Photos By Jacob Striewski

There’s a certain amount of pros versus cons that have to be weighed when factoring in an extensive, four-day music festival such as Welcome to Rockville. On the one hand, you’re getting in a LOT of your favorite bands in a very short span of time. But on the other hand, you’re also getting much shorter set lists, and dealing with WAY more obnoxious, drunken fools than you would on any other given normal day of the week (such a blast I’ll tell ya).

It’s a definite take-the-good-with-the-bad type of situation to say the least. But for better or worse, I bit the bullet, taking my son Jacob once again to catch up on many of the bands I’ve already seen over the years, but he had yet to have the chance to catch live himself (my wife Brooke wisely decided to sit most of it out, only attending the first night at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, May 9). Said first day was one for the books indeed, and I will try to recall as much of the massive festival as I possibly can here, from start to finish.

DAY 1:

The very first band we caught while walking up on the very first day was Saliva, and we could hear the sounds of their generic 2000 hit “Click Click Boom” (thankfully) ending just as we entered the gates. Luckily ’90s rockers Stabbing Westward were up directly afterwards, although something seemed slightly “off” since the last time I saw them back in 2019 (namely some lineup changes that now included the lack of a bass player). After catching a few tracks in the form of “Falls Apart,” “The Thing I Hate,” and “I Don’t Believe,” it was already on to the next band, which at that point was Flyleaf w/ Lacy Sturm.

I can’t say I’ve ever really sat down and listened to Flyleaf a single day of my life, but there was no denying frontwoman Sturm had a certain presence (not to mention cuteness) to her. After a few minutes of the chaos that is Shadows Fall (a little closer up my ally with songs like “King of Nothing” and “Still I Rise”), Christian rockers Skillet blasted through several of their admirable well-known anthems like “Feel Invincible,” “Rise,” “Surviving the Game,” “Awake and Alive,” and “Hero,” it was time to catch one of the biggest draws of the entire festival for me…Max Cavalera and Soulfly.

I had seen his former band Sepultura a couple of times previously (most recently at last year’s Welcome to Rockville), but never with frontman Cavalera at the helm. So it was a blast finally hearing such epic tracks as “Bleed,” “Refuse/Resist,” “Jumpdafuckup,” and “Eye for an Eye” with Cavalera’s distinct voice over them (along with his son Zyon behind him on the drumkit to boot).

Max Cavalera and Soulfly on stage on Thursday, May 9 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

Next up was an even bigger favorite for me; Anthrax. I’ve seen them a handful of times prior as well (seems like each time with a different lineup), but this time bassist/former Rewind It interviewee Frank Bello was unable to attend, so the band enlisted none other than original bassist Dan Liker (also of S.O.D. and Nuclear Assault, among many others) to fill in for him on this tour for the first time in four decades.

I instantly felt like I was watching metal history as the opening notes of “Among the Living” kicked in and the guys absolutely slayed the stage! “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Metal Thrashing Mad” (finally something off the first album live!), “Antisocial,” “A.I.R.,” “Got the Time,” and “Indians” all felt new again (no disrespect to Bello of course).

Metal legends Anthrax performing with original bassist Dan Liker for the first time in four decades on 5/9/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

A few more acts more in line with my son’s tastes than my own in the form of August Burns Red, Mudvayne, and Biohazard all followed before the mighty Judas Priest, who it had been nearly twenty years since the last time I saw them all the way back at Ozzfest in 2004 (not counting catching spinoff act KK’s Priest earlier this year). There just felt like there was something missing this time though unfortunately without both KK Downing and Glen Tipton handling guitar duties.

New tracks and classics alike in the form of “Panic Attack,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Rapid Fire,” “Breaking the Law,” “Lighting Strike,” “Love Bites,” “Sinner,” and even “Turbo Lover” (a nice welcomed addition that I don’t recall them playing back in ’04) were all heard before we were heading to the next act…Insane Clown Posse (which proved to be a mammoth mistake).

The sound during ICP’s set was beyond comprehension, and it was hard to even distinguish whether it was intentionally done, or just a major foul up (either way it was terrible). Needless to say it didn’t take us long to move on to the next one again.

And that next one this time was Disturbed. Those who know me know that I’ve never claimed to be a big nu metal fan by any means, but there are some bands in the genre I can tolerate more than others, with Disturbed no doubt being one of them. Opening with “Hey You,” the band must’ve been suffering from similar technical difficulties as ICP (though not quite as bad) as chants of “Fix the Sound!” could be clearly heard throughout the Speedway. But that didn’t stop the band from going through numbers like “Stupify,” Ten Thousand Fists,” “Prayer,” “Bad Man,” a cover of Genesis’ “Land of Confusion,” and “The Game.” But their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” seemed like the perfect time to head on to the next act.

Enter Kerry King of Slayer, a man I’ve seen and even photographed on stage on more than one occasion over the years. After the two sub-par sets we had just witnessed, it was a total breath of fresh air of metal for sure. Hearing the 1986 classic “Raining Blood” live again, and new tracks like “From Hell I Rise” (all being sung by Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda and with former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel in tow as well, which were added bonuses for sure) was completely worthwhile.

Legendary Slayer guitarist Kerry King and his current “supergroup” that also includes Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda and ex-Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel on Thursday, 5/9/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

It was while transferring from one stage to the next again that I could see Disturbed were not only still on, but had invited a female guest singer on stage with them. I would later come to find out that guest was none other than Ann Wilson of Heart Fame (the two parties share vocal duties on the track “Don’t Tell Me”); it was a moment I wish we had been fully aware was happening, though I’m still glad we witnessed what little of it that we actually did.

And finally, Motley Crue. There was a time when I genuinely loved Motley Crue, but unfortunately they have not aged all that gracefully. With this latest appearance, I’ve now seen them a total of four times since 2005, and it feels as though they are merely climbing further and further downhill (taking original guitarist Mick Mars out of the equation in favor of John 5 was not necessarily the right move for them, either).

After kicking things off with a rather embarrassing “Breaking News” segment, the band opened their set decently enough with a somewhat strong version of their 1991 single “Primal Scream.” But from then on, it was merely more of the same old situation (if you’ve seen Motley Crue once, you’ve seen them more than enough times) that included “Too Fast For Love,” “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Live Wire,” and “On with the Show.” By the time the guys got to “new” track “Dogs of War,” it felt like more than a signal to finally call it a night.

Motley Crue closing out the first night of Welcome to Rockville on Thursday, 5/9/24 (Photo By Jesse Striewski).

