Featured image by the amazing Sanjay Parikh for Shinedown. (Used with permission.)
Even though the last two days of Blue Ridge Rock Festival at ViRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia were canceled over weather concerns according to the festival website, memories were made on Saturday, September 9th when headliner Shinedown decided to play anyway. They brought along tourmate Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach and Virginia’s recent viral country artist Oliver Anthony to the campground for a popup acoustic show. There were no stage lights or microphones, but only a tiny wooden stage where they performed on a few guitars with three dogs under foot. This impromptu concert thrilled remaining fans who sang along with nearly every word and provided a little consolation for the festival being cut short.
Offsite media were not allowed back into the venue on Saturday, so I have included videos and photos taken by others. The feature photo above is courtesy of Sanjay Parikh.
Brent Smith of Shinedown, along with Papa Roach and Oliver Anthony performed “Simple Man (cover by Lynyrd Skynyrd).” The video below is courtesy of Joe Kirkum and Rock Ambassadors Media‘s YouTube channel.
Check out Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach singing “She Loves Me Not” – video courtesy of Mike Spencer Photography’s YouTube channel
Check out Oliver Anthony along with Shinedown and Papa Roach performing “Rich Men North of Richmond” –
Video courtesy of Joe Kirkum and Rock Ambassadors Media YouTube channel.
A few of the other artists slated to perform on Saturday and Sunday included Parkway Drive, Megadeth, I Prevail, Memphis May Fire, The Used, Spiritbox, Pantera, Lamb of God, Limp Bizkit, Babymetal, Shevelle, Jinjer, and Pierce the Veil. See the complete schedules below.
Heartsick, Fight from Within, Scars Remain and I Set my Friends on Fire closed the night with a popup show at the campground’s Heartsick tent.
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Annette Holloway is a music, promo, portrait, and event photographer. Live concert photography and band/artist photoshoots occupy much of her time. Her work has been published on numerous media outlets including Billboard, Pollstar, NBC News, Getty Images, Forbes, HM Magazine, ICON Sportswire, Loudwire, CCM Magazine, and many more. Before diving into photography full time, she was a NASA software engineer, webmaster, church youth leader, and robotics mentor. For more information about her photography, visit AnnetteHolloway.com.
