Concert Recap: JimFest 3 - Hooligans Live, Jacksonville, NC

I've been blessed to have attended as many concerts as I have — from dive bars to outdoor amphitheaters, I've been lucky enough to have seen a wide range of artists, from rock royalty like Iron Maiden and Blue Oyster Cult to contemporary artists on the rise like From Ashes to New and Afterlife, but some of my favorite experiences lately have stemmed from the local scene. Hooligans Live here in Jacksonville, NC has become a second home of sorts to me in recent months, and it's been a great place to familiarize myself with the eclectic mix of talented bands and artists in the area. I've interviewed some of my favorites, such as Waking Tera and Mortal After All, and it's been nice running into familiar faces each time I go to a show at Hooligans, from the musicians to the photographers, to the venue staff, and even the Hooligans bossman, Johnny Cutt. 

Last weekend was entirely dedicated to the local artists, as the third annual JimFest took over Hooligans Live for a two-day event of loud music and good vibes. Featuring local and regional artists throughout the weekend from A Shelter for Holly to LYLVC, there was something for every metal fan to enjoy on both nights. I was only able to attend the opening night this year, but it was still a wildly fun night.

The first band to hit the stage was A Shelter for Holly, a death metal quartet from the Jacksonville area. In full transparency, I've personally never been fond of death metal, deathcore, or any other similar variations of the subgenre, but that didn't stop me from having a good time during their set. While they played fan favorites like “Hurricane,” they made an effort to showcase new material yet to be officially released, such as the upcoming single “Dr. Death.” The band had an energetic stage presence to match their thunderous riffs, and an enthusiastic audience to match their liveliness. For the first band of the night, they certainly made an impression and got the show off to a frantic and exciting start.

Up next was Mortal After All, the metalcore quintet from around New Bern. This was my second time seeing them live, with the first coming last November when they opened for From Ashes to New, and they put on a much better performance this time around. Not only did they sound better as a group, but there was also a slightly longer set time, with room for the band to include the title track to their debut EP, Black Blood, to the setlist. Along with other cuts from the EP, the band also teased a taste of things to come with the addition of their upcoming single, “Labyrinth.” Another fun part of the set was when the band invited their fan and friend Emilio Henriquez to the stage to sing “Save Yourself,” his personal favorite song of theirs, adding to the overall community feel of the local music scene here in eastern NC.

Also if you haven’t already, check out my interview with Mortal After All here.

The third band up was the Pink Hill deathcore/metalcore (gotta love subgenres) band Defile the Crown, whose vocalist, John E. Kennedy, happens to be the brains behind putting the JimFest event together. It was a bit surprising to see them in a direct support slot instead of closing the first night due to this fact, but nonetheless, their set was a memorable one. Getting their set off to an emphatic start by opening with the energetic (and my personal favorite) song “Unknown Entity,” the band quickly made it known that they weren’t messing around, and they brought every ounce of musical intensity and brutality to their performance. I saw Defile the Crown once before this festival, which was when they opened for hometown heroes Waking Tera on their Halloween show last October, and much like with Mortal After All, they sounded better and left a more memorable impression the second time around. Part of that could be because I only caught the tail-end of their set the first time I saw them, but all the same, they made their presence known and showed that they’re a band to keep a close eye on from this point forward.

Closing out the first night of the festival was the hard rock trio To Begin Anew, making their long-awaited return to the stage after embarking on a midsummer hiatus last year – to further celebrate the occasion, the band even released a new single, “This is War,” on the same day as the show. With their debut EP, Momentum, To Begin Anew have proved themselves to be one of the most dynamically engaging and accessible bands in the local scene, making songs that are sure to resonate with listeners in one way or another. There truly is something for everyone when it comes to their music, and their live show is just as entertaining. Currently functioning as a 3-piece group, the band enlisted the help of Blake Matthews from the band With Clarity and the Clarity Audio Productions studio to take on the role as the bassist for this show, and they had even more friends join during their set-closer, “Your Favorite Shade of Red,” with John from Defile the Crown and Chris Vance (former TBA guitarist, as well as a founding member of the band Death of Uriah) joining on vocals and guitar, respectively. 

I was able to interview To Begin Anew before their set to discuss their hiatus return, how it felt to headline the first night of JimFest upon said return, their musical influences, and too much more to list here – honestly, you just have to watch the interview for yourself because I can’t adequately explain how much fun I had talking with the guys in the band. Cody, Casey, and Macon were all super personable and genuine people, and it was an absolute blast getting to pick their brains about their music. I’m glad I was able to catch their set, and I can’t wait for the next one. 

To see my interview with To Begin Anew, click here.

All in all, it’s safe to say the third annual JimFest at Hooligans Live was a success. This was my first time attending the festival, even if it was for just one night, but it was worth it and I had a great time. To everyone involved in making the event happen, from John E. Kennedy to the Hooligans staff to the bands themselves – thanks for putting the show together, can’t wait for next year!

Support the bands by checking out the links below:

- A Shelter for Holly: https://linktr.ee/ashelterforholly

- Mortal After All: https://linktr.ee/MortalAfterAll

- Defile the Crown: https://linktr.ee/DefiletheCrown

- To Begin Anew: https://tobeginanewmusic.com/

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