Day 2:

The second day day of the festival was admittedly the least interesting one to me. The first act Jacob and I would catch on this day was ’90s female rockers Kittie, who I can’t say I was ever really a fan of, though there was a small amount of curiosity to hear how tracks like “Brackish” would sound firsthand.

After that, there was a bit of downtime before the next band of interest, Russian deathcore act Slaughter to Prevail, was on. I had only really given their music a spin once or twice in the past (unlike my kid, a noted fan), but there was no denying the amount of energy they threw down. After them, it was on to the sounds of ’90s punks The Offspring (my third time seeing them live since 2009).

I’ve always held a small spot in my heart for The Offspring, although their views boarder on idiocy to me, and the unceremonious dismissals of both founding bassist Greg K and former drummer Pete Parada (the latter of which apparently getting the boot over not wanting to get vaccinated – again, sheer idiocy) were downright lame in my book. Still, there’s no denying the catchy-ness of songs like “Come Out and Play,” “All I Want,” “Want You Bad,” “Staring at the Sun,” “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” “Blitzkrieg Bop” (one of at least three bands to cover the overplayed Ramones anthem at Rockville this year), “Bad Habbit,” “Gotta Get Away,” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?,” “(Can’t Get My) Head Around You,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright.”

The Offspring performing at Welcome to Rockville on Friday, 5/10/24 (Photo By Jesse Striewski).

Next up were Falling in Reverse, and although former Escape the Fate frontman Ronnie Radke still maintains the same energy he did back when I first saw the band at Earthday Birthday in 2011, something just feels “missing” now. Whether it’s the numerous lineup changes since then, or the quality of the music itself that has since been released, it’s not as thrilling of an act as it might have once been. Still, there was no denying the crowd was eating up tracks like “Zombified,” “I’m Not a Vampire,” “Losing My Mind,” “Fuck You and All Your Friends,” “The Drug in Me Is You,” “Just Like You,” “Popular Monster,” “Voices in My Head,” “Ronald,” and “Watch the World Burn.”

It had been quite awhile since I last saw Faith No More frontman Mike Patton live on stage with the short-lived Tomahawk back in 2002, and I was really looking forward to hearing the legendary singer on stage again with an act as eclectic as Mr. Bungle. Although the band is not for everyone’s tastes, is was still a trip watching Patton belt out the likes of “Hell Awaits,” “True,” and “You Lose” (among many others) alongside former FNM bandmate Trey Spruance, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.

Next up was singer/rapper Jelly Roll, who back when we first attended Rockville the first time in 2021 was one of the lower tier acts there (though I don’t recall actually seeing him at that time), but has since blown up to full headliner status. A cover of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was the first song I could hear emanating through the speakers while walking up. If for nothing more than sheer curiosity, we stuck it out long enough to hear tracks/hits like “Smoking Section,” “Same Asshole,” “The Hate Goes On,” “Bottle of Mary Jane,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Need a Favor” before going over to the last stage of the night for (I can’t believe I’m even saying it) Limp Bizkit.

Let me first start by saying I was never, not once a Limp Bizkit fan, ever (in fact, you might say I was even a “hater” back when they first emerged on the scene). But for whatever reason my kid is a fan, so I endured their set, all the way from the opening of “Break Stuff” to a cover of Riff Raff’s “Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwdinz” (can’t say I know that one!) with rapper Riff Raff himself. Even Jelly Roll made another appearance to help the band out on their cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes.” I still can’t say I’m a fan, but after seeing them live, I can see how some might find Fred Durst and company entertaining now.

Day 3:

Saturday the 11th was definitely another day for the books. We arrived just in time to catch the very last song of Mammoth WVH’s (former Van Halen bassist and the son of the late Eddie Van Halen’s project) final song. But it was okay considering he would make another appearance later on in the day (stay tuned).

Stone Temple Pilots are one of those ’90s bands that have alluded me for many years now (though I was lucky enough to catch late singer Scott Weiland live on stage with Velvet Revolver in both 2005 and 2007). Even without Weiland there, his presence could still be felt as songs like “Wicked Garden,” “Big Bang Baby,” “Vaseline,” “Crackerman,” “Big Empty,” “Plush,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart,” and “Sex Type Thing” all echoed through the air that afternoon.

Primus were up next, and significantly more entertaining than the first time I saw them open for Tool back in 2016 (I knew it was a good sign as I walked up to the sounds of “Sgt. Baker” – my personal favorite by them – being played). More gems like “Here Come the Bastards,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver,” and “American Life” could be heard before it was time to move on to the next stage already.

Les Claypool and Primus rock Rockville on Saturday, 5/11/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

Helmet are another one of those bands I can’t say I ever really got that into either, and the one and only time I saw them prior (back at the 2006 Warped Tour), they didn’t really leave much of an impression. The only noticeable difference I can recall between the two shows was that they actually played the track “Milquetoast” (from 1994’s The Crow soundtrack) this time around.

Same goes for the next act, A Day to Remember. While I’ve seen them a couple of times previously as well, nothing has really left that big of an impression on me. One could of course hear such “hits” of theirs that day, including “The Downfall of us All” and “All I Want,” for better or worse. Still, it was no worse than catching a glimpse of L7’s set, which had to be the most unappealing act of the entire festival, and I don’t recall seeing a single smiling face between the group or the crowd.

The next band Greta Van Fleet seemed like a talented enough bunch with their throwback sound to ’70s rock, though can’t say I’ve ever given their music much mind, either. But as if L7 weren’t unappealing enough, Queens of the Stone Age had to be the most boring act of them all (and I actually don’t mind some of the material frontman Josh Homme has been a part of as a member of Kyuss). Tracks like “Little Sister” and “Go with the Flow” had me wanting to go somewhere else indeed.

Finally, the mighty Foo Fighters took the stage, and I had finally felt like I had come full circle seeing a member of Nirvana live in the form of frontman Dave Grohl (not to mention touring guitarist Pat Smear, also known for his time with ’70s punks the Germs, among others). Aiding them behind the drumkit now in place of the late Taylor Hawkins was also Josh Freese of The Vandals, Nine Inch Nails, and Guns N’ Roses (just to name a few).

I had not actually planned to stay the entirety of their two-hour set that night, but circumstances out of my control kept me there until the very last note of the very last song, which in hindsight I’m actually glad I did despite my exhaustion. The band started off with a strong start in the form of “All My Life,” “No Son of Mine,” “Rescued,” “The Pretender,” “Times Like These,” “La Dee Day,” “Breakout,” “Medicine at Midnight,” and “Walk.”

