THE CAPULET FESTIVAL – THOMPSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY
By Kat Gullage
The Capulet Festival took place on July 1st and 2nd at the historic Thompson Motor Speedway. I was familiar with the venue, with its 1.7 mile road course and .625 oval track, as a motorsports staple – not a concert venue. It was a bit of a trek to get there. It’s in the boonies, but Day 1 brought beautiful weather and made for a nice road trip. I parked in the easy-to-find GA parking and checked in at will call. Holy crap, got hooked up with an entire press kit, including VIP Parking which was On The Oval! Shout out to my AMP editor, Ralph Beauchamp, for making me feel like rock and roll royalty! VIP staff greeted me and pointed out the private VIP bathrooms (priceless).
The Capulet Fest offered up two Shakespearian named alternating stages, a 2-day total of 40 bands and 21 hours of live music. The Capulet stage was outdoors, located on pit road. An adjacent click away from the start finish line. The Montague stage was inside the Paddock “A” garage. Rows of vendors were set up parallel to the garage: Capulet Fest swag, band swag and meet n greets, flavorful mocktails spiked with CBD, Veteran owned Killfoot Clothing, Amy Grey with Radio 104, a shirt ripping tent, just to name a few.
Due to the frenetic schedule, in this review I am only able to offer you a small savory bite, or amuse-bouche, from the full buffet of metalcore courses served up. If you are intrigued by this sampling, I urge you to check out all the bands that performed and attend their live shows and festivals. We’re here to support musicians!
Dead By Wednesday, hailing from our own New Haven CT, did like a 20 minute set at the Montague garage. They were the second band to play, which was a travesty. They’re basically local rock royalty and should’ve played later in the day.
VRSTY from NYC cranked out a short set on the Montague platform that included “TH3 G04T”, “Lovesick_” & “Shameless” but not any of their Spanish songs. I spoke with singer Joey Varela afterwards and he remembered our previous AMP review from their Webster Underground gig. (See our AMP archives for that gem). We talked about the absence of any Spanish songs and he said they decided not to include any due to the limited time they had. I told him, in my opinion, he really shines on those. I confessed that I’m vulnerable in that I don’t speak the language, so he could be telling me to go fuck a shark for all I know. He chuckled.
Iowa’s Saul was a breath of fresh air. A break from harsh metalcore growls, more of a Disturbed vocal vibe (David Draiman co-wrote Saul’s “King of Misery”). Blake Bedsaul (Vocals), Zach Bedsaul (Lead Guitar), William McIlravy (Bass) and Myles Clayborne (Drums), lured me in. Dishing up “Brother’ and “Looking To Fight” they transported me back to my youthful days of garage bands. Not too many bands pleasure your ears and your feels. Check em out! Met and snapped a pic with Blake after, super cool laid back guy. I met a couple that flew in from Des Moines, IA just to see them!
I was expecting a larger crowd considering the amount of marketing I saw. Socials, billboards, radio, etc. Each band did bring at least a fistful of diehard fans and the crowd grew larger throughout the day, but it never reached an impressive size. Most of the attendees were band members or people covering the event in some capacity. Shout out to the fans that did do the whole blazing hot day. A sea of fishnets under shorts and black and gray tattoos. A guy in a head to toe Scooby Doo costume that was in every mosh pit. Another dude in a neck to ankle Spider Man suit. Hardcore.
It was love at first note with Versus Me, another Montague garage set. Strong vocals that switch from melodic to metal growl. A tight band with great musicianship. The recipe for success. It’s apparent these guys work hard as a team, synced up as they fed us their energetic stage presence. “Blackout”, a song they released the day prior, “Down”, “Far Behind” and “Violence” were some of the morsels served to us. “All we ask is that you bang your fucking head and have a good time!” James, the vocalist, shouted “Everyone Jump!” and 55% of the crowd did as they tried not to overheat in that hot ass garage. “Terrified” is my personal fave.
Versus Me is James Milbrandt (Vocals), Dustin Hansen (Guitar), Lee Milbrandt (Bass) and JJ Johnson (Drums). I caught up with James: immediately gushing “Love, love, love you guys“. “You hooked me immediately“. You’re from Wisconsin? What’s the metal scene like there?” James: “Our fans are great, but it’s a smaller scene so we have to tour.” “You’re from Wisconsin, so y’all are Packers fans?” James hesitates and scrunches his face. “So you’re NOT from Wisconsin.” He laughs. “What are you Jets fans? Now that Aaron Rodgers is a Jet and is trying to get several Packers to join?” James: “Basically.”
