On Saturday, July 13, 101.1 WRIF presented their jam-packed RIFF Fest lineup at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.
The show featured a full day of music on two stages with a variety of different rock genres playing to the packed crowd.
The second stage kicked off with performances from Broken Hands and Dinosaur Pile-Up. They were followed up by 22 year old rocker Diamante, whose set got the crowd fired up as she moved through songs from her 2018 debut album Coming in Hot.
Anaheim Gothic metal band New Years Day headlined the second stage, closing things out with a fiery performance that found vocalist Ash Costello immediately grabbing everyone's attention and holding it throughout.
Their set featured their popular new single "Shut Up."
The main stage kicked things off with a set from Detroit's own Wilson, who helped warm the crowd up with a mix of rock, pop and hip hop and the humor they are known for.
Frontman Chad Nicefield chatted with the crowd throughout the set as they performed songs that included WRIF staple "Like A Baller," from their 2018 release Tasty Nasty.
The hometown set was special for the whole band, but particularly for guitarist Kyle Landry, who was playing his last show with them at a venue they'd always dreamed about playing.
Badflower were up next with a impressive set that earned them a number of new fans.
The L.A, band's set was comprised of a number of tracks from their debut album OK, I'm Sick, which came out at the start of the year.
They were joined by Shinedown guitarist Zach Myers, who seemed to be having a blast jamming with the young band.
It was another hometown set for Pop Evil, who received a very warm welcome as the crowd really began to pack in.
The band's set was full of hits from "Torn To Pieces" and "100 in a 55" to "Footsteps" and new hit "Be Legendary."
The set also found vocalist Leigh Kakaty's young son coming out to perform "Waking Lions." Kakaty also spent a little time out on the lawn as he sang his heart out to the excited crowd.
Seether also brought forth a set packed with hits that included fan favorites "Gasoline," "Let You Down," "Fake It," and closer "Remedy."
Seether vocalist Shaun Morgan is a man of few words, but his intensity on stage and the energy of the rest of the band always makes for a fantastic show.
Finally, it was time for the headliners Shinedown, who always bring the heat.
The clear joy that the band has in playing and the enthusiasm their fans give them in return is a blast to experience as they prompt them to sing, dance and pump their fists along.
The band brought the large stage production that they've been using out on their Attention Attention Tour complete with a catwalk, five separate stages and plenty of pyro.
The band kicked things off with a newer track "Devil" and over the next couple of hours moved through slower tracks like "I'll Follow You," their first single "45" and their staple cover of "Simple Man" as well as furious tracks like "Enemies," "Bully" and "Cut the Cord."
In between, they took a break to make their way out to the crowd as vocalist Brent Smith, guitarist Zach Myers and bassist Eric Bass took their places on three stages spread throughout the crowd on the lawn.
Back in the center of the crowd in the pavilion, drummer Barry Kerch had his own stage set up as he brought it all together.
The band performed a semi-acoustic set that included "Amaryllis," "Through The Ghost," "If You Only Knew" and "Second Chance," before rejoining one another at the main stage for the third section of the show.
Shinedown finished things off with the popular "Sound of Madness" and "Brilliant,"
Throughout the set, Smith made sure to tell those gathered just how much they were appreciated and the entire band was blown away by the response they received.
It is that connection between the band and their fans that keeps people coming back again and again to see their shows. Every one is a special and memorable experience.
Check out some videos from the show here:
Comments