September 2022

Day 1. There was a bit of a traffic snarl on the first day, but that is not uncommon at big events. There were two large parking lots, one on either side of the Reformatory. These lots were mowed fields, and parking attendants directed cars to specific spots in the rolling hills. I was driving a low-to-the-ground sedan and was a little con- cerned about its ability to actually maneuver in this environment, but I didn’t have any trouble. The big draws on the first day were Papa Roach and headliner KORN – I have seen both bands many times before and they always put on a great show. Being a metalhead myself I am perpetual- ly on the lookout for the louder acts, so I was also fired up to see Code Orange and DED, and they did not disappoint. The crowd was at first a little confused by Code Orange, I think, but they came around and threw in with the spirit of things by the end of the set. Lacuna Coil gave an emotive performance, and they announced that they were releasing a re-imagined version of their famous album Comalies in the near future for its twentieth anniversary. All of the music was delivered with energy and passion, and the big show really was KORN at the end of the day. 18