Festival Review: Louder than Life 2014: Day 2

In between a major project at work, a new baby boy born on September 2nd, and the holiday season coming up soon, I was able to squeeze in a quick day trip to Louisville with some friends to catch Day 2 of the inaugural Louder than Life festival. This festival is basically a little brother of Rock on the Range, as it is put on by the same people and features many of the same bands.

My overall opinion of the festival was that it was fantastic. I only got to see the second and final day, but in terms of organization and design of the venue, they did an exceptional job for a first year festival. The layout did have one major challenge in that it was too linear, and the restrooms were what felt like a mile walk from the stage, but they overcame that by great sound, and awesome local food and Kentucky Bourbon to bring the Louisville flair out. This looks to be a festival for a long time to come.

Now, on to the bands!

Rock on the Range 2014: Festival Headliner – Kid Rock

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a big Kid Rock fan in high school…but then again, I was also a big Nelly fan in high school. You could say that my musical tastes have….shifted a bit. I was looking forward to this show in almost a joking way. I mean, how can Bawitdaba not be fun live? I figured I’d drink some beers, sing American Badass at the top of my lungs, and it’d be a great way to cool down after an awesome and tiring weekend. I just never thought it would be a big deal. Interestingly enough, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way – on Saturday Night when M. Shadows asked who was excited to see Kid Rock, the question was met with an overwhelming “Meh” from the crowd. So that made me curious – would the show live up to the expectations that M. Shadows was trying to set, or was the A7X front man simply doing his duty as a festival headliner by trying to artificially inflate.

Kid Rock answered that question in an epic 2+ hour event that absolutely blew my mind. It was so good, I felt that cramming it into the previous ROTR Day 3 blog wouldn’t do it justice, and that demanded it’s own post. Listen, it doesn’t matter if you are a “Kid Rock Fan” or not. This show was transcendent, and was worth every penny I spent on Rock on the Range, even just by itself. In writing about it, I only hope that I can do it justice, because if I come even close to that, you’ll see why Kid Rock is an absolute must for every live music fan to see. So, read on, and then go buy a ticket, and see it for yourself. You can thank me later.

Festival Review: Rock on the Range 2014 – Day 3

Day 3 of Rock on the Range. Getting up on Sunday Morning and putting on Sunscreen, I a little bit felt like I was going to fall over. My back was really tight and my calves and ankles were just angry. But, you know what they say – “When in Columbus…” So, I laced up the shoes, grabbed my flask, and said “Thank you sir, may I have another?” By 10am, we were grilling marinated chicken breasts, drinking apple pie, and passing around our our ceremonial Boones Farm in the parking lot of glorious Columbus Crew Stadium. Although I was tired, my excitement built as the lineup for Sunday was really solid. It featured Trivium (one of my favorite bands) and lots of bands I’d be seeing for the first time, including a wild-card closer in Kid Rock. Plus, it was one of the most beautiful concert days I can remember (78 and Sunny). ROTR 2014 Day 3 – finish this baby off strong. Here we go!