Bowie, Moby are Stars in Area2

Festival offers multiple musical flavors

>> The Legendary David Bowie. >> >>Click here for more Bowie photos!>>

The third annual Area 2 festival landed in Irvine, California mid-August fusing hip-hop, modern rock, old rock, djs, and electronica acts all under one roof.

Easier said than done.

Overall, Area 2 delivered a buffet of diverse musical flavors, from Ireland's Ash to Dutchman DJ Tiesto, but fans seemed to cherry pick to suit their own tastes as they hip-hopped not to the music but from stage to stage, tent to tent waiting for co-headliners David Bowie and Moby to appear.

Early in the day’s festivities, rapper Busta Rhymes and crew cruelly faced a vast empty wasteland of seats at the Verizon Amphitheatre pleading with guests to remain for their half-hour of jolting beats – though not much was missed since it ended up being pretty much the same set and in-between song banter they gave for Cypress Hill’s Smokeout Tour earlier this year.

With Busta a bust, (maybe saving energy for the Eminem show coming a few days later) the mostly twenty-to-thirty something crowd opted to stand in line for pricey beer and munch out on the usual festival offerings like day-old hotdog weenies and overcooked teriyaki chicken.

>>Moby put on an inspiring set.>> >>Click for more Moby photos!>>

Many found a haven dancing in a big, white tent that offered a rotating menu of world-renowned artists like DJ Tiesto, DJ Dieselboy [Check out our exclusive interview with DJ Dieselboy],  DJ John Digweed (a living legend) and the never tiring DJ Dan.  It was surprisingly well ventilated and well attended – in spite of the unavoidable air pockets of armpit stank- it seemed to fuel the hyped crowd and it may explain why people were raving like it was 1999 in some industrial underground.  Only a small stage was used, but the dual video screens made up for it and reflected cool digital imagery including one for DJ Tiesto that dually served like a commercial as it repeated his swirling name as if one would forget whom the Dutch titan was.

Moby, who closed the show, had no problems packing in the crowd either as the self-described geek-turned-superstar-rock-god demonstrated his prolific musical ability by rapidly alternating between different instruments during the opening song, "We Are All Made of Stars."  Bowie on the other hand, gracefully postured throughout his set in a nicely tailored black suit, certainly appropriate for the still fit fifty something. Every step seemed to convey some meaning and purpose.

With a star lit backdrop, Moby contrasted by sporting the mandatory rock-star faded t-shirt and baggy pants only matched by his indistinctive set of vocal pipes resonating a cold, treble-less sound that by design mixes really well with the digital elements of his songs. But with the so tiring, ‘I’m so happy to be a geek’ monologue that really means, ‘I’m the coolest thing on the planet so f-u,’ Moby is really a one-man show, so the audio aspect is more fulfilling and stimulating than the visual.

>>Ash's Tim Wheeler at the Area2 kickoff event in LA.>>

With his own backdrop of big, bright lights outlining his name, Bowie never seemed to be overly eager to bridge the gap of young and old with either his banter or with the sound of his seven piece band; no seven string guitars here.  His goal seemed to be to deliver lofty and classic versions of old rock n’ roll favorites including “Fame” and “Ashes to Ashes,” and even new songs coming from his latest release, Heathen.  Casually sipping hot tea between songs, the proper gent seemed to preserve every ounce of energy, which may explain his well preserved looks highlighted by his full head of golden locks.

While one would think that Moby, with his marathon pace, felt overly eager to compete with such a talent that of course is nonsense.  Even if the legendary Bowie may have stolen the moment, the future has its eyes on Moby.