They were stoked to see Slayer. Catching that legendary thrash metal band live was one reason Shelley Crabtree and her husband Robert Crabtree — lifelong rock fans who reside in Huntsville, Alabama — went to Louisville, Kentucky, for the 2024 Louder Than Life music festival.
Opening day, the Crabtrees took in acts like masked metal stars Slipknot and alt-rock upstarts Badflower. But rough weather from Hurricane Helena had other plans for Louder Than Life’s day two, which was to crescendo with Slayer’s headlining performance.
“The whole day was canceled,” Shelley says. “After spending several hours on site, we went to the grocery store and back to our Airbnb.”
The Crabtrees had driven to Kentucky from Huntsville, where Shelley works in a pharmacy and her husband tends bar at a steak restaurant. Louder Than Life reopened for its final two days, so the couple was still able to take in sets by Judas Priest, Korn and Disturbed…