NYS Music 20​13

Tag: shinedown

  • Review: Carnival Of Madness

    Monster Energy Drink’s Carnival of Madness is finally here, and what a tour it is. With a lineup that consists of Shinedown, Papa Roach, Skillet, In This Moment and We As Human, I think this tour should be renamed Carnival of Bad@$$! Held at the Constellation Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, N.Y., you could not ask for a more beautiful day for a rock show.

    Walking into the venue, everybody was super stoked when we noticed that Papa Roach was in fact there. With all the things going on with Jacoby’s vocals and tour cancelations because of these issues, no one was sure if they were going to make it. Sevendust started the tour, and this is the first show Papa Roach was slated to play on. Rumors even had Avenged Sevenfold replacing them on this show, so with that added to all the vocal issues and the Carnival of Madness Facebook stating that Papa Roach would be there, nobody for sure knew what to expect.

    First up on the Carnival of Madness stage was We As Human. XM Octane has been playing their single “Strike Back,” which is a great song, so I was curious to see these guys live. Justin Cordle was just awesome on vocals. They did a great job getting the crowd ready for the rest of the show.

    In This Moment was up next. Maria and the boys always put on a great energy filled set. Maria is probably one of the only performers I can tolerate standing in one spot for the whole show. This is the first time I got to see Maria with backup dancers, which was pretty cool. The only thing I wish that was different is that they would play some more of their older stuff as well. Oh, well, maybe in November when I see them again on the Hell Pop Tour. In This Moment Also signed autographs in the Monster Energy Drink tent after their set.

    Christian rockers Skillet were slated in the third spot for this show. I really love this band live. I know some people think John Cooper can get a little preachy at times, but if you really listen they are just heartfelt stories he shares. Skillet brought all their props for this one. Yes, they had their usual CO2 blasters, but they also had a stage length l.e.d video wall in the background and two moving platforms next to drummer Jen Ledger that various band members would take turns riding up and down. This band has so much energy live it’s amazing. John was doing this crazy dance that looked like he is having a seizure. Jen literally was rocking the stage, her drums were on as you can see it move back and forth. Korey has an awesome stage presence and newcomer Seth looked like he has been rocking with Skillet for years. I had the chance to meet the band before the show and they are really awesome to shoot the $#!^ with. Jon was kidding with everyone, and Jen is just so nice and polite.

    Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach could be seen watching Skillet’s performance from the side of the stage. Barry Kerch of Shinedown was also seen watching Skillet from the other side of the stage.

    Just when you thought the crowd could not get any more pumped up, Papa Roach hit the stage. These guys brought the f’in house down. Jacoby was just on fire and sounded awesome. I could have watched them play all night. Energy turned up to max. They sang a good variety of old and new tracks. Jacoby even did a lap through the crowd during one song.

    Papa Roach also signed autographs under the Monster Energy Drink tent while We As Human were performing at the beginning of the event.

    Every time I see this next band I am never disappointed. Shinedown is the headliner of the Carnival of Madness tour, and this band always brings a show with them. Shinedown is one of the best live bands you could ever see. Flames, sparklers, pyro and fireworks. They also had a Gypsy/Circus troupe that were performing tricks as you walked into the venue, and also joined Shinedown on stage and performed tricks with fire as the boys played. Brent Smith is just vocally amazing live. He really knows how to take over everyone in the venues emotions. Amazing singer. Amazing talker. Amazing performer.  Zack and Eric just have so much energy moving around on stage. They make you want to go up on stage and start jamming with them. Barry is just kick @$$ on the drums. Thanks, bro, for giving me your drumstick after the show!

    This is an amazing tour that every rock fan must see. I drove over three hours to see this event, and it was more than worth it. Monster hit a homerun with this lineup, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year.

  • Review: A Glimpse of CARNIVAL OF MADNESS

    The music playing in the overhead speakers came to a screeching halt, hinting it was time for the insanity known as Carnival of Madness to begin. We As Human was the first to hit the stage, starting their speedy setlist with “Sever” and “Dead Man”. Skillet’s John Cooper accompanied the band for the performance of “Zombie”, and the band finished the set with “I Stand” and their current single “Strike Back”. They left the eager concertgoers hungry for more of their music, but they all knew it was time for In This Moment to carry the torch of madness.