The most interesting moments of the evening however came when some guitar and keyboard solos lead to the band goofing around and just having a good time. First via the Beastie Boys’ “Sabatage,” then some individual moments; Pat Smear returning to his punk rock roots via “Blitzkreig Bop” (again with that song!) and Josh Freese pounding out some Nine Inch Nails beats via “March of the Pigs.” But the best moment of them all came when Grohl tricked his audience into believing he was playing Van Halen’s “Eruption,” only for it to be revealed it was actually Wolfgang Van Halen behind the scenes throwing down his father’s old riffs (a little bit of “Hot For Teacher” was then played for good measure, too).

Wolfgang Van Halen makes a surprise appearance mid-way through the Foo Fighters’ set on 5/11/24 to play some classic Van Halen riffs (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

After finishing the shenanigans, the band got back to business with “My Hero,” “The Sky is a Neighborhood,” “Learn to Fly,” “Arlandria,” “These Days,” “Shame Shame,” “All My Life,” “Nothing at All,” “The Glass,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Aurora,” “Best of You,” “The Teacher,” and “Everlong” (and it was at that moment, watching my son skip off hand and hand with his girlfriend to be up close, that I knew every minute of this festival was worth it).

Day 4:

By the fourth and final day (coincidentally, Mother’s Day), I was ready for a long reprieve to say the least. But we soldiered on as true warriors of rock (because what else can we do?), and made it in time for former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach’s set. The first time I had ever seen Bach all the way back in 2006, my son was only about six months old at the time. So to finally have him share in on these songs like “18 & Life” some eighteen years later, was an especially cool moment for me as a father (ironically Bach’s son is now behind the drums in his father’s band much like Soulfly, too).

Opening “Bachville” (as he so dubbed it himself) with his latest track “What Have I Got to Lose?,” he quickly belted out the classics with “Slave to the Grind” (which found Bach and company briefly segwaying into Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” too), “Here I Am,” “18 & Life,” “Monkey Business,” “I Remember You,” and “Youth Gone Wild.”

A couple more on my son’s list of bands to see, Wage War and Enter Shikari, were up next before we made it over to see one of the very first bands I ever saw at a music festival (at the 1997 Ozzfest), Fear Factory. A lot has unfortunately changed within their personal too since then though, but it was still a blast from the past to hear the likes of “Demanufacture” again. The next act (Atreyu) was another one I’ve seen several times in the past (most recently in 2010), but due to numerous inner changes their music just doesn’t hit the same anymore as it once did (songs like “Right Side of the Bed” and “Ex’s and Oh’s” just don’t have the same effect without ex-singer Alex Varkatzas screaming on them).

Sum 41 rock Daytona for possibly their last time ever on 5/12/24 as part of their final tour (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

About one or two songs each (about all that was needed) for Breaking Benjamin and Black Veil Brides followed before catching Sum 41 for their “final” tour. Another band I caught once upon a time at my first Vans Warped Tour back in 2001 (then once more in 2009, ironically with The Offspring), it may have been somewhat tolerable hearing tracks like “Motivation” and “The Hell Song” live one more time had it not been for the hordes of people clamoring to catch one last glimpse of them.

And then there’s Evanescence, a band I once saw at the height of their prime back in 2004, and another band that has gone through their own share of changes since then. But one thing is for certain, the voice of lead singer Amy Lee has not changed one bit, and is as strong as ever on tracks like “Going Under,” “Better Without You,” “Call Me When You’re Sober,” “Imaginary,” “Use My Voice,” and “Bring Me to Life” (their closer, which sounded odd this time without the “rapping” segment actually done right this time).

Amy Lee and Evanescence perform on the final night of Rockville on Sunday, 5/12/24 (Photo By Jacob Striewski).

By the time Slipknot hit the stage (this time wearing “throwback” masks from the late ’90s), I was ready to call it a night/weekend/all of the above. “(515),” “People = Shit,” “Eyeless,” “Disasterpiece,” “Custer,” and “Psychosocial” were more than enough to hear before doing just that, finally. I can’t say for certain whether or not this might be my last major music festival like this (this old man is definitely starting to feel his age for sure), but should it be, I’d say it was a high enough note to go out on.

KK’s Priest, L.A. Guns, and Burning Witches at the Mount Dora Music Hall in Mount Dora, FL on 3/8/24 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Jacob Striewski

It’s been nearly twenty solid years now since I last saw legendary founding Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing onstage at the 2004 Ozzfest (on a bill that also saw the original lineup of Black Sabbath reunited), and about five years now since I last crossed paths with former Priest/Iced Earth frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens during the Dio Returns tour in 2019. To finally see these two icons together on the same stage with KK’s Priest, and allow my seventeen-year-old son Jacob to not only witness, but also photograph it at the Mount Dora Music Hall this past Friday, March 8, was nothing short of legendary itself.

Instantly, there was excitement in the air at the unknown venue we had traveled to for the first time ever, with the line wrapped around the building for what seemed like days. Once the doors opened, it was nearly impossible to navigate around the wall-to-wall people, but we immediately spotted L.A. Guns/former Faster Pussycat guitarist Ace Von Johnson doing his thing over by the merch tables, and took it upon ourselves to go say “Hi.”

Little did I know prior to this meeting that Von Johnson had also gotten into Black Sabbath around the release of 1992’s Dehumanizer album (coincidentally around the same time I had), which was also the very same shirt that I had on that night. This sparked an entire conversation about the late Ronnie James Dio and how amazing he was (and what an underrated album 1993’s Angry Machines truly is). But alas, I ultimately did not part ways with the literal shirt on my back, but rather settled for a photo standing together/next to it.

A mutual love for Black Sabbath’s Dehumanizer album; Rewind It’s Jesse Striewski (left) with L.A. Guns guitarist Ace Von Johnson at the show on 3/8/24.

By the time we had made it to our seats for the opening act Burning Witches, the place had already filled up nicely, and Jacob decided to just get some “practice” shots of them directly from our position (this turned out to be somewhat costly – more on that shortly). I was familiar with Burning Witches via their most recent album The Dark Tower, which for whatever reason I was never able to review despite it being sent to me at the time via their label. After seeing these five ladies live though, I kind of wished that I had.

