Yesterday, Alternative Press posted an article about a local band out of Illinois called Shrapnel who are quote, “Sick of you leaving before their set”, according to AP’s headline. The story was originally run by Metalsucks.net. Their rant on Facebook, which you can read in the AP article I will post below, has some choice words on this topic. Personally, I don’t think they adressed their opinion very constructively, but it is definitely an important issue. This issue was also brought up in an interview I recently did with a local DIY label in my area, which I will also link below. With local scenes their tends to be this new trend of bands playing for bands, and I witnessed this for myself last night at a local show. Almost everyone their was in a band playing that night. And it’s sad because none of these bands are going to get exposure that way. Read the Alternative Press article, and the original article by Metalsucks.net below, and let me know your thoughts on what this band has to say about this issue. Also check out that interview, which touches upon this issue also!
Line Up: From the Makers of, Charmer, Death by Bill, Llama Sanchez, Organs & the Weight We Carry
Venue: All About Records
This was the first local show I have been to in quite sometime, and I must say, AAR is possibly the best environment for local bands to play in. The owner, Russ, is a really cool guy and will put anyone on a show regardless of genre, sales, or crowd draw. That being said, the local scene needs a venue like this in order for local bands to be able to perform and spread their passion to others. The venue itself is a cozy little space tucked in a street corner off of the Taunton, Ma rotary headed to Rt. 44. It’s a nice central area where I-495 and Rt. 24 meet up, so its really easy for bands and others who want to see the show to get to. Inside the venue is decently sized room with enough space for maybe about 30-50 people, which is just enough to make a local show interesting. On the way into the venue is a tiny hall that Russ sometimes showcases art from local artist. This is a nice touch, and its cool to see a space that promotes art, and artist as a whole rather than just those involved in music. Overall, this space has a wicked positive and welcoming atmosphere, and I encourage anyone who wants to start playing shows to get on a show here before they close down at the end of December.
Rating: 4/5
Band 1: The first band to go on was a solo acoustic act out of Providence, RI, created by Joseph Bruscini, called Organs & the Weight We Carry. Before he even started to play he gave me a little bit of a Front Porch Step vibe, and that vibe would continue into his performance. This was a cover show so he did not play any originals, but I still feel like I got an essence for who he was as an artists. He performed covers from a band called Jawbreaker, an all around traditional punk band that has been around since the late 80’s. That being said, seeing this style transition over to an acoustic set was definitely an interesting contrast. He pulled it off well too, and still had this angst in his voice that one would expect of a punk/ emotional hardcore group. Getting back to the Front Porch Step Vibe, I think they both share some similar qualities. for those who have ever listened to Front Porch Step, you know that Jake is a very emotional song writer, and I think the same could be said about Joseph. I listened to his original music and I noticed it was very raw and had this emotionally poetic sound. During his live set the way he used his voice only added to this poetic vibe that the lyrical content gave off. His voice went from this soft almost spoken word, and then transitioned into this yelling that made you feel every word. Overall, definitely a great start to the night; you missed out if you were late. I will post a link to his music at the end of the review so you can check it out for yourself!
Rating: 7/10
Band 2: Next up was Llama Sanchez, a two piece acoustic/vocal, drummer act out of Barrington, RI. This type of set up is really interesting, and it was something I had only seen done by one other band called Slingshot Dakota, although they used a keyboard in place of an acoustic. I was really interested on what their sound was going to be like because of this. Unlike the other bands that played this night, Llama Sanchez played all original songs. They remind me of several bands ranging from Modest Mouse, a little of The Smiths, and even a little bit of American Football. Some of these connections may seem pretty loose, but overall, especially vocally, I feel like connections can be made in their sound. During their set, the band’s vocals/ guitarist, Will Orchard, had this delay/ echo effect on his voice and guitar that gave off this spacey atmospheric vibe. At many points in their set there would be transitions from this solo acoustic sound to this intense full band sound when, Zach Gorton, kicked in with the back beat of his drums. And I must say his drum set up was unusual, but despite the odd placement of cymbals, I noticed his transitions remained smooth. Over all, this band has a sort of indie/ jazz fusion vibe, that I really dig. In my opinion they had the best set all night!
