This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Pegasus Music Festival in Grand Prairie, Texas. I went with my father, and we expected to be in for a day of friendly people and good music. We were half right. We arrived in the Verizon Theater, and took our seats with hands full of warm food and cold drinks. The first few bands took and left the stage, like Werewolf Therewolf and Citizen. While both teams delivered hard hitting music and great tunes, they ultimately failed to rile up the pit quite like the headliners did. O’Brother played next, and they succeeded in drawing, me at least, to the floor and into the pit of smelly people and crushed toes.
Soon after O’Brother finished their final chord, played the final note, and left the stage; it was time. The first headliner, Glassjaw, took the stage. A sudden start scared the lot of us, sending a few into immediate panic, at which they exited the pit. I stayed though, and bared through the arguably odd music of Glassjaw. My main goal was to secure a spot for the final band, Rise Against. Glassjaw finished, and departed with a solemn “Good Night”. Thrice took their time coming out, but their blend of extremely hard rock and more punk rock themes had the pit riled in no time. It was here the first few needed evac. I had done pit evacuations before,mouth that was on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean at a Paramore concert. This was a mosh pit in the middle of nowhere, Texas at a punk rock concert; in which I was most probably the youngest one there.
For those who are unaware, a pit evacuation involves the victim being pushed to the front of the pit via surfing over the top atop many a hand. A security guard will grab them at the front and show them a path to a less sweaty safety. After that first intense moments, Thrice was through with their set.
It was time, the band I came to see, Rise Against. The band members sprinted on stage, immediately diving into their first song. The pit went wild, people dancing, shoving, smoking at every turn. People needed to be handed out every few seconds it seemed. The entire time, I was having one of the times of my life. I’d loved Rise Against as a kid, and now I was able to confirm my love for them through this group of people standing just a few feet from the stage. At one point the lead singer, Tim McIlrath, played through one of his well known acoustic songs, with a broken wrist! That surprised the entire audience.
The band finished their collection of memorable songs, and left the stage. We knew what was coming though, it always happens. The encore. The band played their most well known song, Savior. The crude vertical iPhone video I took doesn’t do it any justice, the song sent lightning and adrenaline through the veins of everyone there. Such was natural, as Savior is an amazing song.
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