Nevermind The Posers

See ya in the pit.

What Can I Say About SxSW? Part Two April 2, 2010

Filed under: Concert Reviews,Music Festivals — NVMP @ 5:20 PM
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After this trip, my shoes were worn out and legs a new type of sore.  Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have a problem hoofing it to see legends like Cheap Trick and Smokey Robinson tear it up, logging 2 miles on my feet bouncing from show to show.  But I now see the appeal of “pedi-cabs.”  Stone Temple Pilots, although I was never a huge fan but dug their sound in general, killed it.  I couldn’t tell if I was at a live show or listening to a record.  That good.  The same went for old Smokey and Cheap Trick.

Scott from Stone Temple Pilots @ Austin Music Hall.

STP again...yea the light show was that serious.

And one thing I want to note about seeing Cheap Trick, first off, whatever venue it was, whatever park it may have been, they took care of press. We had our own section with our own bar.  And free beer . Yes free beer.  Shockingly to this New Yorker, everyone was nice, helping people up and down embankments, moving to the side, and saying sorry for bumping into you.  Imagine that, New York, people actually apologizing for running into you.  Teens, twenty-something’s, and the older crowd all sang along together;  while the kids quietly played light sabers with glow sticks in the corner – probably the first and last time kid’s didn’t get on my nerves at a show.  When they played their classic “I Want You To Want Me,” all I could do is smile and revel in the intoxicating nature of music, and its ability to transcend decades, generations and nationalities.  Cheap Trick isn’t the first band to do this, but at this show, it was the most apparent.

As for the street that Friday night, imagine the feast of San Genaro in Manhattan, Feast of Santa Rosalia on 18th Ave in Brooklyn or any other street fair in the tri-state.  Now add 70 bars, rope off six blocks, incorporate live music everywhere, and multiply it by 30.  That was 6th Ave in Downtown, Austin on a Friday night.  And on Saturday night.  You get the idea.  The place lived, breathed, sweated, and became music, everywhere, all day and night.

This is what the show would seem like if you were trippin' balls.

I could go on for days about the observations I made and experiences I absorbed, but I’m going to cut it here, and just give you a few bands I saw for the first time and recommend.

In short, two bands I HIGHLY RECOMMEND: (All which I had the pleasure of catching, and I thought they absolutely destroyed it.)

Jupiter One – Caught them at the Galaxy Room on 6th Ave – Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, this quartet is the most dynamic, engaging, and utterly magnetic stage performance I have seen in a while.  Without pyro and flashy lights, this multi-talented ensemble ripped it apart.  A mellow vibe in some of their tracks and a pounding rhythm in the others, it’s simply great “tune-age.”  But here’s what I found to be astonishing: Both guitarists, yes both, would switch from playing their respective Strats to drop some keyboards…mid-song!  And it doesn’t end there.  Did I tell you the rhythm guitarist is also the singer.  And he also plays violin. Yes, vio-fuckin-lin, mid-song.

The best track by far, and it was amazing seeing them close with it live, otherwise I would have thought all the layering was done post-production.  This track (which you will have to buy the CD to hear because I have no idea what it is called) was a sonorous ascension, complete with out of control stage antics by everyone.  Violin, keyboard, drums, bass, and two guitars being played by 4 people simultaneously.  It ended in a rising crescendo, with each band mate layering and looping a chant or sung word to come together in perfect harmony.  From an onlookers point of view, I was amazed, from someone versed in technology and studio gear, I was in awe.  Astounding musicians, every one of them.  Check out Jupiter One from Brooklyn, NY.

Fighting With Wire –Checked them out at B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub.  All the way from across the pond in Dublin, these dudes can wail.  A little more aggressive than the previous band I told you to check out, they definitely rock.  A nice blend of old Thrice and old Poison the well with a few other influences I can’t quite put my finger on.  At least not until they’re CD gets here.  All in all, they are a kick ass band on Photo Finish Records/Smalltown America, and you should go check them out.  Period.

By: Alex ‘Stigz’ Castiglione

 

What Can I Say About SxSW? Part One April 1, 2010

Filed under: Concert Reviews,Music Festivals — NVMP @ 2:57 PM
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(That stands for ‘South By Southwest,’ a gigantic international music festival held annually in Austin, Texas, by the way.)

Well there are literally, and I mean it, no words to describe the experience, but I will do my best.

First, allow me to take you on a journey with just some key phrases.  Picture this:

A quaint strip called 6th Ave in Downtown Austin lined with nothing but bars, cantinas, shops, tattoo spots, and restaurants.
Everyone has a tattoo, and I mean everyone.  Face.  Neck .  Legs.  Chest.  And other unseen places I’m sure.
Music emanating from EVERYWHERE.  Blues, Jazz, Rock, Punk, Metal, Indie-all blending together a dissonant symphony that permeates energy.
Awesome fuckin’ food and never a minute to say, “Hmm, what should I do.”

Leave it to Texas to have an ENTIRE SHOP with nothing but hot sauce.

With those phrases in mind, let me take you on a journey.

From the time I woke up in this city, I knew it was going to be a crazy weekend.  March 18th, a Thursday, I awoke to the din of an indie-blues type jam pulsing against my 11th story window.  Looking down, I could see a moat of sorts, cutting through the outside patio of my hotel, with little catwalks leading to the street.  Some walkways were al fresco and wide open, other ways took you through a little detour through a faux-cave tunnel.  The sun was shining and it was a balmy 71 degrees.

It was 10 AM, and music was already pumping, and people were pounding the pavement.
Sweet, right?

6th Ave in Austin TX...at 10AM

I hoofed it over to the convention center, a nice 2 block walk, passing a horde of music junkies, bands, groupies, wanna-be’s, and of course, locals en route.  Passing a sign that said “Austin-Live Music Capitol of the World,” I just smiled.  If I only knew how this place was going to explode at night.

So I caught a few seminars, all of which were cleverly named.  “Welcome to the Music Industry – You’re Fucked,” “Quickies 1: Branding Marketing & Publicity,” “Nerdcore 101,” and even more enticingly quirky titles for panel discussions.  Not the first time SxSW takes a conference to a rock star level.  They give out free beer to press and people with SxSW passes from 3-4 PM.  But the bad-assery has only just begun.

Other panels included names…big names.  GWAR and Smokey Robinson to give you the two ends of the spectrum.  Both the infamous and incomparable metal band and Motown phenom were equally entertaining.

On top of all of this, there were trade shows with new recording rigs, guitar gadgets, music schools, promo companies, internet networking sites.  Name it.  If it was connected with music, marketing, press, or anything between the trifecta, it was there.

Know who else was there?  What seemed like every band on the planet!

In my handy SxSW itinerary, the first thing I noticed was the fact that there were 76 authorized SxSW venues.  Authorized venues is only the tip of the iceberg.  Any place that served food and/or liquor and could squeeze a band and at least 50 people in; music was bumping from.

Just like NYC, you never know what you'll see at SxSW. Like a dude hula hooping while balancing a guitar on his nose.

And I mean every band.  From Motorhead on Wednesday night, to Stone Temple Pilots on Thursday, to Cheap Trick and Smokey Robinson on Friday, the musical spectrum was represented in its entirety.  And these were just the headliners that played the Austin Music Hall and such, with legends like Cheap Trick playing (what seemed like a festival-in a good way) in one of Austin’s beautiful parks-right outside the Performing Arts Center.

But don’t get discouraged if the classics I just name didn’t get your pulse going.  Minus the Bear, Andrew W.K, Temper Trap, The Crystal Method, Steve Aoki, Redman (Yes, fuckin’ Redman), Street Sweeper Social Club, Estelle, Sum 41 (I know I thought they were dead, too) , The Boxer Rebellion, and frankly too many more bands and artists to named.  And these were just the ones I knew.  There were tons, and I mean tons, of kick ass bands rocking the 15 block radius, pulsating all night in downtown Austin.  I was left with a couple questions though when I looked at the bill.  Like who the hell were some of these DJ’s I never heard of, who the fuck invited Patrick Stump for a solo performance, and who was the genius who came up with “Flosstradamus,” “Pigeon Religion” and “Puffy Areolas” for band names?

The overall vibe of the entire trip was simply “chill.” That is probably the most hippie statement I have ever put in print, but everyone was unbelievably nice and laid back, music was everywhere, drinks were flowing and the food was great.  Add this to a nice 75 degree sunny day, and this is a recipe for something beautiful.  Everyone was in a good mood and there was a reason to be.  Despite all the stigma surrounding Texas, I saw one fight in all my travels.  And it was at a metal show.  No surprise.

By: Alex ‘Stigz’ Castiglione

 

Bowling for Soup and the Dollyrots: A rock concert that doesn’t take itself so seriously. March 25, 2010

Filed under: Concert Reviews — NVMP @ 4:32 PM
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*Pictures coming soon*

On Wednesday March 10, 2010 Starland Ballroom was home to a night of pop punk delectability in the form of headliners Bowling for Soup and openers, The Dollyrots.  Having never seen or listened to either band in extensive detail, I made my way into the venue with both an open mind and open ears, hoping to bring a fresh perspective to both bands live performance.

Upon arrival, I sauntered into the bar area to take a seat and watch the remaining songs of the smaller openers and began to notice I was very much alone.  Quite noticeably, the entire crowd was well under 21 years of age, most not even being able to drive, as I sat amidst their younger siblings and parents who waited for them in the audience.  Finally it came time for the Dollyrots to take the stage.  This punk rock trio, formed for fun by members Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas, took the stage with a “devil may care” attitude and punk rock sound of their forefathers.  Looking much like a 2010 version of Joan Jett meets Nancy Spungen (a very befitting look as they cited Sid and Nancy as inspiration) minus the drug addiction; Kelly Ogden catapulted the band into their set, delivering catchy licks and sharp hooks that earned them my respect as a fan of the punk rock movement.  Musically, the Dollyrots were able to encapsulate their influences while bringing their own fresh sound to the table.  Unfortunately, despite my enjoyment of their set, I did notice that their style and influence was almost completely lost on the crowd.  Having done a cover of “Brand New Key” by Melanie Safka(popularized by the Janis Joplin cover), one could almost see the crowd’s eyes glaze over.  Being too young to appreciate the band and their music, I felt the group did not get the recognition they deserved that night.  Though I had never heard nor seen this group before, I absolutely enjoyed their energy, lack of seriousness about themselves, but also their tightness as a musical group, firing through the set with precision and ease, demonstrating their musical finesse while maintaining the illusion of a three chord Ramones skill.  Their sophomore album Because I’m Awesome was released on Jett’s own Blackheart Records and has gained the band some notoriety.

You may have already heard some music from the Dollyrots in this Kohl’s commercial.

Here’s the official video for “Brand New Key”

Upon departure the crowd began to get restless again, all that teen angst was mounting into excitement for the main act, Bowling for Soup.  A group from the larger than life state of Texas, I had heard many of their singles on the radio throughout the years and have painted a mental portrait of a pop punk group with less than life altering lyrics dedicated to the pursuit of fun.  In time, the television screen rolled up and the lights dimmed; the room stood silent in anticipation for just a moment when Bowling for Soup’s theme music began to blare through the house P.A. system.  Within seconds I realized the band had written their own entrance music with a catchy little chorus that repeated the hook, “here comes bowling for soup!”  I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my lifetime, but I must say, that would be the first time I have ever heard of a band writing a song for themselves, about themselves, just before hitting the stage.  While it wasn’t necessarily pretentious, I found it a little odd.  Within moments the band graces the audience with their presence, welcoming the crowd with their warmth and energy and seamlessly blasting into their set.  One downside however, the band took liberal amounts of time between songs to address the assembly of kids.  Often feeling more like an attempt at a comedy show than a rock concert, front man Jaret Reddick spoke in length to the congregation, making fun of himself and band members or simply creating long drawn out introductions for each upcoming track.  In all my experience, I have found this tends to make a show seem long and arduous to endure.  Just play the freaking music, that’s what we came for.

From the first chord to the last, the young audience moved in unison, fist pumping and making hackneyed attempts at crowd surfing.  Playing singles such as “Punk Rock 101,”  “My Wena,” and “High School Never Ends” one entire theme became clear to me- no matter how old the members of the band were, their lyrics never quite grew up.  Stuck in the epitome of the genre ‘pop punk’ it made complete sense that a large majority of the group’s fan base isn’t even old enough to vote.  What’s more is the band has the tight musicianship of seasoned professionals.  Playing their instruments with skill, even throwing in a few tricks, I noticed that the group overall was incredibly strong and had the talent to take their music to the next level; they simply choose not to.  Now, I’m not trying to say that this band was terrible live as their fans ate up every single second, but I feel that if the band does not grow up and evolve past their ‘pop punk roots’ utilizing all that musical talent, they simply will fade out once their fan base grows up.  It doesn’t all have to be drunken potty humor and high school romances.  So stop talking so much and start playing the type of music you’re capable of or the idea of longevity will simply remain as such.

By Angela Blasi

 

Who dat? February 9, 2010

Filed under: Concert Reviews — NVMP @ 11:27 PM
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Quick Thoughts by Gregory Swindasz

Did you see that stage at the Super Bowl?  It was amazing; the whole thing was a display screen.  And those fire works!  The half-time show looked so great, truly stunning. But who was on that great amazing stage?

Oh that’s right The Who; who dat?
Dat who, The Who.

In all seriousness, legendary band The Who took the Super Bowl half-time stage this year, and while the stage itself has never looked better, the performance was a little lacking.  And there’s much to say about this stage.  Once occupied with the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.  Or how about the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney.  Yes, the Super Bowl half-time stage has hosted some amazing legends in its time.

It’s truly a shame that today all I can remember or think about is the stage.  The Who’s performance was not up to par.  They sounded tired and winded at times.  I did like that they went through their best songs including “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”  It really wasn’t an amazing performance.  At least it was an amazing stage.

 

2010 Grammys- Taylor Swift’s Day or Mayday February 5, 2010

Filed under: Concert Reviews,Rants — NVMP @ 8:06 PM
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By Gregory Swindasz

So the Grammys are all said and done, but the dust storm known as Taylor Swift has not yet settled.  Taking home the most honored award in the music industry has not helped the doe-eyed country phenomena, in fact, it seems to have only hurt her future.  As we all know, after the Kayne West MTV VMA embarrassment, Swift was on top of her game.  Even Obama called West a “jackass”.  We all felt bad for the cute young sacran-sweet blond from Tennessee.  Her teenage ballads remind us of a time when we were young and hopeful for our fairytale ending (“Love Story”) or of the vulnerable times of young lives (“Fifteen”), but no one, at least of those who I have spoken to, thought she deserved what she got – either at the VMAs or the Grammys.

With contenders like “I Am…Sasha Fierce” (Beyoncé) and “The Fame” (Lady Gaga), Swift’s “Fearless” did not seem to compare for Album of the Year.  As cute as the songs are, this was not game changing music that would go down in the anthems of American music history.  Songs like “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” or “Poker Face” had a bigger impact on the music world then “Fifteen”.

This is only one piece of the puzzle.  Her performance at the Grammy Awards (and really at any other live on-air performance) was less than stellar.  So much so it prompted CEO of Big Machine Records, Scott Borchetta, to say to the Associated Press: “This is not `American Idol.’  This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note.  This is about a true artist and writer and communicator.  It’s not about that technically perfect performance.”  When the CEO of your record label has to compare the Grammys to American Idol to defend your seemingly undeserved victory, something is off, and it’s not just her pitch.

There is something off here.  Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Green Day and so many others gave perfect and amazing performances.  Beyoncé whipping her hair around as she bounced up and down on her knees, Gaga singing with Sir Elton John, or even the triumphant claim by Will.i.am at the end of the Black Eyed Peas performance “Welcome to the future” is what the Grammys are all about.  I’m sorry Taylor, if you’re going to win Album of the Year, at least sing on key.

There could have been something else here.  I remember hearing a few months ago that Swift was what the young people wanted, so the music industry was going to give it to them.  If giving Swift this highest of honors was in some way a shot at reclaiming sales lost to piracy, then that truly is the furthest thing from honorable.  Personally, I don’t believe that’s true.  We will all just have to watch and see how things go.  There is something off here, maybe it is just her pitch or maybe we will never know.

 

The 52nd Annual Grammys…A Fresh Perspective on a Time Honored Tradition

Filed under: Concert Reviews,Rants — NVMP @ 6:46 PM
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By Angela Blasi

So this year was my first time actually sitting down and watching “The biggest night in music”.  I have to say I’ve heard a lot of hype about the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, along with shameless name dropping that made me want to tune in.

Kicking off the show was the amazingly talented Lady Gaga performing her hit “Poker Face”.  I’m a huge Lady Gaga fan, I have no idea why, but I like her more and more every single time I see her.  This evening only helped strengthen my obsession and respect for her as an artist.  When the twin pianos, adorned with mannequin arms stretched towards the ceiling, rolled down stage to reveal both Lady Gaga AND Sir Elton John, done up in dirty futuristic fashion only the two of them could pull off flawlessly, the precedent for the evening had been set.  More-so, being able to hear her live vocals as well as watching her play piano, I was truly able to gain more insight to her as a talented musician and song writer.  It was a stellar performance in which the legends of the music industry passed the torch to its brightest and most talented.  And I must note, Lady Gaga rarely took her eyes off Sir Elton John.  I can’t blame her.  To be that young with all her success and already sharing a stage with nothing less than a musical god, I wouldn’t tear my eyes away either.

I could highlight each performance, but with three hours worth of material to cover and my penchant for detail, we could be here awhile.  So, I will talk about what stuck out most for me.  First off, Green Day’s performance of “21 Guns” off their latest album 21st Century Breakdown with the upcoming Broadway musical ensemble providing harmonies and vocals.  This brought the music of Green Day to a level I could have never thought possible.  Now, please understand, I’ve been a devout fan of this trio for the last 16 years of my life.  To wrap my mind around the fact that I’ve grown up listening to Green Day is phenomenal.  Say whatever you want about the band or their music,  they have become a solid punk rock legend in the world of music, in addition to winning another Grammy later in the night.  They have never disappointed me with any live show and their performance this evening solidifies their place as truly talented artists that had the power and longevity to change the face of the music industry forever.  Oh, and you can bet I’m going to buy a ticket to the Broadway show ASAP.

Taylor Swift is another name worth talking about.  I’m not necessarily a country music fan or a Taylor Swift fan, but the girl is definitely a rising star.  I think what I love most about her is just how genuine she is about all her recent fame.  Maybe it’s because she’s just so young or the country background, but she maintains a graciousness and sense of reality often lacking in many young success stories.  Her acceptance speech in which she says she’s accepting an impossible dream was brief, but eloquently stated.  I’m not about to buy a ticket to her show or even her album, but I can’t deny that the girl is actually talented.  Not to mention her performance along side Stevie Nicks was fantastic.  Go Taylor Swift.  I think she deserves her success and I hope she achieves great things in her career.

Now, when Beyoncé broke down “If I Were A Boy” and suddenly started singing Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”, I couldn’t help but be disappointed.  Not by Beyoncé’s performance, but at the fact that Alanis herself didn’t pop out from behind a curtain somewhere to join in on the vocals.  It wasn’t bad, but the 90’s kid in me really wanted to see that.  Personally would have loved the hell out of it, but I think she did the song well and it flowed seamlessly in and out from her own music into Alanis’s smash hit.

