This week, rainbow haired rockers clad in black assembled at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, N.Y. to celebrate the rebirth of The Family Values Tour.
Silenced for five years, the gates finally opened this Tuesday to the festival at an early, eye-rubbing one in the afternoon. The event's headliner was Korn, supported by other groups including Bullets & Octane, Deadsy, Bury Your Dead and 10 Years.
Korn's lead singer Jonathan Davis has brought the Family Values back, this time with a concert that everyone can afford. Lawn tickets checked in at $9.99, including ten bands, batting cages, pitching cages and three on three paintball tournaments.
Under a blue FYE tent, a line of anxious groupies awaited a meet and greet with some of the bands that were on the tour.
"I came to see Dir En Grey because I've seen the rest of the bands," said Glenn Romano, a fan from Webster, N.Y. "I bought a $50 DVD just for the opportunity to talk to one of (the band members), because I'm a loser and that's how I roll."
The Family Values Tour began in 1998 with Korn headlining. In the following three years of the tour, bands such as Limp Bizkit, Incubus, Rammstein and Stone Temple Pilots have also shared the spotlight.
The smell of cornstalks and cigarettes hovered in the air as the bass pumped through the lawn seats. The mosh pit resembled a hornets' nest in full attack with a multitude of seemingly bodiless arms and legs flailing around. Red-faced moshers emerged from the chaos bruised, torn and covered in muck, only to dive back.
"My friend and I decided to go mud wrestling in the pit," said Maggie George, an equestrian from Cowlesville. "You just go in and mud wrestle one on one and people cheer you on. We got really dirty; it was a lot of fun."
Some people, like maintenance engineer Kevin Kwiatkowski from Evans, N.Y. came just to see one or two bands.
"I'm just walking into the concert right now. I'm looking forward to seeing Korn and that's pretty much it," he said. "We got lawn tickets and we've been partying in the parking lot for about five hours."
Among the music, vendors, and the slew of activities at the concert there was a meaningful tribute to "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was best known as the guitarist for Pantera. He was shot to death several years ago while onstage with band Damage Plan.
The festival ended as Korn performed their encore from the center of the audience where fans were on their feet.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