The girls gave it their all as they plowed through powerful metal tracks like “Unleash the Beast,” “Wings of Steel,” “Hexenhammer,” “Lucid Nightmare,” “The Dark Tower,” and “Burning Witches.” I was honestly too busy low-key falling for frontwoman Laura Guldemond – who at one point left stage to run through the crowd in a frenzy – to fully take in the music. Guldemond’s stage presence was equivalent of a young David Lee Roth (albeit far more sexier), jumping and kicking her heart out the whole time (I’m pretty sure we even locked eyes there once or twice, too).

Burning Witches opening the night in Mount Dora, FL on 3/8/24.

Next up were L.A. Guns, who I have been trying to see for a long time now, but have had several missed calls (they were actually on the same bill for a 2022 Tom Kiefer/Faster Pussycat show that Rewind It covered, but cancelled at the eleventh hour). And although I have also interviewed former members like ex-bassist Kelly Nickels and late drummer Steve Riley over the years, I still needed to see original guitarist (and Guns N’ Roses co-founder) Tracii Guns live at some point, and to have him still paired alongside classic-era singer Phil Lewis was the icing on the cake.

The band were on top of their ’80s-rock game, first with Guns playing guitar over a tapped version of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” before ripping through old and new classics alike in the form of “Cannonball,” “Electric Gypsy,” “Over the Edge,” “You Betray,” “Sex Action” (with part of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black” as an outro), “Speed,” (the intro of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” also thrown in there for good measure) “Never Enough,” a tender rendition of “The Ballad of Jayne,” and finally tearing the house down with “Rip and Tear.”

Phil Lewis (left) and Tracii Guns keeping the action going with L.A. Guns on 3/8/24.

And last but not least, the mighty KK’s Priest took stage with an onslaught of original tracks and Judas Priest classics alike, beginning with hard-hitters “Hellfire Thunderbolt” and “One More Shot at Glory” before launching into the immortal “The Ripper.”

“Reap the Whirlwind” was probably one of the least effective numbers of the night, while “Night Crawler” was a welcomed addition. “Sermons of the Sinner” lead to a trio of Priest classics I was not able to hear the band play when I originally saw them all those years ago in the form of “Burn in Hell,” “Beyond the Realms of Death,” and “Hell Patrol.”

“Brothers of the Road” was epic enough on its own, but lead to a slew of more Priest staples such as “Metal Meltdown,” “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown),” “Breaking the Law,” and of course, “Victim of Changes.” As if this was not enough, the guys still broke out two more strong ones in the form of “Raise Your Fists” and “Strike of the Viper.” As a die hard Priest fan for God only knows how long now, there was very little worth finding to complain about that night.

After the show, we ran into Ace one more time before exiting the venue. After exchanging some more pleasantries, I unfortunately had to let him down as easy as I could, and let him know I in fact could not bare to part ways with said Sabbath shirt (thanks for the guitar pic that you nailed me with during your set though – good shot, Ace!).

Metal legends KK Downing (left) and Tim “Ripper” Owens ran through both new hard-hitters and classic Judas Priest staples on 3/8/24.

Napoleon Dynamite 20th Anniversary Live at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL on 2/21/24 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Jacob Striewski

I can recall the first time I ever watched 2004’s Napoleon Dynamite some two decades ago, with its subtle, off-the-wall humor striking a nerve with me instantly. I’ve since shown the now-cult classic to both my wife Brooke and son Jacob, who equally appreciate it for the unique moment in time that it was. So catching a twentieth anniversary showing of the film, with the presence of such core cast members as Efren Ramirez (Pedro Sanchez), John Gries (Uncle Rico), and Napoleon Dynamite himself, Jon Heder, at The Plaze Live in Orlando last Wednesday, February 21, was a no-brainer for all of us.

The evening started off promising enough; plenty of fans in attendance had on their best attire, with fanny packs, side pony-tails, and “Vote for Pedro” shirts in abundance. It was near-impossible to not feel the excitement flowing throughout the venue prior to the film, and the applause was infectious by the time the opening credits rolled.

For those who have never seen it before, Napoleon Dynamite follows the day-to-day life of a geeky high school student (Heder as the titular character, as previously noted), who navigates through everything from dating, to assisting his new classmate and friend Pedro (Ramirez) run for class president against the popular school cheerleader, Summer Wheatly (Haylie Duff).

Whether or not the film is “flawless” is no doubt debatable, but nonetheless it certainly draws its viewers into its story, making for sheer escapist entertainment. The ending shot alone of Napoleon and Deb (Tina Majorino) “riding off into the sunset” of sorts while playing tetherball together with the 1989 When in Rome hit “The Promise” closing the scene out is one of pure movie perfection (it should also be noted, the song itself has since become significant to my wife and I, having both heard it live and interviewed When In Rome Keyboardist Michael Floreal on our anniversary in January of 2020).

Jon Heder (a.k.a. Napoleon Dynamite) in the midst of the crowd last Wednesday evening, 2/21/24 at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL.

Immediately following the showing, Gries and Ramriez appeared on stage with a guitar and harmonica, respectively, in hand for a musical number, before Heder barreled down a ramp towards the stage on a bike, igniting a roar from the crowd. It was right then and there that you knew you were in the right place if you were in attendance.

Heder was no doubt the leader of the pack, while Ramierz took more of a laid back, backseat approach, and Gries played the more goofy old man role (having grown up watching many of his films back in the day such as ’80s gems like 1985’s Real Genius and 1986’s TerrorVision, I may have been in awe of him more so than any others).

Aside from the occasional awkward question from a fan or two (the fairly obnoxious mom-out-way-past-her-bedtime heckler had obviously not been out in public in awhile), the Q&A with the crowd went fairly smooth, with many an enlightened answer regarding the films production. And bringing those dressed in their very best Napoleon Dynamite-inspired gear on to the stage at the end for a best-dressed contest (and even giving everyone a tater tot on their way out!) was the perfect cherry on top to the evening.

The cast of Napoleon Dynamite (from left to right, Efren Ramirez, Jon Heder, and John Gries) performing at the start of the night at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL on 2/21/24.

Bullet For My Valentine, Of Mice & Men, and Vended at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on 11/10/23 Words By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Jacob Striewski

Back in 2006 (what now feels like a lifetime ago), I caught this little unknown Welsh band at the time opening for Rob Zombie called Bullet For My Valentine. Two years later I saw them again, opening on a bill alongside Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu at the 2008 Taste of Chaos Tour. Five more years after that, I caught them as openers for Alice Cooper at a gig I worked security for at the CFE Arena in 2013. A lot has definitely changed for the band in the span of all those years, the most apparent being they’ve since grown to be headliners themselves rather than simply a warm-up act, and rightfully so.

