This year’s ambitious Spring Fever concert, themed “Rock, Rap, and Rawhide,” featured five admirable acts from a variety of genres. The proceedings got underway at the new Chaifitz Arena promptly at 6 p.m.
First up was Tyler Hilton. Hilton plays an acoustic pop style-think John Mayer before his blues-rock phase-that is unlikely to offend. Playing to a small crowd, he and his band gamely bashed through a set of originals and a cover of “Missing You” with passion. Each song was supported by ascending riffs, squealing guitar solos and emotive backing vocals that sound as though they were plucked from the familiar ’90s school of pop-rock radio hits.
Despite promising starts, each song fizzled once Hilton got to the chorus. After the set, I was hard pressed to remember a single hook, aside from a goofy song reminding a soon to be ex-girlfriend to take all of her clothes back-not a good position for an aspiring chart topper.
On the stage, Hilton was terribly nice and full of entertaining banter. He never made good on his promising verses by delivering a hum-able chorus or three. The closest Hilton got was his enthusiastic set closer “Kiss On,” which the band delivered with energy and excitement. If not completely memorable, at least it was a step in the right direction and showed the band having fun with their biggest hit.
After a lull, the rapper Chingy entered the stage with a massive entourage. Using at least four hypemen throughout the performance, and surrounded by at least 15 other supporters who camped out around the stage, Chingy turned his performance into his own private block party.
Spinning through hits like “Holiday Inn” and “Dem Jeans” in a lightweight, hyper-fast manner, Chingy focused more on working the crowd than wowing them with lyrics. Amid record scratching, Chingy was able to deliver the choruses to each song without embarrassing himself with the mic.
Perhaps aware of his lyrical shortcomings, Chingy kept things interesting by sharing the spotlight. He let several members of his crew, including his cousin Young Spiffy and Chingy’s sister, rap a few bars before taking the mic.
By the time he concluded his set with a verse of “Right Thurr,” his biggest hit, Chingy had delivered a varied, PG-rated show that didn’t alienate the all-ages crowd. Did he wow purists? Probably not. Did he keep people dancing? Certainly.
Next up was emo-rock band The Starting Line. The band’s guitarists provided ample support in the form of capable riffs and texture but vocalist and bassist Kenny Vasoli did nothing with them. As a result, most of the band’s songs seemd to slur together, becoming a mix of competent music that lacked a personality.
Coming across like a raving Jim Morrison in his drunken later years, Vasoli swiveled around and made hand gestures as he recited his occasionally inaudible lyrics in a sing-song delivery. Vasoli’s baffling performance was a major reason for the stew of confusing riffs and vocals that created a sludgy stew of sound-alike tunes.
The band fared best when it sang “Island,” a clear ode to escapism that, in contrast to the majority of their material, had a discernable theme, chorus and verses.
Jo Dee Messina followed, representing the Rawhide portion of the program.
Messina, a born entertainer, sang her slightly generic tales about heartbreak and enjoying life with such fire and excitement that her spotty songwriting is lost amid her beaming smile and a hail of confetti.
Messina worked the crowd like a politician, cracking jokes, introducing songs and goofing around with her band. Her most memorable hit, “My Give a Damn’s Busted,” was the clear highlight of her set, but Messina ensured that each song engaged the crowd through a combination of showmanship, personality and sturdy backing from her competent seven-piece backing band.
Closing things out were rockers Augustana, best known for their hit single “Boston.”
Suffering from a variety of sound problems, the band’s bass player and lead singer spent a lot of time mimicking third-base coaches, gesturing up and down with their heads and hands throughout the set.
The band began things slowly with several slow songs supported with U2-styled riffs that built up to ascending but unmemorable choruses. The softer moments, including a solo performance on keyboard of the love song “Fire” by lead singer Dan Layus, an acoustic group sing-a-long and, of course, “Boston” fared best.
Closing around midnight, most people left the six-hour marathon a few songs early after hearing “Boston.”
Telling of this mellow, unfocused performance-Layus forgot the lyrics to an engaging cover of an Old Crow Medicine Show song-the band did little to make the early departers regret the decision, performing a few more melodious but indistinct songs and quickly vacating the stage.
