Ringing In The Metal

Downtown Jamestown will experience a heavy dose of metal and more Saturday, April 7.

The show its promoters called "an underground Warped Tour," Springfest will bring more than a dozen regional acts together at Jamestown Savings Bank Arena for 10 hours of non-stop music. Joined by several local bands, Buffalo's What Lies Beneath will headline.

"They draw a really big crowd," said promoter Jaymee Minner, who booked the show along with his cousin, Kyle. "We wanted a nice place to do this. We've done them in small clubs, but we wanted to make sure we have a lot of kids coming to this. These guys are a great local band. They've played all over the place."

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What Lies Beneath, from Buffalo, headlines the list of more than a dozen bands scheduled to perform at Jamestown Savings Bank Arena on Saturday, April 7, as part of Springfest.
Submitted photo

According to Kyle Minner, the April 7 show is a farewell gig for What Lies Beneath, a band that hasn't played together in about a year.

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY

Born for Betrayal will join the headliner. Singer Darin Gee and guitarist Matt Mueller see Springfest as an opportunity to expand the band's reach while playing with performers they respect.

"What Lies Beneath, I'm stoked to play with them," Gee said.

"All of the bands we're playing with are awesome," added Mueller. "It's going to be a great show. It will be a fun night. Hopefully a lot of people will come."

The show will be in the band's backyard. The musicians in Born for Betrayal all live in the Jamestown area. According to Gee, the band is far from cookie-cutter.

"We're not the typical metalcore band," he said. "We're kind of on the verge of deathcore. We're kind of in the middle, which is different than most bands."

Born for Betrayal's vocalists scream mostly, mixing in occasional singing. The band, which formed in 2010, writes music meant to make audiences move and have fun.

"Our music is pretty much perfect for that," said Mueller, noting the band will unveil new songs for the show. "I want to be able to walk into a music store and see our CD on a shelf. That, to me, would be the coolest thing in the world. If we could get as big as that someday, that would be sweet. As far as this show, it will definitely help us. It will get the word out about us."

Awaken the Ancients, Sacraments, A Crowd Like You, Eyeless Abomination, Lydia Can't Breathe, The Still Life, 9mm Dental Plan, Feast Upon Tranquillity, Anthems of Apathy, A Door A Bull, Belladonna and Noah Westfall will also perform. For $10 pre-sale or $13 at the door, concert goers can check out all or some of the entertainment from noon until 10 p.m.

"We wanted to create the local atmosphere and get a lot of local bands involved and help everybody out," Jaymee Minner said, noting he used to play in a local band. "I know how hard it is for bands to play shows. We try to get the local bands around here shows, to play out more and to get coverage."

METAL AND MORE

The show will feature more than metal bands. Westfall, for example, will play an acoustic set.

With a wide range of musical styles on display, the promoters expect a diverse audience and a lot of energy at the arena April 7, particularly with the excitement coming from the bands and their followings. The acts didn't hesitate to sign on for the show.

"Finding bands is not an issue," Kyle Minner, said. "I'll post on Facebook, and I'll have emails within 30 seconds from bands who want to play."

The Minners, of Salamanca, have booked shows for more than a year and have already scheduled an upcoming local Summerfest. They hope to improve the local-music scene for bands and fans while broadening horizons.

"It's a community thing," Jaymee Minner said. "That's what we're trying to build here. The stereotype for metal kids isn't just tattoos and piercings. There's more to it than that."