By Dustin J. Seibert
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FAVORITE SONS

Young crowd favorites: Aerosmith ('86, '88, '90, '93, '97, '98, '02, '03) Chicago ('84, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '95, '98, '02, '03) Hall & Oates ('88, '98, '02) Jimmy Buffett ('88, '89, 90, '92, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03) Johnny Mathis ('85, '86, '87, '88, '90) Source: Riverbend

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Victor Borge ('87) Bill Cosby ('85, '88, '98) Rodney Dangerfield ('84) Eddie Murphy ('86) Joan Rivers ('86) Red Skelton ('92) "Weird Al" Yankovic ('87)Christina Aguilera ('00) Brandy ('99) 50 Cent, Jay-Z ('03) Dave Matthews Band ('97,'98,'99, '00, '02,'03) N'SYNC ('99) Spice Girls ('98) Usher ('02) Vans Warped Tour ('02)Paula Abdul ('92) Bangles ('86) DeBarge ('84) Debbie Gibson ('89) Milli Vanilli ('89) Sinead O'Connor ('90) Power Station ('85)

It has survived the annual assaults by Parrotheads, an influx of Barenaked Ladies, the heat of 98ƒ, the mosh pits of Ozzfest, Poison and Lollapalooza, and even an appearance by Milli Vanilli. But despite drenching rains earlier in the week, as the doors opened last week on the 20th anniversary season at Riverbend Music Center, the one danger that has plagued the riverside venue in years past was nowhere in sight ... a few thousand gallons of water from the Ohio River flooding the place.

"We can't control Mother Nature, so we do what we can," says Rosemarie Dalba, director of marketing at Riverbend, which opened its anniversary season May 19 with a show by the rock band Dashboard Confessional. Not withstanding nature's infrequent wrath on the $9 million amphitheater, hundreds of thousands of concertgoers have attended a mix of rock, pop and classical concerts every summer since 1984.

Variety of acts

Though the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra had longed for a summer home similar to the Boston Symphony's Tanglewood and Cleveland's Blossom Music Center, the facility, which can accommodate up to 20,000, has also featured the "who's who" of music, ranging from the mellow sounds of the late John Denver to the rap-rock stylings of Cypress Hill and the comedy of Joan Rivers. The 20th anniversary season keeps the tradition moving with more than 50 pop/rock performers and a full CSO and Pops season. This year's highlights include a line of strong female vocalists such as Melissa Etheridge, Jessica Simpson and Annie Lennox, as well as contemporary opera star Josh Groban and country singer Toby Keith.

Buffett always sells out

All of whom have a long way to go if they hope to surpass singer Jimmy Buffett, who has performed at Riverbend every season - sometimes up to four nights - for the past decade and a half. "Jimmy Buffett fans in this town are fanatics, true Parrotheads," says Dalba, referring to the nickname of the star's fans. His scheduled Aug. 31 show sold out in under 20 minutes.

The river may have cooperated so far, but this year brings another challenge to the venue: cicadas. Dalba says there's no need to worry. "We are a cicada-free zone," she says. "They shouldn't affect us." Between the nearly annual spring floods and dozens of construction projects which have disturbed the ground, it's believed the beady-eyed bugs couldn't have survived underground.