This past weekend, I had the privilege to attend the 2024 Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival at THE Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. What a wild, hot, fun and painful weekend it was and I’m here to break it down for you day by day.
So, lets dive straight in!
Day One
Day one some would consider as the perfect day. Why you ask? The weather was a beautiful 78 and sunny but it felt much worse. If you have ever attended this festival, then you know there isn’t much room to escape the sun. Sure, you have the stadium concession area and some trees here and there, but it’s not much when you have so many people wanting to do the same. Adding a couple more tents with some chairs or bean bags would be a fantastic idea, if it’s even possible with the new layout.
@thepitmedia That was an experience like no other! Thanks @ElectricCallboy! #tekkno #electriccallboy #sonictemple #sonictemplefestival #rock #metal #fyp ♬ original sound – The Pit Media
Speaking of layout, this year was much different than last.
Earlier when the bands were announced, they had a different layout than what the final product was. I liked what I saw early on but when I saw the change, I did not feel good about it. However, after getting in and walking around for a little before seeing the first band of the day, I have to say, the layout was incredible. Considering the renovations they are doing at the stadium, the Danny Wimmer Presents crew did a fantastic job utilizing everything they possibly could to make it fun. Even with the entrance, I was a little concerned with, but they moved people in so quickly, it didn’t matter. I think the longest we waited, which was the first day, was about 10 minutes.
I guess my only complaint, and I don’t know the logistical reasons, would be switching their larger parking lot stage, Cathedral, and the entrance. I say this because of the sun and the closing bands of those stages with lighting. Switching those would give people a little break from the sun and those closing bands more ability to fully utilize their lighting and pyro instead of playing directly into the sun.
Alright baby, lets get to the lineup.
Day One started off strong for me. I got in around 1:30 p.m. so I was there in time to catch the dudes in Magnolia Park. Yes, much like everyone else, I discovered them on TikTok and I fell in love with them. It was hot, the sun was beating straight down on them but that didn’t stop them from providing a fun and energetic performance. They performed on the Citadel stage and immediately after them, we moved next door to the Sanctuary stage to catch Ohio natives, Miss May I.
Miss May I performs at Sonic Temple on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Maurice Nunez/Danny Wimmer Presents)
I have a lot of history with this band from early Warped Tour days, to interviews with them, to just hanging out at shows with them. Ten years after their first festival appearance (formally Rock on The Range) they came back and put on a fire performance. I had a little break before catching some of Fire From The Gods who are always incredible live.
Coming up, was my only dilemma of the entire weekend. I had to choose between The Ghost Inside and Enter Shikari as they were playing at the same time.
I chose The Ghost Inside. I recently saw them at last year’s Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan and man, do these guys just absolutely bring it. After everything they went through with their tour bus accident and their drummer losing a leg, they give it 110%. I had to conserve my energy because up next, was Electric Callboy, my number one band of the weekend. I will have more on that in another story but let’s just say, it was everything I wanted it to be. Closing out the day, we had August Burns Red, Judas Priest and Cypress Hill.
We did not stay for any of the closers which I will discuss later.
Day Two
Day Two was probably the day where we were just like, meh, it’s a solid day but nothing really jumped at us except for Sum 41 and Rise Against.
This was also the best weather day in my opinion. It rained early in the morning but by the time you arrived, it was just cloudy and about 73 for the day. As kind of a bigger guy, this is my kind of day. I caught a little of Terror as we walked in and if you haven’t heard of them, they remind me of the old school hardcore mixed with punk. I did not really watch any bands full sets until Sum 41, so let me take a minute to discuss food.
Yes, some of the food was expensive but man was it worth it. We tried a chicken bacon ranch bowl from a local food truck that held me over for the entire day. Another day, we tried chicken on a stick which came with fries. Mother of God, you basically get those whole pieces of chicken on that stick and on top of the fries? I couldn’t eat the entire thing, but it was very tasty. I was so hooked on the chicken bacon ranch bowl, that I got it again but with extra ranch. On the last day, we tried some chicken teriyaki bowl, which again, worth the money for what you get. I was also a little, how do I put this, intoxicated walking into Day Four so I also got one of their giant slices of pizza immediately after. Those had a special place in my heart from last years fest.
Editor’s note: Bru Brothers Coffee has an excellent nitro cold brew. This was their second year at Sonic Temple and they must return.
Last thing we tried was the birria ramen. I haven’t tried too much birria things in my life unfortunately, but I don’t think I would consider this birria. It was fantastic either way but from what I know about birria, they shouldn’t call it that. Another item that was well worth the money as it was enough to feed two and the broth was very tasty and flavorful.
Day Three
Day Three consisted of more parking lot drinking before making our way in to catch Kittie. I saw them once a long time ago so I had to see their comeback. They still sound the same as they did years ago and I loved every minute of it.
We had a break before checking out another band, so we took this time to really walk around and check out all of the vendors set up this year. I mentioned last year how it seemed like it was lacking in the arts but this year, I thoroughly enjoyed every artist they had set up and all of the artwork displayed throughout the festival grounds.
