January 14, 2008

My Chemical Romance, All-American Rejects To Headline Bamboozle Left Fest

By James Montgomery (MTV.com)

Back in 2005, the organizers of the Bamboozle Festival were just hoping to avoid running into trouble with fire marshals in their hometown of Asbury Park, New Jersey. But with each year, things got a little bigger and a little better - they moved to a bigger location at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, added offshoot festivals and expanded westward.

Now, things are so successful that organizers can even throw a fake Bamboozle. But more on that in a second.

First and foremost, there's the news about headliners for the real versions of the fest. On Friday (January 11), organizers announced that My Chemical Romance and the All-American Rejects will top the bill at the Bamboozle Left, along with previously announced headliners Paramore, taking place April 5-6 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. New Found Glory, the Starting Line, Bayside, Chiodos and the Color Fred (former Taking Back Sunday guitarist Fred Mascherino's new band) and a host of others are also on the bill. Tickets are on sale now through TheBamboozleLeft.com.

Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, the lineup for the fourth-annual Bamboozle East is also shaping up. While no headliners have been announced, organizers have confirmed more than 40 acts, including Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, Cute is What We Aim For, the Academy Is ... and Straylight Run. The Bamboozle (the East Coast one) will take place May 3-4, once again at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Single-day passes are on-sale now through TheBamboozle.com.

Organizers are also planning another incarnation of the Bamboozle Road Show, which features a bill including Saves The Day and Set Your Goals, and will head from the Bamboozle Left to the Bamboozle East, making stops in "approximately 16" cities along the way.

Ah, yes - and finally, there's the matter of the Hoodwink Festival, which a source close to the Bamboozle is calling "a fake festival ... some Bamboozle bands will be playing under fake names that will be revealed through clues and hints. It's sort of like a Bamboozle pre-show." Not much else is know about the Hoodwink, other than it'll take place on May 2 at the Meadowlands complex, and that the demurely named "Fluff My Boner" is confirmed as one of the headliners.