Get Busy Living Fest
On Saturday June 7th Adrian Estrella, lead singer of southern California local legends Assuming We Survive, brought 14 local bands together for one awesome show. His Get Busy Living Fest didn’t go off without a fair share of glitches, but like A Day To Remember’s Self Help Fest earlier in the year, Get Busy Living focused on bringing brands together and strengthening camaraderie within the local scene. Featured bands included: Assuming We Survive, Speaking the Kings, Cromwell, Stanley and the Search, Thorn For Every Heart, The Body Rampant, Common War, Behind the Fallen, Shot in the Dark, When Earth Awaits, Gigantes, The New Varsity, New Way On, and the battle of the bands winners Clearview. Bands freely walked throughout the venue giving fans an opportunity to see and talk with all of their favorites and maybe even discover a new band to follow. Get Busy Living Fest was more than successful bringing fans together and introducing them to other local acts.
Bright and early fans started to flock to the Granada Theater in Ontario, CA, a retro building that is currently being used as a church and occasionally rented out as a music venue. Adrian and his crew spent countless hours converting the space to fit the sound and vibe for the festival. The 12-hour festival was a long day (even for fans) and the ability to leave and return to the venue throughout the day left some bands playing to a small crowd. As the night progressed attendance numbers did increase. The sound and lighting issues were more than noticeable but worked themselves out by the time headliners Assuming We Survive hit the stage.
Technical and venue issues aside, the show did a fantastic job giving over a dozen bands a place to share their music. The youngest band on the bill Shot in the Dark blew fans away with not only their age, but also their onstage professionalism and later joined Assuming We Survive for a very interesting and entertaining compilation.
Once Assuming We Survive hopped on stage the crowd’s enthusiasm was in full effect. The floor was filled with plenty of fans with more than enough energy to go around. Adrian even headwalked into the middle of the crowd giving the show just that much more intensity. Assuming We Survive really knows how to get a party moving. Their onstage enthusiasm truly shined above all other acts throughout the day.
It was a shame that Fake figures parted ways just a few days before the festival and did not attend, but overall Get Busy Living Fest was a great and warm-hearted attempt at something truly amazing. The show had plenty of room to improve, but By the Barricade will surely be at next year’s Get Busy Living Fest and is eagerly awaiting details on Adrian’s next attempt to surface.
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