    In This Moment began with the first song from their latest record, “Rise with Me”, the daunting setting intensified as a cool fog rolled across the stage and the two white-masked backup dancers made their way to their posts and waited for Upstate New York’s siren to make her presence known. Maria Brink, clad in a red ringmaster coat and a top hat, stepped onto the platform and grabbed the skull staffs as the band began to play “Adrenalize”. Her dancers then handed her a smoke gun, hinting the next song to play was “Blazin’”, her piercing shriek gave the ever-adoring fans such chills. For the next song, “Whore”, Maria wore a white button down shirt and a plaid mini skirt with a cone hat that read WHORE. At the end of the song, Brink gave the hat to an over-eager fan. In This Moment ended their set with “Burn” and “Blood”. During those two songs, Maria wore a red billowing cape, definitely a fitting outfit for both songs. In This Moment definitely pumped the fans up for Skillet’s heavenly arrival.

    To say Skillet‘s introduction was “awesome” is a huge understatement. They started with a heavy electronic remixed version of “Hero”, the anticipation from the fellow concert junkies growing within every booming second. Finally, Skillet made their presence known, immediately starting their set with “Hero”, quickly followed by “Whispers in the Dark”. John introduced the next song from their latest album, Rise, “Sick of It” to which the fans began to chant with Cooper, then the band went straight into the catchy, heavy-beat song. Skillet then brought out their two musicians who played the strings intro for “Comatose”. The next to be performed was “Rise” and the band surprised their fans with their rising platforms during the performance of “Awake and Alive”. Before Skillet proceeded with “The Last Night”, John gave a brief explanation of the song, of a close friend attempted to end her life, and he wrote the song to say that God is more than willing to give second chances, because everyone deserves them. Afterwards, the band played “Not Gonna Die”, “Circus for a Psycho”, ending the set with “Monster” and “Rebirthing”. Skillet sure did put on a very powerful performance, filled with songs that will haunt the back of the music lovers mind for the rest of the night. Oh, but the madness did not end there. It was Papa Roach‘s turn to reveal what they had in store for us.

    By the looks of it, Papa Roach was more than ready to blow everyone away, starting their set with “Still Swingin’”, proceeded by “Blood Brothers”, and “Give Me Back My Life”. The madness brewing from the crowd was definitely kicked up a notch with Papa Roach‘s killer performance. But the party was really getting started, they continued their set with “Between Angels and Insects”, “Where Did the Angels Go”, and “Burn”. The moshing and head-banging intensified with every waking minute that Jacoby Shaddix was doing what he does best, riling up the crowd with his fantastic pipes. Still, he was not done with heating the fans up with “Forever”, their current single, “Leader of the Broken Hearts”, and their classic, “Scars”. Papa Roach left the very excited crowd with “…To Be Loved”, “Getting Away with Murder”, and their very well known single, “Last Resort”. Now it was time for Shinedown to blow a hole in the stormy sky.

    Shinedown started with a giant black drape set in front of the stage with their symbol in the dead center of it. The lights dimmed, hinting it was time for the madness to continue. Brent Smith’s powerful, melodic voice could be heard from behind the drape as he began to sing “I’m Not Alright”, then the drape dropped and revealed what was really going on behind the curtain. Street performers waving flames around, fire-breathers on the stage, it was the very definition of what is expected of the Carnival of Madness. Shinedown continued their set with “Enemies”, “Devour”, and “Unity”. Through the speedy setlist, they proceeded with “The Crow and the Butterfly”, their fast paced track, “Adrenaline”, and their very moving yet powerful current single, “I’ll Follow You”. The next song to play was “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay, Boom-Lay, Boom)”, the overhead lights spelled out BOOM after each time Shinedown yelled out the word. The thunderstorm outside of the amphitheater began to intensify with every beat of the song and at the last BOOM, a crack of thunder shook the ground, as if God was really rocking out to Shinedown as well. They then continued with “If You Only Knew”, “Amaryllis”, and “45”. But the evening did not end there. Shinedown briefly left the stage, leaving some of the fans chanting their name, begging for more. They then returned to the stage, giving the crowd the encore they’ve all been waiting for: the song that fits their performance perfectly, “Sound of Madness”, “Second Chance”, and their infamous cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s “Simple Man”. Shinedown ended the evening with the first single from their latest record, “Bully”. One mind-blowing way to end the evening.

