Things are heating up in the Valley, and on Saturday, May 3, fans did not let a little heat stop them from turning up to Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater in Phoenix, AZ, for a proper rock show. UFEST, the annual festival put on by  98KUPD—Arizona’s Real Rock—brings rock fans of all ages together for an all encompassing rock lineup, featuring everything from pop-punk and blues rock to metalcore and heavy metal, offering a little something for everyone. This year’s lineup was stacked with talent, featuring A Day To Remember, Seether, Mammoth WVH, We Came As Romans, Dorothy, The Funeral Portrait, Point North, and the Valley’s own Bury The Darkness. 

For the second year in a row, local heavy hitters Bury The Darkness kicked off the fest, bringing their modern metalcore to fans who turned up early ready to rock. The Tempe-based band emerged on stage, bodies smeared in black paint as though they had just clawed their way from the underground, and put on a hell of a performance, playing songs from their 2023 debut album Dead Inside, including the album’s titular track, “Gaslight,” and “False Idol.” The boys have been busy, having recently supported bands like Butcher Babies and Cavalera Conspiracy as they brought their tours through the Valley, as well as making their SXSW debut back in March. Be sure to catch these guys at their next show!

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Fresh off of their UK/EU tour supporting Set It Off, Los Angeles-based pop-punk band Point North took the stage, kicking off their set with their most recent single, “WORLD {vs} PEACE,” released in September. Although the vibe was a bit poppier than the set preceding, the crowd was hooked from the start, grooving and bopping their heads along with songs like “STITCH ME UP” “Ghost In My Home,” and “Safe and Sound.” Summer is looking great for these guys as they head back overseas for Slam Dunk Fest before making their way down under for a string of shows in Australia in support of Ocean Sleeper. You can also catch Point North as they appear on all three Warped Tour lineups. 

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The Funeral Portrait brought an explosive energy to the stage, opening their “devotion ceremony”- the term they have coined for their live performances- with “Generation Psycho,” a track from their most recent album, Greetings From Suffocate City. The band’s music has a modern day My Chemical Romance vibe with even more theatrics and a touch of sex appeal which elevates their performance to another level. They have come to be known for the kiss regularly shared between band members which adds an extra layer of excitement to their performances. The band wowed the crowd with tunes like “You’re So Ugly When You Cry,” “Hearse for Two,” and “Dark Thoughts” before closing their set with “Suffocate City.” There was no doubt by the end of their set that they had recruited more members for their “Coffin Crew.” The Funeral Portrait puts on a show that you won’t want to miss. The band has upcoming devotion ceremonies with Ice Nine Kills and The World Alive and is set to release the deluxe version of their album, Greetings From Suffocate City (From Beyond The Abyss: Deluxe Edition), featuring 10 additional songs, on June 13. 

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Excitement was high as Los Angeles based quartet Dorothy, fronted by Dorothy Martin, took the stage for a highly anticipated performance of their blues and country inspired rock. Martin was incredibly impressive, stunning the crowd with her powerful vocals as she danced across the stage, treating to the crowd to songs like “Rest in Peace” and “MUD.” Fans were also treated to the debut performance of “TOMBSTONE TOWN,” a track off of their recently released album, The Way, which features rock legend Slash of Guns N’ Roses. The band had the audience captivated from the start; it’s no wonder that the they have amassed over a million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Dorothy has been on the road through most of April and May and is set perform at Welcome To Rockville 2025 and Boardwalk Rock 2025 in the next week. Be sure to catch Dorothy when they make their way through a city near you!

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The crowd went wild, opening a circle pit, as metalcore Michiganders, We Came As Romans, burst onto the stage, performing “Darkbloom,” the title track from their last album. The crowd was really feeling the music and could be seen head banging, moshing, and aggressively finger pointing while screaming along with the lyrics for the entirety of their performance. The set marked their first in six months. The band has been busy in the studio, writing and recording music, and has reportedly written somewhere between 40-50 songs. “bad luck,” their first single released since their last album in 2022, hit the airwaves only a couple weeks ago, and had its live debut on the UFEST stage. We Came As Romans will hit the road in July for their Bad Luck North American Tour, and will make a stop in the Valley on August 8th at The Van Buren. Grab your tickets here!  

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Just just two days after dropping a new single, music video, and a headlining tour announcement, Mammoth WVH, the hard rock band founded by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Wolfgang Van Halen, took the stage for the first time this year, melting faces with their powerful guitar riffs and electrifying performance. The band kicked off their set with “Another Celebration at the End of the World” from their 2023 album, Mammoth II, which would bring the first of several epic guitar solos from WVH. The set consisted of songs from Mammoth’s debut and sophomore albums and ended with the live debut of their new single, “The End.” The End Tour, which kicks off on Halloween in a yet to be named city, will make its way across the US through December 7, stopping in the Valley for a show with support from Myles Kennedy at Marquee Theater on December 6. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. In the mean time, catch Mammoth WVH on the road with Creed beginning in July. 

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As the sun set, fans were buzzing with anticipation for the UFEST’s next act, South African rock band Seether. It was clear that Seether’s set was one of the most anticipated of the evening, as fans could be seen throughout the venue wearing Seether hats and t-shirts, ready for one of their favorite bands to take the stage. The amphitheater lights dimmed, and a colorful light show began as Seether emerged and the beginning notes of their hit song, “Gasoline”, rang out. The band would go on to play hits from nearly all of their records, including “Country Song,” “Nobody Praying For Me,” “Fake It,” and “Remedy”. In a standout moment of the set, the crowd sang along in unison with flashlights ablaze as vocalist Shaun Morgan and bassist Dale Stewart brought out their acoustic guitars for a powerful performance of “Broken.” Seether is currently touring in promotion of their newest album, The Surface Seems So Far, released in September. Catch them on the road with P.O.D. and Nonpoint through the end of May. 

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The amphitheater was packed and the excitement from the crowd was absolutely palpable as everyone geared up for the evening’s main event- A Day To Remember. Their newest album, Big Ole Album, Vol. 1, hit streaming platforms on March 21, a month after it was exclusively released on CD and Vinyl. Their performance at UFEST would mark their first US performance since the release of their new album, meaning the audience was the first to experience many of the new tracks live. A Day To Remember gives their all in every performance and this night was no different. “Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Prelude” played as the pop-punk/metalcore Florida natives came out swinging, immediately launching into “The Downfall Of Us All”- a track that is typically saved for the encore- kicking off the set on a high note. It was only up from there, as the band continued with favorites like “I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made of?,” “Miracle,” and “Resentment.” The setlist also featured 7 of the 12 tracks from the band’s new album. The crowd joined in as vocalist Jeremy McKinnon serenaded the ladies of the crowd with “Have Faith In Me” as they were hoisted on to the shoulders of others. McKinnon made an agreement with the crowd that there would not be an encore, that they would play all the songs and then actually leave, before moving into “If It Means A Lot To You.” A technical difficulty delayed the start of the song, during which guitarist Kevin Skaff, the “human jukebox,” immediately entertained the crowd with a brief moment of “With Arms Wide Open” which had the entire crowd singing along in unison. Once the problem was resolved, fans lit up the amphitheater while they all sang along with McKinnon. The band ended the night with an explosive performance of “All Signs Point to Lauderdale.” Although it had been a long day of enduring the Phoenix heat, the crowd showed no signs of tiring- every last ounce of energy they had went into head banging, moshing, crowdsurfing, and screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The band matched the crowd’s energy, and their stage production, along with their onstage antics, including a man dressed as Mario blasting merch into the crowd, beach balls, and tossing rolls of toilet paper into the crowd, made for an unforgettable finale to an incredible day of rock. In just a week, the band will embark on their UK and European tour with support from Polaris, Boston Manor, and Terror. The band will also appear on the lineup for Warped Tour Long Beach and Orlando. Do not miss A Day To Remember next time they make their way through your city!

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With an impressive bill that highlighted the full spectrum of rock, UFEST proved once again that 98KUPD knows how to put on a show. If you couldn’t make it this year, make sure you’re there next time—this is one rock event you don’t want to miss.