lisa pikaard previews the hard rock festival…
All day rock shows are what the summer is all about. I mean, what is better than a day of sun, friends, drinks, and, most importantly, rock ‘n’ roll? My answer: absolutely nothing. The Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival will be taking over PNC Bank Arts Center this Friday, August 24, for an all day long music extravaganza that is a must attend event featuring over a dozen bands.
In 2010, Uproar brought together acts including Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, and Hellyeah to name a few; in 2011, the Rockstar tour brought back Avenged Sevenfold and added Three Days Grace, and Seether to the mix. Both shows brought the hard rock, but this year, there are even more bands comprising an even more insane lineup. The main stage will kick off at 5:25 and will be featuring Adelitas Way, Papa Roach, Staind, Godsmack, and Shinedown.
Although a lot of people love to hang out in the parking lot and tailgate at an all day concert, it’s definitely worth heading inside early for various reasons, the most important of which is to experience the bands that will be playing on the Ernie Ball stage, and the Jagermeister stage including Candlelight Red, Fozzy, Deuce, Redlight King, and P.O.D.
The Ernie Ball stage will also be playing host to each venue’s winner of a battle of the bands. One of the unique things that the Rockstar Uproar Festival does is allow a local band to take over the stage and rock the crowd. The winners of all the local markets then are entered into a competition to win a slot on the 2013 Uproar Festival, an EP, a photo shoot, and $10,000 worth of gear to name a few of the prizes. Supporting local music is important so come out early and show locals some love!
One of the other awesome things that you can do if you head into the festival early is participate in meet and greets with some of your favorite bands. If you are bored with a certain band or simply can’t get enough of another, the festival provides the opportunity for you to meet and talk to a large number of the bands that are appearing that day. It’s not often that you can walk up to the lead singer of a well known hard rock band and shake his hand, talk about music, and get his autograph. If you ask me, that’s one heck of a way to spend an afternoon. Once the sun goes down, however, the rock gets turned up even louder, the crowd starts to really party, and the festival truly hits its sweet spot. Nothing is better than a night of loud, live, hardcore music.
Here’s a bit about the bands that will be playing the festival this Friday:
Shinedown: Shinedown is one of the co-headliners of the festival this year. The band has been making music for years but really struck a chord with audiences through its 2008 single, “Second Chance.” Shinedown’s most recent album, Amaryllis, was received with open arms by the music world and includes the chart topping single, “Bully.”
Godsmack: Godsmack is the other headliner of this festival. The band is well-deserving of the headliner spot after its 13 year career that boasts four grammy nominations and many hit singles including “I Stand Alone,” “Awake,” “Voodoo,” and “Love-Hate-Sex-Pain.”
Staind: The fact that Staind is not one of the “headliners” is a testament to how jam packed with talent this tour is. You have to have been living under a rock to have never heard “It’s Been Awhile,” “So Far Away,” or “Outside.” Staind has had ten top 10 singles and more than one album top the Billboard 200 list. Even if you don’t think you know a lot of music by Staind, I’m sure you do.
Papa Roach: Papa Roach, one of the fiercest bands to take the stage, is playing a set at 6:15; yes, that means it will still be light out. It seems almost unreal that a band that has had so many hits from “Getting Away with Murder,” and “Scars” to “Lifeline,” and its current single, “Still Swingin” is playing so early. Papa Roach has appealed to such broad audiences, and, fortunately, its live show does not disappoint.
Adelitas Way: Adelitas Way is the young band on the main stage. The band has been playing to audiences for years and has garnered a wide audience thanks to their song, “Invincible,” being the theme song for the WWE Superstars. Currently, the band is on tour to support Home School Valedictorian. The biggest single from the current record was “Sick,” but “Alive,” and “Criticize” are working their way up the charts. Pop-Break will be interviewing Adelitas Way live at Uproar this Friday!
P.O.D.: P.O.D. has been together for over a decade and has produced not only hits, but also songs with meaning, songs that cross and top the charts, and songs that we all remember. There are so many songs that P.O.D. is known for that it would be silly to list them all. For a reminder, I’ve made a short list: “Youth of the Nation,” “Alive,” “Satellite,” “Rock the Party (Off the Hook).” The band is not simply a blast from the past type of band. P.O.D. is still making music, including its most recent chart climbing hit, “Lost in Forever” from its 2012 album, Murdered Love. Pop-Break will be interviewing P.O.D. live at Uproar this Friday!
Fozzy: Fozzy may best be known for the simple fact that Chris Jericho, yes that Chris Jericho, professional wrestler and charismatic performer, is the band’s frontman. The band is taken to another level by renowned metal guitarist, Rich Ward. If you’ve never heard of them, I hope sheer curiosity of whether or not Jericho can sing will bring you in to see the set. You won’t regret it. Pop-Break will be interviewing Fozzy this weekend, look for the interview up on August 26!
Deuce: I have very recently been introduced to the bold sound that is Deuce. He is a talented musician that successfully blends his singing and rapping with hard rock to a dance beat. While on stage, he often rocks a mask and amps a crowd. He is successfully creating a buzz for himself with his track, “I Came to Party.”
In This Moment: In This Moment is the one band with a female fronting the band on this tour. She is a serious rockstar and the band is a seriously hard-rocking band. The band’s fourth album, Blood, was just released on August 14. Check out the title track to get a vibe for what the band is like.
Redlight King: Redlight King is a relatively young band, especially so on this tour; however, this does not mean the band is not on par with everyone else. “Bullet in My Hand” has received a lot of airplay on satellite radio and is a great follow up to the band’s first buzz-generating song, “Old Man.” Redlight King’s sound isn’t quite as hard as that of some of the other bands on this tour but this is simply a good way to make Redlight King stand out from the crowd.
Candlelight Red: Candlelight Red has recently released an EP entitled Demons to follow up its debut record, The Wreckage. This band really started to have people talking with the song, “She’s Got the Look,” “Closer,” and its most recent hit, “Demons.” If you’re in the parking lot at 2:30, you’ll be missing one heck of a band.
Mindset Evolution: Mindset Evolution is the winner of last year’s Best Buy Music Gear Battle of the Bands over 5300 other bands. The band has a great sound that is truly exemplified in its current single, “We Are Stars.” This band has truly carved and mastered a sound that fits right in the with Uproar vibe.
Scarlet Carson: This year’s Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands winner for Holmdel, New Jersey, is none other than Scarlet Carson. This band has had the opportunity to play with both Papa Roach and Adelitas Way in the past on multiple occasions and has earned the right to do so again. To anyone who has been involved in the original rock scene in New Jersey, it’s no surprise that Scarlet Carson has triumphed in the battle. The band’s song and video, “Foreverless,” has helped the band solidify its position as one of the top original rock bands in New Jersey. Check out Pop-Break’s interview with Scarlet Carson.
