One thing people can’t live without is music. Everyone in the world, old and young, boys and girls, all love music. And what is better than seeing your favorite musicians live? Well Metalfest was definitely the place for me. On November 12^th, 2013 the Eagles Ballroom and Rave hosted over 20 Rock and Metal bands for an all-day event. All 3 stages were packed with people of all ages headbanging and moshing to their favorite bands.

Getting inside the Rave was a bit hectic though to start. I arrived at 12:30 p.m., and the first bands playing started at 1:15 p.m. Once we got down to The Rave, we had to walk 4 blocks down to the end of the line. The line moved rather slowly and no one was getting in. We ended up finding out that the majority of people in line did not have tickets and were hoping to buy them there. This caused a giant wait for everyone and the bands were being thrown off schedule. Eventually, the people that had actual tickets, which included my friends and me, got to go in right away. They search you to make sure you aren’t carrying anything dangerous and then you’re free to roam around the rest of the night.

The band schedule was also off due to late arrivals, so I was always running around to different stages making sure no band was missed. The Eagles Ballroom upstairs held the biggest bands. The first bands I saw were I See Stars and The Word Alive. I See Stars only played for 10 minutes and you could tell most people weren’t there for them. They put on a great show, always running around and trying to get the crowd involved, but they aren’t a very heavy band so most people stood around. The Word Alive really got the whole crowd involved. They come to Milwaukee at least once a year so their fan base is huge. The crowd went all the way back to the bar, people were singing along, mosh pits were everywhere, and tons of people crowd surfed their way up to the band. The lead vocalist, Tyler Smith, pulled one fan up on stage and they rocked out together.

The next few bands were bands I’ve never heard of so I went and bought band merch and went to their tables hoping to meet someone. I got to meet The Word Alive and they signed my band tee. They were all very polite and sat and talked to their fans like they were just normal people at a show. I also got to meet the Vocalist of Asking Alexandria as we walked around enjoying other bands music as well.

The whole night was awesome, but I couldn’t wait to see All That Remains. They were the main reason most people were there. I fought my way up to the very front of the crowd and sang along to every song they played. They had to have the best stage presence of every band I’ve ever seen. They got everyone in the Ballroom jumping, clapping, moshing, and having the best of times. They ran around, smiled, and you could tell they loved doing this for their fans. As they left, they thanked everyone because without fans they wouldn’t be here today.

To end the night, Asking Alexandria closed the ballroom with a heartfelt speech and show. As they entered, they explained that they were here 5 years ago at Metalfest, but they were playing in the basement with only a handful of watchers. Well 5 years later they got to play the biggest stage in the Rave and ended the night with high, positive energy. What made the speech even more awesome was the fact that I saw them 5 years ago in the basement and thought they were awesome for me never hearing of them before.

Bands that come to Milwaukee always want to come back because we are home to such loyal fans who come out to every show. Some of the bands that attended Metalfest have been here 10 or more times since they began touring. The Rave was jam-packed full of people of every age who were all brought together for the same reason, the music. I met a ton of people, saw people I haven’t seen in years, met bands, and had the best concert experience of my life. Metalfest stood up to their name, and I can’t wait to attend again next year.