Rating: 8/10
Band 3: Next up was Death by Bill, a punk rock band out of Weymouth, Ma. These guys had a really interesting set list ranging from covers of the “Drake & Josh” theme song, “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde (the Jimmy Neutron movie), “Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant, “Just a Girl” by No Doubt, among others. Their set was really diverse, and each cover had their own hint of punk thrown in. The songs they chose were interesting, and some of them really brought back some moments of nostalgia, especially that “Drake & Josh” cover they opened with. I especially liked how they referenced Jimmy Neutron when they covered “Kids in America”, because that is of course were almost everyone our age has heard that song. They had a few mishaps, like a guitar strap coming off mid-song, but they made a smooth recovery and were very undaunted about the situation, and its always nice to see a band that can bounce back from things like that. There was also a rippin guitar solo at one point, which I thought was a nice touch. If my memory serves me correctly it was during their cover of, “These Boots Were Made For Walkin”. At the end of their set I got a taste of their own original music, which to no surprise has this definitive edgy punk sound to it, having a very full and aggressive opening. I did notice however that over the course of the song it did mellow out a little into this funky kinda thing. Overall their choice of songs made for a fun memorable set for the night. I especially enjoyed the time you guys took into the costume. I will point out one thing however, I would have liked to see them move around a little bit more, other than that it was a good set.
Rating: 6.5/10
Band 4: Charmer, who is typically a four piece progressive punk band, was split in half for their set. Asa Spring who plays guitar/ keyboards/ vocals for the group, along side Jake Maloof who also does guitar/vocals, decided to tone things down with an acoustic set of Street Light Manifesto covers. I remember seeing them for the first time at the Met in Pawtucket, RI with Northernmost. These guys were crazy with all of their technical transitions, I’ve never seen a more talented group of local dudes that are really in tune with their respective instruments. This acoustic set was certainly different from their normal show, but it was interesting to see a band that is normally all over the place with time signatures and style variations, to take a seat and play some relaxing tunes. They had everyone gathered around a sitting circle, which made for a nice atmosphere. I found it difficult to judge this set being that it was so different from their norm, and with the lack of a full band. I have to take a neutral position on this one as a result of my indecisiveness.
Rating 5/10 *don’t take that too hard, all this is, is a neutral position, which in no way is to say you’re bad musicians. (message me if you would like further input as to your rating)
Band 5: Closing out the show were the lads in From the Makers of, a progressive/ experimental/ hardcore band from Buzzards Bay, Ma. I had heard of these guys before so I was glad I was able to see them play a show. These guys really turned up the volume to end the night playing a wide array of covers ranging from Black Sabbath, Motor Head, Rage Against the Machine, The Arctic Monkeys, Set Your Goals, Weezer, among others. These guys had awesome stage presence, and did every song justice with solid execution. I reflected back to seeing Such Gold at the Met the previous weekend, they were possibly the tightest band I had ever seen live. I must say, From the Makers Of were definitely a close second to that; they were very in tune with each other musically, and you could sense it. Over the course of their set they incited several push pits during their covers of “Ace of Spades” by Motor Head, and during their Rage Against the Machine cover, which I must say had some considerable rap flow going on #respect #spittinfire. Overall this was one of the best local sets I have seen, and if I had heard them play their own originals, they would have definitely topped the charts. Definitely gonna have to catch them play their own material very soon!
Rating 7.5/10 *By all means you can round up, you guys put on a killer show
For whatever reason I have yet to do a top ten list of my favorite albums to date, so I figured why not!
