The Collegian

Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Detour

If you've been outside in the past week or so, you know by now that the lineup for Gaelstock '07 is done. The good people at Program Board (PB) have really pulled their punches with this one. Someone bring out the drumroll…Get ready for it….
This year's headliner is Phantom Planet!
No? Anyone? Er…you know that band that did that song for that show that lasted four seasons? It was a big show a few weeks ago.
Okay, but still. I swear to God they are a big band, kind of. After doing minimal research (Wikipedia and MySpace), I have found that they are indeed the band that wrote "California," a song every UGG boot-wearing communication major knows from that flavor of the week Fox teen drama The O.C.
While Phantom Planet is not even deserving of the title "one-hit wonder," considering that song wasn't a hit, this does not mean the time for despair has come. They may not live up to the big name standards established by such headliners as Rooney, Cake, and Pepper (well not Pepper), but Jason Schwartzman used to be their drummer.
I know, I know. The quality of performers rests on much more than their fame. That being said, I have no grounds upon which to make a claim about their live show. All I have to go on is that very annoying O.C. theme song and a couple of tracks off their MySpace page. Check it out yourself if you want, but I'll just say it's far from promising.
But let's not turn this into an overly pessimistic, everything-bashing article. Go to page seven for that. There is a bright side to Gaelstock this year, and I know PB were using their heads on this one: In case Phantom Planet doesn't quite do it for the audience, our friends at PB have brought us another generic, uninspired Sublime wannabe in Rebelution.
The five-piece reggae-rock band from Santa Barbara is set to open Gaelstock, and you just know that if Pepper were able to win over the Saint Mary's audience, an up-and-comer with an ingeniously creative name like Rebelution and a strikingly brave new take on the genre (they rap a little) is likely to do the same. Good thinking, PB. Perhaps you were swayed by a Facebook "event" started by Saint Mary's alumnus Volney Rouse '06, with its tagline: "If you thought Pepper was ssssssssssick last year... Rebelution would be even better this year." Are all rugby players this thick?
Gaelstock may not look very intriguing at first glance-well, it doesn't look so hot at ninth glance either-but it could be worse. There are far worse bands out there than these two. Let's give them a chance. God knows we've given High Like Five enough chances.

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