Jackson County Fair Grounds
200 West Ganson Street, Jackson, Michigan
Rockapalooza was very easy to locate following the fairground signs gave us worry free driving to the festival. There was plenty of parking at and around the fairgrounds. The only worry we had was the weather forecast for forty percent chance of thundershowers.
Michigan weather held out for the total show which was a relief. As you travel to the entrance you see concert goers young and old alike. As you see the children you can’t help but think, “One of them could be a future rock star inspired by the festivals.”
The most attractive part of this festival was what was marked on the ticket. The festival had one hundred bands and eight stages printed on it. This festival offered a sonic buffet of rap, rock and metal.
It was a mind blowing 100 bands packed into the show that was from ten in the morning to roughly midnight. The first stage greeted you at the entrance area. And as you made it to the main fairgrounds look to the left and you’d a wrestling ring.
And if you glanced to the right you would see dirt bike doing stunts and jumps. The other seven stages were equally spaced out in a horseshoe shape. The middle of the horseshoe allowed the bands to move equipment freely without getting in the way of the crowd.
Many of the bands were out promoting their music when they were not on stage. Each stage you could casually walk by and stop and listen if you liked what you heard. That was the best way to do this until the headline bands came on.
At the monster energy drink main stage the first performer that appeared was a rapper named Naivasha.
Naivasha: Naivasha a rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. The rapper spit out smooth rhymes and was worth hearing. You could tell how good he was by how much the crowd would cheer for him.
As far as rap goes he is really sounding good and connected with the crowd. At one point in the show Naivasha had the crowd jumping. The Naivasha show was being video recorded while he performed.
Naivasha show was videoed by a long boom camera and another camera on rails. If you like rap Naivasha would be well worth listening to for the first time or again.
The next performers to come on stage were a band from Memphis, Tennessee called Surrender The Fall.
Surrender The Fall: This was the second time covering their show. Surrender The Fall was just as good the second time as the first. When they start playing on stage they captivate the crowd.
Surrender The Fall consists of Jared Cole on vocals, Devin Hightower on bass, Eddie Tyre on guitar, Anthony Pitts on guitar and Rick Anderson. At one point Jared Cole jumps off stage and goes to the crowd. The crowd went wild when Jared Cole was with the crowd.
The Surrender The Fall show was also video recorded as well. This is a band that you would enjoy watching over and over again. They have a great sound and work the stage to keep the crowd stoked up.
The next band was Adam Gontier.
Adam Gontier: Adam Gontier is known for being the former lead singer of Three Days Grace. His new band consists of Adam Gontier on vocals, Thomas RC Gardner on bass, Rich Beddoe on drums and Tom Duffy on lead guitar. When they hit the stage the crowd went wild cheering for Adam Gontier and his band.
The crowd’s cheers and applause showed their acceptance of his new band. The most enjoyable moment was when the crowd would sing along with Adam to almost every song that he sang. When Adam Gontier and his band were done, they left the crowd wanting more.
That show how much a band is liked. You are left craving to see their show again. The band sounds great live which is the true test.
The next band to perform was Saliva.
Saliva: This band has been around for a while and sounded just as good live as their recordings. When they took the stage the crowd went crazy. Bobby Amaru the lead singer mentioned that they were video recording the show. Bobby Amaru is known for using a megaphone for some of the songs.
Everyone enjoyed the attention of the cameras. The long boom camera would go out into the crowd and then move onto the stage. Another was carried by hand moving around the band. And then there was another camera still going on the rails in the photo pit.
Saliva consists of Bobby Amaru on vocals, Wayne Swinny on lead guitar, Dave Novotny on Bass and Paul Crosby on drums. Saliva is a band that is worth while to see over and over again live. The true test of any band is to listen to them live.
The last band for the main stage was Candlebox.
Candlebox: Candlebox and Saliva are both bands that have been around for a long time and have die hard fans the gladly greet them on stage with a loud roar. The older fans brought younger new fans that could inspire future rock stars. Candlebox consists of Kevin Martin on vocals, Sean Hennesy on rhythm guitar, Peter Klett on lead guitar, Scott Mercado on drums and Adam Kury on bass.
Candlebox put on an amazing show that sounds great live which is the true test of any band. This band does not change with time and if it does it only gets better. Candlebox rock out the crowd young and old alike and is another band that would be worth while to see again.
XFactor1 is a band that came on stage earlier that day. We purchased their album titled, “Famous Last Words”. This album didn’t sound bad at all to keep us awake for the long drive home. The album consisted of thirteen tracks.
XFactor1 album song list:
1. Bring It On
2. It’s My Life
3. Over & Out
4. The Stroke
5. You Suck
6. Shadow Of Desperation
7. Tragedy
8. Parasite
9. Hope For Tomorrow
10. Break You
11. Live Another Day
12. Never
13. Miss Me Now
This was a great sounding metal album that would be great for cruising too or on a long trip and you want to rock out and stay awake.
By Nosforotu Poet (Dan Spratt) 06-23-2013
Great work you two! Tight shots—they look great!
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