Festival: South by So What?! Day 2
Written by Coog Radio on March 26, 2014
If you saw this blog post and thought I made a typo, you are surely mistaken. South by So What is a 3-day music festival in Grand Prairie where all the metal, punk, and hardcore bands flock to after South by South West. The festival takes place at QuikTrip Park, a baseball park which is home to the Grand Prairie AirHogs. This year in particular had a line-up full of not only up and coming bands, but several legendary bands within the scene. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go the first day, so I packed my things and rushed to Grand Prairie on Saturday morning to catch the bands that were going to play during day 2 and 3.
When I first arrived, I was amazed by how they were able to fit 3 different stages onto one baseball field. They also managed to cram all the merch tents throughout the stands across the field. Most of the bands would chill their merch tents or have specified signings, so you had a chance to interact with the band on a personal level.
I got there at around 2pm, and the bands I wanted to see weren’t going to start performing til 4pm, so I walked around and checked out some of the other bands that were playing. One band that caught my full attention was Megosh. Megosh is a rock band from Baltimore and had been touring with rock legends Alesana. As soon as they got on stage, both guitarists and their bassist started singing into the microphones and then their lead guitarist stopped singing to run around the stage and swing his guitar around like a mad man. Their sound was probably one that stood out the most during the day, sounding like a punk-influenced Coheed and Cambria. If you haven’t heard of them, I highly suggest checking them out.
The first band I was anticipating to see was Like Moths to Flames, a metal band from Columbus, Ohio, which is known for their skull-crushing, heavy riffs, and beats. The moment they started playing their introduction song “You’ll Burn,” a giant hole formed within the crowd, and all the hardcore dancers started busting out their moves, while everyone else was jumping to the beat of the song. The crowd kept the energy high, especially during their hit song “You Won’t Be Missed.”
Immediately after, was none other than Letlive. I have see them several times before and they never fail to amaze me. This was the first time I have seen them at a big festival, so I was interested to see what antics the band would get into. The band started the set with “Banshee (Ghost Fame)” and vocalist, Jason Aalon Butler, jumped into the crowd giving the mic to people crowd surfing to him. When their second song kicked in, “The Sick, Sick 6.8 Billion,” Jason climbed up the side of the stage, while continuing to sing the lyrics of the song. Afterwards, Letlive continued their usual antics, which involves playing the other instruments sitting out that don’t belong to them, swing their guitars around, and doing an assortment of acrobats on the stage.
After the performance, my friend and I took a break and went to the on-site bar to grab some drinks. The bar was absolutely packed with people that were grab something to eat, getting a drink, or taking cover from the rain that was pouring outside. Bands would even pop in to grab something and talk to some of the fans.After a much needed break, we returned to the main stage to see none other than Born of Osiris. Born of Osiris is a metal band from Chicago, Illinois that has been taking over the metal scene for the past few years. They combine technical, polyrhythmic riffs and beats with electronics, and together it’s a formula for absolute insanity. As soon as the band stepped out onstage, pits were formed and everyone was off their feet. The crowd went absolutely insane for them, forming circle pits and even wall of deaths without the band saying anything. This was by far one of the best crowds I have seen at a show in a very long time, and every time I see Born of Osiris, they never disappoint.
After waiting in god-awful rain for 3 hours for the next band to play, the rest of the show was cancelled. It was unfortunate because several people came out to see some of the big headliners such as Of Mice and Men and Bring Me the Horizon. I was fortunate to catch the main bands I wanted to see, even though I was worried about the next day being cancelled, which fortunately wasn’t.
By Raj Radia
