LIVE! | Rock on the Range 2013 Concert Photo Galleries

by Chris A.
- Senior Photojournalist –

May 17-19, 2013 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio

[Press Release] In just seven years, ROCK ON THE RANGE–America’s premier destination rock festival–has grown to a sold-out, three night music celebration with more than 50 bands performing this past weekend (Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Ohio. Ticket buyers travelled from 49 states (and three countries) for this year’s ROTR, which generated an economic impact of $17 million to the Columbus metro area.

Here’s what some of the 2013 ROCK ON THE RANGE performers had to say about their participation:

Jonathan Davis of Korn: “The fans at ROTR have always been great to us, but this year…when we stepped out there…with their biggest crowd yet…that s#*? was just sick!! What a rush!”

Corey Taylor of Stone Sour: “Rock On The Range was THE best show we’ve had in years. The energy was insane, the crowd was Bedlam unleashed and the moment was gone all too quickly–we could have played another HOUR haha! It was a long time coming–we were supposed to play there the year Roy had his stroke–but it was so worth the wait, and we can’t wait to do it again!”

Gavin Rossdale of Bush: “We had a brilliant time at Rock On The Range. The crowd was spectacular and I want them at every show we do.”

Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach: “As far as rock festivals in America go, Rock On The Range is #1 in my book. Straight f****n epic! The line ups are always great and the fans are insane. Thank God for Rock On The Range! In my opinion, it’s exactly what rock needs right now, a festival that is fun for both the fans and the bands. Can’t wait to do it again and again and again!!!!!”

A Day To Remember: “The whole show was just really impressive. There aren’t a lot of well-done U.S. festival shows, and this one was handled like one that competes with the best on the planet.”

Rock on the Range Photo Gallery [Show as slideshow] [View with PicLens] 123456►

Rock on the Range Day 1 Photo Gallery Korn, Cheap Trick, Buckcherry, Hollywood Undead, In Flames, Oleander, Mindset Evolution, XFACTOR1, Love and Death, American Fangs [Show as slideshow] [View with PicLens] 1234...678►

Rock on the Range Day 2 Photo Gallery Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Sour, Three Days Grace, Papa Roach, A Day To Remember, Bullet for My Valentine, Halestorm, Asking Alexandria, All That Remains, Black Veil Brides, Pop Evil, Clutch, The Sword, Motionless In White, Otherwise, Young Guns, Red Line Chemistry, Gemini Syndrome, Heaven’s Basement, Scorpion Child [Show as slideshow] [View with PicLens] 123456►

Rock on the Range Day 3 Photo Gallery Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Bush, Volbeat, Skillet, Lamb Of God, Steel Panther, Device, In This Moment, Sevendust, Sick Puppies, Ghost B.C., Red, Big Wreck, Deuce, Middle Class Rut, Thousand Foot Krutch, Beware Of Darkness, O’Brother [Show as slideshow] [View with PicLens] 1234567►

[Photos by www.chrisaphotography.com]

Lzzy Hale of Halestorm

by Chris A.
- Senior Photojournalist –

A “Classy Bitch” is what Lzzy Hale had in mind with the design of her new Gibson USA Signature Model Explorer guitar. Hardrock Haven’s Chris A. shoots the breeze with Lzzy Hale about winning a Grammy, the band’s upcoming appearance at “Rock on The Range,” her outlook on the “state of women” in Rock ‘n’ Roll, her relationship with the fans and a whole lot more. It’s a relaxed, informative conversation with one of the leading ladies of popular music today.

Listen to the interview:

Official website: http://www.halestormrocks.com/

LIVE! | Halestorm

by Jonna Ambur
- Photojournalist –

DECEMBER 28, 2012, MOHEGAN SUN/WOLF DEN, UNCASVILLE, CT –

The Wolf Den is the venue inside the Mohegan Sun Casino. It’s general admission to a free show, but the club only holds about 300 people. That didn’t stop thousands from standing in line for hours in the hopes of catching Halestorm on a Friday night.

Halestorm —a 2013 Grammy nominee for best hard rock/metal performance— took the stage at 8pm to the throng of committed fans in attendance. Arejay Hale was the first on stage sporting a killer skull mask and took his place behind the drums. Following right behind him were guitarist Joe Hottinger, bassist Josh Smith, and the amazing Lzzy Hale on lead vocals and second guitar.

