After the difficult year that was 2020, many in the live music industry are questioning the future.
While artists have already started announcing new tours, it seems like live music should be back to "normal" by September 2021. However, while artists are going back on the road and playing shows, what happens with other areas of the industry, like live concert photography? This is something that many photographers are having to ask themselves.
Will artist still allow local or freelance photographers to attend their concerts?
Will artist managers still provide complimentary tickets for media?
Will venues even allow local photographers into the concerts?
Even before the pandemic that completely shutdown the global live music industry, it was becoming more and more difficult to photograph artists due to limiting the number of local photographers being allowed into each concert. Artists that have their own touring photographer just don't need the services of local photographers. Because of these reasons, and everything that is still up in the air, many friends have already decided to stop photographing concerts.
To be completely honest, freelance concert photography work is not a profitable venture. If you're not on assignment from a major magazine or media outlet, you're more than likely not going to ever see any financial return. More often than not, you're not being paid for your work and sometimes you're coming out of your own pocket to pay for the tickets to enter the venue for a concert you're essentially working at. Artists regularly will share cell phone photos taken from the crowd, rather than professionally taken photographs, and good luck getting any credit if they do. It's just not a great choice for anyone looking to make a living out concert photography on a local level.
For me personally, I actually sold all of my camera equipment prior to the entire global shutdown in 2020 (by coincidence). And as of right now, I have no intention of continuing with concert photography in a professional way. I've been lucky to have photographed hundreds of different artists throughout my time being a professional concert photographer, 280+ available to view here on my website. I've attended several major music festivals, seen artists I never thought i'd have the chance to see, and i've met so many incredible fellow photographers along the way.
Going forward, I will only be photographing the rare concert that I get asked to photograph for the artists personally. Maybe some smaller local shows here and there, but I'm looking forward to just being a normal general admission patron to concerts again.
It wasn't that long ago that A Day To Remember came through North Carolina on the "Raisin' Hell In The Heartland Tour" for a sold out show in Raleigh in a venue that holds a couple thousand. This past Saturday, A Day To Remember returned to North Carolina to close out their "The Degenerates Tour" with Beartooth, I Prevail, and Can't Swim at the Crown Complex in Fayetteville NC. This was a bit of an upgrade since their last visit, as this was a full blown arena tour and the show in Fayetteville was a packed of near 10,000 hyped up fans.
The tour's namesake is the first single released from their upcoming album You're Welcome. The new album was announced with a release day in mid-November, however You’re Welcome is now slated to be released in early 2020. Along with the announcement of the new album, and release of the new single “Degenerates”, the band announced their signing to their new label, Fueled By Ramen. This comes as the first music released by the band in three years, besides their collab “Rescue Me” with Marshmello earlier this summer. Since the releases and the announcements, the band has been out on this tour we caught in Fayetteville and just last week they released a heavy new single "Resentment".
The show was off the walls wild. Can't Swim was a perfect start to the night, and Beartooth had the most crowd surfers I think i've ever seen during one song. I Prevail treated the crowd to an intensely heavy impressive set. Being the last show of tour, there were of course shenanigans of bands coming out on stage while others performed. Beartooth turned the stage into a pool party with pool noodles and floaties while Can't Swim was on stage and I Prevail dressed up as a bear and a tooth during Beartooth's set.
The main event though was A Day To Remember, all the bands could not thank the guys from central Florida enough for bringing them out on tour and putting on a truly memorable run.
A Day To Remember came out a bit slow with one of their most popular tracks, "The Downfall of Us All"; The stage lighting at the most minimal and the backdrop just a plain white curtain. Each song they seemingly increased the intensity of the stage production, "All I Want" brought in more lights, and then "Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End" introduced glimpses of the huger video board hidden behind the white curtain.
With the fourth song of their set, lead vocalist Jeremy McKinnon announced, that its time that they're going to "kick it up a fucking notch", as he paced back and forth on stage. The crowd of course erupted and so did the stage as the whole stage production lit up as they began a song "Paranoia" of their 2016 album Bad Vibrations. From that point on it was absolute pedal to the metal for the remainder of the set.
A Day to Remember pulled out all the tricks from their bag: 'crowd surfing on crowd surfers', pyro, cryo, tossing guitars around on stage, jumping over each other, confetti; they even performed a surprise cover of Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy". We did get a treat of new music as well in the middle of everything else! "Degenerates" and "Rescue Me" both got huge reactions from the crowd and gigantic sing-a-longs.
All night I had to keep reminding myself that this was the same band that I saw in a tiny 200 capacity venue in Raleigh back in 2006, and back then they couldn't even sell out that venue. Now, the little band from Ocala, FL is selling out arenas on their own headlining tour. Sure, they've performed to huge crowds, but it's alway been in support of someone else like Blink 182 or at a festival, but this was their own doing. Truly amazing where this band has come over the years.
With the tour complete, A Day To Remember is now playing 4 straight SOLD OUT shows at the Orlando House Of Blues and then will close out the year with a few shows in Australia. If you missed out on this particular tour, you'll likely have another chance next year as the band will really get into the album touring cycle after the release of their album You're Welcome.
A Day To Remember's Setlist from "The Degenerates Tour" in Fayetteville NC:
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The Downfall of Us All
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All I Want
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Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End
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Paranoia
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Sticks & Bricks
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Better Off This Way
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My Own Worst Enemy (Lit cover)
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Right Back at It Again
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Rescue Me (Marshmello collab)
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Have Faith in Me
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Degenerates
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Bullfight
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Sometimes You're the Hammer, Sometimes You're the Nail
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End of Me
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2nd Sucks
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I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?
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If It Means A Lot To You
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All Signs Point to Lauderdale
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The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle
For more information about upcoming releases and tour dates from A Day To Remember Facebook, Twitter, adtr.com
Check out more photos from the show from all the bands below
Admittedly, it does seem that the 'golden age' of EDM has passed us by. However, it is still an extremely popular genre of music with enormous annual festivals and millions of fans still selling out huge shows for their favorite artists. And in a time where we grow even further away from the height of its popularity, EDM artists have to adapt themselves to reach new audiences while still remaining relevant in their own genre. Now, EDM is not something that we would typically cover and honestly it is not something that I would really listen to regularly, so why feature it? Why talk about it? Well, KAYZO is an artist taking full advantage of the opportunity to merge the rock/punk world with EDM, bringing together two vastly different genres and make something extremely original.
Hayden Capuozzo, better known by his stage name KAYZO, is a DJ and producer born in Houston, Texas and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Over the last few years, KAYZO has become one of the most sought after young producer/DJs in the business with his versatile sound and catalogue of original productions, collaborations and remixes. With his most recent release of Unleashed, the versatility of his talent extends deep into the alternative rock/punk scene with many songs featuring notable artists like Our Last Night, Underoath, Memphis May Fire, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, Of Mice & Men, Frank Zummo of Sum 41, and even the late Kyle Pavone of We Came As Romans.
Unleashed is KAYZO's sophomore album that follows 2018’s OVERLOAD. The debut album has seen north of 21 million streams on Spotify and has been featured by Rolling Stone and Billboard, among others. OVERLOAD established his unique crossover blend of genres and Unleashed continues that trend. Each song has a completely different sound that is brought to the table and having the features of so many artists I know and love allows for familiarity in a relatively unknown realm of EDM, for myself.
Unleashed is, no doubt, KAYZO's most expansive effort to date. "When I was able to sit down in the studio, talk face to face and exchange creative ideas with these bands in real time...that's when the real magic happened," Kayzo describes. "It was incredibly rewarding to be in the studio with these guys. I ended up learning so much."
If you're aching for something new and original, but you're not sure if the EDM scene is your cup of tea, listen to Unleashed, or anything from KAYZO really. Whether it's the screaming of blessthefall or the fitting voice of Alex Gaskarth, you're bound to find something about this album that you like. KAYZO's new album Unleashed is OUT NOW! And check out the links below for more on news and releases from KAYZO.
Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | kayzo-music.com
This weekend Sum 41 brought their Order In Decline 2019 tour through Raleigh NC, for a packed show at The Ritz.
The Canadian-based group have been releasing chart-topping music in the alternative-rock/punk-rock scene, since 1996. But their most noteworthy hit didn't come until 2001 when the band released their debut album, All Killer No Filler, which featured the Billboard No. 1 single "Fat Lip." Since then, Sum 41 have released six studio albums that all continue to build off of their early success and continue to delight new and old fans.
Currently, Sum 41 is on tour in support of their most recent album, Order In Decline, which is available now! The Order In Decline tour has made its way across North America with support from The Plot In You and The Amity Affliction.
Check out the photos from our time at the Order In Decline tour during their stop in Raleigh NC this past weekend
The Plot In You, new album DISPOSE out now:
The Amity Affliction, new single "All My Friends Are Dead" out now:
[RALEIGH, NC] Almost a week old now, VALLEYS newest album Fearless has been on repeat for the Raleigh Metro team. The 12 track line-up is filled with well written verses which are ready to make you think about our current political atmosphere and how life as we know it can be straight up shitty. Did we mention there is only one feature on the entire LP? Silent Planet’s Garret Russell hops on mid-album to spit some lines.
VALLEYS first album with Tragic Hero Records truly is one to open up the conversation about what artists should bring to light with their music. Taking your musical platform and bringing to light topics that are important to the band is something I like to see artists do. If you have something to say, say it. Right?
Fearless talks about everything from politics to personal struggles -- all of which listeners can find a connection between themselves and VALLEYS. “Fragile Minds” is a great example of the band bringing in opinions which are important to them and taking a leap to share with listeners.
The hometown boys from Raleigh, NC, really showed up for Tragic Hero. After releasing their debut album Experiment One: Asylum, the meltalcore band is not here to play around.
The band has demonstrated throughout the entire album how they have a rue talent for writing real, raw and emotional lyrics that anyone who sits down to listen can and will relate to in some way. VALLEYS harps on the fact that they don't fit into societies normalcies, so why should you? The artists continue to take a stand on what they want the future to look like for all -- fearless.
VALLEYS has two upcoming shows this week:
Oct. 17 at 9p.m. | The Great Wolf Tattoo Shop in Greenville, NC
Oct. 18 at 8p.m. | The RiffHouse Pub in Chesapeake, VA
You can find VALLEYS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and stream Fearless on Spotify and Apple Music.
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CONTACT: [email protected] | Instagram, LinkedIn
This week at the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh NC, Beck and Cage The Elephant rocked the house with a slew of hit songs for a packed house braving the possibility of rain. The Night Running Tour has been tearing through North America since early July, as the co-headliners please their fans with the help of supporting act Spoon.
Beck kicked off his set with a couple of his most recognized songs "Loser" and "Up All Night", but the singer-songwriter/producer has so many hits it's hard to really pick out what is the most notable of his discography. Accompanying the music were lasers, lights, and a breathtaking stage production.
For more information, news, and upcoming tour dates from Beck head over to his website, Facebook, and Twitter
Preceding Beck in Raleigh was the out of this world Cage The Elephant. This band is really something else, with their classic psychedelic rock vibe and the eccentric performance from the lead vocalist Matt Shultz. "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" and "Trouble" may be just a couple recognizable hits that this band has had and performed during their set, but the highlight of the night was definitely the performance from beginning to end from Shultz.
The Night Running Tour is nearly over with just a handful of shows left, however if either of these acts are in town again, they're definitely worth the price of admission.
For more information, news, and upcoming tour dates from Cage The Elephant head over to his website, Facebook, and Twitter
Giant dancing robots, laser shooting hands, a pig-man riding an LED draped unicorn, and A LOT of confetti; must be The Flaming Lips again.
This week the Red Hat Amphitheater was left littered in confetti and pieces of popped balloons after The Flaming Lips came storming into town. The stage was draped in strands of LED lights that displayed an array of colors and images, and through the thick fog being pumped onto the stage, a theatrical and artistic show transpired that felt more like a hallucination and a departure from the world we have come to know.
Papa Roach continue with their phenomenal success by returning to Raleigh with the Who Do You Trust Tour 2019 in support of their new album “Who Do You Trust?”; which released in January 2019. Earlier this week, the Californian rockers hit the stage in Raleigh at Red Hat Amphitheater to perform in front of thousands of fans at this outdoor venue.
The Who Do You Trust Tour features supporting acts Bad Wolves and Asking Alexandria, both of which bring something unique to this tour.
Bad Wolves is a supergroup made up of John Boecklin (ex-Devildriver), vocalist Tommy Vext (Divine Heresy, Snot) as well as guitarists Doc Coyle (ex-God Forbid), Chris Cain (Bury Your Dead) and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-In This Moment). The 2018 breakout band of the year found their success early on with their cover of "Zombie" (The Cranberries cover song), but with their second full length album on the way, they have plenty of other promising original music that is brought to another level in their energetic and loud live performance.
Asking Alexandria, the British metalcore veterans have morphed their sound over the years and have now become one of the top rising heavy rock acts. Their new sound is still heavy and they still have those catchy hooks and riffs, but the lyrics from vocalist Danny Worsnop are more mature and they're able to appeal to that larger audience. This is not the first time Asking Alexandria has toured with Papa Roach, it's not even the first time they're together in 2019, and it's not even the last!
The constant touring together with Papa Roach is really opening up a new audience for Asking Alexandria, even though they have been around long enough to pull their own crowds.
The Who Do You Trust Tour has really just begun and there are still many dates left to catch these bands together.
For most bands, releasing their debut full length is a moment they work their entire lives for. For Raleigh, NC’s VALLEYS it couldn’t have mattered less. Why? One week before the inevitable record release, their vocalist Mikey Clement suddenly passed away in a horrific car crash. With the enormous support of friends, family and fans, the band continued to put out the record and do justice for the fallen singers songs. The real questions was…what was next for the metalcore roars of VALLEYS?
One word. Persevere.
VALLEYS regrouped with Jayson Mitchell stepping up as lead vocalist and solidified their current lineup with Rj Riggle (Guitar), Will Shoe (Guitar), Nick Raimondi (Bass) and Robert Meikle (Drums).
Following the release of their debut full length Experiment One: Asylum in 2016 and subsequent tragedies, VALLEYS picked up the pieces and climbed out of their own proverbial valleys only to use their bonds over past trials and tribulations to create their most explosive release to date. Now, VALLEYS has announced their signing to the Raleigh label Tragic Hero Records; a label that launched the careers of Alesana (other Raleigh locals), A Skylit Drive, ERRA, Motionless In White, and many more.
On VALLEYS' new album, Fearless, the band has demonstrated they have a knack for writing raw, unadulterated emotional songs that are both vicious and heartfelt. The twelve-track album is rife full of symbolism that tears open today’s tumultuous political climate and social unrest. VALLEYS makes it a point to express their solidarity with those who don’t fall into the same cookie cutter norms as everyone else. They ultimately attempt to empathize with a struggle that is not their own. A self-imposed mantra of never turning a blind eye to injustice by standing on the sidelines, they believe you must use your own voice to speak up for those that cannot be heard. Being the voice of the voiceless is a hard task that VALLEYS intends to see through on what may be their career defining album Fearless.
With the announcement of their signing, VALLEYS has also released the lead single off of their forthcoming album. The first single, "Bunkatsu" (which in Japanese means "split" or "division") is an introduction to an album brimming with socio-cultural, political themes: and expresses the band's disdain for the conflicts and separation found in today's society. Dive head first into the new album Fearless with "Bunkatsu":
"Bunkatsu" is a plea for humans to come together as a community and break the "divide" that keeps them constantly at odds. Much of today's world paints a picture that is black and white and tells the stories of two opposing sides. VALLEYS believes in seeing the bigger picture and asks people to not turn a blind eye to anyone's struggle.
The album Fearless leaves nothing to the imagination. VALLEYS refuse to be silent, or silence those who have continually been ostracized after questioning what they have been told. Life is too short not to be yourself and speak your ultimate truth. VALLEYS looks to portray a story of collective truths, and stress the importance of being fearless, in every aspect of life. Fearless will be released on October 11th, 2019 via Tragic Hero Records with pre-orders available now at Merchbucket.
Follow VALLEYS through this very exciting time as a band Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, YouTube
Bad Wolves is composed of drummer John Boecklin (ex-Devildriver), vocalist Tommy Vext (Divine Heresy, Snot) as well as guitarists Doc Coyle (ex-God Forbid), Chris Cain (Bury Your Dead) and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-In This Moment). While the members of the band all come from very established and relatively well-known groups, starting a new band means you start at the beginning again and they have been slowly taking over.
Thoughts of the band began in 2015 and then in May 2018 they released their debut album Disobey with singles “Zombie” (The Cranberries’ cover track) and “Hear Me Now” both reaching #1. But “Zombie” really took off and hit #1 on the Billboard Rock charts, Spotify's viral charts, and iTunes overall songs chart. The song also was nominated for Rock Song Of The Year in the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, and can still be heard on alt/rock radio stations' regular rotation; “Hear Me Now” was also included in Billboard’s 2018 Year-End Hot Rock Songs Chart.
So it is very obvious that the band has garnered some notarity early on and they're building off of that with new material off of their forthcoming sophmore album. "I'll Be There" is the first single released from the new album:
Bad Wolves is known to deliver incredibly energetic sets that get their crowds pumped up. Vocalist Tommy Vext’s talent shines through in his live performances, backed by his supergroup band to deliver a show like no other. Currently, you can see this energetic and memorable show while they're on tour with Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria.
We were able to catch the band's set this week in Raleigh NC!
For more information about new music and upcoming tour dates: Facebook, Twitter, badwolvesnation.com
As the band walked out onto the stage, the vocalist of August Burns Red, Jake Luhrs, gripped his microphone tightly in his hands and took a deep breathe as he glared out into the crowd, letting out a terryfing roar. "RALEIGH, THIS ... IS ... CONSTELLATIONS", Luhrs bellowed out, as the band dove straight into the track-by-track playthrough of their entire 2009 album Constellations.
Check out our photo coverage of the crazy event this past weekend in Raleigh NC at The Ritz
Five years ago, thousands of emo/alternative music fans were shocked by the news that one of the biggest bands of the genre would be calling it quits. Anberlin had been a staple in most iPods and mix-CDs; with songs like "Feels Good Drag" and "Impossible" leading the way.
The band first formed in 2002, but decided to disband in 2014. Like many bands these days though, the breakup didn't last and in 2018 Anberlin began playing shows again. Even after five years of nothing new and quiet social media accounts, the band still managed to have a nearly sold out show in Raleigh last week when they brought their current tour with I The Mighty to The Ritz.
The show was like a room full of people just letting out all their excitement about the band that had built up over the past five years, and bands performance on stage was met with roaring chants and singing from the crowd.
While this tour and seeing Anberlin on stage together is something many people would love to see again, unfortunately it is uncertain if Anberlin will continue on past this Summer. Vocalist Stephen Christian has said that the tour is less of a reunion and more of a reconciliation for the band, with nothing really planned past after the tour.
After the warm welcome back that they have seen in every city they've visited thus far, let's all hope that there is more Anberlin in the future!
New Kids On The Block, the multiplatinum selling pop super-group, hit Raleigh this weekend on The MixTape Tour that included special guests Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Naughty by Nature. The five iconic pop and hip-hop acts have been tearing through North America over two months now and are in the final stretch of this massive tour.
With over 100 million combined records sold worldwide, NKOTB, Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty by Nature, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson will filled the PNC Arena to near capacity for a night full of hit songs. And the show was truly like a mixtape with a very unique show structure. NKOTB started the show and finished the show, with the other acts mixed in between. Relive New Kids On The Block's performance with our photos from the show!
For more information, visit NKOTB.com.
On hot and muggy evening in Raleigh, Vampire Weekend brought their massive 29 song set to the stage, leaving everyone drenched in sweat and smiles by the end of it.
It has been quite a long time since Vampire Weekend has put out a new album, six years actually, and their latest release Father of the Bride (released May 3, 2019) is of course the namesake of their current run of tour dates.
With a stop in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina had double the chances to enjoy the massive collection of songs that Vampire Weekend presented. In Raleigh, it was a beautiful yet hot evening, but that did not stop the crowds from pouring into the downtown amphitheater venue. While the band has sort of gone beneath the radar in past years, they have still managed to keep themselves relevant with their major hits from about 10 years ago. And even the new songs off their latest album seemed to have an echo from everyone singing along to them.
A buzzing crowd of course turned into a roaring mass when the big hits like “A-Punk" and “Oxford Comma” were played. But it was still very evident that the fans were just happy to have new music again as there was always excitement no matter what song was being played; even the few cover songs that they performed were a nice treat.
The band performed near flawlessly through a full 2 hours, with vocalist Ezra Koenig leading the way with his recognizable voice and obvious charisma at center stage. The rest of the band performed their parts to a T; Guitarist Brian Robert Jones rocked his many solos, Chris Baio on bass skipped and jammed his way back and forth on stage, and the back line of keys and percussion really rounded out the full sound.
The smiles and expressions of the band on stage translated to smiles, dancing, and pure enjoyment from the crowd in front of them. While the concert began at sunset, it was dark and much cooler by the end of it and the crowds left anticipating the next time Vampire Weekend would be in town (hopefully not too long).
For more information about Vampire Weekend and their new music or upcoming tour dates; visit vampireweekend.com, Facebook, Twitter
A Day To Remember is currently in the final stretch of their Raisin' Hell In The Heartland Tour with Knocked Loose and Boston Manor, and all remaining shows are SOLD OUT. One of those sold out shows was in Raleigh this past Thursday, and what an absolutely killer show it was.
It's been quite a long time since A Day To Remember has been through North Carolina, and even longer since they played a Raleigh venue. With such a long wait for many fans to see the band in Raleigh again or for the first time for many, this show was one of the first on the tour to actually sell out.
It also helps to have incredible supporting bands on the tour. Boston Manor kicked off the show with their pop-punk/alternative style from the UK, and then Knocked Loose brought complete chaos with their aggressive and heavy jams.
Boston Manor:
Knocked Loose:
Both of the opening bands exhibit the two sides of A Day To Remember, so they were a perfect fit to open the show. The central Florida band is known for their unique blend of pop-punk and heavy music, and at one point they were even referred to as 'pop-mosh'. The Raisin' Hell In The Heartland Tour comes at a time when ADTR has no new music (except the recently released collab with Marshmello), so there was no new music to show off which made room for all the hits.
With the hits, the band always brings a show. If you're in attendance at any A Day To Remember show you can expect shenanigans on stage between band members, confetti, toilet paper rolls being thrown around, free tshirts being shot out, beach balls, and maybe the occasional game of crowd surfer surfing.
The Dangerous Summer is currently on the road with Have Mercy and Modern Chemistry on The Mother Nature Tour, in support of their new album Mother Nature. And it just so happens that their stop in Raleigh on Friday, at Imurj, was the release day of their new album. The show was extremely intimate with a floor level stage and a crowd packed into the basement venue known as an 'artists cafe'.
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The new album Mother Nature is The Dangerous Summer's second album post-hiatus and this album feels much more sat-on and thought out than the previous self-titled release. The self-titled album felt like a rushed combination of songs, just to get something out sooner rather than later after announcing the band's return. Mother Nature is not game changing or barrier breaking in any way, but the album is the return back to the emo-alternative powerhouse that the band once was. When you think of Mother Nature you think of beauty and power; a finely crafted and thought out creation of pieces. The Dangerous Summer's Mother Nature is just that and it is oh so deserving of the title. |
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With a whole album of new songs, The Dangerous Summer has so many great tracks to perform live and on this tour, they are packing their setlist with "oldies but goodies", as AJ Perdomo (lead vocals/bass) put it, as well as new songs off their more recent albums.
1. Bring Me Back To Life
2. Where I Want to Be
3. Catholic Girls
4. Ghosts
5. Luna
6. This Is Life
7. Where Were You When the Sky Opened Up
8. Starting Over / Slow Down
9. Color
10. Northern Lights
11. The Permanent Rain
12. Never Feel Alone
Encore:
13. Way Down
14. Infinite
For the final song of their set, AJ handed off his bass and stepped out into the crowd. He asked everyone to pull out their phones and turn on the flash which illuminated the center of the floor where he stood and sang the entirety of the song amongst the crowd.
For more information information on The Dangerous Summer, their upcoming tour dates, and new music: thedangeroussummer.us, Facebook, Twitter
Twenty One Pilots wasn't a household name just a few years ago. They were relatively unknown outside of the state of Ohio, but those that were in the know were on to something very special. Well then everything changed. The duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn were skyrocketed into selling out amphitheaters and arenas, almost over night when they released their album Blurryface in 2015.
Now, riding the success of their most recent album Trench, they are continuing on the road with The Bandito Tour that has been going on since 2018. With their stop in Raleigh NC this week, you know we had to get out and catch this show at PNC Arena.
These guys have been all over the country and the world with this tour, so if you haven't made it out to one of the shows near you, shame on you. But there are still a handful of dates left currently on The Bandito Tour
06/14/19 – Jacksonville, FL @ Veterans Memorial Arena
06/15/19 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
06/16/19 – Orland, FL @ Amway Center
06/18/19 – Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena
06/19/19 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
06/21/19 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/23/19 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
06/25/19 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy
06/26/19 – Mephis, TN @ FedExForum
06/28/19 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
06/29/19 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
If you're anywhere near any of these cities, get your tickets sooner rather than later for this show!
For more information on Twenty One Pilots and news about their upcoming shows and music: twentyonepilots.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Joining Twenty One Pilots in Raleigh was the amazing band Bear Hands from Brooklyn, New York
Despite the chance of thunderstorms and a couple rain showers throughout the night, the Red Hat Amphitheater was a full of joyful and excited music lovers on Friday night for the extremely diverse and talented group, Lake Street Dive. The funky/indie/alternative five-piece is Rachael Price (lead vocals), Mike Olson (guitar, vocals), Bridget Kearney (standup bass, vocals), Mike Calabrese (drums, vocals), and Akie Bermiss (keyboards, vocals).
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This wasn't the first time that Lake Street Dive has been to the Raleigh area, in fact, they've been here quite a few times; however, this was the biggest show that they've headlined, and the downtown Raleigh venue was absolutely rocking for them. Looking out at the crowd, during their set, everyone was either entranced while watching the performance on stage or absolutely feeling the music with their hands held high while they danced and singed along to every song; what a way to kick off a summer tour!
Each member of the band stayed pretty stationary throughout the set, taking up their own space on the large stage, then about halfway through their set they all joined together front and center for a very intimate and 'unplugged' performance of a few songs.
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Raleigh was only the first day of Lake Street Dive's summer tour dates, and one of the few with The Wood Brothers. There are plenty more chances to catch this amazing performance:
June 8 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA^^
June 11 - Royal Oak Theatre - Royal Oak, MI^^
June 15 - Fraze Pavilion - Kettering, OH^^
June 16 - Big Grove Brewery - Iowa City, IA
June 18 - Gillioz Theatr - Springfield, MO
June 26 - Big Top Chautauqua - Bay Field, WI
June 28 The Palace Theatre - Minneapolis, MN
June 29 - The Palace Theatre - Minneapolis, MN
July 2 - Wave - Wichita, KS
July 25 - Lake Champlain Maritime Festival - Burlington, VT^^
July 26 - Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards - Lafayette, NY^^
July 30 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
July 31 - Manchester Music Hall - Lexington, KY
Aug. 1 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
Aug. 3 - Dillon Amphitheater - Dillon, CO
Aug. 4 - Mishawaka Amphitheatre - Bellevue, CO
Aug. 7 - Egyptian Theatre - Boise, ID
Aug. 14 - Montbleu Casino - Stateline, NV
^^ – with The Wood Brothers
For more information about Lake Street Dive and updates on new music and tour dates: lakestreetdive.com, Facebook, Twitter
Last weekend LANY stormed through Raleigh for a sold out show at The Ritz on their Malibu Nights World Tour. The LA based group is consistently selling out decently sized venues and it's shocking that they have not moved onto much larger amphitheater shows as a headlining act.
The energy and passion from the vocalist, Paul Jason Klein, completely takes over the stage and crowd. The screams and singing from the crowd would become nearly ear piercing as he would approach the front of the stage and the roof blew off the building when Klein jumped off the stage and onto the barrier to really get close and personal with those that waited in line for hours to get front and center.
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LANY still has some remaining US tour dates through June before they head over seas for a tour in Europe and Asia
June 6 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theatre
June 7 - Houston, TX - Revention Music Center
June 8 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s
June 10 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
June 11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Great Salt Air
June 12 - Boise, ID - Revolution Concert House and Event Center
June 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
June 17 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
June 18 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
June 19 - Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium
June 21 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
June 22 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
June 25 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
June 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
For more information about new music and tour dates from LANY: thisislany.com, Twitter, Facebook
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The Japanese House came through Carrboro this week, her third appearance at the Cats Cradle in support of her new album Good at Falling. Her previous dates she headlined the back room, but this time she moved to the main ballroom for her performance.
Amber played singles off both her new album and her old singles, including "Saw You in A Dream," "Lilo", "You Seemed So Happy," and "Clean."
Even though the crowd was smaller than usual, it created an intimate atmosphere for Amber to get personal with her fans, including grabbing cell phones and taking videos while she was performing. On several occasions she held the mic out to the audience and allowed them to sing to her.
Her soft and poignant songs created a soothing environment for super fans who held spots in the front row and new listeners who bobbed along to the melodies.
I can't wait for The Japanese House to come back around and watch as her fan base grows even larger.
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For more information and updates on music and tour dates from The Japanese House: thejapanesehouse.co.uk, Facebook, Twitter
Last week Raleigh was treated to a wonderful appearance by an Irish Folk band by the name of Beoga. Consisting of Liam Bradley, Damian McKee, Sean Og Graham, Niamh Dunne & Eamon Murray; '4 Nordy lads and a Limerick lass', were joined on stage for their set by Niall McCabe.
Some may recognize Beoga from their numerous appearances with Ed Sheeran on his past tours and live television performances. However, currently the band is on tour with American singer-songwriter couple Johnnyswim and introducing many to their wonderful music.
See photos from the show below and check out the remaining tour dates of their time in America with Johnnyswim
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For more information and updates on Beoga: www.beogamusic.com, Facebook, Twitter
Back in 2018, Shakey Graves was scheduled to appear at The Ritz; however, Hurricane Florence had other ideas and the show, along with other scheduled shows that week were postponed or cancelled.
Shakey Graves wasn't going to leave us hanging though, and the show from 2018 was rescheduled for May 11, 2019.
The night began with a wonderful set from a local artist by the name of Kate Rhudy. Kate is currently on a solo tour of her own, but felt right at place to open up this show. On stage with her acoustic guitar and her two fellow band mates, one on the stand-up bass and one on the electric guitar, Rhudy expressed her joy of being back home after days on the road and felt very welcomed by the large crowd.
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Following Kate Rhudy was a band that was actually on tour with Shakey Graves, but they were drastically different from what the rest of the night was going to be like. Illiterate Light is a rock duo that absolutely tore the roof off of the building. That's right, just two of them. Their energetic performance was something that many full rock bands could not achieve. I don't know about anyone else, but the performance from Jeff Gorman (guitar/vocals) and Jake Cochran (drums/vocals) caught me by complete surprise. Gorman's wild guitar playing was accompanied at times with him stomping his foot on a keyboard, while Cochran's stand-up drumming performance had me mesmerized.
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Once we all had a chance to catch our breath, the stage was set for the moment everyone had been waiting for; and literally waiting for since 2018. Shakey Graves took the stage for a solo performance of his first few songs with his guitar, a suitcase being used as a kick drum, and a tambourine. The songs he was belting out were getting shouted right back at him from the sell out crowd and the smile on his face showed the joy of finally being able to perform for this Raleigh crowd.
The ending of the intimate beginning of his show was met with the entrance of the rest of his band mates, which he introduced as ex-lovers that left him; a joke that was leading into his next song. With the addition of the new faces on stage, the backdrop of a interesting looking cityscape type scene was revealed, which sort of resembled the cover art of Graves' latest album Can't Wake Up.
After a lengthy 15 song set, things were over just as quickly as they had began; at least, that i what it felt like for me. I guess that saying is true, time flies you're having fun, and my gosh was this night a load of fun! Check out some of the photos from the show at The Ritz in Raleigh NC and some of Shakey Graves' music below:
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Raleigh May 11, 2019 Setlist:
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Roll the Bones
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Built to Roam
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Pansy Waltz
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Dining Alone
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Excuses
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Mansion Door
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Big Bad Wolf
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Unknown Legend (Neil Young cover)
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Dearly Departed
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The Perfect Parts
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Hard Wired
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Tomorrow
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Word of Mouth
Encore: -
Bully's Lament
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Late July
For more information and news of upcoming music and tour dates from Shakey Graves: www.shakeygraves.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
This week Blue October made an appearance in Raleigh NC on The King Tour that rocked a near sell out crowd at the Lincoln Theatre, despite it being a big sports night in Raleigh with game 7 for the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans were lined up hours before the show and even though the Texas rock band isn't as much of a household name as they once were, their following has stuck around through the years.
Band members; Justin Furstenfeld – vocals/guitar, Ryan Delahoussaye – violin/guitar/piano, Matt Noveskey – bass, Will Knaak - guitar, and Jeremy Furstenfeld – drums took to the stage as the crowd roared in excitement. From the opening song, to the very last note, it was apparent that Justin and company came to give show that felt intimate their hearts out. Blue October has made themselves known as a ‘from the heart and soul performing band.’
Frontman, Justin Furstenfeld, brings so much heart and passion to the stage that it adds another element to their live performance. To just listen to his voice belting our the lyrics he's written is one thing, but a frontman that moves about the stage, interacting with fans and really putting on a show makes feel so much more intimate. The obvious love their music is evident on stage as it is throughout the crowd as fans sing back at the band on stage. As mentioned before, Blue October haven't been a household name in a while; they had a hit back in in 2006 with "Hate Me" and really had international attention from that album Foiled.
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"Hate Me" was part of an multi-song acoustic medley by Furstenfeld to begin the band's encore and was certainly one of the highlights of the night. To close out the night, the band performed the title track off their most recent album "I Hope You're Happy" and just like that, the nearly 20-song set was over and truly something to experience.
If have the chance to catch Blue October as they roll into town, or nearby, take the night off and buy yourself some tickets to an wonderful rock show. You can check out their site here and find out more about the band and their upcoming tour dates and new music blueoctober.com
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Sway
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I Want It
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Amnesia
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Jump Rope
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King
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Into the Ocean
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Home
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All That We Are
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Debris
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Daylight
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Coal Makes Diamonds
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Leave It In The Dressing Room (Shake It Up)
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Things We Do at Night
Encore: -
Further Dive (The House That Dylan Built) (Acoustic)
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18th Floor Balcony (Acoustic)
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Not Broken Anymore (Acoustic)
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Hate Me (Acoustic)
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Your Love Is Like a Car Crash
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Fear
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I Hope You're Happy
Platinum-selling alt-rock artists Blue October will be coming to Raleigh's own Lincoln Theatre on Wednesday, April 24th and I'd love to see if we can work together on helping promote the show. Their latest album I Hope You're Happy has spawned three Top 40 hits and the current single "KING" is getting spins nationwide including WKQX (Chicago), WPOI (Honululu), WEBN (Cincinnati), and over a dozen other stations.
Lead singer Justin Fustenfeld has a fascinating life story, though it started off like nearly every Rock n' Roll story does - with copious amounts of booze and drugs. But his is not your standard platinum-selling artist story in that this addiction almost killed him and took away his kid (he lost custody). Just as he was on top of the world with chart-topping hits, he spiraled out of control and lost everything.
But instead of this being a tragic story... He picked himself up and turned it into not only a story of triumph but also a story about musical rebirth and redirection. Justin threw himself into rehab (his rehab roommate is a alt-rock celeb) and got his life back together.
The result? This album. It's a great alt-rock-pop album. It's not all earnest rock... not in the least. It's driving, pulsating, throbbing infectious alternative... Sometimes sounding like early Arcade Fire and at times even Passion Pit, other times sounding like Trashcan Sinatras, and even other times sounding not too far removed from Death Cab... but always staying deeply rooted in what made early Blue October songs so powerful... Justin's distinctive and warm vocals and that driving fierce determination to get you moving.
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Raleigh's chance to see Blue October and hear new songs off of I Hope You're Happy will come on Wednesday April 24, 2019 at Lincoln Theatre. Tickets are still available for the show and can be purchased HERE
For more information about Blue October and their upcoming releases and tour dates, blueoctober.com, Facebook, Twitter
After a very stormy and wet couple of days in the Raleigh area, the rain seemed to clear away just in time for Death Cab For Cutie's concert at Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater. The event was the first concert at the downtown amphitheater this year, and was a great way to start the season.
While Death Cab is not at the high that they were at in the mid 2000s, they've continued to find staying power in their songwriting and continue to fill large venues for their concerts. On this tour alone, they've had numerous sold out shows and when you see them live, their captivating performances proves why their fans fill the venues they play.
Their most recent album Thank You For Today wasn't received very well received, compared to their past work, but it did feature the Alternative Top 40 hit "Gold Rush". The lead single off of their 2018 album was one of the songs Ben Gibbard and the rest of the band performed during their nearly 2-hour set in front of the entranced downtown crowd.
Other recognizable hits that they performed included "I Will Possess Your Heart", "Soul Meets Body", and "I Will Follow You Into The Dark"
Setlist:
1. I Dreamt We Spoke Again
2. Summer Years
3. The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
4. Title and Registration
5. Gold Rush
6. Pictures in an Exhibition
7. Crooked Teeth
8. Expo '86
9. What Sarah Said
10. 60 & Punk
11. Black Sun
12. Northern Lights
13. Cath...
14. You Moved Away
15. We Looked Like Giants
16. I Will Possess Your Heart
17. Soul Meets Bod
Encore:
18. I Will Follow You Into The Dark
19. When We Drive
20. Tiny Vessels
21. Transatlanticism
Only about a quarter of a the way through their 2019 spring tour dates, there is still plenty of time to catch one of these shows throughout the country.
April 15 - Nashville, TN
April 16 - Nashville, TN
May 11 - Salt Lake City, UT
May 18 - Bellingham, WA - SOLD OUT
June 2 - Philadelphia, PA
June 7 - Pittsburgh, PA
June 8 - Nelsonville, OH
June 10 - Sayreville, NJ
June 11 - Portland, ME
June 12 - Shelbourne, VT - SOLD OUT
June 14 - New Haven, CT - SOLD OUT
June 15 - Forest Hills, NY
June 16 - Buffalo, NY
June 18 - Detroit, MI
June 19 - Harrisburg, PA
June 20 - Toronto, ON
June 21 - Cooperstown, NY
June 22 - Dover, DE
June 25 - Morrison, CO - SOLD OUT
July 5 - Milwaukee, WI
July 7 - Louisville, KY
July 8 - St. Louis, MO
July 9 - Mankato, MN
July 11 - Winnipeg, MB
July 13 - Edmonton, AB
August 1-4 - Chicago, IL
August 9 - San Diego, CA - SOLD OUT
August 10 - San Diego, CA - SOLD OUT
August 11 - Los Angeles, CA
September 5 - Vancouver, BC
September 6 - Portland, OR - SOLD OUT
September 7 - Redmond, WA
September 8 - Redmond, WA
For more information about upcoming shows and new music from Death Cab For Cutie: Facebook, Twitter, deathcabforcutie.com
Hozier hit the stage tonight at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in downtown Raleigh, supported by quickly up and coming English singer-songwriter Jade Bird.
The opening act, Jade Bird, performed a full set of songs from her upcoming self-titled debut full length album. Songs like "Lottery" and "Uh Huh", while previously released as singles or as part of an EP would be well known to fans, but with a standing ovation to close out her set, it was clear that Bird gained thousands of new fans. Some in Raleigh may already be familiar with the London-based musician after she came to the North Carolina Art Museum as part of the Summer concert series with First Aid Kit in 2018, and it won't be long before she will be back in the area with Father John Misty later this year.
What stands out about Jade Bird the most is that while her recorded music has her backed by a full band, her live performance are (from my two experiences so far) are completely solo and acoustic, really bringing the power of her voice and the talent she possesses as a musician and songwriter.
As droves of fans fled from their seats to meet Jade Bird in the lobby of the venue, the stage was being set for the main event. Being a tour in direct support of his newest album Wasteland, Baby!, Hozier opened his set with a few new songs, "Would That I", "Dinner & Diatribes", and “Nina Cried Power”, before diving into the rest of his discography. The Irish singer-songwriter was joined on stage by 7 others that would rotate on their respective instruments from song to song, fully showing the talent of everyone on stage that Hozier surrounds himself with to bring together the magnificent and immersive show that took place.
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Many may only recognize Hozier from his past hit "Take Me To Church", but everyone in attendance knew that he was so much more than that one hit song and were all in for singing along to every song new and old.
Hozier played all of his hits, including “Someone New”, “Jackie and Wilson”, and "Take Me To Church"; and the crowd even turned the tables on him to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him, in honor of his upcoming birthday before closing his set with an encore of "Work Song" and a solo rendition of “Cherry Wine”. Throughout the extensive set, Hozier kept a smile on his face as he looked out into the crowd that was so involved in his music. The joy and emotion that can be seen as he performs adds so much to the experience by those in attendance. Raleigh definitely turned out to show their love for Hozier and I hope to see him back in town very soon for another incredible performance.
The "Wasteland, Baby!" tour continues through the country through April and will continue to be an absolute must-see:
March 17 - Charlotte, NC - Overs Auditorium
March 19 - Miami Beach - The Fillmore
March 20 - St. Petersburg, FL - Mahaffey Theatre
March 21 - Orlando, FL - Walt Disney Theatre
March 23 - Atlanta, GA - Coca Cola Roxy Theatre
March 24 - Nashville, TN - Grand Ole Opry House
March 26 - Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
March 27 - New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore
March 29 - Dallas, TX - Southside Ballroom
March 30 - Houston, TX - Revention Music Centre
March 31 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theatre
April 2 - Oklahoma, OK - The Criterion
April 3 - Tulsa, OK - Brady Theatre
April 5 - Denver, CO - Bellco Theatre
April 6 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union Event Centre
April 9 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Forever Cemetary
April 10 - Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre
April 12 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
April 13 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House
June 4 - Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
Follow Hozier for more information on upcoming tour dates and news: Facebook, Twitter, www.hozier.com
Stream and purchase the new album Wasteland, Baby! HERE
Hot off his release of the new album From Michigan With Love, Quinn XCII brought his headlining tour through Raleigh's The Ritz on Sunday night. The sold out show on the "From Tour With Love" tour featured opening artists Christian French and Ashe, and although the incredible stage setup for Quinn XCII didn't leave them with much room on stage, they made it work and totally brought down the house.
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It was an all out dance party from start to finish and the crowd was so into it, they would even dance between sets to whatever song was playing over the house PA system.
Once Quinn XCII took the stage, things went to another level though, regular sing-alongs turned into 'scream'-alongs as Quinn XCII stood atop the LED platform at center stage to perform "Sad Still" off the new album. The show continued on with more new songs, but Quinn XCII got a little closer to everyone in his amazing custom jumpsuit.
Well into his set, the Detroit singer-songwriter got really close to the crowd and made his way to the back of the room to stand within the crowd and perform one of his biggest hit songs "Straightjacket". That was super cool!
Unfortunately, this show couldn't last forever though and after a whopping 22-song set the night came to a close.
Quinn XCII and the performance he put on exceeded any expectations that I had coming into this show and his already catchy and fun music is destined to be stuck in my head after seeing him live. With the "From Tour With Love" tour just a little over a week in, there is still plenty of opportunities to catch Quinn XCII, Ashe, and Christian French in a city near you as they travel through the country.
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3/7 -- Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
3/9 -- Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
3/12 -- Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
3/14 -- Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live
3/17 -- Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
3/19 -- St. Louis, MO @ Pageant
3/20 -- Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre
3/21 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Myth Live
3/23 -- Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
3/25 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
3/26 -- Boise, ID @ Revolution
3/28 -- Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
3/29 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
3/31 -- Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
4/2 -- Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
4/3 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
4/6 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
4/9 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
4/11 -- San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
4/12 -- Dallas, TX @ Southside Ballroom
4/13 -- Houston, TX @ House of Blues
4/17 -- Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
The Vans Warped Tour has been a staple in the alternative/punk rock music scene as the most anticipated and longest running traveling music festival in the country. Every summer kids and adults alike flooded into the venue and enjoyed music all day on up to 8 stages. After 24 years, the full cross country tour has come to an end and it left many wondering what would become of the Warped Tour, it can't just end like that.
A few months after the final cross-country tour ended, we all were pleasantly surprised to find out that there was going to be a 25th anniversary celebration. The same Warped experience in a different style. Instead of a full tour of 30+ cities over nearly 2 months of traveling, the Warped 25th Anniversary would take place a two separate 2-day festivals in Mountain View, CA and Atlantic City, NJ; additionally there would be a much smaller one night only version in Cleveland, OH at a special Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event.
This had fans beaming with excitement and anticipation, and while the ticket prices are MUCH higher than the normal $40ish of the cross-country tour, the higher prices and with there only being 2 cities, this allows for bigger and better lineups!
And well, today is the day! The Warped 25th Anniversary lineup is officially announced today
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The Vans Warped Tour anniversary lineups are packed with acts that represent decades of youth culture that has thrived in parking lots across the country. The tour is thrilled to welcome back fan favorites like Bad Religion, Circa Survive, Frank Iero, Less Than Jake, Save Ferris, Simple Plan, Sleeping With Sirens, The Offspring, The Starting Line, Thrice, We The Kings, and more!
Each event will also feature additional acts unique to its celebration. Cleveland will see the partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bringing to life an exhibit celebrating the 25 years of Vans Warped Tour alongside acts such as Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Chali 2na & Cut Chemist. Atlantic City boasts bands like A Day To Remember, Bowling For Soup, Glassjaw, Reel Big Fish, and hometown heroes Taking Back Sunday and Valencia. And Mountain View answers with The All-American Rejects, Dance Gavin Dance, NOFX, Sum 41, and The Story So Far.
Rounding out the lineups and staying true to its roots, the Vans Warped Tour is giving a nod to unique up-and-coming acts such as Bad Cop / Bad Cop, Elder Brother, Not Ur Girlfrenz, Stacked Like Pancakes, Silent Planet, Trophy Eyes and more.
What do you think? Which city are you wanting to go to? Will you even be going?
For more information about this year's events head over to vanswarpedtour.com
As a vocalist of a pop-punk/rock band that experienced some major mainstream success and spending nearly a decade as that band, what do you do once that band ends? For William Ryan Key, the end of Yellowcard most certainly did not mean the end of creating music.
Since Yellowcard decided to play their last shows, Key has been making solo appearances at Emo Nights around the country and doing some solo performances like he did for a short time on the final cross-country Vans Warped Tour in 2018. That same year was also the official start of a his solo project. Key released two solo EPs and embarked on a tour in support of Mayday Parade.
In 2019, Key is taking on his first headlining tour as a solo act, performing brand new songs as well as fan favorite Yellowcard songs. The Virtue Tour made a stop in Carrboro NC last night at the Cat's Cradle Backroom and the show ended up being a very intimate one.
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Not all artists handle low turnouts the same way, some will make their aggravation obvious and others will do their best to get the crowd involved by jumping off stage and engaging with those in the room. I really liked the way that William Ryan Key acknowledged the lacking crowd in the room; between songs he would talk about the places that he has been and he recognized that with this solo project he is literally started over from the ground up. He also mentioned that in a way this small show was just like playing at a coffee shop with a handful of friends, except at this coffee shop they sell alcohol.
Even with a small crowd, Key performed an engaging and relaxing set of his music new and old and those fans that did attend all were happy they came, as was I.
Other shows on The Virtue Tour will not be as small as this though as some shows are selling tickets quickly. If you are in the path of this tour, take a night with friends and enjoy some good music; it has literally just started so there's so many dates left!
And William Ryan Key's latest EP Virtue is out now on all music platforms via The Lone Tree Recordings. Listen here!
3/1: Baby's All Right - Brooklyn, NY
3/2: The Foundry - Philadelphia, PA
3/3: Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
3/5: Sneaky Dee's - Toronto, ON
3/7: Mahall's - Cleveland, OH
3/8: The Pike Room - Pontiac, MI
3/9: Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL
3/10: Turf Club - Minneapolis, MN
3/12: Globe Hall - Denver, CO
3/13: The Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
3/15: Paris Theatre - Portland, OR
3/16: The Roxy - Vancouver, BC
3/17: Barboza - Seattle, WA
3/19: Bottom Of The Hill - San Francisco, CA
3/21: The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA
3/22: Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
3/24: Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AZ
3/26: Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
3/28: Barracuda - Austin, TX
3/29: Three Links - Dallas, TX
3/31: House Of Blues - Houston, TX
4/2: The High Watt - Nashville, TN
Sophomore slumps, there's a reason why this is a term in the music world. Artists can sometimes struggle to follow up the success of their debut albums. Fans are hyped, critics may be a little harder on the music, and sometimes the artist will put all they have into that first release that they just have nothing left for the sophomore album. Then on the other hand you have those artists that are just so packed full of talent and ideas that a sophomore album is just another day in the life. For Quinn XCII, that's the type of artist this man is.
Quinn XCII (Quinn 92) released his debut album The Story of Us in 2017 and gained the Detroit singer-songwriter some attention but didn't quite break the mainstream charts. Now with is follow up From Michigan With Love, Quinn XCII builds on what he started with his debut and proves his potential to stand with the big names in the regular top 40 rotation.
From Michigan With Love is a collection of a dozen songs with a core focus on mental health, anxiety, and lost love; inspired Quinn XCII's own struggles. These days it seems like mental health is a tool being used by far too many individuals and has unfortunately become a slight fad. However, this album handles the topics in different ways that really pulls you into the music, and some how makes it enjoyable to talk about it.
Standout tracks on the album would have to be the inspiring "Life Must Go On" and the honest "Tough" that features another great singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. The latter actually had me laughing because of how true and honest it was; lyrics like "you're not so tough, yeah you watch Eat, Pray, Love on repeat" and "I know that nightlights on when you sleep" call out gym rat guys that we all hate. Another song that really stood out for me was "Autopilot", just the second track on the album, the pre-chorus line "why they got me here, when can I leave" is so relatable for me and how I feel in social situations.
Every song on this album honestly has something to love about it and I really could not find anything negative about it. As I previously stated, I think that this album could be that next step for Quinn XCII to really break into that mainstream rotation. This album is a constant head-bob and some of the hooks will stick in your mind making you want to listen to it again and again. The melodies on the album are absolutely incredible and the production is nearly flawless.
From Michigan With Love was released on February 22nd and is available to stream and purchase all over the place, stream or purchase it for yourself
Quinn XCII is also currently on tour in support of his new release on the From Tour With Love tour, with Ashe and Christian French. The tour will be making a stop in Raleigh NC at The Ritz on Sunday March 3rd, tickets are still available for the show and you can purchase yours HERE
If you're not in the Raleigh area, check out the other remaining US dates on this tour that goes in April:
3/1 -- Washington, DC @ Fillmore
3/2 -- Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
3/3 -- Raleigh, NC @ Ritz
3/5 -- Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
3/7 -- Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
3/9 -- Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
3/12 -- Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
3/14 -- Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live
3/17 -- Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
3/19 -- St. Louis, MO @ Pageant
3/20 -- Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre
3/21 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Myth Live
3/23 -- Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
3/25 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
3/26 -- Boise, ID @ Revolution
3/28 -- Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
3/29 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
3/31 -- Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
4/2 -- Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
4/3 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
4/6 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
4/9 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
4/11 -- San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
4/12 -- Dallas, TX @ Southside Ballroom
4/13 -- Houston, TX @ House of Blues
4/17 -- Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
Follow Quinn XCII for more information about new music and upcoming performances on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and www.quinnxcii.com
William Ryan Key is most known for his lead vocal and guitarist role in the rock/pop-punk band Yellowcard, but since the band called it quits what is a vocalist to do now? Go solo of course! In 2018 Key released two EPs to kick start a solo career. His debut solo project titled Thirteen was released early in 2018 and reached the top 20 on the Billboard charts and number one on the singer/songwriter charts of iTunes. Riding on the success of the first EP, Key also toured in 2018 and made a short appearance on the final cross country Vans Warped Tour. To close out a monumental year for Key, he released his second EP,Virtue. The EP spans 23 minutes which is nearly as long as many full-length albums and features Key's intimate lyricism, soft voice, rhythmic acoustic musicianship, and builds on the strong foundation set by Key with Thirteen.
Key proves that he is not just a has-been lead vocalist of an amazing rock band, but can stand alone as a powerful and talented solo artist.
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Key is currently out on tour in support of his Virtue EP and will be appearing in Carrboro NC on Tuesday February 26th at Cat's Cradle. Tour dates of "The Virtue Tour" are as follows:
| 2/22: The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA 2/23: Soundbar - Orlando, FL 2/24: Cat's Cradle - Chapel Hill, NC 2/27: Metro Gallery - Baltimore, MD 3/1: Baby's All Right - Brooklyn, NY 3/2: The Foundry - Philadelphia, PA 3/3: Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA 3/5: Sneaky Dee's - Toronto, ON 3/7: Mahall's - Cleveland, OH 3/8: The Pike Room - Pontiac, MI 3/9: Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL 3/10: Turf Club - Minneapolis, MN 3/12: Globe Hall - Denver, CO 3/13: The Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT 3/15: Paris Theatre - Portland, OR 3/16: The Roxy - Vancouver, BC 3/17: Barboza - Seattle, WA 3/19: Bottom Of The Hill - San Francisco, CA 3/21: The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA 3/22: Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA 3/24: Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AZ 3/26: Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM 3/28: Barracuda - Austin, TX 3/29: Three Links - Dallas, TX 3/31: House Of Blues - Houston, TX 4/2: The High Watt - Nashville, TN |
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The Swedish metal band In Flames finally made a Raleigh NC appearance this past weekend, at The Ritz, and with the help of US metal band All That Remains there was quite the Sunday night crowd.
This metal show was highly anticipated because it is not often that In Flames makes an appearance in the US and I am not sure if they have ever been to Raleigh; at least not that I can remember or find online. The metal veterans are on tour in the US ahead of their upcoming album I, the Mask which is due out on March 1, 2019. Along for the tour is All That Remains and All Hail The Yeti, both US based bands, which definitely helps draw more people out to the shows.
The night began with All Hail The Yeti, and being the lesser known of the three bands there was actually already a good crowd filling the room for the opening act. The stage was set with a candlelit alter type display where the vocalist would perch himself on top of. With this display I was expecting a much darker and heavier sounding band, but they fit it in very nicely with the other bands on the bill.
After All Hail The Yeti came All That Remains which had the room really wake up. All That Remains was one of the more popular bands of their genre in the mid 2000s, their album The Fall of Ideals was one of the CDs that I had on regular rotation in my car. While I haven't listened to them in a long time, I was very pleasantly surprised to hear them play a few older songs off of The Fall of Ideals.
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One of the more exciting things about All That Remains' performance was the newest addition to the band, guitarist Jason Richardson. The extremely talented guitarist, most notably as a former member of Chelsea Grin and Born of Osiris, joins the band to fill-in after the death of guitarist Oli Herbert. Just a couple weeks ago the band officially announced Richardson will be a permanent member, and I am excited to see what he brings to the band in terms of song writing.
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All That Remains of course had a huge response from the crowd and played a really amazing set. I am not sure if it was just nostalgia of the band for me, but I really enjoyed their set and may just find my way to another one of their shows on their upcoming US headlining tour.
Setlist:
1. Chiron
2. Whispers (I Hear Your)
3. Everything’s Wrong
4. Wasteland
5. Six
6. Fuck Love
7. Blood I Spill
8. This Calling
9. Two Weeks
Once All That Remains finished their set, the stage really opened up with all equipment being removed, almost like the show was over; however, In Flames was still yet to play. All that was left on stage was the drum set sitting on a riser in the center of the stage, and single guitar cabs on either side of the stage. It was odd seeing just a drum set on and two guitar cabs on stage, but I guess when you're from Sweden you want to tour in the US with as little as possible.
In Flames came out to a huge roar of the crowd and went right into one of their new songs, "Voices". The band played so flawlessly as I had always expected them to when I finally got my first chance of seeing them live, and I couldn't believe that that first chance was in 2019. True masters of their craft.
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As the band played through songs from their entire discography, the energy the room kept growing and growing. The crowd surfers began to really pick up there seemed to be a pretty constant moshpit that circled around the pillar in the center of the venue. The highlight of the In Flames' set for me was when they played "Leeches" off of their 2006 album Come Clarity.
Unfortunately, their guitarist Niclas Engelin was advised by doctors to stay home and so he was not with the band during this US tour. But while fans may have been slightly disappointed to see the band in partial form, there was a very special treat as ex-MEGADEATH guitarist Chris Broderick.
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In Flames will remain in North America through mid-march until they head back overseas for a UK and European tour. For more information about upcoming tour dates and new music from In Flames, head over to their site www.inflames.com to get all you need to know.
Setlist:
1. Voices
2. Everything's Gone
3. Pinball Map
4. Where the Dead Ships Dwell
5. Monsters in the Ballroom
6. All for Me
7. (This Is Our) House
8. Here Until Forever
9. Leeches
10. Colony
11. My Sweet Shadow
12. The Truth
13. I Am Above
14. Cloud Connected
15. The Mirror's Truth
16. The End
Yes, we know we’re late to the party, but we’re honestly glad we’re here.
Reel Big Fish’s Life Sucks…Let’s Dance album is exactly what we needed to get through the gloomy weather 2019 has been throwing our way. Again, Reel Big Fish (RBF) released an easy to listen to, jam filled album which makes us want to be on a beach somewhere getting sunburnt.
Reel Big Fish’s Ska Punk latest studio album, number nine to be exact, will have the crowd bouncing for years to come. Brass section and all, you know exactly what you are getting yourself into when it comes to Life Sucks…Let’s Dance. Depending on if you like predictability—you may love or hate album number nine (we personally love it).
You’ve got to appreciate the continuity of RBF, being able to stay extremely relevant in the music scene since the ’90’s…we can’t talk about RBF without shouting out all the ’90’s kids that are keeping that fun, up-beat Ska Punk alive. We see you and we definitely hear you. How can we hate on that brass, we can’t we love it too much!
Back to the album at hand though, like we said before, we needed this. After months of what seems like Warped Tour mourning, our number one dudes came through with some nostalgia and some sunshine to brighten up this wack winter.
Oh, and by the way, they already have a music video out:
How did you not know we have a NEW ALBUM out!? We thought everybody knew!! Check it out!! #lifesucksletsdance #reelbigfish #reelbigfishband pic.twitter.com/VT7wJvhJe5
— Reel Big Fish (@ReelBigFish) February 8, 2019
Rating Life Sucks…Let’s Dance is hard. I want to say it’s fantastic, because it is, but it’s like everything else. Reel Big Fish have their sound, their following and the time to create good music. For that, I give this album a solid 4/5 stars. Honestly, it’s great—I’m just a little bitter that I’m content about it.
From, yelling about locals to wanting to bone a bleach blonde chick—I do have to say this album is teetering on the line of NSFW. If you choose to listen to Life Sucks…Let’s Dance at your place of business, possibly opt for head-phones, but really that goes for any RBF album you decide to turn on, so do you really need the heads-up?
In other Reel Big Fish news, the band is gearing up for the “Back to the Beach” festival on April 27th in Huntington Beach, CA, and the Nova Rock festival on June 15th in Austria. I feel like I have to ask, will RBF be making an appearance at one of the dates for the Warped Weekends? I’ll riot if it doesn’t happen, take my word for it.
You can keep up with Reel Big Fish on their website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
Peace, Love and Ska
Blog Post by: Laura Hoffman
Contact: [email protected]
Are you sick of hearing her name? Well, let’s get this over with one last time.
Ariana Grande has been teasing her thank u, next album for what seems like months—and the world finally has it. All 41 minutes of un-capitalized titles and low-key jabs at exes, the fourth album was born into the world.
All three of her billboard chart singles are featured on the LP (thank u, next, 7 Rings and imagine), along with some new bangers to listen to while doing whatever you damn well please.
Grande, on the cusp of her upcoming Sweetener World Tour, really has been taking the world by storm. With the drop of her album, thank u, next, her social media following and with her being the center of pop culture news daily—she’s on the top of her game. It seemed like if you were not following Ariana Grande closely, you could have missed this album drop, but you didn't--we know you didn't.
She has everything from pop classics to slow R & B jams, there really is something for everyone here. Hear me out—listen to the album from front to back, then come back and really complain about hearing her everywhere.
She’s popular for a reason. She just won a Grammy for a reason.
Personally, I like how she has come out of her super bubble gum pop roots and has made a name for herself in the broader music world. Don’t sit there and tell me imagine isn’t smooth as hell while making bank on the radio--Grande's smart af.
thank u, next gets the ball rolling for new music in 2019. Really, you have to think--nobody has dropped an album who is on Grande's level yet. On that note, I feel like if I rate thank u, next it's going to be biased--so you know I'm still going to rate it.
I give Ariana Grande's fourth album a solid 4/5 stars. Taking into consideration how the Top 40 charts are going to eat this entire LP up and how much twitter stans are already gassing the album, I think this is a solid score.
In other Ariana Grande News:
Grande's aforementioned world tour dates were cut significantly to make room from her performances at Coachella (RIP to the Raleigh, NC, date you will be missed). You can see the full lineup of dates for the tour here:
The Sweetener World Tour Dates:
03/18 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
03/20 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
03/22 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
03/25 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena
03/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
03/30 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
04/01 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
04/03 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
04/05 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
04/14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/25 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
04/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
05/30 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
05/02 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
05/03 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
05/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
05/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
05/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
05/11 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
05/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Arena
05/17 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
05/19 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
05/23 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
05/25 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
05/28 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
05/29 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
05/31 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
06/01 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
06/04 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
06/05 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
06/07 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
06/08 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
06/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
06/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
06/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
06/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
06/18 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
06/19 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
06/21 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
06/22 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
06/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
06/26 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
06/29 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
07/01 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
07/05 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
07/06 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
07/08 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
07/11 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
07/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart House Arena
8/17 - London @ The O2 Arena
8/23 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
8/27 – Paris, France @ AccorHotels Arena
8/30 – Antwerp, Belgium@ Sportpaleis Antwerpen
9/1 – Köln, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
9/3 – Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle
9/5 – Hamburg, Germany @ Barclaycard Arena
9/8 – Czech Republic @ O2 arena
9/9 – Kraków, Poland @ Tauron Arena
9/14 – Birmingham, United Kingdom @ Arena Birmingham
9/17 – Glasgow, United Kingdom @ The SSE Hydro
9/19 – Sheffield, United Kingdom @ FlyDSA Arena
9/22 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena
10/1 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
10/3 – Oslo, Norway @ Telenor Arena
10/5 – HKI, Finland @ Hartwall Arena
10/7 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Ericsson Globe
10/10 – Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes-Benz-Arena
10/13 – Zürich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion
You can keep up with Ariana Grande on her website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Blog Post by: Laura Hoffman
Contact: [email protected]
Just after a week of unseasonably warm weather here in North Carolina, a summer pool party splashed down at The Ritz in Raleigh NC when Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness brought the Upside Down Flowers Tour; along for the ride were supporting acts Grizfolk and flor.
The latter of the two openers is the quickly rising band from Oregon, flor. The last time that they were in Raleigh, opening up for Misterwives at Lincoln Theatre, flor planted a seed that has blossomed into a wonderful base of fans that only grew on this night with their alt-rock sound. Their fun and inviting energy on stage spilled out into the crowd in front of them, as all that I could see were people singing along and dancing with arms raised in the air.
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flor has released a deluxe version of their debut album come out. you're hiding on their record label Fueled By Ramen, which is available now.
The main event of the night was of course still to come and once flor left the stage, things began to transform. Scrims were pulled down, revealing the backdrop that got a small rise out of the crowd as a large "AM" light fixture could now be seen atop a platform at the back of the stage.
Andrew McMahon is known by many for his time as the front man of Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin; however, he has gained mainstream attention over the last few years as Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness. Now with his most recent full-length album Upside Down Flowers, out now, he continues to treat us with his creative and imaginative songwriting. This current tour is of course is in direct support of the new album, and had a really fun atmosphere as band members one by one came out on stage as if they were getting ready for a pool party; one checked the temperature of the "water" (the crowd), another used a pool net skimmed to reach out into the "water" as if getting leaves out of a pool.
Andrew McMahon and his piano emerged from doors built into the platform at the back of the stage as stagehands rolled the piano to center stage while McMahon began playing "Everything Must Go". The night continued on with nearly 2 hours of music that included many covers from Chers' “Believe” as well as a few Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin songs that got some of the loudest reactions of the night.
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Follow flor on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; www.florsounds.com
Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; www.andrewmcmahon.com
The Band Camino have come a long way from playing to 11 people when they first headlined at The Pour House in Raleigh. Now they have SOLD OUT their entire headlining tour and have tons of people desperately trying to get tickets online and outside the venues.
On a chilly Tuesday night in January, a line wrapped down the street as people lined up in the rain trying to get the best spot in the house. In a much appreciated change from past small tours I've been to there was only one opener, newcomer's Hardcastle, who amped up the crowd with their melodic melodies.
While everyone danced around there was no mistaking that the crowd was there for The Band Camino. After a great run opening for Ben Rector, their fan pool ranged from pre-teens to adults in their late twenties and early 30s. I was also impressed by the amount of male fans in the crowd, singing along to their early hits such as "Fool of Myself" and staying around for their final and newest song "Daphne Blue."
It's also risky to play new material when you're trying to entertain and wow fans but The Band Camino played two unreleased tracks "The Internet" and "See Through" - Since they are showcasing new material I hope this means an upcoming album is in their future.
Overall this show reminded me of my youth, crowding into small venues waiting to sing my heart out, except this time I could see the girl I used to be, standing at the front, taking video clips while gazing into their eyes. It's an odd experience being on the outskirts with the "older" crowd, but hey at least I get beer. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for The Band Camino on my concert calendars and know that these guys are going to move on to bigger arenas soon.
Following the announcement that 2018 would be the last cross-country run, the Vans Warped Tour headed out for a final summer of music, philanthropy, and community.
Looking back on it now, Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman shares, “It was truly an honor to do a final cross-country run of Warped in 2018; to see fans from all eras of the tour come out for a day to celebrate an event that meant so much to them. I walked away from the final show with a true sense that the Vans Warped Tour became the community I had always hoped for.”
Fans can expect the heart of the Warped Tour experience to be intact, but on a much larger scale over 2 full days. 50+ bands across multiple stages, extreme sports ranging from skateboarding to motocross, and an exhibit of art that has come out of the tour’s history.
“With the [Vans Warped Tour] 25th Anniversary events, we want to bring the atmosphere of a classic Warped Tour show, but on a scale that our fans simply could not get with a national tour “ explains Lyman, “The bands, the special attractions, everything – we want to bring back elements that have made the Warped Tour, Warped Tour, over the past 25 years.”
VANS WARPED TOUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS:
6.08 • CLEVELAND, OH • ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME
6.29 + 6.30 • ATLANTIC CITY, NJ • ATLANTIC CITY BEACH
7.20 + 7.21 • MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA • SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE
The individual band lineup and special attractions for each of the Vans Warped Tour presented by Journeys 25th Anniversary events, will be announced Friday, March 1st. Pre-sales will begin on Monday February 28th and tickets will be available to all on Friday, March 1st.
For many, this announcement comes as no surprise; the Vans Warped Tour 25th Anniversary was eluded to in Lyman’s original statement about the end of the Vans Warped Tour:
“ ’The enduring spirit of the Vans Warped Tour remains as bright as ever, continuing to inspire creativity and ambition in new and exciting ways as we prepare for a 25th anniversary celebration in 2019.’ ”
For more information, fans can visit - https://fanlink.to/VWT25
PRE-SALE TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY FEBRUARY 25TH
ARTIST LINE UPS TO BE ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY MARCH 1ST
Additional information about each location:
JUNE 8 • CLEVELAND, OH • ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME
The Vans Warped Tour has partnered with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to create a special new exhibit, Forever Warped: 25 Years of Vans Warped Tour, celebrating a quarter-century of the iconic traveling music festival. This comprehensive exhibit documents the history of the tour from its inception in 1995 through the final cross-country run in 2018.
Visitors will see artifacts from quintessential Warped bands and breakout artists from the tour’s lengthy run, including instruments played by members of Fall Out Boy, No Doubt, Rancid and Reel Big Fish and stage clothing worn by Joan Jett and Ice-T. The exhibit will also present iconic items from the very first Warped Tour, as well as from 2018’s final touring run. And much more!
On Saturday, June 8th, 2019, the Forever Warped will kick off with a special opening concert featuring bands from across the 24-year history of the tour, a mini vert ramp, and more!
JUNE 29 + 30 • ATLANTIC CITY, NJ • ATLANTIC CITY BEACH
Set to a backdrop of sun, sand and surf, the Vans Warped Tour will celebrate its 25th Anniversary with a special two-day extravaganza on the beach in Atlantic City on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30, 2019. Atlantic City will be one of only three cities to host the Warped Tour and the only one on the East Coast.
The Vans Warped Tour’s 25th Anniversary event features 50+ bands across multiple stages over the two-day event, extreme sports ranging from skateboarding to motocross, and an exhibit of Warped Tour art that has come out of the tour’s history.
“We’re thrilled to host the only East Coast celebration of Vans Warped Tour’s 25th Anniversary on the Atlantic City Beach,” said Geoff Gordon, Live Nation Philadelphia Regional President. “Warped Tour was meant to take place on the surf and sand, so we welcome fans from across North America to experience this unforgettable weekend with us in Atlantic City.”
JULY 20 + 21 • MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA • SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE
After a sold out show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre for the final cross-country run, the Vans Warped Tour makes a triumphant return to the Bay Area for a special 25th Anniversary 2-day event on Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA.
The Vans Warped Tour’s 25th Anniversary event features 50+ bands across multiple stages over the two-day event, extreme sports ranging from skateboarding to motocross, and an exhibit of Warped Tour art that has come out of the tour’s history.
It’s only fitting that Warped Tour would choose the Bay Area’s as it became an instant second home to the event that got its start in the punk community of Southern California.
“I think probably close to half the bands on the first Warped Tour had some tie to the Bay Area,” remembers Lyman, “there was the up-and-coming band The Deftones, and then of course the Fat Wreck [Chords] roster – Good Riddance, No Use For A Name, Face to Face, and Tilt.”
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Something needs to be made very clear right from the start here; Bring Me The Horizon is not the same band as when they released Count Your Blessings in 2006, and if anyone has anything negative to say about that, well you’re nearly ten years late. The former metalcore kings have completely evolved their sound and have been doing so since 2010’s There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret. And if you take the band for what they have become, you cannot deny that the band is great at producing songs that can stick in your head.
Their newest release amo, which was released today (January 25, 2019) is just a continuation of the bands evolution, and features some of the biggest risks that they have ever taken. This album features a dive further into the mainstream rock sound that they showed on 2015’s That’s The Spirit and even trance/house music type tracks that I was completely not expecting.
While the amo is not a metal album in any way (there is beatboxing in one of the songs, yes, beatboxing), it certainly does have its shining moments. The lead single, “MANTRA”, features amazing riffs and is a very good song to introduce fans to amo. “wonderful life” and “heavy metal” have some of the heaviest moments on the album, and features Cradle Of Filth vocalist Dani Filth and rapper Rahzel respectively. While “nihilist blues” is a trance/house style track featuring Grimes. Being only the third song on the album, it will catch you off guard and you may even find yourself humming or singing along to the chorus by the end of the five minute track.
Where amo really falls short is in songs like “i apologise if you feel something”, “fresh bruises”, and “ouch”. These are just complete out of left field risks that the band took and for the right listener would be hits, but I do not anticipate the bands audience to latch onto these songs. Others that I feel just didn’t meet expectations were “sugar honey ice & tea” and “in the dark”; these are just songs that are good but just nothing that really stands out.
Overall this is an album from Bring Me The Horizon that will likely be all but forgotten about, like There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret.
They’re just not a metal band anymore and they’re ok with that. They still play their older heavy songs at their concerts, but they are well aware that they’re not writing it anymore. I’ll just continue listening to Sempiternal.
If I had to give it a score out of 5, it would sit at a strong, but disappointing, 2.5
Standout tracks: “MANTRA”, “nihilist blues”, “mother tongue”, “wonderful life” (basically all the singles)
Weezer is one of those chameleon type bands that have a seemingly endless archive of tracks that you forget are by the same band because they sound so different. Formed in the early 90's the band has had multiple #1 hits, and is arguably (in my opinion) The Beatles of my generation. The band has fallen off in recent years, but a cover of Toto's "Africa" in 2018 caused a resurgence in Weezer's popularity; and all caused by a random person on Twitter that went viral with a their request for Weezer to cover "Africa".
If you are a fan of their "Africa" cover, well buckle in your #ThrowbackThursday
seatbelts, at midnight on Thursday morning the band suddenly released Weezer (The Teal Album), which includes ten tracks of covers and a photo of the band all dressed up 80's-esque attire, like they're going out for a night at the Roxbury. The band is not going rogue cover band status, and you won't be seeing them performing at weddings any time soon, so do not worry about that. The Teal Album is just a little snack to tide everyone over until their new album Weezer (The Black Album) comes out on March 1.
MAE is a band that has been around for a while and I see the name floating around every now and then, but have yet to really give a good listen to them. So when I was asked to share my thoughts on their self-titled album, Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience, I was excited to finally really get a good listen of this band.
During my listen through I found that this album, released in 2018, is their first full-length album in over a decade! Between 2007's Singularity and the present, they've gone through some turbulent times actually; shortly after Singularity's release on Capitol Records the band parted ways with a couple members and then left their label the next year after only one album release.
After parting with Capitol Records, MAE began experimenting by releasing a new song each month of the year and then compiling them into 3 different EPs titled (M)orning, (A)fternoon, and (E)vening. Then in 2009, they established their own label called Cell Records to release those EPs with distribution help from their original record label Tooth and Nail Records. The band members that parted in 2007 came back in 2010 for a fall tour and ultimately ended up officially announcing that they had rejoined the band. The excitement of the reunion was short-lived though as MAE announced that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus after their planned "Goodbye, Goodnight Tour". While they had announced a hiatus, the band never actually went anywhere for very long. They finished the final tour and recorded a farewell show, but then they continued to add additional shows every few months until the final shows of the "Goodbye, Goodnight Tour" were played in January 2012. They went quiet until 2013 when they played a couple 10-year anniversary shows for their first full length and then went quiet again until 2014 when they played an online show and announced that they would be reuniting for another 10-year anniversary tour, this time for their 2nd full-length album.
Another stretch of time passed again until the band announced that they were writing a new album in 2017, which ultimately ended up being Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience released through Tooth and Nail Records.
The album definitely lives up to its name and from the first track you truly see why they are a multi-sensory aesthetic experience. The lead track “Kaleidoscope” starts with electronic arrangements and piano, which are joined by brass horns and then everything drops off leaving only orchestral strings before vocals kick in. This alone left me kind of just jaw-dropped with how this was done so flawlessly, making it all fit into the same song like they were always meant to be that way. And this track is a tone setter for the rest of the album, however the rest of the songs are much more set with whether they're electro-pop, orchestral, or rock focused.
At the middle of the album, three back to back six minute songs are probably the strongest songs on the album. "You Fall When You Hesitate", "Our Love Is A Painted Picture", and "A Race For Our Autonomy" each have the elements of indie rock songs but one features electronic elements, one heavily features orchestral strings, and the last is very much a straight forward indie rock song.
I really feel that every song on this album could stand on its own without having to rely on other songs of the album to find it as a great and catchy track. If this album is any indication of what MAE has for the future, I really hope that they continue to produce music and do not fall on hard times like they have already in their career. I will definitely be diving into the discography of MAE to hear more of what made this band so successful in that past.
Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience can be purchased and listened to by clicking HERE.
For more information and updates about MAE, follow their Facebook and visit www.whatismae.com
Last night at The Ritz, in Raleigh NC, Scotty McCreery was welcomed home to a SOLD OUT crowd during the 2019 portion of his Seasons Change Tour. You may recognize the Raleigh area native as the 2011 American Idol winner, but since the reality TV competition he has gone on to win numerous country music awards and has released three full length albums and a Christmas album.
Most recently, his album Seasons Change (2018) reached #1 on the Top Country Billboard charts and #7 in the top 200 Billboard charts. His current tour, the Seasons Change Tour began in 2018 and has now started again for a second half run to kick off 2019; the tour also features performances from Jimmie Allen and Heather Morgan.
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The hometown show was of course a huge sold out success, and McCreery performed a mix of songs that everyone knew all the words to. As McCreery walk from one end of the stage to the other, he would be greeted with screams and cheering that replaced the crowd's singing. During select songs, he even pulled out his own guitar to really show of his musicianship.
While his time on American Idol has allowed him to become this country music star, headlining his own tours and even opening up for legends like Rascall Flats and Garth Brooks, in 2018 he had another life changing event when he married his longtime girlfriend. McCreery has said that one of the biggest influences for the new album Seasons Change was very much his new wife and their relationship. The newlyweds even showed off the newest addition to their family, Moose McCreery, an adorable puppy that Scotty held up high in front of the crowd like Simba in The Lion King.
Check out more photos from the show:
So if you have a chance, get yourself a ticket to a Scotty McCreery concert. Not only are you guaranteed to get great country music, you may also get an adorable puppy surprise.
News and updates on upcoming releases and tour dates from Scotty McCreery can be found at www.scottymccreery.com. You can also follow Scotty McCreery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Starting this week, the Raleigh-area native, Scotty McCreery, will be finishing off his Seasons Change Tour with a couple home state shows in Charlotte (Jan 18) and Raleigh NC (Jan 19).
Since winning the 2011 season of American Idol, McCreery has put in his fair share of work that has kept a very modestly successful career post primetime TV. McCreery has released three full-lengths and one Christmas album (most of which debuted at #1 on the billboard charts), received numerous awards, and most recently got married.
Photo Credit: Jeff Ray for Triple Tigers Records / Sony Music Entertainment
If you weren't fast enough to get tickets for the Raleigh show at The Ritz on January 19th, which is SOLD OUT, there are still tickets available for his Charlotte NC show at The Fillmore the night before.
For more information on tickets and upcoming shows, www.scottymccreery.com
Once again, we come to the end of another year and as we look back, we realize how lucky we are to be able to attend and cover so many amazing artists and festivals. In 2018 we saw artists like Post Malone, Enter Shikari, LP, Papa Roach, Judah & The Lion, AWOLNATION, and so many more. We also attended the VA Beach date of the final cross-country Vans Warped Tour as well as the first ever Summer Daze Festival in Raleigh NC.
With 2019 already staking up to be an incredible year for concerts, we can't wait to get back into the pit to take more pictures! In honor of 2018 and all of the great music and artist, we wanted to provide you with a quick look at some of our favorites shots from the year.
Hayley Williams of Paramore
Davey Havok of AFI
Bear Rinehart of NEEDTOBREATHE
Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari
Anthony Green of Circa Survive
Rivers Cuomo of Weezer
Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire
Jade Bird
Tori Kelly
Josh James of Stick To Your Guns
Jake Taylor of In Hearts Wake
Mike Shinoda (solo) of Linkin Park
This is just a very small glimpse into what we have covered this year, and for more photos and all of our coverage from this year, check out the Live Coverage portion of our website for more. We also hope that you continue to follow us into 2019. If you would like to keep more up to date with new photos, sign up for our mailing list.
The Faim is a group of high-school friends that decided to give music a shot, and well, here they are on their first full US tour. The group of four are just a few years into their career as a band and they've put themselves onto the fast track to success. They've already worked with incredible artists like Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy), Mark Hoppus (blink-182), Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), and Ashton Irwin (5 Seconds of Summer) to put together their debut EP and these are the songs they've been playing across the US this Fall.
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The Faim isn't taking on the states alone though. They are in good company for their first adventure in the states with Hands Like Houses, Emarosa, Devour The Day, and Arlington; and the tour continues through mid-December.
Like everyone else in the room, this was my first time seeing The Faim and they didn't disappoint (not like I had any expectations anyways). They have sound that blends pop-punk, rock, and pop; and it's a mix that works. There are catchy choruses that are still repeating in my head and there are some very obvious influences of heavier music styles. Although the crowd was still relatively small, but growing, the vocalist really tried to get everyone involved by jumping off stage and climbing over the barricade to interact with the crowd and pump some life into everyone.
The bassist pulled double-duty on the keyboard and the guitarist would stand on the edge of the stage with a big grin on his face as he looked out at the people singing along or realizing they just found their new favorite band.
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The band's debut EP Summer Is A Curse release just in September and they'll be touring for well into 2019. After their trek through the states, The Faim will be heading back home to Australia for a short tour before jetting to the UK and Europe. This band is already going places and will likely be opening up for some pretty big bands in 2019.
The debut EP Summer Is A Curse is AVAILABLE NOW
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The Faim is Josh Raven (Lead Vocals), Sam Tye (Guitar), Stephen Beerkens (Bass/Keyboard), Sean Tighe (Drums)
For more information and updates about The Faim: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website
Last week Atreyu brought their In Our Wake Tour through Greensboro NC in support of their brand new album by the same name. Along for the ride this Fall are Memphis May Fire, Ice Nine Kills, and Sleep Signals.
Cone Denim Entertainment Center in Downtown Greensboro played host to the SOLD OUT night of metal and rock and roll as Atreyu came through NC for the first time in who knows how long. It was my first time seeing the band since 2006 Ozzfest and it was an absolute treat to hear one of my favorite bands as a teenager playing a lot of those old songs that I had on repeat for years of teenage angst. Back then was arguably their peak, but it was also the peak of that kind of heavy music. In my opinion, their two best albums The Curse and The Death-Grip On Yesterday, were heavy and they've taken a much more heavy rock approach to their music since these albums. I am absolutely not hating on their new music, I am sure that many people like it, and there were plenty of people at this show singing along to their new music. But I was very happy to hear all those songs from so long ago.
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The five-piece metalcore/heavy rock band from California features the same line up since 2004 and their onstage interaction seems pretty standard for a band that has been together for so long and seems to be pretty much the same from when I saw them back in 2006. They weren't super active on stage, just a lot of switching places on stage, but they were very interactive with the crowd. At one point the bassist, Marc McKnight left the stage and pushed his way through the crowd and spent an entire song traveling around the venue, even going up into the balcony area. Then midway through the set lead vocalist, Alex Varkatzas, jumped into the crowd and crowd surfed around while the vocalist of Ice Nine Kills took over the position on microphone.
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Preceeding the main act were the there supporting bands of the tour, starting with Sleep Signals. Unfortunately I only managed to catch the last couple songs of their set, but the band seemed to put on a really great show and surely found themselves with a few more fans by the end of the night.
On stage after them were the quickly rising horror themed band Ice Nine Kills. Each member was dressed according to a different horror movie; Guitarists were Jason and the little boy Gorgy from IT, Bassist was Jigsaw, the vocalist was in a Freddy sweater, and the drummer was likely a victim with a little blood on his head. The band goes all-in with their horror theme has their songs are also themed and written in a horror style and with references to movies.
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Next up was Memphis May Fire which is always a fan favorite. My concern at this show was that the majority of the crowd was going to leave after MMF's set, but was pleasantly surprised that everyone stuck around. The band's set consisted of a lot of their heavier music and the crowd surfing and crowd involvement really picked up.
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The crowd involvement and crowd surfing brings me to something that really bothered me from the start of this show. The security, or really the lack there of, at this show was absolutely laughable. The venue had security on staff for the show but they couldn't really care less about actually providing any kind of security. At one point someone from Atreyu's tour crew came out and asked one of the security staff to move or remove the trashcan that was sitting in the middle of the photo pit, telling him that it's a danger for anyone crowdsurfing and especially the band members that go out into the crowd. The security guy laughed at him and basically just told him that he didn't a shit about whether people could hurt themselves, because it's "not the his fault".
Well, not long after this happened, a crowd surfer popped up and sure enough he was dumped over the photo pit basically falling on/into the trash can. The band on stage at the time was Ice Nine Kills and the vocalist was reaching out over the stage basically holding the crowd surfer up from completely falling to the ground. Eventually the security grunted and sighed before casually walking into the barricaded off area to aggressively grab to crowd surfer and continue to push him out of the pit while he tripped over the metal legs of the barricade. I was completely shocked at the carelessness from the security. After this incident the security guy got on his phone and texted other security staff that showed up a few minutes later to actually do work at the front of the stage catching crowd surfers.
But throughout the night the issues continued. Crowd surfers would come through and due to the extremely minimal space between the stage and barricade, those crowd surfing would get grabbed from atop the crowd and nearly hit their head on the stage as the security aggressively pushed and pulled them around like they were the biggest inconveniences to their job ever.
Overall this was a really amazing show with some really great bands, a lot of nostalgic music, and caring bands. But the venue really fell short on this one and I really hope that this tour taught them some valuable lessons when it comes to hosting a metal concert. And if you're not going to having the proper staff and necessary safety measures in place, just don't host these shows.
New Politics came through Greensboro, NC to perform at The Blind Tiger, and we were there to cover it!
Kicking things off first was surf-pop rockers “Bikini Trill”. Relatively new to the scene, this is Bikini Trill’s first ever East Coast tour, and they came to leave an impression. With hyperactive members and catchy lead vocals, it is not hard to see why these two bands joined forces to bring their energy to the stage together. Bikini Trill recently put out their first EP, entitled “Wassup, We Good?”, and managed to bring the surf-inspired bass grooves to the stage with ease.
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Our main act of the night was New Politics, a pop-rock group that has been around for quite some time. Originally gaining traction from their first single, “Yeah Yeah Yeah”, the group has managed to steadily grow over the years with help from singles such as “One of Us” and “Color Green”. After forming in Denmark, the group moved to the United States in 2009 where they joined forces with drummer Louis Vecchio to work on their second album, “A Bad Girl in Harlem”, which features the group’s breakout hit, “Harlem”. Following the release of their sophomore album, the trio began to tour as an opening act for groups such as “Fall Out Boy”, “Paramore”, and “Pink”.
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The group is also well known for their wild and excitable performance, from guitarist Soren Hansen’s loud yet quality vocals to lead singer David Boyd’s exciting and flashy dance moves. This is a band that has found their niche audience and managed to expand that in an effort to create a movement of something larger, in an effort to blur the lines between pop and rock genres. From pop-punk anthems such as “Yeah Yeah Yeah”, to the slower piano influenced “One of Us”, this a group that changes musical styles in a way that is not jarring whatsoever, and that is one of the most impressive aspects of the trio.
New Politics is David Boyd on Lead Vocals, Soren Hansen on Lead Guitar and backing vocals, and Louis Vecchio on drums.
Photos by David DeFruscio
Last weekend, Real Friends brought their Fall In The USA Tour to the Cat's Cradle stage in Carrboro NC. The show was a pop punk dream featuring support from Eat Your Heart Out, Grayscale, and Boston Manor.
The tour comes hot on the tails of the Chicago band's most recent album Composure. The album was the first new album from Real Friends since 2016 and fans were anxiously awaiting the new music. Well they got the new music finally and this tour was the first chance (apart from the Vans Warped Tour stops earlier this year) that fans could experience the new music live.
The show started with a fairly new band on their first venture in the states. Eat Your Heart Out were more low key than the rest of the bands on the bill but had the catchiness that most likely gained them some new fans after their set. Another up-and-coming band was due up next but they ran into some technical issues after their first song and delayed things for about 5-10 minutes. Grayscale is a band that i've seen so many times over the last year, it's hard for me to still call them up-and-coming. They have the fanbase and they have the music, but they're still in the stage of their career of being one of the first opening bands on a tour. They'll get there though, they have everything you need and the fans definitely love them.
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Once Grayscale got exhausted their on-stage time filler jokes and got their tech issues fixed, the set went on and the stage diving/crowd surfers really picked up. They oddly ended their set with an acoustic song, which I am not sure was due to their shortened set time or if that was planned, but things went from chaos in the crowd to a full on sing-along to end their set.
Next up was some fellas from across the pond in Boston Manor. These guys could also be considered "up-and-coming" but they have a much heavier pop punk/rock and roll sound that I think has put them on the fast track. The energy from Grayscale's set continued into Boston Manor's set and was nearly nonstop through it all. At one point the vocalist of Boston Manor asked how many people were seeing them or hearing them for the first time and nearly the entire room raised their hands, which was shocking to me; I can't go 30 minutes on a pop punk Spotify playlist without hearing them.
But after their set the room sort of cleared and I was worried that Boston Manor had been the main act for a lot of people. But just about five or so minutes before Real Friends hit the stage, the room quickly filled back up and it's almost like everyone that had went outside, came back in with a friend because the crowd had grown substantially. The crowd surfers and stage divers continued as the band played through new and old songs and I had to relocate myself as I was standing front and center, in the middle of the crazy crowd.
There are still plenty of dates through the Northeast and Midwest on this tour. If you're in the path of the remaining dates, be sure to get out to this show!
11/14 — Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
11/15 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
11/16 — New York City, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/17 — Boston, MA @ Royale
11/18 — Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/20 — Toronto, ON @ Opera House
11/21 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theatre
11/23 — Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
11/24 — Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
11/25 — Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
New Politics recently set out on their Fall 2018 tour, trying to hit all the stops they missed on their summer tour. Bringing along openers The Score and Bikini Trill, New Politics aim to show those who missed out on their first run of the year just what they've been missing. This coming weekend, Greensboro NC's The Blind Tiger will host the tour for the second of two dates in the Tar Heel state on Sunday November 18th.
New Politics released their fourth studio album, “Lost in Translation”, late last year. With this album, the band sought to open up about tour life and adjusting to fame, while also maintaining the strong bond the trio have acquired over years of friendship and being bandmates.
New Politics are most widely known for their single “Harlem”, which has been featured in numerous commercials and advertisement campaigns since its initial debut in 2012. Since the release of the single, the group has also found success in touring, going out on the road with huge acts such as Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and Paramore.
New Politics are also known for their interactive and wild live performances, from frontman David Boyd’s wild breakdancing to guitarist Soren Hansen’s guitar throwing and thundering vocals, the trio puts on a show that needs to be seen live to be truly appreciated.
Check out two clips from the band's recent secret show in NYC on Alternative Press and Substream.
"Harlem" on Alternative Press: https://www.altpress.com/features/new-politics-harlem-acoustic/.
"One Of Us" on Substream Magazine:https://substreammagazine.com/2018/10/premiere-new-politics-secret-2018/
New Politics are on the road through the rest of the month in the United States. Tickets for all shows are available here: https://www.newpolitics.dk/tour.
For VIP tickets (which include exclusive merch, autographed poster, photo with the band + a 2-3 song intimate performance prior to the show) visit: https://store.newpolitics.dk/products/vip-experience .
For more information, visit : https://www.newpolitics.dk/ - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Youtube
NOV 13 Pawtucket, RI- The Met Tickets
NOV 14 Fairfield, CT- The Warehouse Tickets
NOV 15 Asbury Park, NJ- House of Independents Tickets
NOV 16 Richmond, VA- The National Tickets
NOV 17 Wilmington, NC- Greenfield Lake Amphitheater Tickets
NOV 18 Greensboro, NC- Blind Tiger Tickets
NOV 19 Jacksonville, FL- Jack Rabbits Tickets
NOV 20 Atlanta, GA- Terminal West Tickets
Written by David DeFruscio
Rap artist KYLE recently stopped by The Underground in Charlotte, NC and we were there to cover it!
While KYLE’s fanbase has recently grown in size, he has managed to maintain a steady crowd since early 2013. At first opening for other artists, he then released his first major project, “Beautiful Loser”. With the release of his first full-length album, KYLE began to embark on solo tours and managed to build a fanbase by guaranteeing an entertaining show that emphasized and encouraged a participatory audience.
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With KYLE’s latest tour, he continues that same mindset that a show should be a fun and engaging place for both the performer and the audience, which could prove well for him in the long run.
KYLE signed to Atlantic Records in early 2017 where he began to work on his latest project, “Light of Mine”, which contains his smash hit “iSpy”, which was his first Billboard Top 100 hit, peaking at #4. After the release of his latest album, he embarked on the “Light Speed World Tour” where he will be making stops in North America, Australia, Asia, and many European countries.
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KYLE has just a few more dates left in North America before he continues the Light Speed World Tour in Europe. For a full list of KYLE’s upcoming tour dates, check out his official website: http://superduperkyle.com/
11/13/18 - Albuquerque, NM
11/14/18 - Phoenix, AZ
11/15/18 - San Diego, CA
11/16/18 - San Francisco, CA
11/17/18 - Hollywood, CA
Photos by David DeFruscio
Halloween came early in Raleigh with a little 80's hair metal adult flare. Steel Panther brought their Sunset Strip Live tour with a 'spooky' twist to The Ritz.
Steel Panther is one of the best 80's hair metal/glam metal parody/cover bands out there right now and they fully embrace the look and the stage presence that you would have expected to see back in its hay day. Their on stage personas Michael Starr (vocals), Stix Zadinia (drums), Lexxi Foxx (bass), and Satchel (guitar); fully exemplify the raunchy and over the top rockstar personalities that could have been seen back in the day.
Their on stage performance was full of choreographed movements and a lot of dumb jokes. Every now and then they'd comment that someone needed to show off their boobs and some brave souls would actually do it! Something I would fully expect to have happened at an actual concert in the 80s. Now being a Halloween themed show, i've got to say that there was not much to it other than painted faces and a lot of Halloween related jokes. The fact that there were so many Halloween jokes actually became a joke in itself throughout the night. There was also a costume contest that featured some of the more busty women in the 18+ crowd.
Other than jokes and asking for boob flashes, the group performed a mix of various 80s classic hits and some original (very vulgar and raunchy) songs. This was probably one of the more interesting but enjoyable shows that I have been to recently and I definitely look forward to the next time that Steel Panther come through town.
More information and news about Steel Panther can be found at www.steelpantherrocks.com
Twenty One Pilots stopped in Atlanta last friday as a part of their sold-out “Bandito Tour”, and they came to impress. Hot off the release of their latest album, “Trench”, Twenty One Pilots is looking to reinforce the fact that they put on one of the best live shows in pop music.
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With a few breakout hits from their last album “Blurryface”, this is a group that grew tremendously over a very short period of time, and it makes their production value on their shows all the more impressive. With a burning car on stage, drum platforms that move up and down during specific key points during the show, and a bridge that allows the lead singer Tyler Joseph to walk over the crowd, you can tell an extreme amount of effort went into making sure every aspect of this show was perfect. Although the setlist stays the same every night, that doesn’t seem to bother fans when you realize how much work has seemingly gone in to making sure that the flow and pace of the show is as perfect as it is.
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With their latest album, “Trench”, Twenty One Pilots sets out on a mission to transport their fans into a world that these two have created, and every song they perform live does just that. Whether it’s a song filled with intense moments of cryo from the mainstage, to a sad, yet hopeful song from the B-Stage, you can tell these two have spent every second of their year “hiatus” planning and preparing for these shows, and that should be celebrated.
Twenty One Pilots will finish this leg of the Bandito Tour in less than a month, but they have dates all around the globe for the next year. For more information visit:
http://www.twentyonepilots.com/#tourlist
11/7/18 - Dallas, TX.
11/9/18 - Phoenix, AZ
11/10/18 -Inglewood, CA
11/11/18 - Oakland, CA
11/13/18 - Salt Lake City, UT
11/15/18 - Portland, OR
11/16/18 - Tacoma, WA
11/17/18 - Boise, ID
11/19/18 - Denver, CO
11/20/18 - Lincoln, NE
11/21/18 - Kansas City, MO
Photos by David DeFruscio
Stick To Your Guns and Emmure have been tearing through the country on their Fall co-headling tour, and last weekend the excitement hit the Cat's Cradle stage in Carrboro NC. Along for the ride, in support of the headliners, was Wage War and Sanction.
This all out onslaught of moshing and two-stepping was one of the heaviest shows of the year to come through the area and really one of the can't miss tours for the metalcore/hardcore scene.
Kicking off the night was a pleasant surprise from a band that I had not listened to or heard of before. Sanction was heavy and and the crowd was really into it. I guess I had been left out of the loop on this band. They played a pretty short set or I just enjoyed it so much that if felt shorter than it actually was and their set really set the tone for the remainder of the show. Crowd surfers, stage dives, huge moshpit; it's like I had been transported back to 2008 at The Brewery in Raleigh.
Next up was one of the most noteworthy metalcore/post-hardcore bands right now. Wage War hit the ground running a few years ago and have quickly made their way to the top of active bands right now. Their debut full-length Blueprints gained them major attention and their follow up album Deadweight added onto that already solid fanbase. And their fans were out in full force for this show, they had an awesome set and it was actually great to see the band members' faces when something would happen in the crowd or a stage diver would jump out and there would be a look of shock or excitement on their faces that they were getting the incredible response from the crowd.
First up for the headliners on this night was Stick To Your Guns. Now you could say that this tour brought in bands from two completely different spectrums of the metalcore/hardcore genre. Stick To Your Guns, while still very heavy, has a very positive outlook while Emmure is more aggressive and 'hate' filled. The energy on stage is also vastly different.
Stick To Your Guns had the most energy that I have seen at a show in a very long time. There were high kicks and jumps galore, while running around in circles on stage while the crowd ran around in the circle pit. Vocalist Jesse Barnett slowed down the set halfway through to perform a more poetic song and afterwards he spoke about the lack of action people take in their lives to really determine the path they're on. He encouraged everyone to take their life into their own hands and make something of themselves rather than waiting around for something to happen for them and complaining about it.
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They ended their set with one of their older and more popular songs"This Is More". The song features a bridge into a breakdown that invites the crowd to climb and crawl over the front of the crowd to grab the microphone and join in chanting the words "rest assured, that with a heart thats pure, we'll be victorious, and not let our hate get the best of us." Barnett handed the microphone off to someone in the crowd and a group of people jumped on stage to join in
The final act of the night was of course Emmure. The band is known for their heavy breakdowns, aggressive lyrics, and being a guilty pleasure for a lot of people (myself included). While they don't play really anything from their first couple albums, their most recent album Look At Yourself was a departure from the rap filled style of the previous album and was much more positively received by fans of all the different eras of Emmure. During their set there were images projected onto the stage and the band members that brought an extra element to each song. While not as active as Stick To Your Guns, they bring their own enormous energy through the bone crushing heaviness of their music. Every breakdown and two step riff created mass chaos in the pit and fans at the front reached over the stage screaming the lyrics right back at vocalist Frankie Palmeri. The band would have an evil look in their eyes during the heaviest portions of the songs, even they couldn't help but to break a smile at the active crowd an appreciation of the movement they were receiving.
There are only a few days remaining on this tour and even fewer featuring Wage War, so be sure to get your tickets for any remaining dates in your area and get to this show!
11/06 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
11/07 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
11/09 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall (no Wage War)
11/10 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar (no Wage War)
11/11 – Dallas, TX @ 2513 Deep Ellum (no Wage War)
If you are a fan of metalcore and attend a fair amount of concerts throughout the year, Silent Planet is a band that you have most likely seen a few times or at least heard a fair deal about. You may also know that their third studio album When The End Began is due to release this Friday, November 2nd, from Solid State Records. The California band has hovered just barely under the radar for years and their two previous full length studio albums definitely got them some attention, but just a few songs into this new release, you'll understand why I'm calling for the well overdue breakout of this band.
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They are no strangers to the road and have been putting in the constant grind, with nearly endless touring over the last couple years; including two consecutive years on Vans Warped Tour in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 they had their first headline tour and which turned out to be an enormous success. The band is extremely humble though, and would never admit that they expected such an overwhelmingly positive response. With the fanbase secured and the work being put in on the road, this third album could make or break the band at such a pivotal point in their career.
When The End Began has everything that you would expect from the California four-piece band; emotion, heavy riffs, crushing breakdowns, and of course the raw lyrical content. Lead vocalist, Garrett Russell, is the sole remaining founding member of the band and is a true artist when it comes to writing some of the most thought-provoking and real lyrics in the rock and roll/metal genres. His spoken word style of screaming is also something that sets this band apart from the cookie cutter style that it can be so easy to fall into. On this album, Russel talks about the opioid epidemic, consumerism, war, and various other topics throughout the three themes of the album; apocalypse, 'eternal return', and the crisis of the modern world. These three themes were talked about in detail by Russel during an album synopsis that can be found HERE.
The album begins in an ambient track, much like something you would hear in a horror movie, slow and steady percussion begins behind the haunting sounds before Garrett Russel enters in with a much louder combination of of ambient sound and drums. The spoken word style intro briefly sets the tone for the entire album, before throwing you right into the thick of it with "The New Eternity" that more or less describes the horrors of the Vietnam war and the unthinkable chemical weapons that were used in the name of war.
"Mother, tell me, why do the waters make us sick?
Who bleeds the heavens making the clouds rain pestilence?"
The album continues on the theme of war in the next track, "Northern Fires (Guernica)". Focusing on the Spanish Civil War and written while Russell was living in Spain, the track was released as the first single of the new album and the Silent Planet vocalist had this to say about the song through a post on his Instagram: "I’m stoked to share this first single with you beautiful souls. Dealing with various themes and events surrounding the Spanish Civil War, this song was a year-long process. What began during my time living in Madrid, now ends here as I’m writing this from a field in deep rural Georgia."
The onslaught continues through heavy riffs and topics through the next couple songs, "Afterdusk" and "Visible Unseen", before breaking for a chance to breathe during the first interlude style track "Look Outside - Dream". But your chance to take it in doesn't last long before hitting you in the face with the ideas of consumerism through "Vanity of Sleep" and then comforting you through the realities of dealing with loved ones developing memory loss disorders. "In Absence" is a departure from the heavy nature of the album with a nearly full song of clean vocals and much calmer riffs. While the lyrical subject matter is still heavy and deep, the music is lighter and much more ‘peaceful’. "In Absence" really displays the gritty clean vocals of bassist Thomas Freckleton, and while most songs feature clean choruses, this song has to be the most memorable vocal performance by Freckleton on this album.
"I’m writing you from a hospital waiting room, praying that an older gentleman (who has become family to me) makes it our from his transplant surgery in one piece. As I get older, I’m more mystified by life and wonder if coincidence is all that random. And in this very moment, this song makes more sense than ever.
We’ve had family and friends develop memory disorders – Dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc. and learned to love someone who no longer knew who we were. If you’ve gone through that process, you know the unique sort of pain this can cause. So this is a love song for those folks and their families."
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The heavy nature of Silent Planet's music is not only displayed through the arrangements of riffs and drums that could stand alone as memorable instrumentals, but through the lyrics as is obvious from everything I've described already; and that is merely only half of this album. This album is an incredible 14 tracks of being punched in the face with the raw reality of the world, past and present. The first half of the album includes my favorite parts of this album with "The New Eternity" and "Northern Fires (Guernica)" being my standout songs on the album, and I really enjoy the more rock style of "In Absence". However, that is not to undermine the remainder of the album. While notably not as heavy as the first half, the downward slope of this album could easily be released as a completely different album with the substance of the first 7-8 songs.
One of the more notable issues the world is facing today, is the opioid crisis. "Share the Body" tells the story of the increase of the already high opioid abuse in America, and the music released by the band depicts vocalist Garrett Russell's character's struggle with addiction.
"The epidemic of our time,
a voluntary genocide."
"Firstborn (Ya'aburnee)" and "Lower Empire" follow, with the latter being the most surprising track on the album. The interesting use of vocoder-vocals and synth lines that had me with my mouth open, caught me so off guard, that it was the first song I listened to immediately after finishing the album.
Finally, you have a moment to breathe again, "Look Inside- Awake" is the final interlude track of the album and sits before the final two songs, "The Anatomy of Time (Babel)" and "Depths III". The latter follows a continuation of the previous tracks "Depths" and "Depths II" from previous releases. These songs are derived from a dream that vocalist Garrett Russel has had and seems a fitting ending to the album as "Depths II" closed out their first full length The Night God Slept.
As I mentioned at the start of all of this, When The End Began should end up being Silent Planet's most noteworthy release to date. The flawless poetic lyrical writing and vocals of Garret Russel are front and center but the song writing and performance of the songs behind the lyrics should not go forgotten. Mitchell Stark has put together some of the heaviest guitar riffs and while being the only guitarist in the band, the performances of these songs is a true test that he excels at beyond expectation. Thomas Freckleton provides the clean vocals that bring clarity and grit to the songs while also bringing depth to Stark's guitars through bass guitar. And finally, the back line, the heart and soul of any song; Alex Camarena pulls together intricate and creative drumming performance.
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The Night God Slept. Everything Was Sound. When The End Began.
The third full-length album from Silent Planet, When The End Began, is a clear 4 out of 5 when it comes to putting a number scale on the line. The album comes out this Friday, November 2nd, and will be available anywhere you could imagine digitally. Steam it, buy it, listen to it.
The new album can be pre-ordered HERE and for more information on upcoming tour dates and updates on the band, head to www.silentplanettours.com
When The End Began tracklisting:
01 - Thus Spoke
02 - The New Eternity
03 - Northern Fires (Guernica)
04 - Afterdusk
05 - Visible Unseen
06 - Look Outside- Dream
07 - Vanity of Sleep
08 - In Absence
09 - Share the Body
10 - Firstborn (Ya'aburnee)
11 - Lower Empire
12 - Look Inside- Awake
13 - The Anatomy of Time (Babel)
14 - Depths III
Silent Planet is Garrett Russell (vocals), Mitchell Stark (guitars), Thomas Freckleton (bass/vocals), Alex Camarena (drums)
Before the tour, Mike Shinoda is quoted claiming that the shows were going to be a typical concert as expected, but also full of emotion and feelings in the wake of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington's passing last year. Well, the day finally came for Shinoda to play Raleigh NC and it ended up being a huge gathering of Linkin Park fans, Fort Minor fans, and those beginning the journey with Shinoda as a solo artist. The show ended up being just as he had predicted; full of emotion.
The man that wore many hats in Linkin Park (singer, guitarist, rapper, songwriter, keyboardist), pulled together a 22 song set that was a collection of Linkin Park, Fort Minor, and of course solo tracks. Shinoda took a moment in the set to really talk to the crowd about where he got his start. He mentioned that he started making mashups as a young man and then went right into the first of multiple mashups of the night with "Waiting For The End"/"Where'd You Go". He then really brought things down to the elephant in the room that was the loss of Chester Bennington. As his two band mates left the stage, Shinoda stood at his keyboard as he spoke about life in Linkin Park and the legacy and personality of Chester. He commented on his preference to mix up the setlist every night, playing new songs or songs that he may not play often, but there was one song that he always makes a point to play. As he asked for crowd participation, he began a striped down version of Linkin Park's "In The End" and the entire crowd sang all of Chester's vocal parts. It was truly an emotional moment to be a part of. The choir of fans, lead by Shinoda, went on to remember Chester through other Linkin Park songs "Heavy" and "Numb".
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The show of course also featured the opening act, Don Broco. The band from England is always a great time with their incredible energy and music that turns any venue into a huge dance party. Their brand of rock is something that is so unique but fits well into any alternative rock/pop punk fans rotation. This past summer on Vans Warped Tour, Don Broco really had their first major exposure to the US fans and it appeared that the majority of the crowd in Raleigh was familiar with them. The lead vocalist even wore a Carolina Hurricanes t-shirt, which was pretty awesome. Go 'Canes!
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The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, featuring Mike Shinoda, still has just under a month left as it heads West then back up to the Northeast. If you're in the path of any remain dates, take a night off and join what is an amazing experience, whether you're a Linkin Park fan or a Fort Minor fan.
Oct. 25 – New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues
Oct. 28 – Dallas, Texas @ House of Blues
Oct. 30 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues
Nov. 2 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Palladium
Nov. 5 – Anaheim, Calif. @ House of Blues
Nov. 6 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Masonic
Nov. 8 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot
Nov. 9 – Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore Auditorium
Nov. 11 – Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues
Nov. 14 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
Nov. 16 – Detroit, Mich. @ Fillmore
Nov. 17 – Silver Spring, Md. @ Fillmore
For more information and updates on Mike Shinoda: Facebook, Twitter, and www.mikeshinoda.com
Stream, Buy, and Download Mike Shinoda's debut solo album Post Traumatic HERE
Monday night got a pick me up with Tori Kelly coming through Durham NC on her Hiding Place Tour. The incredibly talented singer-songwriter belted her songs to a nearly sold-out audience in the beautiful Carolina Theater in downtown Durham.
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By the time that I arrived at the venue, the seats of the historic theater were already filled in anticipation for the one and only act of the night. The curtain rose and revealed an impressive full band playing their instrumental intro that was met with a roar from the crowd. Kelly began singing off stage which got a rise out of the crowd, but the place really blew up once Kelly walked out onto the stage; her infectious smile lighting up the room.
Fresh off the release of her new album, Hiding Place, the set began with the intro song to the new album "Masterpiece", and she actually performed every song off of that new album; I am sure that was a real treat for everyone aching to sing along to those new songs live. One surprising part of the set is that arguably her most popular song, "Hollow", was performed second. That just goes to show that even though she's had that top 40 radio hit, she's got more to offer than just what is played on the radio, and those other songs seemed to be what everyone wanted to hear.
Throughout the entire set, no one sat in their seat, everyone was on their feet dancing and singing along with their hands in the air. Her voice is so flawless, it is hard to imagine that someone has that much talent in their voice! Honestly, singer-songwriter music can be a little bit lacking through recordings, but the emotion and power of the music can be felt through your soul when you hear the music live. You find out that these artists put all they have into their songs and invite everyone to see a glimpse into their lives at some of the darkest and happiest times of their lives.
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Tori Kelly at one point announced "this is a safe place," as she announced her beliefs and love for her God; "some may have different views from me, but I just really wanted to tell you that tonight is a safe place for everyone." The crowd roared in approval of her caring and accepting heart. After performing a few acoustic songs with her guitar to keep things close and intimate, she also revealed that she has partnered with a charity in hopes of helping children in need. Letting everyone know that by texting TORI to 38470, they can also make a donation to help spread love. She then performed a raw and powerful version of “Help Us To Love.”
It is amazing that this wonderful person and artist was discovered through YouTube and was told she wasn't good enough during her American Idol run. But even those that don't even make it to the top 24 have so much talent and so much to give. It could be said that Tori Kelly has had a more successful career than some winners of the talent TV show.
Remaining Hiding Place Tour dates:
10/25 Munhall, PA – Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
10/27 Philadelphia, PA – Temple Performing Arts Center
10/28 Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
10/30 New York, NY – Riverside Church
11/1 Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple Theatre
11/2 Grand Rapids, MI – Fountain Street Church
11/5 Chicago, IL – Fourth Presbyterian Church
11/6 Chicago, IL – Fourth Presbyterian Church
11/8 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
11/11 Dallas, TX – Majestic Theater
11/12 Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
11/13 Houston, TX – Wortham Center Cullen Theater
11/16 Los Angeles, CA – The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church
11/17 Los Angeles, CA – The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church
11/19 San Francisco, CA – Herbst Theater
For more upcoming tour dates and tickets, head to Tori Kelly’s official website.
Stay up to date with Tori Kelly: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Setlist:
1. Masterpiece
2. Hollow
3. Sunday
4. Unbreakable Smile
5. Just as Sure
6. Nobody Love/ Expensive
7. Actress
8. All in My Head / Dear No One
9. Should’ve Been Us
10. Help Us to Love
11. Psalm 42
12. Questions / I'll Find You / Funny
13. Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing
ENCORE
14. Soul's Anthem (It Is Well)
15. Never Alone
The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour has been bringing incredible lineups across the country every year for a quite a few years now. From completely metal/hardcore lineups to rap and hip-hop, the Outbreak Tour has a bit of an identity crisis, but in a good way.
This year, the tour aims to take an old face out on a new journey; Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Fort Minor is this year's headlining act in support of his debut solo album Post Traumatic, along with the support from the energetic and amazing Don Broco. Next Tuesday you can catch the Linkin Park artist and the boys from across the pond in Raleigh NC at The Ritz. See the remaining Monster Energy Outbreak Tour dates below:
10/19 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor
10/20 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
10/21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
10/23 - Raleigh, NC - Ritz
10/25 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues
10/28 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
10/30 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
11/2 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
11/5 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
11/6 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
11/8 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
11/9 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
11/11 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
11/14 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
11/16 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore
11/17 - Silver Spring, MD - Fillmore
Mike Shinoda's Post Traumatic is the first full release by the Linkin Park member after Chester Bennington's passing, and definitely reflects on that moment in his life. Fans of Shinoda, Linkin Park, and/or Fort Minor can surely find something to love about this new album as his influences and different projects blend into one solo album. The setlist for this tour will definitely also be something that anyone can find something to enjoy from it. Just a quick Google search and you'll find that Shinoda will be performing a huge set of solo, Fort Minor, and even Linkin Park songs.
Have a listen to one of Mike Shinoda's new solo tracks off of Post Traumatic below:
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Along for the ride is the band you've probably never heard of, but will absolutely love, from across the pond. Don Broco is a band from Bedford, England and are something straight out of a club. Their rock pop vibe fits in so strangely with pop-punk and alternative rock tours and they spent the entire summer on the final cross-country Vans Warped Tour.
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Tickets for the Raleigh show as well as all remaining dates are available here: https://outbreakpresents.com/
First on to the stage was Lo Moon, an indie-rock band that broke out last year with the release of their debut album, “LM1”. Formed in Los Angeles, Lo Moon launched into a record deal with Columbia Records following their debut single, “Loveless” and has been touring since the release of their album. Lo Moon joining CHVRCHES on their tour made perfect sense, given the parallels between their romantic, almost mystical lyricism, as well as the dynamic of electronic synth leads interlaced with raw instrumentation. Lo Moon is the perfect example of a band that correlates directly with CHVRCHES, and I am glad to see that CHVRCHES has given them a chance to bond their two groups of fans together for a night of incredible live performances.
Our main act CHVRCHES came out to thunderous applause in Asheville, where it is evident their fans have been waiting for their return to North Carolina. With bright lights shining down frontwoman and lead singer Lauren Mayberry, the show started off an upbeat and exciting moment, and refused to slow down until the encore was over. This is a very energetic group that clearly works very hard to bring that pop music to life on stage. Between amazing lighting and visuals displayed on X-shaped podiums for bassist Iain Cook and synth player Martin Doherty, and incredible vocals from Lauren Mayberry, this is a show that is incredibly well produced and performed.
CHVRCHES recently released their third album entitled, “Love is Dead”, and they will continue to tour for the greater part of the year, before heading home to Europe in early 2019.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Sat, OCT 13 - ACL Festival - Weekend 2, Austin, TX
Mon, OCT 15 - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
Tue, OCT 16 - The Fillmore Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Thu, OCT 18 -The Anthem, Washington, DC
Fri, OCT 19 - Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Sat, OCT 20 - Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
Sat, OCT 21 - Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
Photos by David DeFruscio
New York City is known for its five boroughs of culture, creativity, and talent that has poured out into the world. And while you hear more often about the contributions that 'the big apple' had in the creation and evolution of hip hop music, it is also very important in the story of punk rock music. In the 1970s-80s, punk rock / post-punk was at an all time high and some of the most well known bands of this era came out of New York City; including Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, and New York Dolls.
While the times have changed and punk rock / post-punk has fallen into the shadow of Hip Hop music in New York City, there are still bands coming from the boroughs that deserve attention. One of those bands is a fairly new band out of Brooklyn, Big Bliss.
The Brooklyn trio Big Bliss pull direct influences from the aforementioned high times in punk rock in New York City and this is continued in their latest LP, At Middle Distance, being released October 19th by Exit Stencil Records. Having formed just in late 2015, Big Bliss is creation of brothers Tim (vox, gutiar) and Cory Race (drums). While having major influences on each other over the years, this is their first musical project together with the help of Wallace May (bass). As many bands do, Big Bliss began just as a fun project among brothers and friends, however, after the 2016 release of their debut EP, Keep Near (Exit Stencil Records), everything changed. They began making a name for themselves throughout the remaining DIY punk rock scenes in NYC and their tireless work and passion earned them the title of Oh My Rockness’ "Hardest Working Band of 2017."
Their upcoming release, At Middle Distance, is a true post-punk album that feels like a forgotten record from the 1970s-80s; uncovered in a box of records in a dusty and dark basement. The album begins with the extremely catchy chorus of "Constants" while the infectious and floaty guitar riffs carry you through the remainder of the album. Things get slowed down for the look into a challenge to the ideas of identity in "Duplicate" and things stay at a slower tempo until the end of the next track, "High Ideal".
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As things pick back up for the remainder of the album, some serious punk rock roots are exposed in "Conscious Being" and the album closes on a somber look into addiction with "RTK". At Middle Distance is a must listen for anyone that has any interest in post-punk music or alternative rock music in general. Songs from the album are currently available to stream on Spotify and the full album will be available on October 19th.
AT MIDDLE DISTANCE - TRACKLISTING
01. Constants
02. Fortune
03. Surface
04. Duplicate
05. High Ideal
06. Answer
07. Richard Race
08. Content Saves
09. Conscious Being
10. RTK
Keep up with everything Big Bliss related:
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp
Exit Stencil Recordings:
Soundcloud / Website / Youtube
Opening for Troye Sivan was Kim Petras, a new-age pop star who has been steadily dropping singles in anticipation of her debut album. With nothing but a DJ backing her, Kim Petras came out and proved she had what it takes to be a pop sensation in the new-age, confidence and tight vocals. With a simple stage setup, Kim came to impress based on performance alone, and a stage presence that was exciting and engaging for longtime fans as well as people who may have never experienced her music before.
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With the main act of the night being Troye Sivan, I was curious to see how he would take the stage and make the sounds of his latest album, “Bloom” come to life. Troye Sivan is a rare but shining example of someone who quickly thrust himself into the pop-genre with no intent of holding back, and it has worked extremely well for him. He has managed to secure his image as a new-age pop icon within a matter of years and that on its own is extremely impressive.
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In typical pop sensation fashion, Troye Sivan emerged on stage by a rising platform met with thousands of screaming fans. It felt like a scene of a movie, and that’s exactly what was expected out of Troye’s performance. Similar to a theatrical performance, Troye Sivan’s live show was split into “Acts”, in a way that was meant to connect with the fans and tell a story. While he’s not the first to do this, he is absolutely a shining example of turning a concert into more of an experience than simply live music.
Troye managed to fill these “Acts” with songs old and new, and create something that needs to be seen to believe. With an incredible live performance that is on par with pop legends, Troye Sivan has created an experience that is a shining example of a boundary-pushing performance. This is a show that demands to be seen by fans of both Troye and the pop genre.
The Bloom Tour has the remaining dates:
Upper Darby, PA - October 6th
New York, NY - October 9th
Laval, Canada - October 11th
Boston, MA - October 12th
Detroit, MI - October 14th
Toronto, CA - October 15th
Minneapolis, MN - October 17th
Chicago, IL - October 19th
Milwaukee, WI - October 20th
Denver, CO - October 22nd
Phoenix, AZ - October 24th
San Diego, CA - October 25th
Anaheim, CA - October 27th
Los Angeles, CA - October 30th
San Francisco, CA - November 1st
Photos by David DeFruscio
On Tuesday night Thrice, The Bronx, and Teenage Wrist came through Raleigh NC on the Epitaph Tour 2018. Each band brought their own brand of punk rock/post-hardcore stylings and ended up turning just a regular Tuesday night into something to remember.
To kick it all off Teenage Wrist took the stage for a performance that surely shocked anyone that had never heard the band before, including myself. The four-piece jammed on stage and really set the post-hardcore tone to continue throughout the night.
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Next up up was The Bronx from Los Angeles CA. These punk rockers really picked up the pace and turned the venue upside down when the vocalist jumped into the crowd to get a good old fashioned mosh pit going. Apparently he was not happy with the energy of the crowd, but instead of standing on the stage and complaining about it, he got his hands dirty down in the crowd. I respect that.
The first time I ever saw The Bronx, they were the first band to play on one of the days at Riot Fest and I was hooked from that moment. That’s the beauty of multi-band tours and festivals; you go in to see other bands but leave having new and awesome bands to listen to.
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Once The Bronx finished tearing the place apart, the stage was set for the main event. In their post-hiatus time thus far, Thrice has been putting in incredible amounts of touring as well as producing some of their best music yet. Their initial ‘comeback’ album, To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, surprised a lot of fans and even brought in a whole new group of new fans into the mix. The maturity in the songwriting has changed so much since the post-hardcore golden age when they were riding the success of The Artist In The Ambulance and Vheissu.
And now the band is fresh off of their most second post-hiatus release, Palms.
Thrice played an incredible 20 song set featuring some of the very best of their old songs “The Artists In The Ambulance”, “Stare At The Sun”, and “Image Of The Invisible”; they even played a couple songs off of their first notable release The Illusion Of Safety (2002). And of course there were plenty of new songs, as would be expected.
This band seen steady success over the years, but has always flown just slightly under the radar. They are extremely underrated in their music and their live performances, and will forever stand as one of my all time favorite bands.
Check out Thrice’s new album Palms and stay up to date on upcoming tour dates so you don’t miss their next show in your area. Visit their website at thrice.net for all the latest news and updates.
All Time Low and Gnash are set to begin Part 2 of The Summer Ever After Tour on Thursday in Boca Raton FL, but not before they make a quick stop on the way there in North Carolina. The quick two day stay in the Tar Heel state has them playing in Raleigh and Charlotte, and you know that we absolutely had to catch their show in Raleigh.
"We love North Carolina, it's good to be back. Our tour doesn't even start for another two days, we just really wanted to play here!" This comment from lead vocalist, Alex Gaskarth, got a huge cheer from the crowd and I speak for everyone when I say that we really love having All Time Low play Raleigh. The former Blink-182 cover band from Baltimore, MD has been one of the leading groups in the pop-punk/alternative-rock scene since 2003 and continue to have consistent success with every album they release. Their most recent releases, just two singles, are a very promising glimpse into their next album (not yet announced).
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The first of the two pre-tour shows in North Carolina had all the feels of a full tour production with the lights and incredible performance you'd always expect from All Time Low. Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat, were even their normal selves, cracking jokes between songs and making the downtime much more entertaining than watching a bunch of dudes tune their instruments; and of course, their microphone stands draped in bras that are thrown on stage. This still cracks me up, no matter how many times I see this band.
Opening up for All Time Low on this night and on the upcoming tour, was Gnash. You may recognize the name from his breakout radio hit from a couple years ago "i hate u, i love u." The solo artist was joined on stage by a full band and was warmly welcomed to a very lively crowd.
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All Time Low and Gnash can be seen on Part 2 of The Summer Ever After Tour, along with Dashboard Confessional beginning on Thursday September 27th. Tickets and tour dates are available now at alltimelow.com and all the photos from the show in Raleigh this week are available below.
All Time Low
gnash
Troye Sivan will be stopping in Charlotte, NC on October 2nd! Youtuber turned pop-star will be playing a show at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union in support of his recently released album, “Bloom”. The album was released on August 31st of this year and has received rave reviews from both critics and his fanatical fanbase. Opening for Troye Sivan on this leg of “The Bloom Tour” will be Kim Petras, who is currently working on her debut album.
Alongside his musical abilities, Troye is well known for his work in the LGBTQ+ community, helping to normalize and end stereotypes that come alongside being in same-sex relationships. He has made it a point to feature same-sex couples in a majority of his music videos, stating that the portrayal of these characters is important in normalizing the culture and making it a standard for future generations. With the LGBTQ+ playing such an important role in Troye Sivan’s life, touring with Kim Petras, a transgender who originally received attention in the media for transitioning at a young age, seems like a match made in heaven for fans. This tour is seeming to be a culmination of all the achievements Troye Sivan has accomplished so far at the young age of 23, and will be an event fans will not want to miss.
Tickets are on sale now, and the tour will come through Charlotte, NC on October 2nd at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union.
Written by David DeFruscio
While we've been grounded here in NC, because of Hurricane Florence, the world still turns and Riot Fest went on in Chicago IL this weekend! The three day festival featured performances from Weezer, Young The Giant, Taking Back Sunday, Aquabats, The Fever 333, Sum 41, Father John Misty, Alkaline Trio, Incubus, Interpol, Run The Jewels, Suicidal Tendencies and so many more!
Douglas Park hosted the festival again and what a beautiful weekend at the park it was. Next year, the festival is set to take place September 13-15 and should prove to be yet another amazing weekend.
For more information and photos from the 2018 festival, and for coming information about next year's fest, head over to riotfest.org
Day 1
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Day 2
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Day 3
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It wasn’t too long ago that our hearts were all mended from the crushing news of a hiatus of one of the most important post-hardcore bands of the early 2000s-era. And since their return, Thrice continue their amazing post-hiatus run with their tenth studio album, Palms. For almost two decades now, Thrice have been a staple in any alternative/post-hardcore playlist and their influence on these genres is largely evident, despite keeping under the mainstream radar throughout their career.
Before getting into the latest release, let’s just take a look back. Early in their career Thrice was caught in this thick web of post-hardcore scene where all the bands were seemingly molding into one sound as time went by, but they stood out with The Illusion Of Safety (2002) and The Artist In The Ambulance (2003); and they could have easily continued to make those albums over and over again because that’s what made a name for them. But as true musicians they began to mold their sound into something unique with one of my all-time favorite albums, Vheissu (2005) and they stopped experimenting and transforming their sound. After the success of Vheissu, Thrice began alter their sound and put out a handful of albums that really grabbed the attention of a completely different type of fanbase. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II (2007), The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV (2008), Beggars (2009), Major/Minor (2011) were all albums that really didn’t connect with the core of their audience and while they are all still absolutely amazing albums, there was just something missing and Thrice really felt it as they ended up announcing their hiatus in 2012.
Towards the end of 2014, the band caused a stir when they passively announced their return with a picture from within a recording studio and began to make festival appearance in 2015. They then made their official return with 2016’s To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere which was new and more welcomed transformation of their established sound. Their latest release, Palms, which was released on September 14, continues this new improved and mature sound from the band but continues to feel new and refreshed from anything they’ve ever released before.
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The incredible songwriting ability lyrically and on the guitar from frontman Dustin Kensrue is as clear as ever and the back and the gritty and infectious riffs put together with guitarist Teppei Teranishi is what really drives this album. And of course, the efforts of bassist Eddie Breckenridge and drummer Riley Breckenridge cannot be forgotten as it all comes together as a complete and wonderfully cohesive collection of ten tracks.
For the fans of the earlier Thrice ‘sound’ that may not have been too happy with their return on To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, unfortunately, this is going to be another album that just won’t be your cup of tea. While they are not the same band that they were in 2005, what band is? These post-hiatus albums are a new era for this band and I would encourage anyone to really put in the effort to hear the and feel the power in this music. Especially with Palms, there is raw emotion that can be felt through songs like ‘Beyond The Pines‘, ‘Just Breathe‘, and ‘Everything Belongs‘.
Palms is the full embodiment of what this band has become. The maturity and growth from aggressive teens to men that have found their place; the very core of their aged yet fresher sound that first emerged on To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, has stepped into the spotlight.
Dallas, TX metalcore vets Fit For A King released their fifth studio album Dark Skies on September 14th through Solid State Records. The highly anticipated album was produced by Drew Fulk (I Prevail, Motionless In White, Memphis May Fire) and follows the 2016 release of Deathgrip which reached number 5 on the hard rock album charts. Now, with the band’s newest release, Dark Skies, Fit For A King is looking to, once again, dominate the hard rock/metalcore scene.
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Dark Skies is a much more matured release from FFAK, with noticeable influences throughout and much more synth intertwined into the choruses and breakdowns. However, it the constant heavy punch that FFAK is known for. But even without, Dark Skies should be well received within their fan base. But may grab the attention of others with bigger sounding songs like ‘The Price of Agony’ and also ‘Anthem of the Defeated’, which is a song that has clear influences from Slipknot; both invite headbangers to go wild.
Where the album lacks in heaviness, there are still very good and mature songs. ‘When Everything Means Nothing’, ‘Youth | Division’, and ‘Debts of the Soul’ are definitely the tamer outliers but show emotion and push the core meaning on this album. Then ‘Shattered Glass’ and the lead single ‘Tower of Pain’ make-up for lacking heaviness, as back-to-back crushing tracks, before the album takes a much calmer ending tone. This duo of songs should become regulars on the touring setlist and will really get huge reactions from the fans.
Lyrically, there is a clear path through the album from struggle and feeling lost, reaching the breaking point, reflecting on the past, and overcoming the struggle. There’s a concept to this album, without it being a straightforward concept album.
Overall, I do not believe this is the strongest release from Fit For A King. Current fans will enjoy Dark Skies as it offers everything that the Dallas band does right. Catchy choruses, meaningful lyrics, and crushing breakdowns; but it is all done in a way that just seems a little stale. This band has set an unprecedented bar for themselves though, with four albums that were just great albums one after the other, and it’s surprising that they’ve gone this long to get to the one album that just may not stick. All bands have that album that isn’t received as well, and for Fit For A King, unfortunately I think Dark Skies will be that album.
I would still recommend picking up this album and giving it a listen. Not only will you be supporting a band that has huge proven talent, but there are real high points of this album.
http://solidstate.lnk.to/DarkSkiesFA
Also, if you’ve never seen Fit For A King live, they have a huge live sound with incredible stage presence. Just watching bassist Ryan ‘Tuck’ O’Leary jump, kick, and punch the air will make you feel exhausted.
Have a listen to a couple of the singles off of Dark Skies
Fit For A King is Ryan Kirby (Lead Vocals), Jared Easterling (Drums), Bobby Lynge (Vocals, Guitars), Ryan "Tuck" O'Leary (Bass, Clean Vocals)
This summer the New York City-based band, The Rad Trads, shared two new songs off of their upcoming full length album On Tap. Those songs, "Good Luck Unto Ya" and "Wishing Well", are perfect glimpses into the full album as this groovy, jazzy, rock blend becomes the perfect late summer jam.
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"On Tap" is a nine-track blend of influences that shows off the potential of the wide variety of talent that this band has. The five-piece reveal their passion for arrangement and orchestration, introducing a sea of horns, harmonies, gritty grooves, and psychedelic guitar textures. Songs like "Thumbtack" and "The Little Pie Blues" share a nod towards their playful use of acoustic instruments while the lead singles "Good Luck Unto Ya" and "Wishing Well" make for brilliant opening and closing tracks on the album. "My Place" and "Key Club" highlight the diversity the band has grown to embrace while contagious fun-loving nature shines throughout.
"Vada Via" is one of my favorite tracks off of this album with its slow and rhythmic start that goes right into an infectious "vada via, vada via, vada via" chorus. That chorus repeats in my head for hours, it's so catchy.
Take a listen to "Good Luck Unto Ya" and "Wishing Well" bellow to get a taste of the new album that releases this Friday, September 14 (pre-order here). If you'd like to see this amazing group live, they will be hitting the road on the same day before heading over to Spain in October.
09/14 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
09/18 - Rose Music Hall - Columbia, MO
09/19 - Knuckleheads Saloon - Kansas City, MO
09/20 - Lincoln Calling Festival - Lincoln, NE
09/21 - The Temple Theatre - Des Moines, IA
09/23 - SPACE - Evanston, IL
09/26 - Motr Pub - Cincinnati, OH
09/27 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH
09/28 - Levitt Pavilion Dayton - Dayton, OH
09/30 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH
10/02 - Racoon Motel - Davenport, IA
10/03 - Icehouse - Minneapolis, MN
10/04 - The Mill - Iowa City, IA
10/05 - The Grand Theatre - Wausau, WI
10/11 - Loco Club - Valencia, ES
10/12 - Louie Louie - Estepona, ES
10/13 - El Pelicano - Cadiz, ES
10/14 - Sala X - Sevilla, ES
10/15 - Cafe Central - Madrid, ES
10/16 - Cafe Central - Madrid, ES
10/17 - Cafe Central - Madrid, ES
10/18 - El Amacen de Little Bobby - Santander, ES
10/20 - AMC Boganegra Culturual Club - Valles Pilloña, ES
10/21 - Sidreria El Zagal - Aldeamayor de San Martin, ES
11/06 - Granada (Sundown) - Dallas, TX
11/07 - Mohawk - Austin, TX
11/08 - McGonigel's Mucky Duck - Houston, TX
12/09 - City Winery Boston - Boston, MA
Follow The Rad Trads:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter / Soundcloud / Bandcamp
Chart topping rock band Stone Sour are currently on the No More Tours 2 tour in support of Ozzy Osbourne and will be making a one-off stop for a headlining show in Raleigh NC on September 15th at The Ritz. Support for this show comes from special guests From Ashes To New. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit www.stonesour.com.
Stone Sour is currently in year two of supporting their latest album HYDROGRAD, and just recently released the HYDROGRAD Deluxe edition. The original release rocketed to #1 on three Billboard charts following its June 30, 2017 release, including “Top Current Albums,” “Top Rock Albums,” and “Top Hard Rock Albums.” In addition, HYDROGRAD also debuted at #8 on the SoundScan/Billboard 200, marking the GRAMMY® Award-nominated band’s fifth consecutive Top 10 debut on that chart. As if that weren’t enough, HYDROGRAD made Top 5 debuts in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland while also scoring Stone Sour’s highest-ever chart debuts in Australia (#2) and the U.K. (#5). HYDROGRAD is available now at all DSPs and www.stonesour.com.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to see an intimate one-off show with Stone Sour in Raleigh NC at The Ritz on Saturday September 15th.
Stone Sour is: Corey Taylor (vocals), Josh Rand (guitar), Roy Mayorga (drums), Johny Chow (bass), and Christian Martucci (guitar).
For additional news and information, please visit stonesour.com, facebook.com/stonesour, twitter.com/stonesour, youtube.com/stonesour, and roadrunnerrecords.com.
Earlier this month, O.A.R was slated to bring their Just Like Paradise Tour through Raleigh with Matt Nathanson. The show was delayed due to weather and eventually Matt Nathanson took the stage. However, the rain did not stay away and the show was yet again delayed. O.A.R and Red Hat Amphitheater eventually called the concert and postponed it until August 29th.
Fast Forward a couple weeks later, O.A.R came back to Raleigh as promised, this time with Taylor Carson to open the show and he weather was much more concert friendly with clear skies all night. The band from Maryland recently celebrated 20 years together and now moving past that milestone have a new album set for release, currently titled The Mighty. Their new song "Just Like Paradise" can be heard below our photos from the show in Raleigh NC.
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Remaining Just List Paradise Tour Dates: Sept 8 Kansas City, MO Sept 9 Morrison, CO Sept 10 Salt Lake City, UT Sept 13 Valley Center, CA Sept 14 Anaheim, CA Sept 15 Saratoga, CA Sept 16 Portland, OR Sept 18 Seattle, WA |
First on the stage was Liz Cooper & The Stampede, a folk-rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. With no fancy tricks or gimmicks, you could tell they had won over the crowd by the end of the first song. With an organic sound that is reminiscent of old school rock-and-roll, the trio made their short time on stage a highlight of the night by simply playing the music in a way that was incredibly interesting to watch. With drummer Ryan Usher as the backbone of the performance, it led to interesting solos from not only frontwoman Liz Cooper but also bassist, Grant Prettyman. Along with these, they also left plenty of room for drummer Ryan Usher to showcase his obvious talent and supreme technical ability. With how naturally these solos flowed through the performance, you can tell that this is an experienced group that has been around each other long enough to play both a starring and supporting role in live music together. Not only is this a talented three-piece on its own, it has also proven to be an excellent pairing with houndmouth, who have a very similar style and tone overall.
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Following Liz Cooper & The Stampede was Houndmouth, the headliner of the night. With the new album relying more heavily on electronic instrumentation in comparison to their older work, many fans, myself included, were anxious to see how this new style would play out in a live format. I’m happy to say that the change in tone for the group seems to be taken in stride. Not only do the new songs translate very well in a live setting, but they also fit in surprisingly well alongside the bands previous tunes. Similar to Liz Cooper, this is a class-act that has learned how to play together as a group. In the same way that jazz musicians learn each other's strengths so that they can be accurately highlighted, houndmouth played together in such a way that each member had an equal chance to shine and showcase their talents on stage. Houndmouth has proven themselves to be a powerhouse, both in the studio and in live performance. This is a must see show from two amazing trios that complement each other exceptionally.
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Upcoming tour dates from Houndmouth:
Denver, CO - Globe Hall - 9/14/18
Salt Lake City, UT - The Commonwealth Room - 9/15/18
Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre - 9/16/18
Seattle, WA - The Showbox - 9/17/18
Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom - 9/19/18
Portland, OR - McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom - 9/20/18
San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore - 9/22/18
San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Brew - 9/25/18
San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park - 9/26/18
Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre - 9/28/18
Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre - 10/2/18
Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf - 10/3/18
El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace - 10/5/18
Austin, TX - Antone’s - 10/6/18
Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works - 10/10/18
Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall - 10/12/18
Leon Bridges officially kicked off his Good Things World Tour this week in Raleigh NC. The nearly sold-out show was one to be remembered. It was an unbearably hot night at Red Hat Amphitheater, but no one seemed to mind thanks to the Grammy Award Winner's satisfying and incredibly entertaining set. Stylishly dressed in a retro pink suit, with a floral block print jacket, Bridges looked as good as he sounds. His aesthetic, both unique and thoughtful, like a mashup of the great entertainers of yesteryear's past with a modern punch.
Bridges began his 21-song set with "If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)" and went on to perform fan favorites like " Better Man", "Smooth Salin'" and "River" from his 2015 album "Coming Home."
Closing out the concert with a bang, Leon Bridges performed “River” and “Mississippi Kisses.” Pulling out his guitar for his most popular song, Leon Bridges definitely made fans out of the passerbys of the downtown amphitheater venue that might not have been before with his stripped down but strong “River.” It felt even more powerful than the raw recording on the album. Finishing out the concert, he performed “Mississippi Kisses" bringing everyone back to their feet and made sure everyone, from front to back, was dancing and giving it their all.
The incredible passion and talent is evident through the music and style of Leon Bridges. Any fan of good downright good music would enjoy this show and I would definitely recommend catching one of the many remaining dates of this tour, if the closes date has not already sold out. Enjoy the photos below and take a look at the remaining dates on the Good Things tour to plan your night out with Leon Bridges
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| 8/28/18 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre + 8/29/18 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater + 8/31/18 - New Braunfels, TX - Whitewater Amphitheatre + 9/1/18 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at The Moody Theater + 9/2/18 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at The Moody Theater + 9/4/18 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre + 9/5/18 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre + 9/7/18 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre + 9/8/18 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl Concert Theater + 9/11/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre # 9/12/18 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl # 9/14/18 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater# 9/15/18 - Troutdale, OR - Edgefield # |
9/16/18 - British Columbia, CND - PNE Amphitheater # 9/18/18 - Missoula, MT - Big Sky Brewing Company # 9/20/18 - St. Paul, MN - Palace Theatre # 9/23/18 - Milwaukee, WI - BMO Harris Pavilion # 9/24/18 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom # 9/25/18 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre # 9/27/18 - Toronto, Ontario - RBC Echo Beach # 9/28/18 - Montreal, Quebec - Place des Arts # 9/30/18 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore # 10/3/18 - Washington, DC - The Anthem # 10/4/18 - Boston, MA - Agganis Arena # 10/5/18 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall # 10/6/18 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall # |
*with Jon Batiste and Stay Human
++ with Masego and Khruangbin
+ with Masego only
# with Khruangbin only
Setlist:
If It Feels Good
Bad Bad News
Better Man
Shy
Coming
Beyond
Ana
Georgia To Texas
Forgive You
Bet Ain't Worth The Hand
Lions
You Don't Know
Lisa Sawyer
Hold On
Brown Skin Girl
Mrs.
Smooth Sailin
Flowers
Twistin'
-Encore-
River
Mississippi Kisses
Music Available Now
Amazon | Apple Music | Google Play | iTunes | Spotify | YouTube
Where To Find Leon Bridges
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
Earlier this year J.Cole and his record label Dreamville announced a music festival to take place in Raleigh NC. After month of silence and many wondering who will actually be performing, the silence has been broken about the upcoming music festival and announced the lineup via Twitter.
The first ever Dreamville Festival will see performances by J. Cole himself, SZA, Big Sean, Young Thug, Nelly, Rich the Kid, Teyana Taylor, Davido, Bas, J.I.D, Rapsody, Cozz, Saba, Earthgang, Ari Lennox, Omen, YBN Cordae, Lute, and King Mez.
General Admission tickets are available for purchase now at www.DreamvilleFest.com for $109 for a limited time. For those looking for the ultimate festival experience, ticket buyers should opt for one of the VIP ticket packages. Packages this year include JV VIP ($229), Varsity VIP ($289), and MVP VIP ($449), with perks including premium viewing areas, expedited entry, dedicated bars and food vendors, private restroom facilities, festival merch, and more. Those interested in VIP are encouraged to act quickly and buy now as an extremely limited amount of VIP passes are still available.
Dreamville Festival offers an opportunity for J. Cole to give back to his home state, which has helped shape him as an artist, with a one-of-a-kind celebration of local culture, music food and art. The festival aims to provide a unique opportunity for locals and visitors alike to gather and enjoy a music celebration in one of Raleigh’s most beautiful and historic locations, Dorothea Dix Park - Raleigh’s largest city park with over 300 acres of public greenspace. Dreamville Festival’s ultimate goal is to not only have a positive and substantial economic and cultural impact on the city and surrounding region, but also to become one of the most anticipated annual events in the city - one that is a perfect complement to the existing event landscape and cultural fabric of the City of Raleigh.
The festival team would like to personally thank all of the 2018 partners and sponsors who are helping to make this year’s event possible, including Radio One’s WQOK (K97.5), Monster Energy, Lyft, Bedlam Vodka, Mother Rosé, Bud Light, and William Peace University. Lyft is the official transportation partner of Dreamville Festival. “The fans are the most important part of Dreamville. This is our first annual Dreamville Festival and we wanted to make sure that they have a great experience from the minute they head out to Dix park, to the minute they get back to home,” said President of Dreamville, Ibrahim Hamad. “Partnering with Lyft gets our fans everywhere they need to be for Dreamville Festival weekend and more.”
Dreamville Festival will benefit both the Dreamville Foundation and Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy. Founded in 2011 by J.Cole, The Dreamville Foundation is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) created to “bridge the gap” between the worlds of opportunity and the urban youth of Fayetteville, North Carolina, through creating various programs and events that allow local youth to be “set up for success.” Additionally, the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to support the city in its efforts, serve as its philanthropic partner, and help ensure the creation and long-term success of Dorothea Dix Park. For more information on each charity partner, please visit www.thedreamvillefoundation.org and dixpark.org, respectively.
Stay tuned for more Dreamville Festival details, including the full performance schedule and transportation information, to be announced soon. For more information and to stay up to date on all Dreamville Festival news and announcements, please visit the following channels:
WEBSITE: www.DreamvilleFest.com FACEBOOK: @dreamvillefest TWITTER: @dreamvillefest INSTAGRAM: @dreamvillefest
“Thank you for joining us here. Tonight we’re going to play every song we know,” exclaimed lead vocalist Bear Rinehart. And that they did. NEEDTOBREATHE played an astonishing 23-song set to a nearly (if it wasn't actually) sold-out crowd.
Prior to NEEDTOBREATHE taking the stage, the crowd was treated to two equally talented artists. First was the young singer-songwriter Billy Raffoul, from Los Angeles, CA. His gritty and at times soulful voice is something so unique you couldn't help but be captivated by his performance. And following him up was a duo from Los Angeles, known as JOHNNYSWIM.
Those that are fans of the headliners will most likely already know of JOHNNYSWIM, as they were featured on the title track of NEEDTOBREATHE's most recent release, and namesake of the tour, 'Forever On Your Side'. The couple showed off their on-stage chemistry as they performed in front of their band, they would smirk when they made eye contact as if they were two strangers glancing at each other from across a room. Their unique mix of music styles was a great twist on a typical duo where the vocals are dominated by one or the other. Some songs were lead by Amanda Sudano and some lead by Abner Ramirez, while other songs they had a nice back and forth trading of vocal lead. The duo played through the rain, and once the rain cleared, they stepped off the stage to perform down with the crowd.
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As the sun set and the crowd did their best to dry off from the rain, the lights went off and NEEDTOBREATHE's introduction began to rumble the bodies anxiously awaiting their entrance. The members of the band walked out to a roar from the crowd and dove right into the night's set, and with a set list as long as their's you can't waste any time.
NEEDTOBREATHE put on an absolutely incredible and moving live show. The first time I saw them a few years ago I had never even listened to any of their songs and I was blown away by their performance. Their fans are also extremely dedicated and some of the most involved fans when at the concert. After I put my camera away, I walked around the venue and everywhere I went there were large groups of people jumping and singing to each other while the band played. There was so much joy and living the moment which is so unusual these days at a concert. Typically the crowd is full of phones being held in the air, videoing the songs. The band that comes from South Carolina must feel right at home no matter where in the world they are.
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Not only are their performances top-notch, but their lighting and stage setup is always equally impressive. On this particular tour, they were backed by large video boards and vertical strips of lights that were reminiscent of a pipe organ. The lights flickered and hypnotized as they burned through the first 14 songs; including "Hard Love", "Feet, Don't Fail Me Now", "The Outsiders", and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Bossa Nova Baby" which guitarist Bo Rinehart took the lead on vocals for as Bear left the stage.
At that point, the tone of the show changed as they transitioned into slower tempo acoustic show. The stage went dark and lead vocalist/guitarist, Bear Rinehart, reappeared on the raised platform at the back of the staged now donned in a shimmering 'rinestone' jacket. As the spotlights shined on him, beams of light reflected off of his jacket in all directs in the same way light reflects off of a disco ball. After a short four song break from the big light and sound show, they went right back at it and ended their set with "Forever On Your Side" and were joined on stage with JOHNNYSWIM before ending the night officially with a couple encore songs including one of the biggest fan favorites "Brother"
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If you ever have the chance to see this band live, I would highly recommend it. There are still plenty of dates left on the Forever On Your Side Tour:
Aug. 24 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Amphitheatre
Aug. 25 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater
Aug. 26 - Indianapolis, IN - Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
Sept. 04 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
Sept. 05 - Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Sept. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - Minneapolis Armory
Sept. 08 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sept. 09 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
Sept. 10 - Lincoln, NE - Pinewood Bowl Theater
Sept. 12 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sept. 14 - Portland, OR - Portland Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Sept. 15 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
Sept. 16 - Abbotsford, BC, Canada - Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre
Sept. 18 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
Sept. 19 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre
Sept. 21 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Sept. 23 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
Sept. 27 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
Sept. 28 - Irving, TX - Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory
Sept. 29 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sept. 30 - Orange Beach, AL - Amphitheater at the Wharf
Oct. 02 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
Oct. 04 - Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Oct. 05 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena
Oct. 06 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Oct. 07 - Charleston, SC - Volvo Car Stadium
Get your tickets for one of the remaining dates HERE
NEEDTOBREATHE is Bear Rinehart (Lead vocals/Guitar), Bo Rinehart (Guitar/Banjo/Vocals), Seth Bolt (Bass/Vocals), Josh Lovelace (Keyboards/Vocals)
We are just a couple weeks away from the 2018 Riot Fest, and with headlining acts like Blink-182, Beck, Blondie, Incubus, and the one and only Jerry Lee Lewis; it is set to be an unforgettable weekend.
The mid-September festival has because a staple int he Chicago punk rock community but also plays host to a very diverse collection of music from indie, rap, reggae, rock, and punk.
This year's first wave lineup announcement features a very diverse lineup just in the headliners alone. That doesn't even include a yet to be announced second wave of artists that should include one additional headlining act.
Some notable acts that will be hitting the five stage festival in Douglas Park that we are excited about seeing are The Wonder Years, The Fever 333, The Front Bottoms, The Audition, and so many more. I am pretty sure anyone can go through this lineup and find at least one artist they'd be excited to see.
One really awesome part about Riot Fest and it taking place in the North Lawndale area at Douglas Park, that sits on the southwestern side of Chicago, is that they have a great initiative to help revitalize the area and keep the park in good condition. Every year, Riot Fest in association with the, Riot Fest Foundation, invites volunteers to help out on three separate days prior to the festival by mulching trees, picking up trash, pulling weeds, planting flowers, and more. In return those that help out receive a ticket to one day of the festival for each day they volunteer.
Also, recent rumors have surfaced that Warped Tour may be making its comeback at the 2019 Riot Fest in Chicago. In whatever form that happens, having the Warped Tour name tied to this weekend festival is sure to bring out more fans. And it makes sense to. Why not combine one of the most popular punk rock weekend festivals with the most popular and longest running punk rock touring festival. With Kevin Lyman and his team helping out, there is sure to be a boost of buzz and excitement around it, if it actually does end up happening.
This festival is sure to be a fun one again this year, and we cannot wait to see everyone in Chicago.
Grammy Award nominated R&B recording artist and songwriter Leon Bridges has released the official music video for his track “Beyond” from sophomore album Good Thing. Directed by Josh Goleman and creative directed and developed by Preacher, the golden hued video finds Leon, enchanted by a woman (Aeriél Miranda), with whom he is deeply falling in love, developing a relationship and solidifying their bond. Filmed in El Paso, TX and featuring Bridges real life friends, the video is set amongst iconic area locations including Rosa’s Cantina and H&H Carwash.
Watch the “Beyond” video here: http://leonbridg.es/beyondvideo
Written by Leon Bridges, Justin Tranter, Ricky Reed, Nate Mercereau and Niles City Sound (Austin Jenkins and Josh Block), “Beyond” finds Leon marveling about a new love and how much she transfixes him and wondering if she might be the one, and might “just be my everything and beyond…”. “Beyond” is proving to be a favorite song for summer nuptials, with many couples getting engaged to and walking down the aisle to the loving tune.
“Beyond’ can be heard on Leon’s sophomore album, Good Thing, which was released globally on May 4th by Columbia Records. Available both digitally and physically, Good Thing is available for purchase here. The follow up to Leon’s critically acclaimed, award winning, Certified Gold debut album Coming Home, Good Thing was executive produced by Ricky Reed and Niles City Sound and produced by Ricky Reed.
Summer is proving to be a busy time for Leon. In addition to the success of “Beyond”, his previous track “Bad Bad News” is now #1 at Triple A radio.
Leon, a trained choreographer, has long been celebrated for his live show, which couples both his and his full scale band’s musicianship with his use of dance and motion. The tour's stop in Raleigh NC at the Red Hat Amphitheater on Monday August 27th is set to have a huge crowd, on a tour with many sold out dates; including two sold out nights at Radio City Music Hall and a sold out night at the Greek Theatre.
Be sure to grab your tickets before it's too late for this show! For tickets, timing and additional details please visit Leon’s website.
LEON BRIDGES 2018 TOUR DATES
8/27/18 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater +
8/28/18 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre +
8/29/18 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater +
8/31/18 New Braunfels, TX Whitewater Amphitheatre +
9/1/18 Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater +
9/2/18 Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater +
9/4/18 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre +
9/5/18 San Diego, CA Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre +
9/7/18 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre +
9/8/18 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl Concert Theater +
9/11/18 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre #
9/12/18 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl #
9/14/18 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater #
9/15/18 Troutdale, OR Edgefield #
9/16/18 British Columbia, CND PNE Amphitheater #
9/18/18 Missoula, MT Big Sky Brewing Company #
9/20/18 St. Paul, MN Palace Theatre #
9/23/18 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Pavilion #
9/24/18 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom #
9/25/18 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre #
9/27/18 Toronto, Ontario RBC Echo Beach #
9/28/18 Montreal, Quebec Place des Arts #
9/30/18 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore #
10/3/18 Washington, DC The Anthem #
10/4/18 Boston, MA Agganis Arena #
10/5/18 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall #
10/6/18 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall #
*with Jon Batiste and Stay Human
++ with Masego and Khruangbin
+ with Masego only
# with Khruangbin only
Music Available Now
Amazon | Apple Music | Google Play | iTunes | Spotify | YouTube
Where To Find Leon Bridges
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
It's been just a few months shy from a full year since this South Carolina Christian rock band NEEDTOBREATHE was through Raleigh; but this Wednesday, August 22nd, NEEDTOBREATHE will be bringing their Forever On Your Side Tour to the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh NC.
The tour's namesake comes from their most recent release from Niles City Sound Sessions, that features the title track 'Forever On Your Side' ft. JOHNNYSWIM, as well as three other tracks; "Burning Bridges", "Darling", and "Bullets". The collection of songs is AVAILABLE NOW.
NEEDTOBREATHE also has their Acoustic Live VOL. 1 album coming to vinyl on November 16, 2018. The 2LP vinyl set will include three sides of music as well as an etched B-side for display. This band is absolutely incredible live, so you definitely want to pick this up if you are a fan of vinyl music. PRE-ORDER NOW
Check out their music video with JOHNNYSWIM for their track 'Forever On Your Side' below:
If you haven't already purchased tickets to this show on Wednesday at the Red Hat Amphitheater, be sure to get them quick because this band draws a crowd! And it is well deserved, because NEEDTOBREATHE was probably one of my favorite concert from the last couple years. Their live performance is flawless and there is so much power and emotion that pours from the stage and through the crowd.
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Photos from their 2016 performance on the Tour De Comprades at Red Hat Amphitheater
Get your tickets for their upcoming show in Raleigh or any other date remaining on the Forever On Your Side Tour HERE
Tuesday, Aug. 21 – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, Charlotte, N.C.*
Wednesday, Aug. 22 – Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, N.C.*
Friday, Aug. 24 – Verizon Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, Ga.*
Saturday, Aug. 25 – Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, Tenn.*
Sunday, Aug. 26 – Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park, Indianapolis, Ind.*
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio^
Wednesday, Sept. 5 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland, Ohio^
Friday, Sept. 7 – The Armory, Minneapolis, Minn.^
Saturday, Sept. 8 – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, Ill.^
Sunday, Sept. 9 – Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.^
Monday, Sept. 10 – Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater, Lincoln, Neb.^-
Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Red Rocks, Morrison, Colo.^-
Friday, Sept. 14 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore.^
Saturday, Sept. 15 – WaMu Theater, Seattle, Wash.^
Sunday, Sept. 16 – Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre, Abbotsford, BC^
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – The Fox, Oakland, Calif.^-
Wednesday, Sept. 19 – Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles, Calif.^-
Friday, Sept. 21 – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, San Diego, Calif.^
Saturday, Sept. 22 – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif.^
Sunday, Sept. 23 – Comerica Theatre, Phoenix, Ariz.^
Thursday, Sept. 27 – Walmart AMP, Rogers, Ark.+
Friday, Sept. 28 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, Texas+
Saturday, Sept. 29 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, Texas+
Sunday, Sept. 30 – The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach, Ala.+-
Tuesday, Oct. 2 – Daily's Place, Jacksonville, Fla.+
Thursday, Oct. 4 – Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, Ala.+-
Friday, Oct. 5 – Thompson Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.+-
Saturday, Oct. 6 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.+-
Sunday, Oct. 7 – Volvo Car Stadium, Daniel Island, S.C.+-
All dates will be supported by Los Angeles duo, JOHNNYSWIM
*Dates opened by Billy Raffoul
^Opened by Forest Blakk
+Opened by The Rocketboys
-Not a Live Nation date
NEEDTOBREATHE is Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar), Bo Rinehart (guitar, vocals), Josh Lovelace (keyboard, vocals), Seth Bolt (bass, vocals)
Seattle indie rockers Band of Horses wrapped up their summer 2018 tour with two sold out shows this past weekend in North Carolina. They came through The Ritz in Raleigh on Friday and did not disappoint!
After a solid opening set from Bonny Doon, Band of Horses took to the stage. The 20-song set began with a massive amount of haze and an eerie vibe as the band settled into their first two songs of the night: "Monsters" and "The Snow Fall a.k.a. The First Song."
As smoke quickly poured across the stage and throughout the venue, BOH went on to perform a mix of songs from throughout their career. From their latest album Why Are You OK: "Hag," "Casual Party," "In A Drawer" and "Throw My Mess." As well as fan favorites from back in the day: "Laredo," "The Great Salt Lake," Is There A Ghost," "No One's Gonna Love You" and "The Funeral."
Surprising additions included "Marry Song" from their 2007 album Cease To Begin, "Too Soon," a rare, unreleased track from 2010 and a cover of "Can't Hardly Wait" by The Replacements.
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Photos and Review by Ashley Acker
This weekend was the inaugural Summer Daze Music Festival put on by Seven Foot Giant.
Raleigh's Coastal Credit Union Midtown Park, at North Hills, was the perfect urban venue for this summertime festival that had a very coachella-esque vibe with flower crowns, beers held high for the music, and a mix of rap, EDM, and indie rock music. There were yard games like giant Jenga and cornhole, as well as plenty of local vendors and food trucks. The lineup featured a few local acts like Nance (rap/hip hop Raleigh NC), Rookie of the Year (emo/alt rock Raleigh NC), MIKE's Left Arm (rock Raleigh NC), and WONDR (rap/hip hop Nashville TN); and national acts Carter Cruise (EDM), Lute (rap/hip hop), Surfer Blood (indie rock), and Shwayze & Cisco (rap/hip hop/americana).
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With rain in the forecast, the majority of the festival went off without any problems; however, the rain began to fall just as Surfer Blood ended their set and delayed the headliners from taking the stage. Once the storm cleared, Shwayze & Cisco played through the sunset to a now wet and very anxious crowd. Everyone pushed their way to the very front of the stage and rather than lounging in the grass and it turned into a very intimate party type show. The duo just celebrated a 10 year anniversary/reunion tour in June and Shwayze was originally going to be performing solo at the Summer Daze Music Festival as a part of his current Ichronic Tour; however, Cisco became a late addition and a very welcomed one at that.
Check out all of our photos from our day at the Summer Daze Music Festival:
Shwayze & Cisco
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Surfer Blood
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Lute
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Carter Cruise
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Rookie of the Year
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MIKE's Left Arm
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WONDR
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Nance
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Full Gallery:
It's been a rainy and hot summer here in Raleigh NC, which makes it tough on rain or shine concerts at venues like Coastal Credit Union Music Park. However, the rain gave way last Friday night for a night full of jams and good times with Phish.
The band has made a name for themselves through their improvisation and extended jam versions of their songs, and continue to sell tons of tickets for venues of all sizes even 3.5 decades after their formation. On this hot and sweaty evening in Raleigh, the band performed two full sets:
Set 1: Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Funky Bitch, Ocelot, The Wedge, Wombat, Guelah Papyrus, Birds Of A Feather, Saw It Again, Timber, Limb By Limb, Farmhouse, More
Set 2: Meatstick, Drowned, NICU, Thread, Runaway Jim > Run Like An Antelope > Runaway Jim > Run Like An Antelope > Makisupa Police Man > Run Like An Antelope Reprise, You Enjoy Myself
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The entire show was also live streamed is available to view via Phish's YouTube channel:
Photos by Ashley Acker
Summer is hot, but what makes it even hotter? A kick-ass punk rock show with three amazing bands at a downtown outdoor venue like Red Hat Amphitheater. Even on a Tuesday night, with Pennywise playing at another venue just a couple blocks away, this show was packed out for some fun. Last night, Rise Against, AFI, and Anti-Flag were at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC for the Mourning In Amerika Tour. The three groups of punk rock veterans are currently about a third of the way through the tour and will continue to crush the country until the end of September. We were up front and center in the pit to get some shots which can be found below.
If you’d like to catch the tour yourself, and find yourself in the path of the remaining tour dates, tickets for the upcoming dates are available HERE.
Anti-Flag
Anti FlagAnti Flag performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Anti FlagAnti Flag performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Anti FlagAnti Flag performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
AFI
AFIAFI performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
AFIAFI performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
AFIAFI performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
AFIAFI performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
AFIAFI performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
AFIAFI performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Rise Against
Rise AgainstRise Against performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Rise AgainstRise Against performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Rise AgainstRise Against performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Rise AgainstRise Against performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Rise AgainstRise Against performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Rise AgainstRise Against performing at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh NC
Remaining dates of the Mourning In Amerika Tour:
Aug. 09 - Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapids Theatre
Aug. 10 - Rouyn-Noranda, QC @ Osisko En Lumieres Fest
Sep. 06 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
Sep. 08 - Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field (with Fall Out Boy)
Sep. 09 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
Sep. 11 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Bar-B-Q
Sep. 12 - Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
Sep. 13 - Dallas, TX @ Toyota Music Factory
Sep. 15 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sep. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
Sep. 17 - Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
Sep. 19 - Bozeman, MT @ Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Sep. 20 - Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre
Sep. 21 - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Expo Center, Hall B
Sep. 23 - Vancouver BC @ PNE Forum
Sep. 24 - Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater
Sep. 25 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Sep. 28 - Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion
Sep. 29 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
Sep. 30 - Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
Fit For A King is currently on their 2018 North American headlining tour with Like Moths To Flames and Currents. For any metalcore fan, this is a small but powerful lineup full of catchy hooks and crushing breakdowns.
The show kicks off on Thursday night in Fayetteville NC at The Drunk Horse Pub. TICKETS are available now through Etix, get one for yourself and a friend and enjoy some insane music at a grungy little hole in the wall venue.
The small but powerful lineup features two bands equally capable of headlining, Fit For A King and Like Moths To Flames. The latter is another one of those amazing bands out of Ohio, led by Chris Roetter, LMTF has grown their fanbase enormously through their four full length releases over the last eight years. Their latest album, Dark Devine, was a huge shift into a new direction and while many fans had some negative things to say about the album, I personally thought it was one of the best post-hardcore/metalcore albums of 2017.
Fit For A King was built with bootstrap ethics and do-it-yourself vigor. On the strength of self-released material, the group joined Solid State for a string of successful albums that connected with the downtrodden and dispossessed. Creation/Destruction (2013) debuted at Number 6 on the Hard Rock chart. Slave to Nothing (2014) cracked the Top 50 of Billboard’s Top Current Albums. Deathgrip (2016) climbed to Number 5 among Hard Rock Albums. Now, with the band’s forthcoming release, Dark Skies, on the way, Fit For A King is looking to, once again, dominate the hard rock/metalcore scene. Dark Skies is due out September 14th via Solid State Records
Currents
Like Moths To Flames
Fit For A King
The rain finally gave up just long enough to allow this show to go on without a hitch, and this past Wednesday night, Jenny Lewis and Father John Misty treated a large crowd at the NC Museum of Art to a night of amazing singer-songwriter/indie-folk music. The NC Museum of Art is slowly becoming one of the go to venues for Summer concerts and it is well deserved because it is such a relaxed and unique place to enjoy music for a night. With more lawn space than actual 'seats', fans spread out and lay their blankets out on the grass, while others hang hammocks in the trees around the border of the venue.
Jenny Lewis started off the night, as the sun set; her stage set up with the resemblance of a very retro living room. Almost like a bunch of 70s teens set up their instruments for a jam session in the middle of their living room. This true artist jumped between piano, guitar, and just pure vocals as she pulled off a decent length set of songs spanning her whole career; songs like "Rise Up The Fists!!" and "Born Secular" from her time with The Watson Twins and even songs "Silver Lining" and "With Arms Outstretched" from her indie band Riley Kiley.
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Jenny Lewis' most recent solo release The Voyager is available now and you can grab a copy through her website jennylewis.com
This one-off show with Father John Misty actually marked the end of her summer tour dates in the US and now she will jet around the globe playing show between now and mid-September in Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK.
Speaking of Father John Misty; the singer-songwriter, Josh Tillman, is everyone's favorite smartass and, known for his 'idgaf' attitude. But on stage as Father John Misty, he just radiates talent and his beautifully sad songs enveloped everyone watching on this night. While his latest album God's Favorite Customer has seemingly been swept under the rug as far as advertising and press, he didn't shy away from playing half the songs off of the album. But other than those six songs, the rest of the set was a mix of his more notable music of the past.
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Father John Misty is currently on a world tour, during which he will share the stage with Jenny Lewis, TV on the Radio, King Tuff, and more.
08/03 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE &
08/04 – Toronto, ON @ Historic Fort York & Garrison Commons <
08/10-11 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival
08/12 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House %
08/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union %
08/15 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
08/17 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater ~
08/18 – Omaha, NE @ Maha Music Festival
09/09 – Vancouver, BC @ SKOOKUM Festival
09/20 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater $
09/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ MacAllister Amphitheater at Garfield Park $
09/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre $
09/25 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater $
09/26 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore $
09/28 – Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater $
09/29 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live $
10/01 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre $
10/03 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City $
10/06 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre
10/05-07 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
10/09 – Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine
10/10 – Oxford, MS @ The Lyric Oxford
10/11 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Jones Assembly
10/12-14 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
10/26 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage Gateshead +
10/27 – Liverpool, UK @ Olympia +
10/28 – Portsmouth, UK @ Portsmouth Guildhall +
10/29 – Leicester, UK @ De Montfort Hall +
10/30 – Bath, UK @ The Forum Bath +
11/01 – Antwerp, Belgium @ De Roma +
11/02 – Eindhoven, NL @ Effenaar +
11/03 – Groningen, NL @ TakeRoot Festival
11/05 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso +
11/06 – Darmstadt, DE @ Centralstation +
11/07 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt +
11/09-10 – Weissenhäuser Strand, DE @ Rolling Stone Weekender
11/11 – Gothenburg, SE @ Konserthuset +
11/14 – Budapest, HU @ Müpa Budapest, Béla Bartók National Concert Hall +
11/15 – Vienna, Austria @ Arena Wien +
11/16 – Rust, DE @ Rolling Stone Park
11/17 – Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik +
11/18 – Lausanne, CH @ Les Docks +
# = w/ TV on the Radio
& = w/ Bully
< = w/ The National, Jenny Lewis, and Julien Baker
% = w/ Lucy Dacus
~ = w/ David Beeman
$ = w/ King Tuff
+ = w/ Bedouine
The Scottish indie-rock band, Franz Ferdinand, brought their current US Summer tour to The Ritz in Raleigh NC this past weekend and did not disappoint at all. There were no openers or supporting acts on this night, so it was all Franz, front and center. The fans that were present were more than ecstatic for this band to not only be back in Raleigh, but to also finally have new music! Being one of Scotland's most notable indie-rock acts, if not the most notable, and this tour was in direct support of their first release in 5 years.
Always Ascending is Franz Ferdinand’s first album since 2013’s Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action. The group still have a handful of dates left on this tour which you can check out here. Including a stop at Chicago's Lollapalooza festival on Thursday, August 2nd, and the Osheaga Festival in Montreal on August 5th.
Follow Franz Ferdinand for more information about music and tour dates
The new album Always Ascending, out now.
Panic! At The Disco came through Raleigh NC last night for a sold out show at PNC Arena. The home of the Carolina Hurricanes and NC State basketball was packed out with nearly 19,000 fans anxiously awaiting one of the current hottest (in multiple ways) artists right now.
Just about a month after their 2nd consecutive #1 album release with Pray for the Wicked, what did Brendan Urie and Panic! At The Disco have in store?
Brendan’s electrifying performance started with a bang - literally as silver confetti shot out towards the crowd as Urie jumped out from the stage. Playing a mix of old favorites and new singles from his latest release Pray for the Wicked - the crowd never wavered.
Using captivating lights and of course his piano breaks Urie created a display for all audience members no matter where they were sitting.
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A truly touching moment was seen throughout the performance of "Girls/Girls/Boys" as everyone in the audience held up heart shaped papers over their cell phone flashlights to create rainbow of lights throughout the crowd. Urie draped himself in pride flags that were tossed on stage from the crowd.
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Whether it be the first timers or the seasoned Panic! veterans, the Pray for the Wicked Tour truly was a memorable experience.
While we weren't able to have the regular access we would typically have for concerts we cover, Brendan Urie and Panic! were nice enough to allow us to bring in our cameras anyways and capture some moment from our seats.
New York City-based band, The Rad Trads, share the official music video for their lead single "Good Luck Unto Ya." American Songwriter premiered the video with praise, stating, "Ahead of On Tap‘s release, the band has shared a video for new tune 'Good Luck Unto Ya,' a funky kiss-off track with a killer guitar solo and plenty of horns." The band is currently finishing up the first leg of their extensive US run, which included select shows with Lake Street Dive, and they'll kick off the next run of national dates, throughout September and early October, with their On Tap LP release show on Friday, September 14th at Mercury Lounge. In mid-October, the band heads to Spain, for a run of 10 dates throughout the country. See below for details on their tour. On Tap LP is due out September 14th (pre-order here).
On Tap serves as the world's introduction to the diverse possibilities The Rad Trads have to offer from the studio. Revered for their live shows, On Tap sees the five songwriters pull back the curtain on their passion for arrangement and orchestration, introducing a sea of horns, harmonies, gritty grooves, and psychedelic guitar textures. Songs like "Thumbtack" and "The Little Pie Blues" share a nod towards their playful use of acoustic instruments while powerhouses "Good Luck Unto Ya" and "Wishing Well" make for unbridled bookends. "My Place" and "Key Club" highlight the diverse sonic pallet the band has grown to embrace. The band's contagious fun-loving nature shines throughout, a feeling that their fans will find familiar.
TOUR DATES
07/24 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
07/25 - Strathmore Summer Concert - Bethesda, MD
07/26 - The Refectory - Columbus, OH
07/27 - Merchant Street Music Festival - Kankakee, IL
08/03 - Levitt Pavilion Westport - Westport, CT
08/15 - Lake George Arts Summer Concert Series - Lake George, NY
09/14 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
09/18 - Rose Music Hall - Columbia, MO
09/19 - Knuckleheads Saloon - Kansas City, MO
09/20 - Lincoln Calling Festival - Lincoln, NE
09/21 - The Temple Theatre - Des Moines, IA
09/23 - SPACE - Evanston, IL
09/26 - Motr Pub - Cincinnati, OH
09/27 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH
09/28 - Levitt Pavilion Dayton - Dayton, OH
09/30 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH
10/02 - Racoon Motel - Davenport, IA
10/03 - Icehouse - Minneapolis, MN
10/04 - The Mill - Iowa City, IA
10/05 - The Grand Theatre - Wausau, WI
10/11 - Loco Club - Valencia, ES
10/12 - Louie Louie - Estepona, ES
10/13 - El Pelicano - Cadiz, ES
10/14 - Sala X - Sevilla, ES
10/15 - Cafe Central - Madrid, ES
10/16 - Cafe Central - Madrid, ES
10/17 - Cafe Central - Madrid, ES
10/18 - El Amacen de Little Bobby - Santander, ES
10/20 - AMC Boganegra Culturual Club - Valles Pilloña, ES
10/21 - Sidreria El Zagal - Aldeamayor de San Martin, ES
11/06 - Granada (Sundown) - Dallas, TX
11/07 - Mohawk - Austin, TX
11/08 - McGonigel's Mucky Duck - Houston, TX
12/09 - City Winery Boston - Boston, MA
Follow The Rad Trads:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter / Soundcloud / Bandcamp
Roadrunner Records band The Amity Affliction have shared a second new song off their widely anticipated new album, MISERY. “Feels Like I’m Dying,” which made its world premiere yesterday on Sirius XM’s Octane, is available at all DSPs and is accompanied by an official music video that is streaming now at www.theamityaffliction.net. Written and co-directed by the band’s own Joel Birch, the video for “Feels Like I’m Dying” follows the official video forMISERY’s lead single “Ivy (Doomsday),” and marks the second chapter of a three-part short film chronicling a dark tale of three friends and their quest for vengeance.
MISERY is set to arrive worldwide on Friday, August 24th and is available for pre-order now with all orders receiving instant grat downloads of “Ivy (Doomsday)” and “Feels Like I’m Dying.” For additional information, please visitwww.theamityaffliction.net.
The Amity Affliction are currently on tour in the U.S. on the milestone final Vans Warped Tour 2018 which is set to continue through early August (see attached itinerary). From there, The Amity Affliction will head to Europe for a headline tour slated for stops in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. Support on select dates will come from DREAM STATE, The Plot In You, Endless Heights, and others. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.theamityaffliction.net/tour.
Last night, Raleigh was treated to a evening full of amazing 90's / 2000's rock and roll from Weezer and Pixies. The two are currently out on a summer co-headliner tour and along with them was the electro-pop duo Sleigh Bells.
While Weezer has sustained a continued popularity over the years from their classic hits like "Beverly Hills", "Say It Aint So", and "Buddy Holly"; they have seen somewhat of a revival after they were peer-pressured into covering Toto's "Africa". The song is now being played all over the radio. What appeared to be a nearly sold out show went off without a hitch, even with the slight chance of rain. Both bands played nearly two hour long sets with a mix of classics and new music, so for any fan of either of these bands and any of their albums, this show is well worth the price of admission!
Take a look at all the photos including the Happy Days themed stage set for Weezer.
Pixies
Weezer
The tour makes another North Carolina stop tonight, in Charlotte at the PNC Music Pavilion. If you haven't made it to this tour yet, be sure to get your tickets to any of the remaining tour dates.
7/25/18—Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
7/27/18—Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheater at Lakewood
7/28/18—Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
7/29/18—Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
7/31/18—Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
8/1/18—West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater
8/4/18—Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater
8/7/18—Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater
8/11/18—Chula Vista, CA @ Mattress Firm Amphitheater
8/12/18—Phoenix, AZ @ AK-Chin Pavilion
Panic! At The Disco is currently on a tear through North America on the Pray For The Wicked Tour in direct support for the recently released album, under the same name. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts and has received primarily positive reviews.
Pray For The Wicked is the 6th studio album from Brendon Urie and Panic! At The Disco, and is the follow up to the 2016 release Death of a Bachelor.
While Urie and Panic! found early success through their classic emo anthems like “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and “Lying Is The Most Fun...”, they seemed to hit their peak as a band through the early 2010’s. There were many member changes and uncertainty with some forgettable releases. But over the years Urie continued to be the constant and really garnered a lot of attention through his unique vocal range and infectious personality.
In 2016, as the last remaining member of the band, he released his first #1 album, Death of a Bachelor. This album skyrocketed Urie even more into the spotlight and Panic! At The Disco was once again a household name, but in a different way. Those original fans that sang “Nine In The Afternoon” with their friends while Panic! And Fall Out Boy posters hung on their bedroom walls were still huge fans, but now the mainstream music listeners were exposed to the music. And man, did they fall in love.
Now with the second #1 album on record, Urie and Panic! At The Disco are selling out arenas. Yeah, you read that right. The small emo band that you saw back in 2008 opening up for some other band has blossomed into an arena filler.
One of those sold out shows is next Saturday’s concert at PNC Arena in Raleigh NC. Fresh off the release of the new album, those new hits can be expected as well as all of the old favorites. I for one am hoping to hear the cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
From videos and pictures from the few past dates of this tour and knowing what a Panic! concert is like, this is sure to be a Saturday to remember and we will all surely be saying amen because it's Saturday night.
If you weren't one of the lucky 20,000 fans to get a ticket to this show, you do have another chance in January 2019 when Panic! At The Disco comes through Greensboro NC on another run of the Pray For The Wicked Tour.
The new album Pray For The Wicked is available now
Joywave and Grandson came through Asheville this week on their current "Thanks. Thanks For Coming. Part 3" Tour and we were there to cover the show so check out the photos below.
Stepping out onto the stage first was Grandson, an alternative artist that specializes in beat heavy, politically-charged rock. He is best know for his wild yet inspiring stage presence, as well as his lyrics that force the listen to focus in on the current state of the world. Walking onto the stage barefoot and ready to dominate, he quickly let the audience know that participation during his set was mandatory. With a touring band behind him, Grandson managed to blend his beat-centric works into a more traditional style of rock and roll that is best experienced live. Grandson recently released his first major EP, "a modern tragedy vol. 1" and with his recent success as an opening act for groups such as Hobo Johnson and Joywave, his fanbase and reputation in the alternative scene is growing at a rapid pace and shows no sign of slowing down.
The final act of the night was Joywave, an alternative band from Rochester, New York who has slated this tour as the last leg before their third album cycle officially begins. The stage, lined with old CRT computer monitors placed on top of pillars, set the tone for the type of electronic, yet quirky music the group is known for. With the use of dynamic samples mixed in with the technical elements of live instruments, the group pulls off an fantastic live show. Frontman Daniel Armbruster's vocal performance steals the show as he manages to draw a balance between being technically capable and incredibly powerful. Armbruster is joined on stage by Joseph Morinelli on lead guitar, Benjamin Bailey on the keyboard, and Paul Brenner on drums. They most recently toured as an opening act for Thirty Seconds To Mars and are now preparing to produce and record their third album, and have recently released a single, "Blastofff", presumably to give fans a tease at what is to come.
You can catch Joywave on the "Thanks. Thanks For Coming. Part 3" tour throughout the beginning of August on the following dates:
7.20.18 - Little Rock, AR.
7.22.18 - Martindale, TX.
7.24.18 - Tulsa, OK.
7.25.18 - Omaha, NE.
7.26.18 - Saint Louis, MO.
7.28.18 - Des Moines, IA.
7.31.18 - Grand Rapids MI.
8.3.18 - Wakefield, RI.
Photos and review by David DeFruscio
Last Friday night, Between The Buried And Me kicked off their headlining run of The Summer Slaughter Tour in their home state. The Ritz in Raleigh NC played host to the prog-metal band as well as Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, Erra, The Agony Scene, Allegaeon, Terror Universal, Soreption, and Entheos.
On the same day, Between The Buried And Me released their brand new album Automata II. This is the ninth studio album from the North Carolina band, and follows up Automata I which was released in March of this year. But they are not the only band with new music on this tour. Born of Osiris recently finished up recording the new album that follows up their 2015 release, Soul Sphere; and just this week they released the first single from that album. Take a listen the new song 'Silence the Echo' HERE now.
The Agony Scene will also release their first album in 11 years this month. Tormentor is due out this Friday, July 20th; pre-orders are available now HERE. And finally a band that is finally getting some of the recognition that they deserver, Erra, are due to release their new album Neon on August 10th. The album follows up their highly talked about 2016 album Drift.
While the 2018 Summer Slaughter lineup has had a lot of mixed reactions being much less deathcore/death metal and a lot more progressive, but there is so much to enjoy from beginning to end. The female lead Entheos opens up the entire tour and it's non stop headbanger heaven throughout every single band.
If you missed the Raleigh show, or if you're still on the fence about going, take a look at our photos from the kick off show and see the remaining dates of the tour below.
Allegaeon
Veil Of Maya
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Erra
Born Of Osiris
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Between The Buried And Me |
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| 7/19 • New York City, NY @ Irving Plaza 7/20 • Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom 7/21 • Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 7/22 • Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of the Living Arts 7/24 • Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall 7/25 • Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection 7/26 • Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater 7/27 • Guelph, ON @ Guelph Concert Theatre 7/28 • Montreal, QC @ Heavy Montreal * No Terror Universal 7/30 • Columbus, OH @ Express Live 7/31 • Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere's 8/01 • Sauget, IL @ Pop’s Nightclub 8/02 • Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater 8/03 • Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theater 8/05 • Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 8/07 • Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO 8/09 • Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades 8/10 • Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theater 8/11 • Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo 8/12 • Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim 8/13 • San Diego, CA @ SOMA 8/14 • Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee 8/15 • Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater 8/17 • Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live! 8/18 • Houston, TX @ House of Blues 8/19 • Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room |
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For more information about The Summer Slaughter Tour head over to www.thesummerslaughtertour.com
Kicking the night off was The Story So Far, who had the job of hyping up a crowd that was already extremely excited for a night of live music. The Story So Far is made up of frontman and lead vocalist Parker Cannon, drummer Ryan Torf, bassist Kelen Capener, as well as guitarist Will Levy and Kevin Geyer.
Playing the first main set of the night was Taking Back Sunday, an emo rock group that has been steadily releasing music since the early 2000s.
They are led by frontman and lead vocalist Adam Lazzara, who expertly managed to entertain the crowd while swinging his microphone around his arm and towards the crowd time and time again. Doing so, you are able to tell that this is a man who has spent much of his life on a stage and feels extremely comfortable playing for crowds of any size. Joining Lazzara on stage was guitarist John Nolan, who managed to keep up with Lazzara's wild vocals and add in his own vocal sections while continuing to play the main guitar riffs, which only added to the idea that this is a band who knows what they are doing and proves why they have been able to not only survive, but thrive after so many years of time in the spotlight. Alongside Lazzara and Nolan, the band also consists of bassist Shaun Cooper, and drummer Mark O’ Connell.
The main headlining set of the night was Coheed and Cambria, another case of a band that has been thriving since the late 90s. This is a band that not only has an extreme amount of experience, but also a serious stage presence and a rabid fanbase.
While Coheed and Cambria may have decorated the stage with glowing lanterns and a giant glowing version of their logo that was viewable from hundreds of feet away, the only thing the band needed was their instruments to get the crowd rocking. With consistent shredding from lead vocalist and guitarist Claudio Sanchez, the group managed to hype up the crowd from the first song, and they refused to let up until the very last. This is most likely due to the fact that the bands play-styles mesh so expertly, and again you can tell why this band has managed to succeed for so long in such a cutthroat rock scene. Sanchez was joined on stage by Travis Stever on guitar, Josh Eppard on drums, and Zach Cooper on bass guitar.
Photos and Review by David DeFruscio
You never know what you got until it's gone. The final Virginia Beach Vans Warped Tour has come and gone and now, like many attendees from all the other past dates of the tour so far, I am feeling a slight emptiness.
It's been 25 years that this tour has been tearing through city after city every summer, bringing the favorite bands of all the young fans that attend the festival; and for many this may be the only concert that they're able to go to for the entire year. The name is as iconic and influential as some of the bands that it gave a platform to grow. Blink-182, Green Day, Paramore, A Day To Remember, Simple Plan, Panic! At The Disco; the list goes on of arena status bands that started their careers playing the Warped Tour. Eminem and Katy Perry even made an appearance in past years. And like all of these bands and artists that were relatively unknown at the time, the Vans Warped Tour was a place for these smaller bands to get discovered by new people and help boost them into a more popular status and on a path to success. Local bands were welcomed to play the same stages as the larger bands, and they were also allowed to promote and sell their music to the attendees waiting in line outside the venues. Many bands even dedicated their summer to following the tour route to promote their band, barely making enough money from CD sales each day for gas to get to the next city. All in hopes that it would boost their fanbase and maybe, just maybe, Kevin Lyman (founder and leading man all these years) would give them the opportunity to play their music inside the festival.
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If you didn't realize how influential this tour was, well now you know. Many bands owe their success to Kevin Lyman and the Warped Tour. And this being the final year of the cross-country Vans Warped Tour, there were a lot of bands that fell into this category, and many bands that were on the tour for the first and last time. Fans young and old are coming out in full force for one last Warped Tour experience, selling out multiple California dates to begin the tour and even more dates selling out for the remainder of the summer.
Raleigh Metro Concert Media had the honor of attending and covering the Virginia Beach date one last time. See all of our favorite photos from our day at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach below.
Journeys Stages:
3oh!3Limited 10th anniversary Want vinyl available for pre-order
Issues
Reel Big Fish
WaterparksThe album Entertainment AVAILABLE NOW
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We The KingsNew album Six AVAILABLE NOW
Four Year StrongSome Of You Will Like This, Some Of You Wont OUT NOW
Mayday ParadeNew album Sunnyland AVAILABLE NOW
State ChampsNew album Living Proof AVAILABLE NOW
Movements
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Mutant White Lightning / Red Dawn Stages:
Motionless In White"Voices" music video OUT NOW
Wage WarDeadweight AVAILABLE NOW
Deez Nuts
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In Hearts WakeArk (Deluxe) AVAILABLE NOW
SharptoothClever Girl OUT NOW
Every Time I Die
Crown The EmpireNew song "20/20" out now
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Full Sail Stage / owly.fm Stage:
BroadsideNew album Paradise OUT NOW
Summer WarsEP Borrowed Time AVAILABLE NOW (local Raleigh, NC band)
Transform Stage: Mothersound
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Don BrocoNew album Technology OUT NOW
YungbludNew album 21st Century Liability AVAILABLE NOW
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It has been a memorable past 12 summers for me going to the Vans Warped Tour. I even had the unique opportunity of being part of the 2011 tour and had one of the best summers ever. The people I met that summer have made it possible to get the access I'm able to get today to all of the concerts that I cover. Thank you again to Kevin Lyman for building such an amazing event that has brought so much joy for everyone who has been involved and attended throughout the years.
So what's next? Will a new tour take the place of the Warped Tour? Will the Warped Tour return in a different type of event? Whatever the case, count me in and expect photos!
Full 2018 Vans Warped Tour Gallery:
LA-based active rock band, The World Over, just wrapped a string of dates on the final run of The Vans Warped Tour and are gearing up for their Warped AfterParty tour, which kicked off last night in Houston. The tour winds its way through Florida and up to the midwest ending on July 22nd. While on the tour they will be performing hits from their latest EP, Ventifact, which released at the end of 2017.This fan-inspired EP is a mirrored image of their 2016 smash, Mountains but re-imagined as an acoustic release giving the band a new sound, style, and feel for their beloved tunes. After a year of touring and much critical acclaim, The World Over have crafted a new rendition of their fan favorite EP, Mountains, which included single "Let Go," into a masterful 5-track acoustic EP. The 5-track acoustic EP was produced, recorded, engineered and mixed by Ryan Knecht, and mastered by Siegfried Meier at Beach Road Studios. Off the EP, comes "Traitor," a re-imagined version with acoustic elements.
The World Over, is led by front-woman Tiaday Ball, granddaughter of Ernie Ball (world renowned creator of Music Man guitars and Slinky Strings) and is comprised of guitarist Ryan Knecht, and bassist Juan Arguello. Forming in 2014, the band released Rampart District, produced by Omar Espinosa (Escape The Fate), which garnered significant praise from fans and led them to record and release their second EP, Mountains with Siegfried Meir (Kitty, DMX), in 2016. The band hit the road in support of their EP and joined Otep's "Resistance" tour in March 2017, which garnered the attention of Alternative Press, naming Tiaday as one of the Top 100 Women in Music in 2017. Stemming off the success of Mountains, comes Ventifact, an EP that symbolized another dramatic shift in the bands' sound and represents another dimension of the bands ability to pump out sonically interesting and genre bending songs. Ventifact released on November 17, 2017!
What is the first thing you think of when you someone says "Celtic Punk"? Most likely you'll think about the two most well known bands of the genre, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. Both bands are known for their rowdy Irish influenced punk. Still touring in support of their latest release, 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory, Dropkick Murphys are on the road this summer with Flogging Molly to celebrate 20 years of mayhem. Flogging Molly are currently supporting their own recent release, Life Is Good.
It was a hot one. Oh man, was it hot. With temperatures reaching the low 100's, the sun was beating down on a huge crowd for The cool summer night at Tags Summer Soundstage in Big Flats, NY, started off with punk legend Jake Burns.
Flogging Molly, LA based band lead by Irish vocalist Dave King, were co-headliners for the night. Playing a near hour long set, their song list touched on all albums from the past 20 years rather than focusing on their new music.
Flogging Molly is currently Dave King (vocals/guitar), Bridget Regan (violin/tin whistle), Dennis Casey (guitar/vocals), Matt Hensley (accordion/vocals), Nathen Maxwell (bass/vocals), Bob Schmidt (banjo/vocals) and Mike Alonso (drums). The band was dressed to impress in a more formal style with pressed pants and vests, while the crowd forming circle pits and dancing were clad in kilts and band shirts.
Finally the sun ended its assault on all of us and set behind the stage and, once darkness came, Dropkick Murphys blasted their way into our earholes with "The State of Massachusetts". You may recognize this song as the theme song from the Travis Pastrana action sports/stunt show Nitro Circus. The band from the burbs of Boston are probably the most notable Celtic punk band. They have a more hard hitting fusion of traditional Irish folk with more raw punk rock. The fans are dedicated and equally as rowdy as the music. There was a seemingly never stopping circle pit in the middle of the pit crow crowd, while vocalist Alexander Barr jumped onto the barricade to lean into the crowd and get some help from the crowd.
Dropkick Murphys played an incredible 16 song set list, opening with the tin whistle and chanting song "The State of Massachusetts" as I mentioned before. They played fan favorites "The Boys Are Back," "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya", and "A Rose Tattoo." Along with new songs "Sandlot" and "Until Next Time". The band left the stage before playing one of their most well known songs "I'm Shipping Up To Boston". Which is another song you may recognize, but this time from the movie The Departed. But after a short moment off stage, the band came back to the cheers of the crowd to play a five song encore kicked off with a cover of "The Body of an American". They then played "I'm Shippin' Up to Boston" before inviting all the ladies to jump up on stage for "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced". They closed out the entire night and ending with a cover of the AC/DC song, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."
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The Dropkick Murphys are Alexander Barr (vocals), Ken Casey (vocals/normally bass), Matt Kelly (drums), James Lynch (guitar), Tim Brennan (accordion, mandolin, tin whistle), Jeff DeRosa (banjo), Lee Forshner (bagpipes) and Kevin Rheault (bass) while Casey recovers. Ken Casey is recovering from surgery so he took on a secondary 'lead' vocal roll.
Dropkick Murphys' 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory and Flogging Molly's Life Is Good are both available now through their respective outlets and websites.
Flogging Molly:
Dropkick Murphys:
Paramore is currently just a few shows into their fifth tour, in support of their most recent album After Laughter. It is crazy to think that it has already been more than a year since this album was released. But one year is just a small part of the rocky but successful history. It’s been a long 14 years for this Franklin TN emo, gone mainstream, band.
Whether you were a fan of their emo-rock years during the albums All We Know Is Falling and Riot!, or you jumped on the train during their more mainstream break out albums Brand New Eyes and Paramore; you never stop liking Paramore. Their live performances are filled with insane non-stop energy from the most influential female lead vocalist of this generation, Hayley Williams. High kicks, jumping, and dancing for almost the full 2 hour-ish set; Williams engages with the crowd and in the music as if she were still a 15 year-old girl playing tiny club shows.
Last night, Paramore brought the After Laughter: Tour 5 through the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh NC and put on a night the thousands of fans in attendance will never forget. They played new hits “Rose Colored Boy”, “Fake Happy”, and “Hard Times”; but they also played some old favorites like “That's What You Get” and “Misery Business”, with some help singing the latter with a fan picked from the crowd. They also threw in a couple really cool cover songs. Paramore performed their cover of “Passionfruit” by Drake and also added a song by HalfNoise, the side project from their drummer Zac Farro.
If you missed this amazing show or you just want to relive your night, take a look at our photos from night three of the After Laughter: Tour 5 in Raleigh NC
Soccer Mommy
Paramore
Remain Tour Dates:
June 17 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater
June 18 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
June 20 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
June 21 - Bangor, ME - Darlings Waterfront Pavilion
June 23 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 24 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier
June 26 -Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
June 28 - Columbus, OH - Express Live!
June 29 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 01 - Indianapolis, IN - Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park*
July 02 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Beach Pavilion at Northerly Park
July 05 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
July 07 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Amphitheater
July 08 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheater
July 10 - New Orleans, LA - Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square
July 11 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheater
July 13 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion
July 14 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
July 18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
July 19 - San Diego, CA - Mattress Firm Amphitheater
July 21 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater
July 23 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater
July 24 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
*Foster The People not performing
Paramore is Hayley Williams (vocals), Taylor York (guitars), Zac Farro (drums). There new album After Laughter is AVAILABLE NOW through all online retailers and can be found in stores as well. The fifth full-length studio album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and sold 67,000 copies in the first week.
With a band name like State Champs, you unknowingly set a precedent for yourself and your music for the future and the present. And it should come as no surprise, to anyone that has listened to State Champs before, that their latest release Living Proof lives up to their claim to be the champs.
Formed in Albany, New York, in 2010, State Champs have put out 3 EPs before making their full-length debut with The Finer Things (2013). Early on in their careers, the self proclaimed champs came out swinging for the fences as their debut hit No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers charts. Yet another EP would follow their debut until their sophomore attempt, Around the World and Back (2015), which debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.
State Champs had seemingly taken over the Pop Punk music scene and staying true to the title of their second full-length the band has spent the last 3 years going around the world and back; touring constantly in support of bands like New Found Glory, A Day To Remember, All Time Low, Motion City Soundtrack, Bayside, and Neck Deep; as well as taking on multiple massive headlining world tours and even a summer on the Vans Warped Tour. Just thinking about the past three years for this band makes me exhausted.
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With their third full-length, Living Proof, the 13-song album is a truly complete attempt at a fresh and mature take on the pop punk sound they’ve built their empire on. The album comes 3 years after Around the World and Back and some would question what took so long; “It was like, let’s take as many swings at it, try as many new things and experiment, until we get to the point where we could start searching through it all and then find the album,” says vocalist Derek DiScanio of the writing process. And while State Champs -- Derek DiScanio (Vocals), Tyler Szalkowski and Tony Diaz (Guitars), Ryan Scott Graham (Bass), and Evan Ambrosio (Drums) -- were the masterminds behind this collection of songs, they received some help from some notable producers and musicians to really complete this project. The album was actually produced in multiple sessions. John Feldmann (Blink-182, Good Charlotte) helped them with the initial beginnings of the album. For the second round of the album, they brought back Mike Green and Kyle Black who guided and put together Around the World and Back; so it was only fitting that they help on this new album. Not only did they bring in the help of these amazing pop-punk geniuses, but they also found some co-writing from Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182. Having Hoppus involved in this record was completely unplanned and very much a surprise for the whole band, when he showed up at Feldmann’s studio during their recording there. |
So the album has an A-team of musicians and producers behind it and it’s following up one of the most noteworthy pop punk albums of the last 5 years; so how does Living Proof stack up?
Claim your title boys, the champs are here to stay.
Living Proof starts off 0-100 in 15 seconds, with the track “Criminal”. With a very pop-esque hook there is still a pop-punk to the bone feel, and you can really see just how much this band has progressed and matured since their last album. You’ll catch yourself toe-tapping and bobbing your head in public with songs “Frozen”, “Mine Is Gold”, and the first single “Dead and Gone”.
They dive a little bit deeper into the emotion of relationships and love, and take the tempo down a bit with more ballad like songs “The Fix up” and “Our Time To Go”. Another one of these songs is “Time Machine” which actually features some co-writing credits and guest vocals from Mark Hoppus.
Ultimately, this is a fine addition to any pop-punk fans collection and will most likely be favorite album of the year for many fans. I know that I’ll be picking up a copy tomorrow.
If you love Blink-182 and the catchy pop punk side of A Day To Remember, State Champs is a 100% must add to your playlists and daily listening! With stand-out tracks like “Mine Is Gold” and “Frozen”, Living Proof is a fitting title for an album that is living proof of the talent and ability these five gentleman have. 10 out of 10 album, do recommend, must own. Another great release from Pure Noise Records
Living Proof releases TOMORROW, June 15, anywhere music is sold. State Champs will be celebrating the premiere of Living Proof with a pop up, tomorrow (Friday June 15) in Los Angeles. It’s ALL AGES and FREE. 4PM-10PM. RSVP HERE
You can also catch State Champs all summer long on the final cross-country Vans Warped Tour, June 21 through August 5.
We are officially inside 10 days until the very last full cross-country Vans Warped Tour begins on June 21 in Pomona, CA. It's very possible that you are one of the non-believers and you have something negative to say about the Warped Tour lineup every year, but still find yourself trying to find last minute friends that might want to go.
Well it's time to stop your complaining; with General Admission tickets at about $45 for this touring festival featuring nearly 100 bands throughout the entire summer, we've got 10 bands that are worth admission. *Note these are bands that will be appearing on ALL dates this summer, and appear in no particular order.
Don Broco
A British rock band formed in Bedford, England in 2008. The band consists of Rob Damiani (lead vocals and electronics), Simon Delaney (guitar), Tom Doyle (bass) and Matt Donnelly (drums and vocals). The band's debut album Priorities was released on 13 August 2012, followed up by Automatic on 7 August 2015. Their latest album, Technology, was released on 2nd February 2018.
This band is a ton of fun live and you should dedicate a portion of your day to watching at least one song of their set; you'll most likely find yourself hooked and staying for more. Don Broco has so many amazing songs that can catch your attention, but the only way I could really see introducing someone to them is with this live music video of one of their newer songs "Everyone", so you can see what you'll experience.
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In Hearts Wake
An Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, formed in 2006, currently consisting of vocalist Jake Taylor, bassist and singer Kyle Erich, lead guitarist Eaven Dall, drummer Conor Ward, and rhythm guitarist Ben Nairne. They have released three EPs, Into the Storm, The Gateway, and Ark Prevails, and four full-length studio albums, Divination, Earthwalker, Skydancer, and Ark. The band's lyrical themes include environmentalism, environmental justice, climate change, conservation, and other social issues.
If you're a fan of metalcore, you may know of a little band, that is also from Byron Bay, by the name of Parkway Drive. In Hearts Wake is what Parkway has left behind; the memorable hooks, the crushing breakdowns, and all out metalcore to its core. With unreal stage presence and incorporating the crowd into every show, In Hearts Wake will be one of the more popular bands on the Mutant stages.
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Reel Big Fish
an American ska punk band from Orange County, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band lost mainstream recognition but gained an underground cult following. As of 2006, the band is no longer signed to a major record label, and has since been independent. After many line-up changes throughout the years, front man Aaron Barrett remains the only founding member in the band.
For all of those complaining about Warped Tour not being what it used to be, Reel Big Fish should be a pleasant treat for you. They've been a part of Warped Tour in some way seven times, so it is only fitting they make a final appearance; and for the entire tour! Get ready to skank to your heart's content.
The Maine
An American rock band from Tempe, Arizona, formed in 2007. Their first release, the EP Stay Up, Get Down was released in late 2007, followed by a five-song EP titled The Way We Talk on December 11, 2007. The band's first full-length album, Can't Stop Won't Stop was released July 8, 2008. Their second full-length album, Black & White, (July 13, 2010) sold 22,634 copies in its first week and on December 6, 2011, the group's third album, Pioneer, was released and it peaked at No. 90 on the Billboard 200. Their fourth full-length record Forever Halloween (June 4, 2013) reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200 by selling over 10,000 copies in its first week and was followed by its deluxe edition on June 17, 2014. Their fifth studio album, American Candy, was released on March 31, 2015 and Lovely Little Lonely, their sixth full-length record, was released on April 7, 2017.
The Maine had some minor mainstream success early on in their carriers, however they've been able to produce a more consistent success with more recent releases. They continue to have a very dedicated fanbase, and the band itself is very invested and dedicated to their fans as well. You'll feel the love and dedication on both sides during The Maine's set each and every day this summer.
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Simple Plan
a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec. The band has released five studio albums: No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002), Still Not Getting Any... (2004), Simple Plan (2008), Get Your Heart On! (2011), and Taking One for the Team (2016). The band has also released an EP titled Get Your Heart On – The Second Coming! (2013), in addition to two live albums: Live in Japan 2002 (2003) and MTV Hard Rock Live (2005).
The band performed at the Vans Warped Tour every year from 1999 to 2005, and then again in 2011, 2013, and 2015. With such a prominent presence on Warped Tour and being one of the bands that have found major mainstream success, Simple Plan should be a no brainer to catch and sing-along to on the 2018 tour.
Trash Boat
A British pop punk band formed in St Albans in 2014. The group consists of lead vocalist Tobi Duncan, rhythm guitarist Dann Bostock, lead guitarist Ryan Hyslop, bass guitarist James Grayson, and drummer Oakley Moffatt. The group has released two EPs; one was released independently in 2014 while the other was released after signing with Hopeless Records in 2015. The band's debut album, Nothing I Write You Can Change What You've Been Through, was released on 17 June 2016.
Trash Boat is still gaining speed in their careers but are one of the current pop punk bands that deserve the recognition.
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Assuming We Survive
An easycore band formed in 2007 in Los Angeles, California. On September 3, 2013, Get Busy Living released an EP that was funded and self-produced through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. And on September 12, 2014 they released their second EP, Assuming We Survive. Through excessive touring, the band managed to build a steadily growing fanbase, allowing the band to perform as a local band on the Warped Tour between 2012 and 2015 as Ernie Ball's Battle Of The The Winners. In 2013, Assuming We Survive performed at the Aftershock Festival, and two years later at the invitation of the band A Day to Remember at the SelfHelp Fest. After Assuming We Survive signed to Third String Records, their debut album, All Roads Lead Home, was released on June 24, 2016. The band did take part in the entire 2016 Warped Tour and will be making their final Warped Tour appearance each day this Summer.
Chelsea Grin
An American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group is signed to Rise Records and have released two EPs and four full-length albums. Chelsea Grin was originally formed by Alex Koehler and former bandmates under the name Ahaziah. The band's first members were Alex Koehler (vocals), Chris Kilbourn (guitar), Austin Marticorena (bass guitar), and Michael Stafford (lead guitar). Early on in the band's career, they released the songs "Crewcabanger" and "Lifeless" as singles, both of which were received well by listening audiences on Myspace.
Many years later the band has seen many member changes, varying shifts in music stylings, and a lot of backlash from their fanbase at times. Just recently the band announced the biggest change to their lineup with the departure of their founding vocalist, Alex Koehler; In his place is Lorna Shore vocalist, Tom Barber. Chelsea Grin has decided to continue as a 4-piece band, but you can expect to experience the same chest crushing performance.
Waterparks
an American pop rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 2011. The group currently consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Awsten Knight, backing vocalist and lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and drummer Otto Wood. The band has released three EPs, two of which were released independently while the third was released via Equal Vision. The group released its first full-length album, Double Dare, on November 4, 2016 via Equal Vision and their second full-length album, Entertainment, released on January 26, 2018.
Waterparks is one of the more unique bands in the pop rock/pop punk genres, and gained their popularity extremely quickly. They went from a relatively unknown band and then took on their first tours with huge bands like Good Charlotte, All Time Low, and Sleeping With Sirens; they've also opened for Aaron Carter. The guitarist/vocalist, Awsten Knight, has even admitted to teaching members of 5 Seconds of Summer how to play guitar.
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Dayseeker
An American post-hardcore band from Orange, California. The band is currently signed to Spinefarm Records. To date, the band has released three albums: What It Means To Be Defeated in 2013, Origin in 2015, and Dreaming Is Sinking /// Waking Is Rising in 2017. Dayseeker is a band that I think has stayed relatively hidden under the radar, but have enormous potential. Making their Warped Tour debut this summer, I hope to see large crowds during their sets and personally cannot wait to see this band for the first time.
For a full list of bands playing on Warped Tour this summer, CLICK HERE to head over to the Warped Tour lineup. Including the many bands playing the entire tour, there are also special guests that will be play a single day or a handful of days this summer. Be sure to take a look at the lineup specific to the city you plan to attend to see a list specific to that date! Also, you can most likely expect more special guests to be announced throughout the summer and even some surprise day of announcements.
Last Sunday, we had the opportunity to attend one of LANY's final US shows in support of their debut self-titled album. There's something to be said about a band that finds such quick success and sells out venues night after night. Charlotte's iteration of this tour was definitely a hot one; with the near-90 degree day, no AC, and the amount of dancing going.
The show opened with Colouring, a band from London on their own US tour, but sharing some dates with LANY. The relatively new electropop band is on the rise and should definitely find some attention after opening these sold out shows in the US.
The crowd was anxiously awaiting the arrival of LANY on stage and when they finally stepped out into the light, they were met with an enormous roar of cheering and screaming. This screaming and squealing continued through the rest of the set, mixed in with other dedicated fans singing along to every word vocalist Paul Klein belted into the microphone.
The energy on stage and in the crowd was out of this world and it shows why these concerts are sold out and will continue to sell out. Not only do you come to a LANY concert to enjoy their music but you have a ton of fun at the same time.
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For more information about LANY and to keep up with their latest news and release, CLICK HERE.
Photos by Jessica Fowler
When you think of Ireland you think of castles, beautiful rolling hills and landscapes, maybe you’re a bit stereotypical and think of leprechauns, but you may also think of having a grand time with your mates at a pub. And along with time at the pub comes some good ole’ pub songs.
Let’s now bring things back to America and focus on some of the most amazing celtic-punk bands that are welcome at any Celtic themed party. Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly have been causing havoc and throwing a curveball to punk music for over 20 years, both on their own and together.
Next week the kings of celtic-punk will be bringing their Summer tour through Raleigh NC at the downtown Red Hat Amphitheater. Both bands are riding on 2017 album releases and you can be sure that they’ll be playing both new and old music.
Tickets Available Now
Stream and see our thoughts on both albums from Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly.
Dropkick Murphys - “11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory”
| This album falls right into place with the anthemic nature of all of Dropkick Murphys’ past albums. While it’s not as rough and harsh around the edges, as what came before it makes up for it with uplifting and more positive writing. On the album, the Boston band takes on a thrilling cover of the Liverpool football club anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" and speak out about the tragedy in the Boston marathon bombing on the track “4-15-13.” This song stands as a tribute to the victims and those affected by the event, but rather than dwelling on the bombing it’s an empowering song about being from Boston. “11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory” is first and foremost definitely a Dropkick Murphys album even if it’s not as grit and dirty as past albums. It definitely lives up to its title with the highs and lows of pain and glory. |
Flogging Molly - “Life Is Good”
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Similar to Dropkick Murphys’ new album, Flogging Molly’s “Life Is Good” is more positive and upbeat than past releases. “There’s Nothing Left Pt.1” eases us into the album while “The Hand of John F Sullivan” and “Welcome to Adamstown” throw you right into fire like celtic punch to the face.
The feeling turns as the album progresses with more optimism. For example, the chorus of “Hope” is a sing-a-long worthy “Hope is still a shout away, a shout away, like it was yesterday”. More political focused tracks “Crushed (Hostile Nations)” and “Reptiles (We Woke Up)” keep a classic Flogging Molly trend alive, but they both add to the overall sense of optimism that is present at the center of “Life Is Good”. |
There is an entire world of music outside of the genres and bands that you typically listen to, and sometimes it is a little overwhelming to find new music because of it all. However, when you do find new music, it's like a weight lifted from your shoulders. You spend the following days binging their past releases and you go onto YouTube to find live videos to help take you back to the night you first learned about the music that swept you away, at least just for that night.
That was my experience last Friday night when the Swedish sister duo, First Aid Kit, kicked off the Summer Concert series at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh NC.
I love attending concerts at this venue because the stage is nestled in the outdoor area of the art museum, with a backdrop of art installations throughout the art park. There is a very relaxed vibe, just like going to a free concert in a park with your family; bring a towel to sit in the grass and just enjoy the music.
The night started with an extremely talented British singer-songwriter by the name of Jade Bird. Her country-folk style is lead by her powerful voice that becomes raspy at times when she belts out the choruses of her songs. While some of her recorded music comes with drums and other backing instruments, Jade Bird was full acoustic for this show. The crowd really got into her performance when she played a flawless cover of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere".
So, it was a good start to the night; a very good start. This sold-out crowd waited patiently after Jade Bird's set. There were people laid out in the grass on towels and blankets, dedicated fans pressed up against the barrier in front of the stage, and some people even had hammocks set up between trees way at the top of the venue's 'lawn' area.
Shortly after the sun finally set and darkness had taken over the stage, sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg took their places in front of the cheering crowd to begin their collection of sad and happy folk-americana love songs. The two sisters harmonized so perfectly for their performance of songs like "Fireworks" and "Rebel Heart" off of their latest album Ruins. While the majority of their songs are sad songs about lost love and life in general, there was a drastic shift in tone when Klara began angrily belting out the words of their song "You Are The Problem Here". This song is not part of their new album but was released in 2017 for International Women's Day, and gained a lot of attention for its direct and vengeful tone.
"You are the problem here. . . and I hope you fucking suffer"
The crowd roared throughout the song in agreement with the subject of the song and after they finished play, Klara was visibly upset at the idea of it all. After a brief speech about the current state of how women are treated in this world, the sister's smiled and switched back into their less angry but still sad songs.
First Aid Kit is Klara (vocals/guitar) and Johanna Söderberg (vocals/bass guitar). Their live performance includes a backing band of keyboardist, drummer, and pedal steel guitar player.
Brick + Mortar's coheadlining tour with The Unlikely Candidates came through Durham, NC last Wednesday as the 7th show on their 24 show run. These two bands, while similar in musical style, have two very differing stage presences that contrast extremely well when paired together.
The Unlikely Candidates kicked things off first, with their traditional 5 piece set up. Best known for their single, "Follow My Feet", the rock group managed to pull from their recorded songs and breathe new life in them in the form of live music. Vocalist Kyle Morris helps lead the group with his bombastic and powerful stage presence, while members such as lead guitarist Brenton Carney executed the complex guitar riffs flawlessly. The traditional rock band set up works very well for The Unlikely Candidates, and also allowed for some nice contrast in comparison to the more experimental setup of Brick + Mortar.
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Brick + Mortar is a duo made up of Brandon Asraf, who acts as both lead vocalist and bass guitarist, and John Tacon on drums. They are joined on tour by artist Richie Brown, who helps the duo on stage by displaying his animations with the use of a projector, as well as dressing up in costumes as another form of visual aid for the audience. The group is known for their wild and hilariously silly stage performance, which is an incredible addition to the sharp and edgy indie rock music in the bands discography. From dressing up as "Bleezorb the Elf" to simply holding a sign and dancing as hard as humanly possible, Richie Brown manages to turn the duos live performance into an unforgettable live experience. This is a show that is only made better by the bands years of experience and supreme talent as musicians, and is one that is best experienced live.
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Brick + Mortar has tour dates throughout June, and will be releasing their latest album, "Meta Meta Etc." on July 27th.
6/12 - Nashville, TN.
6/13 - Columbus, OH.
6/14 - Detroit, MI.
6/15 - Chicago, IL.
6/17 - Burnsville, MN.
6/19 - Denver, CO.
6/20 - Salt Lake City, UT.
6/22 - Los Angeles, CA.
6/23 - Fresno, CA.
6/24 - San Francisco, CA.
6/26 - Scottsdale, AZ.
6/28 - Dallas, TX.
6/29 - Austin, TX.
Photos by David DeFruscio
Neck Deep released their highly celebrated and Billboard chart topping hit album The Peace and The Panic last Fall and have been touring non-stop across 14 countries ever since. The most politically charged song on the record is "Don't Wait," and today the band has released a heavy-hitting and thought provoking video. Co-produced by front man Ben Barlow and Our World Is Grey (Josh Halling and Daniel Broadley), Barlow shares: "The premise of the video is that there are 3 characters who are all at different phases in their lives, yet they are somewhat connected (how they are connected is for the viewer to figure out). All of these visual references tie into the lyrics of the song and it's really down to the viewer for them to try and understand it and work it out! For that reason I think it's one of the most interesting and visually appealing videos we've ever done."
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Barlow continues by saying that "'Don't Wait' is one of the heavier... if not the heaviest track from TPATP. It immediately took on a political message for me, as politics and outrage/ anger have always gone hand in hand. But it also speaks a lot about unity amongst society and looking out for your fellow humans, as, ultimately human connection is what will bring us all together to (hopefully) make the world a better place. With that in mind, I knew the video had to convey that message but we also wanted it be somewhat cryptic and not too on the nose." |
Fans can hear this track, along with a fully-stacked set list on the band's upcoming U.S. headlining tour this Fall. With support from Trophy Eyes, Stand Atlantic, WSTR and Gardenside, The Peace and The Panic USA Tour 2 will be kicking off in Santa Cruz, CA on September 6th and hitting cities across the country before wrapping back in San Diego, CA on October 13th. Fans that may not have had a chance to check out the band's headliner earlier this year should get tickets quickly, as many previous dates sold out.
Tickets for the "Neck Deep Campfire Club" are available and include an intimate, acoustic performance from the band around - you guessed it, a campfire. For more information about the upcoming tour, VIP options and all other tickets, please head to http://neckdeepuk.com/.
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Upcoming Tour Dates: 9/6 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst |
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Neck Deep is Ben Barlow (Vocals), Matt West (Guitar), Sam Bowden (Guitar), Fil Thorpe-Evans (Bass and Vocals) and Dani Washington (Drums).
For more information on Neck Deep, The Peace and The Panic and this upcoming tour, please visit http://neckdeepuk.com/.
Follow Neck Deep
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Instagram / Twitter: @NeckDeepUK
With Bonnaroo happening this weekend, the US festival season has officially begun.
There are countless festivals throughout the country; from lesser known festivals like Hopscotch or Wide Open Bluegrass festivals here in Raleigh NC, to the major festivals like Coachella or Bonnaroo that draw attendees from all over the world. And each year beginning in May the other large festivals begin to please crowds looking to dance to their favorite rock, rap, country, EDM, or spoken word artists. Fans pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to these festivals per day and some even pay before knowing who is actually going to be playing the festivals each year.
Given that these festivals are typically more on the pricey side, it is much more of an investment than going to see a couple bands at a regular concert at your local music venue. So, if you had to choose one upcoming festival, what would you choose? Would you go for a more well known festival like Bonnaroo this weekend, or would you choose to go to a lesser known but equally enjoyable festival like Pitchfork Music Festival?
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Bonnaroo Music and Arts FestivalDate: June 7-10 Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, TN. Bonnaroo originally started as a very Woodstock-esque festival, focusing primarily on jam bands, and has grown into one of the largest and most anticipated festivals each year. Main attractions of this festival are the multiple stages featuring live music with a diverse array of musical styles including various rock genres, world music, hip hop, jazz, americana, bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, reggae, pop, electronic, and other alternative music. Musical acts play from around noon until 3:00am or later.
Tickets Available Now
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Pitchfork Music FestivalDate: July 20-22 Hosted by Pitchfork Media, home to the famous/infamous music taste making blog Pitchfork, the Pitchfork Music Festival consistently brings an eclectically relevant and sonically forward-thinking lineup of can't-miss and must-know acts.
Tickets Available Now
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LollapaloozaDate: August 2-5 Lollapalooza started as the brainchild of Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell in 1991 as part of the band's farewell tour. This festival initially ran through 1997 before its revival in 2003 where it has grown to become a national cultural touchstone. The festival draws more than 150,000 annually to Chicago's Grant Park for a diverse lineup that includes pop, rock, hip-hop, dance/electronic music, and much more.
Tickets Available Now
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Outside LandsDate: August 10-12 The festival grounds included the Polo Fields, Hellman's Hollow/Speedway Meadow, and Lindley Meadow; with stages in each of these areas. Bringing in 40,000 to 60,000 attendees a day, the inaugural festival was mostly a success; however, it was criticized for its lack of crowd control. The festival was also geared to the new green movement and included numerous initiatives to make the festival eco-friendly, like inviting participants to use public transport to get to the event via Muni. The second edition of the festival was held between August 28 and 30, 2009, and streamed live on YouTube via the festival's YouTube account. The festival continues to be a big hit year after year despite early struggles.
Tickets Available Now
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HopscotchDate: September 6-8 Hopscotch is a multi-venue festival, much like Austin's SXSW or Chicago's first years of Riot Fest, and takes over the entire city of Raleigh NC every year. This festival hosts a variety of indie, r&b, and rock bands across music venues, bars, clubs, and outdoor stages scattered throughout the city. In order to fully embrace the festival, you'll find yourself sprinting from venue to venue and catching an Uber to get across town in time to catch part of a band's set. The festival is also known for their 'day parties' which are free shows throughout Raleigh that include local and national acts that may not be included in the main lineup of the festival; by 6pm each night, the venues begin requiring wristbands to enter.
Tickets Available Now
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Riot FestDate: September 14-16 Riot Fest is the punk-rock/emo step-brother to Pitchfork and Lollapalooza festivals. The festival began as a multi-venue festival but has molded itself into a much larger destination festival in a single location. The festival is widely known for being the host to a band reunion or having bands play full album sets.
Tickets Available Now
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Pilgrimage Music & Cultrural FestivalDate: September 22-23 Pilgrimage is a mecca of great bands, excellent local food, and unique arts. Co-founded by Better Than Ezra frontman/guitarist Kevin Griffin with business partners Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan in 2015, the festival started as a spiritual counterpoint to New Orleans' venerable Jazz & Heritage Festival. Pilgrimage then doubled in size in its third year and snagged Justin Timberlake as a top billing headliner. With a who's-who of indie rock, Nashville country, jazz and southern blues artists on the billing as supporting acts, the festival continues to grow.
Tickets Available Now
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Austin City Limits Music FestivalDate: October 5-7 & 12-14 Austin's Zilker Park is host to one of the season's final festivals, Austin City Limits. Created in the image of the historic television program of the same name, ACL has blossomed into a multi-genre powerhouse offering up eight stages, more than 140 bands, and two weekends worth of rock, rap, dance, R&B and, of course, country. The cherry on top is local fare of Austin area eateries providing tacos, brews, vegan options and more at the ACL Eats Food Court.
Tickets Available Now
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Voodoo Music and Arts ExperienceDate: October 26-28 The Voodoo Experience has hosted more than 2000 artists and over one million festival goers during its existence. The festival has been twice nominated for Pollstar's Music Festival of the Year. It was acquired by Live Nation Entertainment in 2013 and is produced by C3 Presents. Don Kelly, Voodoo's former General Counsel and COO, is now Festival Director and oversees the event. With Live Nation at the helm, you can expect huge names to be included in the lineup each year, and what is better than enjoying all of this music in such a historic city as New Orleans.
Tickets Available Now
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Given the opportunity to go to one of these amazing festivals, which would you choose? Would you choose the more well known festival vs the more stacked lineup? Or would you go for proximity and cost over anything else?
Honorable mention
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Vans Warped Tour - Final Cross Country TourDate: June 21-August 5 2018 marks the end for the last remaining major touring festival. The Warped Tour has been a summer staple in the alternative, punk, and emo scenes since 1995 and it is a bitter sweet end to an era. With a packed lineup of bands appearing on the entire tour, there are other notable bands that will be appearing on select dates as special guests. With low ticket prices and an entire summer of cities to see this festival, this year's Warped Tour should be on everyone's summer itinerary just to say you went to The Warped Tour once. "Hanging out behind the club on the weekend
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In advance of their headlining run on the final Vans Warped Tour, Illinois rock-group REAL FRIENDS have released their latest single “From The Outside”. Produced by Mike Green, “From The Outside” explores Real Friends’ frontman, Dan Lambton, struggling to decide right from wrong, and not being able to communicate those feelings to friends and family. The song is an epic follow-up to their previous single “Get By”, released late last year. "From The Outside" can be seen here:
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"This song in particular addresses uncertainties pertaining to not knowing what may be good for you or in your best interest," explains Lambton. "Whether it be medication, drugs, alcohol, psychiatric treatment, etc. and generally not being able to navigate the inner workings of your mind to know what is going on with your mental state."
iTunes | Apple | Spotify
Beginning June 21 at the Pomona Fairplex Grounds in Pomona, CA, the band will be heading the final Vans Warped Tour across the country. Dates and tickets are available here: http://realfriendsband.com/#tour
It's been two years since the band released their third studio LP, The Home Inside My Head, which earned a Billboard Top 200 chart placement. Since then, the band has sold out shows across the country and has been actively writing/recording in the studio.
REAL FRIENDS is Kyle Fasel (Bass), Dave Knox (Guitar), Dan Lambton (Frontman), Brian Blake (Drums), and Eric Haines (Guitar).
One of the most anticipated post-hardcore albums of this year is Dance Gavin Dance's eighth studio album "Artificial Selection". This album marks the fourth with current clean vocalist, Tilian Pearson, and that makes Pearson the longest running clean vocalist in DGD history. Out of the three vocalists, Pearson has to be my favorite with bias to his previous band Tides of Man and his incredibly unique voice.
"Count Bassy" is the latest single from their upcoming album, along with a strange and somewhat disturbing music video that is to be expected from this California based group.
See the new video below. The new album "Artificial Selection" is out THIS FRIDAY, June 8th via Rise Records, and we could not be more ready. Be sure to pre-order your copy HERE!
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The Los Angeles-based Post-Punk duo, known as Polyplastic, has a new EP “Not No” coming out on June 29th. In anticipation for that release, they’ve shared the lead single “Next Slide” as well as a bonus track B-side “Memphian Circles” from the EP via L.A. Record. The post-punk duo is comprised of Emily Ibarra and Charlie Ellis, has obvious influence from 70’s and 80’s music.
The single has a groove to it that really takes you back in time and you’ll most likely catch yourself moving along with it. “Next Slide” will appear on the upcoming EP, and if it serves as any kind of example of what the rest of the tracks will sound like, you can bet on it that I’ll be adding Polyplastic to my summer playlist.
Along with the “Not No” EP, due out June 29th, the LA duo will be hitting the road in support of their new release. For more information about upcoming tour dates and more information about their upcoming EP, visit the Polyplastic Facebook |
And for more music from Polyplastic, CLICK HERE or check out this music video of their song “Cherry Nails”
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Awolnation came through Raleigh last Wednesday in support of their latest album, "Here Comes The Runts". The album, which was released this February, managed to combine the electronic sound the band is known for while also adding some quieter tracks such as the very popular single, "Handyman". This shakeup in style for the band seems to be a success, as the album came out to shining reviews from critics and fans alike.
With this tour, you could tell the band was trying to bring that homestyle, laid back attitude to the stage. Lined with carpet and succulents, the bands stage props provided an interesting dynamic to the at first loud and bombastic tone of their opening songs. The warm and inviting stage setup was much more fitting with the slower and more acoustic sounding songs of AWOLNATION's discography, but still allowed for some interesting contrast when the band performed their heavier and more well known songs.
Aaron Bruno, the lead singer and founder of AWOLNATION, used his vocal performance to steal the show and highlight the contrast between the bands songs. His vocals continued to impress alongside the groups more rock and electronic influenced tracks, as well as their newly adopted acoustic sound.
AWOLNATION consists of frontman Aaron Bruno, drummer Isaac Carpenter, lead guitarist Zach Irons, keyboardist Daniel Saslow, and bassist Michael Goldman. You can see them on the second leg of the tour starting in two weeks, with Irontom and lovelytheband.
6.15.18 - Upstate Concert Hall - Clifton Park, NY
6.17.18 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT
6.20.18 - Aura - Portland, ME
6.21.18 - Hampton Beach Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH
6.22.18 - The Strand - Providence, RI
6.24.18 - Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH
6.27.18 - The Pageant - Saint Louis, MO
Photos and Review by David DeFruscio
What do you get when you put together some young rockers with some "old fart" veterans of punk rock? Well, you get the Descendents on tour with Radkey thrown into the mix; and I don't think anyone has a problem with that.
This weekend, Descendents brought their summer headlining tour through Raleigh and along with them the young punk rockers, Radkey, joined in on the fun. Brothers Dee, Isaiah, and Solomon Radke may be in a family band and when you think family bands you think Hansons, the Jacksons, or the Partridge family. However, you won't find these brothers following any trends or stereotypes. Radkey’s sound is much more influenced by those unruly punk and grunge rock bands your parents hated you listening to. Their most recent full-length release Delicious Rock Noise was released via Another Century Records in 2016 and they've toured and played with countless legendary bands; including the band they're currently sharing the stage with, Descendents. They've also played many noteworthy festivals and the youngest of the three is just barely of legal drinking age!
Nearly 30 years before Radkey was a band, way before the three brothers even considered music as a career, Descendents formed as a band way back in 1977 and it's incredible that the band is still active and putting on the incredible and energetic show that they put on each night on tour. Equally amazing is how the current roster of band members has remained the same for the majority of that time.
The excitement and energy amongst the nearly sold-out crowd in Raleigh was insane. There was a huge age range for this show, with some probably in their 60's and little one's not even in double digits; all crowdsurfing, moshing, and singing along to their favorite songs.
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This past Friday night Post Malone brought his tour with 21 Savage to Raleigh NC. So are you "Better Now" after spending a rainy and humid Friday evening at the Coast Credit Union Music Park with Billboard's #1 artist in the world? Read further for our thoughts and photos from the concert.
As I mentioned, Post Malone is the number one artist in the world right now and his new album Beerbongs & Bentleys continues to be the number one album in the world; so it is no surprise that his current tour with 21 Savage and SOBxRBE is selling out night after night, the Raleigh show included.
If you are anyone with internet, teenage children, teenage grandchildren, or ears; you've probably heard of Post Malone. His music and his name are everywhere and this is someone that no one had any idea about just a few years ago. The 22-year old artist/producer found fame basically overnight with his single "White Iverson" and it has been non-stop since. His debut album Stoney peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 but his down-to-earth personality and diverse blend of rap and rock styles has really grabbed the attention of his millions of fans.
There is no question that Post Malone has built an empire off of talent for writing music, but does his sold out live show live up to the hype of his music? Well lets start with the acts that he brought along on this tour to open for him.
I have not been to a lot of rap/hip hop concerts, but I have been to enough to know that SOBxRBE put on an extremely lack luster show. Their set began with a 15 minute DJ/hype set, and to be completely honest, I thought the DJ was SOBxRBE. Then after some time, three individuals walked out onto the stage to give a performance that could take the award for the most "I have to do this" performance I think I have ever seen. At the end of their performance they just walked off stage like they couldn't leave fast enough; no wave to the crowd no "thanks for coming", nothing.
To continue the theme of the night, so far, 21 Savage also gave a surprisingly unenthusiastic performance. The Atlanta rapper spent his entire set pacing back and forth on the stage, it is almost like these artists don't enjoy performing the music that they've written. Despite the lack of energy and enthusiasm on stage, the crowd was still into the music. Looking out over the sold out crowd of 20,000 people, there were cellphone lights shining and hands in the air moving along to the music, I hope these artists get some kind of enjoyment of seeing this every night.
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So with such an uneventful opening to the show, the bar was set pretty low for Post Malone. He came out onto the stage to a roaring crowd fronted by a first row of all girls letting out ear piercing screams. As Post Malone took the microphone from the mic stand in the center of the stage, he introduced himself by his actual name Austin Post and went right into one of his new songs "Too Young"; following that up with another new song "Better Now". These new songs are part of the new album that saw nearly 79 million streams in the first 24 hours that the album was available on Spotify.
Unlike his opening acts, Post Malone used the stage to really entertain the crowd. He interacted with the fans in the first few rows and did more than just walk back and forth.
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After a couple song, Post took a breather and admitted to the crowd that he was feeling a little under the weather but came to have fun with everyone anyways. From his voice, it was obvious he was not feeling his best and I commend him for continuing to put on the show. Many major artists are told to cancel shows when they're sick or they make the decision to cancel shows as to not have people think they sound terrible.
Halfway through the show, he slowed things down to really show off how much a musician he was. He picked up an acoustic guitar and played a few songs while playing guitar. This is something that sets Post Malone apart from other rappers and why many wouldn't even consider him as just a rapper and he is known for having very expansive music tastes from rap to metal. At smaller shows this year, he has performed covers of rock songs with his guitar but on this night it was only his own songs.
Overall, Post Malone's performance was much more entertaining than the rest of the artists that performed on this tour and I don't know if I have ever seen a crowd so invested into the music as were the 20k people at this show in Raleigh. From front to back the entire crowd, no exaggeration, would jump along to the music and raise their hands in the air when instructed. His music is catchy and actually really good for an industry and genre littered with the same kind of "built for success" music and artists. His new album Beerbongs & Bentleys is available now and can be streamed online with any of the major streaming services. The current tour with 21 Savage continues through the end of June where it will end in San Francisco, remaining tour dates are as follows:
May 23 — Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn's Landing
May 24 — Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
May 26 — Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
May 27 — Toronto, ON @ RBC Echo Beach+
May 29 — Detroit, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
June 2 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
June 5 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion
June 6 — Indianapolis, IN @ Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn
June 10 — Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
June 14 — Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
June 15 — Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman+
June 16 — Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater
June 19 — Phoenix, AZ @Rawhide Event Center
June 21 — San Diego, @ CA Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
June 22 — Las Vegas, NV @ Park Theater at Park MGM
June 24 — San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre*
* SOB X RBE not supporting
+ 21 Savage not supporting
Keep up with the latest news and tour dates from Post Malone -- Facebook, Twitter, Website
So here we are, just about a month away from the start of Vans Warped Tour and the feeling this year is a bit of sadness instead of excitement.
The 2+ month traveling music festival, also known as the punk rock summer camp, has been a summer staple in the punk rock music scene for the last 24 years; an annual who’s in and who’s on the rise for bands and fans. And after all this time, tour creator Kevin Lyman announced that 2018 will be the last full cross-country tour for the festival.
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This year's tour is bittersweet for me, really. I have been attending the festival every summer since 2006 and loved every minute of it, but I was not surprised at all when I saw the headline pop up on my phone last year. Let's be honest here, the music scene that bases itself in just isn't the same as it once was; bands put on their own festivals and tours and attendance has been lacking. In an interview with Billboard about the final tour, Lyman had this to say about attendance:
“It hasn’t been fun the last few years. . .
We were doing fine, but we had a pretty big dip last year. It was that younger end of the demo.”
He associates the new generation and their stay at home mentality as a possible reason as to why the younger kids aren't showing up anymore. And after so many years on the road and dealing with everything that comes along with a tour like this, Lyman admits that he is tired and it was just time to close the door on the last remaining major touring music festival.
So why have I continued going to Warped Tour every single year? Because it's something that has been a huge part of my life. Like many kids, I would save money specifically for it every year for tickets, merch, CDs. For many years Warped Tour was my back to school shopping. Going to the tour meant having a road trip with my friends and making new friends. When you get there, sure its hot, but you have the time of your life watching band after band. You find your new favorite band right after watching your favorite band. And like many people, I dreamed of being more involved with the tour and in 2011 I got that opportunity.
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In 2011, it had to be the best Warped Tour ever. Not just because the lineup was amazing (and it was), but because I had the opportunity to be a part of the entire tour; from day 1 to day 43. |
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I had an experience of a lifetime and I met the amazing individuals that have made it possible for me to do what I do today.
So fast forward to 2018, the last year of the Vans Warped Tour. The tour may not have that “going out with a band” lineup, but it's the same tour at its core that I've been attending for 12 years. Take a look at what the tour has managed to accomplish in its past 24 years:
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11 Million tickets sold (over 24 years)
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$2.5 Million donated to MusiCares ($0.25 of every ticket sold)
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1.7 Million lbs of food collected for Feed Our Children Now
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500,000 pints of blood donated to the American Red Cross
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300,000+ lbs of recycling collected and diverted from landfills
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2,612 voters registered via the non-partisan group HeadCount
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1,700+ bands over 24 years
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24 summers of music discovery!
The tour begins on June 21st and will come to a close on August 5th. Bands like All Time Low, Story of the Year, Sum 41, Less Than Jake, and Pennywise will be taking part in portions of the tour; while Mayday Parade, State Champs, The Maine, and Every Time I Die will be a few of the bands on the entire tour.
If you're one of those individuals that has always thought about going but never made the commitment, well this is your last chance. It doesn't matter if you like 1 band or 10 bands on the tour, it's something you’ll have to look back on knowing you never experienced.
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Tickets are available now for all dates on the 2018 Vans Warped Tour: https://vanswarpedtour.com/dates/
And tour dates are as follows:
| 6/21 POMONA, CA 6/22 SAN DIEGO, CA 6/23 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 6/24 VENTURA, CA 6/28 PHOENIX, AZ 6/29 LAS VEGAS, NV 6/30 SALT LAKE CITY, UT 7/01 DENVER, CO 7/03 ST/ LOUIS, MO 7/05 BONNER SPRINGS, KS 7/06 DALLAS, TX 7/07 SAN ANTONIO, TX 7/08 HOUSTON, TX 7/10 NASHVILLE, TN 7/12 VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 7/13 CAMDEN, NJ 7/14 HOLMDEL, NJ 7/15 HARTFORD, CT 7/16 PITTSBURGH, PA |
7/17 TORONTO, ON 7/18 CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH 7/19 CINCINNATI, OH 7/20 DETROIT, MI 7/21 CHICAGO, IL 7/22 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 7/23 MILWAUKEE, WI 7/24 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 7/25 DARIEN CENTER, NY 7/26 SCRANTON, PA 7/27 MANSFIELD, MA 7/28 WANTAGH, NY 7/29 COLUMBIA, MD 7/30 CHARLOTTE, NC 7/31 ATLANTA, GA 8/02 JACKSONVILLE, FL 8/03 ORLANDO, FL 8/04 TAMPA, FL 8/05 WEST PALM BEACH, FL |
The "Let The Light In" tour of MisterWives and Flor packs a punch. When you combine the rhythmic, soft/melodic pop-rock of Flor and the upbeat, high-energy performance of MisterWives you leave with an experience that excites and captivates you.
Both bands are currently a year into touring on their last releases. Flor's debut album, Come out. You're hiding came out just about a year ago and MisterWives' recent album Connect The Dots, released in May 2017 as well. This is the second studio album by the American indie-pop band, following-up the band's debut studio album, Our Own House.
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The "Let The Light In" tour is just about over with only a few dates remaining, but you can keep up with future tour dates and news from MisterWives through their website and various social media sites.
Website: https://www.misterwives.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MisterWives/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misterwives/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MisterWives
And for more pictures from the show, of Flor and MisterWives, check out all the photos below.
MisterWives:
Flor:
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David Rosales is a Los Angeles-native, raised in a mixed family of seven brothers and sisters, where upon his 11th Birthday was given his first guitar by his grandfather. He instantly fell in love with the instrument and began writing songs of his own. Since that time, David has been involved in several significant projects, most notably Hard Rock band Silent Treatment, the Americana duo David & Olivia, and now, continuing as a solo artist. The Americana singer-songwriter has previously released two solo EPs (Smile, Along the Way), but the recently released Brave Ones is the first full-length from the beach loving family man. Brave Ones is just what you would expect from an Americana artist, it is full of love, loss, and all emotion. Rosales had this to say about the 11 song album: "I get into some pretty heavy subjects, but overall, the album has a positive vibe. It’s uplifting and makes me feel better after I listen to it…I’m hopeful it does the same for the listener.”
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From the first track on the album, which happens to be the title track, it is a toe-tapping collection of songs perfect for a Sunday afternoon spent beachside. Songs like "Lift Your Hands" and "Free Your Mind" are up-beat, while other tracks like "Sunshine" or "Brighter Days" are more slow tempo and could be pictured perfectly playing over a bluetooth speaker while you relax in a hammock.
All 11 songs are enjoyable and full of pure talent of songwriting, but my favorite song from this album has to be "La Batalla." The track begins with very traditional Mexican style of brass instruments, which is then again present in the chorus. The song's lyrics draw into his families involvement in the battle of the Alamo. Being a descendant of a soldier that fought in this pivotal part of the Texas revolution, Rosales wanted to bring attention to the importance of the battle. Personally, I was raised in Texas and the Alamo is a very important part of history; outside of Texas, it is an overlooked but important event in American history.
Overall Brave Ones is everything you'd want from a singer-songwriter release. Anyone that enjoys blues, country, rock, or any type of music can find appreciation in this collection of memories and emotions.
David has released three incredible music videos for the tracks “Sunshine,” “Good to Be Alive,” and “Lift Your Hands"
For more information and to keep up with David Rosales:
Website: http://www.DavidRosalesMusic.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DavidRosalesMusic
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/DavidRosalesMusic
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DRosales
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With their first release in five years, Hawthorne Heights have released their new album Bad Frequencies. The Ohio emo-rock band has had a long and varying career, with their highlights coming early on with the hit "Ohio Is For Lovers" off their first full length album. It is hard to follow up such success so early on, but the band has continued to evolve and mature since the early 2000's. “In Gloom” starts out the album with a bit of a bummer. But the heavy track is short and sweet and goes straight into the rest of Bad Frequencies. “Crimson Sand” is a bit more riff heavy as their screamo elements begin to get mixed in. Not only do they toss in unclean vocals from guitarist Mark McMillion, along side JT Woodruff's recognizable clean vocals, but there's even a little bit of a breakdown involved. |
Bad Frequencies' title track really hits the brakes, just about halfway through the album's tracklist, but then punches you right in the face as it kicks in momentarily with both clean and unclean vocals repeating over and over: "Got some bad frequencies buried in my skull. Like a bright red switchblade knife, it's never dull." The track is probably the most lyrically heavy, and gives you the sense that the past still weighs on the band.
The last half of the album is more of the same from the first half, and tracks like "Push Me Away" and "Straight Down The Line" really draw back to the screamo tendencies of the band.
Listening to Bad Frequencies was a completely throwback for me. Honestly, the last time I really listened to Hawthorne Heights was back when "Ohio Is For Lovers" was on MTV and getting radio play. But this album is something that definitely doesn't seem to fit in 2018, and it is a bit concerning since the band seems to still be producing a sound that was so popular back about 2006-2008. Personally, I really enjoyed this album; mostly because it's the music that I enjoyed and listened to all through high school. But is this something that the younger generations will grasp onto? I think that anyone that grew up with the same music taste as I did would really appreciate Bad Frequencies and all of its emo/screamo glory.
Bad Frequencies is available right now here.
Also, Hawthorne Heights are currently on tour and you can check out their tour dates over on their website!
Watch the video for “Push Me Away” off the new album:
At the first show back on the road for the “Crack-Up” tour, after Coachella, Fleet Foxes serenaded Raleigh NC with their Grammy nominated indie-folk sound.
The band played a nearly 2-hour long set that featured a mixture of songs from their full discography. The most prominent being songs off of their most recent album “Crack-Up”, which this tour was directly in support of. Each band member showed off their talent by playing multiple instruments throughout the set; whether it be brass instruments, woodwinds, flutes, or taking a bow to their guitars. All the while, vocalist, Robin Pecknold gave a breathtaking performance behind the microphone with others in the band providing harmonies and backups.
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A Fleet Foxes performance is such a well put together symphony of sounds and whether you know of Fleet Foxes or not, you will most like hear a song that you’ve heard somewhere in your life. They have such a calming and welcoming sound.
The venue was not sold out, but there was a very good turnout on a beautiful late Spring Thursday night; and the smiles on the faces of the band members showed their appreciation for everyone there.
If you weren’t able to come out to Red Hat Amphitheater for this show, or missed them when they came through your city, catch up with all the photos from their show in Raleigh NC here.
Also, stay up to date with their upcoming tour dates and news through their website: http://fleetfoxes.co/news
With no apparent release date for a new album or no real update one where the band is at other than touring every now and then, Modest Mouse is one of those bands where you tell someone "I'm going to see Modest Mouse this weekend" and the response you get is "Modest Mouse is still a band?!" But of course they are. The band is still going strong and is still selling out concerts.
In fact, this past weekend they had a SOLD OUT show in Raleigh NC at The Ritz. If I am not mistaken this show sold out within a couple weeks of being announced last year. And this show wasn't just "sold out" it was wall to wall packed sold out, from the beginning to end.
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A little background about the band; they've been around since the early 90's but didn't find real success until the early 2000's, when they were nominated for multiple Grammys related to their 2004 album "Good News for People Who Love Bad News." Songs from that album, like "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty", became big hits that brought them very close to being household names really skyrocketed the band to another level.
After the 2004 hit album, the band would go on to put out another album in 2007 and then went idle in regards to new music until 2015. Since the release of "Strangers to Ourselves" in 2015, Modest Mouse has not put out a new album and little is know about whether their will be a new album. It has been said that the new album will be an extension of "Strangers to Ourselves" but it will not really be officially recorded or released until it is "legal" for them to do so.
Despite the inconsistency when it comes to new music, the band still puts on a really great show and it's obvious that they are still popular with their fans. This past weekends show at The Ritz was the first real sweaty sold out concert of the year and I couldn't think of a better band to have the opportunity to see in a scenario like that.
Take a look at all the pictures from the show and if you have the opportunity to catch one of the remaining shows on this current tour, take the night off and enjoy some amazing music.
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Upcoming Tour Dates: 05/01 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre |
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Grab the champagne and those little confetti cannon party favors, because congratulations are in order! Stacked Like Pancakes have officially reached and completed their ALL OR NOTHING Kickstarter goal of $100,000 for their new album Strange Creatures! The "brass rock" band from Baltimore took the chance of crowd-funding their third studio full-length through Kickstarter, instead of one of the other crowd-funding outlets where you get to keep whatever you raise. The all or nothing nature of Kickstarter proves how dedicated and trusting this group is of their "Pancake Nation."
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This past Thursday we had the honor of joining the band for a very intimate show in downtown Raleigh NC. I can only imagine the emotions going through the band as they were nearing the end of their Kickstarter campaign and not yet reaching the goal. Although they're not yet selling out their own shows and they're still testing the waters in cities they may not have toured through before, this band is on the brink of a breakout. Stacked Like Pancakes has a sound that you can picture perfectly fitting into a regular rotation on the local alt-rock radio station. With a now complete and funded Kickstarter campaign for their next album, there are high hopes for Stacked Like Pancakes. |
The band will now go into the studio and record the album in May with a tentative release of the album in September. And if you ever get the opportunity to catch one of their shows, do yourself the favor and just go.
Follow Stacked Like Pancakes and keep up with concerts and new announcements through their website and social media sites:
WEBSITE FACEBOOK YOUTUBE TWITTER INSTAGRAM
Emo alternative-rockers, The Maine, are currently on the road with The Wrecks and The Technicolors for the “Fry Your Brain with The Maine” tour. While the tour is nearing a close, with just a little over a week left, the band continues to leave fans in awe city after city.
We had the privilege of attending the show as it made a stop at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro NC. I am not sure if The Technicolors and The Wrecks are as popular as the crowd made them seem, or if everyone (literally everyone) did their homework and learned all the songs that these opening bands played. I have never seen a bigger sing-a-long outside of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” as it plays over the PA system.
If you haven’t heard of the The Maine, well you’re missing out. The Arizona based band were staples in 2007 and 2008 with their EP “The Way We Talk” and the full length “Cant’ Stop Won’t Stop”, but they have continued to evolve their sound and grow their audience with every release. Of course it doesn’t help to be completely fan-driven. The band literally tweeted out to ask fans how they were doing and those that said they were down or stressed received coffee from the band, and those that had a momentous occurrence in their life received flowers or a ticket to the Vans Warped Tour this summer.
The Maine also opened up their set list to their fans for this tour by allowing fans from each city to vote for a song that they wanted to hear. This song was included in their whopping 20 song setlist that included new and old music. Personally I am a big fan of their earlier music, and I am not ashamed to admit that I lost my voice a little bit singing along to “Everything I Ask For”, “Whoever She Is”, and “Girls Do What They Want.”
The band has already announced that this tour will be their final headlining tour of 2018, but they will be on the entire final cross-country Vans Warped Tour this summer. So if you were not able to make it out to the “Fry Your Brain With The Maine” tour, be sure to grab your tickets for Warped Tour.
You can also check out all of our photos from the show in Carrboro NC below.
The Maine:
The Wrecks:
Currently headlining out on road with Foxing and Hail The Sun, Circa Survive and their “The Amulet Tour” came through Greensboro NC this week.
Notably the most successful musical endeavors of vocalist Anthony Green, Circa Survive just released their latest album , The Amulet, late last year and are now celebrating that release on tour.
From day one in 2005 to now, Anthony Green, Colin Frangicetto, Brendan Ekstrom, Nick Beard and Steve Clifford have continued to inspire and influence music of their genre and sooth the souls of their dedicated fans all throughout the world.
Nearing the end of this tour, chances of being a part of this massive three band tour is almost gone. But, if you can't get out to one of the remaining shows, you're still able to get a look into what an amazing night these artist bring to every city. Be sure to check out all our photos from the show at Cone Denim Entertainment Center.
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Judah & The Lion is a folk-rock/pop sensation formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011. Originally a foursome, the now trio is on tour in support of their deluxe album, “Folk Hop N’ Roll”. The band caught major airplay after the release of their single “Take It All Back” in 2016, and became an opening act for alternative-giants Twenty One Pilots. Both of these drastically increased the crowds the band was playing for, and the group quickly went from playing bars and small clubs to playing giant theatres and elegant music venues across the world.
Between the band’s banjo and mandolin player, they manage to create a frenzy of stringed instruments and yet blend them together in a way that flows in classic bluegrass fashion. What sets Judah apart however, are their clear “hip-hop” and “rock and roll” influences. Instead of sticking to their roots and playing classic country and bluegrass style, they manage to incorporate some of the best elements of all of these styles. A kicking bassline, mixed with samples and drums providing by a touring drummer, as well as the banjo and mandolin playing they are known for, Judah & The Lion manages to blend all of these elements supremely.
Judah & The Lion are known for their live shows, and the hectic playing that comes along with them. Between frontman Judah Akers’ aggressive yet playful vocals, and Nate Zuercher’s spin moves while still holding down the banjo groove, you can tell this is a band with lots of experience under the belt. At the same time, the band manages to not take themselves to seriously, with lots of interaction with the audience and even performing covers that nobody could see coming, such as Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”. This is a show that blends genres new and old, and does it in such a jaw dropping way.
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Remaining dates on their current "Going To Mars Spring Tour":
March 18 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
March 21 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
March 22 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
March 24 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
April 11&12 - Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine
April 13 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
April 19 - Birmingham, AL - Sloss Furnace
April 20 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
Forming in Ithica, NY under the name “Ambassadors” , the X Ambassadors have come a long way since their initial EP, “The Reason”, and are now on a tour to support one of their recent singles as well as an upcoming album, “Joyful”. The group is made up of drummer Adam Levin, singer Sam Harris, as well as pianist Casey Harris. The band is also joined on stage by a touring choir, who assists frontman Sam Harris while he puts together a melody on his saxophone, which has always been a highlight of the groups live show.
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Watching all the moving parts at work proves to be the most impressive part of the show. Moving quickly from song to song without hesitation, the band never misses a beat and continues to play smoothly and cleanly amongst many moving parts on stage. Whether it be a saxophone breakdown or a piano interlude, the band holds it together and comes out of a song proving their skills without fail.
X Ambassadors are on tour in the United States throughout the end of May, and plan to release a new album in 2018.
April 13: Raleigh, NC ^ @ Ritz
April 14: Chattanooga, TN ^ @ The Signal
April 15: Nashville, TN ^ @ Ryman Auditorium
April 21: Pittsburgh, PA ^ @ Stage AE
April 22: Cincinnati, OH ^ @ Bogart’s
April 24: Columbus, OH & @ Express Live
April 25: Grand Rapids, MI + @ 20 Monroe Live
April 27: Chicago, IL & @ Aragon Ballroom
April 28: Detroit, MI & @ The Fillmore
April 29: Milwaukee, WI + @ The Rave
May 1: St. Paul, MN & @ Myth Live
May 3: Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 4: Salt Lake City, UT * @ The Depot
May 6: Seattle, WA ! @ Showbox SoDo
May 7: Portland, OR * @ Roseland Theater
May 8: Vancouver, BC * @ Orpheum
May 11: Anaheim, CA ! @ House of Blues
May 12: Ventura, CA ! @ Ventura Theater
May 13: Las Vegas, NV * @ House of Blues
May 15: Phoenix, AZ * @ The Van Buren
May 17: Dallas, TX ! @ House of Blues
May 18: Houston, TX * @ House of Blues
May 19: Austin, TX * @ Stubb’s BBQ
^ Son Little, The Aces
+ Jacob Banks, The Aces
# Misterwives, Allan Rayman
* Jacob Banks, SHAED
& Jacob Banks
! Mondo Cozmo, SHAED
Yoke Lore is the brainchild of former “Walk The Moon” drummer Adrian Galvin, who has been creating music under the name since 2016. Bursting onto the indie-pop scene with the song, “Hold Me Down”, Yoke Lore has since followed up a handful of singles with the EP, “Goodpain”.
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Yoke Lore’s live performance, while gentle and simplistic, is captivating to watch. Utilizing a banjo, as well as drums and samples performed by a touring drummer, Yoke Lore manages to secure his audience with powerful vocal performances and lyrics that manage to be relatable yet personal.
Frenship is a duo that started in Los Angeles, California, when the two met in 2013. They caught wind in the Indie Pop scene with the explosion of their single, “Capsize.” Since then they've put out a handful of singles as well as an EP, “Truce”.
While the duo may handle the production and mixing in the studio, three other touring members help bring their electronic, synth pop songs to life on stage. While their singles have a sort of peacefulness to them, their live show is much more loud and energetic in the best possible way. With a mix of songs new and old, Frenship played a memorable show that will please fans of the band as well as win over newcomers who are experiencing the duo’s songs for the first time. Do yourself a favor and catch Frenship when they play in a city near you.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
April 13 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
April 14 Boston, MA Brighton - Music Hall
April 15 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
April 18 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
April 19 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
April 21- Toronto, ON - The Drake
April 23 - Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room
April 24 Cincinnati, OH - The Woodward Theater
April 27 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
April 28 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
April 29 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
May 1 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
May 2 - Spokane, WA - The Bartlett
May 4 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret
May 5 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
May 6 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
May 8 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
May 9 - Santa Barbara, CA - Soho Music Club
May 11- Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
May 12 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
May 13 - Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
May 14 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
May 17 - Austin, TX - The Parish
May 18 - Houston, TX HOB - Bronze Peacock
May 19 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
May 20 - Dallas, TX HOB - Cambridge Room
May 22 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
May 24 - Denver, CO - Ophelia's Electric Soapbox
Photos and coverage by David DeFruscio
What a way to kick off a tour!! Papa Roach began their "Crooked Teeth World Tour" in Raleigh NC last night; along for the ride are Nothing More and Escape The Fate.
Being named after their most recent album, Crooked Teeth, the tour celebrated new and old from Papa Roach. Led by their vocalist, Jacoby Shaddix, the band put on an unforgettable performance in front of a nearly sold out crowd on the first night of the tour. The setlist was long enough to feature a good mix of new and old songs, and of course the fan favorites like the early 2000's hits "Last Resort" and "Scars".
Opening up for Papa Roach on this tour are emo music veterans Escape The Fate, and the continually on the rise band Nothing More.
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Papa Roach put on a spectacular show and the crowd was as energized and into it as the band was. From front to back, everyone in the venue was jumping, head banging, and waving their hands in the air. It is safe to say that this is going to be one insane tour that no one should pass up. If you are a fan of Papa Roach or a fan of rock music in general, you'll want to spend the night with these three bands when they come through your city.
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Papa Roach Crooked Teeth North American 2018 Tour Dates
April 5 - Raleigh, N.C. @ Ritz *^
April 7 - Myrtle Beach, S.C. @ House of Blues *^
April 8 - Charlotte, N.C. @ The Fillmore (Charlotte) *^
April 10 - Huntington, N.Y. @ The Paramount ^
April 11 - Montclair, N.J. @ The Wellmont Theater ^
April 13 - Portland, Maine @ State Theater *^
April 14 - Montreal, Quebec @ M-Telus aka Metropolis *^
April 17 - Quebec City, Quebec @ Grand Theater *^
April 18 - Rochester, N.Y. @ Main Street Armory *^
April 19 - Detroit, Mich. @ Fillmore *^
April 21 - Cleveland, Ohio @ Agora *^
April 22 - Indianapolis, Ind. @ Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre *^
April 24 - Louisville, Ky. @ Mercury Ballroom *^
April -26 - Des Moines, Iowa @ 7 Flags Event Center *^
April 27 - Sioux Falls, S.D. @ The District *^
April 29 - Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Burton Cummings*^
May 1 - Regina, Saskatchewan @ Conexus Arts Centre*^
May 2 - Calgary, Alberta @ Grey Eagle Showroom*^
May 4 - Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox SoDo*^
May 5 - Portland, Ore. @ Roseland*^
May 7 - Fresno, Calif. @ Woodward Park Amp*^
May 9- Albuquerque, N.M. @ El Rey Theater*^
May 11 -Tulsa, Okla. @ Brady Theater^
May 12 - Houston, Texas @ Revention^
May 13 - Corpus Christi, Texas @ Concrete Street Pavilion^
* with Nothing More
^ with Escape the Fate
Nothing More Full Gallery:
I was one of those people who highly anticipated the release of Cigarettes After Sex debut album last summer. I even had a broken leg when I called up my local record shop to hold a copy for me.
Their melon collie yet almost cut throat lyrics were the perfect soundtrack for a woman who was bed ridden and heartsick.
When I arrived at The Underground to catch their show I was surprised by how many people were in attendance. The show actually ended up selling out by the end of the night and while the tracks were slow and soft, many times you could hear the crowd singing along, especially to their closing song "Apocalypse."
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Founded in 2008, Cigarettes After Sex has been performing in small spaces for years and finally gained traction after a successful run on Youtube and of course after their debut LP.
When it comes to overall aesthetics this band is quintessential for anyone trying to woe someone with a perfect record. Their transcendent sound mentally transports me to a dark, underground club in New York, swaying back and forth with a drink and a cigarette wondering who my next conquest might be. Which is a feat easily done when they choose to perform solo, with no opener. They donned all black with single spot lights at the back and side of the stage to create the perfect atmosphere for their adult lullabies.
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However not everyone at these shows wants to be transported to another space, most carried on loud conversations which made the experience a little disappointing. Singer and guitarist Greg Gonzalez voice sounds exactly like the recording, I highly suggest getting there early and finding a space in the front among the more respectful and appreciative attendees. Overall, Cigarettes After Sex is a dished served best in small, urban clubs and respectful audience members. But to truly get an uninterrupted experience listening to the album will be just as enjoyable as their live performance doesn't stray from their produced sound. |
Follow Cigarettes After Sex through their social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; and keep up with their upcoming tour dates on their website
In March of this year, Sorority Noise announced that the band would be taking a leave of absence following the end of the current tour with Remo Drive and Jelani Sei. With this news there was a certain unspoken pressure on the group to put on the best live show possible, knowing that it would be their last run for the foreseeable future.
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Ending the show with the words “We might not see you for a while, but take care of yourself until then.” , Sorority Noise singer / frontman Cameron Boucher made sure to make their final tour before expected hiatus one to remember. With blistering vocals and guitar shredding making their way to the front of the setlist, the band made sure to include some of their slower, more emotional songs, covering a wide variety of the bands discography.
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Remo Drive is an example of the polar opposite. A small band of three, now two members, are just getting the ball rolling and have a long road ahead of them. Flying onto the scene with their critically acclaimed freshman album “Greatest Hits” , followed by their most recent “Pop Music” EP, the band is an upcoming force to be reckoned with.
Their live performance was loud and bombastic in the best way, with no stage gimmicks or fancy lighting setups to steal the spotlight from what's most important: the music. Their songs, which puts a spin on the tried and true pop-punk genre, were played cleanly and almost effortlessly. Even in the midst of a broken bass string, which player Stephen Paulson claimed to only ever have happen to him twice on stage in his playing career, was pulled off flawlessly with the help of a borrowed bass guitar from headliner Sorority Noise. With some help of their touring members, the duo pulled off a live show to be remembered, with a promise to be back for another live tour “Mid-summer”.
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Photos and Coverage by David DeFruscio
In honor of their newest album Cold Like War, We Came As Romans has hit the North American tour trail; bringing along The Plot In You, Oceans Ate Alaska, Currents, and Tempting Fate. Cities on this tour continue to sell out, including the Greensboro NC show that we attended, which is no surprise with this stacked lineup. Tempting Fate and Currents are some of the top on the rise bands and Oceans Ate Alaska continues to grow and expand their already incredible US fanbase.
The Plot In You has always been a popular band in the metalcore genre, with their angry lyrics and their heavy guitar riffs and breakdowns; however, the shift in musical stylings on their last couple albums has really latched onto a larger audience, skyrocketing their popularity it seems. When you look at their first full length First Born, and compare it to their most recent release DISPOSE, it's hard to convince yourself these two albums came from the same band; and if it weren't for Landon Tewers' recognizable vocals, you could very easily mistake them as completely different bands.
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Their set on this tour was comprised mostly of the songs from their most recent album, but they threw in a couple fan favorites from past albums. Songs like "Fiction Religion" and "My Old Ways" brought some of the loudest cheers from the crowd. The four-piece band seem to be in a very good place with their music and turbulence of years past appears to be smoothed out. Even Tewers himself, in a recent interview with Billboard about the new album, has confessed to feeling more at peace than he has in the past. As The Plot In You walked off the stage one-by-one with the final notes of "Disposable Fix" playing, the crowd seems left in awe from the incredible set they just experienced; but nice and warmed up for the headlining act. |
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We Came As Romans has gone through their fair share of struggles in a short two year time span. The band had some member changes, they dropped their record label and were one of the first bands announced to sign to the freshly formed Sharptone Records. Their most recent release, and first album through their new label, was following up the bands biggest let down; their 2015 self-titled album, a big mishit with fans, left things in a rough place and possibly initiated all of the changes the band went through.
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Cold Like War has been a complete rebound for the band, bringing them back to where they excel musically. Fans are clearly taking to this album more-so than the last and that is no surprise as it is an absolute lyrical feat, while bringing back the style of music that gave the band their name. The album itself is so lyrically honest it shows they're no afraid to reflect on the rough past few years they've had as a band.
Their set on the "Cold Like War Tour" featured a good mix of songs throughout their career with the primary focus on their new album of course; including "To Plant A Seed" and "Fade Away". The band played to the sold out crowd like true professionals; dodging crowd surfers tumbling onto the stage and conducting a chorus of hundreds of fans singing along to the choruses of their songs.
After their current "Cold Like War Tour"; We Came As Romans and The Plot In You will continue onto Europe and the UK, where they will be joined by Alazka and Polaris.
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Remaining North America Tour Dates: |
Mainland Europe dates: |
UK dates (We Came As Romans headlining): |
We Came As Romans:
The Plot In You:
The female-fronted group Jule Vera opened up the “Selective Hearing Tour” at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro this week with Our Last Night, I The Mighty, and Don Broco; in the downhill stretch of the 25-city tour. Their ever growing fanbase continues to shine on these tours where they act as the tour package openers, and it is not a very big secret why. Their alternative indie pop sound gets everyone hooked and their live performance draws you in as each individual member has their own style and vibe on stage.
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Their popularity really started to flourish during Jule Vera’s mainstage positioning on the summer-long 2017 Vans Warped Tour, which led to a sponsorship deal with Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza. While juggling the the intense daily schedule of the Vans Warped Tour, they would do pop-up acoustic shows in Blaze locations near the stops of the tour.
The four-piece band from Opelika, AL is on the rise and still so very young. While they have the talent and the resume to prove themselves, there is still so much time for the band to mature and grow in their music. Check out the music video for Jule Vera’s new single “Bad Company” here.
Keep up with the latest Jule Vera news through the various social media sites
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and their Website
And be sure to check out the their latest album Waiting On The Sun, released June 16, 2017.
See more photos from Jule Vera’s Cat’s Cradle set and other photos from the show below.
Our Last Night gallery:
I the Mighty gallery:
Don Broco gallery:
The Devil Wears Prada is currently on tour with A Day To Remember, Papa Roach, and Falling In Reverse; which seems like a complete party. But when you've got some time off between shows, why not book a show for an area that might not have the opportunity to go to see the main tour you're on? That's exactly what The Devil Wears Prada did, and they took one of their days off to play a headlining show in Greensboro NC, at The Blind Tiger.
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The show's lineup consisted of three local NC bands that completely killed it; Live For What Lasts, The Worshiper, and No Devil Lived On were all extremely excited to be opening up for The Devil Wears Prada and the excitement was infectious throughout the crowd. But everyone was there to see the main act. The Devil Wears Prada brought their incredible live performance to a very personal and close atmosphere; no barrier, no huge light show, no giant stage. This show was truly a throwback to 2007-2008 when I first saw them in a tiny venue in Raleigh NC. Of course the band has matured musically and they have a much larger library of songs to choose from for their sets, but these headlining shows give them a chance to play more songs than they might play as an opener on a larger tour.
This extra stop on their tour with A Day To Remember was one of four headlining shows and I know I speak for everyone at the show when I say that I hope they come back very soon for an equally personal and awesome show!
At this time, the band does not have any announced tour dates for the rest of 2018, but I anticipate that to change.
Keep up with the most recent The Devil Wears Prada news through their Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Full Gallery:
Laura Pergolizzi or better known as LP blessed the Tarheel state, just off of the Tarheel campus, with an inspiring performance at Carrboro’s Cat’s Cradle on Wednesday night.
Sporting a very punk-esque look, the indie-pop/folk rock singer-songwriter put her raw talent and energy on the line, in front of a nearly sold out crowd. A very loud crowd that loved every minute of her set; screaming and cheering at any eye contact or comment LP made to them.
through her music it's clear how powerful and controlled her voice is; but she also plays the acoustic guitar, ukulele, harmonica, and she even whistles quite impressively.
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The two opening acts were just as impressive as the headliner. On her first ever tour, Kat Cunning put on display just a small glimpse into her enormous amount of talent. The singer, songwriter, actress, and trained dancer; surely didn't look to be new to the stage, and that might have something to do with her starring in Cirque du Soleil's first Broadway show Paramour, just last year.
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The other opening act was just as talented. Noah Kahan, and the rest of his band, were fresh off his late night TV debut, with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the night before. And he didn't shy away from a little humble brag about it after playing “Hurt Somebody”, the song played during their TV performance.
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While not as exciting in the same way as a pure rock show, there is a different kind of excitement about a singer-songwriter show. There is just so much talent from every person that sets foot on stage, it's hard not to completely get entranced in the music and the moment.
Closing out this current tour this week, LP will now take off next week for a Russian tour before coming back to the states for Coachella.
Keep track of more upcoming tour dates and new music from LP through her website and various social media networks.
www.iamlp.com | www.facebook.com/iamLP | www.twitter.com/iamlp
Full LP Photo Gallery:
Noah Kahan Full Gallery | Kat Cunning Full Gallery
Myspace may be pretty much forgotten, but there are some really amazing things that have come from it. With such a big music presence on the former social media titan, there were a lot of great artists and bands that gained popularity from it. One of those big Myspace artists is a lady that goes by the name Lights.
Her unique and catchy brand of pop music is something that's hard to come by with all the top 40 hits that get played and replayed; until they're drilled into your brain. Although her music hasn't had the mainstream success that it deservers, Lights' music gets stuck in your head from the first time you hear it. From songs from back in 2011 like "Toes", "Saviour", and 2014's "Up We Go"; and she's still dropping hits with her most recent album Skin & Earth. Lights has got to be one of seemingly few artists that can't do wrong and just has that pure singer-songwriter talent.
In support of her most recent album, Lights is currently on the road on the We Were Here Tour; and we were able to catch this amazing show when she came through Carrboro NC. With support from Chase Atlantic and DCF, this Thursday night show honestly surprised me with the turn out. Before the show even got started it looked like a near sell out crowd, so hats off to the still growing popularity of Lights and her taking out the alternative pop/R&B trio Chase Atlantic.
Chase Atlantic seemed to have a lot of fans at the show, which isn't very surprising given their sound that's like a blend between The Weekend and The 1975. Although they have a very poppy/R&B sound, they have a full band for their live show and put on quite the performance. Check out photos from their set below:
Although the trio and the rest of their band put on a good show, nothing could compare to what Lights brought to the stage. Lights and her band put on a show to remember with a great mix of old music and new music. She played a keyboard in a pizza box, shredded on the guitar, and serenaded the packed venue while sat behind a piano. If anyone wants to question the talent or ability of pop artists, I highly recommend heading out to one of the shows on the We Were Here Tour or any of her future shows. Not only does she stand up in comparison to the mainstream pop superstars with her music, she doesn't need the choreography and back-up dancers to put on a great show.
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Follow Lights and keep up to date with new music and tour dates; Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Lights Full Gallery:
When Underoath announced that they were disbanding in 2012, it crushed the post-hardcore/hard rock world. A lot of fans didn't want to believe it, many bands opened up about how Underoath influenced their music, and things were all just a little dim. Then in January 2013, the band played what was to be their final show for a sold out crowd in their home state of Florida.
The band released the “Tired Violence” documentary in 2015 which felt like final closure. The doc, filmed during their final tour, explained the reasons behind the breakup through some extremely personal interviews with the members and as a fan I understood.
Then the unexpected happened.
The band announced their reunion to celebrate the anniversaries of two of the most influential albums in post-hardcore music. Since then, the band has gone pretty much non-stop with touring and festival appearances.
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And today, Underoath has announced a new album; cementing that they're here to stay (for now), as well as their signing to Fearless Records.
Erase Me is due out April 6th and the first single off the album is pure Underoath. “On My Teeth” has the catchy hooks and the infectious guitar riffs that you would expect from the band. It's almost like the never even missed a step. What break up?
Listen to the new song now; and preorder the new album through www.underoath777.com
New Album "Erase Me" - April 6, 2018 |
Take a moment a moment and think about the pop-culture phenomenon that was American Idol. With 15 season, and a new season to begin this year, how many winners can you think of that you still hear about? The one that most everybody will agree upon is Kelly Clarkson, but one winner you may also be familiar with as a still relevant artist is Phillip Phillips. If you're not familiar with him, what is Phillip Phillips up to, you may ask? Well he is currently about a quarter of the way through The Magnetic Tour, and we caught his show in Carrboro NC at Cat's Cradle.
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Most recognized by his hit song "Home", the folk rock/pop singer-songwriter is still selling out venues and continuing to grow as an artist. With four years between albums, Phillip Phillips recently released hist lates album, Collateral, on January 19, 2018 through Interscope Records. The Magnetic Tour is directly in support of this new album, so you could expect the majority of his set to be dedicated to new music. With six songs of the 13 song set being from the new album, it was as expected, but he didn't shy away from the favorites from his previous two albums. Songs like "Home" and "Raging Fire" got some of the biggest rises out of the packed Carrboro venue; which is not surprising at all since these are some of his biggest and most popular songs.
Take a listen to or buy the new album from his website, or from Amazon, Apple Music, or Spotify.
Remaining dates for The Magnetic Tour:
2/22 - Athens, GA, Georgia Theatre
2/23 - Atlanta, GA, Variety Playhouse
2/24 - Macon, GA, Cox Capitol Theatre
2/28 - St. Petersburg, F, Palladium Theatre
3/2 - Jacksonville, FL, Florida Theatre
3/9 - Denver, CO, Ogden Theatre
3/13 - Salt Lake City, UT, The Depot
3/16 - Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre
3/18 - Portland, OR, Wonder Ballroom
3/20 - San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore
3/21 - Los Angeles, CA, The Fonda Theatre
3/22 - Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up Tavern
3/23 - Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up Tavern
3/30 - Biloxi, MS, Hard Rock Live Biloxi
3/31 - El Dorado, AR, Griffin Music Hall
4/6 - Chicago, IL, House of Blues
4/8 - Toronto, ON, The Opera House
4/13 - Robinsonville, MS, Horseshoe Bluesville Casino
4/14 - Chattanooga, TN, Walker Theatre - Memorial Auditorium
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Laura Pergolizzi, or better known as LP, is a singer-songwriter from the ever so diverse New York City. While you may not recognize her name as an individual artists, you have most likely heard some of the songs she has worked on; from more household artists like Rihanna, Cher, and Christina Aguilera. If you have heard of LP, you've problem sang along to songs like “Into The Wild” or maybe even “Lost on You” from her latest release by the same title. Her incredible songwriting, seemingly inhuman whistling skills, and unique androgynous style set her apart from other artists. The aforementioned album “Lost on You”, released in mid 2017, has a wonderful soul indie pop vibe that's hard to compare to anyone else. Her voice is something you'd hear from a pure soul singer, at times; while the music is a brilliant twist of indie, pop, and modern blues. The infectious thumping of “Muddy Waters” and the latin pop inspired sound of “When We're High” shows the diversity and the raw talent for songwriting. |
LP is currently on the road, venturing throughout the US, including a couple dates in North Carolina. We can't wait to catch LP in Carrboro, NC on March 7th before she jets off to Russia for a string of shows in March.
Check out a full list of upcoming tour dates over on her website: http://iamlp.com/
And take a listen to a few songs off her most recent album, “Lost on You”
Full album stream available now on Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.
What a great trio with the Oso Oso, Mom Jeans, and Tiny Moving Parts tour. These "emo revivalist" as they are known bring a raw and electric energy to the stage that awakens your inner angsty teenager. And unlike most shows that we've been attending this crowd was kind, courteous, and always looking after their fellow man - on several occasions audience members returned lost items and held entertaining conversations with the band members on stage.
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This was our first time in Cat's Cradle's Back Room and it did not disappoint. We loved being able to get right on top of the bands while also having the choice of sitting up in the balcony. These multiple vantage points make this quaint venue a personal affair with the music.
But let's talk music shall we.
Tiny Moving Part's newest record "Swell" has been making it's way around the "Must Listen To" Record lists. And we couldn't agree more, combining their meloncollie lyrics with upbeat hooks and rhythmic bass lines these songs will get stuck in your head, make you dance, and remind you it could always be a little worse. Our favorites - "Applause," "Caution," and "Wildfire.
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The on stage performance was full of wild crowd interaction, the best drum solos from Bill, and the incorporation of horns thanks to Mom Jeans - this tour is not to be missed.
(However if you do miss it don't worry they will be back this summer as they just announced a follow up tour with The Wonder Years and Tigers Jaw which will be stopping in Greensboro in May)
Honestly we couldn't think of a better way to spend our Tuesday.
Tiny Moving Parts full gallery:
The year was 2007; I was having a typical boring afternoon flipping through the television channels with nothing else better to do. A random music channel I had never seen before caught my eye and there I sat watch a rock power hour of music videos. Some of my favorite bands were played and then the video for “Sorry You're Not A Winner” came on by four gents from the UK, in a band called Enter Shikari. And the rest is history.
Fast forward just over 10 years later; and while the band’s sound has matured and changed into something a little harder to pinpoint a genre for, they still seem to grasp onto those long time fans, myself included.
Enter Shikari is a band that has struggled to create a consistent following in the US. Other photos of their shows in the states show massive crowds while the venue in Carrboro NC was casually and very comfortably half filled, despite it being a Friday night. It really is a shame, because I can't remember the last concert where I was so entranced in the bands and the music that I never stopped to think “gosh what time is it.” But that's what happened this past Friday night.
The supporting bands, Milk Teeth and Single Mothers, were fun with some awesome punk vibes; which is a great fit to open for a band like Enter Shikari, with their punk origins turned more electronic dance rock blend. Enter Shikari has such an interesting sound and aesthetic, it is hard not to get completely wrapped up in classics songs like “Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour…” followed immediately by a more drum and bass/hardstyle track like “Rabble Rouser”.
Listen to a couple of their songs, new and old, below:
More music and videos can be found on Enter Shikari's YouTube.
There really is something for everyone to like about Enter Shikari and their live gigs take their music to a complete other level.
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Enter Shikari will continue to tear apart North America, with Milk Teeth and Single Mothers, through February. If you have a chance to catch this show, make a night of it and enjoy a roller coaster of amazing music.
You can find more from Enter Shikari on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Remain Enter Shikari North American Tour Dates:
| Jan. 27 - Richmond, VA - Capital Ale House Jan. 28 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club Jan. 30 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair Feb. 2 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg Feb. 3 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer Feb. 5 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmoumt Feb. 6 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace Feb. 8 - Columbus, OH - A&R Music Hall Feb. 9 - Chicago, IL - Metro Feb. 10 - St Paul, MN - Amsterdam Hall Feb. 11 - Winnipeg, MB - The Pyramid Cabaret |
Feb. 13 - Calgary, AB - Commonwealth Feb. 14 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Ballroom Feb. 16 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial Feb. 17 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's Feb. 18 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater Feb. 20 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium Feb. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre Feb. 24 - Santa Ana, CA - The Obervatory Feb. 25 - San Diego, CA - The Irenic Feb. 27 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom |
Full gallery of photos:
With the second half part of their North American headliner coming to a close this week, Wage War brought the Deadweight Tour to Greensboro NC on Tuesday night. Joining them on Part 2 were Gideon, Varials, Loathe, and the gents from across the pond in Oceans Ate Alaska.
Although the temperature was dropping below freezing outside, the packed venue was sweaty and hot from all of the moshing and head banging going on. Loathe, Varials, and Gideon brought the beat down and Oceans Ate Alaska shredded the faces off of the crowd that was anxiously awaiting Wage War to hit the stage.
As the Ocala FL band hit the stage with the songs "Two Years" and "Southbound" off their newest album Deadweight, the crowd erupted into a controlled chaos. The pushing and moshing hit next level and crowd surfers became a little too much for the small venues security to handle.
Wage War closes out their North American tour later this week in Florida and will hit Europe next April with Of Mice & Men and Sylar.
The new album, Deadweight, is out now:
DIGITAL: http://smarturl.it/wwdeadweight
US MERCH: http://smarturl.it/deadweightbundles
Check out the lead single "Stitch"
Full Gallery:
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Emarosa is a band that I have seen many times over the years. From tiny 200 capacity venues, arena style venues, and the Vans Warped Tour stage on multiple occasions; they have never seemed to disappoint. So why should that be any different for their current headlining tour with A Lot Like Birds and Jule Vera? Well, if you were wondering, it wasn't any different. For a Tuesday night show the turnout was not a sell out crowd, but that made for a very intimate show. Opening support, Jule Vera, is a band that gained a popularity this summer on the Vans Warped Tour. They are a young band with a lot of potential, and who can deny that playing acoustic shows at pizza restaurants around the country is not a completely awesome thing! The crowd began to grow and inch closer to the stage throughout their set. By the time A Lot Like Birds started their sound check, there was no one sitting in any of the chairs scattered throughout the venue. |
Oct. 6 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum Theatre
Emarosa Full Gallery:
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The alternative rock band Waterparks, that has soared to popularity in the last couple years, is a trio of fun and their music is dance inducing The Houston based band is one of the hottest, on-the-rise, bands. They have spent the summer on tour with All Time Low, on The Last Renegade Tour, and we were able to catch the Raleigh NC stop of the tour.
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Remaining 2017 Summer Tour w/Motionless In White ft. Little Miss Nasty and Vimic
7/21 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater 7/22 - Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
7/23 - Midland, TX @ La Hacienda Center
7/25 - Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
7/26 - Des Moines, IA @ 7 Flags Event Center
7/28 - Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
7/29 - Rochester, MN @ Mayo Civic Auditorium
7/30 - Fargo, ND @ Fargo Civic Auditorium
8/01 - Bismarck, ND @ Bismarck Event Center
8/03 - Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium
8/04 - Sturgis, SD @ Ironhorse Saloon
8/05 - Lincoln, NE @ Centennial Mall & M Street
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2017 Fall Tour w/ Of Mice & Men and Avatar
9/22 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Complex
9/23 – Greenwood Village, Colo. @ High Elevation Rock Festival 9/25 – Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues 9/26 – Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues 9/27 – Kalamazoo, Mich. @ Wings Stadium 9/29 – Springfield, Mo. @ Shrine Mosque 9/30 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Tulsa State Fair 10/01 – Louisville, Ky. @ Louder Than Life 10/03 – Utica, N.Y. @ Stanley Theater 10/06 – Providence, R.I. @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel 10/07 – Camden, N.J. @ Rock Allegiance 10/08 – Silver Spring, M.D. @ The Filmore Spring 10/10 – Richmond, Va. @ The National 10/12 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Tabernacle 10/13 – New Orleans, La. @ The Orpheum Theater 10/14 – The Woodlands, Texas @ Houston Open Air 10/18 – Los Angeles, Ca. @ The Wiltern 10/21 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Brooklyn Bowl 10/22 – Sacramento, Ca. @ Aftershock 10/25 – Riverside, Ca. @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium 10/27 – Garden City, Idaho @ Revolution Center 10/28 – Spokane, Wash. @ Knitting Factory 10/29 – Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theater 10/31 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Moore 11/01 – Kennewick, Wash. @ The Toyota Ice Arena 11/08 – Sioux Falls, S.D. @ The District 11/10 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Eagles Ballroom 11/21 – Orlando, Fla. @ Shiprocked |
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Remaining Tour Dates:
7/18 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
7/19 St Louis, MO @ Fubar
7/21 Oklahoma City, OK @ Center of the Galaxy Fest
Most of the time the crowd is half and half on who knows Thrice, and who has never heard of them but there are always huge rawrs of applause and cheers after every song. With a good mixture of music from Vheissu to their current album To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, there is something for every Thrice fan. Unless The Artist in the Ambulance is your favorite, then you're just out of luck and 14 years late.
The music and stage presence of Deftones has an almost hypnotic appeal and my eyes never left the stage even for a moment. Singer Chino Moreno does an absolutely fantastic job at engaging with the crowd and keeping the momentum building up throughout the entire show. It is always wonderful to witness a band that is not afraid to get down and dirty and rock out with their fan base on face to face level.
The music of Deftones has always been one that is hard to classify. However, at the end of the day they are an absolutely solid group of musicians; who know how to put on a completely entrancing performance. The band appear to be in great shape and are doing a fantastic job at continuing to grow their fan base with each and every album release, which is no small feat for a band that has been around for as long as Deftones. They flawlessly blend together incredible musicianship with a highly engaging live performance creating a complete package of songs across their entire catalog.
Deftones & Rise Against w/Thrice Tour Dates:
Thrice Full Gallery:
Third Eye Blind delivered their latest LP Dopamine in 2015 and followed it up with the We Are Drugs EP last fall, but they are revisiting their classic 1997 self-titled debut album on a North American tour.
Tour dates of the Summer Gods Tour:
Ohio’s Miss May I made their first visit to North Carolina’s Gate City. They rocked Greensboro in neck-snapping fashion, whipping the already fiery crowd to greater frenzy from the opening chords of “Shadows Inside.” The band chose to kick off their set with the title track off their new album, fresh on the touring cycle for their fifth studio album, Shadows Inside. From the new record, they also performed the “Lost In The Grey.” The quintet riffed through a set that hit songs from all of their previous albums as well; “Forgive and Forget” from Apologies Are for the Weak, “Masses of a Dying Breed” and “Relentless Chaos” from Monument, and “Hey Mister” from At Heart. Vocalist Levi Benton enthralled the crowd, his caustic growls nicely balanced against bassist Ryan Neff’s clean vocals. The band just gets stronger and more impressive.
Their new album, Shadows Inside, is available now from SharpTone Records. Catch them on the remain dates of their tour with Upon A Burning Body, Kublai Khan, and Currents.
Glass Animals just kicked off their current tour and did it in style here in Raleigh NC. Lines started forming at 2:30 in the afternoon and the anxious fans finally got to enter the gates at 6pm.
Their album "How To Be A Human Being" is out now.iTunes | Spotify | Apple Music | Vinyl/CD Listen to new songs "Life Itself" and "Youth" via the bands website www.glassanimals.eu
With only a few days left on their tour with Say Anything and Hot Rod Circuit, get out to a show if they're coming to a city near you. If you miss them on this tour, I'm sure they'll be around again soon!
After an amazing set from Trash Boat, I placed myself right in the middle of the stage. I wanted to be up close and I had a few pictures in my head that I knew I wanted to get. The crew sound-checked all the instruments and prepped the stage for chaos. Once everything was ready to go, the venue went dark and the crowd erupted. Cheering quickly turned into grumbling of confusion as Emma Stone's award winning solo from La La Land played over the PA system. I felt like I was the only one singing along.
As a fan just enjoying the show I was in a push-moshing, crowd-surfing, sweaty dream. But, as a photographer I was not in a good place. The crowd was so lively, I could barely keep my camera above my shoulders. I took a handful of shots in the crowd and then worked my way off to the side so I could actually do my job. Not only is the band known for their great music, they're also known for their energetic and interactive stage presence. Running back and forth, jumping in the air, leaning into the crowd; they do it all.
Although this tour was strictly in celebration of the last 20 years, they left their newest album out of it. Hot off the presses, Makes Me Sick is nothing short of the same old good music that the band has always put out. The album, produced by Aaron Sprinkle (MxPx, Anberlin, Acceptance) and mixed by Tom Lord-Alge(U2, The Rolling Stones, Blink 182), takes risks, introduces new sounds and proves that after 20 years, New Found Glory is here to stay.
If you missed out on the 20 Years Of Pop Punk tour, well you're not the brightest crayon in the box. This was a once in a lifetime kind of tour, and I am really happy I was able to experience it. With the anniversary tour over with, New Found Glory will bee taking a short break before hitting the road again in July.
If you missed them on one of the dates over the last two months, be sure to check them out on one of their upcoming date:
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While most were putting on their floaties during the flooding in Raleigh, Saturday night, we were out at Southland Ballroom to catch a bunch of pretty awesome bands. The touring package consisted on Forevermore (promoting their upcoming album Integral), Dear Desolate (Raleigh locals), Kingdom of Giants, and Darkness Divided; and local openers Valleys, A Turning Day, and Friends As Enemies.
The first couple locals struggled with keeping their energy up with just a handful of people in the venue early.
Valleys:
As the night went on, the experience could be seen on stage. The bands that were more veterans of the stage, were able to really look past the small crowd and still have fun on stage. They weren’t demanding for movement or energy from the people standing around. But as the night went on, more and more people started to show up.
Darkness Divided, a band from Texas, expressed their appreciation for all that showed up to see them even though they’re so far from home.
Kingdom of Giants really had some awesome energy on stage and the crowd seemed to feed off of that. The vocalist even jumped off the stage and ran around amongst the crowd for a song.
The local boys, Dear Desolate, really brought out the most people. Their new music video debuted on RevolverMag.com this week, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they started to gain some recognition.
And finally, Forevermore, the band is based out of Indiana but the vocalist is actually from North Carolina. I was really impressed by just how much I enjoyed their set. They were fun to watch, and tight musically. Their new album, Integral, comes out on July 22nd through Solid State Records and is definitely worth a listen for those that are into the heavier genres of rock music.
The 1975 played an all inclusive set to a sold out crowd in Raleigh NC in the rain.
I finally got to see one of my top 5 favorite bands, and I was able to photograph them! Take a look back at Thrice, La Dispute, and Gates in Charlotte NC.
Thrice
La Dispute
Gates
I love our art museum here in Raleigh and we finally got to see a concert there thanks to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros!
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Harriet
Another day, another drive to Greensboro for an awesome show! Deathcore powerhouse, Whitechapel, was in town and we covered the show at Greene Street,
Whitechapel
The Plot In You
Enterprise Earth
Say Anything and mewithoutYou came into town, and we covered the show at Cat's Cradle! It was an interesting night that even included a wedding right in the middle of the venue!
Say Anything
mewithoutYou
Teen Suicide
Museum Mouth
This past weekend I had the chance to cover on off-day show with State Champs in Wilmington NC at Ziggy's By The Sea. The New York Pop Punk band is currently on tour with A Day To Remember and Parkway Drive.
State Champs
Swing First
Eyes Eat Suns
EVE
Last Thursday we had the chance to cover Jonny Craig and Kurt Travis at Local 506 in Chapel Hill NC. The two former Dance Gavin Dance vocalists are currently on tour as solo artists, along with current DGD vocalist Tilian Pearson.
Jonny Craig
Kurt Travis
This past Wednesday, some old friends of mine in the band My Ticket Home came through North Carolina on their tour in support of Beartooth. They were nice enough to have me come out and photograph the show at Greene Street, so that’s just what I did.
The tour features three Ohio natives with Former, My Ticket Home, Beartooth, and the outspoken Long Islanders in Stray From The Path; this was pretty much the perfect lineup for any fan of any of these bands.
Some NC locals, Dear Desolate, started the night just as the doors opened and unfortunately their set was over before I could get inside. They are definitely worth a listen though. The group of a five, from the Raleigh area, just finished a bunch of shows down the southern portion of the East coast with 36 Crazyfists, Enterprise Earth, and Memphis May Fire. Head on over to their Facebook and take a listen to some of their music.
To start out the tour package, Former came out and surprised a lot of people. They were the most calm band of the night and really connected with everyone at the show with a Nirvana cover.
Next up, My Ticket Home is a band that has created their own genre that they call Puke Rock. After some primary member changes, a few years ago, they made the switch from the generic post-hardcore sound to the grungy and headbanging sound of Puke Rock. With multiple van problems, empty venues, and uninterested crowds; it hasn’t been an easy road for them. Coming up on their second album featuring their new sound, it seems like everyone is finally starting to catch on. They had one of the most energetic and responsive crowds that I have seen in a long time. Mid-set the lead vocalist/bassist, Nick Giumenti, asked for 100 crowd surfers while they played a brand new song. Be careful what you ask for.
The place went crazy and bodies were falling onto and off of the stage, for almost the entire set. The crowd was now amped up and ready for the band that is undoubtedly the most outspoken band, that I have ever heard of. Stray From The Path is known for the controversial lyrics and hard hitting music, but you would never know just how genuine and respectful these guys are if you never go to any of their shows. Police brutality, government corruption, abuse of fame, sexual predators, you name it and they’ve written about it. Drew York, the lead vocalist, spent the entire set singing out his lyrics and helping kids reach the stage safely while crowd surfing. York would help kids up after falling onto the stage and ask if they were ok. The band didn’t get frustrated with anyone getting in their way or for falling on their equipment. Instead, they unplugged stage monitors and moved them aside so that no one was at risking of falling on them and getting hurt.
Unfortunately someone's phone did not make it out of the show alive. York politely lifted the phone into the air and reassured the owner: "I just want to let you know that the damage to this phone was not caused by us."
The headliners, and the main reason everyone was there, was the relatively new band Beartooth. They might be a new band on the scene but none of them are new faces. The band is made up of a former member of the band Attack Attack! and the rest of the guys were all part of the touring crew at some point. Fronted by the vocalist, Caleb Shomo, the band is about to release only their second album under Red Bull Records on June 3rd. With Beartooth on the stage, the room turned into the sweatiest sing-along you’d ever see. Even brand new songs had everyone singing. This show surely left everyone happy that they came even with broken phones, broken eye glasses, ripped tshirts, and most likely a touch of dehydration. Hopefully everyone left fulfilled, I know I did.
Last Thursday we had a chance to cover MOTHXR in Carrboro NC. The Brooklyn based indie band, featuring Penn Badgley of Gossip Girls, made a stop at Cat's Cradle on their tour with Polica.
