The 95X Big Shindig on Sunday brings the best full day of alternative rock music of the summer to Walnut Creek Amphitheater. Impressively, nearly every Shindig artist has had a song in heavy rotation on Alternative Nation (Sirius/XM) this year (the same cannot be said for the event’s chief sponsor, however).

The day can be divided into 3 chapters. IAMDYNAMITE (“Stereo”) opens the new alternative chapter with their driving, jangly sound. However the day really gets going with the performer of one of Alternative’s best, tertiary songs of the year, Sir Sly (Gold), takes the stage. Brit pop Wolf Gang (”The King and All Of His Men”) follows, then Big Data takes the stage (“Dangerous”). “Dangerous” will probably be the big hit song of the afternoon. Bear Hands (“Giants”) and the outrageous Foxy Shazam (“Oh Lord”) round out the first chapter.

The sound takes a more Modern Rock feel at 4:45 when The Pretty Reckless (“Heaven Knows”) takes the stage with the day’s only female lead singer. They are followed by 90s Modern Rock kings Fuel (“Shimmer”, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)”). Fuel is, ironically, the band that has gotten the most airplay of this event on Raleigh radio through the years.

This decade returns with a gigantic tub of “happy” at 7pm when Fitz & the Tantrums (“Out Of My League”, “The Walker”, “MoneyGrabber”) take the stage. Their April 2003 release, “More Than Just A Dream”, was one of the year’s best CDs.

At 8:10 Foster the People will take the stage and probably mark the entire event’s apex. Best known for “Pumped Up Kicks”, Foster… has snuck in eleven other hits since, and stands as one of the most significant bands of this decade. (“Best Friend”, “Houdini”, “Helena Beat”)

Headliner Weezer takes the stage at 9:25. With their 15+ hits, Weezer is one of the most important Alternative Rock bands in the wake of Nirvana. However the bulk of their excellence came in the 90s, and while I’m sure their show will be as good as it was in the DPAC earlier this year, this is a school night, so forgive us for leaving early. (“Say It Ain’t So”, “Island In The Sun”, “Back to the Shack”)

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Parking Lots Open: 11:00 AM
Gates Open: 12:30 PM
1:30 PM: IAMDYNAMITE
2:20 PM: Sir Sly
3:00 PM: Wolf Gang
3:35 PM: Big Data
4:10 PM: Bear Hands
4:45 PM: Foxy Shazam
5:20 PM: The Pretty Reckless
6:10 PM: Fuel
7:00 PM: Fitz & The Tantrums
8:10 PM: Foster The People
9:25 PM: Weezer