The Blue Ridge Rock Festival tried to recover from a confusing and frustrating Day 1, hoping to do a better job of transporting fans from the day parking lot 5 miles away, on a couple dozen school buses, to the campgrounds near the Virginia International Raceway in rural Alton, Virginia on September 8, 2023.

It was a very hot and humid day, and any rain and mud that had come the day before had dried up. On this day, the only focus was to move between stages, stay hydrated, and rock out. Ben Wells, guitarist for Black Stone Cherry, had a tribute to Jimmy Buffett painted on his amps – a fitting nod to an entertainer who helped create the festival friends vibe, which continues to bring people together, across all genres of music.

The day was owned by Motionless In White, returning for their 3rd year in a row, playing a night-time slot on the Monster Energy Main Stage. They played to the largest crowd ever witnessed at Blue Ridge Rock Festival (possibly so large as to violate their permit) and everyone shined their lights and sang along to “Another Life”, prompting Chris Motionless to take the time to share the band’s appreciation for the fans demanding that they return and perform at night on the main stage. It was a truly special performance from a band that continues to elevate.

The Monster Energy Main Stage had it all going on that Friday. Sudden star Oliver Anthony from Virginia kicked it off with a short set. Demun Jones, Crown The Empire and Trustcompany braved the heat early in the day. Next up was reunion time, with Coal Chamber and Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm delighting their long time fans with superb performances. Slipknot finished off the long day with a brutal performance that had exhausted festival goers re-energized and in constant motion.

The Zyn Main Stage had a wide variety of acts on Day 2. It went from the country rock sounds of Struggle Jennings and Black Stone Cherry to the hardcore strains from Of Mice & Men, Knocked Loose, Danzig and fan favorite Sleep Token, whose unique sound and stage show had them stand apart from everyone else performing that day.

The Famous Monsters stage was a constant swirl of activity, with mosh pits and crowd surfing throughout the day. The lineup was straight up heavy and aggressive. Angelmaker, Upon A Burning Body, Chelsea Grin, The Acacia Strain, After The Burial, The Black Dahlia Murder, Job For A Cowboy and Lorna Shore tore up that stage. It was so hard core, I got a concussion and head bruise leaving the photo pit, after walking into the video screen. Oh well, our scars remind us that the past is real.

The Smartpunk Records stage also had a diverse lineup. Standouts included Afterlife, Electric Callboy, VV, Testament and Polyphia.

BRRF23 Day 2

16 photos

Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2023 Day 2 Review first appeared on Game On Media.

NOTHING MORE
REVEAL NEW VERSION OF ‘SPIRITS’ SINGLE
“BEST TIMES” FEAT. LACEY STURM (FLYLEAF)
OUT TODAY, MARCH 24;
PREMIERE MUSIC VIDEO

WATCH | LISTEN

3X GRAMMY-NOMINATED ROCK GROUP ANNOUNCE
VEEPS LIVESTREAM CONCERT
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
LIVE FROM HEADLINING NYC SHOW @ IRVING PLAZA
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

DEBUT GRAPHIC NOVEL
“SPIRITS VOL.1” (Z2 Comics) TO BE AVAILABLE ON UPCOMING HEADLINING “SPIRITS 2023” TOUR DATES AND VIA ONLINE PRE-ORDER SALES,

RESERVE A COPY HERE

3x Grammy-nominated NOTHING MORE, lauded as one of mainstream rock’s most powerful and distinctive acts, have teamed up with rock singer/songwriter Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf) who is featured on a new version of the single “BEST TIMES” from NOTHING MORE’s 2022 album  SPIRITS via Better Noise Music. “BEST TIMES (Feat. Lacey Sturm)” is out today (March 24), across all digital platforms and the group has also shared its music video, seen streaming below or HERE.

The music video for “BEST TIMES (Feat. Lacey Sturm)” was directed by Michael Lombardi (The Retaliators, Papa Roach, The HU) and takes an inside look at a couple’s relationship and how life’s ‘best times’ can sometimes pass us by without being acknowledged and is a reminder to appreciate those moments as they occur.

“This song is a real special one,” reveals NOTHING MORE frontman JONNY HAWKINS. “It’s definitely one of the most positive feel-good songs we’ve ever written and it obviously stands out on the album by being that ray of hope too. I didn’t think it could get any better, but when we thought about featuring another singer and Lacey’s name came up it was a no-brainer. She’s been a shining light and is one of those singers that makes you feel and believe every word out of her mouth whether you agree with it or not. We knew her voice would take it over the top… and that’s exactly what she did! We couldn’t be more proud to have her collaborate with us on this and to get it out to the world for everyone to feel and embrace when you need a song to help get you through.”

STURM comments: “I connected with Jonny’s story about his family struggles with his mother and sister. I love the painful beauty in any art that comes from wrestling with mental health and addiction. I’ve always looked for common ground with artists who deal with suicide prevention. My own struggle against self-destruction is also a struggle to not tear my loved ones apart. There is a perspective shift in this song.  Like a suffocating cloud, the heaviness of life turns to thankfulness and even joy over what matters most. Pain and loss can turn the lights on inside us, allowing us to see the good, all the ‘Best Times,’ we couldn’t see before. I’m relieved to be reminded by this song to remember what matters most and find gratitude. I need it.”