In no particular order:
1) Slipknot “All Hope Is Gone”- This may be one of their newer albums, but it came out when I was in middle school just when I started getting into music. This is the album that got me in to heavy music, and its awesome from beginning to end!
2) Defeater “Empty Days & Sleepless Nights- I got into this band last year after my friends band opened for them and Vanna at the Met Cafe’ in Rhode Island. This is the album that really has got me into hardcore music recently. This album is amazing, and the acoustic songs at the end just show how talented these guys really are, and how they can beyond heavy music!
3) John Mayer “Continuum”- This is my guilty pleasure and I am totally unashamed. This album is back in his trio days when he was into this jazz fusion, new age blues style. This album is soulful from beginning to end, and if it was the only CD I could ever listen to, I’d be okay with that! (go head judge me, we all have our guilty pleasures)
4) Between the Buried and Me “The Great Misdirect”- Back in my late sophomore year of high school I got wicked into progressive metal, and for a while these guys became my favorite band. This album is the pinnacle of progressive metal, transitioning to different styles through each of its six songs. I was absolutely blown away by the technical know how these guys possessed, and listening to this kind of music has always pushed me to be better in tune with my instrument!
5) I the Mighty “Karma Never Sleeps”- I discovered these guys randomly on Youtube and immediately grew obsessed. Their musicianship and lyrical content have always had me hooked. Definitely one of those bands out there that really have something to say, and beg you to listen from beginning to end!
6) The Kooks “Inside In, Inside Out”- They are one of the most entertaining bands I have ever seen live, and this album is just as entertaining. They have this whole drunken British thing going for them and it just adds to the whole appeal of their indie vibe sound. Its one of those albums where you just can’t be in a bad mood while listening to it cause its just so happy, and makes you wanna sing along to every word in your own fake British accent!
7) Pink Floyd “The Dark Side of the Moon”- I was in middle school when my Dad showed me this album while we were in the car going to get a pizza. This was undoubtedly the first time I had ever gained a real appreciation for music, and is responsible for getting me into music in the first place. Thanks for showing me this Dad, if it wasn’t for you I’d still be listening to top 40!
side note: (I turned away from my computer thinking I was going to throw up at the thought of that)
8) American Football “American Football”- Oddly enough I just started getting into these guys this morning, but it is without a doubt some of the most captivating songs I have ever heard. This band released this selfed titled EP all the way back in 1999, and I can’t believe I’m just hearing about them now. They got this whole jazz fusion, indie, punk thing going for them and its freaking awesome. I’m just glad they reunited this year, and I’m keeping my out for tours!
9) Acceptance “Phantoms”- This was the bands only full length which they released in 2005, only to break up a year later. I discovered these guys through a friend my junior year of high school, and since then have grown such a liking to alternative rock. Every song on this album is different, and these guys pull all off these different sounds beautifully, yet at the same time still make it signature to them. Really wish I could have seen these guys perform live!
10) From Indian Lakes “Absent Sounds”- This is easily my favorite release of 2014, which is why it knocked Escape the Fate’s “Dying Is Your Latest Fashion”, right out of the #10 spot. I discovered these guys on one of those “bands that you have to hear this year” post on one of those music media sites. I’m so glad I did because I can’t stop listening to them. When I went to purchase one of their records I was so torn between “Absent Sounds” (their latest release), and “Able Bodies” (released in 2012). Both of them are equally as good, and overall have this whole transient, atmospheric, dreamy vibe going on that has made me love this band so much. I could star gaze all night to this record, if only it were summer, oh well soon enough!!!
* Side note- This list is subject to change at any time. Also, in case you didn’t know, if you have a problem with this list keep it to yourself. Cause believe me when I say I don’t care about your opinion or your personal taste in music. All constructive comments are welcome, share with me your top ten!
