Rage Fest 2019 @
The Belasco Theater
Second Annual Rage Fest Brings a Night of Mosh Pits and Crowd-Surfing to The Belasco Theater
S ix bands, one night. Upon entering the Belasco Theater we were under the impression that the venue wouldn’t be very packed, as the sets started early but boy were we wrong, the Belasco Theater was full right from the opening act Life Right Now.
Life Right Now
The first few sets of the night by bands Life Right Now, HAWK and Gideon were short — consisting of a maximum of 4 songs per set. Even though their sets were shorter than average, their energy and charisma set the stage for what would continue to be a wild night.
Gideon
The ambiance in the Belasco Theater was dark, with a lack of spotlight lighting, the sets were super dramatic which aligned perfectly with the metalcore genre of the show. By the time the main acts got on stage, the crowd was ready and primed with the security guards having carried out a handful of crowd-surfers and numerous mosh pits having broken out throughout the night.
Hawk
The anticipation grew stronger by the end of every set, and by the time Veil of Maya stepped off stage, the energy of the crowd was palpable as they waited for Attila to take on the stage.
Veil of Maya
As soon as the Georgia-based band, Attila, took charge with a projection in the background of the stage saying “Parental Advisory Explicit Content", the crowd was fully committed to their set with crowd surfer after crowd surfer being carried out by the security guards, and people singing and chanting the band’s most popular songs such as “Middle Fingers Up” and “About That Life”.
There’s something indescribable about Attila, from the swagger of their frontman Chris Fronzak as his rapping creates a dynamic juxtaposition to the metal sound of their music. Their performance was dynamic, dark and mysterious and unique from any metal band out there. By the time they were done the crowd was hyped to the max, and only could Crown The Empire top off what was already a highly energetic night.
Attila
The countdown began for Crown The Empire to hit the stage, with backlit beams that we only saw being used in their set. From the moment these guys took on the stage with their song “X”, it was hard to keep track of everything going on on stage as there was so much commotion and movement with frontman Andy Rockhold jumping from one end of the stage to the other. Their guitar player, Brandon Hoover wore a raincoat that could only add to the mysterious vibe of their set. Andy took shots (no not photo shots, but actual alcohol shots with the crowd), as people handed him tequila shots and he doused them down while talking to the audience and recounting stories of the band on tour.
Crown The Empire
Crown The Empire celebrated their 9 year anniversary this month, as Andy told a story about them being at a restaurant recently and the server telling them“Hey! I used to listen to you guys when I was in middle school”… Andy asking himself “What? I am a grandpa now? I’m only 25!”
This anecdote only proves the history the band has, having been formed when Andy was only 16 years old.
The band played a full set with songs ranging from their first and oldest song “All Because of You”, to their newest single “Blurry”, which is part of their band’s latest LP “Sudden Sky”. Other songs performed included “MZRY”, “what I am”, “20/20 and “Sudden Sky”.
If you happened to have missed Rage Fest 2019’s Los Angeles stop, there’s still a chance to catch the 6 bands in San Diego on August 25th. Tickets for the show at San Diego’s House of Blues can be found here.
This year's lineup has set the bar high. We can't wait to see what Rage Fest 2020 will bring!
Rating:
(4.5 / 5)
Review and photos by Post Show LA
