NYS Music 20​13

Category: Capital Region

  • Spotlight: DOLABRA “Mountain Metal” from Averill Park

    From the shadows emerges a heavy metal band that brings back the classic metal style that bands such as Metallica, Pantera and Black Sabbath have made so famously. This band has opened for major groups such as P.O.D., Filter, In This Moment, and as of recently, Soulfly. Introducing, Dolabra.

    Originally from Averill Park, NY, Dolabra consists of Dennis “Redman” Caldwell (vocals), Phil Phillips (guitar), Otis Lyons (guitar), Devin Cross (bass), and Ed Zimmerman (drums). This band has released three demos, “Worst In You”, “Death Die Kill”, and “Everything Dies”, all available for download on their website, www.dolabra.net. Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the opportunity to do an interview with Dolabra’s front man, Dennis Caldwell.

     

    The band @ DolabraFest in 2012
    The band @ DolabraFest in 2012

    UM: Tell me a little bit about the band’s history.

    DC: Well, we’ve been together since April or May of 2010; we were in different bands back then, myself and my guitar player met the drummer at Edgefest back in 2008, his band and our band were playing together. When my other band, Reinfecta, broke up, me and the guitar player started another band called Dolabra and we had met Ed at Edgefest, so Ed would play drums and he is in a death metal band called Tyranize and his kit, he’s got a huge, big kit, so he said he couldn’t transport his kit back and forth, so we went and bought a house kit and we just started jamming and we jammed as a three piece for…probably about eight months and then we put an ad out on craigslist and found a bass player and then we added another guitar and we’ve been a five piece for about two years. We’re just taking it slow; we’ve done about 10 shows in the three years.

    UM: Who are your biggest influences?

    DC: I would say that everybody in the band is a hardcore Metallica fan; they can pretty much play any Metallica song there is. Then you got Cavalera Conspiracy, Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Pantera, Biohazard, MOD, SOD, Suicidal, and a bunch of old stuff. Cavalier is brand new but…

    UM: If you had the opportunity to collaborate with another band, who would it be?

    DC: Cavalera Conspiracy. For me, Max Cavalera is the king of metal, really, and it was an honor to open up for Soulfly, that was pretty crazy. I would have to say Cavalera Conspiracy or Max Cavalera.

    UM: How did you become a part of the Soulfly concert, and the Exodus one?

    DC: We were actually supposed to open up for Marc Rizzo, who’s the guitar player for Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy, in December and we had to jump off that show at the last minute and the same promoters, Kal and Mike Valente of Upstate Black N Blue, they were doing that show and they hadn’t mention Soulfly yet and they put us on the Soulfly show and they were great. It was an honor to be an opener for them and we only do five shows a year so we try to pick good shows and with my old band we did shows every other week all over the place and this band, we’re trying to take it slow and concentrate on playing good shows and we get to open up for bands that we grew up listening to, it’s just pretty cool. We’ve only done ten shows in two years and we’ve already opened up for Biohazard, Sworn Enemy on one show, and then Sepultura, Death Angel, Havok and Krisiun at another show. Then Skarhead and Slaine and the other night we got to open up for Soulfly, Incite and Lody Kong, so we can’t complain, we’ve been getting really good shows, so we’re just having fun.

    UM: What does your music reflect about you guys?

    DC: I don’t know…I guess our music reflects that we’re kick-ass metal musicians and come to the shows and rock out.

    UM: When’s your record coming out?

    DC: We’re hoping by the end of this year. We actually recorded all the music almost a year ago now and I’ve been hiding from the vocals for a year now and I don’t know why but I didn’t think I was man enough to pull it off but we got in there the Saturday before Soulfly pretty much just because at the Soulfly show we wanted to hand demos out. So I banged off the vocals real quick and the three tunes that we released on the demo and we’re hoping to have everything else done by the end of the year. I’d like to say we’re gonna have it done for June 22nd, we have a big party called DolabraFest, but I don’t think it’s gonna be done by then…sometime before the end of the year, I’m hoping.

    UM: You’ll be doing your own festivals?

    DC: Yeah, we’re doing that…the festival we’re doing is June 22nd, called DolabraFest, we just get a bunch of kegs of beer and it’s a way that we say thanks to the fans or friends for putting up with our devil music and we have a big keg party and camping and playing a bunch of heavy metal music. We’re pretty much just about having fun, just take the stuff real slow and trying to do things right instead of going out there and putting out a bunch of crappy recordings like we’ve all done a million times.

    UM: Any shows in the near future?

    DC: Yeah, we are opening up for Exodus, Monday, April 22nd, at Upstate Concert Hall, that’s in Clifton Park, New York, and Brick By Brick’s playing on that, Armor Column…it’s gonna be a really good show. Another honor to be opening up for old bands that we grew up with, too.

    UM: What’s your favorite part about playing on stage?

    DC: Just getting all of my friends and getting everybody together, we go out and have fun and we use our shows to get everybody out of the house and have a good time. I look forward to the shows, just get up there and have fun and seeing all of the people having fun and then after the shows, we all hang and drink with the people until the bar is almost out, so that’s pretty much what it’s about for us; we like to have fun with the people. And this band…I didn’t think when I started with this band that it was going to be as good as it is so already being part of the team…we just try to have fun.

    UM: What does music mean to you?

    DC: I guess it means a bunch of different stuff. Music is just a release, got any problems, just throw on a disc and you forget about it and…I don’t know, a bunch of different things really.

    Be sure to check out the band’s website and ‘like’ their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dolabra?fref=ts

    Fan Art from a recent show!
    Fan Art from a recent show!

  • The Bayou Cafe in Albany changes its name to The Hollow Bar + Kitchen

    The Bayou Cafe in Albany, NY recently announced on their FaceBook fan page that they were under new ownership and now open under the new name, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. The post explained that the new owners were grateful for all that the previous owner had done for the local music scene, but that they were ready to take the business in a new direction.

    In addition to the name change the Hollow boasts of bringing well known local Chef Henry Ciccone on board to help develop the new menu. Patrons can also expect a room-by-room remodel of the space with a promise to the ladies for a much more pleasant Woman’s Bathroom!

    Don’t worry live music lovers the new vision most definitely will include delivering the sweet tunes of some of the best original and cover bands in the region that the Albany Bayou was known for. The new owners want everyone to know that although the name and menu are changing they want to build on what the Bayou was to so many in the Albany music scene.

    We look forward to bringing the space back to what it has been known for over the past 10 years. Great food, great beer and great music. ~ The Hollow Bar + Kitchen

    The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
    79 North Pearl Street
    Albany, New York 12207

    Hours
    Mon: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
    Tue – Thu: 11:30 am – 12:00 am
    Fri: 11:30 am – 4:00 am
    Sat: 4:00 pm – 4:00 am

    Twitter: @thehollowalbany | FaceBook | http://bayoucafe.com | Ph: (518) 426-8550

  • Interview with Chris Wyse from The Cult, Owl and more

    When you hear Chris Wyse’s story it sounds almost like a movie script. Born in New York City to Irish immigrants, moved to the country in Upstate New York, picked up a guitar with his buddy Dan Dinsmore, went off to California to be a rock star, and is now coming back home to play a show with his old friend in his old stomping grounds. It’s a lot more complicated than that but it does make for a great movie, or perhaps a song. NYS Music was lucky enough to talk to Chris Wyse last week to find out what the New York native has been up to and what the future holds for the talented bassist.

    Back in the mid-80s, Chris and Dan met while attending Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York. Both were budding musicians and they quickly became good friends, Chris on bass and Dan on drums. “It was awesome [starting out in Upstate New York] because there was nothing else to do. So music ended up being our everything. We’d play the Koda Theater and do battle of the bands, and that became our learning ground.” There was a lot of support from friends and family. Things were simpler, but getting noticed was still a lot of hard work. They used tape to record demos, and they used to run around the area flyering cars for upcoming shows (a lost art that has been replaced by the non-personal events calendar on Facebook). At least less trees were harmed in the process. One of the places they used to flyer was the well-known club, Saratoga Winners. Chris and Dan would play there when they were seniors in high school and their first couple years after graduation, to adults packing the place with fans many years older.

    Chris got national attention for his innovative bass playing and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine when he was only 17. A few years after graduating from Shen, Chris moved to Los Angeles. In the 90’s, Chris played for various bands and projects with notable musicians including Tal Bachman (son of Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive), Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Paul D’Amour (original bassist for Tool) and more. It was for Paul D’Amour’s band Lusk that Chris “bought the upright bass, but that project froze due to troubles with the record company.” Chris went on from there and auditioned for Tal Bachman, playing a sort of John Paul Jones style of bass. After getting his passport straightened out, he found himself on a plane to Maui to produce the record. It was there that he met Bob Rock, “…a “real stand-up guy. Bob was one of those people that I had a great time working with, and I tried to rock his tracks. That got me into The Cult, the audition with Metallica and more. It is paramount to have someone like that [in your corner].”

    The Cult just finished seven years of touring, brought back producer Bob Rock (who also produced their albums Sonic Temple, The Cult, and Beyond Good and Evil), and released their ninth album, Choice of Weapon in 2012. Chris “loves this record, it’s a super strong record. It’s a very ‘now’ kind of record and they did a lot of work promoting it last year.” Later in 2012 The Cult also released a “prequel” album called Weapon of Choice, showing the stretches and energy that the band took in the studio. There is a raw feel to the new songs and it was evident that, as a whole, The Cult went back to their original UK roots. Chris’s unique style is evident throughout the album and it’s worth checking it out, on iTunes here.

    Now that The Cult is taking a break from touring and recording, Wyse can concentrate on his project, Owl. Owl includes his childhood friend, drummer Dan Dinsmore, and Jason Mezilis, who Chris met in Hollywood in the early 2000’s. “I met Jason in a club through a mutual friend. We hit it off and followed each other’s careers. I would join bands, be on the road, and Jason was aware of my old Owl shows. Jason is incredibly talented, competent and hit it off with Dan.” Together they are Owl and they recorded a few of their recent tracks at Overit Studios just outside of Albany.  Dinsmore built the studio in an old Catholic Church. Chris added, “…The feeling and acoustics [in the church] are amazing. It gets you really inspired.”

    Chris and Dan will be back in Clifton Park playing with Jason as Owl, on March 30th with other hometown artist, Maria Brink and her band, In This Moment. “Dan and I are excited to be there. It’s not just 2013 and promoting The Right Thing album.  We played at that there as teens, when it was called Tigers. That’s the interesting thing. Playing Manhattan and LA feels like playing at home, but still nothing like playing down the road from where you first started playing music. I was just a teenager and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to play to my roots.”

    Well, the honor is Upstate New York’s when local-gone-rock-star, Chris Wyse, comes back home to Upstate Concert Hall on March 30th. will be there to witness the warm homecoming performance.

  • Preview: Upstate Natives SIRENS AND SAILORS in Roc City, Albany and Buffalo

    sirens

    SIRENS AND SAILORS:  The Club at Water Street 3/23 (Saturday). Originally from Rochester, NY this metal/rock/hardcore band is known for their commitment and dedication to the music that they play. They are described by their fierce live shows and their capability to grab the attention of fellow rock lovers. Their debut EP is now on iTunes, Wasteland. Band members include Kyle Bihrle (vocals), Todd Golder (guitar/vocals), Jimm Lindsley (guitar), Steve Goupil (bass), and Doug Court (drums).

    indyingarms

    IN DYING ARMS, SIRENS AND SAILORS, and MUREAU

    Bogies is the place to be on Saturday, April 6th when IN DYING ARMS rock the stage. This is IN DYING ARMS’ first headline and do they have great openers: SIRENS AND SAILORS and MUREAU. If you are not able to make this show, don’t fret! There are two more shows in the New York; Amityville, NY on 4/7 at The Spotlight Lounge and Buffalo, NY on 4/9 at Broadway Joe’s Bar & Grill.

    IN DYING ARMS:

    Based in lively Baltimore, MD, this band that has a certain style that mixes Deathcore, Metalcore and Post-Hardcore. They have three full lengths and have an EP, all of which is available on iTunes: Boundaries (2012), Self-Titled (2011), Deprivation (2010), and This is Retaliation (2009). Band members consist of Orion Stephens (vocals), Jeremy Magee (guitar), John Myers (guitar), Terence Bright (bass) and Alvin Richardson (drums).

    These are definitely shows you do not want to miss out on!

  • Sledgehammer – Who Played it Better?

    The first in an occasional series, we’ll look at local bands and acts performing in the Upstate region who cover the same tune and see who fans think performed it better. For our first installment, we have North Carolina act Big Something and Albany locals Formula 5 each performing Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”.

    They performed the tune two days apart at Red Square in Albany and found each version very well received from the audience on both occasions.

    Listen to both versions and then vote in the comments below which band played “Sledgehammer” better.

    Big Something, February 28th at Red Square

    Formula 5, March 2nd at Red Square

    The Original version, by Peter Gabriel

    Vote in the comments below!