Line Up: Transit with Such Gold, Driver Friendly, and New City Ghost
Venue: The Met Cafe’
This happened to be one of many shows that I’ve been to at The Met in Pawtucket, RI. The Met is the smaller sister club of Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI. Being that this is a much smaller venue, the Met tends to see smaller/ underground bands, and also showcases local acts. Despite the small size, I have never experienced overcrowded shows that one might expect from a smaller venue. When you can stand in your own spot, with a great view, and not have to worry about someone stepping in your space, it usually sets the tone for a much more enjoyable show. I’m always eager to find good shows here because its so close to the South Eastern Massachusetts area. There is also free parking outside of the venue, which is always a huge relief after buying tickets, and using gas to get to the show. Overall, this club does a good job of using the best of what space they have. If there is one key element to a good show, its crowd control. Other venues like Upstairs Palladium are notorious for over packing their venue, and it just doesn’t make for a good time. So props out to the Met for making sure everyone has room to chill and enjoy good music!
Rating: 4/5
Band 1: New City Ghost, an indie/experimental rock group from the RI, MA area, took the stage first. To be perfectly honest their was little I could pick out from this bands set. I did notice that their music contained some interesting use of hand percussion, harmonies, piano sampling, and ambient guitar. Listening back to their music, I still maintain that I’m not the biggest fan of their stuff. I like the instrumentation behind the music, but the vocals do not really do the trick for me. It’s hard for me to pick out music from my own library that I can compare to them. They say some of their influences range from Radiohead, Sigur Ros, The Beatles, Death Cab For Cutie etc. Most of these bands I have yet to get into or become really familiar with. So it’s probably just my ignorance toward their particular style that is the driving force behind me not really getting into their set. So don’t let my opinion stop you from checking them out, they’re a local band so show them support!
Rating: 6/10
Band 2: Next up was Driver Friendly out of Austin, TX. Right off the bat they had a lot of energy, and their music gave off this indie/emo vibe. Through out their set they made use of sampling, and synthesizers. Most interestingly they utilized a trumpet, which I thought was unique. Quite to my amusement, in the middle of their set they performed a Britney Spears cover. It’s always nice to see a band with a sense of humor. Overall, this is a memorable band that pulls you in with an interesting contrast between their up-beat punky instrumentation, a mix of electronic and brass instruments, and vocal style most comparable to an indie/emo band. Definitely give them a listen if you have yet to do so.
Rating: 7/10
Band 3:Such Gold took the stage next, and up until now I had heard nothing but good things from them. I actually grabbed their record “Misadventures” before they went on, and I certainly would not go on to regret this. The band was actually really cool, they ended up giving me the CD for $5 instead of $10 because I didn’t have enough on me. Take notes from these guys, they know what music is about. Getting onto their set, I must say I incredibly impressed. For anyone who has ever listened to this band, right away it can be said that they are the perfect blend between pop-punk and hardcore. It’s like the best of both worlds with their music. Over the course of thire set they played some songs of their new record, “The New Sidewalk”, which will be available November, 10th. At one point in their set, they stopped playing because one of their fans got hurt. They quickly addressed the issue, and were respectable about it. Unlike some bands who decide to just attack stage divers at a punk show (cough cough ** Joyce Manor** cough). I gotta say, even though I had only gotten in to one of their songs before seeing them, that song being “Two Year Plan”, this was still one of the best live sets I have ever seen. The band is so tight with each other, and you can just tell they are vibeing off each other. I will argue that they are one of the tight/ most in sync live bands out there today, definitely check them out. Like seriously, leave my blog right now and go listen to their music!
