Carnival of Madness was my favorite concert/festival this year. It was a perfect blend of popular and raising bands with Shinedown, Papa Roach, Skillet, In This Moment, and We as Human.
Some people can't make it to the huge, once a year festivals, others don't want to commit to a full day traveling festival, and most don't show up for unknown opening act. Which is a shame on their part, I've discovered some of my favorite bands that way. Carnival of Madness avoids all those pitfalls.
I missed We as Human, I spent over an hour in traffic waiting to get in the venue. Before In This Moment even took the stage, the theater was close to half full. By the time they were done it was well on it's way to three quarters full. In This Moment's set was a little short for my liking, they are who I came to see, I like that they got to set up their full stage. It was a fan's set, that set the stage for a rocking rest of the night.
I'm only a casual/radio fan of the We as Human, Papa Roach, Skillet, and Shinedown, so I don't know all of their songs. I can say that they put on a great show. Each band's set got bigger and longer calumniating in Shinedown opening with a fire dancers troupe that was amazing. I didn't get many pictures because I was throughly entrance by the show.
This was my first Carnival of Madness, it won't be my last. And if they continue to put together line-ups and shows like this, it will be the hottest ticket in town. Next year I will make sure to leave earlier to catch the opening act.