Shows must go on, please, for Korn, Toto and Carey
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Let us hope no more travel bans will be issued and there will be no more cases of security paranoia to stymie the much-anticipated concerts of three American artists in February.
Despite the cancellation of new metal band Limp Bizkit's performance in December in Bali, due to vocalist Fred Durst's fears about the security situation, local promoters are going ahead with concerts for Korn, Toto and Mariah Carey.
New metal pioneer Korn will be the first to perform here on Feb. 5 at the humongous Jakarta Fairgrounds, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
Legendary rock band Toto will be next on Feb. 9 at the Indoor Tennis Stadium in Senayan Sports Complex, Central Jakarta, followed by pop diva Carey, who will perform at the Plenary Hall of the Jakarta Convention Center, Central Jakarta, on Feb. 15.
The genres are diverse enough for you to take your pick, or if money is not a problem, see all of them, starting with angsty rap-metal quintet Korn.
One of the most popular new bands of the 1990s, the California-based band emerged from underground scene, building a solid fan base worldwide through touring instead of MTV saturation.
Comprising James "Munky" Shaffer (guitar), Brian "Head" Welch (guitar), Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu alias Dog (bass), David Silveria (drums) and vocalist Jonathan Davis, Korn took off slowly with their 1994 major label, self-titled debut.
Since their 1996 follow-up, Life Is Peachy, Korn has become a force to be reckoned with, and rock festivals' most popular headliner.
In 1998, the group gained massive publicity when a student who wore a Korn T-shirt to school in conservative Zeeland, Michigan, was suspended because his principal believed Korn's lyrics were "obscene". The band's response was to give away free T-shirts outside the school.
Korn's success has garnered dozens of followers, such as Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, but none has the same depth and passion as the forerunner.
The band just released its sixth album Take A Look In The Mirror to mixed reviews.
Up next will be Toto, a band highly acclaimed for its virtuosity and a music industry legend with a career spanning 27 years.
Labeled as an adult-oriented rock (AOR) band, Toto lurched into action with 1979's U.S. hit Hold the Line, sending the self- titled album into the sales stratosphere.
Hydra (1979) and Turn Back (1981) sold moderately, but Toto IV menaced charts worldwide and won Grammy, thanks to seminal hits Africa and Rosanna. The latter was a gift from enamored keyboard player Steve Porcaro to actress Rosanna Arquette, who dumped him.
On a post-Arquette luckless streak, drummer Jeff Porcaro died, allegedly due to a cocaine overdose despite ludicrous reports that it was an allergic reaction to garden pesticides.
After a line-up change, Toto ploughed on -- as the backing band on USA for Africa's We Are the World, on the soundtrack of David Lynch's 1984 Dune and several failed albums (Isolation, Fahrenheit and The Seventh One).
They also presented Past to Present 1977-1990 (1990) and 1993's Kingdom of Desire.
The last performer to hold a concert here needs no introduction. A songbird supreme and a pop diva in the truest sense, Mariah Carey's figure is getting more curvaceous and the beat of her music goes up through the years.
She is no longer the skinny, black-clad, curly-haired soul sensation of 1990, but a seductive singing bombshell who has had her fair share of highly publicized meltdowns of late.
However, that stunning seven-octave voice remains intact, and while rival Whitney Houston tries hard to get back on track again, Carey has continued to hold her own amid the rise of younger divas.
Her albums have sold well, and she just released her latest album Charmbracelet, for which she kicked off the 2004 world tour.
Carey's fame and undeniable celebrity pull have led promoter Java Musikindo to set pretty high ticket prices for these shores, with Rp 500,000 (US$59) for festival class and Rp 1.35 million and Rp 1.75 million for tribune classes.
Compare them to Toto's of Rp 175,000, Rp 225,000 and Rp 300,000, and Korn at Rp 150,000 and Rp 200,000.
Tickets for Carey and Korn can be obtained at major record stores, or contact Java Musikindo at (021) 57988623/24/25. As for Toto, check out the website www.rajatiket.com and www.tommypratama.com, or contact Original Production at (021) 2794423.