When .38 Special performed at Turning Stone’s Showroom on November 14, I remembered what made them great when their songs aired on the radio in the 1980’s. Their heartfelt lyrics powered by strong vocals on top of plain-old, good-quality Southern style rock is pretty much the definition of .38 Special. No surprises there – they lived up to expectations.
What was surprising was the energy that went into their performance. .38 Special was formed the same year I was born. So, when I see performers who were in their peak when I was an infant, I’m pretty impressed when they rock it out. These guys took very few breaks all night, and the music may have stopped two or three times at most during their set. The sound simply rolled, Southern style, from one song to another.
The other impressive thing was that these guys were happy on stage. More than once I saw a look of ecstasy on Don Barnes’ face during a particularly intense guitar riff. All the members of the band seemed to enjoy themselves; they offered genuine smiles to each other while performing and attempted sincere connections with the crowd. It was clear that the members of .38 Special were at home, at peace, and totally content on stage.
Although they are currently (and likely permanently) performing without founding member Donnie Van Zant, I still felt that their music was very much together: the band worked well off each other. True to Southern Rock, the lack of competing instruments and vocals makes everything just flow together.
As usual, the Showroom’s classy atmosphere allowed for great seating with a good view of the stage. This venue can handle a wide variety of performances, and while I love dramatic performances, what was refreshing about .38 Special was that their show was all about the music. I suppose that is what has kept this group together for 40 years.
Syracuse was the last stop on Pop Evil’s most recent tour, which ended on Sunday, November 24.
95X turned the band’s final show into an all-day event that began with a private acoustic performance and finished with Pop Evil’s grand finale after a four-band rock show.
Pop Evil’s lead, Leigh Kakaty, and guitarist, Nick Fuelling, arrived at Revolutions (Destiny USA) to meet, greet, and perform for a small group of lucky contest winners. 95X awarded 10 winners (plus their guests) the opportunity to watch Kakaty and Fuelling perform a couple acoustic songs. The quiet performance of “Torn to Pieces” and “Monster You Made” were enhanced by some light commentary. Leigh explained that he wrote “Torn to Pieces” after the death of his father. It was not intended to become a Pop Evil song, but according to Kakaty, the band was so supportive of it that they included it on their newest album, Onyx, and are now regularly performing it. Kakaty encouraged the small group to sing along to “Monster You Made”, from the 2010 album, War of Angels, sharing that it’s “amazing to see fans singing your songs back to you.”
Kakaty and Fuelling accepted some questions from the group before food was served — and, given that it was football Sunday — most of the talk turned to sports. Kakaty referred to Sundays at home as “Michigan blue-collar brutality” because Detroit Lions fans have had to repeatedly endure constant losses.
After Kakaty and Fuelling left the stage they socialized and had photos taken with the guests. The private affair culminated with a bowling match between the band members and the ultimate contest winner.
After bowling, we sat down with Joshua “Chachi Riot” Marunde, Pop Evil’s energetic drummer, he is reminiscent of the famous Muppet drummer, Animal. Marunde has contributed a lot to the band’s stage presence and attraction. It was Chachi’s “insane” drumming that kept my focus on the band at Rock on the Range back in May (2013). Unlike many other drummers, Chachi is not content sitting in the background. He is actively involved in the entire performance. He prefers to stand while drumming and only sits when he has to use his feet to work. He hammers his head as forcefully as he beats the drums, makes gestures, and (even though he doesn’t have a mic) sings along to every song. His madness is intoxicating and while all the members of Pop Evil are energetic performers, Chachi is a RIOT to watch. Needless to say, I was eager to meet him. In addition to being very down to earth, he is also very articulate and super motivated. He shared with us that the band is a very tight unit, working really hard to “make it” in the rock ‘n roll scene. Their hard work is paying off though; when “Trenches” hit #1 on the Rock Charts in June (2013) while they were touring in Nebraska, the band tour manager, Chris Iteen, suggested the band take an uncharacteristic break and celebrate with a night of karaoke. Upstate Metal asked about Pop Evil’s future and Chachi was about bursting at the seams because of their 2014 plans, but couldn’t share (yet). Instead, he encouraged us to keep a close eye out for an upcoming announcement.
<Since the interview last week we found out the big news is an upcoming tour with Stone Sour.>
After leaving Chachi and the rest of Pop Evil to get ready for their show, we went to The Westcott Theater near Syracuse University. Built in 1919 as a cinema, The Westcott was retrofitted into a live music venue in 2008. The small venue hosted four bands, starting with local band, Pacinello , followed by The Letter Black, then Eve To Adam and finally Black Oxygen before Pop Evil took the stage around 10:30.
