LIVE: UPHEAVAL FESTIVAL – July 17, 2021

Venue: Belknap Park

City: Grand Rapids, MI

Date: July 17, 2021

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

The inaugural Upheaval festival is less than a week old and I am already looking forward to next year’s lineup and show.  Unable to hit opening day, I was at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids chomping at the bit when the doors opened, and the packed crowd hurried in through the gates and found their way to the main stage for Day 2 opener Blue Felix.  After an energetic set, the stage was quickly converted for Nonpoint to take the stage and deliver a set full of tracks that got the crowd cranked up and ready to rock all day.  Even frontman Elias was amped up enough to nick the bridge of his nose during the opening track, bleed slightly, and shrug it off.  Off in the distance (and up the hill) there was a secondary stage that featured bands Vestigial and Heartsick up to this point.  Next up on the main stage was Skillet and they brought everything they had to rock the crowd with a set full of hits and rockers that got people jumping, singing, and just enjoying a daytime set under the sun, with many of the crowd attending their first concert in over 16 months.  After a rousing set, we headed up the hill to check out Stitched up Heart and their energetic set that saw frontwoman Mixi leading the foursome through their time, all the while headbanging, singing, and grabbing a guitar for the occasional tracks.  Next on the remote stage was Blacktop Mojo, who has been creating quite a buzz in the rock scene over the last couple years and seemed to keep the momentum behind them and pushing them while they rocked out with the hill packed full of fans signing and rocking along with them. Back down the hill on the main stage, there were two bands closing out the evening that seemed to create a buzz in the air that didn’t let up, even with Blacktop Mojo’s set taking place between them up the hill.

First was the return of Staind who came out swinging with “Eyes Wide Open” and didn’t pull any punches as they launched track after track, getting a lot of fists and singing in the air.  Despite the fact the band hasn’t release new material in a decade, the crowd couldn’t get enough.  The set had plenty of tracks form that 2011 release (which happens to be my favorite of their catalog), including the set opener and two other singles from that disc.  AS they made their way through their time, the crowd exploded at various moments through the set, but no moments louder than when they played both of their gold singles “It’s Been Awhile” and “Right Here.”  As they closed out, they dug back to the beginning and said goodbye with a great live version of “Mudshovel” from their debut release.

As the sun started to set and the moon to rise in the sky, the stage was set, literally, for Rob Zombie to take over Upheaval 2021 and deliver a show like only he can bring.  With videos and visuals abound, the Zombie experience is one that assaults the ears and eyes, but in a good way.  With a new disc to promote – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy – and he kicked the show off with a new track from that disc, “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition).”  Once the formalities were over, Rob and his band – guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D, and drummer Ginger Fish – started ripping into hits new and old as they hit the crowd with the one-two punch of “Superbeast” and “Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown.”  There was no shortage of guitar solos and musical ad libs from the band between tracks or as intros that morphed quickly, like the “Wild Thing” intro that led us all into a sing-along of “Living Dead Girl.”  Tossed in the mix were all of the hits we have come to know, love, and expect during a Rob Zombie show, including “More Human Than Human”, “Demonoid Phenomenon,” and Thunder Kiss ’65” with the latter closing out the set.  A couple newer tracks hit the set as we worked through to the end.  The stage went dark momentarily and then Rob and crew came back for a three-track encore that included a couple of covers “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Helter Skelter” before he sent us all into the darkness of a Grand Rapids Saturday night after he took us all for a ride in his “Dragula.”  I cannot wait to check out more dates from Zombie as the group tightens up after a lot of time off.  I may have missed the first day, but I left the show feeling complete like I had seen everything I needed to.  It’s going to be a long wait for next year’s lineup, but if tonight was any indication, I will wait it out as patiently as possible.

Rob Zombie Setlist: The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition) – Superbeast – Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown – Well, Everybody’s Fucking in a U.F.O. – More Human Than Human – Demonoid Phenomenon – Living Dead Girl – House of 1000 Corpses – The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man – In the Age of the Consecrated Vampire We All Get High – Scum of the Earth – Shadow of the Cemetery Man – Thunder Kiss ’65 – Blitzkrieg Bop – Helter Skelter – Dragula

Staind Setlist: Eyes Wide Open – Open Your Eyes – Not Again – Fade – Raw – Something to Remind You – Crawl – Right Here – Outside – Paper Wings – So Far Away – For You – It’s Been Awhile – Mudshovel

Skillet Setlist: Feel Invincible – Not Gonna Die – Sick of It – Whispers in the Dark – Legendary – Awake and Alive – Back From the Dead – Hero – Monster

Blacktop Mojo Setlist: Unknown New Song – Lay It on Me – End of Days – Bed Tundy – Do It for the Money – The Void – Can’t Sleep – It Won’t Last – Burn the Ships – Tush – Where the Wind Blows

[Show as slideshow]

FULL SET OF ROB ZOMBIE SHOW PHOTOS HERE

FULL SET OF STAIND SHOW PHOTOS HERE

FULL SET OF SKILLET SHOW PHOTOS HERE

FULL SET OF NONPOINT SHOW PHOTOS HERE

FULL SET OF BLUE FELIX SHOW PHOTOS HERE

FULL SET OF BLACKTOP MOJO SHOW PHOTOS HERE

FULL SET OF STITCHED UP HEART SHOW PHOTOS HERE

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries