Uproar Festival Rocks Pittsburgh

Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival

(By Ashley Zlatopolsky)

 Presented by THE X at 105.9/PITTSBURGH, the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK UPROAR FESTIVAL touched down this past FRIDAY for an action-packed eleventh stop of the tour. With ADELITA'S WAY, STAIND, GODSMACK and SHINEDOWN headlining on the main stage, the scorching temperatures and blinding sunlight didn't stop anyone from rocking out. FIRST NIAGARA PAVILION was packed at all three stages.

The early action included sets by IN THIS MOMENT and CANDLELIGHT RED at the JAGERMEISTER STAGE, where CANDLELIGHT RED's lead singer RYAN HOKE and guitarist JEREMY EDGE sat down afterward to discuss the festival, the band's future plans, and their new EP, "Demons," which was produced by SEVENDUST drummer MORGAN ROSE.

Following CANDLELIGHT RED's performance, FOZZY took over the Jagermeister Stage where lead singer and WWE wrestler-turned-musician CHRIS JERICHO truly shocked the crowd with his vocal skills and put on a fantastic show.  JERICHO's performance of the band's hit single, "Sandpaper," was a crowd favorite.

After FOZZY, P.O.D. closed out the ERNIE BALL stage, where lead singer SONNY SANDOVAL climbed on top of the barrier and sang into the audience as crowd surfers flew by left and right. Towards the end of the set, the band played "Youth of the Nation," which had nearly every person singing along.

As the two side stages closed down for the day, the main stage opened up around 6p with ADELITAS WAY leading the way. STAIND soon followed, and as the sun began to set, GODSMACK took the spotlight with a killer light show. A double-drum solo with SULLY ERNA versus SHANNON LARKIN was the highlight of their performance, which included bits from the classics "Back in Black" by AC/DC and "Walk This Way" by AEROSMITH.

The most intense set up of the evening, however, was saved for the last band of the night -- SHINEDOWN. Accompanied by plenty of pyrotechnics and incredible stage lighting, it was difficult to look away. MARIA BRINK from IN THIS MOMENT joined lead singer BRENT SMITH onstage to sing along during "Devour," and guitarist ZACH MYERS shredded away on his custom PRS guitar. Both SMITH and MYERS went down into the crowd to perform the acoustic "Simple Man," as swarms of people followed the two members to catch the rendition up close. During the song "45," the entire pavilion was lit up by cell phones and lighters, as if it were filled with a very starry sky rather than the audience.

Touring all the way through the end of SEPTEMBER, the highly recommended ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK UPROAR FESTIVAL has plenty of stops left, particularly in the SOUTHERN and WESTERN STATES, which can be viewed by clicking here.

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