Rating: 8/10
Band 4: Transit was the headliner for this tour, over the course of which they will release their new album “Joyride”. As many of you know, Transit could be considered veterans of our scene. Hailing from Stoneham, Ma they’ve been making everyone fall in love with their pop rock/alternative sound since 2006. Needless to say, people must have been stocked being that this was a hometown show. But unfortunately, I must say despite all the hype this band must have around here, I was not impressed with their set. I like bits of their music, mostly off the album “Listen and Forgive”, as I’m sure many might agree that it’s their most popular and well known release. The crowd responded well to them, and that actually caught me by surprise. While these guys do have a good sound, their stage presence, at least when talking about the vocalist Joe Boynton, is absolutely non existent. He kind of just stood there, and did things with his hands. After witnessing the last set and seeing how much energy they put into it, I must say the headliner could not be anything greater than a letdown. I’m sure many of you will disagree, but it’s just not fun to watch a band stand their and sing their stuff, that I’m sure many of the fans want to move around to. Especially since we know them all too well around here. Maybe my opinion of their live performance will change whenever I get a chance to see them again.
That wasn’t a typo you just read, according to various media such as Metalsucks.net, Alternative Press etc, no records have gone platinum this year. And when I say record, I mean a back to back record. And honestly that could be the issue right there, cause no one, especially those focused on the pop industry, buys full records anymore. Not even a lot of people in the alternative universe of music. Buying CD’s, vinyls, cassette tapes, or even full album downloads on Itunes is extremely rare these days across all genres, and there are multiple reasons for this. These days music is about single sales, but that might be more catered to the pop industry. So in terms of people like me who listen to more underground music, if you will, let me rephrase. Music these days is about compiling the perfect playlist of songs from one artist. The thing is, this perfect playlist does not exist on one album, except in rare occasions and those occasions are awesome. With this in mind, why is anyone, especially those who are not really into music enough to go beyond what is one the radio, going bother with buying a full record. Thats an easy question, they wouldn’t. Another prime reason for this downward spiral in record sales is due to the extreme rarity of actual record stores. And what I mean by record stores is exactly that, a store where they sell music and only music. I’m not talking about FYE or Newbury Comics etc. These stores have good selections don’t get me wrong, but they are forced to sell other merchandise in order to keep business. These days legitimate records stores have been reduced to small DIY shops in big cities like Boston, and even in places like this, a lot of the material you will find here are from indie artist. Yet another reason is piracy/ streaming, and I think they can be grouped together in some respects. Piracy and streaming music has been a huge problem for the music industry. When is a person who isn’t that into music ever going to buy music when they can just get it for free. With torrent sites, and streaming interfaces like Youtube, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Pandora, the need to purchase music is a thing of the past. All it takes is a smart phone and a data plan, and you can listen to any song you want to absolutely free. Don’t get me wrong, streaming sites provide crucial exposure for artist, but with some expense. With all of these odds stacked the record industry, its a surprise to me that I can still collect cd’s today, which if anyone cares my collection is at 54 cd’s and growing. Not a huge collection by any means, but certainly more than the average person. And as long as I can, I’m going to buy physical formats, because if no one does, they will be a thing of the past. Imagine living in a world without vinyls and cd’s, I gotta stop now before I have nightmares, let me know your thoughts on this issue in the comment section!
Check out some other articles on this topic in the links below!
Vans Warped Tour
have just released the dates for 2015. For those of us in the Boston area, our stop on the tour is scheduled for Tuesday July, 14. Stay tuned over the next few months for all the news leading up to the tour. Check out the link below to see if they are making a stop near you this summer!
This past Saturday I had a very insightful chat with Russell Orcutt, the owner and operator of All About Records (AAR) in Taunton, Ma. For those of you who do not know, AAR has been a southern Massachusetts based DIY label since 1997. They have booked bands like A Loss For Words, Killswitch Engage, Four Year Strong, Have Heart, Saves the Day, and early versions of Defeater, before they went on to professional careers under major labels. Given his experience, I thought Russ could provide considerable insight into what our scene is currently like, and provide input as to how AAR is doing in the scenes current state.
Interview:
1. Since the start of AAR, have you seen our scene in terms of show turn outs, bands promoting, and overall the drive to be in a local band take a turn for the better or for the worse, and why do you think this is?
