1993 during a stop on their I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour. Screaming Trees played there with Soul Asylum in '93. It had Virginia's Dave Matthews Band in '93, UK's Depeche Mode with Stabbing Westward in '94, Athens GA's B-52's in '94, Billy Ray Cyrus in '95, Blues Traveler in '96, Coolio in '96, UK's Duran Duran in 2000, Weird Al Yankovic in '00, Smash Mouth in '00, Sugar Ray in '00, and 311 in '04. Atlanta Christian rapper Lecrae performed there in 2014 (for Rock the Park), and Skillet played in 2015. Fast Lane Fast Lane is a limited-access line queue system offered for an additional charge at Cedar Fair amusement parks. Visitors can purchase a wristband that allows them to bypass standard lines in favor of shorter ones at many of the parks' most popular attractions. Carowinds Festival of Music The annual Carowinds Festival of Music allows music students to perform in public, receiving comments and ratings from nationally recognized adjudicators. Bands, choirs, show choirs, and orchestras can all play for ratings. Plaques and ribbons are awarded for performances that receive ratings of superior and excellent. Timeline 1973: Carowinds opens on March 31; the Monorail is still under construction and opens later. Original theme areas: Plantation Square, Contemporary Carolina, Frontier Outpost, Pirate Island, Indian Thicket, Country Crossroads and Queens Colony. 1974: Country Kitchen is added; Whirling Well (Chance Rotor); picnic areas open. The Double-Decker Carousel is removed from the park at the end of the season and placed in storage. 1975: Paladium Amphitheatre; Happy Land of (themed area) featuring Scooby Doo coaster; Surfer (Tagada); Wagon Wheel (Chance Trabant); Waltzer (Schwarzkopf spinning ride). 1976: Thunder Road; narrow gauge Carowinds and Carolina Railroad removed. 1977: White Lightnin' (Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster) in Pirate Island (entrance in Country Crossroads); Whirling Well renamed Oaken Bucket and moved to east midway. 1979: County Fair area added. Meteorite (enterprise); PT Bumpem's Auto Stunt & Thrill Show (bumper cars); Whirling Dervish (wave swinger); Wild Bull (Bayern Kurve); Carousel. 1980: Carolina Cyclone was added in Frontier Outpost. 1982: Rip Roarin' Rapids; Ocean Island (water park). 1983: Cable Skyway removed. 1984: Smurf Island (themed area). 1985: Blackbeard's Revenge (mystery house). 1986: Frenzoid, a looping Viking ship was added. 1987: Expansion of Hanna-Barbera Land with three new rides; Old Jalopies antique car ride removed; Oaken Bucket removed. 1988: WhiteWater Falls added; White Lightnin' coaster removed; Black Widow (thrill