Exit 111 Festival Headed to Manchester, TN

Festival season is a beautiful thing. But how can someone make it the most insane, badass and fun-fueled festival of the year? It would appear the answer is to make it the heaviest lineup we have ever seen. That’s right folks, the heaviest festival lineup in the country was just announced and we couldn’t believe it ourselves. Even after reading through the list of bands performing at this (maybe five or six times) we still can’t imagine all this energy being packed into three days in Tennessee. But, alas, it’s happening and we have the inside scoop of what you should expect to see, hear and FEEL at this year’s Exit 111 Festival at Great State Park in Manchester, Tennessee!

With three massive stages one of them is very special, Seether frontman Shaun Morgan has created a charity called “Rise Above” which every dollar that is made off of tickets will go to SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices Of Education). Exit 111 promoters have teamed with Morgan and have created the Rise Above Stage at this year’s festival and we couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for such an amazing thing.

This is the inaugural year of this festival and it is being brought to life by the biggest bands in the world with a killer day one that no one would ever see coming. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Slayer, Megadeth, Black Label Society and Black Stone Cherry. Yes, you read that correctly. Skynyrd and Slayer in one day. You aren’t dreaming, you’re awake, if you aren’t we assure you that you will be. Nestled in the beautiful hills of Tennessee, on a massive farm field in Manchester, is the massive festival that is taking over 2019 Exit 111 Fest. We will take a more in depth look at the bands we’re looking forward to seeing all the way to some cool events that will take place at this years festival as well!

Music, cars, dirt bikes, paranormal experiences, a sports bar that’s probably a few acres wide. Hey snap out of it, you heard me right. We’ve got an all make and model car show, the Red Bull Freestyle Motocross Experience, a mega sports bar to watch any sport or game you want and the most unique attraction to ever grace a music festival, the Paranormal Cirque. If this doesn’t peak your interest on top of an already insane lineup we’ll guess what, these are just a few of the many more experiences to be added as the festival approaches. That’s right there is more to be announced soon and we will have all the information as it reaches us.

Take a look and let’s discuss the bands that are soon to be melting our faces off at this year’s Exit 111 as we take a in-depth look at what they have been up to and what we can also come to expect from them this year:

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Three Steps (Live)

Lynyrd Skynyrd has been in the industry now for well over 50+ years, and even though they have gone through a few changes, some small and some not so small, the band has remained true to their roots as they have always looked to bless our soul and ears to some of the worlds best southern rock music that there is. As of late the band have been touring the world on cruises and preparing for some new music in the studio. How much longer will we all get to see the legendary band? That’s something Johnny Van Zant has recently spoken on. "I don't know if we can last 10 more years," singer Johnny Van Zant says with a laugh. "If you're 20 years old, it's a lot easier than it is at our age. But you know what? It's still fun for us. We hate the traveling part, but love playing." Said Van Zant. For now, we'll take it with a grain of salt as we aren’t ready to let them go just yet. Our recommendation is to be at this year’s festival and see them while you still can!

SLAYER - Repentless (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Metal Juggernauts Slayer will be playing the main stage this year and it will be their final show EVER in Tennessee. Slayer has been writing, touring and dominating the metal scene for well over 35 years and haven’t shown any signs that they’ve missed a step. Lead by founding member and bassist Tom Araya, Slayer looks to remind Tennessee what it’s like to see an old school thrash-metal show. As of late, the band has been touring all over the globe with dates in the U.S and dates over in Europe. The mighty Slayer is looking to build on the foundations they have laid and then break them down with each show. These guys are not a band to sleep on and they will give any younger rock or metal band a run for their money. Come see them at the first ever Exit 111 Festival!

Black Stone Cherry - My Last Breath (Official Music Video)

Making their way back to Tennessee is area favorites Black Stone Cherry. No stranger to the winding roads of Tennessee, the guys in BSC are making another appearance for a massive set at this year’s Exit 111 Fest. Ben Wells, Jon Lawhon, John Fred Young, and Chris Robertson are no strangers to the festival circuit as some would actually call them favorites in the scene. BSC has been recently touring their most recent release Family Tree with great success as it has just turned one year old. Black Stone Cherry have recently added some extra flair to their already iconic live shows by throwing in the ingredient that is Yates McKendree on organ/piano. BSC isn’t a run of the mill band, no. They always have a little extra in the tank just when you're feeling low to get you moving and feeling good! Look for them to do what they do best and get your feet moving and your hands rocking back and forth this year at Exit 111.

