The New York State Fair is always brining fantastic artists to Central New York. This year they struck gold when Rock And Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett And The Blackhearts performed for free at the Chevy Court stage at the Great New York State Fair on Wednesday, August 27.
Joan Jett and The Black Hearts – Great New York State Fair Chevy Court
There was easily about seven thousand fairgoers gathered for their hour and fifteen minute set. No opening act. No nonsense. Just straight up classic punk. Currently, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts are touring in support of their latest album, Unvarnished. There were five songs off that album sprinkled into their set, along with their more notable hits and The Runaways’ classics.
The band opened with “Bad Reputation” and The Runaways’ classic “Cherry Bomb”. Joan Jett is clearly on her A game and sounded better now than she did seven years ago when she played the state fair the previous time. And very notably, the band was clicking on all cylinders as well. Keyboardist Kenny Laguna, guitarist Dougie Needles, drummer Thommy Price, and bassist Acey Slade all showed great chemistry and great backing vocals to the entire performance.
Some of the bigger highlights of their set would have to be “Touch Me There”, a new song that she co-wrote with Dave Grohl titled “Any Weather”, and her cover of “Crimson and Clover”, which the crowd went nuts for. Also, the crowd went crazy for “I Love Rock and Roll” as expected.
The band ended with a three-song encore, featuring “Reality Mentality”, “Real Wild Child”, and a cover of “Everyday People”
Overall it was a great show, and possibly the best Chevy Court concert in YEARS.
Black Crown Initiate, hailing from Reading, PA, are poised to release their new album, The Wreckage of Stars, on eOne Entertainment. Only starting out in 2012, this band has made huge strides to get where they are today. They came out with their highly received EP, Song of the Crippled Bull and went on the Metal Alliance tour in 2013. Thanks to constant hard work and touring, they caught the attention of some labels, signing with eOne in 2014.
The first track, “Great Mistake” is a perfect example of what this progressive death metal band is all about. Meticulous guitar harmonies riff to huge heights, and the song explodes into crushing double bass attacks. The dichotomy of melodic choruses with the relentless death metal backgrounds conjure parallels to Dimmu Borgir in style, and can be found throughout the record. This is a perfect opening track for anyone who is unfamiliar with the band and what they have to offer.
The songs all have elements both ruthless and epic, the bulk of the tracks ranging from five to seven minutes in length. Guttural screams permeate the album’s sonic landscape, and they are very well produced. With frontman James Dorton and both guitarists tackling vocals, it provides a thick, black tar of growling projections and legendary melodies. Along with precision guitar techniques, and a tight as nails rhythm section, this album is the full package.
“Withering Waves”, another lengthy endeavor topping out at six minutes, gives you a building crescendo, constantly climbing higher and higher with a sense that you, the listener, might never get to the peak. That is the special treat that Black Crown Initiate brings to the table – you just don’t know what might be around the next riff, but you are heavily invested all the same.
This album, at its core is death metal with a technical focus, but there are many aspects that give you an enjoyable experience not found in the necessarily ‘normal’ genre releases. Songs like “The Fractured One” and “To The Eye That Leads You” are very generic at first listen, but still bring a quality that is rare in death metal. An acute attention to musical detail allow even obligatory four-minute death metal songs to sound like so much more.
The Wreckage of Stars, dropping Sept. 30, is an album made for the fans of the genre, not just the band itself. As the title track suggests, this is a thinking man’s (or woman’s) death metal album, where the intricate music speaks for itself in heavy volumes. They will be touring for this album with the band Rivers of Nihil, and coming to the Upstate New York area in Buffalo on Sept. 19 at The Waiting Room, Bogies in Albany on Sept. 21, and then St. Vitus in Brooklyn on Sept. 22. After that tour ends,they will be hitting the road with Origin, Darkest Hour and Unearth starting in October.
Key Tracks: Great Mistake, Malignant, Withering Waves, Linear
If you’re interested in pre-ordering the album, check out the band’s eOne page for various bundles.