Many people aren’t aware that Halestorm now have five recordings under their belt. Their first album was an EP called One and Done. In 2009, they released their hit self-titled album, Halestorm to rave reviews. Following was the CD/DVD, Live in Philly 2010 and ReAnimate, an EP of covers. In April 2012, they released their current hit album, The Strange Case of ….

The first notes of “Mz. Hyde” rang through the room, and all eyes were on the stage, hands were in the air and cheers filled the room. Known for their near non-stop touring schedule, you could tell that the stage is their home away from home. Halestorm love their fans, enjoy interacting with them and—because it was a smaller venue—they took the time to make everyone feel like they were part of their musical family.

They performed songs including “Love Bites,” “Rock Show,” “You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing,” “It’s Not You,” and “I Get Off,” they played for more than an hour and nobody was willing to give up their spot to anyone still waiting to get in the venue.

Ending their set with “Here’s to Us” and “I Miss the Misery,” Halestorm exited to deafening cheers and screams of approval. It was a show that will keep everyone watching the web for Halestorm’s next return to Connecticut.

Halestorm Concert Photo Gallery

Lzzy Hale and Arejay Hale of Halestorm

by Steve Patrick
- Columnist –

The 3rd annual Carnival of Madness tour featuring New Medicine, Cavo, Evanescence and Halestorm recently blew through Columbus, OH on August 1st. The two that put the “Hale” in “Halestorm,” frontwoman Lzzy Hale and her drummer brother Arejay Hale, took some time to chat with Hardrock Haven at the Columbus stop about one of their songs ending up on Glee, why they can no longer sell their ReAniMate covers EP, and how far the band has come in recent years.

Video Interview with Lzzy and Arejay Hale of Halestorm

LIVE! | Halestorm

by Adam Labonoski
Staff Writer –

May 15, 2012 at Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse, NY

Atlantic Records artists Halestorm have been rocking their way up the charts and are currently touring on Godsmack’s Mass Chaos tour. They swung through Syracuse to play at the Onondaga County War Memorial on May 15th.

Lzzy and the crew never disappoint, they are rife with energy and put on a great show! They started this show with their most recent hit song, Love Bites (So Do I). Lzzy has amazing and strong vocals. Her voice isn’t the only heart stopping feature of the show. Once the men in the crowd closed their jaws, they began to rock out to the rest of the set. With Arejay on drums, Josh on bass and Joe on guitar, the tunes are nothing but heavy rock-n-roll. Halestorm is the exemplification of hard work, hard rock and strong determination. They are sure to have many hits over the next few years.

Halestorm is currently touring with Brookroyal, Staind and Godsmack. Look for a concert review coming soon from Hardrock Haven photographer Sara McCarthy!

Rock on!

http://www.halestormrocks.com/

Setlist:
Love Bites (So Do I)
Ms. Hyde
I Miss the Misery
American Boys
Familiar Taste of Poison
Freak Like Me
Rock Show
It’s Not You
I Get Off

Halestorm 2012 Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Adam Labonoski

Lzzy Hale of Halestorm

by Steve Patrick
Staff Writer –

Listen to the interview:

Few young rock bands exemplify the benefits of hard work and determination better than Halestorm. Case in point, at Rock on the Range in 2009, Halestorm were touring in support of their eponymous first album and destroyed the Jägermeister Stage with a blistering set that announced their arrival at the annual rock festival in Central Ohio. Then the band returned to ROTR in 2010 to perform an expanded set on the FYE Second Stage. By this time, in addition to the stage size and set length, Halestorm’s audience had visibly increased.

Flash forward to ROTR 2012 and Halestorm had climbed another rung in the rock festival’s ladder of stage status to perform a set dominated by cuts from Halestorm’s recent release The Strange Case Of… as well as their tried and true anthems like “I Get Off” and “It’s Not You” on the Monster Energy Main Stage. Halestorm truly has become the quintessential ROTR band and they couldn’t be happier about it.

Right after the band’s set, frontwoman Lzzy Hale took some time to speak with Hardrock Haven about the new album, what it’s like to play ROTR, future touring, and dressing up like a zombie Garth Algar…

Halestorm’s sophomore album The Strange Case Of… is available now wherever albums are sold.

Halestorm | The Strange Case of …

by Mark Allen
Staff Writer –

Like a rock ‘n’ roll praying mantis, Lzzy Hale seems like the kind of gal that will slam you to the floor, mess you up in the roughest, most erotic way imaginable, and then rip your head off your shoulders when she is done. And as you are bleeding out from your torn neck stump, with your final gasp you would say thank you.

Halestorm’s major label debut came loaded with venomous sex appeal wrapped in powerhouse drums, beefy power chords, and catchy melodies. Well, Halestorm stared the dreaded sophomore slump dead in the eye and it was the sophomore slump that blinked first and went slinking away in tucked-tail defeat. This new album ups the ante on f*ck you attitude while simultaneously cementing Lzzy’s status as the new queen of hard rock. This girl has a serious set of lungs on her, capable of reaching jaw-dropping notes one moment and dropping into a sultry snarl the next. She is not just one of the best female vocalists the genre has ever seen, she is one of the best vocalists the genre has ever seen, period.

While Lzzy may be the centerpiece, she is ably backed by a group of guys equipped with serious chops. Halestorm as a whole understand the dynamics of the rock genre, the sort of unbridled recklessness and freewheeling fury that the best bands bring to the party. Call this modern hard rock if you must, but only by virtue of the big budget studio production; bubbling just beneath the surface gloss is just a badass heavy rock album. Halestorm eschew the poppy allure so prevalent in today’s hard rock in favor of something saturated in the full-throttle power of ‘80s metal.

The band’s only serious misstep is the ballad block in the middle of the album. After cranking out four kickass rockers, Halestorm slow things down for a ballad…then another ballad…and yet another. It doesn’t just drag the momentum down; it slaughters it like a crippled lamb. It is testimony to the band’s excellence that they recover from this what-the-hell-were-they-thinking decision, but seriously…what the hell were they thinking? One ballad would be tolerable, but three would be overkill even if spread out over the whole album. Cram them all together and it’s damn near disastrous. Besides, Lzzy’s persona is badass rocker chick and we want to hear her sing badass rock ‘n’ roll, not softly croon about romance and whatnot. That’s what we have Amy Lee for.

Maybe the band just wanted to get the boring stuff out of the way, because as soon as the ballads are done, they get right back to rocking, delivering three of the album’s best tunes. “Daughters of Darkness” is the heaviest, opening with some angry “na-na-na-na-nas” and then proceeding to slam, smash, pummel, and pound your ears with aggression. Subtle, it is not. Awesome, it is. “You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing” could serve as Lzzy’s theme song lyrically–“You call me a bitch like it’s a bad thing / You call me a freak like that means something / I don’t give a shit”—and musically will rock your face off. The album then ends with the rock-ballad “Here’s To Us,” which pulls off the tough task of sounding tender and nostalgic while using copious amounts of profanity: “Here’s to us / Here’s to love / All the times that we fucked up / Here’s to you / Fill the glass / ‘Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass / If they give you hell / tell ‘em to go fuck themselves.” If that doesn’t give you the warm and fuzzies, nothing will.

Actually, warm and fuzzy—not to mention smiling from ear to ear—is what every hard rock aficionado should feel like when they finish listening to this album. It is a distortion-filled delight, a metal-edged masterpiece, a power chord paradise. In other words, this album rocks like a bitch, and yeah, that’s a compliment.

Genre: Hard Rock

Band:
Lzzy Hale (vocals)
Arejay Hale (drums)
Josh Smith (bass)
Joe Hottinger (guitars)

Track Listing:
1. Love Bites (And So Do I)
2. Mz. Hyde
3. I Miss the Misery
4. Freak Like Me
5. Beautiful With You
6. In Your Room
7. Break In
8. Rock Show
9. Daughters of Darkness
10. You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing
11. American Boys
12. Here’s To Us

Web: www.halestormrocks.com

Label: Atlantic Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.75/10

LIVE! : KC Rockfest Music Festival 2011

by Shawna McHenry Luehring & John Kindred
Staff Writer

Saturday, May 14th at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO.

