Day 3 of Chicago Open Air was in one-word – HEAVY. With Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Stone Sour, Lamb Of God, Amon Amarth, Behemoth, Hellyeah, Demon Hunter, DevilDriver, KYNG, Whores., DED, and Aversed it was a must for any metal fan.
Kicking off the day was the band Aversed. This female fronted metal band is Haydee Irizarry (lead vocals), Sungwoo Jeong (guitar-vocals), Alden Marchand (guitar), Martin Epstein (bass), and Jeff Saltzman (drums). When this tiny lady got behind the mic she came out with the force of a volcano. I have never heard such a powerful metal growl unleashed with such ease and grace, from such a captivating front lady. In the vein of the Butcher Babies in sound, this band is on track to be the next huge thing in the metal scene – hands down.
Fire, sword fights, Vikings, ships… you guessed it – Amon Amarth took the stage at day 3 of Chicago Open Air. Every time I see Amon Amarth on stage I am treated to a metal opera that is flawless and includes all the elements that every metal show needs to have – power vocals, heavy riffs, and thundering beats. Today the crowd went ape-sh*t as the Vikings known as Amon Amarth took over Chicago Open Air.
Kyng is a 3 piece metal act that proved to a crowd that you can be just as heavy as a trio as you can with a band of 5 or more. Kyng is robust in sound and pack a punch with every set they do.
Ded was one of my favorite bands to take the stage all weekend. This group of tough guys have demon eyes, deep lyrics, and work the crowd like a blonde on a first date. They are a newer band that has grabbed the music scene by the balls and pulled hard enough to leave a bit of scarring. If you do not know what I mean, pick up their album “MISANTHROPE” and then see them live.
HELLYEAH as always put on an unforgettable set. One thing that makes me such a fan of this band is the fact that they have really deep lyrics. We had a chance to talk with lead guitarist Tom Maxwell and he says that comes from front man Chad Gray, who is an honest person that writes what and how he wants. You can hear the full interview with Tom coming soon. As for the set, my favorite moment was when Chad asked each person in the stadium to look to the left, look to the right, look around and to see who was around them. Then to give a high five and shake hands because “we are the metal community, this is why we are all here…” If you were present in the crowd you know that you were not just a music fan during a HELLYEAH set, but part of one community…the metal community.
On that note, I will say this… music festivals are an incredible way to bring us all together. Fans come from all walks of life, all races, and all economic classes get to spend a couple days together to celebrate their love for their favorite music. Festivals are magical that way. They help us cross social barriers and break down walls that normally divide us in everyday life. All the bullshit just goes away when we get to focus on one thing: music.
As always, Danny Wimmer Presents puts the best of the best on stage, giving fans a range of bands from newcomers in the scene to icons and legends. If you want to be part of the music, the grub, and the good times then make it a point to be one of the thousands of people who come out to support live music at DWP and other Rock & Metal festivals. Until next time… \m/