Ghost is making their way down from the throne they have so carved up in recent years. Returning to the hills of Tennessee with much more theatrics and tunes than you can imagine, Forge and his band of Ghouls is going to make sure we all have a spooky and groovy time. Lately, Ghost has been on a massive tour themselves that’s spanned the entire United States, but don’t let that fool you there is plenty more left for them to say when they take to the main stage at this year’s Exit 111 Festival. If you’ve never seen a Ghost show, you are in for a treat. This is one that will be remembered as they tend to never go one show without making it memorable.

Ghost - Dance Macabre

Fresh off the heels of the Truth Tour, band Nothing More will be at this year’s festival main stage. This is always a band to catch live as they put on one hell of a performance every single time. With one of the most interestingly savage styles of playing, Hawkins and his band know what it’s like to see a show and shrug your shoulders. This is why they pour their blood sweat and tears into every show, and we literally mean blood sweat and tears. Each member has their own way of drawing you in and releasing you while simultaneously pulling you back in. It’s very much a show as well as a show of crazy guitars, drums and sensational vocal performances that very few bands to this day can accomplish. However, let’s not forget the infamous scorpion that singer Jonny Hawkins plays the drums on and takes flight on as well! This is one band that will stand out for many years to come, whether or not on a festival stage or an arena stage. Come ready to rock with Nothing More.

Nothing More - Let 'Em Burn (Official Music Video)

Returning to the touring scene is one of our favorites Deftones. Lead by Chino Moreno and guitarist Stephen Carpenter, the Deftones are one of those bands that also stand out in the industry as there are very few if none like them. Haunting, melodic, heavy, iconic. Just a few words to describe the vibe the Deftones bring to a festival. Though lately, quiet, unseen, and secretive might be better words to describe the band as they have been quietly recording and mastering their new record that we anticipate will be one of their best yet. We can think of our favorite songs to see live while we may actually receive some new material in the coming weeks frthe release of this article. I anticipate we will have at least one new song to witness live at this year’s festival. Which songs will you be hoping to hear live? One thing is for sure, when the Deftones come out to play, you’ll be left with a buzz like no other!

Deftones - Rocket Skates [Official Music Video]

Alter Bridge look to return to form as this will be their first show back since they took a break as a full band to pursue their other endeavors of equal importance. Separately the band is made up of such unique individuals that it makes for a fun off season away from Alter Bridge. Mark has his band Tremonti, Myles Kennedy has had his time with Slash as well as touring his first ever solo record Year Of The Tiger. So you see not all is lost when this band takes a break, it just means we get more diverse and more playing time from some of the members individually. Now, we aren’t saying we didn’t miss Alter Bridge as a band. That would just be crazy. In fact Alter Bridge has been recording and writing new material for some time now as they are back in the studio with the wizard of all producers Michael ‘Elvis’ Baskette, who produced their last record as well and we can barely contain our excitement. This is one of those bands that doesn’t come around very often in a generation, with soaring solos, crazy rich vocals and drumming like you’ve never heard. The guys are definitely a band that can push the pause button when they need to, walk back and turn the machine back on and hammer down on the petals! Look for Alter Bridge to debut a new track or two at this year’s festival and prepare to be rocked by Alter Bridge!

Alter Bridge: Cradle To The Grave (Official Video)

Well there you have it! Those are just a taste of what’s to come at the very first Exit 111 music festival in beautiful Manchester, Tennessee. More experiences will be announced, more bands to be seen, and an experience that you can’t get anywhere else in the country, make sure when these tickets go on sale you buy yours. Music isn’t just something you listen to, it’s something you feel!

Let’s not forget to acknowledge the amazing teams at C3 Presents and AC Entertainment who have also given us Bonnaroo. How could we not give such a shout out to them. After all Bonnaroo is one of the largest and continually growing festivals in the country! We can’t wait to watch as this one blossoms and becomes a staple in the festival community and history. So be sure to be there. October 11-13th as Manchester Tennessee gets rocked by the very first Exit 111 Festival!