Harrisonburg independent music festival has largest year in recent history MACROCKED

from MACROCK , page 1

“This is probably the best venue we’ve ever played at,” Juan Molina, the band’s guitarist, said. “There’s nothing like this in Boston.”

Lonelyisaneyesore said it began playing together a little bit before the pandemic, but couldn’t do much due to quarantine regulations. In August 2022, lonelyisaneyesore released its first three-song album called “thin skin.”

The band’s music takes on an experimental, screamo tone that many of the performers at MACROCK didn’t showcase. Not only was lonelyisaneyesore performance loud, emotional and deeply vulnerable but the energy it exhibited on stage kept its audience engaged throughout its whole set. Unlike many of the other bands performing, the lead singer walked across the front of the audience while performing rather than singing on stage with the rest of the band.

The band said it appreciated the opportunity to add to the variety of musical genres at MACROCK.

“If they like having music, if they like experimental stuff, if they want something that’s heart-wrenching,” Molina said, “come check us out.”

Lonelyisaneyesore also said it hopes to play at more events like MACROCK in the future, and that the annual tradition of MACROCK was something it really liked.

“There’s definitely some organizations that kind of do a similar thing,” McGowan said. “I just don’t think there’s anyone else doing it as long as we have.”

Kiernan Green, senior English major, said he decided to attend MACROCK for the first time because he has a lot of friends in and around the DIY music scene.

“All the people performing here are also just regular, everyday people, students like us, or [former] students like us,” Green said. “They’re making music for all the right reasons that people should be making music: expressing themselves, telling their stories and also just connecting people together.”

Green said performances by Chico Romano and Venus Twins were his favorite sets of the night. He also said the “incredible passion” both the bands and the audience had during their performances impressed him.

Venus Twins, an experimental punk duo who traveled from Brooklyn, New York, to play in MACROCK, is only composed of two members: a drummer and a lead vocalist/bassist. The bassist moved through the entire audience while performing at Pale Fire Brewing, his aux cord dragging behind him as he brushed past listeners. Green said he’s never been into this genre of music, but that the music is “much more evocative.”

Green added he’s thankful for the opportunity to attend MACROCK.

“It feels very passionate and it feels really authentic,” Green said. “Everyone here that is performing very clearly has incredible passion for it, and everyone here attending also seems to as well.”

McGowan said the Harrisonburg music scene is particularly special because everyone’s so welcoming.

“It’s such a fun weekend because you just get to hang out with your friends in the city that we love, at places that we love, listening to cool people,” McGowan said.

CONTACT K. Mauser at mauserkk@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.