Exhausted from day one of The Wrecking Ball, we still managed to get to the venue in one piece and on time to face a mind blowing lineup that threatened to top day one.
The insane lineup included Coheed and Cambria, American Nightmare, Thrice and Glassjaw, which were just four out of 28 bands scheduled for the day. Having been a Coheed and Cambria fan since my early teenage years, I was most excited to finally see them live, which I had never had the opportunity to do before. But, all the sets leading up to C&C did not disappoint.
Free Throw
The insane lineup included Coheed and Cambria, American Nightmare, Thrice and Glassjaw, which were just four out of 28 bands scheduled for the day. Having been a Coheed and Cambria fan since my early teenage years, I was most excited to finally see them live, which I had never had the opportunity to do before. But, all the sets leading up to C&C did not disappoint.
Free Throw
Hailing from Nashville, TN, Free Throw was a band I had not even heard of prior to attending the Ball, but became a fan after just their first song on the Purgatory stage. Fitting into the emo/screamo genre, they played to a very welcoming crowd who seemed to know every lyric of every song on their set list. With amazing stage presence, and overloading energy, even for such a tiny stage, they drew in many passer-by’s with their gut wrenching lyrics and hardcore melodies.
Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw was one of those bands I had heard a lot of hype about, but didn’t understand until I saw them live. Struggling to get pictures, while hunched down in a tiny crawl space between the crowd and the stage, we were being kicked and punched by raging punk rockers. This goes to show how hard core this band was, giving security no breaks. Much anticipated by an enormous amount of the Ball’s attendees, twenty minutes before their 5:40 set time, a line to get up to Heaven to see them was already wrapped around the outside of the building. Security was allowing one person in at a time, but only after someone had exited. But the wait was well worth it.
American Nightmare
American Nightmare
American Nightmare’s crowd was the stuff of nightmare’s…or possibly the stuff of a punk rockers wildest dreams. Wes Eisold, front man of the band, frequently entered the crowd to egg them on and get chaos started. The stage was a revolving door of stage divers, and there was little anyone, including the 6 security guards posted in front of the crowd, could do about it. Photographers were getting destroyed by Doc Martens to the head, and fists to the face. The music was loud, in your face hardcore punk, and not for the faint of heart. Which is a good thing at a punk rock festival. Their set was amazing to say the least, and a definite highlight of the weekend.
Thrice
Thrice
Another set for the record books, Thrice brought back some memories, and left everyone wanting more. When their 2003 hit Staring at the Sun began, the crowd roared in appreciation. Their timeless pop punk sound was a welcome distraction from the day’s heat. Dustin Kensrue’s voice seemed to have remained unchanged from their earliest days, and his energy was not lacking. Bassist Eddie Breckenridge was also not a disappointment, thrashing onstage right along with everyone within Masquerade’s confines. All in all, one of the best sets of the weekend, without a doubt. |
Coheed and Cambria
Closing out the festival, no one better could have been chosen then the great Coheed and Cambria. This band made for an awesome grand finale to the weekend. Opening with In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: iii, the crowd lost it within the first few chords, and so did I. This being my favorite song, I had a difficult time keeping myself from thrashing while trying catch some photos of Claudio Sanchez and his epic hair, which is apparently taking over the world (and his face). The sound of the crowd shouting every word to that opening song sent chills up my spine. They brought the same perfect sound you would hear on any of their albums to the stage, with almost too perfect audio. They played many of their fan’s favorites during their hour long set, leaving no one disappointed.
After lots of sun, some extreme tinnitus and dirt in places you can’t see, we survived! What an amazing three days in Atlanta, and what an AMAZING lineup. I’ll give it to The Masquerade; they knew exactly what they were doing with this festival. Although there were a few unfortunate band overlaps given the number of stages, everyone went on stage when they were supposed to, making sure everything ran perfectly on time with the schedule. Knowing the venue will be closing in a few short months, it is sad to know this is most likely the last Wrecking Ball, even though this was the inaugural year. But I’ll never forget the experience of seeing so many amazing bands in one place in only a weekend.