It’s a passionate explosion of sound, life, love and politics. As a strong, distinct voice from the stage sings tales of natural disasters, war and hope amid fevered guitar riffs, a mesmerized audience plugs into the energy. This is the world of Rise Against.

Punk rockers Rise Against are at the top of their game here on their 2011 tour. The environmentally conscious and politically unabashed band hit the U.S. hard and strong this month on a whirlwind tour supporting their new album, Endgame, which opened to sold out dates in Las Vegas and Southern California.

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Music fans usually pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to get a close view of their favorite bands in concert. Not so at the new Plugged In stage at Universal CityWalk®, where getting close to the bands comes at a very reasonable price: free.

Conveniently located right outside the Hard Rock Café, the Plugged In stage is the new host a variety of hot musical acts, all playing full sets that are entirely free to the public.

Neon Trees, the dance-punk band Los Angeles radio giant KROQ has said will “rule the universe” (read my interview with lead singer Tyler Glenn ) opened the Plugged In concert series on October 26, 2010.

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Ever heard of a little band called blink-182? How about 30 Seconds to Mars, or Rise Against? Do a few notes of House of Pain’s “Jump Around” (“jump, jump, jump, jump!) ever get stuck in your head? If so, then the Epicenter Twenty Ten music festival in Fontana would have been the perfect spot for you.

In a place where rock music legends KISS and passionate rapper Eminem’s worlds collided, the Epicenter festival featured a hard-hitting selection of some of the biggest names in rock, alt rock, hip hop and punk.

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KROQ Radio claims they “will rule the universe.” The Killers hand-selected the relatively unknowns to open for them on their 2008 North America tour. Yet these elusive young musicians don’t even have an album out yet (their debut, “Habits,” is due in stores and electronically March 16,2010).

So who is the band that has made so much inroad onto the music scene in such little time? Neon Trees.

Who?

Never heard of Neon Trees? Ask your teenager. Neon Trees, from Provo, Utah, is part pop/part organic rock played frequently on alternative rock radio stations. Loosely formed in 2001 in an early incarnation, Tyler Glenn met guitarist and fellow co-founder Chris Allen while they were living in Southern California’s Temecula area. Neon Trees’ current lineup includes Tyler, Chris, Branden Campbell on bass and, breaking the mold, a rocking young female on drums – Elaine Bradley.

The new-wave sounding band has been getting ready for the official launch of their debut album with major label Mercury Records.  The first single from the album, “Animals,” has already received a fair amount of airplay  and created noise among fans and music bloggers alike. “We’re excited about our album”, says Tyler. “You only get one chance to put out your first record – and we want it be our best effort”.

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“Everything seems easy when you’re 17,” All American Rejects lead singer Tyson Ritter told excited fans at The Roxy in Hollywood while recounting their last trip to Los Angeles. Eight years ago, four boys jumped into a van and drove 18 hours towards LA. Once in Los Angeles, the boys “tore that shit apart” – at the Roxy. The boys, now men, tore the very same Roxy apart again on the final stop of their 2009 tour supporting their latest album “When The World Comes Down”.

West Hollywood Comes Alive

Though the All American Rejects can certainly fill much larger venues than The Roxy, the small club’s intimate atmosphere had the band up close and personal with their fans. Performing under bluish Christmas lights on a stage just feet above a roaringly appreciative audience, AAR made the night their own. Lead vocalist Ritter, shirtless and body-glittered to the max, pumped up the crowd from the very first notes. Opening with their thumping, motivating hit, “Move Along”, the always-smiling Ritter exuded energy and confidence as he connected with the mostly college-age audience.

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