Just days prior to their show at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on Friday, November 10, I received a request to cover the concert from the publicist for openers Vended, the young Iowa-based metal group who have since been carving a name out for themselves and gaining significant traction thanks to two of its members being the sons of Sliptknot’s Corey Taylor (Griffin Taylor) and Shawn Crahan (Simon Crahan). After shifting a few things around, I was able to make it to the show with my own son (Jacob) yet again acting as my photographer for the event (who ironically was “with me” in a way at that very first Bullet For My Valentine show back in 2006 when his pregnant mother and I attended it together).

The minute Vended hit the stage, it was clear they were not about to go easy on their audience any time soon, after a recording of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” was played and slowed down to eerie levels before the guys emerged on stage to blast into “Ded to Me.” More hard-hitters in the form of “Am I the Only One,” “Overall,” “The Far Side,” and “Asylum” all followed before the guys stepped aside to let Of Mice & Men take a turn.

I’ve always held a small place in my heart for metalcore bands like Of Mice & Men, but for whatever reason had still not seen them live before now despite the number of shows I’ve been to over the years. It felt like 2010 to me all over again as the band plowed through a set of tracks both new and old that included “Bones Exposed,” “Would You Still Be There,” “Castaway,” “Obsolete,” “O.G. Loko,” “Into the Sun,” “Warpaint,” and “Bloom.”

Finally, Bullet For My Valentine took over the stage, and full command of the room for that matter. While “Knives” and “Over It” were admirable enough to kick things off, it was song number three (“Your Betrayal”) that really got the crowd pumping. “Piece of Me” followed before the band dug deep in their catalog with “4 Words (to Choke Upon).”

The crowd stuck in there until the very end as the band went through old and new songs alike in the form of “The Last Fight,” “All These Things (I Hate Revolve Around Me),” “Shatter,” “Scream Aim Fire,” “You Want a Battle (Here’s a War),” “Rainbow Veins,” and “Don’t Need You.” By the time all was said and done, there was nothing else left except to visit the merch tent on the way out (and the nearby Voodoo Doughnut shop!) before finally calling it a night.

Retrospective: 45 Years Since The Night He Came Home on ‘Halloween’ By Jesse Striewski

In the late ’70s, the face of horror and overall cultural landscape of American films as we knew it was changed forever when co-screenwriters John Carpenter and Debra Hill unleashed Michael Myers upon an unsuspecting world via the original Halloween, effectively launching a seemingly never-ending franchise and media machine.

Directed by Carpenter and released on October 25, 1978, the film centers around the aforementioned Myers (played primarily by Nick Castle in this entry), who stalked and killed his older sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) on Halloween night 1963. Fast forward to 1978, when after serving fifteen years in a mental facility under the care of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence), he suddenly makes a break for it, just in time to return to his home town of Haddonfield, IL on (you guessed it), Halloween.

It’s there he encounters three unsuspecting babysitters whose fates will all be drastically changed; Annie (Nancy Loomis), Linda (P.J. Soles), and of course, the lone survivor (and epitome of heroines), Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Meanwhile Loomis enlists the help of local sheriff Leigh Brackett (Charles Cyphers) to track down and prevent Myers from seeing through his devious acts.

Rewind It’s (l to r) Jacob, Jesse, and Brooke Striewski with actress P.J. Soles – who portrayed Lynda Van Der Klok in the original Halloween – at Fantasm in Orlando, FL on 10-3-21.

With a budget of larger than $325,000, the film quickly became one of the most successful independent films of all time after earning over $70 million at the box office, and is considered groundbreaking horror, and the go-to example to the slasher genre. Every last detail from its isolated, dark suburban setting, to the simplistic yet eerie music score by Carpenter, struck a lifelong nerve with audiences and non-horror fans alike.

Of course one can no longer talk about Halloween without mentioning its various sequels, remakes, and overall retreads. While 1981’s Halloween II directly followed the first film (and admirably at that), few that came after were able to re-capture that same “feel” as the original. 1982’s stand alone Halloween III: Season of the Witch (which I’ve mentioned before in previous articles was my introduction to the Halloween films, and still my personal favorite of them all to this day) saw filmmakers attempting to try something different, yet audiences were not ready for such drastic changes at the time.

After 1988’s Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, the series began declining considerably, with many of the entries released since being nearly unwatchable (most notably the latest “requels” that began in 2018 and concluded with last year’s notorious Halloween Ends). Yet whatever rehashes that have come and gone since, nothing can ever take away from the original “night he came home.”

WWE SmackDown at Amway Center in Orlando, FL on 7/21/23 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Jacob Striewski

Earlier this year, Rewind It Magazine were there at the Amway Center when WWE came through Orlando for Raw. This past Friday, July 21, the world’s largest wrestling promotion came back into town for their SmackDown brand, and Rewind It were once again there to catch all of the action. What made the occasion all the more special was being able to take my son Jacob Striewski to his first ever WWE event finally, where he once again acted as photographer for Rewind It for the third straight time in a row (and second consecutive time at the Amway).

The ladies kicked the night off with a sizzle as the lovely Tiffany Stratton effortlessly took out Kiana James in the first match. Afterwards, ringside announcers Wade Barrett and Michael Cole made their dramatic entrances.

The fatal 4-way between Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, LA Knight, and Cameron Grimes was no doubt one of the biggest draws of the night that saw stars like Austin Theory and Santos Escobar also get coaxed into the mix. But the wildest moment of the match came when all four of the original men fell from the top of the turnbuckle in a massive Tower of Doom maneuver. Ultimately, Mysterio walked away with the victory and advancement to the U.S. Invitational.

Second-generation wrestler Charlotte Flair (daughter of the legendary Ric Flair) then emerged to take on Iyo Sky. The ladies duked it out for some time before Flair ultimately took the W, only to be blindsided by Asuka, who left Flair writhing in pain on the mat.

Charlotte Flair takes down Iyo Sky with ease at the Amway Center on 7/21/23.

In a brief backstage segment, Kayla interviewed Dominick Myseterio with Rhea Ripley by his side. As he bragged on about taking on everyone and anyone for his title, Butch of The Brawling Brutes came out to challenge him. Then former WWE legend Shawn Michaels emerged to much delight of (most) of the crowd to say what a “great idea” this was, leaving everyone stunned.

U.S. Champion Austin Theory and LWO member Santos Escobar then picked up where they left off earlier in a non-title match. Despite being the underdog, Escobar walked away with a victory after initiating a Phantom Driver on Theory.

