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The aptly titled Anger Management Tour seriously lived up to its name as headlining participants Bizkit and Eminem served up numerous verbal assaults aimed at pop stars, the record business, music critics, a variety of "marked" targets and anyone else chosen.

"ANGER MANAGEMENT" JUST BIZKIT’S STYLE

Where Our Intrepid Reporter Flies Thousands Of Miles For A Limp Hot Dog

While two starry-eyed members of our editorial staff basked in the warm glow of Radiohead at L.A.'s Greek Theater (see story), another diligent HITS staffer was drinking in a little "Hot Dog Flavored Water." The "ER" to Radiohead's "St. Elsewhere," Limp Bizkit may be the hottest rock act in the country right now. As they kicked off their Anger Management tour, the cuddly and lovable Marc Pollack was there.

While some—including a couple of HITS cohorts (see story)—write Limp Bizkit off as "the band of the moment," the extremely popular rap-rock outfit has added a polished delivery to its already patented high-octane set, confirming perhaps that they are no flash in the pan.

With an enormous stage show and a production that features pyrotechnics rivaling acts like KISS and Metallica, Limp Bizkit has obviously accepted its place as the leader in the rap-rock genre. The group, which kicked off its latest tour Thursday (10/19) and Friday (10/20) at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, delivered in its new role as flamboyant arena headliners, enhancing its always tight live performance with a visually powerful, entertaining, enticing and engaging couple of events.

The aptly titled Anger Management Tour seriously lived up to its name as headlining participants Bizkit and Eminem, between their already antagonistic numbers, served up numerous verbal assaults aimed at pop stars, the record business, music critics, a variety of "marked" targets and anyone else chosen.

Coupled with their highly aggressive, violence-provoking and profanity-laced material, Eminem and Bizkit's often angry mid-song tirades were proof positive that the tour was rightfully coined.

"Christina Aguilera is a fucking bitch," declared Limp's leader Fred Durst mid-set Thursday. "I did her a fucking favor [by performing with the pop princess at this year's MTV Video Music Awards] and she turned around and started talkin' shit." The singer, clad in khaki shorts and his trademark red baseball cap, ended this particular tirade by calling Aguilera a "fucking whore."

Such comments complimented Limp Bizkit's set, which went to the extreme, as a huge transformer-like robot dominated the stage design. The stage also included two smaller robots that flanked the massive centerpiece. Using a series of impressive effects throughout the set like blasts of fire, smoke, sparks, explosions, dancers, video clips and lasers, Bizkit mustered up cuts from its three albums, including such show-stoppers "Nookie," "My Generation," "Faith," "Rollin'" "Hot Dog," "Break Stuff," Re-Arranged" and the highlight, "Take A Look Around." Rapper Xzibit joined Durst for "Getcha Groove On," a track off the band's recently released album.

Not to be outdone, extremely popular rapper Eminem, who emerged on stage after a lengthy video parody of "The Blair Witch Project," also reiterated the tour's theme.

He spoofed NSYNC's "Tearin' Up My Heart, changing the song's chorus to "Tearin' Up My Ass," and attacked Everlast, asking the crowd, "How many faggots in here like Whitey Ford?"

"If you like Whitey Ford, I want y'all to take the dicks out of your asses and wave them in the air! That mothafucka dissed me on an album, so I dissed him back," he said, during his rather long two stage-set performance.

While the hottest ticket in town was surely the first Mets-Yankees World Series game, this four-act event was a solid second.

Even with the music business' contempt for Durst, these sold-out shows in the New York area proved that industry backlash doesn't always filter to the fans. Sales of Bizkit's latest—"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water," released Oct. 17 and expected to sell north of 1 million units this week—confirms that Durst's highly publicized public rants have had little effect on the group's popularity. Surprisingly, the industry's disdain for Durst, who through a series of verbal and physical indiscretions continues to fuel negative sentiment, has apparently had no contradictory consequences as Bizkit's album sales soar and its concert attendance numbers continue to increase.

Comparing of Limp Bizkit to Radiohead, as my HITS compadres have, is simply asinine. First off, there is an obvious difference when the motivations for performance are personal or for mass consumption.

Radiohead, currently the best group in the world today on so many levels, has ridiculous fan and media credibility, a music-first dictum, top-notch songwriting defined by a unique direction and multileveled, multi-textured material. It may not serve radio or their label's purposes, but Radiohead's approach will surely play a role in sustaining the group's longevity.

Bizkit, while widely more popular, has a future that undoubtedly relies on the popularity of the genre they helped define, fan tolerance of Durst's moronic outbursts and the band's ability to grow with their demo-specific fan base.

By the way, Xzibit and Papa Roach opened the Anger Management shows.

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