There are sporadic nights of relief, as with last Saturday's Backwoods Metalfest.
Held at the Trigg County Recreation Complex, teens, an earmuff-clad child and even some old-school rockers paid the $5 cover Saturday to see five bands, including two from Trigg County.
“Why not put a show on here, what could happen?” curator Jacob Robison wondered in 1999, Backwoods' first year.
For Robison, now 28 years old, Saturday's concert was the 25th Backwods. By his count, more than 80 different bands from nine states have played the Recreation Complex's metal building, sometimes to an audience of 60, sometimes to more than 400.
Though proceeds of the door are split to pay the bands and recoup the $150 rental fee, Robison said it's not about the money.
“It's about keeping the kids out of trouble, giving them something to do,” he said.
Aware of the stereotypes surrounding metal music inspired by poster children like Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson, Robison is serious about keeping the concerts safe.
“We know [some people] are watching, waiting for us to slip up,” Robison said.
“Anybody can come out here and see there's no drugs, no alcohol,” Robison said Saturday night, standing in the complex's parking lot.
Moments later, a bottle rocket shot from the lot, soaring to an adjacent field. Robison moved in, asking the bombardiers to shoot their wares from the field, away from people.
For the rest of this story, please see this week's edition of The Cadiz Record
