Kevin Bronson on April 15th, 2012

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Who: AWOLNATION on the main stage
In 3 or Fewer Words: Over the top.
Memorable Because: If you didn’t before, now you know why AWOLNATION capitalizes its name. The in-your-face L.A. synth-rock outfit, appropriately signed to a record label run by an energy drink, mounted a bombastic late-afternoon set on the main stage with a set of teen-friendly anthems with hormonal choruses. They are head-bangers, but not in a way that would pass muster with Beavis & Butthead. Everything is hyper-romanticized: “Everybody will die,” Aaron Bruno sings in “Kill Your Heroes,” and you can almost hear the punchline “because in teen movies they always do.” Bruno and mates had the crowd pumping, but I could’ve sworn I heard a Meat Loaf moment or two. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
What I’d Tell My Friends Who Were at the Big Pink: My synths are louder than your synths.
– K.B.