The day has finally come – the day hard and heavy Columbus rock fans have been awaiting for the past year – Ozzfest 2001: Bigger Than Satan is bursting its way into Polaris Amphitheater tomorrow. The sold-out show features 21 of the world’s loudest and most powerful bands.
Led by the original Black Sabbath, this year’s Ozzfest promises to be the biggest and best yet.
This is Ozzfest’s sixth year on tour. With its more than 2.3 million fans in attendance, it has become one of the most popular music festivals of all time. Attracting fans from all ages and generations, Ozzfest 2001 launched in Chicago in June and will make 28 stops across the nation, finally concluding in New York City in mid-August.
Staff at the Polaris Amphitheater have been working around the clock to bring the chaos of Ozzfest to the city. Andy Dearth, publicity coordinator for Polaris Amphitheater and Clear Channel Entertainment, describes the preparation and anticipation for Ozzfest as a “busy-fun” and exciting, yet chaotic environment.
“This is always the biggest show of the year,” Dearth said. “We work all year evolving this into what it is. We will make it the best possible.”
Polaris anticipates a full house – at least 20,000 fans – to attend tomorrow. The other Ozzfest shows this summer have run smoothly, so the staff at Polaris is not anticipating any setbacks.
The doors will open at 10 a.m. with rotating second and third stage bands performing from morning through 5 p.m. Disturbed will be headlining the second stage followed by the heavy beats of Mudvayne, Union Underground, Taproot, American Head Charge, Drowning Pool, Hatebreed, Nonpoint and Spineshank.
The third “Levi” stage alternates bands throughout the tour, but the bands on the war path to Columbus include Pure Rubbish, No One, Pressure 4-5 and Beautiful Creatures.
The night events for the spine-shattering Ozzfest 2001: Bigger Than Satan will begin at 6 p.m. when the Main Stage Madness opens its curtains to the hell-wrought tunes of the tour’s leading bands. Back by popular demand, the insane guitar riffs and dark lyrics of Black Sabbath will steal the stage. The dangerous resurrection of Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward will be a soul-quencher for all Sabbath fans.
Marilyn Manson, the self-proclaimed “third and final beast,” will carry out the punishment on the Main Stage followed by the masked Slipknot, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Crazy Town and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society.
Side attractions to the unstoppable music include vendors, world-class tattoo artists, piercing booths and video games. For those who dare, a few hundred fans can enter the Purgatory Pit – a chaotic pit in front of the main stage boasting the best and most dangerous view in the amphitheater.
On Aug. 14, during the final week of the Ozzfest 2001 tour, Epic Records and Divine Recordings will release Ozzfest: 2001 The Second Millennium. This 16-track album will feature the head-banging sounds from the 2001 Ozzfest tour, Including performances from bands on all three stages. This album was recorded in the Midwest at the beginning of the tour.
