By Syed Tawseef Ali
It was late Saturday night and the floor of the outdoor ampitheatre was covered with crushed beer cans and cigarette butts. Just moments earlier, San Antonio’s Sunken Garden was filled with thousands of screaming fans.
Accept and Queensryche, headlining acts for the South Texas Rockfest, received standing ovations all the way to the top of the short hill between the two stages while chants echoed off the amphitheatre walls and into the night sky.
Nikita Productions brought together international and local bands to perform for rock ‘n’ roll fans in a single day rock festival on Oct. 13 at the Sunken Garden Theater. The South Texas Rockfest united close up to 2,500 fans, vendors, performers and crew.
Nikita Productions has hosted the South Texas Rockfest since 2008. It was originally a three-day festival held outside San Antonio. This is the first rockfest to be held in a single day.
Well known bands such as Saxon, Quiet Riot, UFO, Skid Row, Y&T and Tesla have headlined the festival in the past. Saxon has performed almost every year. Queensrÿche, Accept, Dokken and Michael Schenker Group headlined this year’s festival.
The festival attracted fans of all ages. Some even ventured into Texas from across the United States.
Jim Wilson and his daughter came from Georgia to see Michael Schenker live. David Allen and his son said they drove 65 miles from Kerrville because they won free tickets through one of Rockfest’s sponsors, KERV-AM.
One fan came with his collection of records to have them autographed by some of his favorite band members. He had the opportunity to meet and take a photo with Peter Baltes, bassist of German heavy metal band Accept.
Other fans like Michael and Michelle Garcia bought VIP tickets to see Queensrÿche, the American progressive metal band that played in the final slot of the festival. The couple sported their numerous Queensrÿche tattoos and said they had been loyal fans of the band since their formation in 1981.
Michael had been anticipating the performance, since it was the first time Queensrÿche would be headlining in San Antonio without former frontman Geoff Tate.
“He (Todd La Torre) sounds just like Geoff Tate!” Michael said, referring to the new Queensrÿche vocalist.
At the Sunken Garden Theater, two individual stages were set up, roughly 100 meters apart which allowed the local and headlining bands to set up and complete sound-checks as the the crowd remained entertained.
Beer booths, food and merchandise stalls were set up to accommodate fans who were thirsty, hungry or wanted to buy souvenirs. Here was the lineup:
MAIN STAGE
- Uncle Wanker 4:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
- Michael Schenker Group 5:30 p.m.-6:05 p.m.
- Dokken 6:35 p.m.-7:25 p.m.
- Accept 7:55 p.m.-8:45 p.m.
- Queensryche 9:45 p.m.-10:45 p.m.
2ND STAGE
- Poc Nation 4:10 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Eden Burning 5 p.m.-5:30p.m.
- S.A. Territories 6:05 p.m.-6:35 p.m.
- Project Terror 7:25 p.m.-7:55 p.m.
- Devil May Care 8:45 p.m.-9:45 p.m.
Local musicians showcase their talent
Nikita Productions aimed to organize a festival that lots of people would enjoy coming to, said marketing Director Kassie Green.
Local bands were chosen based on a loose classic rock and metal genre. Devil May Care was awarded the final slot on the second stage. The highest number of tickets sold by the band determined their slot late into the evening.
Wolf Hoffmann, lead guitarist of Accept, said they have toured San Antonio numerous times. When asked about the quality of the local musicians in Texas, Hoffmann said some of the local bands are impressive, others less so.
“Teaming up with the guys, that’s what we’re all for,” Hoffmann said, in support of San Antonio’s local musicians.
Local bands don’t get paid; they just want to go out and play, said S.A. Territories bassist Ernie Herrera. He explained that having a great set with great bands is rewarding in its own way.
The band sold promotional T-shirts at low prices to publicize their name more than raise revenue. S.A. Territories was also excited about their time slot for the event.
“The more tickets you sell, the better the slot,” Herrera said.
At the end of the night, organizers successfully managed to stick to the schedule. Bands successfully entertained the crowd. And the audience filed out of the venue, while cheering and laughing loud enough to be heard a mile away.
