What an amazing raging weekend in Las Vegas! A crowd count of near 20,000 in over-all attendance rocked downtown Las Vegas for the First Annual Las Rageous music festival! Hosted by The Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, the event brought some of rocks newest and best to dual stages and offered fans the opportunity to enjoy a festival experience just blocks off iconic Fremont Street. It was classic rock and roll at its finest and more, with metalcore, progressive, thrash, and a hint of Hillbilly Bluegrass thrown into the mix; something for every metal lover at the first annual show. The day was beautiful, the sun was shining and Vegas was ready for a long weekend of metal! The two day rock festival included Godsmack headlining day one and Avenged Sevenfold on day two, along with an amazing line up of local and national talent.
Day One Friday Las Rageous started with locals Bravo Delta - during the weeks prior to Las Rageous, KOMP 92.3 Radio held a competition online for a Battle of the Fans, where fans were able to nominate and vote for their favorite local band to open the festival each day. Bravo Delta received the honor of opening day one on Stage “F”, which had been set up at the corner of 3rd Street and Bridger in the intersection - we guess this gives new meaning to dancing in the streets! Bravo Delta staked the well-earned claim, “We’ll always get to say we played the first song at the first Las Rageous festival.” KOMP radio winners Honor Amongst Thieves kicked off the “F” stage for another full round of Las Rageous music on Day Two.
Day One Las Rageous was heavy on metal and NuMetal, Stage “F” featured A Friend, A Foe, The Devil Wears Prada, Killswitch Engage, and headliners Anthrax. Vegas based metalcore A Friend, A Foe blasted through their set and new vocalist Juan Gutierrez got some serious air while belting out AFAF songs (including songs from their new EP The Risk in Playing it Safe) for their local and new fans alike lined up front and center. The Devil Wears Prada opened with “Daughter” for a packed 3rd street, hair flying and fierce vocalist Mike Haronica mesmerized the fans as the sun started to set. After TDWP the Killthrax Tour took hold; Killswitch Engage took the stage and set the party tone for the night asking the crowd, “Are you drinking?” Killswitch finished their set with Joey Belladonna joining vocalist Jesse Leach on Dio’s “Holy Diver” before Anthrax took the stage for their headlining finale for Stage “F”. It’s always phenomenal to witness the power of Killswitch Engage, and as for Anthrax, if you have never experienced Joey Belladonna and Anthrax live, well.. it sucks to be you. Anthrax outdid themselves at Las Rageous, diving in with “Among the Living”, “Caught in a Mosh”, and “Madhouse”, and a set with a heavy lean to their “87 release Among the Living and it’s 30 year anniversary, tearing up the stage and stirring up a frenzy for the finale on Stage “F” for Las Rageous Day One.
Anthrax: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
Killswitch Engage; Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
The Devil Wears Prada: Jo anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
A Friend, A Foe: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
Bravo Delta: Jo anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
As for Friday on Stage “U” (you see what they did there?) another Las Vegas ‘native son’ We Gave It Hell started things off the night, vocalist Taylor Adsit blending with the harder edge music from the band for their metal-meets-melody sound with “LVE”, and playing several off their 2016 EP The Conditioning. Of Mice and Men made a solid presence as night fell on Stage “U”, with Aaron Pauley now on bass and lead vocals and the bands first show as a four piece, with former lead vocalist Austin Carlile leaving the band this year as he continues to battle Marfan Syndrome. Coheed and Cambria lent their Rush-influenced prog rock style to the “U” stage, with a continued journey into their concept rock story, with vocalist Claudio Sanchez looking and sounding like a roaring lion with his signature mane and powerful vocals.
Coheed and Cambria: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
Of Mice and Men: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
We Gave It Hell: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
Las Rageous came to a climax as all the fans crowd into the main stage area as metal masters Godsmack took the Main Stage as headliners for the finale of Day one, starting off their set with “Awake”, “Straight out of Line” and “1000hp”. Vocalist Sully Erna likes to talk to the crowd between songs and tell stories and anecdotes, and Las Rageous was no different. Erna told the crowd this was their first show in America on this leg of the tour, and “no better way to start than in Vegas”! Vegas loves them too, and Godsmack never disappoint, from the massive pyro and the dual drum solos of Erna and Shannon Larkin, and the hit after hit 14 song setlist that dominated Las Rageous day one. A setlist that concluded with ”Rocky Mountain Way”, a request from UFC president Dana White who was in the front row and donated $10K to charity for the song to be played.
Godsmack: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos
What a way to end the night! Day One of the first annual Las Rageous in the books! For more photos and reviews. Check out Vegas partner Volume11Music photos/coverage also at http://www.volume11music.com/concerts/las-rageous/.