We were fortunate to attend this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, which was truly a unique experience. Despite our weekend being shortened by unexpected weather, we had a fantastic time enjoying the performances of numerous bands and artists.
Our weekend kicked off with an awesome set by Outline in Color on the SmartPunk Stage. They set the bar high and got everyone excited for the rest of the day. Over at the Famous Monsters Stage, Deadlands started off their performance with "House of Cards" their latest single, that showcases the diversity of Kasey's powerful vocals and fans of all ages couldn't help but sing along. The intense Virginia heat didn't scare the Casket's fans who moshed and crowd surfed their way through the entire show. The energy was undeniable, and we even spotted a crowd surfer armed with a water gun, refreshing the crowd on his way to the barricade.
A highlight of the day was running into Matt and Craig from Caskets after their set, who took a minute of their time to talk to us about how they were having an incredible time in the festival and it was a great way to end their tour after they released their newest album "Reflections".
We made our way to one of the main stages for the first time, where CKY surprised the crowd with a special appearance by Phil & April Margera, showing their support for the band and their son Jesse (drummer of CKY). The Margera family's presence added a personal touch to the performance and it was definitely a memorable moment for the fans. Over at the Famous Monsters stage , Vended, led by Griffin Taylor (son of Corey Taylor, Slipknot's singer), left the
crowd craving more. Their performance was
proof that talent runs in the family, and they left an incredible mark on the festival.
Then it was time for The Ghost Inside to take over the Monster Energy Stage, who as expected, delivered an amazing performance, their energy only kept going up through every song. We had the chance to catch them on tour with Underoath and We Came As Romans not too long ago and it was awesome to see how their show maintains top quality, whether they're rocking a smaller indoor venue or destroying the main stage of a sold out rock festival.
While Highly Suspect rocked the ZYN Stage, the temperature began to drop, and a refreshing breeze gave us all some relief after enduring the scorching heat during the day. No one could have predicted what lay ahead for the rest of the night, as there was no inclement weather on the radar. We managed to capture a few minutes of Coheed and Cambria's performance before it was unexpectedly cut short by a sudden storm that covered the festival grounds. Following safety procedures, the festival had to evacuate the crowd to their cars until conditions improved. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, and despite the festival crew and band's desire to continue, it was not possible. We still had a fantastic time during day one of Blue Ridge, and this unexpected pause gave us some extra rest for the music filled and high energy day two that awaited us.
The second day of Blue Ridge Rock Festival was truly memorable. We started off our day, once again at the SmartPunk Stage but this time catching Crown The Empire's amazing performance. The Texas based band left it all on stage as fans sang along and an increasing number of crowd surfers made their way through over the rest of the fans. As we enjoyed the show, it was heartwarming to see flags from various countries in the crowd, reminding all of us the unifying power of music.
Next, we made our way through the packed festival grounds just in time to catch Chelsea Grin's set. The crowd's energy was amazing as circle pits formed on both sides of the stage. One thing that we always like to point out is how during these shows, everyone is one big family and cares for one another, if somebody falls on the pit, helping them back up becomes a priority, a side of heavy shows that outsiders might not consider when they hear about rock bands or events like Blue Ridge Rock Festival.
After this, we spent the majority of our day alternating between the two main stages, were we got the opportunity to catch some amazing performances by Of Mice & Men, Coal Chamber, Knocked Loose, Flyleaf, Sleep Token and Motionless in White.
Flyleaf took over the Monster Energy Stage with the return of their vocalist, Lacey Sturm, and had the fans singing along to some classics such as "I'm So Sick" and "Fully Alive". Way before Sleep Token's performance was scheduled to start over at the ZYN stage, we noticed fans starting to claim their spot at the barricade. One fan went the extra mile and dressed up as the band's lead singer "Vessel". We also captured a heartwarming moment, a little girl up on her mom's shoulders with her face painted, holding a sign, excited for the band to start their show. Then it was finally time for the highly anticipated performance of Sleep Token, Vessel's vocals have no comparison and the entire crowd was in awe throughout the entire set. Will Ramos, lead singer of Lorna Shore, also joined the crowd to witness this set.
The night had no plans of slowing down, as right after that incredible experience, we made our way to the next stage to see Motionless in White who truly brought fire to the stage with pyro accompanying their songs. It was definitely an unforgettable experience for everyone lucky enough to be there. We even bumped into the guys of "Alpha Wolf" enjoying Motionless in White's set between the fans. At the start of "Another Life", Chris Motionless, was truly moved. He asked the crowd to raise their phone lights high into the sky, and the sea of fans was so big that left Chris lost for words for a moment. Just before performing "Eternally Yours", he took a moment to mention how this was their 3rd year playing
Blue Ridge and it was unreal for them to see how they went from playing one of the smaller stages to now be playing a main stage of this sold out festival in Virginia and asked the crowd to please take a moment and soak in what that moment meant for them as a band because they did not want to play another note before making sure everyone knew how much they appreciate all the love they have been receiving throughout the years. Next on our list was making our way back to the Famous Monsters Stage, although
reaching the front of the stage was a bit challenging due to the amount of fans rushing to get there as well, we managed to make it right on time for Lorna Shore. These guys certainly lived up to the hype.
The New Jersey based band took over the stage ready to destroy it, suddenly Will showed up wearing a black wig and armed with a small water gun. Lorna Shore's energy and Will's vocals were unbelievable and a great way for us to say goodbye to that stage. Our last stop in the photo pit was over at the SmartPunk Stage. Polyphia's set started a few minutes behind schedule, but it only made the fan's excitement and anticipation grow even more. We did not have the chance to capture Slipknot's performance on camera, but we were fortunate enough to experience their set, which was definitely the perfect grand finale for the main stage. The entire band's stage presence is nothing short of incredible and their stage setup was top tier, making it clear that they owned that stage.
Mother Nature had her own agenda, resulting in the cancellation of the last two days. The feeling of disappointment was evident, not just among the fans but also within the bands and crew. However, this doesn't eliminate that the time we had at this year's Blue Ridge Rock Fest, despite it being shorter than we would have wanted it to be, it was a time where we all made memories to last a lifetime.
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