In the ever-growing death metal scene, there are few frontmen that command a stage and carry a song like Jason Keyser of Origin. Jason joined Origin in 2011, but is no stranger to the role of lead vocalist. In 2004 he fronted the famed metal band Skinless, as well as local Upstate New York bands Mucopus and Detriment. He is a sight to behold on stage, being both intense and charismatic as he plays to crowds all over the world. Origin kicked off their All Things Dead tour in Clifton Park, NY at Trickshot Billiards with King Parrot, Beyond Creation, Abolishment of Flesh and locals Declension, and I got the chance to talk with him before the show.
Jeff Ayers: So Origin just got off the Summer Slaughter tour. How did that go for the band, any good stories from that tour?
Jason Keyser: It was probably the best thing we could have done. It was something we went back and forth about. Origin did it in 2009, and it was a bad experience for them internally and financially. I wasn’t in the band at the time, but I guess the structure of the tour was kinda garbage. They were a little apprehensive, but I was really pushing it, because I was like “We will get to play to two thousand kids a night, why wouldn’t we do it?” They begrudgingly accepted it, and it was one of the smoothest run [tours] and the most successful [Summer Slaughter]. The response was amazing for us, and there was no snags whatsoever.
JA: What a relief then.
JK: Yea, the cool thing about it also, was a great lineup and 90 percent of the bands all knew each other from touring together previously. So we knew [going into the tour] that no one was going to be an asshole, there would be no egos, and everyone would work together. So that makes us more comfortable, so we get more drunk, and we have better shows, and the fans have more fun.
JA: I saw that you guys were happy with your slot on the bill too.
JK: We were right in the middle. At first we were a little [put off] about it, thinking “We could be a little higher on the bill”….
JA: Yea, you are Origin!
JK: But the slot was Decrepit Birth, us, and then Goatwhore, which I think is a perfect slot.
JA: That is almost a tour right there!
JK: It was great for us. You know, more so than even being just a great tour, and being successful, was that every single night of the week, there would be dozens of kids coming up to us saying, “I’ve never even heard of you guys before today, but Jesus Christ! Now I know!” That is like the main thing you go for, that is long-term thinking. We had a great boost, great response. I almost died of heat stroke in Texas, and I don’t give my liver any chance to recover.
JA: Right, because tonight you guys are kicking off The All Things Dead tour. Can you talk a little bit about this came to be, how you hooked up with this great lineup of bands from all over the world?
JK: These are bands that were consciously sought after. I know, because it is after Summer Slaughter there were restrictions on this tour, so it is not hitting the biggest markets, which is fine by me. In my experience, when you go to smaller towns, not New York City or Los Angeles, but when you go to kinda the off the grid towns, those are where the maniacs hide out. We are playing Red Deer in Canada somewhere, and I am expecting [a show] like that to bring out all the lunatics of backwoods Canada. We played with King Parrot in Australia earlier this year, and they are like the same level of mania on stage that we think we bring. A little different style of music, but that is great, and they are just madness to the point that we were saying maybe we shouldn’t let them use our equipment, because of how crazy they get. Beyond Creation has a lot of the same tech-death metal stuff that we got, and they have been getting a lot of hype lately, people are really into them. We really hope people come out to this tour, because if not, it’s their loss.
Photo provided
JA: That sounds amazing. When this tour wraps, Origin is a part of the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise later this year. Have you guys ever done a metal boat cruise before?
JK: I have not. I haven’t even done one of the local Troy music boat cruises, I haven’t even been on one. This is going to be great. The lineup is awesome, and I know people that swear by [this cruise]. They go every year and it becomes a lifestyle to them, they have post cruise depression afterwards. So I am excited. I hear stories all the time about how insane it is, because it is just 24 hours a day. Shows, drinking, there is no escape. It isn’t like a metal fest where you can just leave, you can’t! You are stuck on that boat, with us.
JA: I actually got to talk to Rob Barrett of Cannibal Corpse recently about it as well, and he said the exact same thing. They are really excited to do it again.
