Welcome To Rockville 2019 reminded me of a very important lessons: it is important to adapt and roll with the punches, especially in the world of outdoor music festivals.
The stereotypes of Florida weather were proven true from May 3-5 in Jacksonville, Fl while over tens of thousands of rock music fans gathered at Metropolitan Park for the yearly festival produced by Danny Wimmer Presents. Friday resulted in a 2 hour event shutdown due to lightening, Saturday's blazing sun brought many sunburns to rookie festival goers, and doors didn't open until 3pm on Sunday due to severe storms. Let it be known that the tumultuous weather never put a damper on our fun and it was still an incredible, memorable weekend. We adapted to the changes and almost every band on the lineup was still able to play a set. Rather than viewing the weather as a setback, we used the challenges to fuel our passion for heavy music.
The diverse lineup showcased a balance of experienced rock n roll veterans and new talent to create a melting pot of talent from all walks of life. Where else can you watch Bring Me The Horizon and Tool play on the same stage on the same night?
Wandering around the festival grounds presented wondrous opportunities to discover new talent and I stumbled upon a few new favorites. Dirty Honey, ReignWolf, and Shvpes to name a few.
Day one: The day started off strong with overcast skies and a killer set from a new favorite band, Dirty Honey. The classic rock meets modern jam band vibes knocked my socks off and started the day on a brilliant foot. The best part of festivals is when you serendipitously stumble upon a new band that you've never heard of and they become an immediate standout. After that I rushed to the press area to chat with Killswitch Engage. Adam D is a legend and he was a pleasure to chat with! Then...Florida brought on the thunder and rain. The festival paused for a couple hours until the storm cleared and we were up and running again just in time for Circa Survive, Chevelle, and Korn. Overall it was a chill day and a solid lineup!
Day two: This is when the real madness ensued! I had a super busy day and the sun rays were stronger than ever. I started the day with a great set from Hands Like Houses. I've known that band for over 7 years so it was amazing to watch them play for such a huge crowd that loved their music. They've come a long way from their post-hardcore scene days. After that, I had the opportunity to meet Sirius XM radio personality Jose Mangin at the Zippo Sessions booth for an interview and watched Badflower play an acoustic set. Mangin is a huge inspiration for me as an up and coming music journalist so it was an honor to get some words of wisdom from him. Then I had a few interviews with Zeal and Ardor (a band infamous for combining black spiritual music with black metal...and yes...it is as cool as it sounds) and Dead Girls Academy (a new band featuring Michael previously of Vampires Everywhere). The night closed out with sets from Boston Manor, Movements, Wage War (yay Warped Tour friends), and Rob Zombie.
Day three: This was a Rockville half day due to a raging lightening storm. Doors didn't open until 4pm but we hit the ground running when we got inside. I left the camera at the hotel and let out my inner music fan for Fever 333, Bring Me The Horizon, Papa Roach, Tool, Incubus, and The Struts. The lineup truly highlighted a hodgepodge of bands I grew up admiring and new artists that I utterly adore. It was fun to dance in the rain without a care in the world. It was a great reminder of how special festivals can be when you take a break from work and enjoy the moment.
As you can see, the show really does go on in rain or shine. I cherish Welcome To Rockville because it cultivates a getaway-like atmosphere that allows rock music to thrive.
Check out my video blog for a full wrap up of the weekend below! Did you go to Rockville this year? What were your favorite sets of the weekend? Comment below or tweet me twitter.com/torikravitz.
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