  • B.B. King to celebrate The Massry Center for the Arts’ 5th Anniversary on Sunday April 14th

    The world’s greatest blues artist in the Capital Region’s most intimate concert venue.  It doesn’t get any better that that. The College of Saint Rose will proudly celebrate the fifth anniversary of its acclaimed Massry Center for the Arts with an exclusive benefit performance by the legendary B.B. King. The sold-out black-tie gala will take place Sunday, April 14, in the Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall, Massry Center for the Arts, on the Saint Rose campus.  Co-chairing the gala planning committee are Julie Massry Knox and Murray C. Massry, with Tri-City Rentals  the gala’s presenting sponsor.

    massry center b.b. kingFor six decades, there has been only one King of the Blues: Riley B. King, affectionately known as B.B. King.  Since King started recording in the late 1940s, he has released more than 60 albums, many of them considered blues classics.  Over the years, King has developed one of the world’s most readily identified guitar styles.  He borrowed from Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker and others, integrating his precise vocal-like string bends and his left hand vibrato, both of which have become indispensable components of a rock guitarist’s vocabulary.  His economy, his every-note-counts phrasing, has been a model for thousands of players such as Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Rush, Johnny Winter and Albert King.

    King has mixed traditional blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop and jump into a unique sound.  His singing is richly melodic, both vocally and in the “singing” that comes from Lucille, the name he has given to each of his guitars since the mid-1950s.  In King’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.  I’m trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper, I still work on it.  Red, white, black, brown, yellow, rich, poor, we all have the blues.”

    For more about B.B. King, visit www.bbking.com and www.bbkingfanclub.net.

    The Massry Center for the Arts opened in 2008 and features the 400-seat Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall, Esther Massry Art Gallery, choral and instrument rehearsal rooms, teaching studios, piano labs and classrooms, and played host to dozens of musical legends in it’s short lifespan.  The $14 million, 46,000 square-foot gem is certified LEED Gold, ranking it among the Capital Region’s most energy-efficient and Earth-friendly buildings.

  • Preview: IN THIS MOMENT with LOVE AND DEATH, ALL HAIL THE YETI, and OWL

    After their tour in the UK with Grammy-winning band, Halestorm, In This Moment is performing at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY on March 30. This will be the band’s first time performing at the venue since before the release of their new record, Blood. Opening for them is Love and Death, All Hail the Yeti, and Owl. This promises to be a killer show filled with high energy, excitement, and the familiar soothing sound of metal screaming.

    IN THIS MOMENT:

    InThisMoment-01-big

    After the successful release of their fourth record, Blood, In This Moment began touring throughout the west coast as well as Australia with Adelitas Way. Known for her chilling death-metal scream, Maria Brink will most certainly give the onlookers the chills and excitement they’ve all been waiting for. Her voice will be haunting our dreams for the rest of the evening after giving a kick-ass performance. Band members consist of Chris Howorth (lead guitar), Travis Johnson (bass), Randy Weitzel (guitar), and Tom Hane (drums). This will be the main event that everyone will be buzzing about after ITM’s performance.

    LOVE AND DEATH:

    Korn’s ex-guitarist, Brian “Head” Welch, formed this hard rock band in February 2012 with a familiar metal twist. According to Welch, the band title “symbolizes everything we’ve been through as a band over the last few years. We love this band so much and we’ll go through hell to connect with our fans.” In 2009, Welch held band tryouts through YouTube, finally resulting with JR Bareis (lead guitar), Michael Valentine (bass), and Dan Johnson (drums). Love and Death signed with the label Tooth and Nails Record/EMI, and they are touring to support their debut record, Between Here & Lost, which was released January 22 of this year. This band is most definitely ready to share their new material with the ever-adoring fans.

    ALL HAIL THE YETI:

    This is the band that has forsaken their hometown to become something more, to revive metal. Lead vocalist Connor Garritty formed the band in 2006 with ex-guitarist K.J. Duval. After 2010, this band was no longer just a “local” band, they had transformed into something bigger. Garritty took action instead of waiting for the music industry to notice their success in music, and began recording their full-length debut record. Current band members, Nicholas Diltz (bass) and Craw NeQuent (guitar), joined the group in 2011. August 28, 2012, the band released their self-titled debut record. When asked to describe what AHTY’s sound was like, Connor described it as “capturing how it makes each individual feel…our songs touch on topics of death, life, love, love lost, the paranormal, crypto zoology, mythical creatures, partying, etc.” Fans look forward to what the band has in store for us.