Current NXT champion Dominik Mysterion came out (with Rhea Ripley at his side) to defend his title against Butch. Mysterio seemed to be in charge before Butch’s partner Ridge Holland came from out of nowhere to bale out his teammate.

Dirty “Dom” Mysterio holds his NXT Championship belt high as Rhea Ripley looks on at the Amway Center on 7/21/23.

Things then took a turn for the hilarious as Kit Wilson pushed Elton Prince (both of the Pretty Deadly tag team) down to ringside in a wheelchair. The two quickly fled as the Brutes chased them off, only for Ripley to attack Butch and effectively help Dirty “Dom” retain his title.

But of course the true show-stopper and most talked about segment of the evening came when the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and cousin Jey Uso played out the drama of the “Rules of Engagement,” signing the contract for the upcoming SummerSlam match at a desk and chairs set up in the center of the ring.

Reigns and Uso stare each other down as Solo prepares to strike in the distance on 7/21/23.

This ended with Reigns stopping Samoan Solo from attacking Uso, only to give Uso the opening to knock Solo out of the ring with a superkick to the face. A nervous Paul Heyman could only look on with worry as Reigns and Uso stared each other down afterwards, knowing that the “Tribal Chief” status of the Bloodline story was now on the line.

As if all of this was not enough, two dark matches followed, first between Grayson Waller and AJ Styles, followed by Drew McyIntyre appearing, raising his sword high among flames in the ring before taking on Ludwig Kaiser in an off-air match. Despite some exciting moments, the energy in the crowd had begun to dissipate as many dispersed, leaving the final battle of the night (which found McIntyre ultimately winning) somewhat anti-climatic.

Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam with Stevie B and more at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL on 7/15/23 By Brooke Striewski/Photos By Jacob Striewski

With a lineup as full as the one at this past Saturday’s Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam at the Amway Center on July 15, there was no doubt Rewind It Magazine would make an appearance there of some sort. Unfortunately, not all of us could attend this time due to other prior commitments, so for the first time ever, I’m actually taking the place of Jesse Striewski as reviewer, and stepped back from behind the camera lens the night of to let our son/apprentice Jacob Striewski shoot another show.

The title of the show did not let down, with one consecutive throwback act from the ’80s/’90s after the other coming on stage and getting straight to the point, launching one hit after another in quick procession. Cynthia was first up for the night, getting things going with dance numbers like “Break Up to Make Up” and “Thief of Heart.”

Cynthia and Johnny O performing “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” together on stage.

The Jets have always been one of those quaint acts with catchy hits like “Crush on You” and “You Got It All” that were fun to hear live, and the windbreakers each member of the group adorned help keep the old-school vibe going for sure. But one-hit wonders Color Me Badd were not the best act to follow them, and it seemed apparent that some members of the band were only actually lip-syncing the words to songs like “I Wanna Sex You Up.”

Johnny O was up next with songs like “Fantasy Girl,” but the true highlight was without a doubt when Cynthia came back out and joined him on stage at the end of his set to tackle the 1990 hit “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” together.

Freestyle were no doubt one of my personal favorites of the night, and are a true embodiment of ’80s freestyle music worthy of break-dancing on broken cardboard boxes to. I couldn’t help but move listening to tracks like “It’s Automatic” from 1986 while also wishing I could go back in time.

Freestyle doing their thing on Saturday night at Amway Center.

What ’80s freestyle party would be complete without such skating-rink anthems as “Lookout Weekend” and “When I Hear Music” by Debbie Deb? The singer gave it her all as she belted out some of the most memorable hits of the night.

Robb Base then broke out with his early ’90s hit “It Takes Two” before stepping aside for TKA K7, who I wouldn’t say are exactly in my music range per se, though they seemed to get the crowd moving with hits like “Come Baby Come.”

Then there’s Lisa Lisa, who burst on the scene in the mid-’80s as the leader of Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. Sure hits like “Head to Toe” and “Lost in Emotion” were fun to hear live, but it seemed as though a little too much emphasis was put on her back up dancers, rather than the overall performance.

Lisa Lisa giving it all she’s got in Orlando on Saturday.

And finally, the one and only Stevie B closed out the night. His set did not stray far from when Rewind It Magazine last caught him in 2021, with “Party Your Body,” “I Wanna Be the One,” “In My Eyes,” “Because I Love You (The Postman Song),” and “Spring Love” dominating his set. And on that note, the crowd at Amway Center went home feeling just a little more fulfilled than they had been before stepping into the arena that night.

Retrospective: 30 Years Since we were first Welcomed to ‘Jurassic Park’ By Jesse Striewski

I remember the summer of 1993 well; I was twelve years old, having just moved from central to south Florida, and only about a year out from a major car accident. In fact, I was actually still recovering from my most recent surgery when I went to go see Jurassic Park, the then-new summer blockbuster from legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

Originally released on June 11, 1993 and based off the book by Michael Crichton, it was the new action-adventure film that everyone was talking about at the time, and you simply had to see. Which is exactly what they did in droves, topping the then-highest grossing film of all time, 1982’s E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial (also directed by Spielberg), a record it would only briefly hold onto until James Cameron’s Titantic four years later in 1997.

The plot is set around a wealthy tycoon (Richard Attenborough) who re-creates the unthinkable – actual dinosaurs – on a far off tropical island. But in order to get approval from his investors to open a theme park with the animals at the forefront, he seeks the “okay” from a group of scientists – Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). Of course in the midst of their tour of the would-be new park, all hell breaks loose as things quickly go from hopeful to horrifying, turning the seemingly cute family movie into a Jaws-sized carnage fest.

Being still just twelve-years-old at the time the film was released, I was still young enough for some of the film’s massive marketing techniques to apply to me, collecting such items from trading cards to action figures, many of which I still possess to this day or have passed down to either my son or nephew (who is quite possibly the biggest Jurassic Park fan I’ve ever met).

The franchise itself has far from slowed down, producing five sequels (which somehow I’ve managed to still catch each and every one on the big screen, the later few with my own family now), and the original film eventually surpassing the one billion dollar mark at the box office when it was re-released for its twentieth anniversary in 2013. Judging by this, something tells me we’ll still be getting more chances to visit Jurassic Park.

The author (left) and son/photographer Jacob Striewski at a Jurassic Park-themed set at Spookala on 6/10/23 (photo by Brooke Striewski).

