I can’t believe I’m already sitting down to write my article for this month. Summer is definitely here, and with it is the outdoor shows which are my favorite. I only made it to two of the festivals I’d planned, plus another show a few nights ago, but between those I saw around thirty-five acts bands ranging from country & blue-grass to metalcore. It was absolutely a great month of music.
First up for the month was Rock On The Hill Music Festival in Hanover PA. This was ROTH’s forth year, and every year has been bigger and better. I’ve covered this festival from the beginning, and I look forward to it each year. This year brought the second stage up beside the main stage for a much more fluid back & forth between bands and sets which I personally enjoyed a lot. Also made it a lot easier to photograph bands on each stage without having to hike a few hundred yards between stages, so that was much appreciated too LOL. The festival brings together a great mix of bands both local and national of varying genres of rock to bring in a wide variety of music lovers which is always a blast. Some of the bands have made previous appearances at ROTH like Veer, TubeFreeks, and FeltSideOut but there were always first time performers for the festival by bands like Burn The Martyr, Six Whiskey Revival, Lives Lost and headliner The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. The festival is the brainchild of Brenden Starr (who also put on a great performance) and was created to benefit the Hanover Area Jaycees. Planning for 2026 is already underway…talking to Brenden and hearing some of the ideas and plans already being worked on, I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!
Our next trip was my annual trek to Fayetteville, West Virginia for (I think) my 9th or 10th Waynestock. I love Waynestock for a lot of reasons: It’s put on by great friends, the music is fantastic, the stage is beautiful and gets better every year, and there is so much to do in the area during the day that each year I go is a different experience. From whitewater rafting, to more awesome hiking trails than I could count, to horseback riding, mountain biking, boating & kayaking the beautiful Summersville lake…there really is something for everyone. This year brought even more PA bands down to the mountains: Downstreak Acoustic Duo, Matt Jameson Life, Dr Nyce Band, Rascal Revival, Coltt Winter Lepley, Rivers…and blended it with music from acts like Zuffalo, Widely Grown, Conebuds, Ma’am, Stone Throwers and the Johnny Mullenax Band. Some highlights from my perspective: Matt Jameson bringing multiple other artists up on stage with him to jam having never played with them before. Also sharing a drink or three, cigars, and more laughs than should be allowed with Matt after the evening’s music was done. Rascal Revival had a tough set that began with some driving rain that kept the crowd away for their first half…but then the clouds parted and a rainbow appeared right over the stage which helped bring people to the stage for the last bit of their incredible set. Zuffalo was one I’d never heard of, but they’re this funky psychedelic sort of rock band that just instantly wow’d everyone there and turned them in to instant fans. Johnny Mullenax Band brought their funk country bluegrass rock with absolutely shredding guitar licks that no one in their right mind couldn’t enjoy. There was a ton more of incredible moments, both on stage and off, that just make this three day festival an absolute favorite time of mine each year.
My last trip out was courtesy of Beautiful Divide to celebrate their CD/Vinyl release of “Perception Fractured” at HMAC. I was pretty excited to hear them play through the entire CD and I was not disappointed. You can check out their music anywhere you normally check music out. It’s different, it’s very well done, and I’m definitely a fan having now seen them play live twice. Second up on stage for the night was Lancaster based Hardcore band Fallbright. These guys hit the stage with frenzied power from start to finish and really amped the crowd up! They were a total blast to listen to and interact with after their set. Headlining the evening was my friends in Ruinness. Celebrating their one year anniversary with their first headlining show, Ariana and the guys kept the huge energy of the night flowing. Always a joy to see these folks pouring their hearts out on stage with their healthy mix of originals and covers while the crowd sings and dances along.
So there it is, my month of music through my eyes and ears. I want to once again thank all the bands, venues, and everyone else involved in our incredible local music scene for everything they do. Just a reminder: if you’ve got a show coming up that I should see; make sure to send me an invite, shoot me an email or a message, let me know about it. Venues: please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well. The majority of the shows that I go and shoot I find out about through invites from all of you or your friends. Hit me up on facebook: @chrisriderphotography or email: chrisriderphotography@gmail.com, stop me if you see me and say hi. Until next month…go find some live music and give them and the venue your support, they truly need it more now than they ever did.
