You can't even deny it...you know this tour is gonna be killer. Check it out when it parades through a town near you.
A Skylit Drive / Four Letter Lie Before Their Eyes / Memphis May Fire / Blinded Black / The Hottness 3/07-Stockton, CA @ Empire Theatre 3/08-Fresno, CA @ The Exit 3/09-Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry's Pizza 3/10-Victorville, CA @ Karma 3/11-Phoenix, AZ @ Cell Block 3/12-Albuquerque, NM 3/13-Oklahoma City, OK 3/14-Plano, TX @ The Plano Centre 3/15-San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom 3/16-Houston, TX @ Java Jazz 3/18-Tampa, FL @ Transitions Skate Park 3/19-Orlando, FL 3/20-Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit 3/21-Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox 3/22-Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery 3/23-Virginia Beach, VA @ Steppin Out 3/25-Poughkeepsie, NY 3/26-Rochester, NY @ The Penny Arcade 3/27-Long Island, NY 3/28-Pompton Lakes, NJ @ The Mainstage 3/29-Springfield, VA @ Jaxx 3/30-Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
A Skylit Drive / Oh Sleeper Four Letter Lie / Before Their Eyes / Memphis May Fire / The Hottness4/01-Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's 4/02-Tinley Park (Chicago area), IL @ Mojoes 4/03-Minneapolis, MN 4/04-Milwaukee, WI 4/05-Detroit (Westland), MI @ Skateland 4/06-Louisville, KY @ Bulldog Cafe 4/08-Springfield, MO @ Remington's 4/09-Joplin, MO 4/10-Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre 4/11-Logan, UT @ Club NVO 4/12-Boise, ID @ The Venue 4/13-Seattle, WA 4/14-Portland, OR
Dance Gavin Dance / A Skylit Drive Oh Sleeper / Four Letter Lie / Memphis May Fire / The Hottness 4/15-San Jose, CA 4/16-San Diego, CA 4/17-Los Angeles, CA 4/18-Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction 4/19-Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk 4/20-Modesto, CA
By Amanda who will be rockin' out at at least one date...
Often you find the humanitarianism comes after the profit. Humans, by nature, ensure their own happiness before that of others...
It is a rarity that you find a clothing company that is embarking on the production journey with the primary goal being the humanitarianism. To make the world a better place to have to do your part, and I have been fortunate enough to meet a super cool clothing company that is truly doing their part to make this world we live in a more peaceful, clean place.
I attended the recent NYC date of the VS. Tour featuring Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Haste the Day, Drop Dead, Gorgeous, and Gwen Stacy and being a creature of habit at shows, I always head over to the merch area and see if there’s anything new. One of the tours biggest sponsors is a clothing company based out of San Diego, California called Jedidiah. The first thing you notice about their collection is the uniquely modern and artistic designs. The artistry has a very organic feel, and the incredible passion behind each work of art gracing the shirts displayed is awe-inspiring. The unique nature of each design gives a one-of-a kind feel. On tour you can find the Hope Collection available for sale...incredibly rocker. With each sale a portion of the profit goes directly to help an organization such as Invisible Children, World Vision, The Glue Network, Surfrider, and more. You can also get the official tour tee that will also generate proceeds to help such causes.
Jedidiah sent representative Nick Greenwood and the talented photographer Jonathan Foster on the road with Scary Kids and Haste the Day to help spread the message and generate a supportive following. The guys have been producing video blogs and slide shows showing off the tour. You best go check 'em out.
It was recently announced that the boy band who began it all (for our age group at least) is reuniting!!!!
A source tells People Magazine that New Kids on the Block will make the announcement in the next few weeks.
The singing/dancing sensational heartthrobs (Jordan & Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood) were a worldwide phenomenon and sold over 50 million albums during the height of their careers.
Dude, I'll be there. I don't care if it doesn't make sense or if they're just doing it for the money. They rocked my world. But I will say that they can't do it without Donnie. And would he really risk his acclaimed acting career for one last hurray as a boy-bander?
