See our best photos from Aftershock, including Kiss, Muse and Gwar’s gore-fest
By Xavier Mascareñas
The 2022 Aftershock Festival kicked off Thursday with performances by Slipknot, Rob Zombie and Bad Religion and a host of other groups in Sacramento’s Discovery Park.
Friday night’s headliners were Gwar, Kiss and Meshuggah. My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach and A Day to Remember are headliners on Saturday.
The festival is expected draw more than 35,000 attendees a day over its four-day run.
“It’s just so therapeutic. It feels so great to feel the base, the real live activity, the people, see the community of this kind of music,” said attendee Gabriel Cota of Stockton.
The festival concludes Sunday with Bayside, Action Bronson and Muse.
Kiss original band members Gene Simmons, left, and Paul Stanley play to the audience at the Aftershock Festival on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Kiss drummer Eric Singer twirls a stick while performing at the Aftershock Festival on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Gene Simmons raises his fist as fire goes off behind him as Kiss headlines on Friday night at the Aftershock Festival . Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Kiss fans Jovita and Abraham Hernandez, brother and sister from Hesperia, paint their faces to look like band members at the Aftershock Festival on Friday night. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Dominic Howard of Muse performs on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on the fourth day at the Aftershock rock festival Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Sara Nevis snevis@sacbee.com
Gwar performs live at the Aftershock Festival on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Gwar performs live at the Aftershock Festival on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Members of the band Gwar squirt fake blood at the audience at the Aftershock Festival on Friday night. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Fans of Gwar cheer on their performance at the Aftershock Festival on Friday night. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
Slipknot lead vocalist Corey Taylor sings beneath pyrotechnics on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on opening night of the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
April Guzman Gomez, left, of Stockton, and friends cheer as members of Slipknot perform on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on opening night of the Aftershock rock festival Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Aftershock runs through the weekend with performances from My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach, Kiss, Danzig and dozens more scheduled to play the three-stage festival. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Slipknot lead vocalist Corey Taylor performs on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on opening night of the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson performs on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on opening night of the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Security personnel deal with fans who crowd surf as members of Slipknot play the Jack Daniel’s Stage on opening night of the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor looks out over the audience as the band closes opening night on the Jack Daniel’s Stageat the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Evanescence’s Amy Lee sings on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on the first of four days at the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Evanescence’s Amy Lee sings on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on the first of four days at the Aftershock rock festival Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Karen, of Antioch, cheers on Rob Zombie as he performs on the Kolas Stage during the first of four days at the Aftershock rock festival Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Rob Zombie performs on the Kolas Stage on the first of four days at the Aftershock rock festival Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Chris Wallingford, of Needles, wears a dedicated mohawk to the Aftershock rock festival on the first of four days Thursday. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless performs on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on the fourth day at the Aftershock rock festival Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Sara Nevis snevis@sacbee.com
Guitarist Dane Pieper of Classless Act performs on the DW Presents Stage on the fourth day at the Aftershock rock festival Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Sara Nevis snevis@sacbee.com
Krisma Pickering, center, of Eugene, Ore., looks up at her 8-month-old son Halen as he sits on Travis Hill’s shoulders while Bring Me the Horizon performs on the Jack Daniel’s Stage on the fourth day at the Aftershock rock festival Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Sara Nevis snevis@sacbee.com
This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
