Fort Rock 2017 kicked off The World’s Loudest Month in Florida on April 29th and 30th

Fort Rock 2017 kicked off The World’s Loudest Month in Florida on April 29th and 30th

The temperature climbed into the 90s at JetBlue Park in south Fort Myers, two of the hottest days so far, but that didn’t stop thousands of rock fans from crowding the stages.  Promoters took the stage with a reminder that we are all one big dysfunctional metal family and family takes care of one another, helps each other and makes sure we are all ok. Staying hydrated and staying cool were the challenges of the day but the security team came to the rescue and were prepared to cool the fans down with multiple water hoses. Everyone seemed to enjoy the mist on this sweltering Florida day and the guards seemed to be enjoying the fan interaction as well.  There were also multiple misting fans to help battle the heat.

There were 26  bands playing over two days in front of a combined 24,000 fans on a gorgeous grassy playing field at JetBlue Park.  The crowd that turned out at JetBlue Park for the two-day event was said to be the largest in the event’s five-year history. Fans were lined up at the gate to enter the park and steadily increased as the day went on.

Fort Rock’s first band to take the stage was Orlando’s own  Felicity. They got the party started with the rest of the day to include: Def Leppard headlining Saturday with Chevelle, Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, Seether, Three Days Grace, In This Moment, Motionless in White, Nothing More and Beartooth.  Sunday brought some heavy hitters to the stage with Soundgarden headlining Sunday with the Eagles of Death Metal, All That Remains, In Flames, The Pretty Reckless, Highly Suspect, Mastodon, The Offspring and A Perfect Circle.

Highlights include Clint Lowery of Sevendust joining Seether to help with the live sound experience, Maria Brink joining Jacoby Shaddix and Papa Roach to cover Gravity, Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds joining the Eagles of Death Metal and Black Hole Sun, Outshined and Spoonman from Soundgarden with a chorus of thousands.  Def Leppard  had an amazing set and light show that included many classic favorites including Foolin’, Love Bites, Bringing’ on the Heartbreak with an encore of Rock of Ages and Photograph.

Photos/ Review by Jennifer Reis

Crowd photos by Cathy Artzner Perkins

http://fortrockfestival.com/