“Well that is a multipart questions so let me address it as simply as possible. When it comes to turn outs, in the last 20 years I have seen local shows go from almost always 100-200 kids down to just bands at most shows. In all my years booking shows I have never seen anything like the current trend of bands playing for bands at shows. It’s not just locally, bands coming through tell me its like this everywhere. Unless you are playing a house show/party, or a show forced to sell tickets its a crap shoot turnout wise. I think a lot of things factor into this, I don’t think live bands are as popular as they were even just 3 years ago. We have the obvious culprit the Internet, but there is way more to it. There is the fact that kids traded in cars and freedom for cell phones. Kids no longer work like they once did, teenager jobs now belong to adults. MTV doesn’t show videos and reality TV focuses on singer songwriters, not bands. So who are young kids looking up to? Not musicians, so why would they pick up instruments and want to be in a band. When I was a kid we’d see all these bands in tour videos and think that shits cool, I wanna do that. I do have one hope and it sounds ridiculous, I think if a republican president gets elected, we will see a rise in DIY angry punk rock and hardcore bands/scenes which could be super cool.”
2. Overall, in your experience, what do you think is the most important thing that local bands tend to overlook when trying to make something of themselves?
“The most common thing I see a lot of bands doing these days is overlooking the value of their fan base. So many bands seem so concerned with what pedals they are using or guitar sound over what people like. Bands should balance what they want to do with what their fans are into. You can be the most talented band in the world and never leave your basement if no one else likes you.”
3. So as sort of a follow up question. For the bands that are trying to appeal to an audience, as a venue promoter, what is the best advice you can give to local bands that want to start playing shows, touring, and overall just get noticed?
“Effort pays off, you can’t be lazy or give up. You have to think of the band as a job that pays off in ridiculously awesome experiences. Promote as much as you can, everywhere and anywhere. Always have CDs or download cards on you. You never know when you will meet someone and can be like oh here check out my band. Saying check us out on FB or Bandcamp isn’t gonna cut it.”
4. Now I know you’ve posted about this whole idea of promoting outside of social networking. Do you think social networking could possibly be preventing these bands from seeing the reality that it takes more than just sitting behind a computer?
“I kinda addressed this a little bit before, I don’t think its just social networks. Its also the whole reality TV music competition thing, and YouTube stars, everyone wants to be famous without working for it. I’ve seen bands with 100k likes on Facebook draw no one to shows.
That said social network is a great tool for small bands; if you work with it and don’t hate it, it can help you travel the world. Last week I started booking a UK tour we already have half the dates confirmed or being worked on thanks to social media. That said it took a lot of time and effort to make all the contacts but I never would have been able to tour the UK almost a dozen times without Facebook and MySpace before it.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a band promote themselves by handing out flyers or CDs at one of our shows. Promo has become somewhat of a lost art/skill. I am debating right now on FB with a few bands about it actually.”
5. With competition ranging from promotion companies like Keynote to more local Providence venues such as, firehouse 13, and PVD social club just to name a few. With the understanding that some of these venues, and promotion companies require a certain turn out, or ticket sales in order for a band to play a show, how do you think AAR has stood out over the years in terms of providing local bands the opportunity to perform in a welcoming atmosphere?
“I can honestly say we have never required bands to sell tickets to play any show. I am totally against the idea of pay to play and feel that it is a sort of ponzi scheme in order to lift up bands that shouldn’t be touring or headlining.
The main goal of the “new” allaboutrecords was to give bands a place they could use to showcase their music and play shows without having to deal with that type of b/s. I think of AAR the label as a family, and the space as a home, its never been about making money, and never will be. I come from the old DIY Hardcore scenes that were focused on changing the world and making it a better place. The idea of making money off young bands that want to play shows with bands they look up to disgusts me and honestly is a huge part of why the scene around here is so broken and jaded.”
6. I understand that the lease for the current location in Taunton will not be renewed, and that you are looking for a new location to set up. What are your thoughts on the future of AAR, and do you think the right move could perhaps benefit you in terms of show turnouts, as well as turn outs for the other events you put on?
