Crüe Fest Returns

This ain't Britney Spears' circus.

A A A Comments By John Hood Thursday, Aug 27 2009

Crüe Fest 2, the ragtag summer tour headlined by the infamous Mötley Crüe, hits Cruzan in West Palm this Thursday. And if frontline reports are to be believed, this year's edition promises to surpass last year's rock 'n' roll madness. And that's quite a feat.

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Crüe Fest 2: The White Trash Circus. starring Mötley Crüe, Godsmack, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman, and Charm City Devils. 4 p.m. Thursday, August 27, at Cruzan Amphitheatre,601-7 Sansbury's Way, West Palm Beach. Tickets cost $10 to $95. Click here.

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For this go-'round, the tour is dubbed "The White Trash Circus," after Mötley Crüe's latest LP. The lineup features an onslaught of new (Charm City Devils), not so new (Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman), older (Godsmack), and, naturally, the head-banging classicists for which this tour is named. Crüe Fest 2 also boasts a second Monster Energy Stage, where four bands of varying infamy will open for Wrestlemania favorites Rev Theory.

We've got doubts about Deadman, who are at once mainstream — witness their featuring of Chris Daughtry and teaming with Chad Kroger — and alt-heavy — check their Cult-cribbed "Bad Girlfriend." But Drowning Pool seems to be fully rerealized now that ex-Soil singer Ryan McCombs has replaced Jason Jones (who replaced original frontman Dave Williams). And Godsmack still has its Zep-citing, Chains-biting act down to a nice thunderous roar.

But the main reason to hit Crüe Fest 2 is to hear Mötley Crüe play Dr. Feelgood in its entirety. Yep, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the LP's release, Vince and the boys have decided to kick out the whole of their first number-one album live. That means, reportedly, everything, from "T.N.T. (Terror 'N Tinseltown)" (which isn't on Rock Band) to "Time for Change" (which is) and of course includes "Kickstart My Heart" and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," as well as the title track. And it'll all be delivered from some sex-soaked, horror hospital stage.

And don't think just because they're making you feel good, Crüe would deny you classics off its hit-laden Shout at the Devil, let alone newer offerings such as "Saints of Los Angeles." And don't think that the night won't be fueled by whiskey, peppered with flashers, and louder than volume itself. In fact, don't think at all. Because once you start thinking about the kind of dirty, loud fun promised by Crüe Fest, you'll miss the whole damned point.

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