JK: Yea, those guys are on it, and Napalm Death just got announced, so going to be all awesome bands just partying i guess, I don’t know. That is like the end of this cycle, though, because after All Things Dead tour, we have another U.S. tour that has just been announced.
JA: Will you be headlining that tour as well?
JK: We are actually playing support on that, which is fine. Because you have to do everything. You got to do the festival run, you have to do a headliner run, and then you got to do a support run. That is the most general thing to do.
JA: That gets you in front of the most fans, and the most diverse crowds.
JK: Exactly. This next tour is a little different. We are hitting the road with Unearthed, Darkest Hour, Carnifex, Black Crown Initiate and I, The Breather. This is different for us, [because] it isn’t really our style. But I think that is the best part. Then after that, in November, we are going to Europe with Aborted and Exhumed, so we are real busy. So after December I’ll be able to stop and sit down for a minute. Not really though, because we are going to South America in March, and doing all sorts of other stuff. It’s good work if you can get it, and we are trying to push as hard as possible.
JA: Speaking of pushing, your new album Omnipresent just came out, and it has been gaining real good reviews from fans and critics. Are you guys happy with the album and the response?
JK: Absolutely. It was kinda funny the way that was released. We are on two different labels now, Nuclear Blast in U.S.A. and Agonia Records in Europe. We used to be on Nuclear Blast in the states and Europe, but the Europe label wasn’t pushing us as much as they should. Even though they share the same name they aren’t autonomous, and they are going in more of a rock direction over there. So we were looking for a new label [in Europe] and we found Agonia out of Poland. They are an up and coming label, but they are really pushing us and wanted us to be one of the front-runners on the label. We are really happy with them, and you can’t complain with the way it is [essentially] dual publicity for us. It is two labels working real hard to expose the album, and they aren’t really competing because it is two different continents.
JA: That is a great way to look at it.
JK: So anyway, back to the original story, the way it got released was that Agonia put out the first song, on YouTube, and it was a song that was a little out of context. The whole album is definitely best heard front to back. So they put out this one song, that is really part of a three-part thing, one song that we cut up [into three songs]. So it was this weird, kinda mellow song, and it was different than people were expecting. People lost their minds for a second, commenting “What is this? What is Origin doing?”. But it was completely out of context. Not that I cared, I like the song, it isn’t a bad song or anything, but it was perceived wrong. Then we put out a second track, and the internet breathed a sigh of relief.
JA: So you are back in Upstate New York, lets talk a little about this kind of homecoming. What is it like to be back, seeing as you kinda cut your teeth up here, so to speak? Because this show is a treat for Origin to play this area.
JK: Yea it’s great. I haven’t played a local show in this area with any band since maybe 2009. Things change though, I’m getting older, and everyone is, so the more I do larger tours with bands and national tours and such, the more I’m gone and the more I fall out of touch with people. So we will see, if people come out of the woodwork [to this show] and say “Hey remember ten years ago?” then I will think that’s cool. But until that point, I think no one even remembers me up here [laughs].
*The show was attended by almost 150 people, many of which have been part of this local music scene for many years, so I can only assume that Jason was happy with seeing some old faces.
JA: I know that you said how busy Origin is, but I also know that you, personally, like to be a part of a lot of auxiliary bands when you can. Is there anything in your wheelhouse to that effect, like another Mucopus or something?
JK: Oh, Mucopus. I wish. Justin, the guitarist of Mucopus, currently lives in Japan, so that is gone. But me and John Longstreth [Origin’s drummer] actually have a project called CRATOR that we are working on, but we have to wait until John’s drum DVD comes out. I have actually been slacking though, I got to write a couple of things for that. But, whenever friends of mine hit me up for guest vocal spots, I throw down for those. I did guest vocals on this album for a band called Dictated from the Netherlands, which is two hot, sexy ladies shredding guitars in death metal. That is coming out on Metal Blade Records, very soon. I also helped out on my buddies Splattered Mermaid from Sweden, and stuff like that. I keep busy as much as possible, but the lulls are just as extreme as the busy times. Feast or famine.
