Danny Wimmer Presents is an acclaimed music festival production company that hosts some of the top entertainment experiences in the country. The pride and joy of their collection is Kentucky’s Louder Than Life Festival. The first one was presented in Louisville ten years ago and has flourished since then. With over 170,000 attendees at last year’s event and even more this year, it has grown to be one of the biggest rock festivals in the United States. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, they pulled out all the stops for this monumental milestone. With nearly one hundred acts performing over the course of the four-day event was a mammoth undertaking and well worth it.
Rock, metal, punk, and alternative music fans gathered in mass at the High Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center last Thursday ready to feed on the plethora of performers. The weather was predicted to turn foul, but that did not deter the thousands from showing up early. All were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to catch everyone from rising stars to legends. With such a variety and multitude of bands to catch on one of the five stages meant there was never a dull moment. Lemmy Kilmister’s signed rock and roll act, Budderside played in the early afternoon along with Finger Eleven and Orgy. Later in the day, metalcore darlings, Fit for A King and alternative rockers, Starset both delivered their feisty sets. Bigger crowds formed when Badflower, Highly Suspect, and Seether performed. Every single show had a bustling, amiable strength and everyone seemed enthusiastically invested in playing their best. Sirius XM “Metal Ambassador” Jose Mangin came out on stage with Mayor Craig Greenberg and the fest’s CEO Danny Hayes. They had a celebratory moment and commenced the opening of the fest by breaking a bottle of bourbon and smashing an acoustic guitar to pieces. Everything only got more uproarious from there.
The evening bolstered its level of energy when the beloved Halestorm took on one of the two main stages. Their set was fiery, fierce, and done with flair. Their exuberance was contagious and it created a near-frenzied excitement. The kind that feels like a bowl of hot soup sitting comfortably in the belly. The Offspring and Sum 41 played like it was a party. Each act interacted with the crowd in a loving and charismatic way. Deryck Whibley informed everyone that there would be no light show or pyros on their last song of the night. He said that he wanted just the band and the fans singing together because that is really what it is all about. The long rows of vividly hued tents, the variety of colorful glow sticks, and the various noshes created a carnival-like atmosphere which was very fitting for the bazaar-like shows from Five Finger Death Punch and Slipknot.
The ground shook as FFDP thundered into, “Welcome to the Circus”. The roaring rumbles and amped-up aptitude of the quintet had the whole festival revved up. Frontman Ivan Moody commanded attention with his astute vocals and powerful bearing. The drizzle that was coming down turned into pouring rain making everything slippery. Ivan took a tumble but continued on. After the show, the frontman went to the hospital to discover he fractured some rips. Quite the dedicated performer. He even showed off his softer side when he asked for the youngest member in the crowd to join him on stage. With large earmuffs, a bright green faux hawk, and wide eyes, a young man held his dad’s hand as he looked over the sea of people as he was hoisted onto the platform. Ivan noticed the boy’s shoe was untied and crouched down to lace it for him. As he tied the shoelace, he affectionately patted the boy’s foot when he was done. Papa Ivan melted hearts and faces that night.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Slipknot’s self-titled debut album. The band is on their Here Comes The Pain tour to celebrate their feat. The rain continued to pour when these nu-metal giants took over the main stage. Their masks glistened and dripped as they broke into some of their most classic numbers like “Wait and Bleed”, “Purity”, and “Spit It Out”. Frontman Corey Taylor apologized to all the casual fans in the audience. He said their show was for the maggots who had been there since day one and they would only be playing songs from 1999. It was the group’s thank you to all the devotees. Their primal behaviors, theatrics, and relentless intensity had the hordes enraptured. There is a reason why this band is one of the biggest names in the scene and it was a joy to join them in celebrating one of their career’s special occasions.
Hurricane Helen decided to wreak havoc across the states the next day and due to 60 mph wind gusts the festival gates did not open on time. Everyone watched their phone intently waiting for any updates. By the time the evening had rolled around, LTL officially canceled all shows for that day. The fest’s staff stated the safety of the fans, artists, and crew were the top priority. With the continued inclement weather, it was understandable that they had to make the tough choice. Many were heartbroken, but no one can control Mother Nature, and it made the next two days of the festival all the sweeter.
Some performers on the bill for Friday found other ways to hang with their fans. Silly Goose announced on their Instagram that they would be playing Louisville’s premiere metal bar for free. Mag’s Bar is well known for hosting lively shows, and it was the perfect spot for this budding band to dole out their metal mashup sound. The pint-sized venue was filled to the brim when the quartet got on stage. Due to capacity restraints, a line around the building formed with fans all waiting to hopefully get in to catch the rowdy group. The packed-out venue was toasty warm which had everyone sharing sweat. It was a very old-school moment of true communion between fan and artist. Friday was not a complete disappointment.
Rain continued to pour on Saturday, yet the wind subsided, and the party was allowed to continue. Everyone arrived in their ponchos, and were at peace about getting muddy. Because it was inevitable. The entire fairground was covered in the soft mix of earth and water. Even as the opening acts for the day, like Local H and CKY got the day’s groove going, everyone was already drenched. Yet there was something romantic about the chaos of the weather which melded well with the pandemonium happening on LTL’s stages. Fey-like entertainer Lilith Czar used the rain as a perfect backdrop to her alternative sound. Any Given Sin’s Mike Conner actually rolled in the mud and played the band’s hard-hitting set in a dirt-crusted tank top. The day continued with a diverse lineup including southern rocker Tim Montana, nu-metal giants P.O.D., and post-core players Sleeping with Sirens. Female fans did not complain as Jonny Hawkins was soaking wet during Nothing More’s set adding to his already thirst trap appearance. The vibrancy, sparkling animation, and colorful performance from Better Lovers contrasted well with the heavy, dark clouds they played under. Anyone who caught Ill Niño’s set got a treat when fill-in vocalist Tommy Vext performed his version as The Cranberries famous “Zombie”. Skillet’s substantially elaborate show was a highlight for many Saturday attendees as well as Dropkick Murphys oddball, fun-loving rambunctiousness. Each one of these crackerjack acts were a ray of sunshine on that rainy day.
