Aftershock 2023, Day One: The Up-And-Comers

The 2023 Aftershock Music Festival is HERE! We have been looking forward to this weekend all year long. And day one did not disappoint! The California sun shone bright and hot as the last days of summer here poured onto the Discovery Park stages. Fans were full of excitement and poured in early in the day.

Here were our top acts of the day, all up-and-comers in the metal scene…

Starbenders had a strong performance with an old fashioned rock and roll attitude. The lead vocals sent chills down the spine, and passion was evident in their craft. “All you motherfuckers get in here!” they screamed to the shy guys in the crowd. It’s only a matter of time before they become the big act they’re destined to be.

Kid Kapichi, a modern punk band from the UK, brought a lot of movement and energy to the stage. Quick witted and fun, they remarked to a group in the crowd, “I see you all standing in the shade. Now that’s proper English!”

Kim Dracula lit up the stage with vivid purple hair and an insane vocal range. They stunned the audience with songs from their new album A Gradual Decline In Morale. Their extremely talented band members donning devil masks completed the stage for a dark and mysterious musical picture.

Beauty School Dropouts hit the stage with an energetic stage presence. Bassist Beepus and guitarist Bardo ripped out bouncing and catchy riffs as lead vocalist, Coley, belted moody melodies. At one point, he told the crowd that this was a special event for him. After attending Aftershock for 5 years, the project is here on the stages, and sure to keep rising in the ranks from here. The crowd was ecstatic while they performed an unreleased song called “Blow My High” from their upcoming album Ready To Eat, dropping October 13th.

DeathbyRomy skipped and glided across the stage in an oversized “God is Good” sweater with Snoopy on it, and a plaid skirt. But over the course of a few songs tore that off to reveal that she was decked out in studded black leather. Her image matched her haunting, beautiful vocals punctuated by powerful, dark screams. Her bandmates complemented this with hard punchy riffs that made for music that the crowd responded to with the best most pit Romy had ever seen.

With many more incredible bands to come, the rest of this weekend is sure to be an experience not to miss. We hope to see you tomorrow!