This was the first time Ozzfest was held at the White River Amphitheatre instead of the Gorge. This venue opened about a month before this show so I think the promoters were trying to drive business to it. The promoters probably figured that a large majority of the people who went to concerts at the Gorge were from Seattle anyway so why not move the concert closer to Seattle. The problem is that there is no comparing to the Gorge, especially with a cookie-cutter amphitheatre such as this. I went with my cousin Earl who at the time lived nearby in Renton.

Before they were on my radar Chevelle played the Ozzfest I attended the previous summer, but because they were not on my radar this was my first time actually seeing them. All it took for me to like this band was to hear “The Red” one time from the Wonder What’s Next album that they were touring behind. I remember being highly impressed that it was just three guys on a stark stage rocking out.

Disturbed was still touring for the album Believe and continued where they left off the last time I had seen them with Korn. I believe it was during Disturbed’s set that people up in the lawn section where I was at began throwing water bottles toward the stage for no apparent reason. The bottles got nowhere near the stage and were hitting people that were closer to the stage downhill. It was fucked up but it was probably more fucked up when I started laughing uncontrollably when the people downhill started throwing the bottles back (uphill). Poor people with better seats…

This was the fourth time I had the pleasure of seeing Marilyn Manson. They were touring for The Golden Age of Grotesque that had been released just a few months prior to this show. Both the album and performance gave a heavy nod to 30’s vaudeville and burlesque mixed in with the usual Manson stage antics. Sadly this would be the last time I would see the band with John 5.

Marilyn Manson is a tough act to follow but Korn held their own. Much better than the last time I had seen them with Disturbed. They were still touring for Untouchables but were much tighter this time. I also remember walking through an exhibit that Jonathan Davis had set up in a trailer earlier in the day. The exhibit was basically a freak show with many serial killer artifacts.

I would tell you I remember Ozzy at this show but I really have zero recollection of seeing him here. I know we stayed for the entire show but my mind is drawing a blank. As previously stated I am not all that into solo Ozzy versus Black Sabbath so this does not entirely surprise me.

David Draiman, the lead singer in the Heavy Metal rock group Disturbed, performs at Ozzfest 2003 in Devore, California, late July 5, 2003. Twenty bands on two stages performed during the all-day outdoor concert 60 miles east of Los Angeles, California. REUTERS/Jim Ruymen JR – RTR73L