Gary's Annual Birthday Bash with RIVAL

Diabolik

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Sep 30, 2005
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I just recently found out about this show / party last year. It is at the Bunker Hill Forest Preserve a little north of Chicago. Huge place and it is the home of our softball game. Last year there was a Van halen cover band, Amulance and this cover band called Vicious Circle who covers Metal Church, Maiden, Pretty Maids, Mercyful Fate and 80's metal. It was a good time and decent turnout. They have a huge beer truck there where you pay 10 bucks for unlimited beer all day. This past weekend it was upon us again. This time Rival ( old chicago metal act), Sudden Deth ( 70's and 80's hard rock cover band), Beard ( cover band of doom and slower 70's stuff),and Vicious Circle headlining it. This year was huge with the turnout.

For an outdoor show this was perfect. Weather was great. Sound system was really good as well. Enough room where you could sit back far away and talk and still hear the music perfect. I wasn't big on the first two bands that played. Rival was good. Not an amazing band but one who if they opened for bigger touring bands they would be perfect. Lots of people watched them as well as the other bands too which was nice. Lots of local bands came out as well to party and support it. Even Odin from the Ragnarokkr fest drove up for it and surprised us all.

Every band seemed to get about 45 minutes to an hour maybe. Bouncy Houses for the kids. Dog friendly as well.

One of the highlights for me was watching Dave run to the stage to hear the Maiden cover that Vicious Circle was playing.

Next year I highly recommend coming out and checking it out. It really is a good time.
 
This time Rival ( old chicago metal act), Sudden Deth ( 70's and 80's hard rock cover band), Beard ( cover band of doom and slower 70's stuff), Rival ( classic chicago metal band) and Vicious Circle headlining it.

Whoa, it's not too often that you see BOTH Rivals play the SAME show!!!

I prefer the "classic chicago metal band" one to the "old chicago metal act" one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T0furRcaTU
 
LOL - I love how you answer that as if it would be your call to make.

Mike has stated a while back that he wouldn't be opposed to open air.

An open air format brings in a whole other crowd, as you saw for yourself.

Look what it did for Riot Fest as well.


LOL, I love how you assume so much. Mike made that comment years ago when the fest was super small. I can tell you now he has zero interest in doing it outside. The reason this party worked is because it was a party...it isn't being sold as a concert. People are there for the beer and social aspect. Bands get a good crowd but not near and the people all hanging out talking and drinking. Riot fest has tons of money and much larger acts to pull in thousands of people. Ragnarokkr struggles each year. Just the cost in getting permits for it would blow most of the budget. Do us a favor and get a horse and move to the mountains and don't bother anyone anymore. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
 
LOL, I love how you assume so much. Mike made that comment years ago when the fest was super small. I can tell you now he has zero interest in doing it outside. The reason this party worked is because it was a party...it isn't being sold as a concert. People are there for the beer and social aspect. Bands get a good crowd but not near and the people all hanging out talking and drinking. Riot fest has tons of money and much larger acts to pull in thousands of people. Ragnarokkr struggles each year. Just the cost in getting permits for it would blow most of the budget. Do us a favor and get a horse and move to the mountains and don't bother anyone anymore. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Also, with the open air format, you wouldn't be able to do that second stage thing, which has been a major help in getting more people and adding another dimension to the fest.
 
Also, with the open air format, you wouldn't be able to do that second stage thing, which has been a major help in getting more people and adding another dimension to the fest.

exactly...plus where in Chicago could you do this? There is no money to do it in a huge area. Any public forest preserve closed at sunset. So the chance of an outdoor thing is pretty much 100% not going to happen.