Okay fair, this article is running a bit late but I had to watch 'The Rant' on a local news channel to see what people called in about. You see there is a 'call-in show' where people leave messages or send emails praising or whining about various subjects and tonight's was, none other than, Louder than Life Fest. Sometimes it's Jerry Springerish, with outlandish remarks and obnoxious rambles, but this time gave a slight variance. One caller said something to the effect of 'a lot of people complain about the noise but as someone who lives close, no one ever commended the organizers for all the money the community made' ra, ra, ra. Likely a caller who made a killing on parking. Another claiming they lived 11 miles out towards another county and could hear the music clearly for days. Get off my lawn, indeed.
The overall sentiment at the show was nothing but committed and positively enthusiastic. I learned, and met, of people that had come from Ft. Lauderdale while others from Australia specifically made a point to stop in Louisville just for the weekend. Huge stuff people and indeed I stand with the local who didn't mind the noise and curmudgeon can stay out in the sticks. Day started with Buckcherry and they rattled off all of the top of their catalog, even throwing in 'Sorry' for the ladies.
One thing to note about these bands is they like to talk smack and even the fans aren't immune. Bring Me to the Horizon, had a knack for calling the crowd names to incite a 'circle pit' to give them the energy and vibe to get the crowd moving. Maybe I'm old, but it was a bit comical. While a couple of their tunes weren't bad but in the name of Lorde, 'I'm kid of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air' as your music should move me enough. I may have turned into the curmudgeon a bit today, but came around more next for Volbeat.
Denmark is a far away land, but Volbeat brings some pretty hard rocking stuff upside ya head and in person. Impressively, they pulled off a rendition of 'Ring of Fire' that was very cool and and got the crowd involved the old fashioned way. It's noteworthy to mention that Volbeat came highly recommended from some new found friends up from the Lexington area. Even people that came from that close threw down for the VIP packages. I had the fortune of hanging out a bit with them later and they're all very down to earth folks.
Oh, Papa Roach. While you remind me of the things I remarked about Limp Bizkit, you too brought me back to the hockey warm up tape and the late '90s. Some Max's awesome photos give you an idea how long ago the late 90s really were, but the energy levels of these guys have aged better than anything else. Still a pretty tight set.
Yes, there is really a band named Five Finger Death Punch, and yes their music makes you feel like you just received one. Having had a lot of new musical experiences my brain was a bit fried by now but these guys can wake you up no matter what state you're in. Well done indeed but I may need some more listens to paint you a better picture. Let's just say the name says a lot.
Kid Rock closed out and from what I heard some were a bit disappointed. Most people I spoke with that day were there for just for the Kid, and while he rattled off a quick 11 songs some were medleys and remixes of three songs together.
All in all a pretty eye opening weekend. The world is a big place with all kinds of people and I encourage you to take it in if they come back to make it an annual thing. It's not your Bonnie Prince Billy crowd but toughen up a bit and maybe you too can get invited into a 'circle pit'. Special thanks to all the organizers and we'll welcome you back again.
Photo Credit: Max Ryan Sharp