I had to laugh at the brief moment when the Grammy director fell asleep and let Justin Bieber and Ke$ha take the stage together to remind the audience they could vote for the song Bon Jovi would be performing later in the evening.  Standing, or rather staggering, a good three feet above Justin Bieber, Ke$ha stood in all her white trash “you’s nothin’ but a ho” glory.  And Bieber, well, he managed to say “Beyoncé'” instead of “Bon Jovi”, stating that “Beyoncé is always on his mind…sorry Jay”.  If I was Jay-Z, I would have smacked the kid upside his head just because he’s a tool (really no other reason).  Up until that moment, I had the running thought of “wow, these are some seriously talented artists and it’s great to see some of the music industry’s most powerful voices and artists in one place”.  As a musician, it’s inspiring to see.  But then these two took the stage and I thought “wait…what the fuck are they doing at the Grammys…they sure as hell don’t belong here”.  At least it wasn’t more than 60 seconds.

So it’s 10:30pm now and a lot has happened over the course of the evening.  I feel as though I’ve gotten my fix with the things I wanted to see.  The rest of the night is pretty damn good, from Bon Jovi to the Michael Jackson tribute.  The Zac Brown Band was amazing and worth mentioning too.  I loved their harmonies, vocals and the level of musicianship alongside another legendary country artist Leon Russell.  This performance was nothing less than impressive and moving.  You know what?  That brings me to the main thing I’ve noticed over the course of the evening.  All night it was a beautiful blend of old and new.  The artists that have carved their place in music history forever seamlessly integrated with the very voices and faces they single-handedly inspired.  I think the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards illustrated just how far music has come, where it’s going, and the fact that everything new grows out of something old.  Without our musical forefathers to break ground for all that is subversive, non conformist, controversial, trendy, or done to pay homage to the true beauty of being passionate about the music, we wouldn’t have new artists to award and milestones to celebrate.

They just better not give Ke$ha a fucking Grammy next year.

 

Hank and Cupcakes and Belikos @ Cameo Art Gallery. January 22, 2010

Filed under: Concert Reviews — NVMP @ 12:43 AM
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NVMP RATING SYSTEM
1 – Background Noise (not audible to me)
2 – Turn That Racket Down!
3 – What is that?  (caught my attention)
4 – Groovin’ (I can get into this)
5 – Blast that Shit! (the louder the better)
 
On January 16th, I decided to head into Brooklyn and check out some live music at Cameo Art Gallery, Hank and Cupcakes and Belikos to be exact.   
Hank and Cupcakes took the stage first.  Cupcake started the show by explaining how their heat has leaked and that the apartment floor is all wavy from water damage.  After her explanation, she couldn’t figure out why she was complaining at all because the people in Haiti are worse off than a wavy floor and heat problems.  She also stated that we should all be happy to be alive, that tonight, we should all party hard and be happy with what we have, our lives.  This dynamic duo kicked off their set with one of my favorite songs, “Pleasure Town”.  Cupcake took over the vocals and drums (she plays while standing!) and Hank rocked the bass.  I categorize Hank and Cupcakes as an electro-indie rock band with pop influences and an experimental attitude.  Think the Ting Tings mixed with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a Silversun Pickups vibe.  The crowd, energetic and ready to dance to anything that came out of the speakers, loved them.  Hank utilized his effects pedal to the fullest, creating some really great sounds.  Well played, Hank and Cupcakes, I look forward to seeing you again soon. 
Rating = Groovin’ (I can get into this)
  
     Next up was Belikos, who blew me away.  I’d like to officially deem Belikos as the second band I would hire if I were having a house party- just so we’re on the same page here, I’m not having a house party anytime soon, but if I was, Belikos and Bodega Girls would be on the set list- meaning I had a blast watching their set.  Belikos displayed some smooth moves on stage as well as a ton of energy!  As most of you know, hip hop is not my genre of choice, so I was questioning my attendance before I even walked in.  Belikos is so much more than your typical hip hop group.  Lyrical rap about bitches and ho’s did not dominate the microphone here.  Instead, I was pleased to hear clever rhymes that fit perfectly with a guitar.  The lyrics just flowed- nothing was forced or felt uneasy; my ears were pleased.  It’s so hard to put a genre label on this band, they’re touching all areas: a little hip hop, some rock n’ roll, funk and blues; definitely an original band to check out.  All in all, Belikos was tight, on the beat and in time.   Due to a late start, the crowd diminished in size from Hank and Cupcakes set, but grew in movement.  Lead singer Shane Page knew how to get the crowd going, and in many ways, it almost felt like a house party.  They pulled out some covers (“Give It To Me” from Jay-Z and my personal anthem “TNT’ from AC/DC) that were phenomenal.  This is rare for me to say, I’m not usually a fan of covers, but after a few drinks and a house party atmosphere, anything goes.  A few times while watching, I was reminded of a band I checked out a couple of months ago called Bad Rabbits, they are somewhat similar in their band set up and style, but by the end of the night, Belikos totally blew Bad Rabbitsout of the water.  There is something about Belikos that draws you in, powerful, strong, fun to watch and listen to.  Bad Rabbits = Out, Belikos = In.
Rating = Blast that Shit! (the louder the better)

Be sure to catch Belikos and Hank and Cupcakes at Pianos on February 5th!

 
 – TNT
 
 

2009 PacTour Review December 17, 2009

Filed under: Concert Reviews — NVMP @ 5:05 AM
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     Tuesday, November 24 @ The Gramercy Theatre NYC  

     I have to admit that I was quite biased against Saosin, my only experience with them being an irritating ringtone clipped from the chorus of what could be the one-thousandth ‘please don’t kill yourself’ type of song called “You’re Not Alone”.  Aside from this one over-clichéd travesty of a song, I had no prior musical knowledge of either Saosin or the other featured acts on the 2009 PacTour.  I tend to ignore anything that even slightly sounds of emo or progressive rock; if I wanted to be bored to death by that repetitive/cookie-cutter/interchangeable shit, I would go work in Hot Topic.  I fully expected to spend the evening clawing at my ears as I drowned in a sea of posers.  The night did start off on a promising note: as I arrived early to get a good spot in the photo pit, I was greeted with a mysteriously closed Irving Plaza.  Lucky for me, the sign on the window announced a change in venue to the Gramercy Theatre, which is an even more cramped venue a few blocks away.  Thanks for the last-minute heads up.  

Eye Alaska:     

     I wouldn’t know what to say about this band, as I didn’t have the chance to see them; the show was listed on Irving Plaza’s website AND the ticket as starting at 8’o clock.  Even though I had to spend an extra 10 minutes walking to the alternate venue, I still arrived a few minutes before show time, and was greeted with the sound of what I thought to be an early starting Eye Alaska on stage.  Nope, as I learned later, they had finished several minutes beforehand.  Terrific.  On a side note, I did listen to some of their tracks on YouTube later on that night… No thanks.
Rating: Shrug  

Innerpartysystem:  

     What I thought was the first song in Eye Alaska’s set turned out to be the electro-rock stylings of Innerpartysystem, which I only discovered as the set ended.  I wasn’t very receptive to these fellows during their first song, but found myself mildly digging them as the set jogged on.  The set was equivalent to being at an alternative rock rave, as trance and rock duke it out in a room of people who had no idea what to make of the spectacle.  Stand out tracks for a first timer included the frenetic swaying of “Last Nite in Brooklyn”, the She Want’s Revenge-esque “This Town, Your Grave”, “Die Tonite, Live Forever”, and my personal favorite of the night, “Don’t Stop”, which was firmly lodged in my brain thanks to the catchy “This is Entertainment” chorus.  As much as I hate to admit it, they were a good band with good stage presence, complete with nite-club strobes and live vocal tweaking that drew me in and caused me to groove out.  Thanks a lot Innerpartysystem; I won’t ever be running out to purchase your albums, but I liked your set.  And please give me your tweak box/vocoder contraptions.
Rating: Pass  

P.O.S.:

     I did dub P.O.S. the obvious joke, Piece Of Shit, after listening to some of what I felt were promising but still less than desirable tunes on YouTube.  His set could be summed up in an early comment he made to the crowd, “Some people are hell-bent on not liking Hip-hop, so I want to see all of the peeps not having fun, as I rap at them for the next hour”.  And he did just that, tearing up his set with a mish-mash flow of controlled chaos; layered over commanding beats reminiscent of sped up jazz grooves, being trampled over by tribal beats (in a good way).  Judging by the crowd’s response by the end of the set, the MC and his trusty DJ succeeded in winning a good portion of the scenesters over.  Standout tracks included the punk intensity of “Drum Roll” and “Optimist”, which features a rigid beat equivalent to the sound of tap dancing on acid during an earthquake.  The only problem to be had with his set was actually the fault of the sound man, who laid the base on so heavy that it made most of the random music samples damn near inaudible.  All around pretty good.
Rating: Sold  

Saosin:   

     When it comes to emo bands, I get more of a thrill listening to the drums being tuned before the start of the set, and this situation was no different.  Sadly, headliner Saosin proved to be the weakest act of the evening, lacking the attention grabbing presence of the earlier acts, instead relying on the usual emo charm towards the pseudo-loyal crowd.  This was not a shared sentiment, as the crowd of young-ins finally awoke from their hip-hop enduced coma, as Saosin took the stage around 9pm in a swirl of smoke and lights, railing out a two song free-for-all that the crowd seem to eagerly devour.  All I could wonder at that point was where these people were when the other acts were on the stage.  They played a 75 minute set, which seemed to be continuous, as I couldn’t tell one song from the other.  I also had no clue what songs were being played (thanks in part to the band not announcing many of the songs that they were playing).  But thanks to the audience having a karaoke simulcast with the band, I was at least able to somewhat follow along and guess the song titles.  In all honesty, there was a song or two that I did find to be mildly listenable, but just as with earlier bands, the dreaded sound man peaked all levels and successfully drowned most of the audibility, which is completely unnecessary for such a small venue.  I guess it makes the music better.  By the time “You’re Not Alone” was played, an hour in, I was thankful I had earplugs to prevent total deafness.  They ended their set with an eight minute jam following “They Perched”, which I chose to watch comfortably from the TV’s downstairs.  They ended the show by 10:15, so all the ‘tough as nails’ youngsters could get to bed in time.  Hooray.
Rating: Not for me  


Set list:  

Secrets
Sleepers
Voices
Changing
Collapse
Deep Down
Far Better to Learn
The Alarming Sound
On My Own
You’re Not Alone
Seven Years
Fireflies
They Perched (Extended into a jam)

     All in all, the 2009 PacTour turned out to be a decent show.  Although their style of music makes me queasy, Saosin really has to be given credit for putting together an eclectic roster of acts.  Not a lot of bands would be ballsy enough to select the counter genres of electro/rock and rap to fill out a show bill; this goes double for a progressive/emo band.   

Review written by Mark Bonczek

 

All photos taken by Mark B. and Lauren B.  

 

A.F.I. Comes to Life & of Age on the Road with Crash Love October 19, 2009

Filed under: Concert Reviews — NVMP @ 3:13 AM
Tags: , , ,

Review by The Atheist Angel

     On October 10th, 2009, A.F.I. returned to Sayreville’s own  “>Starland Ballroom with openers The Gallows as part of the Crash Love tour.  Considered by singer Havok to be, “their first truly timeless record” and critics citing it as their most focused and ambitious effort to date, the live performance held a lot of promise and expectation.  Naturally, in true A.F.I. fashion, not only was the crowd given an unforgettable performance complete with surprise guest appearances, but a sound so crisp and clean one can’t help but give respect in a time when so many artists depend on machines to give them their sound.

     As soon as the house lights dimmed on this chilly Saturday night, the crowd instantly burst into a unified cheer.  This was it- in one more moment each audiences members ears and eyes would be indulged in A.F.I. glory.  In what seemed like less than a minute, Adam, Hunter, Jade, and finally Davey Havok himself, stepped on stage and tore into their first song of the night, “Torch Song”.  Setting the precedent for the rest of the show, their high energy presence slipped seamlessly into a fan favorite, “Girl’s Not Grey”.  It wasn’t until after their third song Davey chose to address the crowd expressing in true sincerity, how great it was to be back in Jersey (and Jersey was beyond happy to have them back).  The band’s energy was matched by the crowd, as each song had hundreds of hands and fists in the air, all moving as one entity with each pound of the bass drum.  Even on slower numbers the audience lent their voices and lighters, or in this case cell phones, to create a show experience that neither the band nor the fans would soon forget.  But some of the highlights of the show came as complete surprises.  During “Kill Caustic”, Davey Havok announced his pleasure in bringing good friend Lou Koller of the band Sick of It All to join him on vocals.  The crowd instantly cheered while Havok and Koller tore the vocals apart, giving the song a new life appreciated by all.  The next jaw dropping moment, at least for this fan, came when A.F.I. decided to play the vinyl only release “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”- proving that despite the years of evolution and change, this band absolutely is still true to their roots and does so with just as much punk rock enthusiasm now as they did then.

     At the end of “Love Like Winter”, the band graciously thanked the audience and departed off stage.  Now pitched in darkness, the walls of Starland Ballroom began to resonate with the familiar chant, “through our bleeding, we are one” over and over, slowly gaining voices and speed bringing the darkness to life as we all demanded more music.  Minutes later, the direct approach of “one more song!” saw the four veteran musicians return to the stage and tear into a brilliant cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”.  Two more songs followed suit for this encore and when it came time for the band to say goodbye for real, every member of that audience was left in complete musical satisfaction. 

     No matter what your opinion of A.F.I.’s music might be, this is one band that stands and delivers with their live performance every time they grace a stage both visually and in sound quality.  If ever given the opportunity, this is a band I completely recommend seeing whenever they find themselves in your area.

Complete Set List
Torch Song
Girl’s Not Grey
The Leaving Song Pt. II
Veronica Sawyer Smokes
Ever And A Day
Kill Caustic
End Transmission
Love is a Many Splendored Thing
Beautiful Thieves
Dancing Through Sunday
The Leaving Song
On The Arrow
Death of Seasons
Medicate
Love Like Winter

****Encore****
Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover)
Miss Murder
Silver and Cold

 

Black Gold at All Points West 2009 September 12, 2009

Filed under: Concert Reviews,Interviews — NVMP @ 3:03 PM
Tags: , , , , ,
Than Luu and Eric Ronick - Black Gold

Than Luu and Eric Ronick - Black Gold

“Dark eyes make you snap up straight – Red hands wash the sleep away” – as the up and coming band Black Gold says in Detroit, their successful iTunes single of the week. And that they did when opening on the first day of sunshine at All Points West this year. The band who’s music feels much like their name, a contrast of light and dark, gave an illustrious performance with a full band to back up Eric Ronick and Than Luu. While this duo from Brooklyn played, golden ladies threw golden beach balls into the crowd, who in return, began bouncing and tossing them all around to the beat. By the time they performed hit songs like “Detroit” and “Plans and Reveries”, many festival goers had already formed a crowd and stuck around until the last note finished resonating. Nevermind the Posers had the chance to ask Black Gold a few questions about their writing styles, musical backgrounds and what’s next for them.

bg1

Nevermind the Posers (NVMP)- How did you two come together as a duo?

Eric Ronick (ER)- We were sort of music master-made by our friend Jacob who said ‘yo you gotta check out Than’ and ‘yo you gotta check out Eric’.  So we just put it together as folk based first on a tour and then we became friends and started making music well after that.
Than Luu (TL)- Yeah, it was like a match maker style.

NVMP- Were you two on tour together in different bands?

TL- Eric was on tour as the keyboard player for Ambulance LTD and I was like the merch guy, wrangler of the cute girls.

NVMP- How is your debut album Rush doing?

ER- It’s doing well, I think it’s just starting, but you can tell with everyday that goes by.  I think more and more people know who we are and are waiting for us.  Like today, it was really great to be opening the festival.  Not many people were here at the start, but it was great to see people just rushing in on both sides and run right to the stage and they stuck around to check us out, it felt good.

 
NVMP- What was your favorite part about writing/recording Rush?
 
ER- To be honest, for me, it was just about hanging out, it was about sitting in the studio all night until the wee small hours of the morning.  Than and I just hanging out, chilling, and making music, that was really what it was, it was about a friendship.
 
TL- Yeah, that’s what our record is about.bg3
 
ER- It’s like if you guys are just hanging out and you happen to be creating something in the process and it happens to work and be something you really like.  
 
NVMP- What was your creative process or what did you do to stay inspired?
 
TL- Yeah we get wasted. Haha, well not wasted, but you know, I’ll be drinking a little something, and then sit down at the piano and guitar and write some tunes.
 
NVMP- Have you seen any big changes “Detroit” was ‘Single of the Week’ on iTunes?  Did it have a big impact on your fan-base?
 
ER- At that point, nobody knew who we were.  We hadn’t really released anything.  When that got released, within a week around 400,000 people had heard our song and it was just like out of the blue and nobody expected that, but iTunes just decided to do us a favor and it’s been good for us.
 
NVMP- Would you consider yourselves part of the digital revolution?
 
Black Gold- We’re such analog guys, so I would say no.  We consider ourselves to be part of the digital de-evolution.
 
NVMP- Why the name Black Gold?  Is there a meaning behind it?
 
TL- Sure.  Our music is kind of contrasting between the dark side of things and the shimmering bright side of things.  Lyrics are dark, but they can be uplifting as well.  And the music can be quarterly dark as well as shiny and bright, we like the contrast.
 bg4
NVMP- Is there a message are you trying to get across with your music?
 
ER- It think it’s less about a message and more about a story, about telling a story.  It’s real life what we’re talking about.  We’re not inventing ideas and stories to talk about, these are the things that have happened to us and have happened to our friends.  And it’s about turning that story into music. 
 
NVMP-  What’s your favorite kind of venue to perform at, big festivals, small intimate shows, or somewhere in the middle?
 
TL- I like theatres, especially the ones in Europe, or the ones here that are like really really old and have a lot of flavor to them, that have been around for 100 years or more, that hold anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 people.  You really feel the audience when you play places like that and then you look out and there’s so much history in the building, there’s probably some ghosts, I love that.  Festivals and all that stuff are cool, clubs are cool, but theatres are my favorite. 
 
NVMP- and how about you Eric, the same?
 
ER- Yeah, there’s a sweet spot right in the middle of the venue size, anywhere between like 1,000 to 5,000 people, where the audience is still really a part of the show, they’re not thirty feet back from the stage, and the sound is still good, because club shows, it’s just hard, they never really sound right.
NVMP- You two are from Brooklyn, do you have a favorite venue in the NY area?
 
ER- Our first show every was at a venue called South Paw in Park Slope and I love that place, I have warm memories,
a lot of great shows I’ve seen there and playing there was great, they treated us really well.
 
NVMP- What albums or CDs defined your childhood?
 
TL-  For me, it was a mixture of The Beatles, that my mom played, French Pop music, and really cheesy, weird Vietnamese Pop music.  Specifically, Francoise Hardy on the French tip.  I don’t think my mom got into the psychedelic Beatles, I don’t think she understood it very much.  I think she was into more early Beatles, and Vietnamese stuff, it’s pretty cheesy, probably like torture for some.
 
ER- I would say that I pretty much grew up on Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Off The Wall.  That was kind of like a staple in my diet growing up.
 
NVMP- What’s next for Black Gold, what can your fans look forward to?
 bg2
TL- We have the Black Gold sex tape coming out, and we’re working on it tonight.  Haha.  No, you know just some more recording, working on our second album already, we’re three songs into it and we’re really excited.  We’re going to tour Europe and the US more, so look out for us.  And making more videos.
 
NVMP- Can you give us your definition of a Poser?
 
TL- Man, you know, we’re surrounded by them.  Posers are everywhere.  Anyone who’s not fucking real.  The reason why I moved to NY; they have the least amount of posers than anywhere in the world that I’ve ever been to, so fuck you if you’re a poser.  
 
Right on Than, right on.
To hear more from Black Gold, please visit:
www.blackgoldmusic.com
www.myspace.com/blackgold