Entries from March 2011 ↓

The 2011 Rockfest lineup was announced earlier this week and I only got one band right, Alter Bridge, and they’re not even headlining.  Headliner Disturbed meets the usual criteria for an act that’s not as big as it used to be.  I wouldn’t mind seeing their set but I have a feeling I might just skip out before they go on or perhaps in the middle of their set.  I’m looking forward to Stone Sour, that was a nice suprise.  Alter Bridge should be another good performance though based on the schedule they’re only playing for about an hour.  Black Label Society and Halestorm should be good as well.  I’m not crazy about Hinder’s albums but I think they have the potential to put on a good set.

The one I can’t figure out is Papa Roach.  Admittedly I don’t listen to 98.9 that much (or really any other terrestrial radio station other than NPR) so maybe they’re huge in Kansas City.  Other than them coming to Kansas City a lot I don’t hear much out of them so it’s strange that they get such a high spot in the lineup.

Overall it looks like the best lineup they’ve had in a while and I’m looking forward to it, if not for the music at least for the craziness.  And the five dollar lemonade, you can’t forget about that.

Pollstar is showing that this year’s Rockfest will be May 14 at Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial.  Earlier this week Black Label Society was displayed as one of the bands playing but that was soon taken off.  Despite all my griping I’ll probably still end up going this year since it’s being held in May again before the summer heat starts to set in.  After last year’s rain disaster I was wondering if they would move it back to June but it looks like they’re rolling the weather dice again on this.

The lineups over the past couple of years were disappointing, especially last year’s which didn’t have a must-see band for me.  I was wondering who would headline this year.  They typically get a big act who is on their way down (Korn, STP, Godsmack) but this year I think they might buck that trend and line up Alter Bridge to headline.  Most of the major acts that are friendly with 98.9 have played in Kansas City recently so that rules a lot of them out.  I have no idea if Alter Bridge is actually touring but they seem like a good fit.  I could be wrong but I don’t see Black Label Society headlining, I see them either second or third from the top.  I imagine they’re too big to headline the second stage.

Jackyl?  Possibly even though they played here back in November.  With that I’ll throw in the Nigel Dupree Band who I could see being one of the main acts on the second stage.  They’re always in town but I’ll add Drowning Pool and let’s say Our Lady Peace also.  I’ll add Saliva because I don’t think they’ve been in town recently and as a longshot Children of Bodom mainly because I would like to see them.  I don’t know anything about Trivium but I think that’s a band 98.9 plays a lot of and I saw they’re putting out a new album.

I’m sure I’ll do my fair share of complaining about the lineup but if the weather’s decent it’s not a bad time.  I even had a decent time in last year’s monsoon but I wouldn’t recommend any sort of eye injury though.