Photo Re-Cap: Bamboozle Left – Irvine Meadows/Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine

Bamboozle originated on the East Coast, descending on the parking lots of the Meadowlands sports complex. When the powers-that-be (the promoters) decided to expand and "go west" with their fest, they came up with a Left Coast event that rivaled its cross-country counterpart in scope, size and caliber of bands.

Bamboozle Left offered the event's trademark eclectic mix of music for the hungry consumer who likes nothing more than to spend a warm n' breezy, early spring day basking in the sounds of The Used, Deftones , Leathermouth , Hyro da Hero, The Bled, Taking Back Sunday and 50 Cent.

Yes, Fiddy played to scores of adoring white kids, metalheads and suburban punk rockers. It was nothing if not an exercise in building a head-scratching, yet always entertaining bill that continually surprised and delighted the "kids" who shelled out their dough to be there.

50 Cent | by Kevin Estrada

Some of our favorite performances included Hyro da Hero, a young, slightly built rapper with tons of heart and a deft delivery with a commanding rap style. This kid has a promising future and is able to attract rock n' roll fans because he is backed by real instrumentation. The Used always flail around like a sloppy, real-life musical mess, and today's histrionics were no different. The band definitely captures attention with its flesh n' blood, hard and fast way of making musical points. It's certainly part of the band's charm.

50 Cent | by Kevin Estrada

There was tons of emotional rock. But what about Fiddy? Well, he fit right in. He's one of the most notorious and recognizable rappers in the world and has his own Vitamin Water, but the Bamboozle crowd—an amalgam of punk rockers, emo lovers and metallions—certainly isn't his typical demographic. So the response of "WTF?" when realizing Fiddy is the show closer is certainly more than plausible. Despite that gap, he was still able to headline this event. That's a testament to Fiddy's star power. He doled out the hits like"I Get Money," "Pimp" and "In Da Club," which is probably the ring tone of more than a few of the Bamboozlers who watched him with starry eyes, and kept the flow of the day.

Deftones preceded the rapper, showing that, while rap and metal don't always need to mix sonically, the two tastes can maintain their robust flavor when positioned side by side. They simply blended brutality and beauty brilliantly.

50 Cent | by Kevin Estrada

Deftones | by Kevin Estrada

50 Cent | by Kevin Estrada

Deftones | by Kevin Estrada

Hyro Da Hero | by Kevin Estrada

Hyro Da Hero | by Kevin Estrada

Check out more work from photographer Kevin Estrada on his official website and blog, listed respectively below:

http://www.kevinestrada.com/
http://kevinestrada.wordpress.com/

— Amy Sciarretto
04.17.09