The 5^th annual Blue Ridge Rock Festival took place in Alton, Virginia on September 8 – 11, 2022. Day one was headlined by Ghost, with notable support coming from a wide spectrum of artists, including Ice Cube, Anthrax, Daughtry, Jelly Roll, In This Moment, Stone Temple Pilots and Nothing More.

The massive 4 day rock music festival tried to recover from the logistical nightmares of 2021 by moving to a new site near the Virginia International Raceway. While the venue was a slight improvement over the remote park used last year, I never saw any racetrack, facilities or parking lots.

The parking was over 5 miles from the event, and there did not seem to be nearly enough buses. Fans could be seen waiting in massive lines to leave the parking field, to enter the venue, and to return to their vehicles after the show. The third and fourth stages were miles from the side-by-side main stages, up and down big hills which left little time to move between sections and actually see all of the bands.

Despite all of the hardships and difficulties, fans were excited to see an incredible lineup, representing every genre of rock and roll. The overall production and sound were on point. The only problem with such an extensive collection of bands was deciding which ones to see, and which sadly had to be missed. While the two main stages alternated acts, it was a long walk to the other side, and making that trek meant missing someone else.

I definitely missed more acts than I saw. The highlights of the day for me were Ghost, Anthrax, Ice Cube, Daughtry, Nothing More, Spiritbox, Fire From The Gods and a rare reunion show from Shadows Fall. Blue Ridge Rock Festival definitely goes out of their way to deliver special shows, such as reunion shows and rare appearances.

I managed to capture photographs of the aforementioned highlights, as well as A Skylit Drive, Unearth, Vampires Everywhere, Pop Evil, Bad Wolves, and In This Moment.

I would have loved to see other bands, but there are just too many stages and too many bands. Among the bands I would have loved to experience were Islander, Palisades, Red, Brand Of Sacrifice, Hawthorne Heights, Hinder, We Came As Romans, Cannibal Corpse, Sleeping With Sirens, Stone Temple Pilots and Jelly Roll.

It may have been better to book fewer artists, and invest more money into supporting the fans, including more buses, more facilities and more showers for the campers. BRRF bills itself as being “Fan-Driven”, so hopefully they will continue to listen to, and support, their dedicated fans.

Tickets and campsites are already selling well for next year, proving that die hard metal fans will endure anything to experience the power of live music, and the feeling of connecting with other people who are just as mental about metal as they are. Go to https://blueridgerockfest.com/ to get yours.

BRRF22 Day 1

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Ghost, Anthrax, Ice Cube and Nothing More on Day 1 of Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022 first appeared on Game On Media.

Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022 has announced their full lineup and daily schedules, and we cannot wait for this event to start its engines. With the world-class lineup in place, plans for the new venue at Virginia International Raceway are taking shape. Ghost, Mudvayne, Slipknot and Disturbed are the main headliners on Thursday through Sunday, September 8-11, 2022, with a bonus Wednesday night event featuring Puddle Of Mudd. This time around, you won’t have to worry about miles of walking and figuring out which artists you will miss. There will be two main stages, side by side, without overlapping of major bands.

Wednesday’s warmup lineup is Puddle Of Mudd, Alient Ant Farm, Cold, Crazytown, Burden Of The Sky, Kings County, Last Nights Villain.

Thursday kicks it off proper with Ghost, Ice Cube, Falling In Reverse, Stone Temple Pilots, Anthrax, In This Moment, Daughtry, Jelly Roll, Nothing More, Pop Evil, Sleeping With Sirens, Spiritbox, We Came As Romans, Bad Wolves, Kittie, Shadows Fall, Hinder, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Attila, Hawthorne Heights, The Union Underground, Red, Counterparts, A Skylit Drive, Comeback Kid, Fire From The Gods, Unearth, Norma Jean, Smile Empty Soul, Palisades and more.

Friday gives you Mudvayne, A Day To Remember, Halestorm, Alice Cooper, Gojira, Underoath, Down, Theory Of A Deadman, Sevendust, Badflower, Candlebox, Insane Clown Posse, In Flames, Hatebreed, All That Remains, 3OH!3, Buckcherry, Electric Callboy, Bad Omens, Memphis May Fire, Whitechapel, Zero 9:36, Slaughter To Prevail, Saving Abel, Dayseeker, Bleeding Through, Fit For An Autopsy, Nita Strauss, Emo Night Brooklyn, Blacktop Mojo, He Is Legend, Silvertung and more.