“Yea, we have had the lease for 2 years, and after over 150 shows at this space and numerous discussions I decided it was time to change things. The new space will be really focused on the services we offer as a label. We will be doing recordings and making merch for bands at almost [no] cost. As for shows we are going to embrace the Internet and do live streaming events, recording the audio and video to post on YouTube/Bandcamp. Hopefully creating [and] adding interviews with touring and local bands. This will allow us to continue helping bands without as mush reliance on turnouts for shows. When we [do] live streams they will be free to the public so people can come be here or watch online, whatever works. When we originally opened we had tried it before but didn’t have the right equipment set up for good quality streaming, but we had viewers from all over the world, so if done right it could be amazing.”
7. In its current state, what do you think is something that could possibly make our scene better than it has been, and could consequently get AAR more turnouts in its last few months as a traditional live venue?
“The key to all local scenes, young bands. The better turnouts we have at AAR tend to be shows with younger bands. The biggest problem I face in Taunton is the fact that there are really no high school age bands; the city has 4 high schools and a population of close to 60k people. AAR should be thriving, but without those bands bringing their friends and introducing them to new music and touring bands, it just doesn’t work.”
Check out some of the upcoming events at AAR below, and if you’re around the southern Massachusetts area do your best to come by and support the local scene! Don’t forget to give the page a like while you’re here!!!
Over the past week media like metalsucks.net,Metal Injection, andMetal Hammer have all been buzzing about the recent statements made by metal icon Ozzy Osbourne about his experience on 9/11 in an interviewwith Shortlist.com. His statements could be considered controversial, but personally I don’t think its really necessary to take anything Ozzy says these days too seriously. Take a look at several of these articles below and let me know what you think in the comment section!
Line up: Citizen with You Blew It, Slingshot Dakota, and True Love
Venue: The Sinclair, Cambridge Ma
(Disclaimer: I was not here for the whole show, and therefore this will mostly be a re-cap of the show I was able to see. There will be no overall rating for this concert, it’s only fair!)
This was my first time attending a show at the Sinclair in Cambridge, Ma. It is a newer venue thrown in to the hustle and bustle of Cambridge. With the areas loads of college campuses, local and non-local business’s, and plenty of public transportation, it is a great spot for a venue. The inside of the venue is very clean, and organized. As soon as you walk in there are steps that lead up to the floor in the middle of the room, where it then meets the stage that is built into the wall. The floor area is a decent size for a venue that is relatively small. That is probably the best thing about this venue, they are good at utilizing the space they have, and don’t over crowd the venue like a lot of others do. The balcony is like nothing I have ever seen. It surround the entire floor area, and every spot has a great view of the stage. There are 3 levels to the balcony, the main level, a level just below with a small theatre seating area, and a loft like balcony at the top that goes along the right side of the venue. The sound in this venue is great too, they have all of this new equipment, and though a lot of credit has to be given to the sound techs, new equipment definitely helps getting the best sound possible. The staff there are really chill too, I never saw security tell anyone to not stand on the stairs or pull someone out of the crowd for having too much fun. Its a really great laid back venue thats perfect for anyone, whether you want to be on the floor having a ball, or on the balcony relaxing and just watching some great music. I’ll be coming back here to go the Real Friends tour with Neck Deep on November, 23, and I absolutely cannot wait!
Rating: 5/5
Band 1: Unfortunately, traffic got it in the way of me being able to catch True Love’s set. I contemplated look up one of their sets live, but then I realized that wouldn’t be fair. My apologies, if you did happen to catch their set at any one of the dates let me know what your thoughts on them are below!
