NYS Music 20​12

Tag: review

  • As I Lay Dying at Upstate Concert Hall, December 6th

    When most  bands go out on a big national tour they usually welcome the scheduled night off.  Fortunately for the packed house at Upstate Concert Hall on December 6th, As I Lay Dying and Memphis May Fire didn’t feel like they needed the rest from the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour headlined by Asking Alexandria.  This tour has taken the bands to Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and between the Montreal and Philadelphia shows… Clifton Park!

    As I Lay Dying’s bassist, Josh Gilbert, should have taken the day off, being hospitalized earlier in the day due to trouble breathing. Despite the discomfort, he sat toward the back of the stage in a chair playing to the fans.  He managed some vocals but was out of breath for most of the show and was supposed to head back to the hospital after the band’s set.  What Josh lacked in energy was more than made up for by frontman, Tim Labesis.  Tim’s powerful vocals pierced the crowd and drove hundreds of young headbangers wild.  Tim looked like he’d be just as comfortable at Gold’s Gym next door to the venue or on the set of Sons of Anarchy.  Long sweat drenched hair, beard, covered in tats and built like a brick shit-house.  There were times where I thought a vein might pop in his arms during a particular gut-wrenching scream. The rest of the band spent some time in the gym, too.  Lead guitarist, Nick Hipa, gave new meaning to the term shredded guitar.  If he hit the strings any harder or faster the vibrations would have set off a small earthquake in the region.  The band played songs from their new album, Awakened, released on September 25th and they also went back to their early years to tap into some mosh pit anthems, like “Forever” and “94 Hours”.

    Waves of crowd surfers carried by the sea of young metal heads only to be spilled at the front of the stage.  Often met with a fist bump from Tim and a big nod of approval from the band.  The band fed off the energy from the crowd and likewise the crowd devoured the energy from the band.

    Opening bands included three from the Albany area.  They were The Less We Know, The Siege of Masada and The Primrose Path. Tour support band Memphis May Fire will be back at UCH on January 29th opening up for For Today.

  • Woe Is Me at Upstate Concert Hall, December 2nd

    It was an early Sunday show for Upstate Concert Hall (formally Northern Lights).  The first of five opening bands started at 6PM with headliner, “Woe, Is Me”, took the stage shortly after 9.  There were two crowds at the show. The first group was obvious: young energetic kids in skinny jeans, crude t-shirts and blackened Justin Bieber haircuts. They were found bouncin’ around the room and thrashing away in the rather tame mosh pit.  The second group were parents standing on the outskirts, watching their kids get their freak on and supporting the scene.  Kudos to them for supporting live shows and buying an extra ticket so their under-aged concertgoer can enjoy one of their favorite bands!

    As for the show, it was energetic.  There were five opening acts including crowd favorite Secrets who will be back at UCH on February 23rd when they open for Silverstein.  The last opening band was Chunk, No Captain Chunk from France.  Who knew Paris Hard Core was a real thing?  After seeing them, I’m still not entirely convinced.  They came out playing “Gangnam Style” that led into a more metalcore performance that got the kids moving.

    Headliner Woe, Is Me got their start in Atlanta back in 2009 and have had modest success on in the post-hardcore scene.  They have two vocalists (one clean, one unclean) and a solid line-up surrounding them, especially drummer, Austin Thornton.  Of the six bands on stage, there was no doubt who had the best stage presence, crowd control and energy.  The stage at Upstate Concert Hall was left wide open for the band to move freely and get the audience excited.  Crowd surfing started immediately, but with a mostly underage crowd and little-to-no alcohol involved the Step Up Presents security team handled it like the pros they are.  The music was loud and some serious talent was blaring through the speakers.  Bass lines were rich, guitars were shredded and the back-and-forth vocals were done as well as I’ve seen.  I’m going to keep an eye out for the band and see where their Twilight induced fan base can take them and I hope that they can stand the test of time to produce more solid work like their new album, Genesi[s].