The beginning of the year is an exciting time, as bands begin to release their spring and early summer touring plans.  The first 5 weeks of 2012 have been no different, as there are a ton of huge bands gearing up to hit the road in the next few months.  Since live music is basically all I think about, I thought I’d share some of tours and festivals that I’m really excited about.

So here it goes!  This is what’s going on in music in my world.  Enjoy, and let me know whats going in your world of music!



Rock on the Range – May 18, 19, 20
Those who know me know that this time of the year is DOMINATED by Rock on the Range for me.  This festival, which is at Columbus Crew Stadium in Ohio, is my favorite weekend of the year and is an annual ritual for many of us.  The lineup announcement takes place at the beginning of February every year, and so last Wednesday at 8am I went to the website and there it was in all its glory!  I won’t list all the bands (there are 44 of them, but here’s a few quick thoughts.  (more info here)

  • Headliners – Incubus, Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson –  While none of these make my list of favorite bands, I am really excited to see all four of them.  Incubus is a band on my bucket list and it will be great to check them off, Zombie and Manson both put on GREAT productions, and with the entire stage and 30,000+ people, those shows will be really fun.  Shinedown is a great live show as well, and with a new CD coming out, they are a must see for me this year.
  • Other Big Names – Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon, Trivium, Megadeth, Volbeat, Escape the Fate, Halestorm, Slash, Lacuna Coil – These provide enough depth to the show to make it truly brilliant.  All of these bands are a unique style that will keep fans interested throughout the day.  Mastodon had a brilliant album last year and has a great show.  Ditto for Death Punch and especially for Trivium.  Halestorm and Lacuna Coil both have female vocalists and are great live also.
  • Smaller Bands – Bobaflex, Falling in Reverse, Kyng, Black Tide, Foxy Shazam, Soil – This is where ROTR really shines.  Smaller bands like these (and many others) get some visibility at Rock on the Range and then go on to do big things.  You can be sure that I will come home from ROTR with two or three new bands that I really like.

Rockstar Mayhem Tour – June thru August

Mayhem has become renoun for its excellent lineups over the years, and for bringing a much more metal sound than many of the other tours that try to be metal but end up with Theory of a Deadman.  This year the lineup is absolute GIGANTIC.  The one and only Slipknot will be headlining (which in and of itself is enough to get me to buy a VIP ticket…), and support will be from Slayer, Anthrax, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying, and more.  I can’t think of a show that could hold my interest top to bottom like this one will.  (tour dates here)

Avalanche Tour – March thru April

Hard Rock giant Shinedown will be headlining this new string of shows in support of their album Amaryllis, which comes out in March.  Support on this show comes from Art of Dying and Adelita’s Way (which I discovered at Rock on the Range two years back, and they are GREAT).  I’ve seen Shinedown several times, and they never disappoint.  I’m quite anxious to hear their new album, but regardless of how good it is, this show will be one not to miss.  (tour dates here)


The Fire and Ice Tour – March thru April
For the metalcore fan in you, this tour is a great chance to see some less-popular bands that play some quality music at a small venue.  Headlined by We Came as Romans, the tour features support from Blessthefall, Woe, is Me, Emmure, and The Color Morale.  These bands feature a wide variety of music, from the catchy Ke$ha cover by Woe, is Me to the ultra-high voice of Beau Bokan of Blessthefall, theres a little bit of everything for everyone.  In a small venue tour like this, these shows could be very very cool.  (tour dates here)


Mass Chaos Tour – April thru May
Godsmack, Staind, and Halestorm are three bands that everyone should see at least once.  Godsmack and Halestorm have excellent live shows that feature really cool drum solos, and while I’m not the biggest Staind fan, their recent CD release was EXCELLENT and I’m looking forward to seeing those new songs in a live setting.  This tour is worth a look, especially for those who like more traditional hard rock.  (tour dates here)