LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 35,000 rock and roll fans attended day three of the Louder Than Life festival and that is music to the ears of vendors at the festival.
As the crowd surfing goes on in front of the stage, just a few yards away, Stephen Young and his staff were busying cranking out coffee orders as fast as they can be placed.
“We're fortunate to be from Louisville to be able to get into a show like this. So man, I will do it every year as long as they have it,” said Young.
Young owns Blackbeard Espresso and by now he is used to the noise, the crowds, and the cash it brings into his local food truck.
“You're here selling coffee that while at the same time you're going to get to watch a national act perform so, yeah, it's a big injection for small business,” said Young.
Dozens of vendors from around the country have set up shop for the four-day festival, including those selling concert t-shirts.
Want to try something more specific? Some artists like Metallica are selling their own brands of whisky — infused with their music.
“There is like a QR code to scan that and they can look up to see which songs were playing while the whiskey was aging, so it's pretty cool,” explained bartender Luke Toney
Although the businesses are ultimately competing for the dollar — the last 18 months has put them all in a place of appreciation for each other — no matter the event.
“Everybody here is willing to trade some food with you, coffee for your sandwiches, whatever so I feel like the vendors are all kind of, we all understand where everyone is coming from. Everybody is working hard - work hard, play hard, you're here to make some money, man,” said Young.
The economic impact the event will have on the city is expected to be nearly $3 million. Young is proud to be part of that, and is already focusing on next year.
“This is an event we look forward to every year. We've had a strong summer and our staffing has been pushed to the brink but it's stuff like this that you just go the extra mile for,” said Young.
Louder Than Life will continue for a final day on Sunday with Metallica ending the festival.
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