It was the best of times, it was the muddiest of times. It was DotFest 2. For one sunny day, over 20,000 people braved a muddy field to be rocked by 21 bands for what was the greatest festival to hit Iowa so far this summer.

Starting off the summer sequel was the energy-draining death rockers SlipKnoT of Des Moines. Decked out in new red jumpsuits but wearing the usual masks, SlipKnoT was a captivating band to watch. Whether it was the screaming, enraged vocalist or the amazing drumkit that moved around on a hydraulic lift, the group proved to be a hard act to follow.

This was unfortunate for the Atomic Fireballs, who marched onto the stage like soldiers following SlipKnoT’s awesome set. A dramatic contrast to what came before, the Atomic Fireballs dressed to impress in striped blue and white suits.

As the Detroit band swung through songs like “Spanish Fly” and “Spider Bob,” lead singer John Bunckley tap-danced across the stage swinging his cane and soulfully delighted everyone with his infectious voice.

When Goldfinger took over the festival, a crowd-surfing virus spread quickly through the masses of people struggling for life near the stage. The band ripped through songs mostly off of their latest album “Hang-up’s,” including “My Head” and “Superman.” Goldfinger then dove into the hit “Lonely Place” in which frontman John Feldmann held his mic out to the crowd — his new supporting vocalists.

The muddy, half-naked crowd surfers spanned the view of the entire stage, while Feldmann and lead guitarist Charlie Paulson jumped around like madmen getting tweaked off of the music and riding the stage like a wave.

Feldmann dedicated the skate-rock song “Chris Cayton” to “all the skateboarders and punks,” before the band cranked out “S. M. P.” (Skaters Must Perish) and the hit “Here In Your Bedroom.”

The ever-tattooed, pierced and quite bald Paulson held all eyes as he moved about the stage spinning, jumping and sliding his fingers up and down the fretboard, getting into an all out brawl with his guitar while Feldmann punched out the words from his nearly vein-bursting stance.

“Back from the dead … on drums … Phil Hartman!” he screamed before he took over the drums so drummer Darrin Pfeiffer could sing Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping.”

“There’s a lot of shit on the radio,” Feldmann declared after the band ended the song abruptly, “but it’s not our fault.”

Most of the legions of people took a lunch break during the three acts that followed Goldfinger. These included the one-hit wonder bands Fastball and Marcy Playground, who each rode in on the fame of their songs “The Way” and “Sex and Candy,” respectively.

These two mildly entertaining bands bookended the dirty reverend of Rockabilly, the Reverend Horton Heat, who annoyed all with his “Psycho-billy Freakout.”

While these bands played, it was a good chance to catch up on the action happening in the Techno Tent ,where people could rave to the grooves of Cirrus or the Soundproof Coalition.

The State of Independents Stage for local bands also attracted many who came to see their local favorites, such as the Nadas, Smilin’ Jack or deadfront. One of the best shows that came from that stage was by the Mason City rockers Smakdab, whose leading lady death-growled into the mic like she was possessed by a demon before regressing to a sweetness like that of No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani. Also putting on a great show were the energetic Chicago trip-hopsters My Scarlet Life.

Things finally heated up on the main stage again when the trio Everclear, plus three extra musicians, blasted into their routine, setting the pace for the rest of the evening.

The band rocked through many songs from new and old albums alike. The music was louder than ever, and the mosh pit was a riot-like frenzy as the barriers holding back the crazed fans bent helplessly under pressure.

“I think the storm’s coming. You’re all gonna pay for your sins!” lead singer/guitarist Art Alexakis yelled out before the band plucked through “Strawberry.”

As Alexakis sang “Don’t fall down now, you will never get up,” it was an ironically fitting description of the sea of people before him. The band also tore through “I Will Buy You A New Life” amongst flying bras and toilet paper, and really rocked on the hit “Everything To Everyone,” as Alexakis begged with his hands for his fans to jump higher.

The opening chords on “Santa Monica” were answered with wild cheers, and Alexakis let the over 20,000 people sing most of the song, a purely brilliant experience to hear since it was in perfect unison. Some lucky fans even got to go onstage to dance before the closing song.

After some minor technical problems following Everclear, Chicago’s Sister Soleil finally got to bop out their grooves. The band opened with “Red,” a very pumping song. Singer Stella Katsoudas sported giant, braided pigtails and sparkly makeup as she pranced and strutted around singing with a voice of helium and ice.

Katsoudas exuded raw sexual energy as she grinded and moved all about the stage. She was the leader in what became a thousand-person rave party, at times mirroring a ballerina gone punkster. The Atomic Fireballs even joined in on the song “Hit Me” while she wrestled around the stage with a man in a SlipKnoT shirt.

The best was definitely saved for last. When the Urge bombarded onto the stage at 10 p.m., there was no time to even breathe. The St. Louis septet drilled away at audience members’ ears with powerhouse songs like “Drunk Asshole,” “Don’t Ask Why” and “Straight to Hell,” a song off of their new album “Master of Styles.”

“It’s cooling down out there, we gotta heat things up!” the Urge’s leader Steve Ewing screamed out before the band zipped through another new song, “Played Out.”

There was no describing the feelings the Urge provided. They were simply driving everyone happily insane with loud music as Ewing grooved around preaching his songs, while the horn section ran around like track stars always returning to play on cue and never missing a beat.

The Urge raised the energy levels higher with “Brainless” and the hit “All Washed Up,” which hypnotized their followers into a mad jumping and crowd-surfing frenzy. Ewing himself even took a dive into the pit to be carried around by muddy outstretched hands.

Upon returning to stage, Ewing enthralled his fans when he yelled, “You’re all the shit tonight! You know how to rock!”

The band then grooved into the latest hit “Jump Right In,” before screaming through “Open All Night.”

“What you got? What you got?” Ewing cried, urging the people to give him more.

The group swung through the hip-hop tune “Take Away” and then pummeled through a wild version of “Hectic.”

When the Urge left the stage, fireworks started exploding in the sky. Amidst the array of colors and darkened stage, the Urge blasted back into an exciting encore with “Damn That Shit’s Good” and ended the show with the heavy “Where Do We Go.”

The Urge were by far the best performers and most exciting to watch. They have always been and always will be the greatest live band, and were an excellent way to close an amazing festival.