photos & words by Austin Spruill As the blistering summer of 2022 winds down into the cooler weather of fall, musicians and fans alike are treated to a number of high-profile festivals raging across the country, from Welcome to Rockville and Inkcarceration to Rocklahoma and Louder Than Life. However, few were as highly anticipated as this year’s incarnation of Blue Ridge Rock Festival, taking place from September 8–11. Hosted at the world-renowned Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, hopes were high for the relatively young festival, as the successes and challenges of 2021 propelled the event further into the spotlight… Read more »
Blue Ridge Rock Fest hosts the ultimate four day rock and metal festival in Alton, VA. The lineup includes artists such as Alice Cooper, Spiritbox, Knocked Loose, and many more. idobi photographers Austin Spruill (9/8-9/10) and Jayleigh Harkai (9/11) captured tons of content below in case you missed out or want to relive the incredible weekend!
When you think of Barbie the last image to come to mind would still be lightyears away from an image of GWAR. Yet, the metal mercenaries say that covering Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” solo from the Barbie movie, “Just made sense.” The Barbie movie soundtrack made waves last summer, and the quintessential standout track amongst it was “I’m Just Ken” performed by Gosling. If you didn’t already know, the song is inherently rock-rooted, featuring a solo from legendary guitarist and performer Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, and more). The GWAR gang built on those rock roots, amplifying them… Read more »
Hayley Williams & Kele Okereke covered a Bloc Party classic together at London’s The O2 last night, making the arena feel incredibly intimate.
Some of the world’s biggest names in music were all about Saving Our Selves this weekend. SOS, of course, referring to the campaign being touted Saturday across the globe at the seven-continent, 24-hour Live Earth concert extravaganza, a worldwide shout-out to individuals, political leaders, corporations and every other entity capable of helping put a stop to the environmental scourge that is global warming. In a partnership with Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection and other U.S.-based and international organizations, Live 8 executive producer Kevin Wall put together a bill that included the Police, Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica,… Read more »
“Some bands, when they go away for a while, people start talking bad about you.” said Benji, guitarist for Good Charlotte. “It’s good to come home and see all you kids still supporting us,” said lead singer, Joel, finishing his twin’s comment. Good Charlotte has always been a live band. Both their Self-Titled debut, as well as their sophomore effort, The Young and The Hopeless, tries to capture their spirit – and while some of the fun shines through the recording, nothing can match the energy of their live show. Playing to a packed crowd for their CD Release at… Read more »
After a nearly 10 year hiatus and reformation in 2022, Woe, Is Me has announced their signing to SBG Records. “When we made the decision to start making music again, signing to a label wasn’t exactly something we were looking to do,” the band shares. “However, signing with SBG Records feels like the perfect next step for us. They have been extremely welcoming, made us feel comfortable, and excited to be creating music again. They have an amazing team that understands our vision for this band, and we couldn’t be more excited and grateful to be working with them. This… Read more »
Dayseeker is stripping down their sound on their upcoming acoustic album, Replica. With the album announcement, they also dropped a reimagined version of“Burial Plot” featuring Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo. The track, which initially appeared on the group’s 2019 full-length Sleeptalk, incorporates a handy-dandy guitar and elevates itself through other vocal additions. Partnering with two powerhouse vocalists like Shomo and Dayseeker’s Rory Rodriguez, generates an evocative sound that makes this reimagined rendition stand out above the group’s original version of the track. The reverberation in play with the vocals creates an atmosphere for the listener that assists with impacting the message… Read more »
Wargasm and Fred Durst have joined forces for a new masterpiece, the chaotic, callous and crushing “Bang Ya Head”.
Of Mice & Men have unveiled the second track from their upcoming album ‘Tether’, and it is an ethereal strand of hope to hold onto.
