At some point nearly every year, some enterprising promoter or gaggle of musicians will start a new music festival in the area. Sometimes they last beyond the first year; sometimes they don’t, but it’s pretty common to have the inaugural version of a new fest be a real gangbuster.
In the realm of heavy music, that feels like the plan for InFERNo, a new festival taking place Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29, at the Fernley-Reno Raceway (hence the cap-crazy name). Bands and organizers announced the details in early January, hoping to draw metal and hard-rock fans to Fernley.
The InFERNo headliner is Drowning Pool, a nu-metal/hard rock band from Texas best known for “Bodies,” a song about the transcending powers of moshing. It was sung and co-written by the late Dave Williams, who died of heart failure in 2002. The group decided to continue after he passed away, and it currently features singer Ryan McCombs, also with the band Soil.
The local lineup features some excellent bands on the loud side of rock, including Weight of the Tide, Cyanate, Changing the Design and Hired Fun. And while it isn’t a metal band, punk-folk pirate rockers The Deadly Gallows definitely bring a raucous party. Also announced are a nu-metal group from Oregon called Amerakin Overdose, a local AC/DC tribute band called Shoot 2 Thrill, and a Fernley band called Diminished Return that merges industrial music with metal.
Plus, InFERNo is slated to feature food and drink, a tumbleweed bonfire and apocalyptic-themed car displays. Find out more, including ticket prices and camping details, at InFERNo’s Eventbrite site.
A new single and show for your Huckleberry
Reno country-rock trio Huckleberry Road knows a thing or two about the loud stuff. They often cross that line into heavier rock, complete with six-string pyrotechnics, at their shows and on previous releases.
But their latest song, “Smiling Back at Me,” slated to be released Jan. 30, is a much gentler affair and a nice curveball with their sound. The lyrics are about personal evolution and being a better person than you were yesterday, and there’s a progression musically as well. It’s more midtempo, with rich backing vocals from the band and Oregon guest singer Kevin Rose, and a lilting and complex piano part from another Oregon-based guest, Jack McGaughey, that’s straight outta Skynyrd. It’s like nothing the group has put out in their past 20 or so years.
Huckleberry Road will probably play “Smiling” at its next show: Friday, Feb. 6 at The Alpine, 342 E. Fourth St. Opening the show is local country band Buckshot. You can get more details at Huckleberry Road’s website.
Etiquette releases debut EP
Another new release that caught my ear was “What a Day!” the five-song debut EP from Reno indie band Etiquette. It was released on Jan. 2 and is a stellar example of tuneful but edgy modern rock.
The EP evokes a lot of the best sounds from the late ’90s or early ’00s: scratchy but technical guitars, surprises from the rhythm section, and vocals from band leader Jacob Darby that show a ton of range. But it also has a lot in common with modern indie bands like Geese or Car Seat Headrest.
If that sounds up your alley, you can find “What a Day!” at its Bandcamp site. Etiquette will also play with Pink Skies, an indie-pop/psychedelic band from Oakland, on Saturday, March 7, at Lo-Bar Social, 445 California Ave.