Aftershock is an annual hard rock and heavy metal music festival based in Sacramento, California. This year, the event ran from Oct. 2 to Oct. 5, and marked its 13th year in operation. This festival is a haven for all hard rock enthusiasts who love to let loose, party, and have fun with blaring music.

The Aftershock lineup this year included Blink-182, Deftones, Lamb of God, Korn, Bad Omens, and Three Days Grace. The four-day concert is a constant flow of music from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., packed full with merch stands and eager fans, including myself.

Each band has their own sounds and gimmicks. Some are screamers, whose job is to make your eardrums bleed, while others are more lyrical; some may set the stage on fire, others will bring people up to the stage to sing with them, or some might throw stuff into the crowd. Overall, the bands are all entertaining for their own unique reasons. The bands are full of life, which makes the festival a lively environment that welcomes hard rock fans from all backgrounds.

It is clear how much the bands love their fans by the sheer commitment to their performances. These bands go up there and play their heart out, jump around, and get the crowd involved. The production involved in their performances is breathtaking. The lights, fire, and smoke are all intricately designed to create the best possible show for their fans.  

Speaking of the fans – they are like wild animals. Moshing, crowd surfing, crowd circling, and even walls of death are incredibly commonplace. Even little kids crowd surf, which, despite the potential safety risk, shows how welcoming the rock fanbase is. Many wear funny costumes like pandas, chickens, anime characters, or even cosplay other bands. 

My personal experience was absolutely fantastic. I am not a big mosher, but for this, I was joining everyone in the pit. I had so much fun, especially with Three Days Grace and Korn, with personal favorite being Bad Omens. They did such an incredible job with stage lights and sheer performance energy. They lit the stage on fire and played so loud you could feel it in your bones.

I would say Aftershock is an amazing experience, and I say it’s a fantastic experience to attend, even if you aren’t familiar with that kind of music. The environment is so welcoming, and it’s just fun to listen to great music, mosh with strangers, and have a good time. I recommend Jesuit students attend Aftershock when the event returns to Sacramento next Fall.