Rock on the Range 2017: Lineup Analysis

We’re closing in on May, and that means that Rock on the Range 2017 is quickly approaching. ROTR is North America’s biggest rock festival and year after year, it has hosted the best lineup, the biggest crowd, and the best organization of any festival attended by The Music Pill. Quite simply, it sets the standard.

This will be the ninth straight year that The Music Pill is lucky enough to attend this great event, and I can assure you that there’s no shortage of excitement in this camp! In fact, we’re desperate for any excuse to turn our attention towards anything ROTR, and because of that, we’re releasing our in-depth Rock on the Range 2017 Lineup Analysis.

The past few years, we’ve channeled our obsessive focus on the weeks leading up to ROTR by providing a detailed lineup analysis. The analysis below is for people who may not know all the bands in this years lineup, newcomers to the ROTR festival, or other people who are desperate for a legitimate excuse to focus on how amazing this festival will be.

The Rock on the Range 2017 Lineup Analysis below provides a detailed look at the landscape for this year’s ROTR. We provide commentary on what you might expect based on previous experiences, other shows and tours we’ve seen, and the current status of the bands. The bands are grouped by the slot they were given: the headliners, the top-tier bands, and the mid-tier bands. In addition, we include some bands that have something to prove, and suggest some can’t miss shows that may not be on you radar.

Concert Review: Pierce the Veil

Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, and Beartooth
World Tour – February 7th, 2015
The Egyptian Room at Old National Center, Indianapolis, IN

Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, and Beartooth brought their aptly named “World Tour” to Indianapolis this spring to play a show. As my musical tastes have matured, I find myself gravitating a bit away from the metalcore genre, however, PtV is a band that I will always have a soft spot. Something about their music really lands home with me, and I find myself frequently taking a break from the stuff I typically listen to, I end up throwing on a Pierce the Veil record. They also have a great live show, a trait that further weakens that soft spot that I have. Thanks to a buddy, I even got free tickets. Pierce the Veil – lets do this!

Concert Review – All Time Low / Pierce the Veil

Spring Fever Tour
Sears Center – Hoffman Estates, IL
May 3, 2013

This is a classic example of what I like to call “Concert Withdrawal”. It happens every winter – when the festivals are quiet, the smaller tours don’t get Indianapolis dates, and I’ve been cooped up inside for too long. I spend weeks looking for a concert that I can go to, and finally, I convince myself to take a long trip to catch a show. The good thing about it is….usually, it takes a fantastic show to make me travel. 🙂

I spotted this tour on a blog I read and the lineup was huge. Pierce the Veil is a band that I have recently fallen in love with. All Time Low is a guilty pleasure of mine that I started listening to when I lived in California in 2007, and You Me at Six completely blew me away with their Sinners Never Sleep album in 2011. These three together, on one bill, had me salivating from the get go, and I just couldn’t let the thought of going out of my head.

So, on a rainy Saturday in early May, we found ourselves in a Chicago suburb at a hotel sipping on some Vodka Tonics, getting ready for an incredible show. Let’s do this!