... or Cornerstone.6
The final day of Cornerstone (and for that matter, the entire experience) seems to go by faster and get less stressful for us over time. Having to break down the merch booth, gather up banners, review final shows and say goodbye to friends gets a little more streamlined and less pressure-filled the more you do it, I guess.
This last day of the fest had a cool "Goth/Industrial" theme at the HM Magazine stage, but I stole away as much as I could for the metal on the Main Stage. First off was Still Remains, who were performing their very last show ever. It was a melancholy moment, because it was sad to realize that this would be the last time that you'd probably ever see them on stage together, but it was hard to revel in a depressed state simply because they were rocking so well and so hard. Loyal fans were singing along to older and more recent tunes, like "The Worst Is Yet To Come" and "White Walls" from Of Love And Lunacy and especially "The Wax Walls Of An Empty Room." Both guitarists and even the bassist joined frontman TJ Miller at the very front of the catwalk that jutted out into the middle of the crowd. The energy stayed high for a good 45 minutes, which passed like seconds ... and then it was over.
I headed back to get the night rolling over at the HM Magazine Stage. JPUSA's own Leper launched the evening with some doomy heaviness. It was fun to see the lead vocalist perform most of the set with a large scarf obscuring his face. Paris Oroborus (who originally had talked to us about a touring package with Rackets & Drapes, who dropped out due to Kandy Kane's son participating in a hockey playoff final) went on next, which featured a husband and wife duo that were decked out in lots of black leather. It looked great. The energy would've risen quicker had it been a darkened and smaller room inside a club, but it still conveyed a little bit of the groove-laden and almost spoken-word vibe.
Sanctum performed to a much smaller crowd than the last time they played one of these nights, but perhaps it was the mainstage or some of the generator stages that kept people from reveling in the danceable yet heavy tunes.
Brian "Head" Welch spoke on the Main Stage before Demon Hunter came out. It was a thrill to catch these guys on such a big stage with the giant video screen at stage left. I had missed the gargantuan co-headlining tour with Living Sacrifice, The Famine and Advent that was ending on this night. Demon Hunter's melodic and dynamic heaviness filled the night air with the kind of majestic power that you'd kind of expect from this band. Not everyone can hold their own on a giant outdoor stage, but these guys made it look easy.
As I Lay Dying finished out the night on Main Stage, which more than likely poured out some of the over-the-top intensity that their most recent headlining tour had showcased a couple months prior. I wish I could've seen it, but I also couldn't miss a rare US performance by South Africa's import The Awakening. Ashton Nyte and company (now basically a power trio thanks to Ashton's Stateside move to the St. Louis area) showed off a performer's aura that was good to see. With quite a lengthy catalog of songs to cull from, it seemed that not a dull song was played. Strong tunes like "Arrow" displayed his fantastic vocals and the big hooks in "Dark Romantics" showed he was good at composing. Good natured humor laced the performance between songs, which kept the frustration of blown-out monitors from effecting the show.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at July 16, 2008 01:45 AM