Kansas City’s Rockfest kicked of its annual metal salute with Zakk Wylde performing the “National Anthem” with an armed forces color guard to more than 50,000 crazed fans. This year’s event was welcomed by a cold front instead of an onslaught of rain. After last year’s “Mudfest” debacle, local city leaders were fired up and demanded ending the use of Penn Valley Park as the stomping grounds for Rockfest.

Thankfully for fans, AEG, the concert promoter, paid to repair the damage caused by the 2010 event. Their efforts included putting down sod on the 14 acres of damage caused by the rain and the festival goers, who trampled down grass, which created a muddy mess and troublesome trash clean up. AEG and 98.9 the Rock have put in place safeguards to keep the event as clean and safe as possible, including additional trash cans, better placement of port-o-potties, additional security and added fencing.

As always, Rockfest is hyped as the Nation’s Largest Single-Day Music Festival and a concert event with reasonably priced food and beverages. Although this year’s crowd was not a sellout, there were plenty of fans on hand for the festivities.

This year’s lineup featured two band stages. Monster Energy sponsored the main stage, which featured headliners Disturbed, Stone Sour, Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Hinder and Halestorm. The second stage was sponsored by Jose Cuervo and featured Black Label Society, All That Remains, 10 Years, Redline Chemistry, Crossfade, Art of Dying, New Medicine and Evalyn Awake.

The crowd seemed to relish in its patriotic side this year as Americans flags were visible throughout the crowd. Mardi gras beads where tossed out to those willing to show their “wares” to onlookers. Besides the music, Rock radio personality, “Moose,” officiated a wedding ceremony of about 20 couples or more. Turning back to the stages, the crowd was entertained by pornstar Ron Jeremy aka “The Hedgehog,” and Moonlight Bunny Ranch owner Dennis Hof, and his lovely sidekick, Bunny Love, made an appearance.

With the exception of 15 minutes of warm, bright sunshine for Papa Roach’s performance of “Burn” (pretty ironic), fans spent the cold, gray and windy day enjoying the metal mayhem.

Monster Energy Drink Main Stage:
Halestorm 1:30pm
Hinder 2:40pm
Sevendust 3:55pm
Alter Bridge 5:10pm
Papa Roach 6:30pm
Stone Sour 8:00pm
Disturbed 9:40pm

Jose Cuervo Drink Main Stage:
Evalyn Awake 12:00pm
New Medicine 1:00pm
Art of Dying 2:10pm
Crossfade 3:25pm
Redline Chemistry 4:40pm
10 Years 6:00pm
All That Remains 7:30
Black Label Society 9:00pm

KC Rockfest Music Festival 2011 Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Shawna McHenry Luehring

LIVE! : Carolina Rebellion Music Festival

CAROLINA REBELLION

Saturday, May 7th Metrolina Expo in Charlotte, NC.

AEG Live and Right Arm Entertainment latest production, Carolina Rebellion music festival, is proud to be sponsored by Jägermeister, Monster Energy drink and FYE. This is the same team that produces the highly successful Rock On The Range in Columbus, OH. The one day music festival features many of today’s hard hitting rock artists appearing on three stages (two main stages) at the Metrolina Expo in Charlotte, NC.

The festival featured two main stages for the biggest acts in rock today, both sponsored by Monster Energy. The bands participating in Carolina Rebellion festival included: Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Stone Sour, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine, Theory of a Deadman, Alter Bridge, Hinder, Skillet, Saving Abel, Halestorm, Black Stone Cherry, My Darkest Days, Cavo, Rev Theory, Pop Evil, Art Of Dying and more.

“It seems the Carolinas are in need of a rock festival to call their own and we are honored to unleash the Rebellion to the great rock fans of this area,” says Gary Spivack, co-executive producer of the event for Right Arm Entertainment. “With our partners at AEG we locked into an amazing outdoor venue just minutes from downtown Charlotte. We are so proud of this lineup. From Godsmack to Avenged Sevenfold to Three Days Grace to Stone Sour….it’s nonstop…one great band after another.”

