And Your 2011 Mayhem Lineup......(Drum Roll, Please)

I think it's pretty apparent by now that when Mayhem Festival states on their site that "announcements will be released in January," that means these announcements will arrive on January 31. They even teased us a little bit this year by saying the lineup would be announced last Wednesday.  PSYCH!  But here it is, folks.  At long last, the lineup for the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival has been officially released.  Below after the break you can find the full lineup, dates, and my first impressions of the lineup (something tells me it won't be as good as 2009 was).


Headliners:
Disturbed
Godsmack
Megadeth
Machine Head
In Flames
Trivium

Extreme Stage:
Suicide Silence
All Shall Perish
Straight Line Stitch

Jagermeister Stage:
Unearth
Kingdom Of Sorrow
Red Fang
Jagermeister Opener

So at long last, this lineup is finally official (as is my belief that 2009's lineup will not be outdone).  My first impressions are fairly optimistic.  The Extreme Stage and Jagermeister Stage are decent.  I could do without Suicide Silence but you can count me on board for seeing All Shall Perish, Unearth, and Kingdom Of Sorrow.  As for the headliners, I think the positives can out weigh the negatives here.  So let's first acknowledge the major flaw with this year's lineup.  Someone please explain to me why the likes of Trivium, In Flames, Machine Head, and Megadeth are opening for Godsmack and Disturbed!  That's right everybody, your eyes did not deceive you.  Effing Megadeth will have to open for Godsmack and Disturbed.  I don't quite hate Godsmack or Disturbed as much as many do, but I also know shenanigans when I see them (yes Jack, I'm calling shenanigans here too).  In no situation whatsoever does Godsmack or Disturbed deserve to out headline Megadeth.  But with that being said, the positives here are that we do get Trivium (hell yes), In Flames, Machine Head, and Megadeth all right in a row as the trade-off.  So if you're not a fan of Godsmack or Disturbed, at least you'll be able to beat the traffic going home.

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2011 Tour Dates
July 9 – San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheatre
July 10 – San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 12 – Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheater
July 13 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
July 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
July 16 – Albuquerque, NM @ Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion
July 17 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
July 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 20 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 22 – Boston, MA @ Comcast Center
July 23 – Montreal, QUE @ Parc Jean Drapeau
July 24 – Hartford, CT @ The Comcast Theatre
July 27 – Holmdel, NJ @ P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
July 29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
July 30 – Washington, DC @ Jiffy Lube Live
July 31 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
August 2 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless V. Beach Amphitheater
August 3 – Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
August 5 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
August 6 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 7 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
August 9 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre
August 10 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
August 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
August 13 – Tampa, FL @ 1-800-Ask-Gary-Amphitheatre
August 14 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater

-Mick