It was very clear from the start that Day 2 of Field Day Fest this year was for the rowdies. You had WIDES over at The Bottleneck, Red Kate and Vedettes at the Replay, and a host of wild antics over at the Jackpot. That’s where Kansas City’s High Dive Records hosted their label showcase with bands like The Conquerors and Psychic Heat. High Dive has been an absolutely fantastic asset to the Kansas City music scene, working diligently to promote the holy hell out of bands from Lawrence and Kansas City. That camaraderie was in full force on this night as an overwhelming show of support filled the Jackpot with bodies eager to party and thrash.

The true stars of Field Day Fest on Friday, though, were Bummer. There was a lot of excitement built up over the hard rock band prior to the show, and they did not disappoint. The band opted to set up on the floor in order to go full throttle with their volume. The place was absolutely alive. Bummer is the band everyone wants to party with. It’s not necessarily a band you mosh to, but rather one you head bang rhythmically with on every beat. Sort of like a headbanger’s meditation. The crowd swarmed the musicians on the floor, and it didn’t take long for the booze and sweat to start flying.

The night ended with popular locals Psychic Heat electrifying the High Dive showcase, while over at the Bottleneck Your Friend crooned to a more stripped down set (but still brought plenty of loops and effects to her guitar stylings). Red Kate finished off the second day with a rowdy-as-all-get-out set with perfectly executed punk ragers and new songs in tow.

Words by Fally Afani, photos by Fally Afani and Leroy Pristach