Day 3 got off to an awesome start. All weekend I had been trying to hang with my buddies in To Kill a Monster but we could never meet up. Well on my way to the stadium I see a guy with purple hair and right away I know its Joey, lead singer of TKAM and with him is Tyler, guitarist of TKAM.  On our walk to the stadium he asks if I would be up for doing an interview for BlankTV. I agreed, I mean how could I say no? Once we were to the parking lot we did the interview. Keep your eye open for that, as To Kill A Monster interviewed bands for BlankTV all weekend. This was the day that I didn’t see as many bands and I was okay with that. The bands I did see were all outstanding. I started my day off with the legendary Anthrax. I did not expect those old guys to bring it as hard and fast as they did. They were easily one of the best bands I saw all weekend. Joey Belladonna still kills, his voice has not changed at all. I look forward to seeing them again. Right after their set I bolted over to the Jager stage to catch Upon a Burning Body. The fun started even before they came out as “walk” by Pantera was playing on the PA and the crowd went crazy. I even moshed with a guy in a Penguin suit at this point. This served as the perfect Segway into UABB, as they hail from Texas, home of the great Pantera. It’s always nice seeing bands grow. The last time I actually saw them was in 2011 at the Basement here in Columbus, OH. To see them on this stage was a treat. From start to finish they kept the crowd moving. At one point I looked over and saw a kid no more than 7 rocking out with his mom. Highlights of their set included hearing, “Texas Blood Money” and their loud version of “Turn Down For What”. Next up was Halestorm. I’m generally not a fan of bands of this genre but there is something about this band. Yes the singer is really attractive but it’s not that. Oh, I know what it is, they actually have talent. Lzzy Hale has one of the best voices in hard rock and she is a really good guitarist. Then there is her brother, Arejay Hale, who in my opinion is the best drummer in hard rock today. Live they did not disappoint. I was into the newer songs as I was the older songs but I still enjoyed the set. This is the one band I wish I would have seen with my best friend, as he is the one that introduced them to me a few years back. The last band of the day for me was Periphery. Let me tell you, if you like your metal full of technical complexity then this band is for you. And the vocals of Spencer Sotelo are out of this world. I see why From First to Last tapped him to be their new front man. I look forward to seeing these guys on tour, whenever that might be.

Overall my weekend was really good. I got to see lots of bands I had never seen and some I wouldn’t go see on tour, so that’s a win in my book. I also enjoyed this year’s more than the one I went to a few years back. I’m still not too fond of the crowd as it is not my typical scene but I learned to ignore them and go about my own business. I still think my good friend Derek has this festival pegged as one step away from a juggalo gathering. Lol