Rocklahoma turns up the volume on day 2

PRYOR, Okla. – Two days down, one to go. Day two of the sixth annual Rocklahoma was simply awesome. Rock fans of all ages entered the day not knowing exactly what to expect, but left with a full day of a wide variety of music under their belts.

Anti-Mortem got the day started on the Hard Rock stage with a short set before Pop Evil took over the main stage. From there fans would spend the day bouncing between the two stages, hoping to get a perfect viewing position for each act.

Minneapolis-based New Medicine and Orlando’s Trivium played the Hard Rock stage as the day’s audience continued to grow. New Medicine’s set mixed rock, rap and pop with their songs “Laid,” and “Rich Kids.” Trivium was a good deal heavier, especially with their cover of Metallic’s “Creeping Death.”

Early main stage acts also included Knoxville, Tennessee’s 10 Years and Vancouver’s Theory of a Deadman. 10 Years drew approval from the crowd for their hit “Wasteland.” Theory of a Deadman powered through their time on stage with a set that included several tunes from their newest album “The Truth is…” One highlight of their set was front-man Tyler Connolly leading the crowd through a cover of Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine.”

From that point on the night would take a wild, yet fantastic ride into complete madness. British glam rock band The Darkness took over the Hard Rock stage and almost instantly won over the audience. A handlebar mustache and Jimi Hendrix hairdo shared the stage as the crowd held their hands high above their heads and clapped to the beat. The favorite among the crowd appeared to be their hit “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.”

Following a mad dash to the main stage, fans were met by Dave Mustaine and Megadeth. Mustaine paused between songs to change guitars, each time returning to the stage clapping his hands, signifying his approval of the growing crowd. Lead guitarist Chris Broderick’s playing was phenomenal as the group sailed through an hour-long set that included “Head Crusher,” “Symphony of Destruction,” “Peace Sells,” and ended with “Holy Wars …The Punishment Due.”

Fans then flocked back to the Hard Rock stage to discover Danish heavy metal band Volbeat. Opening with their hit “A Warrior’s Call.” Their energized set included a few covers and a wide range of sound shifting from a rockabilly sound back to a heavier, head banging groove.

The night came to a close with fans rushing the main stage for Rob Zombie. Mixing theatrics that included pyro, lights and caldrons of fire with a heavy metal sound, Zombie did not disappoint. Zombie emerged from a giant figure at center stage as he opened with “Jesus Frankenstein,” before powering through a hard charging set that had heads banging and heavy metal devil horns flying in the air. All the usual hits were included, with Zombie dancing and singing while guitar master John 5 strummed through “Living Dead Girl,” “Never Gonna Stop,” “More Human Than Human,” “Scum of the Earth,” and “Sick Bubblegum.”

Zombie took a moment mid-way through his set to tell fans what he thought about those standing in the pit taking cell phone pictures. “The next (expletive) that shoves a cell phone in my face, I’ll take your phone and shove it up your expletive,” said Zombie. Shortly thereafter, Zombie made his way through the crowd, shining a spotlight on the fans while John 5 showcased his skills, playing portions of  the national anthem with his teeth. Closing out the night, they finished with “Dragula” before posing with the massive audience as a backdrop for a group photo.

Rocklahoma Day 2 Slide Show

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Photos by: Kevin Pyle

Rocklahoma continues through tonight with Rains, Charm City Devils, Aranda, Art of Dying, Hellyeah, Black Stone Cherry, Puddle of Mudd, Jackyl, Queensryche, and Chickenfoot. Tonight’s action will be televised live by HD Net.