After four-and-a-half hours of music, the audience at the Freeman Spring Concert finally got what they were waiting for when headlining act Less Than Jake took the stage.

Even members of other bands were proud to share the stage with the Gainesville-based ska-punk band.

“Less Than Jake’s ‘Losing Streak’ is the first CD I ever bought, so to be able to play with them six years later is unbelievable,” said Joshua Ladd, freshman in pre-business and drummer for Adelynne.

Emerging into Saturday night’s 40-degree weather at the Forker Parking Lot, Less Than Jake guitarist Chris Demakes seemed astonished to see his breath freezing before his eyes. The weather was one subject of Demakes’ frequent profane tirades.

The crowd response to Less Than Jake was enormous – for twenty rows back, people were energetically jumping up and down and pumping their arms. The responses to previous acts, even including Vains of Jenna and A Static Lullaby, were nowhere near as enthusiastic.

Demakes’ high-spirited banter was one factor in getting the crowd going. Throughout the set, he used his ribald sense of humor to take cheap shots at other bands – particularly Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Blink 182 – band members, the audience, the concert organizers and even himself. Additionally, he harangued the few spectators gathered on the East Campus Parking Deck. Demakes admitted he had been drinking all night, contributing to his antics.

“He’s [Demakes] in rare form tonight,” said bassist and vocalist Roger Manganelli, addressing the crowd. Turning to Demakes, he said, “Thanks for being a drunken buffoon.”

Some of Demakes’ stunts went beyond wordplay. Twice during the show, he called audience members up on stage for the purpose of ridiculing them. One fan’s hairstyle and mustache were made fun of. In another incident, he ran all the way out to the East Campus Parking Deck to fetch a reluctant audience member, subjecting her to a dance competition with another.

The set lasted for more than an hour and a half, with Demakes never seeming to lose momentum. After the band finally did leave the stage, they returned once more for a encore. After playing a few songs, he stated “We’re just gonna play until the police make us stop.” After several more songs, however, the band left the stage without incident.

Despite the abrasive nature of some of Demakes’ shenanigans, the audience seemed to take it all in good fun.

“We’re just really good with our fans,” said trombone player Buddy “Goldfinger” Schaub. “We try to give a little back.”

Earlier in the show

The most important part of any show – the stage setup – was excellent. The stage itself was enormous, standing about 5 feet tall. The barrier was put to good use during A Static Lullaby and Less Than Jake’s more energetic shows, providing an easy avenue of escape for crowd surfers.

The sound system truly stood out, however. Vocals stood out in stark clarity, a remarkable feat for an outdoor show.

Story City native Jokerband took advantage of this setup first, bringing their classic rock-inspired styling to the stage. Reminiscent of such bands as Bad Company and AC/DC, they played a rough brand of bar rock. Although not original, the band was competent and entertaining.

Ames-based Kedda, a contestant in this Saturday’s VEISHEA Battle of the Bands, picked up with a blend of alternative rock and reggae influences. At their best when delving into syncopated funk rhythms, they all-too-frequently fell into repetition.

Kedda also experienced some trouble getting a reaction from the audience. Even the offer of T-shirts to the three best dancers did little to get the crowd moving.

“We’re not used to playing for this many sober people,” said lead singer Chresten Hyde. “It’s really weird.”

Kedda closed their set with an excellent cover of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.”

The final local band of the evening, Adelynne’s lineup consists solely of ISU students and alumni.

“[This concert] is nice because we don’t usually get to play for ISU kids,” said bassist Thomas Chenoweth, senior in electrical engineering. “We usually play Des Moines.”

Adelynne, with three guitarists, created a hard-edged alt-rock sound, incorporating some blistering guitar interludes.

With their set-closer, “Lights Out,” the band attempted to get a mosh pit formed, with some success. Adelynne is also slated to be competing in the Battle of the Bands with Kedda.

Originally hailing from Sweden, Vains of Jenna dealt with numerous equipment problems, resulting in a half-hour delay before their set. When they finally entered the stage, they got right down to business, playing whiskey-drenched glam metal reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue and AC/DC – albeit with a great deal more profanity.

“They’re a Motley Crue movie come to life,” said Adelynne’s lead guitarist Steve Stuart, freshman in art and design.

The band was elaborately costumed, resembling their posters almost perfectly. The guitarist, Nicki Kin, and bassist, JP White, were clad in patched black leather and the drummer, Jacki Stone, wore a sleeveless top and shorts. Lead singer Lizzy DeVine came out shirtless with long dark hair, eyeliner and a red bandana. Several audience members compared his appearance to Captain Jack Sparrow’s from Disney’s “The Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“You should have seen me with a mustache and beard,” DeVine said, laughing. “He [Sparrow] was stealing my style.”

The effect they achieved was precisely what they were going for. Despite their problems, including faulty guitar tuning and lost merchandise, the band soldiered on.

“It’s rock and roll,” DeVine said. “Nothing can be perfect.”

A Static Lullaby launched its post-hardcore assault with twin guitars and machine-gun kick drums, finally getting the crowd surfers started after some abortive attempts.

As the crowd continued to swell in anticipation of Less Than Jake’s performance, people crowded toward the stage, forming the first true pit of the evening.

The crowd’s energy was sustained by the band, with the guitarists thrashing across the stage and vocalist Joe Brown shrieking almost nonstop.

They finished high, urging the screaming crowd to “turn this place into a f—ing war zone,” paving the way for Less Than Jake’s dominating set.