Hoyt Parris is a name that you might not know but one that you should know. As the leader and driving force behind Pathfinder Promotions, Hoyt has been putting his blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul into doing all he can to keep the spirit of traditional and progressive metal alive here in the city of Atlanta. Since 2009, Hoyt has been staging the Pathfinder Metalfest which is a fine mix of some of Atlanta’s best local metal and some regional metal acts on one stage. For a modest price of under 20 bucks, you can get a healthy dose of metal and maybe even discover your new favorite band.
In the wake of the very successful Pathfinder Metalfest IV which featured such stellar acts as Draekon, Brave, and headliners While Heaven Wept, Pathfinder Promotions has announced PATHFINDER METALFEST V which will take place on Saturday, December 8th, 2012. This time around, we are all in for a real, facemelting treat as NWOBHM legends Raven perform right here in Atlanta for the first time in their career. Raven will be headlining Pathfinder Metalfest V and festival promoter Hoyt Paris couldn’t be more excited. Hoyt was awesome enough to take a little time out of his hectic schedule to tell me a bit a bit about what we can all expect from Pathfinder Metalfest V.
How did you go about choosing Raven to headline PMF V?
I constantly have a short wish list of bands I want to bring to Atlanta as headliner for one of my bigger events. RAVEN made that list in recent months after I learned that they were still an active band with new material in the works. They had relocated to America some time ago, which makes it much more manageable to bring them to Atlanta. I knew that for the 5th ‘fest’, I wanted a classic act who could deliver the most amazing stage performance. I reached out to RAVEN in mid-June, just as they returned from a successful romp to South America. After several emails with me explaining what Pathfinder Promotions was about and John Gallagher checking with the band for availability, we came to terms and agreed upon their participation as headlining act for the Pathfinder MetalFest V.
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How excited are you to have Raven here for their first ever Atlanta performance?
What’s funny is that I had asked John (Gallagher; bassist) several times throughout our correspondence if he could tell me when the last time RAVEN played Atlanta so I could use that info for promotional purposes. After the official announcement was made he finally told me, and I quote: “Actually, this will be the FIRST time we will have played Atlanta! Looking forward to it greatly!” You can imagine my delight when discovering this news. Since the announcement has been made I’ve had friends and Pathfinder supporters overwhelming me with gratitude, exclaiming they are ‘thrilled’, ‘stoked’, and genuinely excited that RAVEN is playing Atlanta for the first time in their legendary career. That makes me one happy promoter and fan myself!
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What else can we look forward to with PFM V?
Rest assured you will not have time to catch your breath on November 10th, 2012. We will also be celebrating the SIXTH Anniversary of Pathfinder Promotions. The first 50 people through the door will receive a goodie bag with free music, stickers, coupons, and other great swag. In between the acts we will have drawings for various door prizes and raffled items. Later in the night I’ll be taking the stage to announce the next Pathfinder Metalfest which I am already working on. Arrive early and stay late. The 120 Tavern & Music Hall boasts a terrific menu and reasonable drink prices, and the entertainment on December 8th cannot be beat for the ticket price.
Supporting RAVEN will be several traditional metal acts from across the United States including Atlanta retro-thrash act MNEMOSYNE, DARK EMPIRE (modern prog-thrash from NYC), BURNING SHADOWS (epic power metal from Maryland), VANGOUGH (melodic prog metal from Oklahoma), and FIAKRA (folk-power-thrash metal from New Jersey). One more Atlanta power-thrash act has been confirmed to kick off the event and will be announced before the end of August, as they are in the midst of re-launching themselves under a new title.
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Thank you so much to Hoyt for taking the time out to share the details of the upcoming Pathfinder Metalfest V! Ticket on sale date and all other details will be released soon. Be sure to keep checking back here as The Great Southern Brainfart is THEE place for all of your Pathfinder Metalfest news and updates.
Pathfinder Metalfest V Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/260184524094487/
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