Today is the day — Dirt Fest is here — take a look at all the photos that will be updated all day. Get here now if you have your ticket, if you don’t get here anyway and get your ticket at the door. Check back frequently as we will be updating you all day!

Egypt Central via Facebook

You already know Egypt Central can rock dangerously hard when they’re plugged in and tearing it up onstage. But, the Memphis-based band just released an acoustic video for their burgeoning single and title track, ‘White Rabbit,’ that shows these guys can even make an acoustic track explode. Watch the video, here.

The group shot the video in the Atlantic Records Studios in New York City, and the bare-bones instrumentals really allow singer John Falls’ thought-provoking message to come through.

The ‘Alice In Wonderland’-inspired ‘White Rabbit’ dropped May 31 and debuted No. 78 on the Billboard 200 chart. On it, Egypt Central — Falls, Joey Chicago (bass), Blake Allison (drums) and Jeff James (guitar) – bring breakneck hard rock with a dark, melodic character that’s hauntingly catchy. It’s no wonder these guys have held up on tough festivals like Ozzfest and the Family Values Tour.

Egypt Central is part of the 2011 Dirt Fest line-up alongside All That Remains, Pop Evil, Janus, Time of Grace, Alien Ant Farm, Evans Blue and many more. See you there!

Show details: Dirt Fest 2011, Saturday, Aug. 13, 12 p.m. at the Birch Run Expo Center, 11600 North Beyer Road, Birch Run. Tickets $20 in advance; $29 day of show. Find ticket information on Dirt Fest’s official website.

Watch Egypt Central Perform Their Acoustic Video for ‘White Rabbit’

Alien Ant Farm, best known for their wildly successful cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’, recently reunited with all the founding members of the band. You gotta love a band that called their debut album ‘Greatest Hits’ and crashed the BET awards, a gay pride parade, and a Justin Timberlake performance for one of their videos.

Alien Ant Farm has been largely absent from the new music scene since the release of their 2006  album ‘Up in the Attic’. Since then the band has reunited with their original guitar player Terry Corso, who left the band in 2003 and joined Powerman 5000. Now that they have been back together for a little over a year and adding live shows to their schedule; they have begun to accumulate new songs such as ‘Godlike’, ‘Yellow Pages’, ‘High on the Horizon’, and ‘Sympatico’. The band’s biggest hit , ‘Smooth Criminal’, was recently included on the soundtrack to the summer blockbuster starring Seth Rogen; ‘The Green Hornet’.

Alien Ant Farm will be returning to the Flint for the first time in several years when they take the stage at Dirt Fest 2011. Expect to hear both new and old songs from the band’s arsenal and a healthy dose of their comedic personalities. Here is a look at the band’s hilarious video for ‘These Days’.

Facebook/Silverstein

The Ontario based post-hardcore quintet Silverstein are no strangers to Dirt Fest,  the band performed there in 2006 and are bringing their unique sound to this year’s festivities as well. Their fifth full length release ‘Rescue’ is in stores now. Hear their latest single and learn more about what you can expect from them at Dirt Fest 2011 here.

Silverstein formed in Burlington, Ontario, on the outskirts of Toronto in 2000. Emerging from the thriving hardcore scene in their hometown, the band began honing their sound, and recording whenever possible. Two EPs followed and a former member of Grade began talking the band up to his friends at Victory Records. The band signed with Victory shortly afterward. They released ‘When Broken Is Easily Fixed’ which went on to sell over 200,000 copies worldwide, earning the band a spot in Alternative Press’s “100 Bands You Need To Know” in the spring of 2005. They followed the national attention with their sophomore LP; 2005′s ‘Discovering the Waterfront’ and non-stop touring. Silverstein became one of the most talked about bands on the hardcore/emo scene. Many fans responded with tattoos of their distinctive robot artwork–a permanent display of their devotion.

The band has since release three albums; 2007′s ‘Arrivals and Departures’, 2009′s ‘A Shipwreck in the Sand’ and their current release ‘Rescue’. Here is a look at their lead single ‘The Artist’.

Vevo

This year as the Massachusetts metal band, All That Remains headlines Dirt Fest 2011, I’m sure they will throw down as they do at all the shows I’ve seen them at. I have never been disappointed by the show that All That Remains puts on.

Here’s their latest video for ‘The Last Time,’ great tune from a great band.

Evans Blue/Facebook

For many bands (especially early in their career) when the singer leaves, it’s time to pack it up an move on. Evans Blue refused to give up on their music when original vocalist Kevin Matisyn left to pursue other endeavors and are more successful than ever because of their commitment to the band.

Evans Blue is back and better than ever with new frontman Dan Chandler securely in place. The St. Louis singer was selected after an extensive nationwide search, and he makes his debut on band’s third album ‘evans|blue’. According to guitarist Parker Lauzon, “The transition was virtually flawless; Chandler is an easy guy to get along with, and he keeps a very open mind when it comes to songwriting, which is refreshing.” Chandler adds, “I think you just click with some people, and in this case it really feels like there’s a mutual respect between everyone in the group. It feels like I have known these guys longer than I have.”

Like the band’s first two albums, ‘evans|blue’ was produced by Trevor Kustiak, but there is something noticeably different – aside from the new voice – as if an evolution has taken place within the sound. The new album stays true to Evans Blue’s core fans with signature dark and heavy riffs, but it is simultaneously uplifting. Chandler cites “confusing kindness for weakness, love and losing it, and finding comfort in difficult times” as some of the recurring themes on the album, but he is quick to note that “the beauty of music is that we all interpret songs or relate to them in our own personal way.”