    OWL:

    A band that strives to find the answer to an intriguing question: “Are we doing the right thing?” Through the music, the band has nothing to worry about because of their beneficial amount of experimentation and instrumental obscurity, as well as remarkable hooks and exciting delivery. Band members consist of Chris Wyse (lead vocals and bass), Jason Achilles Mezilis (guitar and vocals), and Dan Dinsmore (drums). After the 2009 release of their self-titled debut record, Wyse promises that the second one will be “more engaging and exhilarating on various levels.” Fans may either be haters or lovers of this band; it will be up to them to decide once Saturday night arrives.

    With the diversity of sounds that will surround the venue, this concert has just what we need: the energy to rock out!

    in-this-moment-81

  • An Interview with Ralph Castelli of RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles

    RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles will be playing at the Palace Theater on March 18th. I recently spoke with Ralph Castelli, who has played Ringo Starr for nearly 30 years in the Broadway production. Tickets are available at The Palace box office.

    Ralph Castelli Tom Miller: Hi Ralph. Can you tell our readers what they can expect to see next week at the RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles show?

    Ralph Castelli:  Sure. The show is obviously a show about the Beatles. It’s a live concert with a theatrical element to it. What I mean by that is it’s a multimedia extravaganza which is a time capsule that takes the viewer all the way back to the early 60’s. As the curtain opens, the viewer will see the complete set of the Ed Sullivan stage where the Beatles performed on that famous evening in February 1964. Then we move forward chronologically, showing more videos of events going on at the time, many costume changes, different stage sets which resemble Beatles album covers, and of course more Beatles music. We continue forward through the Sgt Pepper’s era, which of course is very colorful with the whole “flower power” movement, and our hair is getting longer (laughing) and our sideburns are getting bushier. Then we get into Abbey Road which takes us to the end of the show.

    TM:  That really sounds amazing! Do you have a favorite era or part of the show?

    RC:  Well, every two years or so we re-vamp the show so this is a new show for us. There’s a lot of new videos and a lot of new songs. Nearly 40% of the songs in this show are new for us. I think my favorite part of this show is the Sgt. Pepper’s era and I actually like everything from Sgt. Pepper’s to the end of the show. I really love it all. It’s hard to pick a section of their career that I like the most.

    TM:  How about playing it? Is any era more difficult than another?

    RC:  Yeah, definitely. When we get into the Sgt. Pepper’s album and All You Need is Love, there’s a fifth band member that comes out and plays with us. The only way we could perform these songs live was to have a fifth member. There’s a lot of intricate parts and over dubs that the Beatles used. “Strawberry Fields Forever”, for example, is very tricky ’cause of all the over dubs. You know, trying to get it all in the context of the song is tricky, but at the same time, it’s really fun. But the only way we can do it live is to have a fifth member.

    TM:  How long have you been with the production?

    RC:  I’ve been with RAIN for almost 30 years.

    TM:  Being with RAIN for so long, you must have a ton of interesting stories and experiences. Can you share a few that stand out?

    RC:  Oh, yeah! There’s a lot of great stories and interesting places and a lot of great people. Nothing really stands out right now but I do meet a lot of interesting people. That’s what stands out the most. A lot of those people share their stories with us, about when they saw the Beatles or even stories about meeting them. Those are the stories I enjoy hearing. Another great thing I enjoy is, sometimes when the curtain is raised, we can see two or even three generations of Beatles fans watching the show together. You know what I mean? You see the grandparents, and then the parents and their kids. It’s really something special when you think about it. There’s always a lot of kids, both teenagers and younger kids. And they all know the words to the songs!

    TM: That actually brings me to my next question. Do you guys, the band, feel an obligation or responsibility to bridge the past to the present as far as keeping the Beatles experience and Beatles music alive? Especially to the younger generations?

    RC: You know Tom, it just seems to happen that way. It just transcends that way. It’s a natural progression for our show. Touring the country or being on Broadway like we are now, it’s just natural that the experience and the music is introduced to younger generations. It’s not something we have to go out of our way to do. It just happens naturally. The kids are loving it as much as their parents and grandparents!

    TM:  That’s great news for everyone! And that leads me to my final question. With the “Beatles Generation” getting older and ultimately fewer and fewer, where do you see the future of RAIN?

    RC:  Well, we just had that discussion with the production agency and management not too long ago. We see the show going on for another 10, 15, or even 20 years. Especially on Broadway. There’s tons of Broadway shows that run for decades. I still think this show has a lot of life left in it. And we do it right, you know? We’re like Kentucky Fried Chicken (laughing), “we do Beatles right!”

