his year’s Big Ass Show actually seems to be what it promises—“big-ass.” For a mere $20, entrance includes concerts by Eve 6, Less Than Jake, Alien Ant Farm, A.F.I., The Used, Story of the Year, Yellowcard, Three Days Grace and Acroma.

This Saturday, Sept. 27, marks the ninth-annual X96 Sony Big Ass Show (also known as BASH). Since the event takes place at the Utah State Fairpark, fans won’t have to worry about losing their seats.

The show will include the new X96 Live and Local stage, which (as you might have guessed) will feature local musicians and give them a chance to create a name for themselves. The two main stages will showcase already-established touring bands.

Less Than Jake is one of the better-known acts. Its lead vocalist/guitarist, Chris (the guys prefer to go by their first names), gave an update on the band since the release of its sixth album, Anthem, and shared his feelings about the big-ass festival.

	The members of Less than Jake are personable fellows who all go by their first names - even while looking like rock stars in their press photo.

The RED Interview
In regard to playing at radio-sponsored music festivals, Chris said that “some of them are cool and some of them are crappy. A lot of it depends on the [other] bands and the vibe when you get there. They can be fun. I am looking forward to this weekend.”

Though Salt Lake as a city may not be particularly appealing to Chris and his fellow bandmates, he fully appreciates the fans. “The shows are always good in Salt Lake. The kids that are fans there are awesome,” said Chris, whose largest complaint is the “very low alcohol content in beer.” Not bad for a Florida native traveling out to the desert to perform some slammin’ punk-ska music.

The Big Ass Show will be the band’s last U.S. appearance for the next month or so. Afterward, the band will head overseas to start its tour in New Zealand and end it in Japan. Always a slave to touring, the band will return to the United States in November and tour until late December, this time headlining its own tour, half of which will feature fellow Big Ass Show performers Yellowcard. Chris said that he doesn’t know what the band will do after it finishes the tour in December, but revealed that he is most definitely looking forward to a break.

After nearly 11 years together, Less Than Jake has continued to stay strong and release innovative music, despite the decrease in popularity of punk-ska. According to Chris, drummer Vinnie “writes all of the lyrics,” which inspire the music.

The release of Anthem reveals a major progression for the band. The disc contains songs that are not strictly centered around punk-ska and allows the band to branch out both musically and stylistically. Chris said, “We branched out in terms of production of the album—it sounds a lot better. We worked with Rob Cavallo, who’s done Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, among others. He really brought a lot out in the band. We tried to vary the tempo changes and just have enough punk-rock beat. And we did some slower songs. We tried some stuff that we hadn’t done on other records.”

Anthem might surprise fans not only with the various new sounds, but with the arrangement on “The Brightest Bulb has Burned Out/Screws Fall Out,” a song which, Chris pointed out, features only “myself and the guitar.”

Alternative forms of entertainment will also be provided at the show. The Freestyle Motocross riders and others are returning to the show to provide fans with an opportunity to take part in something other than watching a band perform. As if that is not enough, Sony will be present with Xplode gear in an attempt to motivate fans to run out to the nearest electronics store and purchase a ton of Sony items. Of course, event-goers should remember to bring their wallets, as there will be a number of vendors scattered about the fairgrounds.

If the events don’t sound too appealing, the presence of Less Than Jake should be a huge motivating factor in attendance. For the simple purpose of viewing a band that has come so far in a musical genre that seems to constantly spit out one-hit wonders, Less Than Jake is a group of guys that is seriously committed to their music. Their music is real and their performances are guaranteed to be fun. Stock up on some cheer and rock out to Less Than Jake on one of the main stages this Saturday—and don’t forget to look for the bobblehead figures sure to be sold at the band’s merchandise table.

For more information and links to purchase tickets, visit www.x96.com.
autumn@red-mag.com