By Emily Domayer–Morningfest may sound to some as an Easter Sunday church service. But for more than 70 people this past Saturday in the Yockey Room, it was an evening of metal music featuring five local bands. One of the bands, Beauty Killed the Beast, featured Morningside College students Mike Kessel, Nathan Roddick and Jordon McCubbin.
The floor shook and the fans head banged and moshed to the music from artists they knew. Yancy Chagolla of LeMars was among them. “It was very eventful. The energy was definitely there and it’s always awesome seeing my buds live!”
Morningside student Aaron Tiemeyer said, “The show was awesome! All the bands put on a great showing. One of These Days Alice and Beauty Killed the Beast fed the crowd with its energy!”
The evening began with alternative rap group The Gateway Drug. They want to stand apart from mainstream hip hop. “We chose the name of our group hoping that people will think more deeply after they listen to us,” said lead singer Eric Osterholm of Sioux City.
Their songs delve into topics like standing up for what you believe and staying strong during difficult times. “We want our music to have a deeper message than typical rap music. We won’t rap about being “in the club” or wearing “bling” in our songs.” said Osterholm.
Another group whose goal is substance over style is Ghosts of Guyana, a self-described alternative psychedelic band. Their name comes from the location of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. Lead singer Matt Church said, “We are passionate about exposing corruption, both nationally and internationally. As a society, we are under a mass hypnosis from our government. Our music is a creative way for us to express how we feel about these societal issues.”
When Beauty Killed the Beast prepared themselves to play, they added another sensory element: a smoke machine. Soon after they began playing, the fire alarm sounded. The fans and musicians were not deterred by the interruption. Beauty Killed the Beast continued playing.
Metal enthusiast David Haefs raved, “Beauty Killed the Beast put on a sick show so metal even the fire alarms went off! They even got a wall of death going. It’s one of the best local shows I’ve been to!”
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