If the Thursday of Sonic Temple was owned by emo, Friday is all about nu metal. At least so far as the Altar stage is concerned, Sonic Temple’s newest addition drawing a healthy crowd throughout the day. Mushroomhead bring the vibe with a big-drum thumping set that doesn’t quite dispel the Slipknot comparisons, but doesn’t suffer for it either.
If you just paid attention to the upbeat riffs and “na-na” melodies, Everclear would look like the perfect sunny festival band. But with a discography that explores drug abuse, heartbreak and childhood trauma, there’s always a dark bite to their songs. That doesn’t stop their set being an absolute delight. Art Alexakis might fall behind on faster tunes like Heroin Girl, but when Father Of Mine and Santa Monica bounce in the whole crowd chime in for a sing-along.