*by joelle, whose first concert ever was New Kids on the Block at Nassau Colosseum in New York when she was in 3rd grade. Her favorite? Jordan. Did she buy his solo albums? Indeed.
Everyone (even Rolling Stone) seems to be raving about The Wildbirds and the greatness of the band's music these days.
NEWSFLASH: The Wildbirds are Number One Fan re-incarnated. Why isn't anyone talking about that? Because then it would just make them like every other band trying to sound like Kings of Leon. Funny how bands nowadays are growing their hair really long, trading in the too-tight jeans and jumping on the band wagon.
Number One Fan
The Wildbirds
Frankly, I find The Wildbirds tunes pretty boring. Good, but boring. I wish these Wisconsin natives fought the good fight and kept chugging along with their Pop songs. They were great. I still listen to the Number One Fan debut CD and sing along. But, I prob won't ever give The Wildbirds another listen. Of course, that's bound to happen with any band facing an identity crisis, and I'm sure most hardcore fans cross over.
Here are some blurbs from an announcement on NOF's MySpace page (note how you'll never hear a mention on NOF on The Wildbirds page).
"But as many of you know, when you start a band when you're 15 years old, you're not going to love it forever."
(Agreed. From a marketing standpoint, I under stand of why they might want to totally drop the past. However, it just seems like they are a bit ashamed of it, when really, they should be standing proud.)
"Our last shows were with Green Day, playing in front of 18,000 people......you'd think that would be the pinnacle of excitement for us. It turns out, if you don't love what you're doing, it doesn't matter how many people are in front of you. We went back to the basement and to the north woods of wisconsin to dig deep, we took all of the pressures off and just played as we wished.
Unfortunately for some of you, the results were staggeringly different. The music moved us to the ends of the earth, but was came out didnt resemble NOF in the slightest. We knew then that it was the end of Number One Fan, and the beginning of something else.
Jon, Matthew & myself have started something that is the love of our life, The Wildbirds. (Michael was with us until recently), and our newest darling Hugh has just joined us."
Just felt like I had to share that. These are great guys. We had a birthday party with them, Val Emmich & Punk Rock Mom in the basement of Maxwells a few years ago. They had cool belt buckles.
Best of luck to them and here's so tunes you may enjoy: www.myspace.com/numberonefanmusic www.myspace.com/thewildbirds
*joelle, who just ate peanut butter and jelly for lunch.
By Lori: who first fell in love with the Mars Volta back in '03 at the All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) Festival in Long Beach, CA where they performed on the same bill as Iggy and the Stooges.
Anticipation. That was the overall feeling I had as I was trekking to my third Mars Volta show this one at Terminal 5 in New York City. This is the only band I have ever traveled the country to see from California to Rhode Island. The crowd wrapped around 56th street before the doors were worthy to open. Shuffling into the converted warehouse and dubbing a spot on the balcony as our, “Standing Zone,” we were ready for the octet.
No opening band was required as the Mars Volta shredded into “Roulette Dares” from the first LP, De-Loused in the Comatorium. With Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on guitar and Cedric Bixlar-Zavala on vocals, not since the legendary Page and Plant has there been such a stellar duo. Rodriguez-Lopez’s authentic guitar sounds mix well with Bixlar-Zavala's falsetto.
The rest of the two and half hour set consisted of mostly new songs from their upcoming fourth album The Bedlam in Goliath, which is due out on Jan. 29. Bixlar-Zavala dedicated “Drunkship of Lanterns" to the fans. With eight musicians on stage, it was exhilarating to see Bixlar-Zavala take Roger Doltrey’s antics to the next level by jumping on and off amps/speakers, climbing walls, and walking into the sold-out crowd.
Current drummer Thomas Pridgen unleashed a worldly solo. Synthesizers, Latin beats, and saxophones were other ingredients added to these already vivacious tunes. The Mars Volta sell-out shows, but yet don’t expect mainstream radio to fulfill your request unless it’s for “The Widow”-from Frances the Mute, and do not expect to hear that song in concert.
