Spring Fling 2000 at Hershey Park this year was a day of Christian shows and rides... except there was nothing about rain in the ad. It had rained the day before and through the morning, and although it stopped before the festivities, it was cold, damp and overcast.

With that said, it was a good thing the shows were in door, huh? (for the most part) Plumb was the first show we checked out, and the driving force for our attending the event. Showcasing new musicians, lead singer Tiffany Arbuckle's new band rocked the show. They seemed to take every plumb favorite and give it a more lively "to-the-max" feel and approach. Before they took the stage, the haunting recorded vocals of "Send Angels" flowed through the small Hershey Park Amphitheater. Tiffany's bandmates set up and joined them for "Lie Low." Her energy was amazing and she radiated passion throughout her songs. The set list included "Worlds Collide," "Sobering," "Who Am I," a heart-wrenching version of "Damaged," and "Late Great Planet Earth." By the end of their performance, it was clear they were the best band at the park that day.

A little while later, 5 Minute Walk Records new artist Philmore rocked the stage with their pop/punk and 80s rock. With their 80s guitars and metal poses, they performed "Smile at Me," "Our Finest Hour," Jon Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer," and "Fishy." Their high energy and odd performance made them fun to watch. But it certainly was a suprise to hear some of the music they played. Do they want people to take their 80s rock/metal seriously? You can't. But it was a fun show.

Right after Philmore, acoustic pop singer Justin McRoberts brought his solo, fun-filled set to the stage. Opening with "With Your Eyes," Justin accomplished alone what some bands can't even do as a group. With only his acoustic guitar and a microphone, he performed his passionate songs with humorous monologues in between as he talked to the crowd. After performing a new song about his appreciation and love for his mother and wife (aka the women in his life), he literally dialed his mother on his cell and called her from the stage during the set. She didn't believe him at first and he had the audience yell "hi mom" when he first called and a "bye mom" before he hung up. After the call, he said, "You'll probably never see anyone else call their mom from stage during a show." Then he added, "And if you do, they stole it from me." He introduced "5th Wheel" with a humorous story of how he tried to ask a girl to dance during a high school prom and she shot him down. Justin constantly poked fun at himself and the fact that he was alone on stage. At one point, he yelled, "And on drums... ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!!!" and then nodded his head to the imaginary drum solo. His set was most definitely the best under Plumb's.

While Justin and Philmore played, Plus One and RAZE had performed on another stage. By the time we made it over there, however, RAZE was finishing up "Arms Around the World." Mizzie was missing due to an illness in the family, but the rest of the crew was there, including their dancers (although it appears that there is a new girl dancer as opposed to the one from the Underdog Tour. After RAZE finished and left the stage, they came back on with help from Plus One to sing "Place in My Heart." The harmonies were amazing as they performed their song which sounds like it could be a Plus One or *N Sync tune.

In conclusion, all the performances were good, with special emphasis on Plumb and Justin McRoberts. So if you get a chance to see any of these artists in concert, you shouldn't leave disappointed.