Dalefest Part 2

So, day two of Dalefest...

The next morning we woke up to the night time warriors who hadn't yet been to bed. Their loud roars of "WAKE UP AND RAGE!" usually followed with a "DO IT FOR DALE!". Who had been the guy that started up the shows way back in the day, as we were told. So as we stumbled out of our tents we decided to cook up some bacon, we had a little burner and a skillet and we just started cooking. Those late night warriors had finally gone to sleep and we had our fantastic breakfast in the middle of tent city. We found that singer from Blue to Grey passed out on top of a as table, someone had then knocked him off of then he continued sleeping underneath. As the day went on we talked to a few people we had recognized from the night before, one woman who had shown up with a complete jerk and we couldn't understand why she was with him. We noticed her a few other times throughout the day, and no, let's just say he wasn't her boyfriend. He was just one of the 6 or so guys she got with in that one day long period. At one point she had even stumbled up on stage and started stripping. Many people had gotten annoyed at her presence, but apparently some of the guys had other ideas in mind. After they let her have her fun on stage, the band's set up and began playing. After a couple of hours it had started raining, the band's continued but we just sat in our large tent and just hung out and sipped on some of the Gatorade drink, everyone else was out in the pouring rain keeping themselves to drunk to care. Jacob and Nich on the other hand were already fed up with the entire trip and we're ready to leave the minute we woke up that morning. They didn't drink at all and from hours in the sun were as I could imagine in a horrible mood.

I haven't yet been to a show or event that could top that first night of Dalefest, just for all the experiences we had. Most of which happened when just Dalton and I were awake. Night two was definitely a let down, especially after it had started down pouring. I won't forget my first Dalefest and I'd be up for going to another one or something similar. This trip really made me notice music is truly a culture. All of these people were a breed all their own and it was an unforgettable experience to be there and witness all Dalefest had to offer.

Day two was pretty bad to be honest, we sat in the sun the entire day with no shade of any kind. We all ended up sunburnt because of it. Day two was in no way comparable to the events of the first night.

Thanks for reading (many things did get cut from the story)

Dalefest Part 1

A couple summers ago we heard of this two day camping and live bands event called Dalefest. They weren't big bands but they were local ones you've probably heard of if you were into local metal music. This had originally been a trip my mom and her best friend Debbie were planning on going too. As we heard more and more about it we became interested. So the trip turned into a group effort. Our group consisted of my mom, Debbie, Bridget(Debbie's friend), my sister Courtney, her boyfriend Dalton, our cousin Jacob, Nich(my friend), and I. We loaded up two cars for this trip which was roughly an hour and a half away in Imlay city. Debbie and Bridget went in another car and on their own trip there, so it was just us in the cars tailing each other. Jacob was driving the second car and I was leading the way from the first. It had got so frustrating just getting there due to the fact that every time we started maintaining a speed, Jacob and nich would severely fall back. This happened the entire trip so I was so thankful when we had finally reached the place.

As we were pulling in we were curious to the kind of place we had brought ourselves into. The house on the property was kind of ran down and the actual field where we would be camping at had a stage, Porta potties, and a sort of concessions shed. I made a comment that this feels more of an off the main road kind of crazy biker rally, just by the feel and visuals this place had along with its operators. We decided to stay and play it out and began carrying all of our tents, coolers, bags across their entire property to the field. We got set up before barely anyone had even shown up, I had a feeling we were going to be "that family" the one who is just completely out of place and had the wrong idea of what we had come too. As everyone started arriving we had gotten more comfortable and didn't feel out of place. Most people started drinking and we're how you'd say partaking in the consumption of illegal substances. Since we were minors we had to be careful with drinking even though it was going to be fine, since we were supervised and no one was driving. The band's had finally gotten on stage late in the afternoon and we just hung out by our tents and started drinking and listening to the music. A few of us had vodka mixed in gatorade, while Jacob and Nich went full force on the beer. Jacob drank as almost if it had been a race and within a matter of hours was drunk and completely sitting back in his chair. Nich on the other hand had drank slower and gradually got more drunk as the night unfolded. He started getting really into the music which made us all start cracking up. This music was so far off of what Nich normally listens too, it was just funny watching him get into it.

As the evening slowly approached and headed into the night, both Jacob and Nich had gone to bed to sleep off the alcohol. By this point there were a ton of people around, along with an abundance of drugs. There was so much that people literally walked around offering them. The place we had come across was really quite strange. I'll say without saying, a few of us did actually try something that night and it did make for a crazy unforgettable night. I had brought a couple high powered laser printers and made a laser show on the trees behind the stage for all the drunk and people tripping to watch along with the music. Many people had wandered over after a band had finished their set, and before the next band had gotten their equipment set up for their performance. By the time it had gotten into the late hours of the night, most of our group had gotten too drunk so they had gone to bed and mom was off with her friends. Which left Dalton and I sitting at our table, a couple members of bands that played that day had come over to comment on the lasers and talk about the shows. Most came by for the big tub of butter pretzels my mom had brought, they left a taste in your mouth that just made you crave a few more. The singer from a band called "From Blue to Grey" sat down with us and had an actual deep and meaningful conversation with us. All three of us were drunk to say the least but we actually had it maintained enough to carry out the night. 


