By Eddie Jorgensen

Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, or DWP, Aftershock will be back to bring over 95 bands descending on Sacramento’s Discovery Park. The October event will showcase both big headliners and smaller, national acts who are warranting plenty of buzz. Last year’s installation drew a record-breaking 160,000 hard rock fans to the Capital, while also bringing some much-needed business to the Sacramento Valley.

Now in its 11^th year, this go-around’s biggest names include Guns N’ Roses, Pantera, Megadeth, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Turnstile, Queens of The Stone Age, 311, Limp Bizkit, Godsmack and Incubus. And the undercard is equally impressive with Polyphia, Dethklok, Coheed And Cambria, Deafheaven, Converge, Dance Gavin Dance, Pennywise, The Cult, AFI, Babymetal, White Reaper, The Bronx, L7 and more.

One of the greatest attributes of Discovery Park is the lines of sight at each stage, meaning fans will get an impressive look at these acts. The venue has a reputation for minimal noise bleed, which so often plagues other festivals of this ilk. Its many trees and covered VIP area have also been a welcome respite from skyrocketing temperatures on some years.

AFTERSHOCK 2023 line-up:

Thursday, October 5: Avenged Sevenfold, Incubus, Turnstile, The Cult, AFI, Pennywise, Nothing But Thieves, L7, White Reaper, Senses Fail, Don Broco, The Bronx, Nothing, Nowhere., DeathByRomy, Beauty School Dropout, Bob Vylan, Holding Absence, Pinkshift, Thousand Below, Starbenders, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Static Dress and Letdown.

Friday, October 6: Tool, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, Megadeth, Coheed and Cambria, Skillet, Bad Omens, The Hu, Deafheaven, Memphis May Fire, Converge, Fire From the Gods, Polaris, Rain City Drive, Gideon, Currents, Varials, Strange Kids, Dragged Under, Tallah, HANABIE., Widow7, and Death Valley Dreams.

Saturday, October 7: Korn, Pantera, 311, Corey Taylor, Parkway Drive, Babymetal, Polyphia, Dethklok, Avatar, Fever 333, The Amity Affliction, Sleep Token, Escape the Fate, Boston Manor, Fame on Fire, Catch Your Breath, Ten56., Reddstar, Holy Wars, ’68, Ithaca, Devil’s Cut, Traitors, Fox Lake, All Waves and As You Were.

Sunday, October 8: Guns N’ Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, Rancid, I Prevail, Dance Gavin Dance, Daughtry, Badflower, Billy Talent, Mayday Parade, Suicide Silence, Movements, Ayron Jones, You Me At Six, Dead Poet Society, Austin Meade, Alpha Wolf, Jehnny Beth, Redlight King, Tigercub, Call Me Karizma, Ryan Oakes, Gnome, Luna Aura and Asava.

Promotion and logistics

Avenged Sevenfold

Beyond its famed Sacramento throw-down, DWP also produces shows in other states, highlighting different genres and with equally successful turn-outs: Bourbon & Beyond (Louisville, KY), GoldenSky Country Music Festival (Sacramento), Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival (Mansfield, OH), Louder Than Life (Louisville), Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival (Columbus, OH) and Welcome To Rockville (Daytona Beach, FL) are all events it’s responsible for hosting.  

Tickets prices for Aftershock can be found for single days and 4-day packages at  www.AftershockFestival.com. There are advance payment options for only $10 down followed by monthly installments. Door times and set times will be revealed closer to show date. The Aftershock festival is held at Discovery Park located at 1600 Garden Highway. There is no on-site parking so plan ahead and buy Park & Ride passes to avoid getting towed from local shopping centers and neighboring businesses.

Tool – photo by Travis Shinn

The Cult

The Bronx

Converge