On October 28, 2000, some 80,000 visitors converged on City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana for the 2nd Annual Voodoo Music Festival, a gathering of entertainment, food and fun and some of the hottest acts in today's modern rock scene. But it wouldn't be a party if PlayStation wasn't there! And trust me, they were definitely there. Not only was the larger than life PlayStation 2 68 foot semi-truck there, but PS2 also sponsored Voodoo Village, a brightly decorated hut containing a large number of arcade units showcasing PS2 titles. In all, over 31 games were shown and for those of you counting, that is 5 more than the 26 launch titles! During the all-day festival, Voodoo visitors had unlimited free play on such games as Fantavision, Kessen, Nascar 2001, NFL Gameday 2001, Silent Scope and many more. As night fell, black and orange lights came on and the PS2 Voodoo Village took on an eerie glow, becoming the perfect place to crash on the couches for a break. Of course, there were plenty of PS2 goodies being handed out by Sony's high energy staff members, including ultra-cool black PS2 t-shirts and glow sticks - the perfect combination for the after-dark performance of Stone Temple Pilots. I spoke with TJ Breaux, Sony Computer Entertainment America's Louisiana merchandising rep, and he tells me that this is the first time that the PlayStation semi-truck has visited the Louisiana area. Let's hope this is only the beginning of more to come.

Now, everyone knows that modern rock and video games go together, right? Well, Voodoo Music Fest brought together an amazing assortment of bands for this years lineup including local bands such as Section 8, Tuba and Cowboy Mouth, alternative bands Guster, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and Black-Eye Peas and worldwide smash acts the likes of 311, Eminem, Cypress Hill, Counting Crows, Blues Traveler (who we even caught in the backstage area...), Live and the headliners, Stone Temple Pilots!

Cowboy Mouth put on it's usual over the top and energetic show with lead singer Fred Leblanc hanging from the scaffolding at times. Three piece harmonious rockers Guster, hailing from Boston, Mass and the self-proclaimed "wussy rock" portion of the show absolutely blew me away. Bongo drum beats and smooth harmonies are what drive this band and the impressive drummer plays with his hands. No, not just the bongos, but cymbals and standard drums as well. I enjoyed Guster's music prior to the show and they were one of the bands I specifically came to see, but after seeing them live, I am now a true fan.

Despite being 30 minutes late for his performance, the very controversial Eminem did not disappoint audiences as the throng of thousands screamed for his entrance while hurling hundreds of plastic bottles in the air. His act included a parody of N Sync's "Tearin' Up My Heart" which sounded like he wrote it on the fly. Of course, Eminem sang his profanity-filled tunes with the help of his rapping backup guys, but disappointingly enough, didn't sing "My Name Is". I guess everyone knows who he is now.

The frenetic tunes of 311 blared as the sun started to go down and the band whipped the crowd into a frenzy. 311 is well-known as an amazing live act and the show they put on at Voodoo was certainly no exception. The band members were all over that stage and 311 fans were treated to a wide assortment of old hits and new.

The energy generated during 311 didn't die down as crowds began gathering more than an hour early at the Shooting Gallery stage for the headliners, Stone Temple Pilots. When the clock struck 9:45pm, the disembodied voice of lead Scott Weiland could be heard and the crowd went absolutely insane. Scott, always the trendsetter, burst onto the stage clad in a sheer black shirt and an afro wig, both of which came off in the course of the next few songs. STP wowed the audience with their hard-rocking hits and the crowd just begged from more. Scott amazed audiences by climbing on the shoulders of some fans in the pit to sing one tune, and when security ushered people from the pit, Scott called for the group to stay. Way to go Scott! The show concluded around 11:00pm with a pounding rendition of Sex Type Thing and flashing blue and red lights. STP puts on an impressive live show that won't soon be forgotten.

If you were not one of the lucky people to have been at Voodoo Music Fest, you can check out our complete photo gallery or you can catch all the action at the official Voodoo Music Fest website! Hope to see you there next year!