Ugly Kid Joe and Fozzy at Jannus Live in St. Pete, FL on 6/4/23 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Jacob Striewski

It’s been far too long since the last time I’ve been out to Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, FL for a show (probably since the late ’90s), but it’s been even longer since a band like Ugly Kid Joe has made it down to south FL to play, having not fully toured the U.S. in well over two decades (they’ve only really played some sporadic shows and festivals since reuniting a few years back).

My usual photographer/wife Brooke was unable to shoot this past Sunday, June 4 for various reasons, so for the first time ever, I allowed my teenaged son Jacob – who has apprenticed under Brooke a few times in the past – photograph the show from start to finish. It was a decision that we’re now both beyond glad to have agreed on (a couple of old friends of the Rewind It family, Kurt and Kevin, were also in tow for the evening).

Newcomers Pistols At Dawn were the first to grace the stage on Sunday night, and I was immediately put at ease by their youthful appearance, which I think helped to put Jacob’s nerves somewhat at ease prior to stepping up to bat for the first time in the photo pit. The band came on and ripped through an admirable set of hard rock/metal tracks with titles such as “Gauntlet,” “Fly,” “Cold,” and “The Truth.”

A cover of the Alice in Chains staple “Man in the Box” was decent enough, despite the track being overly played-to-death by this point. But the biggest highlight perhaps came in the form of a solo that saw guitarist Will utilize a lighted guitar to get his point across. Hopefully we’ll be seeing much more of these guys in the future.

Next up on the roster was Fozzy, who emerged after a brief intro of Journey’s classic “Don’t Stop Believin'” played on. While the rock fan in me is no doubt able to appreciate their old-school sound, the main draw has always been the appeal to the wrestling fan in me, with former ECW, WCW, WWF/WWE, and now AEW star Chris Jerchio at the vocal position (it also doesn’t hurt that Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward and more recently, Trixter bassist P.J. Farley are also both in the lineup now).

Wrestling legend Chris Jericho rocking the crowd at Jannus Live with Fozzy on 6/4/23.

Jericho and co. wasted no time to rip through tracks like “Sane,” “Lights Go Out,” “Do You Wanna Start a War,” “Nowhere to Run,” a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax,” “I Still Burn,” “Burn Me Out,” (seeing a theme yet?) “Spider in My Mouth,” “God Pounds His Nails,” “Purifier,” “Enemy,” and of course, “Judas.” It was clear Fozzy were all about having a good time, which was no doubt punctuated when Jericho brought out a smoke gun and sprayed it above the crowd’s heads, all in good fun.

Another band that’s never been accused of lacking fun has always been Ugly Kid Joe. As a fan since their first album going all the way back to the early ’90s (when I was still a little scamp), it was great to finally get to cross them off my list, even with some considerable lineup changes (adding former The Sisters of Mercy/Ghost guitarist Chris Catalyst and Harvey Danger/Loaded’s Mike Squires on bass were indeed wise moves though).

Frontman Whitfield Crane (who also briefly served time in Life of Agony, and is still accompanied by original UKJ guitarist Klaus Eichstadt by his side) and company definitely came out swinging with “That Ain’t Livin’,” “V.I.P.,” and “Neighbor.” It was around this time that Crane pointed down at the photographers in the photo pit (including Jacob) and motioned for the two of them to come up on the stage. I watched in awe as my child fully embraced the moment and promptly ran to the stage, where he positioned himself for the rest of the night!

It was no doubt easy to enjoy the rest of the show from then on out, as a handful of classic tracks like “C.U.S.T.,” “Jesus Rode a Harley,” and “Panhandlin’ Prince” preceded a group of newer songs in the form of “Dead Friends Play,” “No One Survives,” and “Devil’s Paradise.” The classics “So Damn Cool” and their massive cover of Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle” had the crowd going at full steam by that point.

Shot of Ugly Kid Joe from above the stage at Jannus Live on 6/4/23 courtesy of Jacob Striewski.

“I’m Alright” found the band and audience literally jumping throughout, while “Goddamn Devil” was probably the most welcomed surprise of their entire set (hearing Crane hitting the Rob Halford parts live was admittedly pretty awesome). Then instead of leaving the stage, the band asked their audience scream for its encore of either one or two songs (the loudest of course winning).

Then to everyone’s surprise, they actually broke out with three more tracks; “Come Tomorrow” (the one and only “weak” moment of the night in my book, which I would’ve much rather heard replaced by the likes of something like “God” or “Tomorrow’s World” instead), an intense cover of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades,” and obviously, the immortal “Everything About You” (at this point I saw Jacob actually photographing from above the spiral staircase behind the band, at which point I could only shake my head once again in disbelief!).

After the show, Jacob and I were able to meet and personally thank drummer (and unsung hero) Cam Greenwood for the awesome moment the band just allowed a young photographer like Jacob to have (it should also be noted that various members of the band “checked” on him throughout the night, giving him fist bumps and pats on the back to show encouragement). Having covered many shows over the years and having similar experiences myself was nothing compared to being able to finally share something like this with my kid, and my heart’s filled with joy as I type this all out. I can’t thank the guys from Ugly Kid Joe enough for giving this father and son duo such a truly special moment to bond over, and a memory that won’t soon be forgotten.

Rewind It Photographer Jacob Striewski (left) with Ugly Kid Joe drummer Cam Greenwood after the show.

Pantera, Alice Cooper and more at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on 5/20 and 5/21/23 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke and Jacob Striewski

The last time Rewind It Magazine made it out to Daytona Beach for the annual rock fest Welcome to Rockville in 2021, the event was held at the end of the year, and the weather was nearly perfect. Thankfully we skipped last year completely, which by all accounts reached near disastrous levels with torrential downpours that caused delays throughout the festivities.

Thankfully things did not go as terribly wrong by the time we decided to make an appearance on Saturday, May 20 (the first two nights just didn’t have enough to offer of interest in all honesty), although by the time we did finally make it, we had just missed Kreator’s (one of the main selling points of the day for myself personally) set, arriving just in time to see their crew breaking down their gear.

So we waited for Sepultura’s set on the very same stage instead. Having already seen them once back in 2011, I already knew what to expect more or less, and only stayed to hear a handful of tracks from them in the form of “Isolation,” “Territory,” and “Means to an End” before making our way onto better things.

One of the other main selling points for me personally this year was actually Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, which is what we promptly left said Sepultura set early for in order to catch their full set. It was a blast hearing the likes of “Immigrant Song,” “Good Times Bad Times,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “The Wanton Song,” “Ramble On,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “The Ocean Song,” “Black Dog,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Rock and Roll,” even if many of these by now are beyond overplayed radio standards.

