Coheed And Cambria, Circa Survive, Underoath headline first ever Chain Fest
Coheed And Cambria, Circa Survive and Underoath are among the confirmed bands for the first ever Chain Fest.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Orange County’s historic all-ages venue, Chain Reaction, the brand new festival is set for Saturday, September 17th at the Observatory Grounds in Santa Ana, California.
The Observatory OC’s multiple stages will also boast performances from Portugal. The Man, MXPX, Title Fight, Anthony Green, Basement, Citizen, Dance Gavin Dance, Elder Brother, Hail The Sun, Mat Kerekes, Movements, Nomads, Onelinedrawing, Secret Space, Tigers Jaw, Turnover, Up Syndrome, Zao and more to be announced. VIP passes are available through Chain Fest’s partners at Ticket Galaxy right now, with the general public on-sale beginning July 15.
“Every single band at the festival has played Chain Reaction or has some kind of history with the venue,” said organizer, longtime promoter and Chain Reaction owner Andy Serrao, via press release. Serrao followed in the footsteps of seminal Chain Reaction talent bookers Jonathan Halperin and Ron “Crawlspace” Martinez, after first attending shows as a teenager and later working as security. “The idea was to involve bands who have history with us and who we also personally love.”
Chain Reaction and The Observatory, which has the capacity to accommodate a festival event, have a strong history together of co-promoted shows and independently minded community spirit. “We talk to them literally every day about shows, new records we’re listening to, the music business,” said Serrao. “We have a long history of supporting each other’s venues and shows.”
It’s that same spirit of shared values and artistic passion that is behind the 20-year history of Chain Reaction and the motivation for the launch of Chain Fest. “We’ve kept Chain Reaction alive for ourselves and everyone who loves music,” Serrao says. “Venues like Chain Reaction are crucial to the development and support of young bands.”
Often dubbed “the West Coast’s CBGBs” by those in the know, the long-running cornerstone of the Orange County music community is recognized internationally as an early proving ground for many of the scene’s most revolutionary, influential and iconic groups. The long-list of recognizable artists who’ve called Chain Reaction home, at career-defining early gigs early or at intimate and triumphant “underplay” events for their most dedicated fans alike, includes: My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, Panic! At The Disco, Death Cab For Cutie, Dashboard Confessional, At The Drive-In, Jimmy Eat World, The Offspring and Sum 41, to name a few.
Complete information can be found at the Chain Fest website.
