After what will ultimately amount to a year and a half of dark stages across the globe, live music in its purest form is set for a triumphant return later this summer. While we’re still seeing June and July concert dates pushed into the fall and next year, August is shaping up to be the month where things start to take shape again. Once we flip the calendar over to September, however, it’s on!
Metallica
Today’s lineup announcement for Louder Than Life is taking the crown for not just the biggest comeback festival of the season, but really cementing the annual festival’s position as the largest of the bunch. As previously announced, Louder Than Life is now a four-day festival, instead of the original three days. Additionally, Metallica will be headlining two nights, as was originally planned in 2020. It’s hard to imagine, but as a lifelong Metallica fan, this festival is a juggernaut even without them at the top, featuring acts like Korn, Nine Inch Nails, Judas Priest, Jane’s Addiction and dozens of others.
It’s likely that things may look or feel somewhat different this year, as we’re all learning how to get back to normal life again, but with four months between now and then, it’s fair to be optimistic that this may very well look exactly like the festivals we all remember from before COVID, only bigger and better! If I’m apprehensive about one thing, it’s whether the bands from overseas will be able to make the trip. Travel restrictions are still quite tight, but I really hope to see bands like Avatar, Sabaton and Gojira performing this fall here in the USA!
Skillet
In the months between now and then, look forward to our annual (sans 2020) “Festival Survival Guide” article, where we’ll make sure you know what to pack and how to survive a long weekend on the festival grounds. Believe it or not, standing, dancing or moshing for several days in a row can really take its toll if you’re not well prepared.
As of publication, the full lineup for DWP Festivals includes:
- Inkarceration Festival – September 10th-12th in Mansfield, OH
- Louder Than Life – September 23rd -26th in Louisville, KY
- Aftershock – October 7th-10th in Sacrimento, CA
- Welcome to Rockville – November 11th-14th in Daytona Beach, FL
No matter which festival (or festivals) that you choose to attend this year, it’s going to be a ton of fun and probably a very interesting adjustment as “normal” becomes less of an abstract ideology and more of a reality.
More info on DWP Festivals
