At the dawn of the ’90s, it appeared Hair Metal was dead and gone and some of the prior decade’s platinum-selling acts were left in the dust. It would be a long drought for these storied, accomplishments bands, but fortunately what goes around comes around, and as the 2000s rolled in, a renaissance occurred for many of these bands, ushering in a well-deserved festival dedicated to the best of ’80s Rock in the form of M3 Festival.
First launching in 2009, M3 Festival has been a mainstay in the month of May each year to follow. Throughout the past decade, M3 Rock Festival – which occurs at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland – has brought fans over 80 bands, and seen those fans making a pilgrimage from 6 continents – including such far-off nations as Australia, Russia, and Japan – to partake of the party and let it all hang out. Spread across two stages – located inside Merriweather’s main pavilion – as well as the Chrysalis stage in the woods, each year’s celebration has brought countless energy and endless memories for fans and bands alike. Why would any fan want to miss this annual affair?
Returning in 2018, this go around, the festival – which takes place Friday, May 4th through Saturday, May 5th – is celebrating a raucous decade of fantastic, and fans should expect nothing less than some serious awesomeness!
For those who fell in love with Hair Metal in the ‘80s and teenagers finding it now, M3 is a true celebration of the best of the scene; a coming together of Rock and of hair. “It’s really one of our signature events,” said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and operator of Merriweather. Furthermore, it has been a place for some of the ’80s best bands to reunite, recollect, and even respark flames. With that is truly more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane, it also is a place for these bands to show off that they still have plenty of good music left in them, dishing out new material amidst all the fan-favorites.
So how did it all start? Well, M3 Festival is the vision of producer and creator Eric Baker, Consultant/Principal of New Breed LLC – a consulting and management company. Knowing a thing or two about music, Baker has built his own little empire with M3, and that is why fans and bands keep coming back each year.
In past years, M3 has included performances from some of the best in the genre, from the outspoken Twisted Sister and headbanging Ratt, to soulful Cinderella and rockin’ Vince Neil. Furthermore, Whitesnake, Bret Michaels, Dokken, Slaughter, Winger, Trixter (hey hey, baby!), Sebastian Bach, Warrant (bring them some Cherry Pie), Danger Danger (bang bang!), Great White, Lita Ford, L.A. Guns, Night Ranger, Bang Tango (they want someone just like you!), and beloved hometown boys Kix (who survive off Girl Money) are just some of the favorites who have frequented M3 throughout the years.
Now celebrating a landmark 10th anniversary, this year’s M3 promises to bring even more of the Rock, with a lineup that includes the likes of Tom Keifer (if you don’t know what band he sings for, then you shouldn’t be at M3!), Queensrÿche, Night Ranger, Ace Frehley, Frank Hannon of Tesla, Sebastian Bach, Slaughter, Warrant, Lynch Mob, Faster Pussycat, Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Y&T, Stryper, Tyketto, and many, many more. Oh right, and who would miss hometown boys Kix when they light the figurative fuse under the Merriweather Pavilion’s seats?
As with more recent M3 weekends, Sunday, May 6th will be dedicated to Southern Rock – that less hairier brand of rocking out – and features the likes of The Marshall Tucker Band, Blackberry Smoke, The Outlaws, Pure Prairie League, The Georgia Satellites (who will be keeping their hands to themselves!), Atlanta Rhythm Section, Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin’ Stones, and 1 Nite Stand. Come for the hair, stay for the grit!
For those about to rock, M3 Festival salutes you and hopes to see you this coming weekend, May 4-6, in Columbia, Maryland at ye olde stomping grounds. You can expect absolutely nothing less than a good time, and expect to make life-long memories with friends and your favorite bands, and perhaps you’ll even discover something or someone new along the way!
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