Concert: KROQ Weenie Roast

The sweltering heat did not deter the thousands of enthusiastic fans that turned up to enjoy the music at the always sold-out, annual KROQ Weenie Roast, held on June 5th at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre in Irvine, Calif.

Following the side stage acts, of which Deftones was the headliner, a revolving main stage kept the eclectic mix of music going non-stop, throughout the afternoon and evening. Huntington Beach’s own The Dirty Heads kicked things off and got the crowd grooving, paving the way for solid, energetic sets from Cage the Elephant, Spoon, Silversun Pickups and Paramore, featuring spunky frontwoman Hayley Williams.

After shout-outs from many of the acts during the day, Devo took the stage, once the sun went down, in grey uniforms and performed fresh renditions of its New Wave oldies, including “Girl U Want” and “Whip It.”

Then, Courtney Love, using the moniker of Hole but with all new backing musicians, took the stage and proved that she still has no filter between her brain and her mouth, inciting foul chants, much to the delight of the crown. However, when it came to the music, the rocker was in fine form, playing a mixture of early hits, like “Miss World” and “Doll Parts,” tracks off the latest album and obscure covers, including Leonard Cohen’s “Take This Longing” and Big Star’s “Thirteen.”

Prior to the closing set from Sublime with Rome, Stone Temple Pilots, featuring charismatic frontman Scott Weiland (in photo above), were in fine form for their hour-long set, displaying expert musicianship and showmanship. Playing older hits and favorites, along with tracks from its new, largely well-received self-titled album – the band’s first in nine years – STP is clearly re-energized.

With something for everybody on this year’s line-up, it was yet another successful year for the KROQ Weenie Roast.

Hole singer Courtney Love at the KROQ Weenie Roast.

Devo singer Mark Mothersbaugh at the KROQ Weenie Roast.

Silversun Pickups singer Brian Aubert at the KROQ Weenie Roast.

Paramore singer Hayley Williams at the KROQ Weenie Roast

Spoon singer Britt Daniel at the KROQ Weenie Roast.

Cage the Elephant singer Matthew Shultz at the KROQ Weenie Roast

Deftones singer Chino Moreno at the KROQ Weenie Roast