Bands including Eagles of Death Metal, Mastodon and Killswitch Engage jolt the good times to life at the new hard rock and heavy metal music festival.

Trystan Gurrieri, 6, sits on Jesse Carter's shoulders during Mastodon's performance at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Las Rageous is a hard rock music festival hosted in downtown Las Vegas near the Fremont Street Experience, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

A crowd mugs for the camera during Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

A woman rocks out to a performance during Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Mason Wright, lead guitarist of the local band Nations, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Nik Johnson, drummer of the local band Nations, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Craig Rabbitt, lead singer of local band Escape the Fate, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

TJ Bell of local band Escape the Fate performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Robert Ortiz, drummer of local band Escape the Fate, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Craig Rabbitt, lead singer of local band Escape the Fate, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

A crowd gathers for Eagles of Death Metal's performance at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Brent Hinds of Mastodon performs with Eagles of Death Metal during Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Dave Catching of Eagles of Death Metal performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Eagles of Death Metal performing at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Jenny Vee, bass guitarist of Eagles of Death Metal, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Bill Kelliher, left, and Troy Sanders of Mastodon perform at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Brent Hinds of Mastodon performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Troy Sanders of Mastodon performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Bill Kelliher of Mastodon performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Troy Sanders of Mastodon performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

The crowd singing and waving their hands during Mastodon's performance at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Jake Amano, 11, rocks out during Mastodon's performance at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Breaking Benjamin members Benjamin Burnley, left, and Aaron Bruch, right, perform at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Benjamin Burnley, lead singer of Breaking Benjamin, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Keith Wallen of Breaking Benjamin performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Avenged Sevenfold fans wait for the band's performance at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold walks on stage at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Avenged Sevenfold drummer Brooks Wackerman takes the stage at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Johnny Christ of Avenged Sevenfold walks on stage at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

M. Shadows, lead vocalist of Avenged Sevenfold, performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Avenged Sevenfold members Zacky Vengeance, left, and Synyster Gates perform at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Avenged Sevenfold's rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold gets the crowd excited at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Avenged Sevenfold performing at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

M. Shadows, left, and Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold, perform at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold finishes a solo during the band's performance at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

Brooks Wackerman of Avenged Sevenfold performs at Las Rageous, a hard rock music festival in downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, April 22, 2017. Gabriella Benavidez Las Vegas Review-Journal @gabbydeebee

As the fellow in red suspenders slapped his butt to the beat, the party got started in earnest.

The song was about dancing all night, and Jesse Hughes was leading by example, the Eagles of Death Metal frontman wagging his backside at the crowd massed on the corner of Bridger Avenue and Third Street, the stoplights still working as Hughes green-lit some curbside boogying.

“I got this feeling and it’s deep in my bah-tee,” he sang with the lip-quavering lust of an inked-up Elvis Presley. “It gives me wiggles and it makes my rump shake.”

Hughes served as a sort of human defibrillator Saturday, jolting the good times to life as Eagles of Death Metal’s hip-shaking rock ’n’ roll lubricated the second night of the two-day Las Rageous music festival in sweat and hormones.

This new fest, which got off to a strong start over the weekend, luring thousands to the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and adjacent streets, delivered a broad array of bombast, from prog to metalcore, thrash to radio rock, the festival’s two stages bracketed by food trucks and fire twirlers in hot pants (on Friday, at least).

What supplied the cohesion among it all?

Adam Dutkiewicz, guitarist for emotive metallers Killswitch Engage, supplied the answer in the form of a question.

“Are you drinking?” he asked from the stage Friday, clad in short-shorts and a headband, looking like a reserve guard for the Flint Tropics. “I’m drinking.”

Las Rageous’ revelrous vibe was the common denominator that united this diffuse lineup.

There were the old-schoolers, like an invigorated-sounding Anthrax, whose machine-gun riffing anchored frontman Joey Belladonna’s soaring vocals, the latter sounding as powerful as they did when “Diff’rent Strokes” was still in prime time.

Belladonna joined Killswitch Engage earlier Friday during their set-ending cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver,” one of several standout guest spots over the weekend, another being Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds ripping leads with Eagles of Death Metal during their set-opening “I Only Want You.”

Speaking of Mastodon, a band skilled at musical head fakes, their performance Saturday may have been Las Rageous’ best. Experiencing them live is kind of like being buckled into a roller coaster while blindfolded: You have no idea what’s coming next, but it’s quite the ride for as long as it lasts. Heavily mining their new album “Emperor of Sand,” the band crafted dense yet buoyant jams, peppered with sudden key changes and swelling choruses, a gnashing of the musical teeth that culminated in plenty of a satisfied grins.

On Friday, Coheed and Cambria did something similar, mating progressive arrangements and wonky lyrics with pop-punk hooks that made their tunes go down easy yet hit hard.

The Las Rageous lineup wasn’t all so thrilling, as evidenced by Of Mice & Men’s middling metalcore, Breaking Benjamin’s pro forma radio rock and All That Remains’ cloying jingoism.

What unified all those bands was that they strove for a blend of accessibility and artistic cred but did so in forced, formulaic ways.

But Las Rageous’ Saturday night headliner, Avenged Sevenfold, demonstrated that this could be done without sticking so closely to what has become a heavily plagiarized hard rock script — to a lesser extent, so did Godsmack, who topped the bill Friday with a pyro-heavy blowout.

Playing their first U.S. show since the release of their most recent album, “The Stage,” Avenged Sevenfold brought all the bells and whistles of a big arena rock production, with massive video screens squirming with pupil-widening visuals.

And yet, in song, Avenged Sevenfold tend to live up to all the pomp they generate on stage.

Whether airing the knotty title track to their latest record or the more streamlined snarl of “Paradigm,” they proved themselves to be adept at taking big ideas and embedding them in even bigger sounding songs.

Amid all these elaborate turns, however, sometimes the simple pleasures were the best — and certainly the most fun — which takes us back to Eagles of Death Metal.

“I like to strut my stuffing down on easy street,” Hughes peacocked early on in the band’s set. “So completely without complexity.”

And strut he did, Bridger Avenue in place of said boulevard.

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter.