A few weeks ago, the first annual Food Truck & Rock Carnival was held in Clark, NJ. Part food truck gathering, part family carnival and part full blown rock concert, the festival’s organizers emphasized to us that they intended to create a weekend event that could be enjoyed by all ages. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to get a younger attendee’s perspective on how the festival was structured. More specifically, we asked ten year old Vared Schmuler (Metal Insider’s youngest correspondent) to briefly recap his experience at the Food Truck & Rock Carnival’s pre-festivities on Friday and first full day on Saturday.
Friday-
It was the first day of the festival. I looked around and saw many things to explore and get to know. The first day there was no highlight but a few cover bands, such as Voyage, Ozzy Moses, and Almost Queen, who were painfully loud. I personally liked the HELL on Wheels BMX show, which was filled with really cool bike stunts and tricks.
There was also a giant carnival in the middle of the stages and food trucks, with a lot of different rides like the Musical Express, a Ferris wheel, 7 seas, and the super slide. The rides were fun, but many people decided to play Drown The Clown, a dunk tank with a clown that insults you. I thought Drown the Clown was very funny because of how he insulted you, saying something about your clothes or how you threw. “Throw the ball, goldilocks!,” he said to a blonde woman. It was a lot of fun the first day.
Saturday-
The second we arrived on Saturday, we heard the band Otherwise, followed by another great band, Skid Row. There were a lot of different bands playing through out the day, such as Three Days Grace, Black Label Society, and Sevendust.
There was also a wrestling ring on the other side of the festival grounds. That day we met “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. It was really cool to meet a wrestling legend that was so famous. He was huge, but very nice; a gentle giant.
However, the second day had me going crazy because of the highlight of the night: Slash with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. When Slash was about to start playing, one question was going through my mind: does Slash still have fun while rocking out or does he just like the fame and money? After watching the concert, I could tell he still has fun while playing onstage, going through a mix of Guns N’ Roses classics and his own songs.
If I had to choose which of the two days I went to was my favorite, it would have to be Saturday. There was way more attractions and things to do, and it was so much fun.
