Dragon Festival showcases fiery mix of artists
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 5, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Photos by DAVE HILL/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Mike
Shinoda of Linkin Park taunts the audience during the
band’s headlining performance at the Dragon Festival in San
Bernardino this past Saturday.
By Anthony Quinonez
Daily Bruin Contributor
It’s the year of the snake but in San Bernardino on
Saturday, 2001 would probably be more aptly titled “˜the year
of the groove.’
Fans of all ages and backgrounds convened at the National Orange
Show Events Center in San Bernardino last Saturday for the first of
what is to be the annual Dragon Festival. Numerous preteens dragged
their parents to the show and a few older concertgoers even brought
toddlers to the venue.
Although the show was in honor of Chinese New Year, the festival
was light on any sort of cultural celebration. A short
presentation, in which youngsters paraded in an elaborate dragon
costume, occurred twice during the evening.
The festival consisted of two stages, each inside a separate
hangar at the Events Center. Between the two hangars many booths
were set up promoting various radio stations and selling food,
drink, and products ranging from T-shirts to CDs to water
pipes.
The lineup for the show was just as diverse as the crowd,
bringing together some of the top names in hip hop, alternative and
electronica. Although there was no definite rule, groups that
played in the Jade Chamber consisted mainly of electronica and
turntablists, while groups in the Crimson Chamber consisted of live
bands and hip hop groups.
 Members of the band Kottonmouth Kings are silhouetted by
lights in front of their many fans at the Dragon Festival. Burning
Star fittingly started off the festival with its mix of live music
and hip hop lyricism. The group ended with a crowd-pleasing reggae
number, proving that originality is alive and well in hip hop.
Although at the time most festivalgoers had not yet arrived,
those who showed up early were receptive to the group.
Despite the small crowd at the beginning of the festival, Ugly
Duckling got the audience moving and proved yet again that it is
one of the best live hip hop groups around, blending the funky, old
school beats of DJ Young Einstein with the witty and playful rhymes
of MCs Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin. Performing such fan favorites
as “Eye on the Gold Chain” and “A Little
Samba,” Ugly Duckling got fans in the hip hop spirit.
Fans who came to the Dragon Festival to hear something a little
more hardcore were not disappointed either. The Kottonmouth Kings
got things jumping for the rock/rap set. With its mix of rock,
punk, hip hop and pro-marijuana lyrics, the Kings come off as a
cross between the Insane Clown Posse and Cypress Hill.
Taproot proved equally lively, with a mix of hard core rock and
rap that pumped up the crowd.
Not to be outdone, Shuvel rocked hardest of them all, combining
hip hop and heavy metal for the head-banging fans. Frontman Jeff
Hollinger was able to keep up the frenetic pace of his bandmates,
and the energy seemed to be passed on to the fans in the mosh
pit.
Electronica aficionados also had every reason to dance at the
Dragon Festival. Throughout the early part of the show, DJs
continually spun the best in house, techno and ambient music.
Especially notable was world-renowned DJ Jason Blakemore, whose mix
of acid house and ambient music left the crowd entranced.
The Jungle Brothers performed a lively set, mostly material from
their recent “VIP” album. Abandoning most hip hop
conventions, the Brothers exchanged their rhymes over the
electronic beats of Alex G of the Propellerheads.
 MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Bassist Tye
Zamora, of Southern California’s Alien Ant Farm, makes a
face at the crowd during their short but sweet set.
The X-ecutioners brought their turntable skills to the Jade
Chamber, proving that Jay-Z and Eminem aren’t the only hip
hop records worth spinning. Formerly known as the X-Men and
consisting of DJs Roc Raida, Sean C, and Mr. Sinista (of Beatnuts
fame), the crew from New York spun the best in underground hip hop
from both coasts.
Freestyle champion Supernatural made his presence known at the
Dragon Festival in an unusual way.
Instead of rhyming strictly in a straight-up hip hop style,
Supernatural teamed up with DJ Heretic to rhyme over his frenzied
jungle beats. He then showed the crowd what it means to be an MC by
taking objects from the audience and using them in his freestyle
rhymes.
Mixmaster Mike gave concertgoers a lesson in turntabling with
his mix of hip hop along with other elements such as drum
‘n’ bass as well as reggae. The DJ used his turntables
like a time machine, mixing classic hip hop such as the
Ultramagnetic MC’s “Ease Back” with some current
Dr. Dre material, and then flipping the script and getting literary
by mixing Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick” with
Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.”
Linkin Park proved to be the biggest draw of the festival, as
fans squeezed into the Crimson Chamber to see the up-and-coming
band. Several large mosh pits could be seen among the crowd, as the
group rocked its feverish (as well as unintelligible) mix of hard
rock, rap and electronica. The group finished its set with the song
from its current video, “One Step Closer.”
The highlight of the show came when venerated hip hop veterans
the Beatnuts took the stage. The duo performed songs from its
classic EP “Intoxicated Demons,” teaching much of the
young crowd (who by a show of hands revealed that they had been
listening to hip hop for about 5 years) what real hip hop is all
about. The Beatnuts moved from early songs like “Reign of the
Tec” and “Props Over Here” to recent songs like
“Off the Books” and “Watch Out Now” with
ease, ending with their new single “No Escapin’
This.”
At long last GZA of the Wu Tang Clan finished the show in his
typical genius fashion, executing songs off his solo albums, as
well as performing a few Wu classics such as “Bring Da
Ruckus” and “Triumph.” Many fans long gone, GZA
displayed his skills to the remaining die-hard hip hop fans,
showing them why he is one of the most respected MCs in the
game.
While there may not have been any snakes present for the Chinese
New Year celebration, a plethora of music slithered its way through
the Events Center.