Evans Blue will be taking the stage at this year’s Dirt Fest, tickets are on sale today. Click here for a complete list of bands and ticket outlets.

timesofgraceband.com

Many are still unfamiliar with the band Times of Grace, but almost everyone knows the band’s predecessor; Killswitch Engage. The hard rock/metal outfit features Jessie Leach and Adam D. of Killswitch and they recently added bassist Matt Bachand of Shadows Fall to the roster. Get more on the band and a listen to their music here.

Guitarist, drummer, producer, songwriter and backing vocalist Duktiewicz’s unexpected reunion with his original Killswitch Engage vocalist surpasses even the weightiest of aspirations for such a monumental collaboration, delivering where most “reunions” or “projects” fail, with confidence. Where many heavy bands pay lip-service to difficult circumstances to establish credibility, Times Of Grace was truly born from the hearts and minds of two men who thought they had lost it all.

Riding high on the magazine covers, a Grammy nomination, gold albums and position of prominence in the American metal scene with Killswitch Engage, as well as a burgeoning career as an album producer, Dutkiewicz watched his world unravel when severe back problems sidelined him during a 2007 tour.

“I thought my career as a performing artist was over,” he says soberly of his emergency surgery in a London hospital, smack in the middle of a European tour. “If I can’t walk on my own, I can’t play.”

Dutkiewicz started writing what would become the Times Of Grace album, in his head, from his hospital bed. During his long and often uncertain recovery, the riffs and lyrics kept coming.

Adam and Jesse had remained friendly, even after Jesse’s exit from Killswitch following the release of the landmark Alive or Just Breathing album, but that didn’t stop the singer from being surprised when his old bandmate contacted him about making this album together. “I knew he had been in the hospital. I remember the phone call like it was yesterday,” recalls Leach. “He said, ‘Dude, I’ve pretty much got a record written. I’m really excited about it and I really want you to sing on it.’”

The pair had long talked about exploring their love of bands like Radiohead and Travis together. But this? “It reminded me of a black metal record!” Leach says of the first three songs Adam sent him. “There were some blast beats and quick guitar riffing, which I ended up singing melodically over.”

“One of the main themes with a lot of the stuff I was writing was about how easy it is to take life for granted and how easily you can lose everything you’ve worked for in a second,” Adam explains. “It can be given to you and taken away at the snap of a finger. But I don’t think I’m the best lyricist on my own, so the first person who came to mind for me was Jesse. We write together easily.”

Times Of Grace plans to present The Hymn of a Broken Man to the world in a variety of ways, like on stage with a full band, but also, in some non-traditional fashions as well. The entire project emanates a specific vibe, a particular artistry, which Jesse in particular will work hard to preserve. “Adam has given me a lot of free reign to say what I want with [the visuals and image],” he says.

What comes across through the music, the lyrics and the overall vibe with overwhelming passion in Times Of Grace is the sense that hope is possible in any personal situation, no matter how dark.

“The cool thing with these songs is that they are about negative situations, but there’s always a positive twist on it, talking about how you have the power to turn it around yourself,” Adam says.

“There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,” Jesse agrees. “There’s always hope.”

Janus via Facebook

The guys of hard rock band Janus have faced a few obstacles. Like the time they were on tour in Canada and almost weren’t allowed back into the U.S.

“We were driving from Syracuse to Flint, and we route everything with our phones,” guitarist Mike Tyranski told Gannett Media. “The route took us through a tiny portion of Canada, and we didn’t think it would be a big deal. We had no problem crossing over to Canada. But when we tried to get back into Michigan, we only had drivers’ licenses.”

As it turns out, that’s not adequate enough to get back: “They pulled us off to the side of the road, searched our van, searched our trailer and searched us,” he laughed. “It took hours. We almost missed our show in Flint.”

Thankfully, they made it on time. And the show went on.

Of course, Janus — who plays Dirt Fest August 13 — has encountered bigger obstacles than misguided mapping. After fighting to get noticed amid the cutthroat Chicago music scene, the guys finally inked with Warner Bros.’ Independent Label Group. They re-released their self-produced, ‘Red Right Return,’ and the disc’s single, ‘Eyesore,’ skyrocketed up the active and alternative rock charts last year.

Nothing makes the guys prouder than the feeling they’ve come into their own.

“Once the song started doing well in some key markets as far as radio goes, a lot of people started getting excited and other stations came on board,” said Tyranski, who along with vocalist David Scotney, drummer Johnny Salazar and bass player Alan Quitman make up the band. “It’s all pretty surreal.

“Still, we’re the same guys. There are no big egos. We’re still in a van and not making a lot of money. But it’s more about the exposure and experience.”

Musically, Janus brings something unique and experimental to the table. Between a melange of U2 atmospherics, neo-prog angst and metal guitars, the band floats in and out of different genres, embracing both alternative fans and the metal-minded.

In the end,  the guys live for playing shows.

“The best is when you’re playing to a packed house and meeting people who have never heard of us before and that are excited about us,” Tyranski said. “It’s great just connecting with people.”

Source: Gannett Media

Watch Janus Perform ‘Eyesore’ Live in Chicago