If you are a fan of rock and metal, and live on this side of the county (if not the world), you probably know about the Aftershock Music Festival. It’s now been 13 years of creating premium entertainment experiences for attendees and the satisfying stage moments for participants.
Aftershock has consistently grown and pushed the limits of what people expect from festivals. Hundreds of thousands of people, of all ages and walks of life, from across the world, make their way to Aftershock each year, and the Times was lucky enough to be in attendance this year and get to know many of them.
In addition to a gallery of fun photos from the event, here is a roundup of some of the Times favorite interactions that demonstrate why this event is so special to its fans.
On the opening day of the festival, the Manchester based rock band “Hot Milk” (known for songs like “Candy Coated Lies” and “Horror Show”) led the way as the first to go on stage, giving a truly electrifying display of raw talent and love for their art. Self-described as “emo powerpop,” the band blends a huge variety of sounds and styles: pop, emo, rock, metal, hardcore, and hip-hop. In spite of the rain, they didn’t slow down at all, and gave a performance to remember for their Aftershock debut.
Shortly after, the Times was lucky enough to chat with them, learning a bit about what the experience was like. “Yeah, it was great!” said promptly by Lead Vocalist Han Mee when asked about their performance. “It was raining when it started, and then it wasn’t at the end, so I like to think that I did this! Through our dorsal tones and magic words we have made it sunny outside. So, you’re welcome, Aftershock!”
It was evident that they had as much fun, if not more, than those who got to catch their set.
Afterward, the Times asked what the fans reception has been to about their latest album “Corporation P.O.P” wand, and what it has been like to share it with fans as they tour.
Mee replied, “I think this album, for us, has been a fan favorite! There is no one that has said a bad word about it, which is good for us. It means we felt like we did something OK — like, we are our biggest critics aren’t we.”
Sharing the same sentiment, Co-Lead Vocalist/Guitarist Jim Shaw said, “Its hard to be subjective about something that you have made and literally just handed out!”
Then, when asked to describe themselves and their community to those who may have never heard of them before, Mee said, “We’re a band that just wants to make everyone have a good time despite everything that is happening in the world. If you come to a Hot Milk show, and you forget about the outside world for even 5 minutes, that’s a win for us. You know, it’s a rock show We believe in our craft wholeheartedly and we believe in the message we’re trying to get out there — were preaching the good fight.”
Shaw then added, “Its guitar, yelling, and pits! Every and any one is welcome!
Later in the weekend, while fighting crowds and waiting between sets, the Times also found a longtime Aftershock attendee, Josh Hagerman (notably, a distinguished cosplayer @ VenomPoolJosh), who wanted to share why he loves this festival so much and attends every chance he can.
“I have been coming for 11 years now. It is a great crowd, there is never really any drama, there’s always good bands, and its always a good time!”
When explaining his favorite experiences and sets so far, he said: “Last year and two years before, Slipknot have put on the absolute best show that I have seen here,” before going on to tell us how he came dressed up as some of the original Slipknot members throughout the fest last year. And lastly, when asked about what he would like to say to someone who may be sitting on the fence about coming to Aftershock, he replied quickly and enthusiastically: “Everyone takes care of everyone so don’t be afraid to come and be around a lot of people. And there’s always an amazing lineup, so there is music for everyone!”
Lastly, the Times had a fun moment with Sacramento artist Ryan Brown, the vocalist of TITVN (pronounced “Titan”), who was lucky enough to be selected to play Aftershock’s pop-up stage after gaining a reputation and a bunch of attention in the area having hosted his own festival “Titanfest” since 2021. When describing the experience he said, “Since we played something like a DIY pop up stage, it really felt like Warped-Tour back in 2003. So, I got that amazing experience while also playing in front of thousands of people at Aftershock. Honestly, it was beautiful — it was nothing but beautiful bliss! And even though I couldn’t hear myself, I loved every aspect of it. We deserved to be on that small stage, and it got to be our foot in the door. We needed to experience what that level was like before we do anything more.”