In a time where Emo lines the airwaves and everyone wants to be an American Idol, the Mars Volta stand above the mainstream and can rip their souls apart. My advice, listen to some Mars Volta and Progressive rock, you will feel so much better in the morning.
By Joelle, who became addicted to Eighteen Visions when they toured with Lostprophets.
If anyone is going to help reclaim respectable rock, kick undeserving bands like Nickelback off the throne and teach all the unaware mainstream radio fans that a world of rock so good it’ll spread even if it didn’t have a huge marketing plan behind it does infact exist, James Hart is the man for the job.
We already know from his years of fronting hardcore act Eighteen Visions that Hart commands the stage like the stage kings of yesterday. He’s mastered the mood and the attitude, and the songs on his upcoming solo-effort epitomize the rock for which I’ve been yearning: teetering at the edge of “just hard enough” and edgy but with a cheese-free melody.
Let’s face it, most “rock stars” today are a bit of a disappointment. Luckily, James Hart is around to pick up where everyone fell off track.
As hard as it hit when the news of 18V ending was announced (read the Planet Verge tribute to the band: http://www.planetverge.com/pv07/interviews/18Visions.asp), I’m kinda glad because it allowed for these super sexy, power-fueled monstrous songs to be developed.
Here, Hart fills in his fans on his deal with Island Records and all that there is to anticpate.
PV: I like the style of the new songs. Have you had the urge to go solo for a while?
Hart: I'm glad you are liking the new material. You know, going solo was never something I had thought about. Eighteen Visions was coming to an end. I could feel that the band was finished. When the band officially broke up in March, I had gone over several options with my manager about what the next step would be. He knew I still wanted to make music and tour. We talked about finding one or two other guys to write with and actually start a band, but these would be people that I would have no prior relationsip with. It would've been just jumping into a band blindfolded. He also brought up the idea of shopping me as a solo artist. I found this more reasonable. It could be my thing. My ideas. My goals. All of this without the worry of conflicting ideas with other members. So this is the route I chose and here I am.
PV: What has been your inspiration while writing these songs?
Hart: I have always been a rock guy. Musically it has a very classic and blues style rock sound. It has a real vibe to it. Which is something I think today's rock lacks a lot of. Vibe. So we took these classic guitar tones and went with it. Put a little modern edge and touch to make it feel new.
Lyrically I've been inspired by real life events. Over the past few years or even the weeks leading up to me writing the first song for this album months back. I love the story telling of Bon Jovi and U2. Or even a lot of the country stuff out there. The songs paint a picture. They give great visuals. That's what I wanted to do. Tell stories about my life and the people I knew. The events that took place in my life and in theirs. Everything is completely relatable which is what I love most about it.
PV: You signed to a new label pretty fast. Why did you decide to go with Island this time around?
Hart: This has all been so crazy for me. Just to think that eight months ago I was fronting a band that was on a different major label. Now that's gone and I'm here on my own. It all started with my manager. He has a couple of other bands at Island and has a solid relationship with the LA Reid and the rest of the staff over there. The label signed me to a demo deal to go write a few songs and turn them in. When I handed over the songs there was immediate excitement and they offered me a record deal.
PV: When is the album slated for release? Do you have a title yet?
Hart: No album title yet. I will tour and release albums under my name. James Hart.
PV: Do you feel like all eyes are on you now—nervous about how 18 Visions fans will respond to it?
Hart: No. I really don't. This is something completely different than what Eighteen Visions was doing. You will not hear any similarities aside from the style of the vocals. Even then...my songs are now in standard tuning where 18V was in a really low drop tuning. The new tuning has changed everything for me. Where my voice sits, extended range and even more power behind my voice. I know they are great songs and they will speak for themselves. Since it is so different, I don't expect anything from anyone that was an 18V fan. I hope that 18V fans will dig it. If not...that's ok. You can't win em all (unless you're the New England Patriots).
PV: What’s it like being able to write songs without having to worry about input from another band member?
Hart: Amazing!!! You know there were two sides of the coin when it came to writing with Eighteen Visions. The upside was that we were all bringing something different to the table. We individually had different tastes and when we would colaborate it would make for fresh ideas and great songs. It was eclectic.
Unfortunately the plus side was sometimes the down side. It was because we were all so different with our musical tastes that lead to disputes about songs and direction. Compromising great ideas for another's personal taste. It seemed like it was really hard to get on the same page when it came to writing and recording. I feel like everyone in 18V felt that way. I think we were always happy with the end product at the end of the day, but at times I felt like there was this Jekyll and Hyde effect. The back and forth. Sometimes it was hard to grasp our true identity since we had been through so much over the last 10 years.
I don't have to deal with that struggle anymore. I know who I am musically. I know what I want and where I want to go. i really don't have worry about being on the same page with anyone else. I don't have to compromise great songs or ideas for another memeber that might not like where I was going with the song. This is way easier now. Stress free.
PV: Are you writing all the parts—drums, etc?
Hart: I have had 100% input on everything. I am not a guitar player or a drummer, but I was able to write a little on guitar. Putting chords together. Writing some of the leads. Structure and arrangements. Putting together the beats. Stuff like that, but these songs were all co-writes. To me, the idea of a solo album isn't to play every instrument on the album or write every last note. It is me colaboriting with great song writers and musicians to make a great album that represents me and who I am. Maybe if I were Prince, I would've played everything and not let anyone lend ideas or co-write, but I checked my ego at the door and went about this the same way I would've with 18V. The only different was writing with Zac Maloy instead of Keith Barney and Ken Floyd. Oh, and having the say in what the song sounded like. From tempo to even tambourine and everything in between.
PV: Will you be touring in promotion for the album? If so, are you going to just have touring musicians back you or are you going to assemble a full-time band?
Hart: Absolutely. That is why I am doing this. I love making music and being on stage. Sharing the live experience with people. I'm not just trying to release and sell albums just to satisfy my artistic nature. Isn't a let down when you get a great album, love the songs, feel the music, but the artist doesn't tour. I certainly think so.
As for the players, I will hire a touring band. I already have Dr. Neal Tiemann slated to play lead guitar. He is an amazing talent. I will also fill the rythym, bass and drum positions as well with musicians I feel are hard working with great spirit and attitude as well as talented at their respective instrument. It may be a full-time band that tours with me from album to album. It would be the type of band you would see backing Chris Cornell or something.
PV: What was it like working with Zac Maloy and creating an album in Oklahoma?
Hart: It was such a great and refreshing expecience. Zac is a great writer with amazing ideas and understanding for music. This was so different for me. In a good way. We would both just sit with acoustic guitars and build a song from the ground up. Bouncing ideas off each other. Back and forth. Finishing each others lyrical lines and vocal melodies. It was great. It was nice to get away from home. You know, clear my head. I wouldn't have it any other way.
PV: What did you do in your downtime over there? It’s a world away from LA in terms of lifestyle, I’d imagine.
Hart: I'm not into the quick pace of LA. Orange County is fast too, but I keep to myself. I don't go out a lot. I like my private time. So it was a lot of the same over there. I didn't have a ton of free time either. We were always working. I always made time for football on Saturdays and Sundays. I would always make time to go watch Dr. Neal play at the local pubs. I spent a lot of time with Neal. He is an amazing person with a winning attitude. Not to mention a great player and writer. I met a lot of cool people through Neal. Zac's family was great too. Tulsa is my home away from home now.
PV: What songs did Keith work on with you? Do any other 18V members make guest appearances?
Hart: Before 18V broke up we were writing and demoing new material. I loved a couple of the ballads he had. The rockers were great too, but they were a little too 18V for me. The rest of his stuff ended up on the Never Enough album I believe. There was this melodic ballad type song he had that I wrote to called "Fallin Faster." I took it to Tulsa and we tuned up the guitars and Neal played a very cool lead over the chorus making it a little edgier. It came out great. Keith doesn't play on the album, but his creative spirit is there with the song. None of the other members appear on the album or have any songs on the album.
PV: Highlights of working with Syn Gates?
Hart: Gates was awesome. All of the Avenged guys are very good friends. I came to him and Shadows right when the band broke up. They were neck deep in their own album, but Gates whipped up a little music bed for me. I took that one to Tulsa as well and just ran with it. He even took time in between gigs in LA to come up and play on the track he co-wrote with me. He will also make an appearance on "Dirty Little Girl." Those guys are all winners in my book. Just real, genuine people that care about me and what I'm doing.
PV: How did you feel when you stepped off stage after playing the very last 18V show?
Hart: Relieved. Not to say that in a bad way, but the band had been broken up for over a month. I was already moving forward. As were some of the other guys. There was just so much stress involved over the last few months the band was together. Clashing of ideas. The fallout with Epic. Canceled shows and tours. Turning down good show opportunities. It was just really nice to play the shows and show our respects to the fans and move forward with life. We did the shows for the fans. It wasn't something I really wanted to do at first. I'm not a big fan of farewells and reunions unless there are albums being made to back up the tours.
PV: Best album of 2007?
Hart: Avenged Sevenfold S/T. Not being biased either. It's brilliant. That band takes chances and wins. I also love Velvet Revolver "Libertad." I think it's even better than "Contraband." The new Bon Jovi is great and Carrie Underwood has some great songs too. Not kidding.
Listen now: www.myspace.com/jameshart
WATCH PLANET VERGE FOOTAGE OF 18 VISIONS ON WARPED TOUR:
Amoungst the 'unknown errors' and code I am swamped in this evening whilst I get some websites underway I can't stop listening to 2 bands. Idiot pilot who I'm sure plenty of you know but also Jamie T.
I don't really know how to sell Jamie T to people. He's catagorized as 'Rap, regae, punk' So if any or all of these genres are your kind of thing then clicky click and have a wee neb, oh and he name drops my birth name in one of his songs and considering it's quite a rare name, that's kind of cool! He just makes me want to put my Ipod on and talk a long stroll around Camden town.
Late night post, not much substance to it, but just a couple recommendations for you,
Back to the code. Urgh, such a geek.
<3 gina xo
Jamie T www.myspace.com/jamietwimbledon Idiot pilot http://www.myspace.com/idiotpilot
I'm gonna throw you all for a loop right now and tell you how much I really dig this indie HIP-HOP band called Animate Objects.
The Chicago-based group's tune, "El Dorado," just won the Independent Music Award for Best Hip-Hop song. The category was judged by Mr. Snoop Dogg himself, so that's a pretty prestigious honor. And before that, Animate Objects ranked Number 2 on the Billboard Adds chart, earning airplay on 100+ stations.
The thing I like about Animate Objects is that the group's music is intellectual, catchy and has a positive purpose. The opening track on their debut album, "Ridding in Fast Cars with your Mama," sets the record straight. These guys are not here to entertain you with the commonly heard Hip-Hop hype of bling, broads, etc. Honestly, if they did, I wouldn't be writing about them.
The layered concoction of Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, Funk and Jazz Animate Objects mixes up really appeals to me. Like 311 is the grand blenders of the Rock world, I'd say Animate Objects is on it's way to having the same cult following in the urban market.
Now, I'm not going to get all technical on this review because I honestly don't know anything about this genre and I'd just seem dumb. I saw Jurassic 5 in concert once and the last Hip-Hop CD I got was Pete Miser like four years ago. Before that, I played Salt 'N Peppa, Tevin Campbell and SWV in 7th grade. So I'm just gonna say I like this band and you should all check them out! So then maybe then bass player Prashant can drop out of law school. ;) And it's a nice fresh, new way to start off 2008!
* By Joelle, who has been reliving her past by digging out her old Brit-Pop CDs and playing Robbie Williams, Boyzone (ok, they're Irish), 5 (you know "When the Lights Go Out!") and Natalie Imbruglia a whole lot.
I love travelling, even if it’s just from my flat to the shops, I love it. Any time I can switch some music on and have a good old think to myself I love, so as I write you this little UK instalment it’s coming to you direct from the Forth road bridge, enveloped in the misty countryside of Scotland whilst retreating to my small cosy city flat. I have been sitting thinking about everything that has happened in the last month or so, and even though I may not have done too much apart from study, I’ve really figured out a lot of things.
Firstly I will say my farewells to Spitalfield from this side of the world. Rolling into Glasgow on a freezing December evening I caught their last Scottish performance. Opening for them however were my ‘tip for 2008’, Tellison which was an altogether bonus on my part. On their last tour, Tellison (WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TELLISON) played to crowds of no more than a handful of people but you wouldn’t think that this evening. The most instruments, voices and strange noises you can include in one song make this one of the most interesting and joyful acts to rise form the UK for a while and with people knowing the words….I think the hype is beginning to spread. Anyway, back to the matter in hand, Spitalfield. Churning out their best from the past ten years you could see the passion still in them and the faces of the (what should have been more) dedicated fans. These guys still managed to make people half way around the world lose their minds to their music for 90 minutes and it amazes me. If I can ever make someone like what I do that much, even one person, I can’t even put into words how happy that would make me. So as the farewell speeches and thank you sentiments were announced, I couldn’t have clapped harder. These bands who put their music before anything and everything in their lives mean every thank you they give to people and that really hit home at this show in particular. And to top it off, to still play a show with as much energy as your first ten years down the line, that deserves the biggest respect. Thanks Spitalfield.
I think this people appreciating what you do business ties in nicely to the inward argument I have been having with myself for months. Education. Do you need education to succeed? That question seems dumb because obviously you don’t but does having all these qualifications make someone a better more reliable person at their chosen subject? I’m in the middle of deciding about carrying on studying or going it on my own to really do what I want and I’m not sure what to do? Considering I like to surround myself with self made people who, instead of going to college for four years have built up their own companies and lives from scratch there is a heavy influence to go it alone. Has anyone had this dilemma before? Can they help me? I have a plan but I do not know if I am brave enough to go for it or stay on the safe ground of education. Hell, Maybe I’ll do some research and contact some people for a chat and make a PV article about it because I don’t think I have been the only one in this situation. If you have any advice or a story (band members, leaving college to do music, that decision, company owners, anything!) please email me and I can put something together!
Just passed the sign for Edinburgh so thankfully for any poor soul reading I really do have to wrap this up. So! BANDS TO LISTEN TO (based on my Itunes shuffle from this journey!)
Explosions in the sky – What do you go home to? The Stranglers six – Back to the start Anthony Green – Meet me on Montauk Nine black Alps – future wife Cauterize (who never made it to the UK RIP!) – Love in the attic
Love Gina! xo PS – THANK YOU FOR THE RETURN OR PRISON BREAK AMERICA, FOR THIS I LOVE YOU!
As I entered the infamous The Stage on Broadway in downtown Nashville, TN, I couldn't help but immediately notice loud music, weak vocals, and an oversized crowd. Was it the beer that attracted the crowd, or was it the faux-hawked, tight jeans wearing singer on stage? I quickly learned many members of the audience were there to see the "talent".
Lewis Copeland moved to Nashville from smalltown Ohio with big city dreams. The story is common here in Music City, but in merely 2 years Copeland was able to book a regular gig twice a week at The Stage. At first listen, it may be shocking that Copeland plays any shows in Music City, but at first look, you know exactly why he's on that stage.
Copeland was made to perform. He works the crowd, shakes his booty for the girls, and cheers a beer with the guys. The audience is drawn to his charisma, boyish good looks, and southern charm. All this combined has made for a Lewis Copeland craze that is quickly catching on...he even came out with his own 2008 calendar.
Copeland's performance is high-energy, but his lack of vocal abilities may be pleasing to a drunk crowd, but I'm certain a sober audience could "boo" him right off the stage. Yet, I can't help but admit any time he makes eye contact with me I melt. He has something that draws people to him, particularly the female population. Girls grab at EVERYTHING while he's on stage, and Copeland loves every minute of it. I must also give his band credit, they are all talented musicians. Specifically, Copeland's lead guitarist, Les Richardson, is a talented vocalist and should be heard more often.
To sum up the Lewis Copeland show: weak vocals, excellent entertainment. If Tim McGraw can make it, Lewis Copeland can as well.
Lewis Copeland performs live every Thursday and Saturday night at The Stage. For more information on Lewis Copeland, visit: www.lewiscopeland.com
Featuring- A Day to Remember, June, The Sleeping, and BAYSIDE!
Victory Records brought out their biggest names for the 2007 Victory Records Tour. The success of this tour was inevitable...with the names they had staking the line up, they were bound for sold out shows. While each band is extremely unique in their own right, they have a common crowd, which did great things for show attendance. Their Stone Pony date was sold out! Hell Yes.
A DAY TO REMEMBER- Even though this band was the first on the bill, the sold out venue was packed well before they even hit the stage. Their total young rock vibe allowed for a complete connection and total rock out experience. They have as much fun on stage as the kids do in the crowd. One of the best segments of the night was their cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone." LOVED IT! There's nothing better than seeing a bunch of rockers totally jam out to Kelly.
JUNE- The more light hearted band of the night, they have a bit softer sound then the other acts, however they are not to be messed with- they pack a powerful punch and seemed to be one of the crowd's favorites. June has creative lyrics and extremely complementary instrumentals that create a pleasant rock aura. Before the Stone Pony show I knew little about them, but they had such a catchy sound that by the end of the night I was antsy for my lap top...I needed to MySpace 'em. June is my pick for BreakOut! band of the night.
THE SLEEPING- I'd say they they were the wake up call of the night. With their scream driven sound and high energy performance they left you no opportunity to escape their presence. They whole gig just works. The charismatic vocalist allows for his intense screaming to be chased by supportive instrumentals. Between the battling guitar and bass, its a sound experience for all your senses. An extremely alive performance by The Sleeping.
Bayside. What more can I say? These guys have paid their dues and have been around the block and back. The longevity of their popularity shines as they perform, there's no wonder as to why they have achieved as much success as they have. They bring more than music to the stage, they bring themselves and their passion to each moment they stand in front of you. It was only the second time I have seen them perform, but it left an impact. They are a presence of greatness. Bayside is certainly an awesome live act.
By Amanda who is DIGGIN' the banana chips chillin' in her cubicle....and who took all the pics.
The end of 2007 brought about the end of two great bands. Spitalfield and The Junior Varsity, both of Illinois and Victory Records, called it quits towards the latter half of the year, each after releasing their best, most mature work to date.
While that does indeed suck, and while I did indeed pout quite a bit (though that might have just been my lips looking enormous on their own), both have brought great new opportunities for members of each band.
Mark Rose, Spitalfield's frontman, is embarking on solo work. "It's gonna be more poppy, more jazzy," Rose told me at their farewell show. "I might do some touring in the spring--I'm not sure if it'll just be me acoustic, or if I'll assemble a trio or something along those lines, but it will happen."
Meanwhile, you can check out The Junior Varsity's Andy Wildrick in his new gig as a member of The Dear Hunter--who released one of the year's best albums, by the by.
To tide you over until they both tour later on in this bright, shiny new year, here are some mediocre-quality videos from Spitalfield's Curtain Call at the School of Rock last month. It was the first time I realized my digital camera had a video recording function, so please bear with the lack of videographic skill--I am but a humble beginner, just like 2008.
"I Loved the Way She Said 'L.A.'" (full song):
"In the Same Lifetime" (encore--full band portion/end):
*By Jessica, who resolved to stop procrastinating last night, but probably won't actually start for another week or so.
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