The lineup for this year's event, to be held December 4 at Cruzan Amphitheatre, isn't exactly traditional. It's more like everyone jumped into a time machine and simultaneously hit "the '90s," but that doesn't make it any less worthy of our enthusiasm. The people we were in 1996 are peeing in our pants a little. Here are five reasons why.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are a headliner.
Our enthusiasm might seem a little misplaced. No, we're not currently living in 1995. But we have a bizarre hope that they'll bring back the whole bands-that-wear-suits trend. Or, at the very least, they'll make us feel like we're in Clueless. You know, if that club scene were actually outdoors, during the day, and taking place right now. We're going to pretend we're in Cher's snazzy Beverly Hills backyard, wearing plaid minis, tiny backpacks, over-the-knee socks, and pumps as we shimmy around hoping for that cool guy to notice us. Kidding. Well, about the pumps, anyway.
We didn't see any of these bands back when they were "cool."
This might be a double-edged sword. Will these bands still be cool? Is Virginia still for lovers? Are "drunk girls" still fun, and will they "give it up"? That's the impression that we get. Will they play all of their hits, or will they play only their newer, slower jams that we might not be able to relate to? We're not really sure, but with the newer we've-barely-heard-of-before bands joining the veterans, it'll be a nice balance. And who knows, maybe we'll be able to say "I saw that band before they hit it big" one day... or "I saw that band when they were almost about to pass their prime." Almost.
They're representing Florida.
A Day to Remember is from Ocala, Against Me! is from Gainseville, and Anberlin is from Winter Haven. Now, although they're not exactly "South Florida" bands, they all do a great job of repping the Sunshine State, and all three have steadily stayed on the charts throughout the years. That's enough of a Florida nod for us.
We like surprises.
No, really, we do. Maybe not those jump-out-at-you-from-behind-a-building surprises, but surprise bands? We can't think of a bigger music adrenaline rush. After seeing the really weird generation gap combo of Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Pepper, and Switchfoot, we're more than a little curious as to who the two "surprise headliners" will be. MxPx? No Doubt? That's who we're hoping for, anyway. And if all else fails, the lineup should lend to a really interesting mix of characters that'll be great for people watching.
Buzz Bake Sale is making ska look cool again.
Let's face it: Ska is fun. Sure, we might act like we're too mature to full-on dance like nobody's watching and sing so loud we lose our voices, but we're not. That's what ska is for. It makes us channel our youth, bond with people we don't know, and feel so deep-down-in-our-guts happy that we may go to that middle school dance after all in hopes that we'll bump into that dude (or gal) we've been crushin' on. What else breaks the ice faster than shimmying with perfect strangers midday on a Saturday?
Buzz Bake Sale 15, with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Chevelle, a Day to Remember, Against Me!, Anberlin, Pepper, Hawthorne Heights, Sick Puppies, Switchfoot, Paper Tongues, a Silent Film, American Bang, New Politics, and two major buzz bands to be announced. Saturday, December 4, at 9:30 a.m. at Cruzan Amphitheatre. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 15, at 10 a.m. for $30 via Live Nation. For more info, visit livenation.com.