I can't even begin to think about the logistics and challenges that come with putting on a major outdoor music festival. The contingencies to plan for are numerous, but when a hailstorm sends fans running for cover, and one of your headliners gets a throat infection that leaves him unable to speak, let alone sing, well thats just another day in the life of the music industry.

The announcement that Incubus singer Brandon Boyd had fallen ill was handled remarkably well by the 11,000+ in attendance. Some took to twitter and ignored the circumstances with statements like "fuck you Incubus" and "X-Fest sucks." I am sure they have never been sick a day in their lives. It is understandable the dissapointment, but for music and festival fans, X-Fest was a success.

The festive atmosphere was enhanced by food trucks, vendors, and of course a beer gardens. Former WWF stars Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Gangrel, and Bushwhacker Luke, faced the stars of the CNWA in wrestling bouts. And of course, there was the music. MuteMath, who finished their set in a hailstorm, Young The Giant, and Silversun Pickups seemed to be the favorites over the course of the day. L.P., The Pack AD, Fun and The Joy Formidable also played, while X92.9 Xposure winners the Suppliers kicked things off.

After a full day, things came to a climax with headliners Linkin Park, playing Calgary for the first time in their 15 year career. Based on the performance, it is a shame that they waited so long. Kicking things off with Faint and Papercut, Linkin Park blasted through a greatest hits set that left the crowd breathless from singing along and jumping up and down. It speaks to how many hits the band has (the most #1 albums on Billboard in this decade) when songs like Crawling and My December weren't in the set, yet it was still hit after hit after hit.

There were some sound issues early in the set, and singer/screamer Chester Bennington struggled with some notes, but the combined charisma of Bennington and co-singer/rapper/multi instrumentalist Mike Shinoda outshone any technical quirks. Backed by a massive screen featuring some impressive visuals, they left it all on stage. Those who stayed despite the Incubus cancellation no doubt had a smile on their face.

All too soon things hit the homestretch with Numb, What I've Done and One Step Closer, complete with pyro before the encore of Burn It Down, In The End, and Bleed It Out with Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger making an appearance, and a sample of the Beastie Boy's Sabatoge. Linkin Park has developed a reputation for their live shows, and they brought it on this cool September evening. Hopefully they won't wait so long to come back.

It seems like most rock music festivals are doomed to run 2 – 3 years, then fade away. X-Fest has proven they can handle what is thrown their way and come back for more. It will be interesting to see who is announced for 2013, and hopefully X-Fest remains part of the Calgary music scene for years to come.