We Came As Romans – Spinning Platters

Show Review: The. Best. Aftershock. Ever.

Review and All Photos by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF

For decades, Europe has led the way in the heavy metal and loud rock music festival space. Monsters of Rock (the originator, which started in 1980!), Wacken Open Air, Dynamo Open Air, Hellfest, Graspop, Copenhell, Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, Summer Breeze, Sweden Rock Fest and Download have always dominated the landscape with their amazing lineups year after year.

United States was never close in offering an equivalent heavy metal experience. Sure, there was Ozzfest and Mayhem Festival, but those have been gone since 2017 and 2015 and Americans have always leaned more towards indie rock music festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonaroo, and Outside Lands anyway.

For the last twelve or so years, Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) has been chipping away at the supremacy of the European heavy metal festivals, with Welcome To Rockville, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple, Inkcarceration, Rock on the Range, Rocklahoma, Carolina Rebellion, and Northern California’s very own Aftershock Festival. With the best lineup it has ever had, West Coast’s Biggest Rock Festival definitely lived up to its name in 2024!

Continue reading “Show Review: The. Best. Aftershock. Ever.”

Show Review + Photo Gallery: Aftershock Music Festival – September 13-14, 2014

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF

Across the Midwest and Southeast United States, from the last weekend of April through May 31, were seven Monster Energy Drink sponsored rock music festivals dubbed “The World’s Loudest Month”. Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion, Welcome to Rockville, Fort Rock, RockFest, River City Rockfest, and Rocklahoma collectively entertained hundreds of thousands of hard rock and heavy metal fans in Columbus, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, Kansas City, San Antonio, and Pryor (OK), respectively. Music fans most certainly traveled long distances to attend these festivals, with their amazing 1-3 day lineups featuring the likes of Rob Zombie, Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Guns N Roses, Limp Bizkit, Avenged Sevenfold, Kid Rock, Slayer, Deftones, Twisted Sister, Staind, and Godsmack, just to name a few.

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Warped Tour 2013 Diary: Shoreline Amphitheater 6/22/2013

I was elated to hear that I would return to Warped Tour after 2 years of being unable to go. Warped Tour always has introduced me to amazing bands I have never heard of, eclectic bands that I was unsure of what to think of, and made me a diehard fan of those bands I have heard of but never have seen perform.

I left my house a solid hour and a half before the gates were set to open, even though I live a mere ten minute drive away. Note to any future newcomers to the Warped Tour experience: the traffic is mind numbingly bad. It took me around 45 minutes to get to the amphitheater. Once I got my press pass, grabbed a list of set times (which I had to buy for two bucks) , and went through the gates, I was ready to see as many bands as humanly possible in ten hours. Continue reading “Warped Tour 2013 Diary: Shoreline Amphitheater 6/22/2013”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/21/13-2/27/13

Headlining the Take Action Tour at The Fillmore on Tuesday

It’s the week before Noise Pop, so you might think “lemme get some rest,” but no! The world of live music in the Bay Area will never let you rest. Get out there and see some shows, because the band that wrote the best song ever is playing this week, and local heroes are all over town, playing farewell shows, covering classic artists, and generally being amazing. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/21/13-2/27/13”