    All in all, this event was just definitely indescribable. One would have to be there to witness the insanity known as Carnival of Madness. Be sure to check out upcoming tour dates on the website, www.carnivalofmadness.com. This is something you will not want to miss!

  • The Insanity Known as CARNIVAL OF MADNESS Begins Mid-August

    Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! The Carnival of Madness is to start its fourth annual national tour August 11th with one hell of a lineup: Shinedown, Papa Roach, Skillet, In This Moment, and We As Human.

    Carnival of Madness was founded by In de Goot Entertainment’s Bill McGathy in 2010 and has been sponsored by Monster Energy over the years. Previously the dates ran from mid-July till late August or till mid-September. Shinedown headlined the first tour in 2010 along with Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years, starting from mid-July till the end of August. The second tour in 2011 was headlined by Theory of a Deadman, Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Adelitas Way, and Empathic, however this started from the end of July till mid-September. Last year’s lineup was just as great as the rest; Evanescence, Chevelle, Halestorm, Cavo, and New Medicine, starting from the end of July till the end of August.

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    In celebration of announcing this year’s lineup, Shinedown’s Brent Smith had a live chat with the ecstatic fans. He said that this will be different from the other years that this will feel more like an actual carnival. “No one should think this is going to be the Carnival of Madness they have seen the three years prior. Everything is brand new.”

    Carnival of Madness hits Canandaigua, NY August 16th. Be sure to check out the tour’s Facebook and website for more updates. This will be an event you will not want to miss out on!

  • Preview: SHINEDOWN, BUSH and AIRBOURNE

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    Shinedown hits the stage at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA with Bush and Airbourne, May 1st. This will be the second time Shinedown is in the Massachusetts since their co-headline tour with Three Days Grace in February.  This will be the band’s first time touring with Bush and Airbourne.

    Shinedown:

    Originating from Jacksonville, Florida and Memphis, Tennessee, Shinedown has been through the beautiful and ugly things in life, always coming up with incredible songs, ones that will haunt their fans for a long time. This four-pieced band consists of Brent Smith (vocals), Zach Myers (guitar), Eric Bass (bass/piano), and Barry Kerch (drums). The band has released four albums in the last ten years, successfully selling 6 million of them worldwide with a total of 16 singles. Their latest record, Amaryllis, was released March 23rd with leading single “Bully.” Shinedown has managed to put on incredible shows in the past; no doubt they will do an amazing job with this upcoming event.

    Bush:

    Named after Shepherd’s Bush in London, England, where the band originated, Bush is considered one of the most successful rock bands of the 90s, selling over 10 million records globally. Band members consist of Gavin Rossdale (vocals/guitar), Chris Traynor (guitar), Corey Britz (bass) and Robin Goodridge (drums). Bush has released five records over the last 11 years, with a total of 17 singles. Their latest album, The Sea of Memories, was released September 13th, 2011, the leading single “The Afterlife.” With their performance, there is a strong feeling that Bush will bring back the 90s.

    Airbourne:

    Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Airbourne’s hard rock music has been commonly compared to classic rock band, AC/DC. Members are the O’Keeffe brothers, Joel (vocals) and Ryan (drums), David Roads (guitar), and Justin Street (bass). In the past ten years, two records have been announced with a new one in the works, pending to be released May 21st of this year, with a total of six singles. Be prepared to be blown away by the band that could be the next AC/DC.

    Overall, a night filled with excitement and a kick-ass line up of three powerful pipes is waiting May 1st. Be sure to catch the show! It will be an unforgettable night.

  • Review: P.O.D., THREE DAYS GRACE & SHINEDOWN in Glens Falls

    Three Days Grace and Shinedown rocked the night Saturday, February 23 in the small town of upstate New York, Glens Falls at the local venue, Glens Falls Civic Center. Supporting this co-headlining tour was the over twenty-year old nu metal band, P.O.D. (Payable on Death). With the departure of Adam Gontier and the stories being shared online, everyone was dying to see what temporary lead vocalist for Three Days Grace, Matt Walst, had in store for us.
    The mixed chatter amongst the crowd died as soon as the lights dimmed, letting everyone know that the fun was about to begin. P.O.D. started off with one of their latest singles, “Lost in Forever”. Through the speedy set list, “Youth of the Nation” brought out the youth in the crowd as they bounced along with the beat – some crowd-surfed, as others waved their arms around to the rhythm of the song. The following song, “Alive”, really filled the arena with a lively aura as the bright, colorful lights hit the audience’s glowing, joyful faces and shining down upon this incredible band. P.O.D. ended with Sublime’s biggest hit, “Lovin’ Is What I Got”, which got everyone in the whole venue to sing along.