Despite the “late” hour on a snowy Sunday, the crowd was pumped up and ready to take in the Pop Evil experience. The fans who had been spread throughout the venue crunched in to the stage to get a closer look when PopEvil opened with “Deal with the Devil”, currently playing on Sirius’s Octane and local rock stations like 95X. I loved their clean and simple stage set, which allowed us to focus on the performers (I especially loved that that drum kit was elevated to get a better view of Chachi Riot’s raving performance). Next up on the set list was the song that sold me in Ohio, “Hero”, then 12 more songs before they rejuvenated the group with a partial cover of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”.
You might have expected after a long tour for the band to drag a little. Not Pop Evil. They gave the same energy and quality to the couple hundred at the Westcott in late November as they did to tens of thousands at Rock on the Range in May. The band has often said that their songs are meant to send a message to their fans; one of inspiration. Many of their songs deal with loss, failure and (here’s the message) working hard to overcome adversity. Their final song, “Trenches”, speaks to just that, and Pop Evil gave it everything they had. The band left the stage expressing gratitude to 95X for supporting them, and to the fans for being a part of the tour’s last show.
After their short 10 day break, Pop Evil will pick up the pace once again with at least 11 shows scheduled in the Midwest in December.
Set List: Deal with the Devil, Hero, Flawed, Somebody Like You, 100 in a 55, Torn to Pieces, Goodbye My Friend, Sick Sense, Boss’s Daughter, Divide, Behind Closed Doors, Monster You Made, Last Man Standing, partial cover of Eye of the Tiger, and Trenches
It’s been 36 years since Lita Ford and Cherie Currie recorded new music together as members of the legendary all-female rock band, the Runaways.
Two of the most influential women in Rock and Roll have reunited in 2013 for a special holiday song. Ford has partnered up with her former Runaways band mate for what is sure to be a new Christmas Classic. The song “Rock This Christmas Down” was released today on iTunes.
“I thought the world could use a new Christmas song,” said Ford. “The song was Written by Mitch Perry, my guitarist and Michael Dan Ehmig, my lyricist, along with Marty O’Brien on bass, and Rodger Carter on drums. We so rocked it!”
While plans had gone underway for the song, Ford admits that she was not fully aware of the details of the reunion.
“What I didn’t know is that I’d be singing it as a duet with my long lost sister, CHERIE CURRIE,” she said. “I am blessed to have her back in my life, and what an appropriate time and song to rehash an old friendship. CHRISTMAS!!!
“Currie hopped a plane from Chicago to L.A., and drove straight to the studio and threw down her vocal track on this rocking song! Needless to say, it was magic and history in the making. We were left with such a smoking track for everyone to hear, every Christmas, every year! Let’s ROCK THIS CHRISTMAS DOWN!!!””
Currie is equally as excited about the song’s release, but moreso about being reunited with Ford.
“I have dreamed, literally, of seeing Lita again for over three decades,” she said. “Even after all that time I still thought of her often. The Runaways was something that was always left unfinished to me. Especially when it came to Lita, but I only knew her as a child. What floored me more than the unbelievable gift of working with her again was the woman she had become. She is the bravest, kindest, strongest, most loving human being I have met.
“Lita asking me to be a part of this amazing song and a part of her astonishing life has filled that void, that hole I had in my heart that maybe we both shared. It is now filled with love, support and admiration for a dear and wonderful friend whom I am so proud to say is LITA FORD.”
Currie believes that, despite all the years, the new song captures the essence of their band which also included Joan Jett.
“Rock This Christmas Down” has the flare of our Runaways legacy,” she said. “But its pure Lita. It rocks like only she can. We took a dim, negative and unfinished past and turned it into a positive future. It doesn’t get any better than that. I know this will be the best Christmas I have had in decades. Thank you sister!”
Blues Traveler brought an energetic and phenomenal show to Upstate Concert Hall on November 21, 2013. Blues Traveler has come back with a vengence, tossing away their reputation as a 90’s pop band and truly exploring their capabilities within their jams through each facet of their ensemble.
John Popper has always brought a fresh and eccentric level of talent that extends the complexities of each song far beyond any 90’s pop band ever could. The band opened with an absolutely mind blowing take on the Charlie Daniels’ Band’s original “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” John Popper mimicked the explosive fiddle solos with his collection of harmonicas which he played furiously along with the rest of the band.
The band played off of each other all night, slipping into more folky, slow jams and moving back into full on rock and roll solos carried by guitar. At one point they busted into a rendition of Sublime’s “What I Got” which had the packed venue singing and dancing with the classic tune. Of course the night was also filled with Blues Traveler’s classics such as “But Anyway,” “Hook” and “Run Around” all of which were almost perfectly performed and had the crowd dancing and singing along to every word. “But Anyway” held a mind-blowing drum solo that showed that the capabilities of Blues Traveler as a band were expansive. From start to finish, Blues Traveler kept the energy high and the crowd dancing. Upstate New York is definitely looking forward to the return of this timeless and talented band.
Blue Stream Productions (BSP) an Upstate New York based artist management agency, has announced a partnership with Nietzsche’s located at 248 Allen St. in Buffalo, NY.
BSP will start promoting and presenting a few shows a month at the hallowed musical venue that has hosted thousands of top notch shows over the past 30 years. BSP president/founder Josh Holtzman will be handling the bookings and plans to bring tons of great music and up and coming talent to the Western, NY region.
Nietzche’s is open daily from 12 Noon – 4AM with live music every night. Parking is limited to the street, but taking public transit to the venue is a breeze.
will keep you informed of these shows as they are announced. Blue Stream’s artist roster currently includes Buffalo’s Aqueous and Rochester’s Ocupanther.
When Turning Stone announced that Pat Benatar was going to be in the Showroom in November, it was a guaranteed sold-out show. The nearly yearly run through Upstate New York brought out droves of short-haired pixie cut women reliving their rebellious younger years through the musician that gave them the power to tell the world that collectively, “We Belong”.
Pat Benatar and her husband (and business partner) for nearly 35 years, Neil “Spider” Giraldo, rocked the showroom despite being very sick. Pat took short breaks to head toward the back of the stage to get a drink or clear her throat. In the spotlight though you could barely tell that the legend was under the weather. She gave it her all and the crowd was more than pleased.
When Neil and Pat invited the crowd to ask questions, it gave Pat an opportunity to rest her voice as Spider answered most of the questions. From there she belted out some of her biggest hits, “We Belong” and the anti-child abuse anthem “Hell is for Children”. With being sick, the crowd seemed surprised and so pleased that Pat did the whole set and didn’t cut anything short. Amazing energy and a promise to return next year for a special 35th Anniversary tour – who could ask for anything more?
Setlist: All Fired Up, Invincible, So Sincere, If You Think You Know How to Love Me (Smokie cover), River of Love, Promises in the Dark, Q&A, We Belong, Hell Is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Love Is a Battlefield, Everybody Lay Down, Let’s Stay Together, Heartbreaker / Ring of Fire
Listening to Lucky33 is like a day at the California beach. Sun shining, the salty sea breeze hitting you in the face, bombing down the concrete half-pipe and your hair whipping behind you. Lucky33 is a four-piece punk band that hails from central New York, calling both Syracuse and Oswego home. They advertise a blend of old-school punk with an indie feel to create “our distinct sound.” Upstate Metal’s own Steve Strader recently had the honor of chatting with the band’s bassist, Jared “Red”.
So how long have you cats been around?
“After a few line up changes, L33 as it is today has been together since April of 2011.”
Any side projects or past projects?
“Duff (lead guitarist) does all kinds of acoustic covers and posts them on YouTube and Facebook. One of his most popular ones is a Drake song. (Laughs). I’ve played in a bunch of bands. I’m much older than the other guys in the band. I started out in the ska/punk band Ill Nature, then the funkcore band Lost Soul Division in the ’90s and early 2000s. After that, I played in the metal band Adiel and most recently – before L33 – Damaged In Transit. While I was in DIT, I met Dustin while playing a show together at the Lost Horizon. He was in The Black Lockets. I eventually joined TBL while still in DIT, while they looked for a full time bass player. Shortly after that, Dustin left the Lockets and I left DIT. Dustin, Duff and Kyle all went to school together. They had started Lucky33 and I joined shortly after that.
So what band is your favorite?
“By far mine is L33, and I know the other guys agree! I’ve never been in a band with guys like this! We have great chemistry and energy. We get along great and we’re best buds outside of the band. The song writing is very easy and comes quick. Usually Duff writes something on the acoustic and brings it to us and we go from there. That kid can write a catchy song! After playing for over 15 years, I’m enjoying playing more than I ever have.”
How’s the pro-bono new logo coming along?
“(Laughs.) We got a few people making some. I was only half serious, [I did it} more to get people conversing with us.”
How’s the Guitar Center “Get Out of the Garage” contest coming along?
“It ended a while back, did it to get more exposure basically.”
If L33 were to be sponsored by a guitar company who would it be?
“Gibson, hands down.”
Anything coming out of the L33 compound we should be looking forward to?
