NYS Music 20​13

Tag: sickpuppies

  • Review: 95 X Fest

    Twenty Two bands for $20! What!!! With a lineup that consists of Sick Puppies, Adam Gontier, Nonpoint, Trapt, Otherwise and more, how can you go wrong for $20!!! Add eleven of some of the area’s best local talent and you have this year’s 95 X fest.

    Held at the F Shed in Syracuse N.Y., I was kind of skeptical of this venue until I got there. The F Shed is like a big warehouse or, like its name, a shed. A huge shed, in fact, but really nice inside. So, like me, don’t judge the place until you actually see it, because it’s actually a really good venue for a concert.

    There were eleven local area bands, and they all sounded pretty good. So all you concert promoters out there looking for some good opening acts for future shows, check out the list of local bands that kicked @$$ on this show. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.

    First on the main stage was Another Lost Year. This is a really good up-and-coming band. Their singles are getting a lot of airplay on XM Octane. Their sound check went a little longer than they wanted, so they had to cut their set a little short, but this band still rocked the place. They connected and played to the crowd really well.

    Next up was a band I knew nothing about, but now I know very well. Allele took the main stage second. Front man Wally Wood has endless energy. I think he stood on the rail and sang with the crowd for half his performance.

    Girl On Fire is now the third band to play on the main stage. Their current single, “The Takedown,” is really hot. These guys put on a great live performance. During one song, singer Austin Held’s mic went dead, which prompted him to slam it on the ground in frustration. He then grabbed another mic and hit the next note right on cue.

    Mindset Evolution was the fourth band to play the main stage. Their current single, “Burn It Down,” is also played a lot on XM Octane. These guys won Battle Of The Bands in 2012, and they have really grown since a year ago when they were on the Uproar Festival. ME put in a really good live performance.

    Devour The Day was the fifth band to grace the main stage. Former Egypt Central members Joey Chicago and Blake Allison make up half the band. Their current single, “Good Man,” is in heavy rotation on the radio. I forgot how much energy these guys have. Insane! They will be touring with Hinder later this year so make sure you go and check them out.

    One of my favorite up and coming bands that were a late addition to this show’s lineup were slated in the sixth spot on the main stage. Otherwise took the stage next and brought the house down. Otherwise is one of the best live bands you could see. I love watching Adrian and the boys rock it. If you have never seen Otherwise, all I can say is what the hell are you waiting for? Adrian just connects with the crowd and pulls you in. Bassist Vassilios and Guitarist Andrew were so energized, I think they drank a whole case of Red Bull or something before the show. Vassilios even jumped in the crowd and played bass around all the fans for an entire song, which prompted Adrian to say “please don’t kill our bassist”.

    Disturbed members Mike and Dan, along with Evans Blue Member and singer Dan, make up the next band that were in the seventh spot on the main stage. Fight Or Flight were up next and they were better than I thought. I wasn’t feeling their cd that much yet, and their single, “First Of The Last,” is OK, but their live performance is really good. In fact, they were so good live you would think that they were a band for many years performing together.

    Trapt gets the eighth spot on the show. Trapt played a good mix of old and new tracks. They always put in a great live performance, but I prefer them on a more intimate stage setting. Singer Chris Taylor Brown makes you feel his emotions as he sings and is a great performer. Their current single, “Eye Of The Storm,” is starting to get a lot of airplay on the radio.

    This next band is another must-see band if you have never seen them. In the ninth spot on the main stage was Nonpoint. Elias and the boys are so much fun to watch live. They just come out and Kick @$$ form start to finish. I had the chance to hang out with the boys for a little bit on their tour bus, and we had a really random discussion about mushrooms. We also had a debate on who has better pizza, New York or Chicago?

    Former front man for Three Days Grace, Adam Gontier, was slated in the tenth spot for this show. I haven’t ever seen 3DG with Adam. Matt is a great fill in, but when I heard Adam sing those songs I was blown away. Adam said to the crowd, “Isn’t it nice to hear the guy who wrote the songs, sing the songs?” Adam is just amazing live, and at one point near the end of his set he climbed the scaffolding all the way up to the lights and just hung there for a bit. I thought he was going to jump into the crowd, but after hanging for a couple of minutes he came back down.

    Sick Puppies is slated as the headliners for this event. Shimon and the gang always put on a great show. I was watching them pump each other up backstage before their performance. Shimon really likes talking to the crowd before every song, which can be a little overkill. When you have been at a festival all day and you’re the last act please keep the talking to a minimum. A large stage means more room for Emma to jump and spin around on stage. This girl is just amazing live, and I don’t think I would ever get tired of watching her play. Anzai is of the best bassists you could ever see live.

    This was a really good event and one of my favorite concerts of the year. This event was very fan-friendly with all of the bands signing autographs at different times under the autograph tent. That, to me, is what a music festival should have. It’s really nice to shoot the $#!t with your favorite artist for a couple of minutes and get something signed or take a picture with them.

    Photographer JT Gilbert took a lot of really nice pictures of this event, and his one of Nonpoint is f’in awesome. If Nonpoint ever makes a live dvd, that pic should be the cover.

    I also got to exchange a few words with Dan from Disturbed/Fight or Flight. He was drinking some really good red wine in a plastic solo cup. After I asked him what he was drinking, he told me, “Hey I have to switch it up from beer every now and then.” Funny.

    I also got to hold Adam Gontier’s Terminator-inspired mic stand which had to weigh about fifty pounds.

    Congrats to 95 X for putting on a really great event, despite the fact that a rival radio station that had their own event a week earlier pulled a classless move and held a free concert the same time and day of this event. I didn’t matter though, because on this day this was the place to be.

  • Review: Halestorm, Sick Puppies & 10 Years

    This show would have been better off as a two hour headline concert of Halestorm only! Halestorm invaded Upstate Concert Hall with Sick Puppies in Clifton Park, N.Y. Friday, August 9, 2013,  and that’s all who should have showed up for this show.

    The two opening acts added nothing to the show but boredom. I was trying not to fall asleep during the first band.

    7th Squeeze is the first band of the night, and nobody really cared that they were there. You could barely understand and hear lead vocalist, Nick. For some reason his mic was really low and, to me, he was trying to act like Lajon from Sevendust but came across more like Milli Vanilli.

    Highly Suspect were up next and, although they were better than the first band, the life was sucked out of the venue and everybody just wanted Halestorm to come on. Besides the first band putting everyone to sleep, the venue was overcrowded and really hot inside, and everyone just wanted Halestorm. I do give Highly Suspect credit as they did try hard to get the crowd back into the show and ready for Halestorm.

    Finally, Halestorm hit the stage to save the night. The crowd is just nuts now. The whole band seemed really pumped up for this show and had a lot of crazy energy. Joe was just insane on guitar. He was really feeling the mood and the crowd was eating it up. Lzzy was awesome and better than the first time I saw her perform. When she sat at the piano and played the song “Break In“ it was amazing. Halestorm sang all their hits and more. They even sang some of the tracks off their cover album, and Lzzy also paid tribute to Ronnie James Dio. Arejay has one of the best drum solos ever, and it’s a show of its own. He goes from regular drumsticks to bare fist. Then, when you think he’s done, he pulls out drumsticks the size of baseball bats and starts jamming with them to perfection!

    Even though Halestorm came on and saved this show with a great two-hour-long performance, this had to be one of the worst concerts I’ve been to this year, besides Bon Jovi.

    Even though I saw Sick Puppies exactly a week earlier at 95X Fest in Syracuse, N.Y., I was still pumped to see this show on a more intimate stage at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park N.Y., Sunday, August 11, 2013.

    The opening band for the night were locals Fort Rooster. They were decent, but you can tell that they are very green still. They put on a good performance, though, and are pretty good musicians.

    10 Years is the second of three bands of the night and, as usual, they kicked @$$! Lead vocalist Jesse Hasek is f’in sick live. I love the way this guy sings. His style and voice are so unique it just takes you over. One of these days, though, Jesse is going to give himself whiplash with the head whip move he does. Jesse had a white cross painted on his face for this show. Jesse at the end of the set brought out a yellow blow up pool mattress and crowd surfed on it all the way to the merch table.

    This was my second time seeing this band live, and I can’t wait until the next time. Don’t miss these guys if they come around your town. Tons of energy from this band, which is what I like to see from a band live on stage.

    Sick Puppies closed out the show with another great performance. Yes, they were good a week earlier, but this was a lot better. These intimate venues are awesome for bands, and I think the bands put on better shows in these type of environments. Lead singer Shimon Moore is like a big kid on stage and loves to talk to the crowd a lot. He has so much energy and drive.  Speaking of energy, Emma Anzai is just all over the place on stage. Emma is so fun to watch play live, and not just because she’s hot, but because she kicks @$$. She is in her own world up there on stage, and it’s awesome to see. The band played all their hits and a lot of new tracks from their brand new cd “Connect”.

    This was a good show. 10 years and Sick Puppies are two bands that everyone should experience live at least once.

  • Review: SICK PUPPIES’ Connecting Performance

    sick_puppies5The lights dimmed and a blue hue lit up the stage as a roar of cheers erupted from the crowd. Fog rolled along the black stage, some of its mist licking the skins of some of the bouncers and fans. Then one by one, Sick Puppies made their appearance, Mark Goodwin (drums), Emma Anzai (bass), and Shim Moore (vocals/guitar). They began their set with the first song from their latest record, Connect, “Die to Save You” followed by “Cancer”, and the album’s leading single, “There’s No Going Back”. The crowd sang along whole heartedly, waving their horns in the air, all so excited to see their favorite Australian trio. Then, Emma dedicated the next song to all the ones who felt that they were different from the rest of the crowd, “Odd One”. Next was “Riptide”, “Maybe”, and “My World”.

    sick_puppies13Sick Puppies did not end their connection with the fans there; they continued with “Connect” then sped up the set with the heavier tunes, “War”, “Gunfight”, and “Pitiful”. After “Nothing Really Matters”, the band slowed the set briefly with “All the Same”, then picked up the haste with “Walking Away” from their new record, finishing the set with their hit single, “You’re Going Down”, to which a sea of bodies began to bounce along to the beat of the song.

    All in all, it was a great set filled with classic songs as well as new catchy ones. Sick Puppies was, indeed, very connecting with their ever-adoring fans. If you haven’t already, check out their latest record, Connect, available for digital download and to purchase at your nearest music store. Prior to the show, Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the opportunity to interview Shim Moore, which can be seen below.

  • Album Review: CONNECT by SICK PUPPIES

    SP1The Australian trio, Sick Puppies, released their fourth record on July 16, Connect, a record that really defines the band’s unique sound. Their music in general gives off a different kind of vibe, an indefinable type if you will. The trio consists of Shimon Moore (vocals/guitar), Emma Anzai (bass/vocals), and Mark Goodwin (drums). In this album, Anzai features her vocals quite a few times.

    “Die to Save You” set the album in the right mood, with dark melodies and great beats provided by Goodwin as well as beautiful vocals from Anzai. The second song to play was the album’s leading single, released May 20, “There’s No Going Back”. The song has a very powerful and catchy chorus, all in all, a great track. Next to play was “Walking Away”, with relatable lyrics, particularly in the heartbreak department, a very beautifully written song. Following was “Gunfight” featuring a killer intro and very catchy beats, and Moore’s well-known gruff growl occasionally can be heard throughout the track. The album was slowed down by “Poison”, a fairly dark track with a beautifully written chorus. The sixth track, “Where Did the Time Go”, had the same tempo as their 2010 single, “Maybe”, a light, pop-like vibe to it. “Telling Lies” featured Anzai and had a very catchy chorus with a very slow beat, but the pace was quickened a little bit by the light and upbeat eighth track, “Connect”, followed by “Run”, sounding somewhat similar to the second track. The album picked up with the song, “The Trick the Devil Did” with its dark melody that hooks you right in, accompanied by a very catchy chorus. In the next track, “Healing Now”, we have the chance to hear Anzai’s unique silky voice accompanied by a very soothing and relaxing tempo as well as profound lyrics. The album ended with a track that sounded a bit like The Beatles, “Under a Very Black Sky”, and again, we hear Anzai’s vocals.

    Connect is available at your nearest music store as well as for digital download. Be sure to check out the band’s Facebook page for tour dates.

    OVERALL RATING: 5/5

    Sick-Puppies-Connect-Album-Cover-Artwork