Carnival of Madness 2013
Heading into its 4th year Carnival of Madness brings its strongest lineup to date. Featuring We as Humans, In This Moment, Skillet, Papa Roach, and Shinedown. Shinedown headlined the first year and are doing the same this year as well.
With a start time of 5pm opening act We as Humans have been warming up the crowds by playing a 20 minute set. In This Moment was next and with the stage setup you knew you were in for something different. Never failing to produce great music along with stunning production that borders on Gothic/Soft-Porn/Metal. In This Moment have been on the rise since their latest album Blood came out. While the fog machines are a bit too much, the lighting, dancers and makeup, make for a great fit for Carnival of Madness. Be sure to check them out headlining in October for their Hellpop tour. After missing a few dates on the COM due to vocal issues Papa Roach is back on the tour and playing with as much energy as before. During the set you could hear singer Jacoby Shaddix vocals were not as strong as they were earlier in the year but this did not stop him from being one of the best front men in rock. Playing for an hour Shaddix several times encouraged the crowd to start a mosh pit and walked around the venue. They ended their set with a killer version of Last Resort that had the crowd singing along very loudly. Great to see Papa Roach on the road and hoping no more vocal issues as they are set to headline a tour after COM.
What would a carnival be without rides as we went from In This Moment, Papa Roach, to Skillet a band known for preaching the gospel on stage along with hard hitting music. With their new album Rise debuting # 4 Skillet is a band that stands by their conviction. Singer John Cooper is a sweating machine with tons of energy along with his wife Korey who is all over the stage. Drummer Jen Ledger is monster on the drums and see her winning even more drumming awards down the road. Lead Guitarist Seth Morrison has step up to his role since joining the band. Skillet has many fans as well as people who come in with doubts if they are a rock band, trust me by the time the set is over you will be converted into a skillet head.
Having seen the first COM when Shinedown headlined, I was interested in seeing how this year’s version would be. In those 4 years the guys in Shinedown have taken a huge step. With singer Brent Smith taking control of his life and losing 70lbs he has transformed himself into being considered one of the best vocalists of our times. Opening the set with fire performers on stage as they played I’m Not Alright and Enemies off the last album Amaryllis. With a full stage setup and pyro they had the crowd in the palm of their hands as Brent Smith told the crowd the higher my hand goes the higher you scream. Without a doubt Shinedown is changing the direction of Rock at this time. With tours that place them in the top 20 for revenue and rising they have carved a spot with fans. Be it with reaching out to fans on social media, the several Meet & Greets they do in a day, to the compassion and honesty they give in their live shows. Ending the night with an encore of Sound of Madness, Second Chance, a very loud sing along of Simple Man and firework/pyro ending Bully.
This is a tour not to be missed with great bands, great atmosphere and amazing music by all.
Photos & review by Peter Lizano