“We’re going to start recording a full length [album] this winter, so keep a look out for that! Hopefully some merch, once the logo is done. We’re gonna hit up the guys in SRT to do the shirts. Tons of shows for the New Year, I’d like to do a split EP with our bro’s in High Dive Horse.”
Any last words?
“You rock Stevo! Thanks for the interview and the support. See you in January for the Entropy show.”
For more information on the band, go visit their Facebook account.
Albany’s Palace Theatre welcomes rock band moe. for a two night New Year’s Eve run! Eastbound Jesus, a northern rock band from Greenwich, New York, will accompany them on December 30th, and the talented horn section of 90’s jam band Conehead Buddha will join them on stage for a full set on the 31st.
The members of Conehead Buddha are long-time friends of moe. and joined them at their festival in Turin, NY this past August. This band has been around since the 90’s, when ska became popular in the U.S. For anyone who does not know them, their album Rockets is well known among ska fans, putting them in the same realm as Sublime musically. After taking a small break from touring, this band has found their second wind, and has again been taking crowds in the North East on a ride. No set list necessary, this band “feels out the scene” and plays a show that is well-suited for almost any kind of crowd. The horn section consists of Shaun Bazylewicz on trombone, Terry Lynch on trumpet, Shannon Lynch on saxophone and flute. These musicians have an upbeat, talented style that allows them to sit in successfully with bands over a multitude of genres.
New Year’s Eve with moe. is sure to be a lively, rockin’ way to spend the New Year. Check out the energy in our state’s capital and celebrate the New Year with the talents of New York’s finest. Come get down with the moe.rons!
Upstate’s own Jimkata continues to buzzsaw through genres and expected timetables for success. They have been diligent in the studio over the years and have worked even harder touring, which is why their newest live release 10 More Songs fittingly celebrates the latter. A 14-song commemoration of the embodiment of both Jimkata and their Upstate NY roots, live tracks were plucked from shows in their resident Ithaca and also Rochester, Oriskany Falls and even Brooklyn. Yes, 14 songs.
Looks like the boys over there in the ‘Kata Kamp’ have quite the sense of humor, adding with it an enjoyable 80’s esque cover art with 8th Grade Media Arts type-graphics atop at sunset cover with two pelicans. All I really know about pelicans is they are especially hungry and the same could be said about Jimkata’s meteoric rise to success.
The live compilation for 10 More Songs was masterfully selected. At times during multiple re-listens, I found myself yearning for a bit more hi-fidelity in the mastering of the audio but that is often quickly subsided with slowly-building jams on nearly all the tracks. Not only do most 10 More Songs’ 14 tracks consist of Upstate tour dates, but fittingly, they truly embody the entire body of Jimkata’s song catalog, which fittingly, was often first tested on Upstate NY jam crowds. At least a tune from every Jimkata era or album is represented, including several from their latest release Die Digital, which appropriately is one of the best damn live tracks on the album.
In addition to long-time jam vehicles’ “Greyhound”, from their breakthrough LP Burnmy Money, two real surprises come from the tracks “One to Ten” and “Soap.” In the former, listeners are urged to be patient with the song’s live progression as the final two minutes really highlight what Jimkata is capable of as a band when it all gels at the end of real live exploration. Similarly, the album’s fourth song, “Soap”, also starts out of the gates rather slow but layers and layers into a dominant, clean hard jam, driven by Jimkata drummer Packy Lunn and bassist David Rossi.
While some may scoff at the idea of a live album this early in Jimkata’s resume, closer inspection will reveal that Jimkata’s body of work is not only experienced but mature, whereas those two adjectives are not always synonymous. 10 More Songs is a great live-album introduction from this band. Jimkata, as a band with a unique sound with great vocals continues to grow bigger and badder with every tour stop they cram in or festival they play. This new live release contains enough octane to continue furthering that mission for those not going to shows or festivals but chillin on their couches or driving their cars.
Rochester New York’s Ocupanther has had a big year. Between their critically acclaimed spring 2013 release Progressor and multiple appearances with some major league artists, including Marco Benevento, Schleigho, The Grandmothers of Invention, Jimkata, Twiddle and more, the band is gaining some well deserved traction in the music loving community.
They will bring this buzz and their own unique brand of progressive filthy funk psychedelia to the Dub Land Underground for a free two set hometown show. December 6th, 18+ 10PM FREE (surcharge for under 21). Mark your calenders now, this show is not to be missed!
Looks like the boys over there in the ‘Kata Kamp’ have quite the sense of humor, adding with it an enjoyable 80’s esque cover art with 8th Grade Media Arts type-graphics atop at sunset cover with two pelicans. All I really know about pelicans is they are especially hungry and the same could be said about Jimkata’s meteoric rise to success.