As I scooted to fill up my Bengals cup with free cold water before venturing to the Capulet Stage, a guy from another band came up to me and said “You like Versus Me? They’re really good. Their drummer is so damn handsome, ugh, we’re all outta luck when he’s around.” Lol.
The outdoor Capulet Stage was plagued with sound issues that slightly improved throughout the day. For The Fallen Dreams began their set with tech issues. Michigan’s FTFD is Jim Hocking (Lead Guitar/Clean Vocals), Chad Ruhlig (Scratchy Indecipherable Vocals), Mac Esses (Drums), Damon Austen Tate (Rhythm Guitar) and Kalan Biehm (beast on the Bass). Chad calls out a fan who’s wearing a Sevendust shirt. “Like that Sevendust shirt, Long live Sevendust!”
Due to sound issues, I really couldn’t hear him well during their performance. A coupla hardcore moshers were not deterred. Chad envied the kinetic dancing youth, stating the rest of us were “old motherfuckers with bad knees”. “The Undertow”, “What If”, “No Heaven”, “Unstoppable” and “RE-Animate” were offered up before the set ended when the sound completely cut out.
Kept my ass in the seated position at the Cap Stage (we could bring chairs!) for a bit, as the temp climbed to 90 and the sun beat down on us. My ears perked up just like the guy’s in the Scooby-Doo outfit when the pre-song for SECRETS was House of Pain’s “Jump Around”. SECRETS was the polar opposite. The grizzly vocals were incomprehensible, partly due to sound quality.
The alternate singer takes the band in an entirely different direction. There were multiple musical changes in their songs especially “The Collapse” or “Incredible” but the changes left me confused, a jumbled mix of ingredients. My notes literally read: “Bad vocals, music just alright, short haired guitarist should sing more, long haired guy had pretty axes.” However, they prompted the biggest pit so far that day, including Scooby Doo and Spiderman. My research shows lots of member changes and transitions, struggles with loss and life pressures. SECRETS has a devoted following in their hometown of San Diego, California, and the Capulet Fest crowd welcomed and devoured them.
Skipped back to Montague to cleanse my palate with Set For The Fall from Hickory, NC. Pretty sure the band’s name originates from scripture. They came in heavy with “Breathe Again” which prompted a smallish pit to break out in the stuffy garage. Got more melodic with songs like “Product of Pressure”. Southern rock was infused into “Rising”, which I loved. The sound was dirty. Maybe a tech issue!
The guitarist jumps around like a madman making it impossible to be immune to the positive energy these guys pump out. Singer announced “Thanks for being here! Come buy merch, give us a dollar, gas is expensive. Be sure to check out all the bands!” “First person to merch booth gets a free shirt“! I was hanging out in the back, which helped me be me first to the merch booth. I asked how the metal scene was in Hickory, NC? “Nonexistent” the singer replied. We exchanged impersonations of “that thing got a hemi?” from comedian Jon Reep.
As I sat down at the Cap stage I examined the shirt more closely. Tan long sleeve, Set For The Fall in black on one sleeve and emblazoned in black on the front “So Sick Of Loosing Sleep On You”. It’s my new favorite shirt because of the type-o.
Lodi California’s A Skylit Drive was up next. In true Capulet Stage fashion, they kicked off their set with sound issues. Wasn’t expecting lead singer Michael Jagmin’s high pitched vocal style. It certainly outshined the snarls that the guitarists mix in. The 90 degree heat did not deter the band’s physical energy, they jumped all over the stage and the crowd reacted by dancing and reciting back lyrics to songs like “My Disease”.
At one point Jagmin swung the mic in a circle and it hit the stage and it did not affect the already sketchy sound quality. I noticed a guy holding a baby on the pit periphery, at least the kid had proper ear protection. They wrapped up their set with “This Isn’t The End” which they dedicated to former vocalist and founder, Jordan Blake, who passed away in April 2023.
Next up on the Cap Stage was last minute add-on and special guest Crown The Empire. Hailing from Dallas, TX they are: Andrew “Andy Leo” Rockhold (Lead Vocals), Brandon Hoover (Lead Guitar), Hayden Tree (Bass) and Jeeves Avalos (Drums). They lure you in with euphonious melodies then punch you in the ear with guttural snarls. “DOGMA”, “The Fallout”, “Black Sheep”, and “BLURRY (Out Of Place)” set the tone. The crowd began filling in, coupla peeps moshed. Andy Leo yelled out “You guys are the fucking best! Anyone got any beers or joints“? A fan hands him a Truly. “Ask and ye shall receive“.
