Our state has a very rich musical history. Lynyrd Skynyrd and their Southern rock brethren put us on the map. Currently, bands like Against Me!, Iron & Wine and Torche represent the state well. But when I think of Florida, sadly, I tend to think of shitty ’90’s alternative bands and all-boy pop groups. Maybe my outlook says more about me as a Floridian, but there’s a lot of evidence to our state’s detriment.
Did you suffer through N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, or any other of pop svengali and $300 million criminal Lou Pearlman’s fabrications? Show gratitude to Orlando.
We can also blame Orlando for the 45 million Matchbox Twenty albums sold worldwide. And it was that band’s frontman Rob Thomas who annoyed the crap out of you with the inescapable Santana collaboration “Smooth.”
Limp Bizkit helped turn Woodstock ‘99, a 30th anniversary celebration of peace and love, as commercialized as it was, into a rape-fueled riot and bonfire. Yes, scarce water and sanitation also factored in, but Fred Durst barking “Break Stuff” while fans supported him on plywood couldn’t have been much help. Thanks, Jacksonville.
Are any of these as odious as Tallahassee’s Creed? A tough question. Especially the Creed vs. Limp Bizkit part. If I had to choose a bullet or pick one of those bands … man. I might just choose the bullet.
Reunion details and, if you’re feeling especially masochistic, videos after the jump.
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The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
