by Dakota Winters
Upheaval festival, where do I even start?
This was the smoothest music showcase I’ve ever attended and it truly felt like home. Friday, July 19, was the first day set in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at Belknap Park for the fourth year in a row. Headlining bands like Ayron Jones, Sevendust, Flat Black, and more kicked in the door for an unforgettable weekend. Each band brought their best no matter the size of the stage. One thing that was clear to me on both days was the sense of community. Almost every band stopped at one point to check on fans and their well-being without a second thought and the security and EMS teams did not waste a second jumping in when needed.
From the smell of the food to the lines at the merch tent, this year’s turnout was just as high as last year but still as organized as possible and didn’t feel crowded. From seeing groups of friends reunited from previous years to people just meeting in line you could tell that so many people waited for this. For the music. For the people. For the community. For the family that’s made.
Day two was here in a rush, with one of the best festival lineups I’ve seen this year, featuring some of the biggest rising stars gracing the stage. The smell of fog engulfed eager fans camped at the barricades or taking the shuttle up to the lookout stage to get a bird’s eye view.
Ovtlier was the first band to open the day. Sporting eye-catching sfx makeup, they put on a show that beautifully matched the energy of so many other bands performing such as Badflower, on the main stage, to Stabbing Westward, the somewhat halfway-point of the day. A truly incredible and emotional performance from the amazing From Ashes To New set the stage for the highly-anticipated headliner as they gave everything they had, making the lookout stage jam-packed.
The last and final band of the night was the infamous Bad Omens, truly coming so far in their career headlining the main-stage at the renowned festival with such a big fan base supporting them right by their side. Playing new and old songs like “ V.A.N” with the popular menacing, monster-like growl to siren-like noises with “The Drain,” and throwing it back to simpler days for some when “ Broken Youth “ was played. It was a beautiful performance that really can’t be put into words, you simply must witness their live show for yourself to truly understand their brilliance as musicians.
Last weekend was truly an amazing experience that I got to experience as both a fan and part of another family with the media team, who felt like I’ve always known. So many people look forward to this event every year and now I can finally understand why. Thank you Upheaval for giving everyone an outlet for just one weekend and a place for people to reunite and share their memories as well as make new ones time and time again. See you next year!
Down below is a showcase/gallery for Upheaval 2024 taken by Dakota Winters in no particular order.
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