X-Fest 16 this Sunday

X-Fest 16, with Staind, Theory of a Deadman, Five Finger Death Punch, Alter Bridge and others

WhERE: Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 1043 S. Main St., Dayton

WhEN: Noon Sunday, Sept. 18. Gates open at 11 a.m.

COST: $35 in advance and $45 day of show

MORE INFo: (937) 224-1137 or www.wxeg.com

For legions of music fans, X-Fest is the event of the fall. Program director Kramer, an 11-year veteran of the all-day concert, recently shared his thoughts on the 16th annual hard rock festival sponsored by WXEG-FM (103.9).

X-Fest 2011, at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on Sunday begins at noon and features radio faves such as Staind and Theory of a Deadman and up-and-coming acts including Emphatic and Downplay.

The lineup: “It’s solid! We’ve kind of got the formula down: multiplatinum artists up top, well-established bands still on the rise in the middle, and some very talented bands we feel great about to start the show. We’ve got a pretty nice track record where many of the newer bands end up developing and coming back to play higher up on the X-Fest bill down the road. I think we offer that again this year.”

Breakout band: “There’s more than one, but without a doubt Kopek. They’re a band from Ireland who just put their debut album, ‘White Collar Lies,’ out in the spring. They’ve put out one of the best albums from start to finish that I’ve heard in years. Very unique. Very diverse. Very catchy songs. I think they’ll be around for a long, long time. I got an advance copy of the record back in January and I can’t stop listening to it!”

Advice for first-timers: “Get ready for a long fun day. There’s not much you can bring through the gates, but plan on bringing plenty of sunscreen and ChapStick, and drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if it’s not superhot. If the sun is out, it will catch up with you. Stay close to a friend and take care of everyone around you. It is the X-Fest way. For the most part, we’ll be looking out for you as well. Also, we are hearing that UD (the University of Dayton) will not be offering parking this year, though there will be plenty of parking available at the fairgrounds, downtown by the convention center and many points between.”

Biggest surprise each year: “The incredibly positive vibe throughout the crowd. Thousands of people coming out for a huge event in the community and looking out for each other is always a very rewarding thing to see.”