Band 2: Slingshot Dakota, out of Bethlehem, Pa, was performing as I walked into the venue. I’d like to say I walked in after their first two songs. This band had just recently got on the tour after complications with the original band, Hostage Calm, caused them to have to leave the tour. However, I’m really glad these guys were put on the show in their place. They have a really interesting line up of two members, Vocalist/ Pianist, Carly Comando and Drummer/Vocalist, Tom Patterson. This is the first thing that grabbed my attention, because this was so unusual to me. A drummer and pianist, it was definitely a strange contrast, but they pulled it off nicely. They have this whole indie, electronic, punk thing going for them. That being said, they had some really catchy synth parts, especially in their song “Rasta Bacca”, which also had this cool harmony going on between the two of them. Definitely one of the most original and unique performances I have seen in quite some time. I really wanted to get their album “Dark Hearts”, and I would have if i had the money at the time. definitely going to pick that up, and keep up to date with these guys. Overall, I may have missed the first band, but these guys were a great start to the show I got to see. They’re a great addition to this tour!
Rating: 8/10
Band 3: You Blew It!, out of Orlando, Fl took the stage next, and this was sure to be a big change in pace going from a full band to the duo I had just witnessed. The band opened with their song “Regional Dialect”, one of the songs of their new album. I thought this was a slow start, but things started to pick up after this. Their second song, “Gray Matter”, had a pretty catch riff and was a little more up beat than their opening song. The one thing that really stuck out to me about this band most wasn’t even necessarily their music, but their interaction with the crowd. This band has some of the best stage presence I have ever seen, and I think that can be said about every band on this tour. They were constantly cracking jokes, and one of the guitarist even played the McDonalds theme song, while the rest of the band finished tuning for the next song. The fourth song in their set, “Pinball House”, which is off their 2012 release “Grow Up, Dude”, I noticed had a really smooth drum part. And I know some of you might be like, why include that? Hey I’m a drummer, things like that stick out to me. The fifth song, “The One With David”, I noticed had a good vocal melody. Overall this band’s sound, especially on earlier releases can be describe as this punk, alternative rock, mixed with these almost emo vocals. The Sixth song in their set, “House Address”, had an interesting intro with their vocal harmonies, contrasted by this simple background riff. Song 7 in their set, “Better to Best”, had this interesting instrumental intro, with gang shouts from the band that added a good harmonic quality to the song. Overall this band was really great at warming up the crowd for the headliner to come on. I was really torn between which rating to give them, so finally I just had to settle for going in the middle.
Rating: 7.5/10 *Thats a first right there
Band 4: This tour was a first for Citizen, who are out of Michigan/Ohio. It was their first headliner, so I can imagine they were pumped about being able to perform. I got their album “Youth” before their set because I had heard good things, and I was hoping their performance would not make me regret the decision. They opened their set with their song “Sleep”, track 4 off of “Youth”. Right away I noticed they had a full sound, and this song in particular had this really strong back beat to it. Their second song, “Drown”, has this catchy sort of breakdown riff, with an equally catchy drum part. This part of their set really got the crowd going, given the song’s intensity. The fifth song in their set, “Sick and Impatient”, had this solo drum intro (again I know, drums are my thing). The seventh in their set “Roam the Room”, got the crowd moving again. This song has an intense intro, and an intense chorus. It was kind of funny cause people were literally roaming the room during this song. The eighth song in their set, “Silo”, had this really melodic emo- vocal intro. This song started off as being kind of dark, and transitioned into something really full and intense. It was interesting to hear the contrast between their heavier, and not so heavy material. The ninth song in their set, “The Night I Drove Alone”, got a good crowd reaction. This is arguably one of the more popular songs off of “Youth”, and I got this kind of Balance & Composure vibe from it. Overall, this band knew how to work a crowd, were very humble, and just had great presence. It was definitely worth getting their album!
Rating: 7.5/10 *again!
I really wish I could give a full rating for this show because, spontaneous as it was, it was one of the best times I have had just watching bands perform. This show as a whole was probably the best stage presence I have seen at any show before.If you have been to any of the dates on this tour, let me know how your experience went in the comment section below!
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