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Acts of complete stupidity were committed while words of encouragement were shouted by onlookers. There was no disclaimer, however, because these antics were not pulled off by Steve-O and the “Jackass” crew, but by the people waiting in the line that formed outside Ushuaia’s Thursday night.
The doors were scheduled to open at 8 p.m., but because no one had heard anything from Steve-O and the crew, who were driving from New York, the doors were not opened until almost 9 p.m. Many of those waiting reacted harshly to the closed doors and lack of information by tearing limbs off a small bush and starting a fire, which the fire department was dispatched to extinguish.
Finally, the crowd was let into the building, but continued to wait around for another two hours. At 11 p.m., the announcement was made that the “Jackass” crew would not be showing up and that refunds would be made for tickets at Bull Moose the following day.
Despite the thinning crowd and lack of enthusiasm, the Portland-based Paranoid Social Club took the stage and attempted to salvage the night. While the effort was valiant, the mood was not right for most of the crowd. The group promoted their newest CD, Axis: II, but found little sympathy in the small group of people that stayed for their set.
Between songs, lead singer Dave Gutter attempted to get people excited.
“I’m an only child, stroke my ego a little bit,” Gutter said. “Lets hear it for us!” But there was almost no reaction from the 15 or so people that surrounded the stage at that point. There was a surge of energy from the audience as the band ended the night on a high note with their hit “Wasted.”
Musically, Paranoid Social Club played a good set and, under different circumstances, it could have been considered a great show. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough to spark interest from the disappointed crowd.
“Hundreds of kids showed up here Thursday night fired up to see a little piece of something they feel is larger than life, only to be disappointed,” Ushuaia’s owner Alex Gray said after the show. “To be honest I am surprised how many kids are not mad at Ushuaia, but are pissed at the ‘Jackass’ crew. It is too bad, but they seem to just be used to being disappointed here in Maine.”
The evening seemed doomed from the beginning, with the doors opening an hour late, leaving many freezing in the cold, to the missing in action “Jackass crew,” and the inevitable let down after a two-hour wait. Even with Paranoid Social Club playing, it simply wasn’t enough to boost the negative vibe of the night.
“The staff here at Ushuaia is just as disappointed, but will continue to try to get large-named events to Orono.” Gray said. “We appreciate all of the words of support that have been e-mailed, phoned, and told to all of us. Hopefully in the future this won’t happen, but I would not be surprised if it did.”
Bangor Daily News