Saturday is just insane, with Slipknot, Tenacious D (Jack Black & Kyle Gass), I Prevail, Pennywise, Skillet, Pierce The Veil, Motionless In White, Ice Nine Kills, Nelly, Starset, Black Veil Brides, Thrice, GWAR, God Forbid, Apocalyptica, Queensryche, Fit For A King, Adelitas Way, Lacuna Coil, From Ashes To New, Chelsea Grin, Mushroomhead, Powerman 5000, The Plot In You, Stick To Your Guns, Sion, The Acacia Strain, Municipal Waste, Butcher Babies, Terror, Upon A Burning Body, The Word Alive, Crowbar, Kublai Khan, Redlight King, Hollow Front, The Dead Daisies and more.

You had better save something for Sunday, because it is relentless – Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Lamb Of God, Seether, New Found Glory, Killswitch Engage, Hollywood Undead, Saliva, Wage War, Knocked Loose, Grandson, Fever 333, The Amity Affliction, Silverstein, Story Of The Year, Baroness, Hoobastank, The Devil Wears Prada, Enter Shikari, Suicide Silence, Demon Hunter, Nonpoint, John 5, Lacey Sturm, Texas In July, Erra, Stray From The Path, Tetrarch, Attack Attack!, Silent Planet, Otherwise, Twiztid, Jeris Johnson, Project 86, Icon For Hire, Hed P.E. and more.

Go get your tickets and your campsites or hotel reservations. All the info you need is available at https://blueridgerockfest.com/. See you there!

Here are some examples of last years epic performances at Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2021:

BRRF21 Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2021

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Ghost, Mudvayne, Slipknot and Disturbed to Headline Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022 first appeared on Game On Media.

Starset brought their live Demonstration to the House of Blues in San Diego, California on October 7, 2019. The futuristic artists elevated a rock show into an interactive multimedia sci-fi experience. Starset Messengers were greeted as the entered the venue by a virtual host on a video screen, welcoming them to the event and instructing them to pick up their transparent fact sheet and prototype stickers for the Brain Machine Interface (BMI), which promises to transmit and receive experiences directly between the brain and the ARCHITECTURE. Additionally, the STARSET phone app can interact with posters throughout the venue, unlocking messages and video transmissions.

After an introduction video based on their new album “Divisions” was played on a large white screen in front of the stage, the band emerged wearing their new dystopian stage outfits. They played in front of a giant video wall that alternated between distorted live images, stunning visuals and messages from Starset Society representatives regarding the BMI, the ARCHITECTURE and warnings of threats from hackers. The 6 band members moved around the stage, using several platforms, surrounded by smoke bursts, lasers and swirling lights. Lead vocalist Dustin Bates has created an artistic blend of metal, electronica and prog, and he shifts his vocals along with the current musical mood. Drummer Adam Gilbert explodes with power when called for, and drops into the background as needed. Lead guitarist Brock Richards sits in the pocket beautifully, kicking into high gear at all the best moments. Bassist Ron DeChant is the primary backup vocalist, and also plays keyboards at times, all the while bounding around and engaging the crowd.

Many bands in this genre play backing tracks to supply the keyboards and orchestration. Starset takes a much more interesting and appealing approach to filling out their live sound. Mariko Muranaka Friend plays cello and violin throughout the show. Siobhán Cronin plays the violin and keyboards. Both women look stunning on stage, but more importantly they add drama and gravitas to the proceedings. Cronin led the band through an instrumental version of “Thunderstruck” by AC-DC, playing the vocal parts on violin. The whole band delivered a powerful take on Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, which Bates identified as a driving inspiration for the band’s sound.

This tour has so many visual elements complementing the music that there is never a dull moment in the 90 minute set. At one point, a representative appeared on screen announcing that the system had been hacked by someone from the past, and initiated a reboot of the Demonstration. When the show resumed, the band appeared in their classic spacesuits and scientist outfits, playing songs from their first 2 albums.

A Starset concert delivers more than most shows do, drawing fans into their mythology, immersing them in sound, light and science fiction concepts. The merchandise includes stage props, graphic novels and apparel that continue the story line. Bates ended the show by joining the crowd during the encore, thrilling them with his presence and passion. The Divisions U.S. Demonstrations 2019 tour is their most ambitious yet, and it delivers on every level. Support was provided by Palisades, Hyde and A Brilliant Lie.

For tour dates and other info, visit:
http://starsetonline.com/
http://thestarsetsociety.org/

Starset SD19

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Starset Blows Minds with Live Demonstration in San Diego first appeared on Game On Media.

New Starset Album “Divisions” Launched With Live Demonstrations first appeared on Game On Media.