.’ The guitar riffs and licks are almost a spiritual experience. In a place where temperatures can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, water is an obsession and a celebration. People are pouring it on their bodies and guys in the mosh pit are beating each other with the empty plastic bottles.
 
Security is hosing down the crowd to cool them off before Rock Kills Kid take the stage. This alternative rock band jokes that they are pop music and the crowd tosses water bottles in the air as a response, very amusing. The rabble is moshing and crowd surfing as they play their hit song ‘Paralyzed.’ His voice is a little punky and the band delivers music is a fearless alternative style. ‘Hide Away’ has an addictive beat and intricate harmonies; it grabs the packed field’s attention. Jeff is sometimes accused of living in his own world inside his head and is it awesome to hear some of that world leak out onto the stage.
 
Rise Against are like a desert monsoon, suddenly unpredictable and fierce they start out in growls and thunder. Assaulted with the heavy, chugging riff intro to ‘State of the Union’ the crowd’s answer back is deafening and a screaming, intense agitation ensues in the mosh pit. Calm comes over the RA storm with ‘Swing Life Away’ which they dedicate to the people of Tucson. The band smiles and it catches on as the audience jumps, dances, sings along and grins.