Beastie Rock. Oh yeah…!!! The weather cooperated and the bands excelled. Good times, great festival.

Beastie Rock. Oh yeah…!!! The weather cooperated and the bands excelled. Good times, great festival.

Here are some impressions:
Prior commitments (other gigs, rehearsals…) kept me from making it until Sunday, when my band played (which was great, great fun!), so my review is confined to just one day.
And what a day! Good friends everywhere I turned with a good band just behind them. I chose to stick with catching fewer performances to more fully appreciate the moment, rather than scamper to and fro (although that can be fun, too).
It turns out I chose my bands wisely: Human Beings 人 was incredible, OCD Girl was explosive and tight, and Roxymoron played with an certain aggression I hadn't heard from them before. I also managed to catch some of 88 Balaz, who were awesome, as usual.
I'm already excited for next year or whatever the next event may be. Promoter 音地大帝 does it right. Kudos & thanks!!!

Looking forward, it is another big weekend, as August becomes September. Is summer over so quickly? Maybe, but it doesn't mean the fun has ended. Good luck deciding where to go!

Lots of friends are excited for Napalm Death (with Ashen, Masquerader, and Touming Magazine) on Friday at the Wall. Touming Magazine is a great band but seems like an odd act to put on the bill. I've heard, however, that they plan on doing up some classic hardcore covers, which is an exciting prospect by itself.

Up the road at Revolver, the acclaimed Ken South Rock pair up with 88 Balaz. Two words: Kick ass.

Live music returns to Underworld on Saturday, with Tainan metal heads 長毛怪樂隊 Long Hair Monster, supported by 微酸的偷窺狂 Acidy Peeping Tom. Long Hair Monster was on hiatus for military service, so it is doubly exciting to know they're back in action, too.

Also Saturday is another epic opportunity for thrilling your senses. Local artist Toto Kuo hosts an exhibition with 8 killer bands and 3 wicked DJs. Details here. Pipe is rising to the challenge as well with a stellar lineup of its own. Woo-hoo!

The fun is not all limited to Taipei: Taichung gets in on the festival action with this year's Rock In Taichung, featuring Tizzy Bac, My Skin Against Your Skin, Kou Chou Ching, and many more. Check the details for Saturday 09/01 and Sunday 09/02. Is live music coming back in the middle city?

Trust us, there is WAY more than all of this happening - just check out the full weekend listings here and then take a moment to catch your breath. There is a LOT of music on this island. A lot of damn good music. Oh yeah!
:)

See Also:
Ian Kuo's Beastie Rock 2012 photos of Day 1 and Day 3.