Cavo – 12:20pm
Halestorm – 1:50pm
Skillet – 3:30pm
Bullet For My Valentine – 5:20pm
Seether – 7:10pm
Three Days Grace – 8:45pm
Avenged Sevenfold – 10:45pm

My Darkest Days – 11:50am
Saving Abel – 1:20pm
Hinder – 2:50pm
Alter Bridge – 4:40pm
Theory of a Deadman – 6:30pm
Stone Sour – 7:50pm
Godsmack – 9:40pm

Drop D – 11:30am
Art of Dying – 12:50pm
Pop Evil – 2:20pm
Black Stone Cherry – 4:10pm
Rev Theory – 6:00pm

www.carolinarebellion.com

Carolina Rebellion Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Steve Trager

Rock On The Range 2010 LIVE!

May 22 & 23, 2010 at Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

by Chris A. & Deb Rao
Staff Writer

[author: Chris A.] It’s the fourth time Columbus has hosted the “Rock on the Range” festival and by the size of the audience you’d never know there was any kind of economic crisis. With approximately 50,000 people attending each day, “Rock on the Range” is proving to be “the” show of the year in the upper Midwest of the United States. Three stages, 30-plus bands, dozens of vendors and lots of creative merchandise for sale, it’s a big party and a very good time. As with past years, there were three stages; the Monster Stage was the main stage inside the Columbus Crew Stadium while the Kicker Stage was located on the north side of the stadium and the smaller Jaegermeister Stage was positioned on the south. “Rock on the Range” has always been a great place for upstart “baby bands” to get some exposure plus they don’t seem to shy away from including diverse acts on the bill. In the case of Rock on the Range, a show known primarily as a “metal festival” it was interesting that the show would be opened and closed by rap oriented acts. Headliners for Saturday on the Monster Stage were, “Rise Against”, “Three Days Grace” and “Godsmack”. On Sunday the main bands were, “Seether”, “Rob Zombie” with “Limb Bizkit” closing the festival.

Despite a damp start to Saturday, gray clouds and occasional sprinkles didn’t appear to hold the crowd back as the yellow benches in Crew Stadium started to disappear as fans arrived to the show. At noon, the show started with Windsor, Ontario Detroit Tigers fan, “Richy Nix,” a tall thin white-guy from Ontario, rapping to metal. Twenty minutes later on the main stage, “Sevendust” exploded into their set, erasing any memories of cockeyed baseball caps and robotic hand gestures, with in-your-face metal intensity. Nearly 11 hours later the sound of electric guitars and the gritty metal of “Godsmack” faded as day-one came to an end.

Sunday was a glorious day, blue skies, beautiful hot sun and no indication of rain. At noon, “Shaman’s Harvest” a great young band, opened the show on the Kicker stage. Over the course of the next 11 hours Apocalyptica performed its brand of “metal”. Australian metal band “Airbourne” made a lot of friends and demonstrated why we all love blues-based rock ‘n’ roll! At nearly 10 pm, Fred Durst and the now out-of-seclusion “Limb Bizkit” capped off an incredible two-days of great music.

With three stages and almost invariably two running at one time, it was impossible for anyone to see all the bands. As seems to be the case with Columbus rock ‘n’ roll crowds, the fans were very mellow at Rock on the Range. It was a big party with lots of beer and thousands of friends. Sitting back and observing, It was amazing to watch the incredibly orderly procession of thousands of people snaking along the paths to get from stage to stage. Venue security, the Columbus Police Department (who were there in numbers) were extremely fan-friendly and were clearly there to keep an eye on things and to snatch up the occasional drunk-moron who got a bit too out of hand.

Each performance day started at 12 noon and for the most part the show stayed on time and ran smoothly. “Rock on the Range” 2010 was a very successful event with great bands and thousands of happy fans. Keep any eye here for interview articles from John 5, Airbourne and others from the weekends show. For more information on “Rock on the Range” visit www.rockontherange.com You can also see my photos of “Rock on the Range” by visiting www.chrisa.us

Rock on the Range Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Chris A. and Deb Rao

[author: Deb Rao] As thousands of rock fans descended to Columbus, Ohio at Crew Stadium, one thing was for certain the sporting venue was turned into a rock and roll extravaganza for one of the most anticipated events of the summer Rock On The Range 2010. The event promised to feature one of the most solid line-ups to date. This year Rock On The Range was hosted by Mistress Juliya and broadcast live by Nikki Sixx and his new hit radio show Sixx Sense.

