As I pulled up to the Orlando Amphitheater, I couldn’t help but sense the feeling of home sweet home. Today was my 1st festival of the new year and my 3rd Kraken Music Festival. By all indications this one was shaping up to be bigger and better. With 8 top-notch bands slated to perform, Kraken founders Freddy Escobar and Marcelo Ferreira are stepping up their game and as a result have moved to a larger venue in order to accommodate what is sure to be a large crowd. Weather was not going to be an issue today as it was sunny with temps not venturing above the 70s. You couldn’t ask for a better forecast especially here in Central Florida.
The check-in process went smoothly, and I had plenty of time to gear up before checking out the day’s opener, The DEV. This female-fronted Orlando band rocks hard and has drawn comparisons to other successful bands such as Halestorm and In This Moment. Nikollaj Lleshi’s dynamic vocals are a driving force for The DEV but don’t be fooled, this is one cohesive group. The DEV treated their set as a party, and they were obviously having fun. The 5-song set included the new single “Hell Bent” whose new video dropped just a few days ago. Whether they were taking the time to don sunglasses or just laying out bone-rattling riffs, The DEV definitely got things started. “Queen Of The Damned” closed out the set which ended too soon. The DEV has several upcoming shows in the area, and I’ll have to check them out again. Be sure to check out the new video below and follow THE DEV online (links all the way at the bottom).
The DEV:
Nikollaj Lleshi: Vocals
Ryan Danley: Guitar
John Panaccione: Bass
Barrett Jones: Guitar
Chris Caruso: Drums
Setlist:
1.Broken Lies
2.Blood Brothers
3.Hell Bent
4.Shameless Life
5.Queen Of The Damned
We’re Wolves was on deck, and they hit the stage somewhere around 3:30. I had the opportunity to cover these guys early in 2021 so I already knew this set was going to be lit. We’re Wolves calls South Florida home, and the band has been enjoying the success of their debut full-length album “Evil Things” which was released in October of 2021. Vocalist AJ Diaferio was front and center and sporting his signature white face paint as the band launched an ominous and pulverizing onslaught on the senses. The circle pit got started early and showed no signs of slowing down. In addition to new releases like “Fall With Me” and “Welcome To Hell” the Wolves also tore into their cover of Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.” I know I’m on a word count, but just a few quick facts about the “Evil Things” album: Each song is influenced by one of the circles of hell mentioned in Dante’s Inferno. There were also several guest appearances on the album, including Rain Paris, Bryan Kuznitz from Fame On Fire and Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills. Be sure to give a listen to the track “Between The Cracks“, you won’t be disappointed.
We’re Wolves:
AJ Diaferio: Lead Vocals
Jeremy Matthew: Guitar
Jesse Secatello: Drums
Andrew Salazar: Bass
Tony Cardillo: Guitar
I’ve often talked about going to a show or festival and finding a unicorn. Simply put, discovering a band or artist that you’ve never heard of, one that leaves you coming away saying “wow.” Today that proverbial mythological creature status belonged to O-Town’s own, Felicity. The band took the stage with frontman Damien Fagiolino describing to the crowd how excited he was to see Story Of The Year’s Dan Marsala backstage. Before he could finish the story, Marsala appeared onstage jokingly giving Faglioino the bird, actually 2 birds. Together they blasted into “Ignite” from their 2021 album “Dear Universe.” The energy and enthusiasm displayed by Felicity channeled through to the appreciative and responsive crowd. The band also performed several other songs from the “Dear Universe” album including “The Weather.” To describe this song as infectious would be an understatement. My favorite was “Lonely Nights”, a song that really resonated with me. What other guitarist would come out totally rocking a Dr. Phil shirt? Andrew Rapier, that’s who. Aside from the awesome music, Felicity really is a fun band that you must see live. Usually, I wait until I get home to start adding new music to my playlists but today I made an exception. Show Felicity some love and give their socials a click (links at bottom of review).
