Does Aaron Lewis suck metaphorical cock for money?

Okay, so last night a good friend of mine gave me a heads up about a free concert that Detroit is putting on this Sunday called the My Coke Fest. It seemed cool enough, especially when I found out Staind was going to be playing. I saw them in concert in 2006 when they openend for 3 Doors Down; they put on one helluva show that day, inculding an amazing cover of Rotten Apple by Alice in Chains.

However, since then, things regarding Staind have started to get a bit weird. In other words, there's something amiss at the Circle K in San Dimas. Staind's last album (Chapter V) came out in 2005 and--as far as I know--there's no announcement for any forthcoming album anytime soon. Despite that, Aaron Lewis has apparently been on tour nonstop for the last three years. I mean, everywhere I go I see poster for this guy playing acoustic at some fleabitten Indian casino or similar venue of ill repute. "Yes, tonight! LIVE! Aaron Lewis at the Tuscaloosa County Fair and Gun Show!"

So it was nice to hear that Staind was actually back together and not playing some bullshit "unplugged" edition of thier former selves. Of course, that's until I actaully went online and saw the lineup for the My Coke Fest: the headliner is fuckin Fergie! Are you shitting me? You get people out to see Gym Class Heroes and Staind and then for the grand finale we get...Fergie?! I mean, its a free show so i really have no right to bitch, but who was the marketing genius that put this lineup together?

Oh, and that's not a slam on Stacy Fergueson by any means. Really. She's hot, bi and used to have a chemical addiction problem...all of which makes her sound like any number of girls Ive dated before. I'm totally down with the Dutchess, folks. It's just that I don't see how the hell she ends up headlining the same venue that Staind is playing at. Does this make sense to anyone?

All that aside, I'm really starting to wonder about Mr. Lewis. Between playing any venue that will let him (how many millions of times can you clench your shaved pate and eyebrow ring in mock-agony while you sing "It's Been a While" after all?) and now opening for Fergie, is there no sense of pride or dignity left as to where you will or won't play? WTF, dude? I mean, there has to be a serious drug or gambling problem here that we don't all know about. I'm not trying to get all individualistic/anti-establishment/don'twhoreyourselfouttoTheMan but at this point Aaron Lewis, your choice of venue is the musical equivalent of you sucking cock for money.

That is all.