Rockfest 2016
Kansas City, Missouri
Liberty Memorial Park
May 14th, 2016
Disturbed, Ghost, Seether, Drowning Pool, Escape the Fate, Hellyeah, Like A Storm, Jackyl, Pop Evil, Red Sun Rising, Saint Asonia, Sevendust, Sixx:A.M., Trivium, The Veer Union
RockFest was unexpected in many ways. I didn’t know what we would find there, but I was surprised from the moment we got to the gate. The first thing that struck me as different was that there was a rule about how many beaded necklaces each person could come into the festival with. But before I could worry too much about the reason behind that, we were in the door.
We headed to the first stage and I met my first festival attendee. Well, met is an operative term. One gentleman was supporting another, as he had already had 12 beers this morning and was starting to feel it. He passed out and I was shocked to find that we were already one less festival goer as he was taken to the medical tent.
Other festivals could take notes from RockFest however in terms of their layout. There was plenty of space between stages so the sound did not interfere. Walking between stages was quick and easy, the food was convenient, plentiful, and delicious. Everything necessary was easily found and accessible. I was very impressed with the layout and think that RockFest has the best organization I have ever seen in a festival.
The bands that were chosen were a vast array of rock and metal that were definitely crowd pleasers. The groups flowed well together while still providing a great variety of eclectic sounds. The organizers did a great job of selecting bands that would provide any fan with a number of bands that would please them.
My favorite part was watching the people. In the hot summer sun, people were unafraid to wear the thickest black clothes and elaborate get ups. As people became more inebriated however, I discovered why there were restrictions on the beaded necklaces. If everyone had brought in as many necklaces as they pleased, some of the girls would have never had their tops on. The festival is nicknamed breast fest for a reason!
As we enjoyed the last band back at the first stage and were contemplating wrapping up for the night with some Steak N’ Shake, a gentleman bumped into us, beer in hand, devil horns high in the air. Mr. 12 beers deep at 9 a.m. was ready to enjoy some music. A love of music that can make a person rally that hard… that’s something special.