Tattoos, body jewelry and rock clothing venders filled the area to the hilt. The crowd featured a young audience and some older fans of the older bands. One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s line-up on May 22 headlined by Boston’s Godsmack with the diversity to the line-up. ROTR featured the best in punk, alternative, hip-hop and hard rock cutting edge bands making an impact in music today. The festival featured three stages of music included the Jager Stage. Kicker Stage, and Monster Stage. I found myself mostly stationed at the Kicker Stage but after the days shooting of that stage was over, I managed to catch full sets of Rise Against, Three Days Grace, and Godsmack. More on the main acts later.

My journey began early in the morning from Boston, as my flight landed in Columbus, Ohio a tad late due to flight delays. But no worries a full day of music was ahead of me. One of the first acts I had the pleasure of seeing was Eleven Seven Music recording artists Drowning Pool on the Monster Stage. This band is one of the hardest working bands in music today. Singer Ryan McCombs has picked up the pieces and breathed new life into the band. As the sun tried to break through the ominous clouds, Drowning Pool heated up the stage with a set that included these songs,”Enemy,” “Sinner”,”37 Stitches,” Feel Like I Do”,”Regret”,”Tear Away”, and “Bodies.”

Next up on the Monster Stage was Puddle of Mudd who is in the midst of a successful headlining tour. Puddle Of Mudd is best when performing at festivals like this. Lead frontman Wes Scantlin always manages to get the crowd rolling and today’s performance was no exception. The band opened with the ferocious “Control”, as Wes took full control of the moment and the mosh pits began. Slammin’ into new song “Spaceship’ let the party begin as Wes yelled,”What’s up Motherf***ers?” Highlight of the set with fists in the air included the AC/DC cover “TNT.”

I proceeded to make my way to the Kicker Stage to catch one of the most exciting and promising acts of the day Halestorm. Mistress Juliya introduced the band as Lzzy Hale dressed in a black and red dress and hit the stage with a set that was clearly mesmerizing. Halestorm opened their set with “It’s Not You.” The ’80s had Heart and Pat Benetar as the reigning rock queens. Well, this is the Millennium and Lzzy Hale most definitely deserves the title as best new female of the decade. Lzzy can rock with the best of them and Halestorm clearly won the title for best act on the Kicker Stage at ROTR 2010.

It was great to see all the female musicians performing here today. Next up another great band that gave an outstanding performance was Christian rock band Skillet. Fronted by John Cooper, his wife Korey Cooper on guitar was also spellbinding. Jen Ledger was featured on drums. The band also featured a cello and violin, which added a nice flavor to the hard rock sound. Highlights of the set were the songs “Hero”, and “Monster.”

The Kicker Stage featured some of the best acts all day. Next up Killswitch Engage made Massachusetts proud. It was exhilarating to see all the talent from the Mass area here today. Highlight of the Killswitch Engage set was when singer Howard Jones dedicated the song “Holy Diver” to the legendary Dio. Metal horns in the air. May you rest in peace.

Throughout the day many of the bands held meet and greets including Adelita’s Way and Puddle Of Mudd. It was great to see the inter-action between fans and bands. This festival is all about the music. The rock stars left their attitudes at the door and chatted with the fans and showed their appreciation.

The event was blessed by the weather this year as the sun finally broke through the crowds with temperatures in the 80′s. Finally, the Kicker Stage music was over and now it was time to enjoy the Monster Stage. The floor began to fill up to capacity for The Deftones. I spoke with many fans who were eager to see the band. The Deftones took full advantage of the set premiering many new songs from their latest release Diamond Eyes. They are definitely one of the best punk rock bands around; true pioneers.

One of the most promising acts on the Monster Stage was Rise Against. I never heard of them before and really enjoy their high-energy set. The award for most promising act on the Monster Stage would have to go to Three Days Grace. This is a band that you associate all their hits on the radio when you hear them they play live and you go “I know that song.” This was my first time seeing this Canadian band perform live and I have to say I was very impressed by Adam Gontier vocals. Sporting a black hat, Adam and company delivered a set that was powerful and poignant. Adam is the master of love gone wrong songs. I highly enjoyed the “I Hate Everything About You.”