Lacey Sturm hugs Benjamin Burnley as she joins Breaking Benjamin on stage to perform ‘Dear Agony’ at Sonic Temple. (Steve Thrasher/Danny Wimmer Presents)
Now this year, as far as other vendors go, it seemed like it was lacking in that department. Not too many things to really shop at. One very noticeable absence was Blackcraft. Last year, they were a major hit. This year, I read through a lot of comments asking if they were there and people talking about how they wished they were, my wife included. This goes back to the layout. I don’t know if more vendors of that style are feasible, but I feel like they can squeeze in some more.
There was one addition this year that was a major hit and that was The Dive Bar. It was exactly that, a dive bar they had set up and man was it awesome. It was dark, it had your bar style tables and chairs, heck, even the bar top had a little stick to it. Plus, it had air conditioning to keep you cool. It was always busy but never lione-out-the-door busy. If they don’t bring this back every year, I will riot.
Back to the bands. Next up, we caught a little bit of Flyleaf. I really do hate talking bad about a band but I also have give honest reviews. I saw them at Upheaval last year and man what a disappointment both then and now. Lacey just doesn’t sound the same. Some of her older vocals it sounds like she’s struggling with. To me personally, it doesn’t look like she’s actually happy on stage performing with them. Again, that’s just me, so take it with a grain of salt.
So we left after a couple of songs and went down to catch Breaking Benjamin. This is a high favorite of my wife and a band I fell in love with the second I heard “Cold.” The crowd was massive, as they always are for them. They came out with a lot of fan favorites like “Cold,” “Diary of Jane” and they brought of Lacey Sturm to perform “Dear Agony.” That was a special performance and I’m glad to have witnessed it. We managed to catch a little of The Amity Affliction and Slaughter to Prevail before making our way over to the Cathedral stage for Sleep Token. We were a ways into the crowd so I have no idea how massive the crowd actually was but it was worth every moment of it and the half an hour wait. More to come on those guys.
Headliners
I want to mention the headliners really quick before I move onto the final day.
Listen, I will not hate on any of the headliners this year, but myself and the crew I was with, all agreed that we didn’t need to stay for any of them. We’ve seen Slipknot so many times that it just seems like the same show every time. I’m even hearing they didn’t do the “jump” for Spit It Out. Pantera, I just saw with Metallica in November and I will be seeing them again in Boston in August. Disturbed is another I have seen so many times and The Misfits, I just never got into them. I don’t hate them, but I couldn’t tell you a single song by them except “Die, Die My Darling” and that’s because of Metallica. Again, take my opinions with a grain of salt as they are mine and I mean no ill will by it. I know a lot of people had fun with the headliners, some even having special guests come out for their sets.
Of Mice and Men rocked the Cathedral Stage in the afternoon on Sonic Temple’s final day. (Lexie Alley/Danny Wimmer Presents)
Day Four
Now Day Four, we did plan on going in earlier and catching more bands, but then tailgating happened. We met up with the same folks as the prior day and man, what a blast. Tailgating here, and at any fest, is a huge part of the experience. You just meet and hang out with new people from all over and talk about your experiences and where you’re from, and you become a part of a massive family. I don’t know if they’re read this, but if you do, I thank you again for the hospitality and warm welcome, even with me being from Michigan and them Ohio.
First band up on this solid final day was Taproot. Talk about old school. They still sound so good, and it brought a lot of memories back watching their set. Moving on, we had Of Mice and Men who always bring the energy and powerful vocals. This was also the hottest day, bringing us no clouds and a real feel high of about 91, but that didn’t stop the crowd from moshing and crowd surfing. We bounced back and forth from Sanctuary to Cathedral all day.
Next up, we had While She Sleeps on Sanctuary and back over to Cathedral for my Top Three band of the weekend, Wage War. I got chills watching their set. Pumping out old classics and bring out some new with Nails and Tombstone. They’re set to drop the new record in September and if those songs are an indication of it, I need these few months to fly by. There weren’t too many main stage bands that we wanted to see but next up, was one of those.
I’m talking about the Ocala, Florida dudes of A Day To remember. As always, it’s a fun and energetic crowd and performance. Toilet paper, beach balls, crowd surfers surfing on crowd surfers, everything you want from their shows. We decided to hydrate some more while waiting for Tech N9ne to come on. The last time I saw him was my first Rock on The Range in 2015. The only dilemma here, his time was the same as Limp Bizkit but the crowd still turned out for him.
Final thoughts
Alright, that about wraps it up for my weekend recap.
I honestly don’t really have any negative things to say. They layout was great. The food was great. The lineup was great. The energy from the crowd was great. I guess the only thing I will say is, one or two more water stations. At one point on Sunday, we decided to just bite the bullet and buy $5 water just to stay hydrated because both stations lines we’re just too long.
OH! Wait a minute, I almost forgot about the parking. That was the biggest debauchery in the years I have been attending this festival. Now, I don’t know if DWP has anything to do with it since it’s ran by a separate company, but every day was something different. People that paid for premium or VIP, were forced to the way back lots. Each day, people were directed to different locations. We were forced to a parking garage we didn’t even know was a thing and it’s a very far walk to the stadium. This needs to be addressed for next year.
Otherwise, everything was fantastic. The weekend was great and we’ll see you next year Rangers!
