Las Rageous: Day One with Godsmack, Killthrax, Coheed and Cambria, The Devil Wears Prada and more!

What an amazing raging weekend in Las Vegas! A crowd count of near 20,000 in over-all attendance rocked downtown Las Vegas for the First Annual Las Rageous music festival! Hosted by The Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, the event brought some of rocks newest and best to dual stages and offered fans the opportunity to enjoy a festival experience just blocks off iconic Fremont Street. It was classic rock and roll at its finest and more, with metalcore, progressive, thrash, and a hint of Hillbilly Bluegrass thrown into the mix; something for every metal lover at the first annual show. The day was beautiful, the sun was shining and Vegas was ready for a long weekend of metal! The two day rock festival included Godsmack headlining day one and Avenged Sevenfold on day two, along with an amazing line up of local and national talent.

Day One Friday Las Rageous started with locals Bravo Delta - during the weeks prior to Las Rageous, KOMP 92.3 Radio held a competition online for a Battle of the Fans, where fans were able to nominate and vote for their favorite local band to open the festival each day. Bravo Delta received the honor of opening day one on Stage “F”, which had been set up at the corner of 3rd Street and Bridger in the intersection - we guess this gives new meaning to dancing in the streets! Bravo Delta staked the well-earned claim, “We’ll always get to say we played the first song at the first Las Rageous festival.” KOMP radio winners Honor Amongst Thieves kicked off the “F” stage for another full round of Las Rageous music on Day Two.

Day One Las Rageous was heavy on metal and NuMetal, Stage “F” featured A Friend, A Foe, The Devil Wears Prada, Killswitch Engage, and headliners Anthrax. Vegas based metalcore A Friend, A Foe blasted through their set and new vocalist Juan Gutierrez got some serious air while belting out AFAF songs (including songs from their new EP The Risk in Playing it Safe) for their local and new fans alike lined up front and center. The Devil Wears Prada opened with “Daughter” for a packed 3rd street, hair flying and fierce vocalist Mike Haronica mesmerized the fans as the sun started to set. After TDWP the Killthrax Tour took hold; Killswitch Engage took the stage and set the party tone for the night asking the crowd, “Are you drinking?” Killswitch finished their set with Joey Belladonna joining vocalist Jesse Leach on Dio’s “Holy Diver” before Anthrax took the stage for their headlining finale for Stage “F”. It’s always phenomenal to witness the power of Killswitch Engage, and as for Anthrax, if you have never experienced Joey Belladonna and Anthrax live, well.. it sucks to be you. Anthrax outdid themselves at Las Rageous, diving in with “Among the Living”, “Caught in a Mosh”, and “Madhouse”, and a set with a heavy lean to their “87 release Among the Living and it’s 30 year anniversary, tearing up the stage and stirring up a frenzy for the finale on Stage “F” for Las Rageous Day One.

Anthrax: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

Killswitch Engage; Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

The Devil Wears Prada: Jo anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

A Friend, A Foe: Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

Bravo Delta: Jo anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

As for Friday on Stage “U” (you see what they did there?) another Las Vegas ‘native son’ We Gave It Hell started things off the night, vocalist Taylor Adsit blending with the harder edge music from the band for their metal-meets-melody sound with “LVE”, and playing several off their 2016 EP The Conditioning. Of Mice and Men made a solid presence as night fell on Stage “U”, with Aaron Pauley now on bass and lead vocals and the bands first show as a four piece, with former lead vocalist Austin Carlile leaving the band this year as he continues to battle Marfan Syndrome. Coheed and Cambria lent their Rush-influenced prog rock style to the “U” stage, with a continued journey into their concept rock story, with vocalist Claudio Sanchez looking and sounding like a roaring lion with his signature mane and powerful vocals.