NOTHING MORE will bring their riveting live performance to virtual audiences on Sunday, April 9 as they’ve partnered with VEEPS to host a livestream show from their headlining NYC tour stop at Irving Plaza. Tickets for the livestream event are on-sale now HERE. The stop is part of NOTHING MORE’s “SPIRITS 2023” U.S. tour which stretches from March 31 in Richmond, VA until the band’s featured set at Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, OH on May 28 and features supporting acts Crown The Empire and Thousand Below. The rock quartet will then make their way overseas to hit several of the top rock festivals across Europe including Hellfest (France), KNOTFEST (Italy), Graspop (Belgium) and more in addition to a newly added headlining show in London, UK on June 19 at O2 Islington Academy. Find all upcoming shows and tickets, plus VIP upgrade options at https://nothingmore.net/tourdates.

NOTHING MORE will be bringing copies of their debut graphic novel, “SPIRITS VOL.1,” (Z2 Comics) on upcoming tour dates for fans to purchase along with fulfilling all online pre-orders. The puzzle box narrative was written by Dan Watters (King Diamond’s Abigail, Lucifer, Azrael) and illustrated by Christian Rosado. Adhering to the themes of NOTHING MORE’s recent SPIRITS album, “SPIRTS VOL. 1” follows the lives of four individuals from 1952 to modern day, and examines how the unexpected manifestation of their spirit types alter and shape their destinies for a greater purpose. The spirit types were formed from the results of taking the band’s own meta-personality “SPIRITS TEST” released concurrent with the new album. Reserve your copy now HERE.

NOTHING MORE GLOBAL TOUR DATES
3/31 Richmond, VA – The National #
4/1 Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues #
4/2 St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live #
4/4 Harrisburg, PA – HMAC # **SOLD OUT**
4/5 Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall #
4/7 Philadelphia, PA – TLA # **SOLD OUT**
4/8 Worcester, MA – The Palladium #
4/9 New York, NY – Irving Plaza #
4/11 Evansville, IN – Victory Theatre #
4/12 Dubuque, AL – Five Flags Civic Center #
4/13 Clive, IA – Horizons Event Center #
4/15 Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore #
4/16 Omaha, NE – The Admiral #
4/17 Denver, CO – Ogden Theater #
4/19 Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex #
4/21 Calgary, AB – The Palace Theater #
4/22 Edmonton, AB – Midway #
4/24 Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom #
4/25 Boise, ID – The Knitting Factory #
4/27 Seattle, WA – Neptune #
4/28 Portland, OR – The Roseland Theater #
4/29 Spokane, WA – The Knitting Factory #
5/1 Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades # **SOLD OUT**
5/2 Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades #
5/3 Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco #
5/5 San Diego, CA – Observatory Northpark #
5/6 Phoenix, AZ – UFEST 2023 @ AK Chin Pavillion (with Godsmack, I Prevail)
5/26 Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre
5/27 Moline, IL – The Rust Belt
5/28 Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple
6/8 Gdansk, PL – Mystic Festival
6/10 Nickelsdorf, AT – Nova Rock 2023
6/11 Hradec Kralove, CZ – Rock for People
6/16 Clisson, FR – Hellfest 2023
6/17 Dessel, BE – Graspop Festival
6/19 London, UK – O2 Islington Academy
6/21 Wetzikon/Unter-wetzikon, CH – Heavy Load Festival Wetzikon 2023
6/24 Hockenheim, DE – Download Festival
6/25 Bologna, IT – KNOTFEST Italy 2023
6/29 Lisbon, PT – Evil Live Festival
6/30 Viveiro, ES – Resurrection Fest 2023
# with Crown The Empire & Thousand Below

NOTHING MORE are known for building unapologetically massive anthems from catchy hooks and utilizing thought-provoking emotionalism and rich melodicism throughout their music. Named as one of “22 Artists Shaping the Future of Rock,” alongside Nine Inch Nails, Twenty One Pilots and Bring Me The Horizon via Kerrang!, NOTHING MORE have garnered over a half dozen Top 10 singles at Mainstream Rock Radio, three Grammy Award nominations, 120 million video views and nearly 700 million combined streams across Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Pandora and Deezer.

On their new album SPIRITS, NOTHING MORE documents the tumultuous time the world experienced over the past two years capturing the desperation and isolation of lockdown, the spiral of substance abuse, the pain of broken relationships, and survival in self-reliance.

Stream/download SPIRITS now at: https://nothingmore.ffm.to/spirits

Take the SPIRITS TEST at https://spiritstest.com/ & share your result online using #SpiritsTest

NOTHING MORE Release “Best Times” Feat. Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf) Single/Video; Announce VEEPS Livestream Concert (4/9) Live From NYC first appeared on Game On Media.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful mothers out there who literally made us, and figuratively made us who we are. There have been some great videos released this year, and these are some of the best. In honor of all women, here are our Five Fave Women Who Rock Our World.

5. Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil

4. Maria Brink of In This Moment

3. Lacey Sturm formerly of Flyleaf

2. Lzzy Hale of Halestorm

1. Amy Lee of Evanescence

Five Fave: Women Who Rock Our World first appeared on Game On Media.