Article By: Leanne Ridgeway
Holy smokes, have you heard about the EPICENTER HEAVY MUSIC FEST? Oskar Blues and Heavy San José are bringing you this insane lineup to honor the Past, Present, and Future of Bay Area Heavy Underground Music. Check this out… High on Fire, Mos Generator, and seven more bands in one beauty of a night!
The San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California has birthed some of the most influential bands in heavy music, starting with Blue Cheer in the late ’60s, continuing through the thrash era in the ’80s with Metallica, Exodus, and Testament, and to a rebirth of heavy stoner and doom metal in the ’90s with the likes of Sleep, High on Fire, and Neurosis.
Heavy San José is bringing a music festival unlike anything San José, California has seen in recent times. Epicenter Heavy Music Festival is coming up on Saturday, September 16th, and designed to shake the Bay Area to its foundations. This carefully curated lineup of nine bands represents nine different genres of heavy music.
This festival is all about shining a light on the unique musical history of San José and the greater Bay Area in Northern California. Heavy San José is bringing a one-of-a-kind event to the region’s heavy music lovers, as well as putting the spotlight on an amazing local venue. On September 16, 2017 (Saturday night!), starting at 5:30 PM (PST) at The Ritz on 400 South First Street, that will be the place to be in San José, California.
High on Fire got their start in San José in a practice studio just a couple of blocks from The Ritz, and will headline this nine-band monster show. Heavy music stalwarts Big Business will also grace The Ritz stage, with more earth-shaking sound than should ever come from a two-piece.
Mos Generator and Holy Grove will descend from the wilds of the Pacific Northwest to bring their always furious heavy rock wrath and doom metal vengeance. These two bands alone are worth the price of admission for me…
Future Usses is a new band fronted by Sacha Dunable (Intronaut, Dunable Guitars), and Epicenter HMF 2017 will be Future Usses first show ever and will feature Mr. Dunable, as well as members of Mouth of the Architect. There will also be bananas and Brian Adams covers. Wait, what? Who cares, this whole fest rules.
The lineup also features three up-and-coming local Bay Area bands: KOOK from right in San José, Brume from San Francisco, and Mesmer from Oakland. To fully represent the entire West Coast, Great Electric Quest from Oceanside will hit the stage (who, along with Brume, are just back from last week’s set at Psycho Las Vegas). There are also surprises in the works, so we’re told.
New amazing heavy underground bands are constantly forming in the Bay Area, and it’s Heavy San José’s mission to highlight them, as well as offer an artist-friendly environment for touring bands in the heavy underground. The event will showcase as much great local flavor as possible, featuring local artists and businesses (such as Martin Roberson, owner of Lucky Stars Tattoo in San José, California – who created the show poster).
There are different ticket levels for those wanting to attend, as they’re offering VIP and General Admission tickets. GA tickets are $45., with VIP tickets priced at $75. VIP tickets get you early venue access, a private access VIP area, a limited edition screen-printed show poster, and other fun perks yet to be announced.
GA and VIP tickets (only 50 VIPs available) on sale now at this Ticketfly location.
R.S.V.P. to the Facebook event and get all the updates
HEAR THE BANDS!!
Want to hear some of the music coming to Epicenter HMF 2017?
HIGH ON FIRE (San José / Oakland, CA)
BIG BUSINESS (Los Angeles, CA)
MOS GENERATOR (Port Orchard, WA)
HOLY GROVE (Portland, OR)
GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST (Oceanside, CA)
FUTURE USSES (Los Angeles, CA)
BRUME (San Francisco, CA)
KOOK (San José, CA)
MESMER (Oakland, CA)
