By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Live Review: Kraken Fest – Orlando, Florida – February 19, 2022
On Saturday, February 13th, the Kraken Fest music festival was held at the Orlando Amphitheater located at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. This is the third year of the independent festival event, which was originally held in Hallandale, but now makes its home in Orlando. This year the headliner was The Used, a staple in the punk post-hardcore scene for the last 20 years, but the festival also hosts homegrown metal, punk, and post-core bands, many originating from Florida.
Rock At Night was there on this sunny 80-degree afternoon (and we mean sunny because the glare in the amphitheater was blinding). Some people sat in lawn chairs in the grassed areas and others stood on the pavement to be up close and personal with the bands on stage. The scene was energized by a lot of foot stomping, circling, and crowd surfing during the afternoon and into the evening as crowd thickened. Concert goers could partake in beer, eat at one of the food trucks, or post with musicians at the merch booths in a very relaxed atmosphere.
Our review will focus on some of the Florida bands we came to see. The first band on stage was Central-Florida based The DEV, a hard-rock and metal quartet which Rock At Night recently interviewed. They had some really great tour stories and you can find it HERE. Dressed in hot pink, singer Nikollaj sang their recent single “Queen of the Damned”—and the crowd was digging it.
South Florida band We’re Wolves came out on stage, ready to take names, as they performed their horror-themed metalcore music. Wearing white face makeup and sporting partially blond locks, lead singer AJ Diaferio growled in the microphone as he sang tracks from their new album, aptly titled Evil Things. The band performed a wickedly fun cover of Drowning Pool’s “Bodies”. Check out Rock At Night’s interview with Diaferio HERE, especially if you like comics, collectibles, and horror films.
By this time, the crowd was totally ready to crowd surf as Jacksonville-based metalcore band Evergreen Terrace hit the stage. A few times lead singer Andrew Carey jumped off the stage, crawled over the barricade, whilst singing, and dove into the crowd. It felt like the Warped Tour all over again.
Not on the original roster but certainly a welcome addition was Orlando-based band Felicity. Wearing a knit cap Damien Fagiolino sang the band’s brand of pop punk and alt rock the band describes as “trash rock”.
Before The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (TRJA) hit the stage, Rock At Night interviewed lead singer Ronnie Winter. Since the band originated in Middleburg, a small town outside of Jacksonville, Florida, almost 20 years ago, the now L.A.-based singer essentially was “coming home” to this festival. Look for the full interview at Rock At Night soon.
TRJA hit the stage as the sun was setting and the only illumination was the red stage lighting. In a haze of smoke, Winter stirred the crowd with the group’s brand of post-hardcore pop punk music. He paused between songs to pay homage to health care workers, a profession near and dear to him as he has family members that are nurses.
Rock At Night wants to thank the organizers of Kraken Fest for giving Florida bands the opportunity to perform live, especially after the long hiatus due to COVID. Sometimes concert goers take musicians and bands for granted when they are in their own backyard—this is certainly no longer the case.
Keep the Kraken Fest going!
PHOTO GALLERY
In Order of Appearance
For more information on Kraken Fest, visit:
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
