By KIM NOWACKI

YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

It's been nearly a decade since a mainstream hard-rock band played the Yakima Valley SunDome. Thursday, four bands fitting that bill came to town and broke the dry spell.

However, it wasn't just the fans who were stoked for rock to return to the SunDome.

"We hear this is the first rock show here in 10 years," Papa Roach lead singer Jacoby Shaddix said Thursday night to a thunderous crowd. "We feel blessed to bring rock back to Yakima."

Papa Roach, along with Saving Abel, were the two opening bands for the co-headlining Avenged Sevenfold and Buckcherry tour that launched its second leg Jan. 28.

While the Yakima stop wasn't quite a sellout, Greg Lybeck, assistant general manager for State Fair Park, called it a success.

"Absolutely," he said.

"A lot of things went really right," he added, "and not a lot went bad."

Standing in a line that snaked through State Fair Park, a little more than 5,000 fans braved the drizzly 40-degree weather waiting for the doors to open. Mellissa Church of Terrace Heights walked to the SunDome in time to be the first one in line at 10:30 a.m. The 16-year-old was there to see Avenged Sevenfold.

"They're just hard-core," she said, shivering a bit. "And their lyrics are awesome. And, they're amazingly gorgeous."

Judging by a scan of the T-shirts in the crowd, she wasn't alone in pledging her allegiance to A7X, as the Southern California band is known.

Sixteen-year-old Ryan Davenport, a big A7X fan, bribed his older brother Kevin Weiss into driving him up from Kennewick for his first big rock concert. (Davenport's now indebted for some extra chores.) They were among the first into the SunDome and grabbed a spot up close to the stage in the general admission floor area.

"We're not standing out there for two hours for noth-ing," the 25-year-old Weiss said while trying to get the feeling back in his fingers.

With a choice between either reserved stadium seating or the standing-only floor area, Dawn Miller of Toppenish said being on the floor is the only way to go.

She and her husband, Elisha Miller, were also among those there primarily for A7X.

Luckily, all those A7X fans were not disappointed.

Hitting the stage dressed all in black with dark sun-glasses, the boys in A7X stole the show with a hard-hitting set that included "Afterlife," "Beast and the Harlot," "Scream," and "Gunslinger," as well as some flashy solo
work by lead guitarist Synyster Gates. All this was on a stage setup that featured a raised drum kit, changing skull-adorned backdrops and several large video screens.

The long night of rock began right around 6:30 with a 30-minute set by Saving Abel, who closed out with their big 2008 hit "Addicted." Next was Papa Roach, who performed a spirited, F-bomb-laced set that included "Getting Away With Murder," "Scars," "Broken Home" and "Last Resort."

At one point, lead singer Shaddix even jumped off the stage and ran up into the stands. He also took the time to ask for everyone on the floor to take two steps back so the fans up front wouldn't get smashed up against the barricade.

Up next was A7X and closing things out were Buckcherry, who lived up to the band's raunchy reputation for keeping the sex and drugs in rock 'n' roll.

According to State Fair Park's Lybeck, the rowdy rock -- the first since Mötley Crüe played the SunDome back in 1999 -- didn't lead to any major fights or other problems.

"We sent four people down to (the Disturbed concert) to learn from their mistakes and successes," Lybeck said about the recent concert at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. "I think that paid off."

At Thursday's show, security patted everyone down at the entrance gate, which mitigated outside alcohol, Lybeck said, and beer sales inside were limited to one per person per purchase. (Of course, that also made for long lines.)

"I think we were fairly prepared for our first rock show," said Lybeck.

* Kim Nowacki can be reached at 577-7680 or knowacki@yakimaherald.com.

What's coming upat the SunDome

* WWE Smackdown -- 7:30 tonight. $22-$62.

* 100 Years of Motorcycles Rally & Concert Series -- Feb. 20-22. $14.50-$19.50.

* Harlem Globetrotters "Spinning the Globe" world tour -- Feb. 23. $16-$60.

* Brad Paisley with Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda -- March 1. $39.75 and $49.75.

* Larry the Cable Guy -- May 14. $42.

* The announced Taylor Swift concert May 17 will most likely be at the SunDome, although there has been no official confirmation from the venue.

Tickets to all SunDome events are available through TicketsWest outlets, 800-325-7328, www.ticketswest.com, or the State Fair ticket office, 248-7160.