KIDS' JAM '98; FESTIVAL AT GILCHRIST BRIDGES THE GENERATION GAP.(LOCAL/STATE)

Byline: David Green STAFF WRITER ;

The members of the punk band thrashed at their instruments, sparking a melee among the crowd of teen-agers at the foot of the stage.

Kids with shaved heads, nose rings and tattoos smashed into each other, lunging and colliding and swinging wildly as they slam-danced.

"There's something more!" the orange-haired bass player shouted into the microphone. "I know there's something more!"

And there was something more: clowns, pony rides, face painting, a bounce tent. All were part of Kids' Jam '98, which brought thousands of young people to the gathering Saturday at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda.

Some …