Syracuse, NY -- Thousands of hard-core music fans began their marathon K-Rockathon day by starting the party on Interstate 690 West. Traffic began backing up near the State Fairgrounds today where the K-Rockathon is taking place. Those taking a creative approach from the west had an easier time getting in. And hundreds started pouring in early as the 15th annual...
Syracuse, NY -- Thousands of hard-core music fans began their marathon K-Rockathon day by starting the party on Interstate 690 West.
Traffic began backing up near the State Fairgrounds today where the K-Rockathon is taking place.
Those taking a creative approach from the west had an easier time getting in. And hundreds started pouring in early as the 15th annual music fest got under way just before noon on the infield area in front of the grandstand.
Westbounders on I-690 came to a stop almost all the way to Hiawatha Boulevard, even past noon. Some stopped and traded compact-discs and beverages as the line crawled to get into the fairgrounds parking area.The traffic camera showing Interstate 690 at Bridge Street near the fairgrounds showed cars moving slowly. Click here to see the traffic Trafficland.com.
The gates for the event featuring 15 acts opened at 11 a.m. The first band, A Wake, took to one of the side-by-side stages just past the scheduled 11:40 a.m. start time.
"We love you guys. Thanks for voting us in," one of the band members told the growing crowd.
A Wake played three songs before the second stage, featuring Nine Round, started pouring out harder-edge music.
In a precursor to the coming end-of-summer New York State Fair, the temperature was comfortable, the sun warm and peeking out from puffy white clouds.
Many of the young men quickly removed T-shirts proclaiming names of favorite national bands playing today, especially Avenged Sevenfold, scheduled to perform later today.
Headliner Limp Bizkit, rejoined recently by frontman Fred Durst who left the group for a while, was to take the stage at 9:15 p.m.
Early bands were mostly local, and elected to play by listeners to KROCK, the radio station that stages the annual event under the guidance of its corporate owner, Syracuse-based Galaxy Communications, which owns several radio stations.
Also precursing the coming fair, dozens of food vendors flanked the grassy infield area and filled the air with barbecue smoke and offered a variety of food, from gyros to pizza and nearly anything else you could name.
Cups of beer from the beer booth started making their way around the festival early.
John Palmer, 21, of Vernon, and Chris Eaton, 21, of Westmoreland, procured the cold beverages.
"This is my second K-Rockathon. I was drunk then, too," laughed Palmer, who said he was there primarily to see Avenged Sevenfold. "Look at this tattoo."
He rolled up a short sleeve and showed off an Avenged Sevenfold logo tat on his right arm.
Eaton said he was there primarily to see Avenged Sevenfold.
"All That Matters, too," said Eaton, naming another band.
The two said they were keeping to the back of the oblong infield area, away from the stages, where groups occupied their time playing hacky-sack, couples cuddled and friends chatted.
"I really want to see Avenged Sevenfold and I don't want to be deaf by the time they play,'' said Palmer.
The crowd mix was mostly young, but there were gray-haired parents present with their grown children, too.