K-Rockathon Reboot 7.27.2024
The 2024 K-Rockathon made a triumphant comeback after a 6-year break to "reboot" the festival. Although the show may not have been sold out, the turnout was fantastic. This year's K-Rockathon featured Puddle Of Mudd, Hoobastank, Nonpoint, Stabbing Westward, Boy Hits Car & Brand New Sin, all of which are alumni of this event. When I arrived at the venue, I was greeted by a huge crowd of fans eager to see what the day had in store for them. Between each set, one of the event sponsors, Sweet Grass, handed out free drink cozies, bracelets, keychains, and T-shirts. There were also various food vendors offering options ranging from ice cream to cheesesteaks and more. Additionally, Monster Energy provided free water and energy drinks to keep the fans hydrated. Towards the end of the show, anyone who purchased a ticket was entered into a raffle to win a Monster Energy-branded bicycle. But enough about the vendors—let's dive into the main part of the show.
Brand New Sin opened the show, hailing from Syracuse, NY. They were the only local band on the bill and alumni of the K-Rock Festival. The band members are Kris Weichmann, Chuck Kahl, Joe Altier, Brian ("Slider") Azzoto, and Mike Rafferty. They have performed alongside well-known acts such as Slash, Godsmack, Dope, Chris Cornell, Deftones, Drowning Pool, Audiovent, and Dillinger Escape Plan. In 2006 Brand New Sin recorded Big Show's theme song "Crank It Up" for WWE Wreckless Intent. Despite having released 6 albums, they have not put out new music since 2011. Hopefully, they are working on some new material. I enjoyed their energy and sound at KRock; I hope that I can catch these guys again at another show.
Boy Hits Car is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1993. They have released 4 albums to date, with the latest one being Stealing Fire. The band's setup is noteworthy: the singer, Cregg Rondell, had his acoustic guitar set up on a stand so that he wouldn't have to keep picking it up and setting it back down each time he wanted to move around the stage. Cregg was very energetic, jumping around the stage and at one point even had to put his shoes back on due to the high temperature of the stage, which was absorbing the hot sun because of its black color. However, this didn't stop the band. My favorite song from this set was “Man Without Skin” The next day, they performed again at The Jugg on Teall. At the end of their set, Cregg even got on top of the crowd to connect more deeply with the audience.
Stabbing Westward is an American industrial rock/alternative rock band. Christopher Hall and Walter Flakus formed the band in 1985 in Macomb, Illinois. Stabbing Westward has released five albums to date. The band has not released any new music since 2002, apart from their most recent single "Hex." During a recent performance, the band displayed great passion and energy. Despite lead singer Christopher Hall being injured, he still gave his all during the performance. He even apologized to the crowd for not being able to give more but made light of his injury. Nevertheless, the show went on. At the end of their performance, a person climbed into a large bubble ball and crowd-surfed on top of the fans, which was a definite highlight of the day.
Nonpoint is an American nu-metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band currently consists of vocalist Elias Soriano, drummer Robb Rivera, rhythm guitarist Rasheed Thomas, bassist Adam Woloszyn, and lead guitarist Jaysin Zeilstra. The last time Concerthopper covered Nonpoint was on the Kings & Queens Tour with Butcher Babies. Seeing Nonpoint on this bill was exciting for me. I remember them having a lot of energy and amazing stage performances. Since their debut, they have released 11 albums, with the latest one being To The Pain (Deluxe Edition), and their latest single “Underdog” dropped earlier this year. During their performance, Rasheed Thomas started doing the robot while he was playing his guitar. Before they ended their set, Elias Soriano, their lead singer, said that he wanted to hear everyone sing to the next song, "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, as he believed everyone should know this song regardless of whether they had listened to Nonpoint before. Everyone sang along in response to his request.
Hoobastank, sometimes stylized as h∞bastank and originally known as Hoobustank, is an American rock band formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California. The band consists of lead vocalist Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and bassist Jesse Charland. I couldn't contain my excitement all day in anticipation of seeing these guys come on stage. When I was younger, I vividly remember hearing the song “The Reason” when it came out and was on MTV during the days when they still played music videos (I was only 5 at the time). The band played for a whole hour, and right before they started playing “The Reason,” they asked the crowd how long they had been listening to the band. They found out that some of the younger fans only knew about the band because of their parents. Once they started playing, I noticed that many couples began singing and dancing together, which filled me with joy. While we were in the pit taking photos of the bands I turned around and saw a ton of green balloons being bounced around on top of the fans. Monster Energy had a bunch of balloons at their stand and threw them onto the crowd. They even had “Rock On” hands and I saw a little boy holding them throwing his hands up inside the balloons showing how much of a good time he was having to each set.
Puddle Of Mudd is an American post-grunge band formed in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1991. The band has sold over seven million albums to date and has been nominated for, and won, several awards for "Song Of The Year," "Best Album," and "Favorite Pop/Rock Album." After numerous lineup changes, the band's current lineup consists of Wes Scantlin, Miles Schon, Michael Anthony Grajewski, and Marc Slutsky. During a recent performance, Puddle of Mudd received a warm reception from the fans. Lead singer Wes Scantlin made a grand entrance onto the stage dressed as an old man, creating an element of surprise for the audience. The crowd's energy reached new heights when he revealed his true identity. The band played from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, treating the audience to a mix of older and newer songs, including classics like "She Hates Me" and "Blurry.". Wes also made a lighthearted joke while tuning his guitar, pretending they were about to play a new song called "Pitchin’ a Fit," even though the song was released back in 2009.
Who else is ready for K-Rockathon 2025? I can't wait to see who will be performing next year. Stay updated on the latest music events and concerts by following Concerthopper on Instagram and Facebook. Join our community today to make sure you never miss out on the most popular music experiences. Immerse yourself in the heart of the action and be a part of unforgettable music moments with Concerthopper!