Chevelle were the next act to catch, and although I’ve never had too much of an issue with their music (this would be my third time seeing them live, too), it was a perfect chance to take a breather and catch a bite to eat while listening to the likes of “Face to the Floor,” “The Clincher,” “Send the Pain Below,” and “The Red” in the background.

Then there’s good old Alice Cooper, who at this stage in the game feels timeless. And speaking of time, this marked my fourth time actually catching him in concert (and two of those instances I had actually worked security for him). “Lock Me Up,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Under My Wheels,” “Billion Dollar Babies,” “Fallen in Love,” “Snakebite,” “Feed My Frankenstein,” and “Poison” were all thrown out there before fans were given a guitar solo by the lovely Nita Strauss that ended in a jam of “Black Widow.”

“The Ballad of Dwight Fry” found Cooper singing in his signature straight jacket before his daughter Cheryl Cooper came on stage and decapitated him with a guillotine under the tune of “I Love the Dead.” The classic ’70s anthem “School’s Out” (complete with a few bars of Pink Fylod’s “The Wall” thrown in there for good measure) seemed to end the set before Cooper emerged behind a podium for an encore of “Elected.” Although far from my first time seeing him, it was surreal finally watching him with my two favorite people by my side, making it an especially fond memory for me.

Alice Cooper rallies the crowd in Daytona Beach, FL on 5/20/23.

For the life of me I’ve never really gotten the appeal of Godsmack, even though I have caught them live before as well (just once, back at Earthday Birthday in 2012). And how they were even remotely above Alice Cooper on the roster makes zero sense, but either way they opened with “When Legends Rise,” before going into the likes of “Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!,” “1000hp,” “You and I,” “Something Different,” “What About Me,” “Bulletproof,” and “Awake.”

By this time, frontman Sully Erna pulled back to have a “drum off” with drummer Shannon Larkin (who some may recall was the drummer for Ugly Kid Joe for many years). This lead to brief medlies of rock staples such as “Back in Black,” “Walk This Way, and “Enter Sandman” thrown in, and seemed like the perfect time to start heading over to the next stage.

And said stage contained what everyone had really came to see, the reunited Pantera. I was beyond lucky enough to see the band back at Ozzfest in ’97 when both guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul were both still alive, so it really didn’t bother me to see singer Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown now joined by Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante filling in for the departed brothers in tribute to them (it also gave my wife and teenaged son a chance to finally see them for the first time as well).

While my memory is somewhat fuzzy as far as what the band played way back over twenty years ago, there’s no mistaking the band ripped through “A New Level,” “Mouth For War,” “Strength Beyond Strength,” “Becoming,” and the recently added “Suicide Note Pt. II.”

“5 Minutes Alone,” “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit,” and “Fucking Hostile” continued the non-stop aggression before the band slowed things down a bit, showing video footage of the Abbott brothers with “Cemetery Gates” draped over top of it before segueing into their trippy cover of Black Sabbath’s “Planet Cavravan.” More hard-hitting classics in the form of “Walk” and”Domination/Hollow” followed before they closed things out with “Cowboys From Hell,” effectively leaving even the biggest of naysayers with their jaws to the floor.

The following day, Sunday, May 21, paled in comparison after what was beheld previously. By the time we had made it, Senses Fail were already on stage and wrapping it up, so after catching a couple of tracks like “Buried Alive, “Chop Suey/Break Stuff,” and “Can’t Be Saved,” we proceeded to the one that post-grunge ’90s rockers Filter was appearing on. They wasted no time with their five-song set as they plowed through “Welcome to the Fold,” “Face Down,” “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do,” “Take a Picture,” and of course, “Hey Man Nice Shot.”

More ’90s rock followed as legendary skate punks Pennywise then took over the Octane stage. It was my third time seeing them since the very first Warped Tour I ever attended back in 2001, and I was still genuinely excited to hear tracks like “Peaceful Day,” “The World,” “Straight Ahead,” “My Own Country,” “Same Old Story,” “Fuck Authority,” a cover of Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings,” “Pennywise,” “Society,” and “Bro Hymn.”

Skate punk legends Pennywise rocked the final day at Rockville on 5/21/23.

Sets from the likes of mediocre acts such as The Mars Volta and Coheed & Cambria were again perfect opportunities to grab a bite to eat and check out the merch tents before watching the likes of trap rapper Ghostemane. For perhaps the first time ever, I fully understood what it felt like to be that fish out of water parent just there for their kid, as I endured songs with titles like “Nihil,” “Bonesaw,” and “Trench Coat” that made little to no sense to me.

Another band I can’t say I’ve ever had much interest in at all, Incubus, were somehow after all this. And while I still can’t say I’m a fan by any means, I never realized what a jam band they really are in concert (nor how easy-on-the-eyes their current bass player Nicole Row, who’s also served some time with Panic! At the Disco, actually is). All of their staple songs were present of course, including “Nice to Know You,” “Come Together” (Aerosmith cover), “Pardon Me,” and “Wish You Were Here.”

Another act I was there mainly for my kid were Deftones (it’s not that I have anything against them, they’ve just never been my style). But I was surprised to see their live set was actually quite entertaining, despite some of their songs still landing on the tedious side for me. But they managed to pack in sixteen tracks with non-stop energy that included “Genesis,” “Needles and Pins,” “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” “My Own Summer (Shove It),” “Diamond Eyes,” “Digital Bath,” “Tempest,” “Swerve City,” “Rosemary,” “Ohms,” “Minerva,” “Bloody Cape,” “Change (In the House of Flies),” “Rocket Skates,” “Nosebleed,” and “Engine No. 9.”

And finally, Tool. Sure, I was semi-into them when Undertow first came out back in the day like most sixth graders at the time. But I have long since disliked them ever since the first time I saw them live back in 2002, and frontman Maynard James Keenan performed with his back facing the crowd the entire time (exciting). I’ve seen them one more time since, in 2016 with Primus, where I promptly left soon after they hit the stage. On Sunday night, I did the same thing once again, making my way out of Rockville as they were performing “Forty Six & Two” (just their second track of the night).

I’ve since seen the images from the show and have heard others that stuck around for it express their disappointment as well. And Keenan’s drag outfit was far from some deep political statement about Florida or some meaningful artistic expression as some might try to spin it to be, but rather just another gimmick from an overrated, obnoxious hack. Hopefully this will be the final time I ever have to witness such a joke in person, and if anyone deserved to close out such a festival, it was definitely not them.