    TM:  Ralph, it’s been great talking to you. I’m really looking forward to seeing you and seeing the show. Thank you.

  • Phish Announces Summer 2013 Tour Dates Just in the Nick of Time, will play SPAC July 5-7

    Well ladies and gentlemen, your prayers have been answered. The long waited Phish Summer Tour 2013 dates have been released just before we all lost our minds, and just in their phashion, in the most creative way possible.

    phish summer tour 2013Much like our dearest Phish, most of us had begin to feel that these dates would never be released and our Summer tour schedules would be seriously lacking. As usual, message boards and Facebook feeds began filling up instantaneously with the rejoice over the long anticipated dates. The tour will start off in Maine on July 3rd, stop at Saratoga Performing Arts Center from July 5th-7th and end in Colorado with another three-night run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, August 30-September 1 . More dates for the fall will most likely be announced soon.

    The ticketing window for requesting tickets to the first leg of tour is already open. Make sure you put your requests in before Monday, March 12th at 11:59 AM.

    7/3 Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, Bangor, ME
    7/5 Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
    7/6 Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
    7/7 Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
    7/9 Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ONT
    7/10 P.N.C. Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
    7/12 Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach, Wantaugh, NY
    7/13 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
    7/14 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
    7/16 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alphraretta, GA
    7/17 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alphraretta, GA
    7/19 Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
    7/20 Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
    7/21 Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
    7/26 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
    7/27 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
    7/30 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, Stateline, NV
    7/31 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, Stateline, NV
    8/2 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
    8/3 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
    8/4 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
    8/5 Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
    8/30 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
    8/31 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
    9/1 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

    See you on tour! Check out our coverage from last year’s three-night run at SPAC.

  • PIERCE THE VEIL Return to Upstate Concert Hall with MEMPHIS MAY FIRE and More

    After an explosive tour with a deadly lineup, Pierce the Veil are returning to the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on March 24th with some equally impressive support. On Halloween of 2012, PTV came to Clifton Park with the help of Sleeping With Sirens, Tonight Alive, and Hands Like Houses. Now they’re coming back with the help of Memphis May Fire, letlive., and Issues. This promises to be an incredible show that mixes some very different styles of music. It’ll be a night of high energy and killer performances, all covered by us here at Upstate Metal.

    ptv

    Pierce the Veil:

    After the massive success of their third album, Collide With the Sky, on Fearless Records, Pierce the Veil has been on the road non-stop and traveled across the world in support of the album. Known for their high vocals, experimental alt/rock-metal style (which they refer to as “Mexicore”), and high-energy live shows, they are bringing it all back to Upstate New York for the second time in six months. They’ve been both praised and criticized for the direction they’ve taken on this new record, as it has evolved from the sound of the first two. Either way, bad reviews of their live shows are hard to come by, and they are a worthy headliner for this powerhouse show.

    Memphis May Fire:

    Rise Records veterans Memphis May Fire were just at the Upstate Concert Hall on January 29th and The Lost Horizon in Syracuse on February 2nd with For Today and others on the Fight the Silence Tour. They’re coming back to continue supporting their third album, Challenger, as one of the heavier bands of the bunch. With their melodic metalcore sound, MMF are ready to blow it up again on stage with what promises to be an explosive performance.

    letlive.:

    After being signed to Epitaph Records in 2011, longtime prog/post-hardcore veterans letlive. are touring all over the country. They’re playing some shows with up-and-coming band Issues around the area, and this is one of them. This is an exciting addition to the show, as they provide a blend of heavy postcore with slightly pop punk hooks and pure metal riffs. Their unique sound will complement the rest of the bands well, but are definitely standouts on their own.

    Issues:

    Tyler Carter’s (in)famous new rapcore/metalcore band, Issues, is opening the show. After leaving the band Woe, Is Me as their clean vocalist, Carter’s new project has been met with praise as well as criticism from fans of Woe, Is Me. This band is much different from Carter’s previous band, and is an interesting  departure from it. Combining rap beats and metalcore sound, Issues brings an eccentric sound to the table for the wide array of styles for this show. Love them, hate them, or undecided, they are definitely worth seeing to determine how you feel about this controversial and unique band.

    With a variety of sounds and styles, this concert is going to have something for everyone. Make sure you don’t miss your chance to see four great bands all under the same roof!