The rain. It’s been a thing this festival season, hasn’t it? But even with that said, Chicago Open Air Presents, which hasn’t seen a line up since 2017, pushed on through for their long awaiting festival fans who came to rock – rain or shine! And I’ll tell you: even with the rain, loyal fans pushed through those gates once those doors opened and ran towards that one main stage at the Seat Geek Stadium like it was the most anticipated event of their year. It was sad to see early bands like Vein and Code Orange get canceled by rain and the later start, but the safety of the fans has to come first. It was awesome to see the stage relive its previous year’s glory with the sound of pure rock that could only come from some of the heaviest hitting metal/rock bands around. And the music did fly high above those storm clouds when Beartooth hit the stage that first day. Well-known Swedish bands like Meshuggah and a very artistic and melodic metal performance by Ghost was next, followed by long-awaited headliners System of A Down. SOAD had everyone, myself included, singing along to classics like ‘Aerials’, ‘B.Y.O.B’ amongst their thirty song setlist, and I’m pretty sure that by when they closed out with ‘Toxicity’ we were all out of breath and losing our vocal cords. Eh, it was worth it.
Category Archives: Festival Reviews
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Sonic Temple 2019
The debut of the Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival capped off the Danny Wimmer Presents 2019 spring festival season with sold-out crowds of 120,000 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, OH, May 17, 18 & 19. It was a fest for the ages and one of the best lineups in the history of “The Worlds Loudest Month”, the signature of Danny Wimmer Presents music festival experiences. In addition to massive performances from Foo Fighters, System Of A Down, Disturbed, Ghost, Papa Roach and Lamb of God, the weekend offered one-of-a-kind art experiences, including legendary street artist RISK, art installations, live mural painting, live screen-printing and the popular Art Tent. The SiriusXM Comedy & Spoken Word Tent presented sets from Andrew Dice Clay, Henry Rollins, Tom Morello, Craig Gass, Nadya of Pussy Riot, and more. Continue reading
REVIEW: Maryland Deathfest 2019
Maryland Deathfest held their annual festival in the venerable city of Baltimore a few weeks back. The four-day is one of the best-run independent underground metal festivals in the world. As usual Ghost Cult was on hand for the festivities, with Hillarie Jason bringing you her spectacular eye on bands through photos. Continue reading
REVIEW: Desertfest New York
I had to take a moment when Desertfest New York was announced. I only had gotten to experience a real European Festival once in the last few years of my life and it was a game changer. Yet, I had yet to enjoy a Desertfest yet. The excitement I felt getting have this festival come practically to my backyard, and into two clubs I visit with regularity was just icing on the cake. If you love Stoner, Doom, and Psychedelic music, this festival is your true north and now we have a fest of our own like this in the USA. Continue reading
Welcome To Rockville 2019 Review
How can you top an unforgettable end to a three day Welcome to Rockville festival in 2018 when Ozzy gave us one hell of a send-off? You take the anticipation of thousands of Tool fans who are busting at the seams waiting for the new album to release, and you give them more of a tease by making Tool the final headliner in this year’s Welcome to Rockville Festival, that’s how. We all heard the rumors that Tool was going to debut two new songs (‘Descending’ and ‘Invincible’) during Welcome to Rockville, and they delivered with this history-making moment that fans have not stopped sharing and talking about, whether they were present to witness it or not. Continue reading
Desertfest London 2019: Live At Various Venues
It’s spring bank holiday in the UK, which can mean only one thing; a long weekend of headbanging in London’s dingiest venues. 2019 marks the eighth edition of London’s Desertfest; a festival dedicated to the slow, the slower, and the heavy. With a healthy dose of bong and Satan worship thrown in for good measure. Continue reading
Roadburn 2019 – A Fest of a Different Color
Roadburn, now in its 20th year, is a fest I had promised I would start going to many, many years ago but for one reason or another never did. This year I went and although it is like other music fests in some ways, I can say that it is equally unlike other fests in many other ways. Many of my personal experiences will not be akin to a standard festival goer due to the nature of what I do obviously but if you bear with me here I can explain some things that the average person should expect when and if they decide to go is on their list of priorities. If you already know the drill or aren’t interested in this part please feel free to scroll on through.Continue reading
REVIEW: Musink 2019 – Live at Orange County Fair & Event Center
Travis Barker returned to the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa to present (alongside So-Cal radio station KROQ) the twelfth consecutive year of Musink—the end-all festival of music, tattoos, and custom cars.Continue reading
Innings Festival 2019: Eddie Vedder, Incubus, Sheryl Crow and More
With 75-degree weather and lush landscape of saguaros and desert, the sun isn’t the only thing Arizona has to offer during the year. You can also expect the makings of a perfect setting for a weekend at the ballpark, rather Innings Festival 2019 at the Tempe Beach Park. Catching fly balls, pitching, and high-speed action at home plate isn’t the only thing that people show up for, of course. With this weekend’s line up of heavy hitters hitting both the music stage and the batting cages, it was an eventful weekend all around.Continue reading
Heavy Psych Sounds Festival, London UK
Another trip to London for four bands from a label very quickly becoming a favourite of mine, Heavy Psych Sounds, with Dead Witches launching their new album, The Final Exorcism, with more than adequate support from Deadsmoke, Giobia and Black Rainbows. Will a 500 mile trip down and home for an evening of crushing riffs be worth the almost inevitable whiplash and exhaustion? There’s only one way to find out! Continue reading