[Video Credit: Bon Jovi – Living On A Prayer – Bamboozle 2012 – via incuhoob112]

Promoter and New Jersey native John D’Esposito organized the Skate And Surf Festival in Asbury Park in 2001, which continued the following two years. The Great Bamboozle was also held in 2003 with Dark Star Orchestra, Keller Williams and The Roots among the acts that performed at The Stone Pony.

The second Great Bamboozle was held at the same location, with moe., G. Love & Special Sauce and Sonic Youth topping the bill. Renamed The Bamboozle and relocated to Asbury Park Convention Hall, the 2005 edition featured performances by the likes of My Chemical Romance, Thrice and Fall Out Boy.

The following year saw The Bamboozle move to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in the Giants Stadium parking lot in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Fall Out Boy returned to headline alongside Taking Back Sunday. In October 2006, The Bamboozle Left was held at Cal Poly Pomona Athletic Field in Pomona, California, with Thrice, Brand New and Dashboard Confessional among the performers. The Bamboozle went back to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in 2007 and Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance headlined the two-day event.

The Bamboozle Roadshow traveling tour took place in the spring of 2008 with Armor for Sleep, Metro Station and Saves The Day among the participants. The Bamboozle Left came back in 2008, this time held at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. Paramore, The All-American Rejects and My Chemical Romance headlined the West Coast fest. That year’s The Bamboozle was staged at the Meadowlands with Snoop Dogg and Jimmy Eat World co-headlining the first day and Panic! at the Disco and Coheed & Cambria the second day.

The Bamboozle Roadshow, The Bamboozle Left and The Bamboozle (as well as the east and west editions of the affiliated The Hoodwink) were all put on in 2009. We the Kings, Forever the Sickest Kids, The Cab, Never Shout Never, Fall Out Boy, 50 Cent and No Doubt were among the many performers at the various Bamboozle shows.

In 2010, The Bamboozle Left became The Bamboozle California and moved to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California for two days featuring headliners AFI and Something Corporate. The Bamboozle’s lineup included MGMT, Weezer, Paramore, Drake and others. The only The Bamboozle Chicago was held in 2010 at Charter One Pavilion. Something Corporate, Cobra Starship and 3OH!3 were among those that played the one-day event. An expanded The Bamboozle Roadshow also toured in 2010.

The Bamboozle Roadshow returned for a final run in 2011. The Bamboozle was the lone festival staged that year as well. The final event held at the Meadowlands saw performances by Thirty Seconds to Mars, Taking Back Sunday, Lil Wayne and more. A 10th anniversary edition of The Bamboozle was held in 2012 at North Beach in Asbury Park. The final installment included Skrillex, Foo Fighters and New Jersey heroes Bon Jovi.

Disputes between John D’Esposito and LiveNation led to his departure from The Bamboozle and it was not staged after 2012. The Skate & Surf Festival returned to New Jersey in 2013 for a run that lasted through 2015.