Festival Fodder: Viperwitch Talks Mile High Power Fest 2025

With local musicians often overshadowed by mainstream, international touring acts, it’s reassuring that festivals like Mile High Power Fest (buy tickets) are still around. Taking place on August 16th at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado, Mile High Power Fest is a celebration of strength, unity, and the spirit of heavy metal. The purpose of the festival is to champion local talent and business while providing an outlet for up-and-coming bands to gain exposure. It is meant to forge connections between participating acts and fans who may be just discovering them for the first time. The festival had a very successful debut last year, organized by BiteSize Productions. The day will be fueled by the might and force of power metal, featuring a lineup that includes Powerglove, Glyph, Owlbear, Empress, and Celestial Wizard.

Also featured in this year’s edition of Mile High Power Fest are local Denver bands Viperwitch and Signs of Tranquility. As the winners of the 2024 Battle of the Bands for the festival, each band earned their right to be there. Viperwitch released their debut album, Witch Hunt: Road to Vengeance, last Halloween. The album can be described as a cinematic odyssey of vengeance and survival. It is a concept record that joins together the worlds of music and storytelling. The band tried to do more than just record an album. It’s a tale of blood, rebellion, and triumph. You might think of Road to Vengeance as more of an experience rather than just a set of songs.

We are joined today by Viperwitch for Festival Fodder to discuss their participation in Mile High Power Fest and, in general, their point of view on participating in music festivals.

What usually draws you to say yes to playing a festival?

“So many! The fact that we’re given the opportunity first! The chance to be seen, heard—to prove our mettle. To fully step into our pocket as professional, classically trained musicians and performers made for big stages. And a massive audience with lots of bodies and energy to play off of and with? That’s what we live and do this for! It’s our bread and butter.

“It’s where our music, our rituals, and our power hit the hardest—and call us home. The bigger the stage, the better for us. Not just because of our sound, but because of our goal to transform a stage into a portal and into our ’80s post-apocalyptic world with light and speed.

“And then the best of all, getting to share that space with bands and artists we love and admire? That’s the cherry on top! The genuine friendships and connections you make are otherworldly, like-minded beings bonding in these sonic temples. The audience’s energy and the community alone are addictive, as well as the vendors and their wares! It’s what this was all built for—and what keeps it alive.

“It’s always a huge YES for us, and we’ll often just do it for just a basket of hot wings (laughs).”

Mile High Power Fest 2025 admat

How do you see your band’s sound contributing to the overall atmosphere of a festival lineup?

“We’re in a magical pocket. We ride the lightning lines of power metal, speed metal, and traditional heavy metal. Our shows are rituals—rites and invocations—with a blast of the mystical and unseen realms. We bring the audience deep into our world for a quick escape from the mundane. I like to think of us as a hit of fantasy and road-warrior adrenaline—powerfully injected into the veins. Almost like a DMT trip through the cosmos of the Wasteland. It tends to blend surprisingly well with all kinds of genres. If anything, it helps keep the fire lit between acts—igniting momentum all the way through the lineup.”

What do you consider the most important factor in delivering a strong set at a festival?

“Focus. Fiery passion. Audience connection. High energy. And making sure each set is just as magical and unique as the last. Maybe you’ll get rum-guns fired into the crowd. And maybe you’ll get blood-splattered from a she-wolf sacrifice. Maybe you’ll be the sacrifice. Maybe you’ll pour whiskey down a band member’s throat or float them across the crowd like a ritual offering. It’s all up to the gods that day—and whatever they require. We happily oblige.”

How do you handle quick turnarounds or limited setup time at festivals?

“We are as fast and efficient off-stage as we are on stage, and we bend to the will of the festival with smiles on our faces. We’re here and that’s all that matters! We’re all DI, and we did that to ensure our speed. We want to stay out of the other band’s way as much as possible and help them get on and off as quickly as possible. Our time is only what’s given, and we’re here to make sure everyone has an easy time!”

Do you explore the food and vendor areas when you’re not performing at a festival?

“Yes, that’s where you will literally find us! That’s where our community is! The guys are garbage disposal foodies, and we love supporting all the artists, bands, and vendors. That’s probably our second favourite part of the festival experience as an artist and a goer. These are hard-working people who help make this scene what it truly is to this day; they are part of that backbone.”

Have you ever formed friendships or creative partnerships as a result of playing a festival?

“Yes, so many, and to this day, they are some of the closest friends we have! We’ve been incredibly fortunate. We’re all social butterflies so the festival world is where we thrive! We’ve hosted bands at home later that year or the next and helped others build tours and connect with others, that is how many others function as well through these events! You’d be surprised how close many bands are!”

Viperwitch at Mile High Power Fest 2024 with Graveshadow

What’s it like sharing the stage or lineup with artists you look up to?

“Mind-blowing. It truly was a ‘we were not worthy’ moment in our minds, but we kept cool on the outside. For us, it’s a ‘hey, we made it!’ Moments that made all the sacrifices and pain so very worth it, moments we can die happy knowing we’ve done and earned out of those sacrifices and hard work. Nothing is ever handed to you, and that’s when you know you achieved something great.”

Do you make time to watch other sets while at a festival, or do you stay behind the scenes?

“Absolutely! That’s the entire point! We stay behind the scenes only to change or catch a breath, and then it’s back into the pit or vendor areas with our beers and hot dogs in hand! We’re here to support the bands and festivals, not just ‘play a gig,’ it’s a badge of honour for many of us to be in these sacred sonic spaces!”

Have you tried experimenting with tech—like VR, projections, or livestreams—for festival sets?

“We’re currently working with projections for 2026, can’t say much else right now, but the cinematic world we’ve built will be coming to life soon.”

Viperwitch beer run

Would you ever be interested in doing a fully digital or virtual set at a festival?

“Absolutely 100 percent.”

How do you keep the energy up during early sets or less-than-ideal time slots?

“We make sure to create a set that has us come out blazing, we’re invocating, not just playing a show here. This is a ritual and a trip, and we don’t let off the gas until we’re off-stage. Doesn’t matter what time, crowd size, or how long we’ve been on the road. Guns and swords out full speed. It’s what the people came to see and they deserve the best. With stage props, theatrics, intros, and fast, hard, hard-hitting heavy metal, we design our sets to pull the crowd into our world. We’re here to reignite souls. Help people remember who they are. Even if it’s just 20 minutes or an hour, we’re casting a ritual, and we do it with full focus and intent for those fans.”

Do you engage with a festival audience differently than with your own fanbase at shows?

“No, everyone is equal in our eyes, everyone paid to be there, they took time off work, they sacrificed things to be there, many are hurting, many are going through rough times, many just want an escape, and many are just there to have a good time. From 100 to 5,000 people, we treat everyone as a part of the ritual. We engage deeply, authentically, and freely—as if they’re old friends joining us in something sacred, honouring their energy and time, being the reason we all even exist!”

How do you use visuals, lighting, or other elements to enhance your festival performance?

“For us, it’s imperative. Visual storytelling is as important as the music for what we do; we are artists and practitioners, and we are not just musicians. The bigger the stage, the bigger the impact and that’s what we were made for. We’re not here to play small or carry small emotions. We carry truths larger than ourselves, and that takes precision, intention, and full-body commitment.

“The thing is for us, to truly bring you into our world, it can’t just be sonically driven, it has to be fully immersive. That can be hard to do on smaller stages sure, but we make it work. It starts with the smallest details.

“We are constantly and I mean constantly evolving and upgrading our tech, gear, armor, outfits, theatrics, and visuals, bringing you everything we’ve got to bring you in fully, no matter the stage size.

“The three of us (Jason Pinero, Danica Minor, and Will Perkins) work blue-collar jobs outside of this, like many other bands. And like many other bands, every penny, every maxed-out credit card is and has gone into these elements as well. From our theatrical pieces for mini-performances, our detailed outfits, our straps, lights, and even our Lightbringer sword and podium, Danica has hand-built. Shit even our ‘She Wolf Guardians’ and their prey. Everything has a purpose.

“Really, everything! This goes beyond the seeable stage, from our merch table visuals and handmade merch to our sample tracks that pull you in from the start. They are all a part of the experience because every audience member’s experience matters.

“If we didn’t build it, make it, or cut it, we got it from our community’s small businesses like Babe Finder General (Amy of Solicitor), Bellatrix Armor (Luna from Angel Fury), and My Little Halo in the UK (Emmy Halo). We even get all our hair done by our girls at Big Hairy Monster here in Denver. We invest in our community because it is our community.

Viperwitch Lynx & Dad

“Our stage gear is constantly updated and crafted to ensure nothing gets lost or feels like a cheap gimmick thrown together. It’s important that when we perform you see us for who we genuinely are. Successful and meaningful ritual and storytelling requires performers to strip themselves of everything false. It only brings forward the flameborn truth. These aren’t ‘costumes’ per se. It’s who we deeply are in a metaphysical landscape and how we move through the world time and time again.

“Many friends and family members get to experience it day to day, many of our stage names were nicknames or ritual names given and earned, but our audience doesn’t know or see that at first glance. So it really has to be shown as broadly as possible. Especially on a festival stage, it allows us to finally be larger than life if we can bring it all and, therefore, more of ourselves each time.

“We’re here to tell you our tales of the Wasteland and beyond, yes. But if anything, our underlying goal, by seeing us in our authentic dramatic self-expression, is to remind you of who you are deep down, or just help you find that person again. Show yourself what you also are capable of.

“We’re here to help you remember your own power and magic that this world has been stripping you of, from lie to lie. If we made it out, so can you. Build your worlds, and find yourself.

“By incorporating all of this, you get to join us. We get to fully be ourselves outside of what the twisted world tells others to see. It’s a ritual of reclamation and purification from the mimic systems on a deeper note. On a lighter note, it’s a wild, fun ride into a post-apocalyptic world of steel, hellfire, and speed.

“Setting the stage like King Diamond or WASP has done is our main goal. Their stage setups have inspired us to do what we do. One day we’ll be there with enough support and backing so we can truly drag you into our realms screaming with beers held high.”