Rock on the Range 2013
Columbus Crew Stadium – Columbus, OH
5/19/2013
So, lets be clear. My effort at ROTR 2013 was pretty piss poor. I missed most of the weekend due to a family obligation (which ended up being really fun, so I’m not mad). BUT….due to some luck and circumstance and forcing my in-laws to drive 35 minutes out of their way, I ended up getting dropped off at midnight on Saturday in Columbus OH…and I met with my ROTR groupies, crashed on their floor, and was (the only one) up early and AMPED for Sunday’s shows.
I won’t go into what bands I missed on the other days, because it’s about a thousand amazing bands. But….I did get to see the likes of Skillet, Sick Puppies, Volbeat, Sevendust, In This Moment, Lamb of God, Device, Soundgarden, and Ghost B.C.
So, plenty to see and talk about. ROTR 2013 – You’re on.
Since I’m writing this blog several months late, I won’t do a set by set review of each band..but here are some notes and a few pictures I took to help remember the show!
- Skillet absolutely killed their set. They played some of their old stuff that I absolutely love, they had some great new songs, and the entire show was interesting and fun. This was the first time I’ve seen them on the main stage, and they had lifts that shot violinists in the air and smoke and all kinds of cool stuff. They also said several times how they firmly believe we should not be ashamed of our faith – even in a place where faith is as unpopular as it is at a rock/metal show. I think that’s pretty cool.
- Sick Puppies continued their streak of great shows. There is only three of them, and I just love their show. That chick just slaps that bass, and their new album brought even more great material to the stage.
- Volbeat absolutely BLEW my mind. I have been listening to them constantly ever since ROTR. I sort of thought they were terrible the first time I heard them/saw them live at JJO Bandcamp in 2011…but I just choked hard on that. Their show was GREAT, and they have fun songs that just really rock. Plus, he is obsessed with Johnny Cash – which is just cool. Sad Man’s Tongue has been on my daily rotation ever since.
- I’ve been writing this blog for almost 3 years now, and been obsessed with music for like 10 years now….and no matter how my tastes change, and how many new bands I find…Sevendust will always be one of my favorite bands of all time. If there’s any moment in live music that’s better than the breakdown of the song Face to Face, I don’t know what it is. I’m not saying they are the best band ever, I’m just saying that I partied with them one time, and I am obsessed with them.
- In This Moment was a BIG disappointment for me. I have always been so-so on this band, but their last album, Blood, was really, REALLY solid, and so I was excited to catch songs like Blood, Adrenalize, and Whore live, because I think they are just great songs. However, god love Maria Brink…but she just sounded terrible. Way too much on the vocals that just overpowered everything and sounded like shreiky awfulness. Total bummer, because I think she sounds really fantastic on the album.
- Ghost B.C. came out of nowhere for me. They were a complete unknown, and while I don’t agree with their religious beliefs (see Skillet post), I thought their show was unique, interesting, and musically very sound. Also, for no specific reason at all, their sound engineer seemed particularly competent. 🙂 Seriously though, I am very intrigued by this band, and will be following closely.
Soundgarden….was much, much better than I thought they would be. I’m not a big fan, but even I couldn’t help but get excited when I saw them (for the first time). I mean…who doesn’t want to be a Spoonman?
(Short ROTR post…not happy about it. I promise to do better in 2014. Suck it up Brad and Heather. We’re going.)
“I remember when it used to be easy. I remember when it wasn’t so hard. I remember when I didn’t have to justify the way I live my life. Because I’m the one living it, tasting it, breathing it.”