Athfest 2012: Stokewood blows us away!

Friday, June 22st, 2012 (late)

Stokeswood

Energized by all of the amazing acts I had already seen throughout the day Friday, I power walked to Bad Manor for my final show of the night.  I didn't know much about Atlanta band Stokeswood, but I was definitely impressed when I saw the line for the venue.  After a few minutes of waiting, I stepped into the colorful, dreamlike haze that is the Bad Manor and nabbed a spot right near the stage.  Just seconds later, Stokeswood launched into their set and, before the first song had ended, I knew I was hooked.  These guys were amazing!  Their electronic indie rock and awesome vocals had me dancing almost immediately, and their energy was so intense, it emanated from the stage and filled the venue.  The band had something of a Bloodhound Gang vibe going at times, but it just worked for them so well.  As they lit up the stage, the crowd went insane, and even the smoke machines in the venue were moving in time to their tunes.  Just before the end, one of the members leapt off the stage to mosh with the crowd and dial up the madness of the show.  Brilliant!  I just loved the whole set from beginning to end.

It's no exaggeration on my part to say that this Athfest Friday was the single most exciting day of Athfest that I've ever experienced in my four years of attending the rockin' festival.  You can bet I was pumped to see what kind of shows Saturday would give us!

  For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2012, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, click here! More entries on all the bands and madness of the festival will be posted daily, so be sure to check back often. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!