JA: Being out on the road so much, are there any up and coming metal bands that you might have just discovered, or you can’t stop listening to?
JK: [laughs] I don’t know, I’m getting old, I have been listening to the same ten albums for years now. I just listen to Bolt Thrower and Brujeria all day long. But seriously, check out that Dictated album, they are really good. There is a band called Troglodyte from Kansas that do Bigfoot themed metal, and they all dress up in Bigfoot costumes, they are fantastic. Also, Tentacles, from right here in Upstate New York, if you haven’t checked them out, do it already, they are amazing.
A European tour can do a lot for an artist or group. It can bring a performer to a new level of recognition and exposure. It can allow for a performer to invite a partner in crime to open for them and effectively “bring/put them up.” It can allow a performer to meet artists from all over the globe and form new collaborations and projects. It can also crystallize the love of one’s hometown where it all started, and bring an artist back for a nostalgic homecoming. For Sekou Kouyate and Joe Driscoll, Syracuse native and one-man “band” hero, touring Europe did just that.
Besides providing a fresh fan-base, touring Europe allowed Joe Driscoll to bring along fellow Syracuse-based hip-hop heads, and inexorable party-starters, Sophistafunk. This “Euro-tripping” also facilitated Joe’s acquaintance and partnership with an absurdly gifted musician by the name of Sekou Kouyate. Joe and Sekou met at the Nuit Metis (Mixed Night) Festival in Marseille, France and developed a unique, multi-cultural sound that gave birth to the album Faya. This album, like all albums, required promotion and therefore a tour schedule. This tour brought the family back together where the roots of these musical branches started: Syracuse, including and especially the Westcott Theater. On Friday, August 22, the Westcott packed itself while Sophistafunk, Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate, and a host of other supporting local musicians played their hearts out for the hometown fans.
Sophistafunk, led by the dual hype-man and frontman in one, Jack Brown, played time-honored songs from both full length studio albums, Freedom Is and Twentyeleven. As always, Brown laid down the intellect and positivity on songs like “Gotta Walk”. As expected, Emanuel Washington, known as E-Man, rocked the house with that heavy and tight drum sound, especially on songs like the dance-inspiring “Wil’ Out”. As presumed, Adam Gold churned out those chunky-funky lines on the keys/organ on songs like “Freedom Is”. And as a super-special, highly unexpected, and highly enjoyed surprise, Sophistafunk covered the soulful and sexy “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” by Outkast. “’Nuff said.”
After saying goodbye to Sophistafunk (temporarily), Joe Driscoll and Sekou wasted no time getting the audience back up and dancing. Joe’s funky, reggae-infused, hip-hop melodic style of guitar provided a solid grounding and space for Sekou to add his signature hummingbird-fast arpeggios and angelic riffs in between beats. Sekou, to understate it completely, plays the kora. The kora is an instrument made partly from a humongous gourd, called a calabash, covered with cow hide, and is “formally” classified as a “double-bridge-harp-lute.” When played masterfully, this “double-bridge-harp-lute” makes music that is silky, swift, exotic, and truly exquisite. This sound, along with Sekou’s vocals, sung in Soussou (with spot-on accompaniment by Joe), symbiotically fuse with Joe’s increasingly impressive guitar work to create music that is worldly and graceful, yet familiar and catchy.
Joe told stories, both between songs and lyrically, throughout the set. Joe commented on everything from loving and appreciating your roots; to the inevitably deepening experience of traveling the world and meeting special people with whom you connect; to the visualization of lighting a fire in your heart and then lighting someone else’s (the meaning behind the title song “Faya”). Joe’s reflective and socially conscious verses painted pictures of the many “vampires” in ghettos around the world in “Ghetto Many”, and warned of the “deepest threat”: the figurative Babylon in the song “Wonamati”; which means, “It’s got to stop.”