Dalton and I were finally thinking of going to bed after Bridget had stumbled over to our table with her guitar. She sat down and just started strumming fast and repeatedly, it sounded awful and quickly started ruining the night. She wandered off after a bit, hopefully realizing no one wanted her there playing as much as she did. She came back a few minutes later yelling nonsense at us which got the staffs attention. They told her she was going to have to leave if she kept it up, she then got up and charged away in my direction. I at the time was trying to pack up a few things for the night because I was so done with her already. I was holding a candle which had been sitting on the table the entire night and she rammed into me and got the hot wax all over me. I was already pissed at her for just being around but that definitely sealed it. I got what I could off and just changed and went to bed. I just didn't want to deal with her for the rest of the night.



Thanks for reading (yeah, part one is ridiculously long but didn't want to break up day one)

The Shows

So, I totally hate when they come around and I miss them....


One regret I have is not making more of an effort in getting to the shows when my favourite bands come to Michigan. I mean in the past couple of years it seems like all the ones I love listening to the most have come to places like Grand Rapids, and Detroit. Which, are a ways away but not at all impossible to get too if it'd actually get planned out. Like tomorrow the 15th, A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon are coming to Grand Rapids to put on a show together as a stop on their Parks and Devastation tour. I really want to be there but once again I'm pretty sure I'll be missing another concert I should have been at.

In the past, I've had a couple groups of friends who've gone to concerts I wanted to go to but never asked around to see if anyone I knew was going or not even though I should've. Once was Dirtfest where Falling in Reverse was performing and I later found out my cousin and his girlfriend were going with one of her friends and I would've been stoked to catch that show. Another one I missed was a Lights concert a couple of friends had gone too (Lights is so not metal core but has been in a few BMTH songs as well as BlessTheFall and a few other bands). I didn't find out my friends had went to that show till later that night and earlier in the day I had been at my grandmothers funeral, so I really couldn't go either way. But at that time I was all like omg Lights (fangirl all up in everyones face). That day was all around sad especially due to everyone crying and mourning over my grandma. Which is understandable, I was right there with them and I was sad and missing her too. What sucked even more was the fact my friend Kyle had later sent me a picture and a video, the video was part of a song during the show and the picture was her autograph he got after the concert. I got even more upset after that but was glad he at least got a chance to meet her. That was totally cool, I was just upset because I didn't get the opportunity too.

Just before school had started another friend of mine had gone to warped tour and I was jealous again because as I recall Falling in Reverse had again come back along with, Of Mice&Men, Crown the Empire, Parkway Drive, Chelsea Grin, Issues, and SECRETS had all been there too along with a ton of other bands. Since warped tour was an all day event I had her keep me updated on who all she was seeing and what pictures she had gotten. She met every member of CTE, SECRETS, and had said the guys from Issues were actually kind of douchebags for not meeting with their fans or doing autographs like all the other bands had been doing. She ended up getting a bunch of pictures and autographs, mostly of CTE and SECRETS. She didn't even half the band's I would have went for, mostly due to conflicting playing times and overloaded crowds for the bigger bands but had a blast regardless of who all she actually got to see and meet.

Thanks for reading :)

So Music?

Music is a culture. Wouldn't you agree?

I like many other people have found a deep connection with music. No matter which genre of music a person prefers, their choice can be connected with by someone and your preference of it doesn’t affect how they relate to it and how strongly they feel about it. Music is socially accepted all over the world and each genre acts as a voice for all the people that follow it. I personally prefer thrashing yet melodic tone of metalcore as it has become known as. Which may raise the question as to why or the need of the loudness or thrashing sound that is played. But to many people including me it sounds entirely different than a loud rage of yelling. The sound these bands play and the vocals that most of the time many will hear as nonsense or “screaming” to those who haven’t acquired the ability to listen to what is actually being performed. 

The bands and songs I listen too for the most part have a deep meaning behind the vocals that many people overlook. Which is really upsetting because a lot of these songs are of life and experiences we’ve all gone through or can relate to in some way or another. It’s these songs many people love to listen too because it helps them feel like they are not alone. When you’re having a rough day, where you just want to be left alone with your thoughts or just want to relax and unwind, many people would want to turn on some calm and soothing music they can sing along too. I prefer to turn on some music that gets me fired up and out of the mood that was just bringing me down. While some loud music with all of the parts of the band going, I do love many of the songs that have a slow and melodic chorus that anyone could find appealing. That slow chorus is usually what brings the whole song together and there are even a few songs I only enjoy listening to for the amazing chorus. 

Whether it's slow or fast paced I love the music I listen too, I find it hard to go a day without it. I like many people listen to music almost constantly, when I’m out jogging, in the shower, driving around, or just hanging around the house or with friends. I’m always looking for new bands to listen too, even though I don’t get sick of the ones I’ve already listened to for what seems like forever. To my personal taste this type of music can never get old, I’ve yet to get sick of my favorite bands and have many of their songs throughout my playlists. I feel bad for those who don’t give some of these bands a chance. I know just because I enjoy them doesn’t mean everyone else will but I do believe there are songs we all can connect with in some way. Which is why I find music in general to be a great asset I don’t think I could live without.

Thanks for reading!