Blue Ridge Rock Fest Rages On During Days 3 & 4

Day 3 

On the morning of the third day, ominous clouds replaced the sunny skies of the previous days. While many festival goes welcomed the cooler temperatures, the clouds above left everyone feeling nervous about what was to come.

The earlier hours brought disappointment for many fans as they discovered that SION and Lacuna Coil had canceled their sets. However, the setback was short-lived thanks to a lineup full of big names for the day.

Starting the day off, front-women, Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, of Butcher Babies, made their way onto the URW stage in full force. The vocalists alternated between singing and screaming as they captivated the crowd with fierceness and beauty.

Over on the Fan Driven stage, Telle Smith of The Word Alive earned the attention of the crowd with his passionate energy. Despite many hurdles, they have overcome in the past few years. Die-hard fans were singing along with the emotion-filled lyrics with smiles on their faces. 

On top of the hill, Hollow Front made themselves known on the Heart Support stage. Sporting brightly colored Hawaiian style shirts, they weren’t easy to miss. They were full of excitement, as this was their first time playing at a festival. It was easy to see that they made a good impression as their crowd grew throughout the set.

Over on the ZYN stage, Finnish band, Apocalyptica, also made an impression. Unlike any other band at the festival, members had multiple cellos. While their style is usually mostly instrumental, they brought a guest vocalist to go along with their symphonic sound. 

As Mushroom Head was preparing to play on the URW stage, the clouds finally let loose. Despite the heavy rain falling from the sky, fans became even more energized. With smiles on their faces, they began chanting “Mush-room Head” in unison.

Charged from the chanting and the rain, the masked members emerged onto the stage with enormous energy. Being one of the most interactive bands on the weekend, both vocalists traded places, jumping off the stage to sing with fans at the barricade.

Simultaneously, Fit For a King was braving the ominous weather. Heavy rain fell from the sky as they played their first song, When Everything Means Nothing. It was a picture-perfect moment as they sang the lyrics, “I was born in the rain.” Their fans were equally energized. Crowd surfers made their way up to the barricade with little regard for the weather.

With the first Trinity of Terror tour being so successful, Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills, and Motionless in White went on a second run, which appeared at BRRF. As the rain let up, Ice Nine Kills took over the ZYN stage. With non-stop prop and costume changes and horror movie-themed theatrics, they stole the crowd’s attention, distracting them from the weather.

Next up on the Monster stage was Motionless In White. Riding the high from the success of their most recent album, Scoring The Ending Of The World, they had a huge crowd waiting for them. Much like their visit to BFFR in 2021, they brought pyro, which hyped up the excited fans even more. 

Back down the hill, fans were preparing themselves for another big reunion. Both God Forbid and their fans embraced the weather and made the absolute best of it. When watching them on the URW, it was obvious they had missed playing music together. Their fans fed off of their intense energy as they moshed in the rain and mud with no care.

As the sun set and the rain finally stopped, fans were preparing themselves for visitors from outer space. GWAR puts on a show that is truly unforgettable. As they perform, they tell a visual and very messy story, leaving the fans closest to the barricade covered in fake blood.  

After dark, Tenacious D hit the URW stage as one of the most highly anticipated bands of the entire festival. Band members Jack Black and Kyle Gass drew in both festival goes and artists for their performance, creating one of the largest crowds of the weekend.

Closing out day three, Slipknot played up the hill on the Monster Stage. With one of the rowdiest crowds of the weekend, Corey Taylor had to stop the set multiple times to ensure that the fans were safe. Along with playing most of the classics, they debuted Dying Song for the first time in the Unities States.

Day 4 

Starting out day four, clouds from the day before lingered in the sky but did not stop fans from enjoying one last day full of music. Fortunately, it only rained for a short time, and the weather cleared up. While the days had been long, festival attendees still had plenty of energy. Lacey Sturm, known mostly for her time with Flyleaf, was the second act on the Monster stage. While she performed many songs from her solo projects, long-time fans were happy to hear songs from her Flyleaf era.

Shortly after, Nonpoint played on the ZYN stage. As they did, some of the residual clouds from the day before let loose for another short rain storm. Their high-energy and tornados of dreads and hair had the crowd whipped into a frenzy. Back on the Monster stage, Hoobastank led the crowd into several sing-alongs with some of their most iconic hits. Notably, they were the only band with a “kid-friendly” mosh pit. 

On the fourth day, the Fan Driven stage hosted both new and old metalcore staples. After completing the Pull From the Ghost Tour, which was mostly sold out, ERRA performed to a group of die-hard fans. They were super engaged as they sang along with some of their favorite songs. BRRF was a short stop before their Australian headlining tour. Vocalist JT Cavey would do double duty later that day with Texas In July on the Heart Support Stage.

Next up on the same stage, The Devil Wears Prada played their full Zombie EP. Their stage presence is unmatched and the energy they put off is truly infectious.

As the sun set, post-hardcore classics, Silverstein hit the stage. With hits ranging from brand new to almost 20, they’ve aged well with a strong fan base. Shortly after, Australian natives, The Amity Affliction, made a rare appearance in the US and drew in a large crowd.

Richmond natives, Lamb of God, made a blazing performance on the Monster stage, bringing with them a new stage setup from The Omens Tour. They played new songs that were just released days before, along with some of their classics, such as Laid to Rest. They lit up the stage with enormous bursts of fire that could be felt deep into the crowd.

On the ZYN stage, radio rock legends 3 Doors Down, took the tempo down, but did not disappoint. It felt as if the entire crowd was singing along with all of their hits from the last 20 years. 

Down the hill, pioneers of metalcore, Killswitch Engage was the final band on the URW stage for the weekend. While the festival grounds were mostly dark, the full moon illuminated the sky. So much that even vocalist, Jesse Leach, commented on it. He addressed the crowd, “I’m a nature nerd — turn around and look at the full moon. Let’s all get naked, take shrooms, and run around naked in the woods!’

Following their performance, fans make the final trek up the hill, cursing it the entire time, only to cheer for their great feat, knowing that it was the last time.

Disturbed was the final band of the night, closing out the Monster Stage. They kept their performance simple, focusing more on the music than on the stage show. 

As the night came to a close, fans walked away feeling that the four days had been a success. Despite the dreaded hill, many festival attendees loved the new venue. Many also enjoyed the campgrounds, side-by-side mainstages, and the affordability of the festival. Of course, there is always room for growth and improvement.

Many attendees had trouble with the long shuttle lines and they reported missing some bands with earlier set times. Many found the hill difficult to traverse, and they found themselves staying mostly at the mainstages. Small complaints that could easily be improved upon included not enough water stations and trash cans.

Overall, most were happy with their experience, and reported that they will likely be returning. Blue Ridge Rock Fest continues to have one of the most diverse lineups out of many of the US festivals, keeping fans coming back year after year.

As BRRF continues to grow, it is likely that it will continue to improve based on fan feedback. Something that most would like to see is bigger bands and less overlap. With fan-voting already complete and un-signed band announcements starting, many are looking forward to what Blue Ridge Rock Fest has in store for 2023.