Rocklahoma 2012, the final day

PRYOR, Okla. - Fans that braved the heat for the entire weekend were rewarded on the final night of the hard-hitting, in your face rock-n-roll festival Sunday as the six annual Rocklahoma festival enjoyed a bit of bonus mild weather for the third day.  Televised live on HDNet worldwide, thousands of music fans showed up on the grounds to support their favorite bands as the legend of Rocklahoma continues to grow. 

Rains kicked the evening off on the Hard Rock stage with a short set, leading into Black Stone Cherry. The Edmonton, Kentucky group then fired up the main stage with an energizing performance that quickly drew the attention of the ever-growing crowd.

Drummer John Fred Young played with purpose, beating the skins like they owed him money while his bandmates banged their heads and moved around the stage freely, jumping onto monitors and singing along with the crowd. Black Stone Cherry’s set, while short, was heavy and proved that this is a band on the rise. They included hits “White Trash Millionaire,” and “Blame it on the Boom Boom” before finishing with “Lonely Train.”

Baltimore’s Charm City Devils followed on the Hard Rock stage with an entertaining set that included an amped-up version of “Man of Constant Sorrow.” Oklahoma City’s Aranda also played the Hard Rock stage, supporting their hometown NBA team as lead singer Dameon Aranda led the group while wearing an Oklahoma City Thunder t-shirt. Their set included “Undone,” and “Satisfied.”

Sandwiched in between the two was Kansas City’s Puddle of Mudd on the main stage. Front-man Wes Scantlin belted out several of the band’s hits, pouring everything he had into each song. Opening with “Control,” the crowd quickly filled in the area around the stage while heads banged, fists reached into the air and a few bras came off. The band included hits “Blurry,” “Psycho,” “Famous,” and “She Hates Me” to the crowd’s approval.

Jesse James Dupree and Jackyl then literally took over the main stage with one of the most entertaining sets of the weekend. The Southern fried group from Georgia opened with “My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine’s Ass” and never looked back. Included in the set was their hit “Down on Me,” as well as a few others with titles that we can’t mention here.

Dupree loves the stage, and it was easy for anyone to see as he continually “testified” to the crowd, playfully told promoters that the band would play as long as they wanted and ultimately ended their set by mooning the HDNet camera. The highlight, though, was “The Lumberjack” during which Dupree played a chainsaw before pulling Rocklahoma host Eddie Trunk from backstage before the pair carved up a wooden barstool.

The tough task of following Jackyl’s explosive set fell to Art of Dying at the Hard Rock stage. The Canadian band held their own, entertaining the crowd with a set that included their hits “Sorry,” and “Die Trying.” Queensryche then took over the main stage, powering through an entertaining set that included memorable hits “Silent Lucidity,” “I Don’t Believe in Love,” “Jet City Woman,” and “Empire” before ending with “Eyes of a Stranger.”

The evening’s two main events, made up of two super groups, followed. Hellyeah, led on drums by Pantera’s Vinnie Paul, took over the Hard Rock stage with a vengeance, drawing what seemed to be that stage’s largest crowd of the weekend. A large portion of fans flocked to the Hard Rock stage early and began chanting “Hellyeah, Hellyeah, Hellyeah,” as Queensryche continued to play on the main stage. The crowd then exploded with cheers as they took the stage and powered through a heavy, aggressive set.

Rocklahoma Day 3 Slideshow.

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Photos by: Kevin Pyle

Chickenfoot, made up of Sammy Hagar, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Kenny Aronoff (filling in for Chad Smith who is on tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers), and guitar legend Joe Satriani headlined the main stage to close out the three-day festival. Hagar’s vocals were superb and Satriani was phenomenal as he played along. Chickenfoot also delivered an incredible light show as they ran through a very entertaining show.

And then, almost as quickly as it started, the weekend party was over. It goes without saying that Rocklahoma 2012 was a success. Look for organizers to pick up where they left off when Rocklahoma 2013 kicks off next Memorial day weekend.