Joshua Fest really started on Thursday for me, Thursday was the day we left to head down, we had 10 hours of driving just to get to Plumas County Fairground in Quincy, CA. It was well worth the trip! We actually stopped and camped overnight in Dunsmuir, CA then drove the rest of the way on Friday, making it to the Festival right after they opened the gates. We were welcomed by awesome construction signs like “Prepare to Rock” and cool designs with drums, stick figures smashing their guitars and that sort of thing. I had been waiting for a long time for Friday; I couldn’t wait to see my first Family Force 5 show! Boy was it worth it!!!
Air 1 Stage
4:00 PM: Echocast started off the main stage this year; to me they’re nothing great, just an unoriginal rock band. I think they could easily become something good if they learn how to write more original songs.
5:00 PM: Next on the main stage was, Zero Theory. I didn’t see a whole lot of there act, and what I did see didn’t really interest me or the crowd. I saw Zero Theory two years ago at Joshua Fest, then they seemed to be more enjoyable and better overall, but with changes of band members, the music changed too.
6:00 PM: Telecast was great! I’m not really a fan of them, but they put on a great set, very talented rock worship group. There wasn’t much in the category of entertainment, but clearly that wasn’t the purpose of performing. They have great hearts and music as well.
7:00 PM: One of the bands that I wanted to see most was Family Force Five, by far the most entertaining band on Friday, and possibly the whole event. The guys of FF5 go insanely crazy, if you see these guys coming to town it is a must see. I was impressed to see the dedication they have for Jesus and pointing out even though they have fun, it’s about Jesus.
8:30 PM: Arizona rockers, Stellar Kart, came after FF5, and they put on a great set. The band has a great message and they’re all about Jesus and telling everyone. I respect them for this and appreciate their honesty about why they’re playing.
10:00 PM: Headline Friday was Skillet. The band performed songs from a lot of their albums including their upcoming album, Comatose. They put on a rocking show and had the whole crowd into it! I’ve seen Skillet 3 times now and each time they seem to be better. Definitely check them out if they’re on tour near you!
Effect Radio Stage
3:30 PM: The lead off band this year was an independent band by the name of My Second Chance. They didn’t have a large crowd and no one really got into it. I don’t see them getting signed to a major record label any time soon, but who knows.
5:30 PM: The first signed band to play was Flicker Record’s new act Nevertheless. They put on a surprisingly decent show. Be sure and catch them if you’re a fan of indie rock! There debut album comes out September 19th, be sure and check it out!
6:30 PM: Another band I caught a glimpse of on the Effect Radio Stage was Decyfer Down. They may have a great CD, but they lacked in sound quality, this may have been partially the sound gear that the stage uses. It seemed to me that they decided to spend more on the main stage than to have a better 2nd stage.
Article by Jeremy Koering
