Yesterday was the Sounds of the Underground metal festival! And it was AMAZING!

First I woke up, got coffee, picked up my SOTU ticket from willcall, and got some lunch. I proceeded to become as goth as the weather would permit (it was way too hot for some of my favorite chains and additional makeup). Then I had to stop at the DRC to get an Opeth cd out of the computer and try and scare my co-workers. It didn't exactly work, they are all in theatre after all.

And despite extreme dehydration and heat fatigue, I entered the festival grounds! $3.00 vitamin water made me feel immensely better. Although due to shooting a video, Opeth did not do a meet and greet. *tear*

A lot of crappy bands opened the festival. It wasn't until Strapping Young Lad played that I felt any desire to go to the stage. Although I have to say CIRCLE PITS ARE THE SHIT. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I got to the front for GWAR. Fuckin' GWAR man! They sprayed us with so much fake red, blue and green blood, I was soaked with green... I did love it when they had the Pope come on dressed as a Nazi, and when they chopped off George W. Bush's head. One of the most fun shows I've ever been to.

Chimaira played and they were ok, but Opeth were next so ofcourse it felt like they took FOREVER. And this guy had a sack of Gwars fake blood and he was cool enough to cover my face in really thick fake blood.

So, this annoying bitch was complaining about how she didn't know who Opeth were and just wanted to hear Unearth. But she let me infront of her for Opeth so I wasn't complaining.

When they came out... words can not desrcibe. And when Mikael came out I was in the very front and he looked down right at me, and sort of mimed a "wow look at your face! It's covered with fake blood!" I was the only one near me with fake blood on my face. MIKAEL LOOKED RIGHT AT ME AND SMILED!

There was only one song I hoped that Opeth would play, The Drapery Falls. It's my favorite Opeth song as well as the first track I ever heard by them (which was almost 5 years ago). And they OPENED WITH IT! So as soon as they opened with that I was happy. I hate to admit this, but I was the verge of tears.

Then they played a track from Damnation which is one of their few cds I don't own. Then they played something from their upcoming album, Ghost Reveries. So new Opeth music was VERY exciting. Especially because it sounds like their getting reminiscent of their older heavier stuff, which is always good.

At one point I yelled "BLACK ROSE IMMORTAL!!!!" which is a ridiculous song to ask as it is 20 minutes long. Then another guy was like "BLACK ROSE IMMORTAL! I DONT GIVE A FUCK HOW LONG IT IS!" But alas, we all knew it was not to be.

And because Opeth only had a 35 minute set, and their songs are beautifully long, they played their 4th and last song. And then Mikael was like, "You want to hear something OLD?" And the guy standing next to me and I both instantaneously yelled, "Demon of the fall!"

And then Mikael said, "This one is from My Arms Your Hearse. I want to see some headbanging cuz this is DEMON OF THE FALL!"

It was amazing because My Arms Your Hearse had been in my cd player all day.

After amazing Opeth I went and bought an Opeth shirt for $20. I figured why not. Unearthed were performing and I went to check them out. They were alright, but the circle pits were getting way to violent. I was shuving guys around, but it soon became a free-for-all fist fight. I was glad to be on the side watching. At one point, like 5 guys ganged up on another guy and pretty much beat him up. It was like watching a prison riot set Death metal. Very entertaining.

But I got bored of seeing guys punched bloody and decided not to stay for Lamb of God. Really, who can top Opeth? No one...

After that there was a party next door which was alright, but kind of boring compared to the day's events. I wasn't really in the mood for drinking but watched everyone get ridiculously drunk. That was entertaining for a while, but a lot of the random guys I talked to weren't too interesting...

Now my neck is sore from head-banging. But Chris and I are going to go to the Beach soon, so that should be a lot of fun!

-me