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UpRoar Festival

Stage AE

Pittsburgh, PA

August 19, 2014

 

         I have been to several UpRoar Festivals over the last couple of years, all in fact except 2013s tour run and this is a nice star studded affair again this year. Stage AE unfortunately was not a big enough venue to hold all of the bands so some were left off the bill for the show. This show opened with a local battle of the bands winner which screamed and yelled their way through their “painful to listen to” set. I was not impressed at all and several of my neighbors felt the same way with remarks of “glad that’s over” and “now my ears can recoup for the rest of the show.” Up next on the shorten bill was Pop Evil. One of the hottest bands out and about at this time, Pop Evil, lit up the stage. The second time I seen them in a month they did not disappoint in either set. Front man, Leigh Kakaty, commanded the stage like a battlefield and received enough energy back to out dual the Hoover Dam. These guys have every aspect of a live set down to a tee and it shows. They added an extra layer of depth to this amazing festival. These guys are someone that might just be co-headlining this thing in an album or two. Buckcherry stepped out on the stage next armed with new material that came out on that date exactly. They rifled through the new material along with some old stuff. They also talked their way through the set like normal as well as added their cover segments too. I feel like if you have seen Buckcherry once or twice, aside from new stuff, then it’s a copy of the last time you seen them. They are steady in that regard, but they can get predictable in some cases. Skillet jumps up on stage next with their blend strings, keys, drums, and guitars. The extra instruments really add to their sound and being live is no different. They also command the stage while they offer up their messages in and out of songs. They sound superb live and is a must see. All the extra items that go into a show production is awesome and is a sight to see. They really brought the show up to the next level. However, I’m not sure if they really belong on a tour with Buckcherry, but they took the opportunity and ran away with it. Godsmack wrapped up this stop with a phenomenal set. Lighting up the stage like Buckcherry with new and older material they might have stole the show. Sully always loves to talk in between tracks and also offers up some antics. They seemed like they never were going to stop and I’m sure the crowd would have loved for that to happen. They were eating up every note and word that the band was offering up. The drum battle again might be one of the best things I have seen at a live show and this one didn’t disappoint at all. I have seen it several times and I get amped up every time that they bring it out. It’s something to see and a reason to go and see these guys. Overall this year’s line up was stellar, although Pittsburgh seen a shortened set. This show is usually breaths outside the city at the Pavilion, but Stage AE did an excellent job hosting this year’s stop. I would have liked to see the entire festival, but what I did get to see was well worth the price of admission in this case. I can’t wait to see what they bring the fans next year.

 

Rating: 8 /10

Best Part: Artists / Stage / Setup

Worst: Shortened List

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