The event began in 2007 as a classic rock festival, and for several years was a hair-metal destination, headlining groups such as Quiet Riot, Ratt, Poison, Dokken, Skid Row, Queensryche, Twisted Sister and Jackyl. With over 100,000 fans in attendance that first year, Rocklahoma's success was written in stone.
Rocklahoma: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Rock will return to Pryor, Okla., this weekend, and to mark its 10th anniversary will host some of rock music's biggest names: Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Disturbed, Scorpions, Three Doors Down, P.O.D. and Five Finger Death Punch, to name just a few among the massive lineup. Along with the big names are some great lesser-knowns making music well worth listening to: The Sword, Thousand Foot Crutch, Locust Grove and The Prophets of Addiction.
FYI
Rocklahoma
Lineup
Today
Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Sixx A.M., Last in Line, Pop Evil, The Sword, Bang Tango, Shaman’s Harvest, Red Sun Rising, Wilson, Freeway Mad, Snew, NiteRain, Banshee, Chaotic Resemblance, 3D In Your Face, Five Star Hooker, Deathgrip, Kore Rozzik, Severmind, Arson City, Stolen Rhodes, Sik, Five Hundredth Year and Octave Jaw
Saturday
Scorpions, 3 Doors Down, Collective Soul, Hellyeah, Bullet For My Valentine, Sevendust, P.O.D., Texas Hippie Coalition, Hatebreed, DevilDriver, Avatar, Wid Throne, Chainmail, Ragdoll, Dead Metal Society, The Prophets of Addiction, Mycah, Salems Lott, Beggars Jam, Electronomicon, Teer, Enslaved by Fear, Screaming for Silence, LoveBettie, Lawless Hearts, The Grizzly Band, Locust Grove, Unwritten Rulz
Sunday
Five Finger Death Punch, Chevelle, Sabastian Bach, Steel Panther, Saint Asonia, Great White, Thousand Foot Krutch, Escape the Fate, Mystery, The Glorious Sons, Second Pass, Citizen Zero, Avenging Benji, Project Terror, Diamond Lane, Nova Rex, Ratchet Dolls, The Tip, Hellectrokuters, Moxy & The Influence, As Above So Below, Dryvr, Suede Panther, The Dirtboxwailers, Vox Squadron, The Brothers Moore
What keeps fans coming back to this three-day camping festival year after year? As a part of "The World's Loudest Month" Pryor will be playing host to anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 rockers, according to Sharon Giencke, a member of the team at Rocklahoma. Many of these ticketholders will be taking advantage of staying on the "Catch the Fever" festival grounds. Yes, you can go, pop a tent, and party Memorial weekend away and never have to leave the raucous atmosphere.
Nathan McGrew, from Pryor, Okla., has attended the festival six times and is looking forward to making it seven this year. "My favorite part of Rocklahoma? The entire thing. I love it and plan it and talk about it all year. The best part, in my opinion, is the people. I've met so many good folks. I'm looking forward to seeing all my 'Rocklahomies' and lots of great music."
The lineup has grown every year and changed from a hair-metal revival into one of the hardest-hitting, heaviest of the summer festivals. "Hard Rock stage is always my favorite, and the Axis Stage always has a lot of local bands playing. Really looking forward to Megadeth, DevilDriver Hatebreed and Avatar, and Hellyeah never has a bad show!" adds McGrew. "It will be good to see the Scorpions, and Sixx A.M. I'm pretty stoked."
Along with the bigger bands of fame, there are several bands from Oklahoma and Arkansas playing on the campground's GA ROK and Axis stage, among them Oklahoma's Grind, Roots of Thought, BC and the Big Rig, Nicnos, Even the Dogs and Blackwater Rebellion. Arkansas is well represented by Fayetteville's own hard-hitting metal band, Scorned, set to perform at noon Saturday at the GA ROK Party.
"It's a new day, a new Scorned, and (we are) looking forward to making some new fans!" says guitarist J. Biggs, who has performed at the event twice before. Lead singer Cody Slane says this is Scorned's first time to play the festival, and they can't wait to "let the people hear what we've been working on. What better way than to debut it at Rocklahoma?"
NAN What's Up on 05/27/2016