CFNN Rock Correspondent Dana Murray

The Mountain is a three day festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee that celebrates party-hard rock and roll both old and new. 2026 was its fourth year running and it drew in both impressive names and crowds! I was fortunate to attend this festival with my dad for the first two days and I had a blast. Despite my love for glam metal, a question lingered in my mind: was it worth it to go even if I didn’t know much about most of the bands?

When considering the worth of a festival, one of the first things to consider is the atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly nature of the people I met at The Mountain. As a teenage girl, I was expecting to be asked why I was there and if I was only interested in dating a guy in a band. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms and had some great conversations with those I met in line. I never felt uncomfortable or like I had to prove that I deserved to be there. In fact, I left the festival with some new friends! The atmosphere alone made this festival a blast, but the music itself took it to the next level.

A standout element about this festival was the high caliber of the younger artists that performed. I walked into this festival not knowing who bands like Wildstreet and Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts were and walked out with some new songs on my playlist and hope for the future of rock. These artists are combining what worked about the old hair metal and hard rock scenes with some modern sounds to create something new and exciting. There is something to be said about their stage presence as well; it felt raw and real. I didn’t feel like the swagger was forced or that they were trying too hard. These acts convinced me that the opinion of “rock and roll is dead” has no credibility.

I was also thrilled that the older acts who performed still sounded amazing. There wasn’t a single artist who I wish I didn’t see. Sebastian Bach sounds phenomenal and still commands a stage like it’s 1989. Pearcy/DeMartini definitely showed some age in the stage presence department, but they were quite enjoyable nonetheless. Jackyl was just as chaotic as you’d expect and I loved every second of it! I felt so relieved that there are still older artists that I love who sound great live, especially when I’ve been let down before at concerts by bands I used to really admire. 

The best act by far was Lita Ford, who absolutely dominated her set on Saturday. The setlist drew on all parts of her legendary career from her start with The Runaways, to her smash hits on Lita, and some of her newer material as well. Her tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during “Close My Eyes Forever” was incredibly powerful. I hardly ever cry over songs, but the tears were flowing strong then. I also appreciated the cover she did of one of my all-time favorite Alice Cooper songs, “Only Women Bleed”, which she recorded a studio version of on her 1990 album Stiletto. I highly recommend seeing Ford live as her high-energy show still holds up years later.

Aside from seeing the performances, there are lots of things to do at The Mountain. The Rock and Roll Market was a personal favorite of mine since it had anything you could imagine to buy. I bought a handpainted canvas of Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads, a first pressing vinyl of Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy, and some tee shirts. The independent vendor items are reasonably priced, so I was able to get some good deals. There was also a guitar competition, trivia, and karaoke, so there’s something for everyone. 

This festival is also a place where you can fairly easily meet the artists! When walking around the Rock and Roll Market, I ran into the lead singer of No Love Lost quite a few times. He was very laid back and we had a nice conversation. I also ran into some glam metal social media personalities, specifically The Monkee Bois and Heather Leather (aka VintageVixen80s on Instagram). Heather was super sweet and she complimented me on my outfit! I was kind of awestruck by that because I take so much fashion inspiration from her. If she liked my outfit that day, I thought I must be doing something right! The Monkee Bois were surprisingly quiet when I met them, so I really don’t have much to say on them. The older brother did compliment my Batman shirt though. 

My favorite person I met that weekend was by far Trent Noll, an incredible guitarist that plays for Ted Poley, who made my festival experience extraordinary. My dad and I met him through a mutual friend who told him about my love of Randy Rhoads, which is his favorite guitarist too. On the first night, we talked for a few seconds before his set and he gave me a guitar pick afterwards! The next day, we met up again so I could get some pictures with him and have a longer chat. In that second meeting, I found that Trent is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met and he truly cares about his fans. I will never forget that conversation for as long as I live. 

Despite how well this festival went as a whole, there are some things to consider that may impact the experience. This year, Bret Michaels, Faster Pussycat, and Vandenberg all had to cancel their sets. There is something to be said for the organizers because they were able to find replacements for all of these acts in a timely manner. Artist cancellation is always a risk at a festival, so that isn’t a huge issue that needs to be resolved. Additionally, the professional photo experiences, while free, may limit your ability to see an artist perform. I had to miss out on seeing Stone Whiskey because I had to get in line an hour before the photo op so I could guarantee my pictures with Sebastian Bach and Pearcy/DeMartini. I did manage to get the photos, but others were not so lucky since they cut the session off after exactly an hour. I also didn’t like the concessions much. The chicken was a little dry for my liking and it was pricey, so I think it’s worth it to go get food elsewhere and come back afterwards. 

Overall, my experience at The Mountain was outstanding. The music was superb, the atmosphere was inviting, and I had some incredible moments that I will always cherish. I found that discovering some bands I hadn’t heard of before was part of the fun of this festival. Sure, the big names were the draw, but the smaller bands helped cement this as a center for the 80s hair metal revival. I look forward to next year’s festival and I hope some of you will check it out too.

In order of appearance in this article: Tuk Smith, Lita Ford, and Trent Noll