Every summer, millions of people visit Jones Beach State Park to sit back, relax, and have some fun in the sun. But for about 15,000 people on July 20, they faced the blazing hot sun, head-banged, and moshed to some of the biggest names in metal at the first annual Summer of Loud Festival at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY.

This year’s festival – which included heavy hitters like Beartooth, I Prevail and Parkway Drive – was dedicated in honor of the late Dave Shapiro, a well-known booking agent and music executive within the heavy metal and hard rock industries. Shapiro, along with two employees from his agency Sound Talent Group (Emma Huke and Kendall Fortner, respectively), tragically passed away in a plane crash in San Diego last May.

The first act of the day was Florida-based metalcore band Dark Divine. Despite being newer to the scene, they have already opened for big-tier artists like Black Veil Brides and Crown the Empire, and are scheduled to tour with blessthefall and Miss May I this fall. Funnily enough, when the band first walked on stage, they did remind me of Black Veil Brides because of their dark, heavy stage makeup. Theatrics aside, what stood out to me the most was how interactive they were with the audience. From their opening line, Dark Divine made it clear that even if people are unfamiliar with their music, they sure know how to hype up a crowd.

Next on the lineup was Australian metalcore band Alpha Wolf. I didn’t know much about them prior to this show, but their stage presence throughout their set blew me away, and definitely made me want to check out more of their music.

The next performance was, admittedly, one of the bands on this lineup I was most excited to see: The Amity Affliction. The group has had their fair share of highs and lows this year – most notably, a major lineup change. Earlier this year, the band announced via Instagram that the group parted ways with former lead vocalist Ahren Stringer due to alleged “challenging elements of his personal life.” A few months later, the band welcomed Jonathan Reeves, bassist and vocalist for Sacramento-based metalcore band Kingdom of Giants, as their new vocalist.

Regardless of this lineup change, my expectations for their performance was high due to me being a fan of them since the release of their 2014 album, Let The Ocean Take Me. And boy, did they not disappoint. Despite one of the lead vocalists, Joel Birch, performing with a broken foot, they powered through some of their biggest hits, like “Pittsburgh” and “Drag the Lake,” along with newer tracks like “All That I Remember.” But while singing and dancing along, I couldn’t help but notice how much fun everyone in the audience was having. One group of fans in particular stood out to me – a young girl jumping on top of a table, screaming her heart out to every lyric while her dad watched and head-banged with her. I ran into them later in the day, and while engaging in some friendly conversation, it felt touching to me see three different generations bond over our love for The Amity Affliction.

As far as what I thought about The Devil Wears Prada … to me, their performance was just okay. I will say that around this point, the 90+ degrees and glaring sun was physically affecting me, so that may have impacted my overall opinion of their set. But while they put on a solid performance, nothing about it really caught my attention or left a lasting impression. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like them at all; if it wasn’t for my heat intolerance, I’m sure I would have enjoyed their set more than I did.

If there was a contest for the best stage set-up, Parkway Drive would hands down be the winner. While I haven’t heard much of their music beforehand, they definitely knew how to keep my eyes peeled to them – especially to the drummer. There was this GIANT contraption where the drummer and his kit was set up, and it gradually started spinning wider and wider until he was spinning in a circle for the entirety of their final few songs. I don’t know how someone can be in that kind of spinning thing playing the drums without falling or getting nauseous after, so kudos to them for being able to handle it while putting on an engaging performance.

Beartooth was another band on the Summer of Loud lineup I was stoked to see. I’ve seen them once before – also during a festival – and I remember having an absolute blast while lead singer Caleb Shomo had the entire crowd dancing, screaming, and singing back to him. However, what stood out to me during this particular performance was when Shomo took several minutes to talk about the late Dave Shapiro and the impact he had on his band and others. Not only was it a touching way to honor the people that this festival was dedicated to, but it also showcased something I greatly admire about Beartooth – their gratitude towards the industry, their music, and the fans that made their success possible.

Out of all of the artists involved with this festival, much of the audience at Jones Beach looked forward to I Prevail‘s set the most. And based on these photos, it’s safe to say that their set brought the fire out of everyone – literally.

The final act of the night was none other than Killswitch Engage. I will be honest, I did not stay for their entire set in order for me to avoid the inevitable end-of-show traffic. But after reflecting on it, I wish I had stayed. I noticed a significant amount of people left after I Prevail’s set, which I found to be disappointing. Festivals like Summer of Loud are a great opportunity to not only support your favorite artists, but also to discover new ones that you might grow to love. Even if there’s someone on a lineup you’ve never heard of before, give them a chance; you’ll never know if you like someone without listening to them.