The festival staff overall did a remarkable job communicating. They used their many social media platforms and the big screens around the fairgrounds to share announcements, photos, and even warnings for bands who would be using pyrotechnics or flashing lights during their shows. It would have been a good idea to project a warning before Till Lindemann played. It was incredibly cringe to be at an all-age festival when very adult content was being presented. After witnessing children watching the debauchery of Till, the masterfully unique jam from Health and the electrifying performance from Body Count cleansed the pallet. A majority of the masses moved towards the second main stage when the renowned rock act, Disturbed started their show. The care and consideration for their fans was felt when they played their moving duet number “Don’t Tell Me” with a contest winner as a guest vocalist. One of the loudest sing-a-longs from the whole festival was when they played their famous hit, “Down with the Sickness.” The enthusiastic crowd chimed in on the catchy chorus and it was clear Disturbed was a favorite from the day.
Mastodon was another favored band to play Saturday evening. Many scrunched in close to the stage, but the audience spread all the way back to the porta potties. The Atlanta natives were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their revered record, Leviathan. Their famous concept album based on the novel Moby Dick was played in its entirety which was a special present for their fans. The finale of the evening was hair metal legends, Mötley Crüe. It was a wonder to witness such music icons like Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil in the flesh. They started the night with “Primal Scream” and then played some of their old-school hits like “Shout at the Devil” and “Kickstart My Heart.” Their acclaimed album Dr. Feelgood just turned thirty-five years old in August and to hear songs from one of the most recognized rock records of all time be played live was an exceptional experience. Even with water collecting in the heel of one’s boots or mud getting inside a phone case was worth it because music history was being made at the Louder Than Life Festival.
Day four arrived and Mother Nature gave the fest a break. The rain had stopped, and the LTL gates opened on time. Sunday was by far the busiest day at the festival. Parking lots were full and the front row of all the stages were filled up even before the first band played.
The groove-licious Gozu heated things up early and their textured heaviness had all onlookers jiving with their contagious sound. Hed PE, Drowning Pool, and Saliva all brought their nineties vibes with them. It was a bit nostalgic hearing songs that were constantly played on rock radio. Sprinkled in between the one hit wonders was some crisp, young talent like Project MishraM who is a Progressive Carnatic group from Bangalore, and Royale Lynn who is a “Heavy Country” singer. Both acts had uncommon fusions of genres and performed with a girthy zeal. Another breath of fresh air was the rock and roll set from Eagles of Death Metal. Their good times tunes and genuine merriment on stage was a performance to really revel in. Then a wave of delightfully aggressive girl power hit. Poppy, Winona Fighter, and Spiritbox all unleashed their charming antics full of fury, fortitude, and fearlessness. The alluringly confident Courtney LaPlante welcomed several guest vocalists out during their set, and it was like a bunch of friends just getting together to jam. Poppy joined, along with Jinjer’s Tatiana Shayluk, and Architects’ Sam Carter.
The next couple hours had everyone glued to the two main stages. British act Architects brought moxie with their zippy virility, melodic moments, and tasty metalcore breakdowns. Riding high on their popularity boost from their summer Olympics performance, the experts of extreme metal Gojira took over the other main platform. The warmth of flames, dancing lights, and their bombastic level of intensity all soothed the soul. Their weighty finesse lit a colorful spark of delight and intrigue over the whole fest. They played more of their newer material with the exception of “Backbone” and “Flying Whales.” They even gifted everyone with their popular Olympic piece “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!).” The early evening dramatically shifted gears to a lighter note with rock acts Staind and Breaking Benjamin. The radio friendly bands gathered a majority of attendees and were both fest favorites. Plus, Biohazard’s performance stood out for it was full of grit, tenacity, and a certain kind of captivating spirit.
Then the heavy metal masters themselves graced the second main stage. With leather squeaking and metal clanking, Judas Priest brought forth all their spectacular showmanship in glorious glamor. The 73-year-old Rob Halford roared on their rousing anthems, belted on the ballads, drove a motorcycle, and easily proved with perfect pizazz why he is one of the greatest frontman of all time. With glee, they covered a lot of their biggest numbers like “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin,” “Breaking the Law,” and “Living After Midnight.” Many horns were held high as one of the best acts from the whole festival wrapped up their mirth-filled set. Then leather jackets were turned in for sport brand clothing. Progressive, modern metal darlings, Jinjer played with spright and impassioned precision. Their quick on the trigger tunes had the large, gathered crowd fully engaged. Their dexterous, inventive hardness and genre-bending tactics were gaily received.
Louder Than Life Festival 2024 ended on a crescendo with Korn headlining that final day. After days of cold rain, massive amounts of mud, and missing a full day of excellent acts it was still all worth it. Thousands gathered as the notorious nu-metal greats broke into “Here to Stay.” The crowd hollered along to all their popular pieces including “Blind,” “Falling Away from Me,” and at the end of the evening’s smash hit, “Freak on a Leash.” Jonathan Davis’ custom mic stand wobbled back and forth as he boogied around the stage. Dreads were flung, fists were pumped, and each player bashed their instruments with a rare kind of enthusiasm. The eminence grandeur of their dramatization and craft was the most perfect way to wrap up such a superbly sterling music festival.
Follow Louder Than Life for info on the 2025 festival:
https://louderthanlifefestival.com/
WORDS BY RAGIN ROSIE
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