By “I was in the hospital today with tubes going down my throat and up my nose and everywhere else you can imagine,” 30 Seconds to Mars front man Jared Leto told a packed crowd at the Rockstar Taste of Chaos last Thursday night. “The doctor said I would be crazy if I went on tonight and played for 10,000 crazy [fans] at the Long Beach Arena, but I told him this is home and you are family and you would take care of me no matter what.”
The huge crowd did help take care of Leto, screaming every word of hits “From Yesterday,” “The Kill” and “Attack” during the band’s hour-long set. Leto even made his way through the crowd and played an intimate solo set from the soundboard in the middle of the floor.
Leto and company were just one of eight bands that played the annual tour. The Used, Senses Fail, Saosin, Chiodos, Aiden, Evaline and “Battle of the Bands” winner Victory Within were all part of the “winter Warped.”
Platinum rockers The Used headlined the night. The Orem, Utah-based foursome has sold more than three million records since 2002, but its hour-long set focused more on the future than on the past. Five of the 12 songs the band played were from its upcoming album “Lies for the Liars,” which is due out May 8.
The band’s new songs aren’t as hard as some of its older stuff, but they aren’t as poppy as some of the newer stuff either. They are right in the middle, and the crowd showed its enjoyment by creating big mosh pits.
While both headliners played great sets, audience members who got to the show early got a special treat. Senses Fail played a super-high energy set filled with new and old favorites. Orange County’s own Saosin got the crowd going. Chiodos did its part to make itself a household name. Aiden played so hard its make-up ran.
This year’s Taste of Chaos was one of the best of the tour’s three year history. All the bands played really hard, and they were well-matched. A rotating stage kept the flow of the show going, and the cheap ticket prices were loved by all. Look forward to next year’s tour.