Boston’s Godsmack was the headliner on the Monster Stage and did Boston Proud. Sully Erna took full control of the Mid-western crowd and showed them how we rock in Boston. Their set list included

Godsmack Set List:
Awake
Straight Out of Line
Re-Align
War and Peace
The Enemy
Bad Religion
The Oracle
Cryin’ Like a Bitch
Keep Away
Speak
Voodoo
Batalla de los Tambores

Spotted in the audience, was Jackass star Jason Acuna. Actually, he was sitting in back of me with a beret of beauties on his lap. The announcer of the show commented that this years show broke all attendance records. Rock On The Range 2010 proved to be a haven for rock fans to unite and enjoy some of the best cutting edge bands in music today. It was a time to make new friends, spend time with old friends, and celebrate the exciting new wave of music today.

Special Thanks to the great staff of MSO for letting Hardrock Haven cover Rock On The Range 2010. Be sure to check out Rock On The Range interviews with Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust, Richy Nix, and coming soon Adelita’s Way and Apocalyptica.

Rock On The Range May 22 Line-up:

Monster Stage:
Sevendust 12:25
Drowning Pool 1:40
Puddle of Mudd 2:55
Papa Roach 4:15
Deftones 5:35
Rise Against 7:05
Three Days Grace 8:51
Godsmack 9:45

Kicker Stage:
Richy Nix 12:00
Violent Soho 1:05
Adelita’s Way 2:20
Halestorm 3:40
Skillet 5:00
Killswitch Engage 6:20

Jager Stage:
Like A Storm 12:00
Taddy Porter 1:05
Janus 2:20
Non Point 3:40
Helmet 5:00

Kansas City Rockfest 2010 LIVE!

May 15, 2010 at Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, MO.

by John Kindred & Shawna McHenry
Staff Writer

Rockfest always is advertised as a festival that keeps the average fan from shelling out wads of money. The organizers, radio station 98.9 The Rock and AEG Live, provide a days’ worth of entertainment with fairly low-cost ticket prices, food and drink prices capped at a maximum of $5 per item and readily available free water.

This year, thunder and rain marked the festival most of the day. Fans made the best of it, enjoying the music despite the lack of sun. This certainly was the one of the coldest and wettest Rockfests to date. Concertgoers have billed the day as “Mudfest 2010” on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Some imaginative fans created a mudslide, and concertgoers who took the journey down the water-soaked hill encased themselves in mud.

Two stages provided the day’s musical entertainment. Fifteen bands followed a predefined rotation that kept the music rumbling throughout the afternoon and well into the evening, which was topped off by fireworks. With this year’s headliner being Godsmack, fans truly were able to embrace some of the day’s popular hard rock and metal bands.

The second stage, sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, was given more attention to make it bigger and better than previous years. The raising of the stage by several additional feet provided crowds a better viewing of the bands. Apparently, this sparked the second stage bands to take their live performances to the next level. The highlight of the day included Airbourne’s front man, Joel O’Keefffe, climbing 20 feet up the stage scaffolding for an old-school guitar solo. Their energy and classic hard rock sound got fans out of the dreary day’s slump and back into a rock festival mood.

The spirited festival event continues to bring an economic boost to the Kansas City area, if only just for a day. The festival also caters to a younger crowd, which maybe wouldn’t have had the income to drop on a more expensive event. However, long lines for frequent food and beverage runs continued to empty wallets. And hanging out with a bone-crushing crowd of 55,000 definitely leads to claustrophobia. In the end, promoters and fans find Rockfest a win/win event.

Main Stage Monster Energy Stage
1:30 – Halestorm
2:40 – Rev Theory
3:50 – Drowning Pool
5:00 – Papa Roach
6:30 – Seether
8:00 – Three Days Grace
9:30 – Godsmack

Monster Energy Stage
12:00 – Taddy Porter
1:00 – Shaman’s Harvest
2:10 – Adelitas Way
3:20 – Burn Halo
4:30 – The Veer Union
6:00 – Janus
7:30 – Airbourne
9:00 – Five Finger Death Punch

Kansas City Rockfest Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Shawna McHenry and Mitchell Luehring