The Upheaval Festival at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, happened July 16 and 17 and it was the first major rock gathering since before the pandemic.

What started out to be a rock festival in 2020, like everything else that year because of the coronavirus, was postponed but at least not canceled.  Good thing because the Upheaval Festival was a huge success.

The show featured Korn, Rob Zombie, Staind, Chevelle, Skillet, Pop Evil and many others. MiEntertainment did a fantastic job with the set up, from stage, sound, lighting, video not to mention how the concourse was set up with all drinks and vendors at the back. Food vendors and bathrooms out of the line of fire from the show were in a perfect location. And best of all, the event has plenty of room to grow moving forward.

Being able to MC the event was an honor and a treat. Being able to look at the fans and see them in the eyes from where the artists perform was very special. Seeing the joy in the fans eyes, especially after this past year and half of not being able to go anywhere and enjoy music like this at the festival level on top of that.

Sure there were a few idiots that got themselves ejected from the event, but I think all in all, most people were so glad to be out and together again that no one wanted to miss anything.

It was the most smiles I've seen since the Metallica drive in concert last summer in Muskegon.

There was a second stage that was on top of the hill at the venue and it was a bit of a drag to have to climb up there but at the same time I was glad it was able to give some unsigned bands a shot to perform. Yes there were some new bands with record deals up there like Gemini Syndrome, Royal Bliss, Blacktop Mojo and Stitched Up Heart. If you made the climb, once you got there it was worth it.

It was great to have a festival of this magnitude happen right here in Grand Rapids. Let's all hope moving forward this is the beginning of even greater things to come.

There are already plans in the making for Upheaval to return in 2022.

Cool to see Rob Zombie share this video from Upheaval in GR on Instagram!

Here are a couple pics of what the place looked like before it started and how it looked when it ended.

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