Hatebreed lead vocalist Jamey Jasta has secured the rights to Milwaukee Metalfest, the storied Midwestern U.S. heavy metal festival that last ran as Milwaukee Metalfest XIX in 2007.
Auspiciously, after that 16-year break, the prominent metalcore musician is planning to bring Milwaukee Metalfest back to Wisconsin’s most populous city in 2023. And he’s doing it partially as a tribute to a friend in the metal community that he recently lost.
This week, festival founder Jack Koshick officially handed the fest to Jasta, with both offering remarks.
Jasta says, “I am so grateful and thrilled that Jack Koshick has passed the Milwaukee Metalfest torch off to me. He is a visionary and we will carry on the Milwaukee Metalfest legacy for years to come.”
The Hatebreed bandleader and The Jasta Show podcast host continues, “So many of us have great memories from Milwaukee Metalfest, and the time is right for it to return. On a recent podcast I did with the late [Black Dahlia Murder vocalist] Trevor Strnad, I fantasized about bringing the fest back and even wanted Trevor to curate it with me. In light of his death, I feel the need to see it through and relaunch the festival in 2023.”
Koshick says the historic metal festival “has been a labor of love for me. I started working on it when I was 29; I am now 66. I want to thank all those living and dead for making this dream come true.”
He adds, “Most of all, I want to thank the bands, fans and crews that made this happen. The time has come to move on. I feel Jamey Jasta and his partners will do a fine job representing the brand.”
Milwaukee Metalfest had a legendary annual run from 1987 to 2004. In 1991, for example, the fest’s stacked lineup included Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Napalm Death, Sepultura, Sick of It All and several other extreme bands. Milwaukee is actually pronounced mill-e-wah-que, which is Algonquin for “the good land.”
On Thursday (June 30), Jasta asked social media for band suggestions for Milwaukee Metalfest’s 2023 lineup. See that below. Learn more at milwaukeemetalfestival.com.
2022 Rock + Metal Festival Guide
See what’s coming up this year!