We always have a blast at the Aftershock Music Festival, and this year was no different. Held over four days this last weekend from October 10-13, and drawing a record-breaking crowd of somewhere around 160,000 attendees, the festival has become a gigantic success.
This year’s lineup included 130 bands across five stages, and while we may be slightly partial toward Slipknot, Mastodon, and Tom Morello, there was an undeniable nostalgic vibe going for the bands we loved from the angsty and formative years of our youth like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Pantera, and Motley Crue.
I met fans from as far away as Australia and according to the promoters, Aftershock draws attendees from all 50 states as well as 40 countries altogether. It’s clear that this music festival is cementing itself as a global destination for rock enthusiasts around the globe.
This particular year was a special one because I got the opportunity to hang with M. Shawn Crahan, or as most know him, Clown, from Slipknot. We had done an interview last year on his use of AI and what that meant not only for the band, but his own creative pursuits as well, so when I found out they were coming close to home, I had to try and get some face time.
Festival days are often jam-packed as it is for the artists, but he made time for us and we talked about everything from Minecraft Servers to AI projects to recently being on Hot Ones and being heavily influenced by Cezanne in his own work before he had to make his way to the main stage to close out Friday night with the rest of the band. For a guy who is more than 25 years in on a legendary metal career, he couldn’t have been more authentically generous with his time and hospitality. Thanks again, Clown. —Mike Stalter
