MACROCK, though lacking big national names from their lineup, is still a great time.
MACROCK, though lacking big national names from their lineup, is still a great time.
As a self proclaimed RVA “scenester,” it was really refreshing to hear Richmond bands through better quality sound systems than I’m used to. I’d seen bands like Atta Girl and Truman in many basement and living room situations.
And as fun as that is, usually you can’t tell what the fuck is going on due to the bands having about five minutes to do a “sound check” between sets and shitty PA systems. So I really enjoyed being able to hear these talented bands at their full potential.
Maybe I’m biased but some of the best bands I saw this weekend hail from River City. As I mentioned above, Atta Girl (who just released a wonderful EP “
Atta Girl
Other great RVA bands from the weekend include Doll Baby, a great alternative outfit led by the raw, driving vocalist Julie Story. I recommend listening to their demo, specifically the song “For Sylvia” as it’s been stuck in my head since the festival.
The Cherry Pits also made it a point for the crowd to know that they don’t give a shit, to the point of having vocalized that statement probably a dozen times while on stage. You can listen to their demo here its punk at its purest and will make your heart race when you hear it live.
Cherry Pits
Even though there were no giant names (besides maybe Wolf Eyes if you’re hip to that) there was a massive amount of talent at this multi-venue festival in the random college town of Harrisonburg.
Dogs on Acid
If you have not listened to Gym Shorts (tope image) or Dogs on Acid you better soon before it’s too late to say the commodified statement, “I listened to them before they were big.”
Another great thing about MACROCK was the crowds themselves. I’m pretty used to the “too jaded to do anything other than nod my head crowd” that plagues Richmond. Most people either feel too weird to dance to a band they know people in or have seen the same band so many times that they are just used to them.
Whereas at MACROCK offered bands the chance to play to fresh ears for the first time. And for the most part, the moshing that went on was tame enough to not feel threatened by your typical too drunk macho guy that ruins the pit for everyone else.
Good job JMU bros.
There was also a huge turn out, with a lot of the venues reaching capacity on a number of occasions throughout the weekend.
MACROCK was a great experience and personally re energized my love of live music. The bands were great; you should listen to all the ones linked in this article and try to catch them live at your earliest convenience. We’ll see you next spring, Harrisonburg.
