Photos Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2023
Let us (Hammy and Big L) start by saying our experience at BRRF was not the same as what a lot of fans experienced. Rock Lines Magazine was proud of being granted both media and photo pass access for BRRF 2023. Our experience was perhaps one of the best we have ever had from a media aspect. Jay Wendell and his team went above and beyond in making things comfortable. We had a good-sized tent, shade, water, snacks, tables, chairs, and even a couple fans in the media area.
All of those amenities were absolutely needed on day one. The temperatures were brutal with temps hitting 95 plus with a humidity that felt like you were covered by a heavy comforter. It took its toll on even the most prepared veterans of festivals. Despite the extreme heat, things were going smoothly. However, around 6:30 pm a welcoming shower began to fall, cooling things down a touch. But that small rain shower soon turned into an utter pour down with gust of winds that seemingly came out of nowhere. We (mostly Hammy) kept watching his radar with no signs of any severe weather. Boy, was that reading misleading!!! The wind became heavy as was the rain. That was followed by hail, which we thankfully, missed by getting out of the venue and into the vehicle. That was all she wrote, and we were on our way back to the hotel.
Day 2, Friday, started with less heat and hopes for a better day in the photo pit. For the most part day 2 seemed to be going well, bands seemed to be running on schedule. The fans that we interacted with seemed to be having a blast. Later in the day media was advised to be ready for possible weather moving in, so we made a decision to gather up gear and get a majority of our stuff back to the vehicle. After a short break at the vehicle, I grabbed one camera and made my way back into the venue to catch and outstanding performance from Lacy Strum and Flyleaf. Sleep Token got moved to the main stages and really drew in a huge crowd and a fantastic show.
Now for Saturday and Sunday I have zero knowledge of what the cause for cancellation was, but I can verify from communication with media, they were in a Tier 2 Saturday around noon still, and every sporting event in the area experienced delays. About 1:30 Saturday we got word the day was cancelled and at 5:00 there would be an announcement on the final day. 5 o’clock rolls around and got the word that the event was cancelled. I’ve heard all the stories and honestly, we refuse to post rumors or hearsay. We at Rock Lines Magazine enjoyed covering the event and look forward to next year. We believe that weather was a major contributing factor and those in charge of making certain decisions is not a one-man band. Whoever was in those meetings had to make a call and we believe they did the best they could with the information that they had. We can only report on our experience and that’s what we do. The unexpected storm on Thursday put those in charge behind the eight ball.
We cannot report on the situation in the campground because we were not there. We feel for those that were affected by Mother Nature’s interruption and hope all is well for each and every one of you. We hope the following photo gallery will perhaps give you some kind of positive feelings about your time at the festival.