Felicity:
Mike Alosa: Bass
Andrew Douglas: Guitar
Damien Fagiolino: Lead Vocals
Tyler Dennet: Drums
Cory Comly: Guitar
Setlist:
1.Ignite (ft. Dan Marsala)
2.Pendulum
3.The Weather
4.Lonely Nights
5.Wish You Weren’t Here
6.Burn The World
The 4th slot in today’s lineup was Evergreen Terrace, a band that I was familiar with from their previous appearance at Kraken Fest #3. Having that experience I knew that there was no way that a stage was going to contain lead vocalist Andrew Carey. The band had only been on stage for a minute or two before Carey was up and over the barricade and into the crowd. The fans took advantage of the opportunity to see along with Carey as he crowd surfed through the pit. Guitarist/vocalist Craig Chaney and the rest of the guys held down the fort while Carey was away. The band killed it on performances of “New Friend Request” and “No Donnie, These Men Are Nihilists.” Security had their hands full throughout the set as Carey made repeated trips into the crowd and fans surfed their way over the security wall. The band finished off their set with their 2007 hit “Chaney Can’t Quite Riff” and by this time the fans looked exhausted. Hailing from Jacksonville Florida, Evergreen Terrace has carved out a niche in the live music scene and never seem to miss a beat.
Evergreen Terrace:
Andrew “Drew” Carey: Unclean Vocals
Brad Moxey: Drums
Craig Chaney: Lead Guitar, Clean Vocals
Jason Southwell: Bass
Alex Varian: Rhythm Guitar
Having reached the halfway point of the festival I decided to take a walk and check out some of the sights and sounds taking place throughout the venue. In addition to the vendors and fans I also spotted a pair of fishermen who decided to drop their lines in Lawne Lake so they could also enjoy the show.
Another Florida band had the privilege of kicking off the second half of the show. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has been pleasing fans for more than 18 years and have toured the world without ever officially taking a break. As set time arrived, the natural light had already begun to fade. The red stage lights were muted by the fog that was now billowing throughout the stage. The band took their places and began with “Is This The Real World?” The guys had an all-black look going on with vocalist Ronnie Winter adding a backwards black cap to top it off. The upbeat “A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Called LA” had fans dancing and their anthem “Face Down” brought everyone to their feet. Danny Resnick seemed to be having a blast pushing the keys while bassist Joey Westwood was his ultra-cool self. Drummer John Espy laid down the beats with gusto and guitarist Randy Winter provided the licks. The last song of the set was “Your Guardian Angel” and it’s one of my favorites. You can actually feel Ronnie’s passion when he sings this song. “The Guardian Angel Foundation” was set up to aid a variety of causes such as music education and hyperglycemia research. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has an abundance of upcoming live shows so be sure to check them out.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus:
Ronnie Winter: Lead Vocals
Randy Winter: Guitar
Joey Westwood: Bass
John Espy: Drums
Josh Burke: Guitar
Daniel Resnick: Keyboard
Setlist:
1.Is This The Real World?
2.Misery Loves Company
3.Brace Yourself
4.In Fate’s Hands
5.Waitibg
6.A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Called LA
7.False Pretense
8.Face Down
9.Your Guardian Angel
Somewhere after 7:00 the lights went out and it was time for Story Of The Year. From the plethora of shirts and merch I had seen all day, I knew their fan support was strong. The guys came out to the sound of Good Vibrations from Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch and singer Dan Marsala could be seen warming up. He even threw in a few pushups for good measure. As the stage came to life with exploding bright orange strobes Marsala addressed some technical difficulties by saying, “It only took us fucking 45 minutes to figure out how to play music.” From there the party was on as the band belted out hit after hit. The set started out with their 2003 hit “And The Hero Will Drown.” The spirited crowd could be heard singing in unison during “Anthem Of Our Dying Day” and they slammed hard during “Falling Down.” The awe-inspiring set played out to a backdrop of ever-changing colors that proved to be quite a challenge for capturing decent pics. Although not from Florida, drummer Josh Wills sported an Orlando Magic jersey while pounding out the beats. Marsala’s vocals were on point, and he took a moment to say that it’s been a long time since the band had been in these parts but now they were “all up in our parts.” The end of the set brought about the mega-hit “Until The Day I Die.” The fans clearly wanted a longer set but the band promised they’d be back to Florida in the near future.