    The anticipation for Three Days Grace’s arrival kept building up as the crew set up the stage with a backdrop of a post-apocalyptic city in ruins. A sign stood there with a drape covering what was really behind. They continued to place objects like HAZARD barrels, and then the fog machine began to work its magic. Smoke began to roll across the vacant stage and the quiet background rock music grew louder and then changed to Rage Against the Machine’s hit “Killing In the Name”. The crowd began to bob their heads along to the beat, singing along, all having no clue what was about to occur next. The music was cut off as the whole venue was enveloped in darkness. The mysterious sign’s lights flickered and the drape fell, revealing a sign that read “WELCOME TO FABULOUS LAS VENUS NEW YORK.” The music changed to an eerie song sung by Nancy Sinatra, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” along with the sound effects of a rainstorm. The stage lit up with a blue hue, and the rain sounds ended as drummer, Neil Sanderson, emerged from below and sat behind his kit. Next to arrive was keyboardist, Dan Rosenoer, who sat in his perch next to Neil. Following Rosenoer was lead guitarist, Barry Stock, then finally, the Walst brothers, bassist Brad and Matt, emerged from the shadows. Matt stepped up to the microphone, preparing for their cue…the anticipatory silence with the exception of the wildly cheering fans. Neil started the rhythm of the beginning song, “Chalk Outline”, as Barry did his guitar riff, and the pyro brightened up the venue. The excited fans sang along with Walst, as he began to show off his vocal talents, blowing us all out of the water. The song ended with Walst doing a high jump from the platform below Sanderson’s kit as the nearby barrels shot up flames. The crowd continued to sing along to all of the songs from the setlist as well as crowd surf, jump up and down, and have the time of their lives. Following “The Good Life”, Neil and Dan did a piano and drum solo together. Then after Dan exited the stage for a brief break, Neil stayed on to do his legendary drum solo. Filled with wild beats, this began the encore of the band’s setlist. The final two performances were a Limp Bizkit cover, “Break Stuff”, featuring the band’s tour manager, Shawn Hamm, and “Riot”. Overall, it was a killer performance!

    After clearing the stage, it was Shinedown’s turn to blow us all away. A banner was raised in front of the stage bearing Shinedown’s logo. The eagerness of the crowd rose with every ticking minute, wondering what their arrival would bring. Finally, the background music was cut, darkness swallowed the venue, and behind the banner was a brightly lit computerized orb. The banner dropped and a series of videos appeared on the screen, all of which blurred together. Then the drummer began to hit his beats as a series of colorful lights washed over the excited faces. The stage, then the voice they’d all been waiting for emerged from an unknown location. Eyes of eager fans searched wildly to see the rest of Shinedown on a stage in the middle of the venue. The lyrics of “Enemies” invaded fervent ears then suddenly stopped, as front man Brent Smith, guitarist Zach Myers, and bassist Eric Bass are escorted to the main stage where they finished the number. The following song had everyone clapping along to the beat of the drum as Smith encouraged them and a familiar guitar riff accompanied the rhythm, then the crowd all sang along to the highly energized track, “Devour”. The rest of the setlist went by fairly quickly and each had its own soothing melody. Taking a break from the calming music, the next familiar tune to fill our ears was one that famously promoted The Expendables, “Diamond Eyes”, a sea of voices chanting “Boom-lay, boom-lay, BOOM!” The high energy returned, having everyone jumping to the rhythm, pumping their rocker horns, and singing along with the lyrics. Shinedown continued their acoustic setlist, with the exception of “Sound of Madness”, bringing back the energy. They covered several songs acoustically, including Lynyrd Skynrd’s “Simple Man”, all performed on the center stage. The setlist ended with their latest record’s leading single, “Bully”, a fantastic way to close the evening.

    All in all, the concert was incredible, filled with lively spirits of the crowd and the perfectly balanced setlist leaving the crowd in high spirits. Various moments stood out, all equally amazing and mind-blowing. Most importantly, was the strong connection between the bands and the ever-adoring fans, one that carried on throughout the evening. This certainly was an unforgettable night.