What I Saw At The Drive-In

Um, is it Halloween already?  No, it's not, but apparently to metal fans, every day is potentially Halloween.

After the pleasant day yesterday spent at Artlantis, for some reason I decided to go today to the Starlight Six Drive-In movies to check out something called Monsterfest 2012, an all-day heavy metal festival.

It seemed more than a little strange to see everyone dressed in costumes and wearing makeup, especially considering the weather had taken a turn for the warmer after the pleasant day yesterday.  Today was hot, humid, and hazy, and there was not a speck of shade to be had anywhere in the drive-in, except for the stage itself and the tents for the vendors.  Still, everyone seemed to try and make the best of it and you can even go so far as to say, given the nature of the festivities, that the weather was appropriately hellish.

For some reason, there was also wrestling, which somehow seemed entirely appropriate.

Macabre scenes from around the drive-in:

Another metal band:

Metal fans:

More wrestling:

Wrestling fans:

Another band:

Other interesting sights:

The folks from the tent below are apparently very, very Southern:

I'm not a metal fan, but it was ultimately the heat, humidity, and lack of shade that finally got to me.  I left shortly after the third wrestling match.

So Monsterfest apparently consists of performances by metal bands alternating with wrestling matches, with spectators dressed up as if for Halloween.  All of this is very, very different from the music and the festivals to which I usually go.  However, the fans today seemed to have every bit as much fun as I do at those events to which I am more accustomed, and it's diversity if nothing else that keeps life so interesting.