Rusty – with Klover, The Bogmen, Green Apple Quick Step at Collegefest – Review

Rusty

with Klover, The Bogmen, Green Apple Quick Step at Way More Weekend/Collegefest at Hynes Convention Center 
by Elissa Dennis

This event wasn’t so much a concert as it was a chance to grab all the free stuff you could carry. A maze of corporate-sponsored tables awaited, beckoning with offers of everything from hair gel to soap opera stars. And if anyone got past that bedlam, there were some bands playing in the back room.

Klover played first. Nobody paid attention because they were too busy getting free stuff from the Polygram table. They sounded good though, just like on the album. The singer even wore a new Ramones t-shirt for the occasion.

Long set change, lots of time to get more free stuff. Arizona was giving away free Ginseng Ice Tea.

Rusty played next. I didn’t realize I knew this band until they played their single. A few kids stopped to listen to that one. But then they left to grab free autographs from Charles Perez (you know, one of about 50 gazillion people with his own talk show). Too bad, because Rusty was far more interesting.

Another set change. Time to fake credit card applications to get the free T-shirts.

The Bogmen played. People actually listened. The singer had a style that was part lounge singer and part epileptic seizure victim. Maybe that’s what got people’s attention. My attention was held mainly because the bassist was really hot.

All the tables were running out of the good free stuff, and Dandelion didn’t show up because apparently the manager thought the event was in PA. So I left.

But that is not the end of the story. The second day there was more of the same.

Poole was supposed to play first, but their van broke down in Manhattan. Which is really too bad because I would’ve loved to review them because I like them. But that’s ok, AT&T had free frisbees.

Green Apple Quick Step played, but even though they were really good, I had trouble paying attention. I just kept wondering if they kept the female bassist in the group because she wore a tight skirt and flipped her hair or if she was really good.

And I also wondered if I went back to get more of that free shampoo, would the lady remember that I already got some? I knew then that it was time to leave.