The show continued with “Zero”, “Superstar” (first time performed live), “In Another Life” and “Dancing With The Dead”. The sunburned mosh pit took a quick breath and readied itself for the next act.
Georgia’s Norma Jean fired up and people came running from the depths to the Cap Stage to see em. They are: Cory Brandan (Lead Vocals), Matt Marquez (Drums), Grayson Stewart (Guitar), Clay Crenshaw (Bass), Michael Palmquist (Lead Guitar) and they are HEAVY. The audience displayed old school head banging, a one man pit eventually lured other participants. NJ belted out their fantastically named songs like “Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste”, “Spearmint Revolt”, “1,000,000 Watts” and “I Used To Hate Cell Phones But Now I Hate Car Accidents”.
Diehard fans up front know the lyrics and Cory revels in it “Absolutely beautiful voices! Amazing, you still got it!” When he asks for a larger pit the fans submited. There is terrible feedback when they’re not playing, like cover your fucking ears. A mediocre drum solo was easily overshadowed by the band’s stage presence; simultaneously moved with the music. Corey addressed their followers again “Yours is the only opinion that matters, thank you! Make some noise for Memphis May Fire, we’re on tour with them and they’re amazing“!
Then they did a song off of Wrongdoers. At that moment a crew member came toward me riding a rolling equipment case and flipped right in front of me on a crack in the track. Thankfully only his pride was hurt. Corey strikes a Wayne and Garth ‘I’m not worthy’ pose at the crowd and incites a circle pit “Everyone knows what a circle pit is!“. He then holds a note for a thousand years before unleashing metalcore mayhem. They definitely brought the heat before Memphis May Fire, everyone was sweating their asses off. The fans chanted “Norma! Norma!” when they wrapped up their set.
We were treated to fireworks on this night and not cheap ass ones. It was a legit full display and we had prime viewing location. Memphis May Fire drew the largest assemblance of fans. The Cap Stage sound seemed to be on point for them and they were fucking loud. They shot smoke out of cannons cuz the smoke from the Canada wildfires was not enough. Singer Matty Mullins acknowledged “I know, it’s been a long day” before they kicked off a full 15 song set. I never realized how many heavy bands were in the southern US.
“Blood & Water”, “Left For Dead”, “Death Inside”, “Somebody” and “The American Dream” were performed before Matty conversed with the fans again “How many have seen us before“? Half the crowd’s hands shot up. “The rest, welcome to the MMF family!” He also thanked veterans in the crowd for the service. Matty, Kellen McGregor (Lead Guitar), Cory Elder (Bass) and Jake Garland (Drums) kept it going with “Alive In The Lights”, “Heavy Is The Weight”, “Miles Away”, “Vices”, “Make Believe”, “Misery”. “The Old Me” and “Prove Me Right’. This, combined with a light show and more smoke, had the crowd surfers going. The very deserving fans won an encore of “The Fight Within” and “Sinners.”
It was still a comfortable weather night except that we were getting chewed by mosquitoes at that point. I ran to my car in the nearby VIP lot, resisted the urge to run it around the track, and headed home to rest up for Day 2.
Day 2 – Mother Nature gave us the finger. I delayed my departure due to the weather, only to be greeted by instability at the show. We were either ducking torrential downpours or attempting to stave off heat exhaustion. Shout out to catering for letting us escape the heat and sporadically revel in their AC. I figure they allowed it because the weather, and possible exhaustion from Day 1, kept fans away until later in the day. Vendors were relocated to the back half of the Montague garage.
The schedule got mashed up and rearranged. I got distracted talking old school NASCAR with one of the event staff. My apologies music fans, Kat got off track at the track. I’m feeding you only the entrees for Day 2, but know that all of the bands that were served as hor’dourves fought hard to perform in inclement weather conditions and brought it 1000%. They supported each other to make up for the lack of an early audience.
A break in the rain brought Springfield Mass’s grammy nominated All That Remains to the outdoor Capulet Stage. Originally scheduled to headline this day, the itinerary mish mash moved them up four hours. Fans appeared from the depths of wherever they were taking shelter and merged in with late arrivals. With Scooby Doo in the pit ready to go, Philip Labonte (Lead Vocals), Matt Deis (Bass), Mike Martin (Guitar), Jason Costa (Drums) and Jason Richardson (Guitar) ignited a thirteen song set peppered with tracks from five of their nine studio albums.
