Pageant's

Show: Rockstar Mayhem Festival
Venue: Midwest Bank Amphitheater, Tinley Park, IL
Date: 8/10/2008
Reviewer: Tasha Schalk
Photograper: Tasha Schalk

Site: rockstarmayhemfest.com

I would like to begin this with a preface: in general, I am not a fan of metal music. I would like you, the reader, to keep this fact in mind, because I am going to try to convey how fantastic, exciting, and eye-opening Mayhem Fest was.

The Chicago-area stop of Mayhem Fest was at Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL on August 10, 2008. By some stroke of luck, the weather was perfect – approximately 80 degrees and sunny with little humidity.  This was the first sign that it was going to be a good day.

I started off the day with Miami-based band Black Tide. With a band average age of 17, Black Tide appeared older than their years. They came onstage with enough confidence to spare. While their performance paled slightly in comparison to some long-term performers, I think this is definitely a band to watch out for.

Next up was the classic Mastodon, for the first performance on the Rockstar Energy Main Stage. Mastodon has a list of accomplishments a mile long, and after seeing them perform, it is no wonder why. Despite being comprised of only four members, they filled the massive stage with a wall of sound. As a very visual person, I enjoyed their engaging performance as well as their music.

I happened to catch Walls of Jericho briefly between Mastodon’s and Underoath’s sets, but if I knew Candace Kucsulain was going to prove to be such a powerhouse, I would have made sure to see more than just the end of their set. Despite only seeing five minutes of the performance, I was blown away by the power of Candace’s stage presence as well as her dedication to fans. The highlight of the five minutes I saw of their set: seemingly half of the band climbing into a massive sea of happy fans to sing the last half of their closing song. Astounding.

Immediately after Walls of Jericho, Alternative Press (AP) darlings Underoath took the stage while the crowd chanted their name. This Christian band brought 35 minutes of high energy Christian metalcore, which their fans could not stop crowd-surfing to. Singer Spencer Chamberlain impressed me by spending the majority of the set on the bass amps, allowing for some great crowd interaction.

Machine Head was the headlining band on the Jagermeister stage, and for good reason. As one of the founding bands of the new era of American Heavy Metal back in 1992, Machine Head hit the stage hard and heavy. More so than any other band that day, the speakers were pounding, and some real, no-holds-barred metal graced the stage. Frontman Rob Flynn was astounding to watch; he was pure energy bundled up with a lot of hair.

But, the band of the day for me was the impeccable, hair-laden Dragonforce. After seeing pictures from previous Mayhem stops, I knew that they were an incredibly photogenic band but I was not prepared for the talent that poured off of them. Herman Li, lead guitarist, astounded me with the speed at which his fingers flew over the frets of his guitar. Bassist, Frederic Leclercq, was a powerhouse who navigated the stage with a purpose. Throw in some great vocals and keytar, as well as some drums and rhythm guitar, and a unique, but thrilling, sound is produced.

The interaction between the band members also made the set an enjoyable one for me. So often, band members seem to be confined to their own corner of the stage, lost in their own little world – this was definitely not the case with Dragonforce.

On the other hand, Disturbed, local Chicagoland boys, and the band I was most familiar with, proved to be a disappointment. Compared to the impressive riffage of Dragonforce and the visual spectacle of Slipknot, Disturbed paled in comparison. Fan favorites “Down With the Sickness” and the recent single “Inside The Fire” were played at strategic points throughout the set, but the vocals were slightly off and the performance lacked the energy that I had become accustomed to throughout the day.

Next to Dragonforce, Slipknot was the biggest surprise. When I began my concert photography career, Slipknot was not a band I ever imagined I would want to take pictures of.

They were fantastic.

Albeit slightly creepy, they put on a show that was unrivaled in visual simulation and creativity. With three different drum kits, all on hydraulics, and new masks for the tour, they were a band that definitely made a lasting impression. Frontman Corey Taylor, despite being hidden by a mask, was all energy. Vocals were spot on, and the drums, guitars, and basses provided a wall of sound that was exciting without being overpowering.

In addition to the high-energy music of the day, the festival was also very well organized, the staff was pleasant, and the PR contacts were very accommodating and helpful.  Overall, for a girl who had previously led a sheltered rock concert-filled life, the experience of Mayhem Fest could not have been better.