Story Of The Year:
Dan Marsala: Lead Vocals
Ryan Phillips: Lead Guitar
Adam Russell: Bass Guitar, Vocals
Josh Wills: Drums, Percussion
As the next set time approached, the temps had dropped into the 50s. Not to worry though because Anberlin was ready to heat things up. Formed in Winter Haven Florida, Anberlin has been tearing up the music scene for 20 years. Clad in a black leather jacket vocalist Stephen Christian wasn’t fooled by the changing Florida Weather. His vocals were as strong as ever as he took the fans on a trip down memory lane. The song “Impossible” sounded great live as did my favorite “A Day Late.” Axe masters Christian McAlhaney and Joseph Milligan brought their guitars to life and provided consistent backing vocals. Bassist Deon Rexroat was all over the place and he wielded his guitar like a warrior with his sword. Co-founder and drummer Nathan Young was nothing short of monstrous behind the kit. Stephen Christian made a point to mention that he wrote several of the sings while at UCF as a student. The band played several more songs such as “The Resistance” and “Paperthin Hymn” before finishing with the ever popular “Feel Good Drag.”
Anberlin:
Stephen Christian: Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Joseph Milligan: Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Deon Rexroat: Bass Guitar
Nathan Young: Drums, Percussion
Christian McAlhaney: Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
As the huge “Heartwork” banner was revealed on the stage the anticipation throughout the crowd was evident. It was well after 10:00 when The Used made their appearance and the crowd erupted, not unlike a powder keg that just gave way to a slow burning fuse. Singer Bert McCracken stormed to the front of the stage as he urged the fans to get on their feet. As the crowd responded the band kicked it into high gear with their 2001 hit “Maybe Memories.” The always animated McCracken was in a feisty mood as he frequently waved his signature flag and constantly asked the crowd to get up and sing along. He even went as far to announce that his 40th birthday was coming up and then had the fans sing happy birthday to him. He jokingly said he was going to search for whoever wasn’t singing loud enough and that he would “fucking find them.” At least I think he was joking.
The 15-song set was impressive and included hits like “I Caught Fire,” “All That I’ve Got” and “Pretty Handsome Awkward.” Bassist Jeph Howard made the most of his melodious Zon and also delivered backing vocals. Guitarist Joey Bradford’s IG tag is BrutalFord and for good reason. Bradford is a beast and delivered brutal riffs with ominous intent. Drummer Dan Whitesides has a lot going for him. In addition to this being the band’s 1st show of 2022 he also welcomed the birth of his son just 2 months ago. His torrid approach was relentless, and the sticks were never still. The Used has always been about the fans and the people. McCracken took a break from his comedic side to tell the crowd that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like or even how many followers you have on social media. The Used is a band for everyone. Returning to his funny side he said, “look around we have vaxxers and anti-vaxxers in the same place.” The guys continued to deliver an unforgettable performance before concluding the night with “A Box Full Of Sharp Objects.” This was my 2nd time covering The Used and I’m already looking forward to #3.
The Used:
Bert McCracken: Lead Vocals, Piano
Jeph Howard: Bass, Backing Vocals
Dan Whitesides: Drums, Backing Vocals
Joey Bradford: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1.Maybe Memories
2.Take It Away
3.The Bird And The Worm
4.Listening
5.I Caught Fire
6.The Best Of Me
7.Paradise Lost, A Poem By John Milton
8.Blow Me
9.The Taste Of Ink
10.All That I’ve Got
11.Sound Effects And Overdramatics
12.Blood On My Hands
13.Buried Myself Alive
14.Pretty Handsome Awkward
15.A Box Full Of Sharp Objects
Having wrapped up my 3rd Kraken Fest I’ve concluded that these events just keep getting bigger and better. To pull off major all-day festivals with little to no hiccups is no easy feat. Hats off to Kraken Music Fest’s Freddy Escobar and Marcel Ferreira along with Tori Kravitz of Whoa, That’s Fresh! Marketing & Publicity. Now comes the obvious question, Kraken Fest #5?
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I’ve had a love for photography since I was young. Whether it was a Polaroid or a Kodak 110, I was always the kid with the camera. My love of music goes back even further. Nothing beats being at a show when those lights go down and the crowd goes nuts.