Fans got all but two songs off their The Fall of Ideals album, done in reverse from track eleven to one, skipping three and four. “Indictment”, “Empty Inside”, “The Air That I Breathe”, “Become the Catalyst”, “Six”, “The Weak Willed”, “Whispers”, “Not Alone” and “The Calling”. Labonte flexed formidable vocals, the band showed decent musicianship, obvious they are a tight team. Labonte to the crowd “I only have to go an hours and forty-five minutes to get back to my bed, no sleeping on the bus tonight! We’re ATR from New England. Our first show was in CT! This is our first show in over a year.”
The audience had grown in size. “Who here has seen ATR before?” There were a lot of ATR virgins there. “This Calling”, “Fuck Love”, “Chiron” and “What If I Was Nothing” were up next. It had begun to rain again but the band and fans were not deterred. A circle pit commenced. Labonte: “Matt Deis is always looking for something to do, fix things.” They hand Matt a squeegee and he begins clearing the stage of water. The performance ended with their hit “Two Weeks”. We ran for shelter, again. ATR was the last band to play outdoors at the Capulet Stage that evening.
Woe Is Me, from Atlanta, GA, took our minds off the weather as we took refuge in the Montague garage. There’s like seven guys in the band including two singers that alternate an almost pop singer vibe and the typical metalcore snarl. Their infectious enthusiasm got the crowd riled up and jumping in unison during their ten song set. “Fame > Demise”, “I’ve Told You Once”, “Hell or High Water”, “A Story To Tell”, “Nothing Left To Lose”, “Ghost”, “Mannequin Religion”, “Our Number[s]”, “[&] Delinquents”. Woe acknowledged “It’s very humid in here!” They ended their thumping set with “Vengeance”. It was two years since the last time they played CT.
Emery did a long ass sound check which was annoying because I was hot and tired in the M Stage paddock. They formed in South Carolina, but relocated to Seattle, WA. After they went on twenty minutes late I could hear the infusion of the Seattle sound mixed with a punky vibe. I wondered if the long haired band member’s only job was to headbang and bounce all around the stage and growl. At one point they had their true hearted fans cluster together at the front of the stage and recite lyrics back to them. Scooby Doo was there, of course. Emery’s set ended at the time we would’ve had fireworks again, but nature did not comply.
There were a lot of people talking up the closing band, Anberlin. They’ve been characterized as a Christian band from Winter Haven, FL. Even though their start time changed to two hours later than originally scheduled, their fans stuck around and were buzzing with excitement, proclaiming that I would love them because they weren’t screamo sounding and had a good mission and core values.
My curiosity peaked. During the final set change of the festival, I trekked over to the other side of the compound to use the sacred VIP bathrooms. On my way back I came across my NASCAR staff buddy who asked if I was headed to the Anberlin show, said he’d give me a ride in his golf cart. I gratefully hopped in. He mentioned how the crew was “absolutely gassed”. I assumed he would drop me at the beginning of the Montague garage building. He didn’t, he literally dropped me off at the side of the stage! Some guy came out and threw Scooby Doo a shirt, gave a big thanks to the Capulet crew and yelled “Here’s your headliners!”
The space was probably seventy five percent full. The opening track “Never Take Friendship Personal” dragged on forever. The singer, Stephen Christian, was especially exuberant and the rest of the band, Joseph Milligan (Guitar), Deon Rexroat (Bass), Nathan Young (Drums), and Christian McAlhaney (Guitar), brought big energy. I liked the music but there were sound issues with the vocals. During “Paperthin Hymn” I couldn’t hear the vocals at all, but the devoted followers picked up the slack with ease.
Stephen shouted “Let’s have the best night of our lives!” “The Resistance” and “We Are Destroyer” riled up the faithful as they, bounced, jumped, clapped and sang. Stephen leaned over and shook hands with a bunch of fans who began loudly requesting “Two Graves” and the band performed it immediately. “Impossible”, “A Day Late”, “Hello Alone” were dished out before Stephen acknowledged Scooby Doo “Didn’t know you’d be here tonight, I woulda brought a treat.” The band never turned down the energy, bouncing around non-stop like an aerobics class. The seventy minute set wrapped up with “Someone Anyone”, “Self-Starter”, “Readyfuels”, “Godspeed”, the live debut of “Lacerate”, “Dismantle.Repair.”, and “Feel Good Drag”.
It was a pleasure to be exposed to so many great artists from all over the US. EVERYONE was happy and kind – fans, performers, staff. There wasn’t one fight or injury or incident. I’ll never get tired of listening to, or watching people enjoying live music or seeing those Scooby Doo ears in every mosh pit for two days.
Here is a list of all of the bands that performed at Capulet Fest. As always thank you to our faithful readers!
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