Joe also made sure to play a whole new (Sekou infused) take on classic Joe Driscoll favorites, like the sweetly melodic “Mixtape Champs” and the smooth, autobiographic “Origin Myth”. This song brought onstage Sophistafunk, DJ Afar, a Syracuse saxophone player named “Hollywood”, and a very talented female trombonist whose name was unfortunately missed by this writer…for an all out Syracuse hip-hop/funk/world-beat jam session. This multi-song jam served as a fitting conclusion to a night all about roots, collaboration, and love for one’s neighbor and neighborhood.
It was a rainy and miserable day on August 22 at the Great New York State Fair. However, some great hard rock rolled through the grandstand. There were some problems going into the show. First and foremost, Seether, Buckcherry, and These Raven Skies DID NOT appear at this stop due to outside conflict of interest, which may have hurt the ticket sales. On top of that, there seemed to be a lack of promotion behind this show. I would be worried if Rockstar Uproar will stop in Syracuse next year.
Doors originally were supposed to open at 2pm that day, but due to the amount of bands that pulled, the show started at 3pm. The first set of bands performed on the smaller “Festival Stage” which was set on the dirt track right next to the grandstand stage. I did like how the vender tents and autograph tents were positioned on the far side of the track. The stage itself looked and sounded great. There was only one problem. Dirt track and rain is a messy situation. But bloody hell, it’s rock and roll. The first band Blame Anchor did a fine job opening the set. There must have been only 400 people when they started. Blame Anchor was the band that won the battle of the bands competition to be part of Rockstar Uproar. I think their fifteen minutes of fame pending the rest of the tour will pan out for them. Blame Anchor played a very short set, but made it count. They had a Godsmack vibe to them.
Bad Seed Rising played their half hour set. They’re just kids, but they impressed. It’s really hard for bands in their teens to really take off with rock and metal, but I believe Bad Seed Rising can make it in this harsh industry if they stick to their guns. They’ve got some real heart and talent.
Canada’s Sons Of Reverly are definitely the odd band out of this line up, which is not a bad thing. It just shows they got something to prove as they’re an unsigned indie band. They were the winners of last year’s Rockstar Uproar battle of the bands. This year they made it on to a permanent slot. The fascinating thing about watching them is how they eventually won the crowd completely over by the end of their set. They seem to have a little flavor of Rush, but they have some heavy songs and songs that people can relate too. I would imagine this band will be signed within the next year. I had the privilege of interviewing them after their set.
Tattered and Three Years Hollow played good and heavy sets, but it was festival stage headliners Escape The Fate that really made that stage explode and laid the foundation. They played a fast and heavy set and egged on the crowed, too, to get them going. Clearly, a hungry band that continues to grow and make an impact on the radio and on the road. It was surprising they were not on the main stage because they clearly belonged there on this tour. By the time Escape The Fate finished, there must have been about three thousand people in attendance. Not exactly staggering numbers for a grandstand show at the fair, but the people who were there were lucky to see Escape The Fate perform.
After Escape The Fate graced the stage and the festival stage closed down, Pop Evil opened the main stage. There was only one problem. It was almost an hour before Pop Evil started. I understand setting up the stage and production is hard work, but there was no reason for it be that long. Especially the fact that this show had two stages. But despite the long wait, Pop Evil clicked on all cylinders and was definitely a highlight of the entire show. Their set consisted of songs from all three of their albums. Songs like “100 In A 55”, “Dance With The Devil”, and “Last Man Standing” were great and had awesome performances. Pop Evil is certainly making big splashes and really solidifying themselves as a premiere headlining act.
Because of the shortage of bands that were originally billed, it was yet another long ridiculous wait for Skillet. It may have been worth it though as Skillet was easily the best band on the bill. They’re production was bigger than it ever was. They had violinists on stage with them too; it was such a spectacle. There was a lot of energy put into their performance, and it was a nice change of pace to hear music with a positive message too. Skillet played most of their hits, but the song that stood out the most was definitely “Awake and Alive”, which had a slightly different take on it than we are used to hearing. I did find it a little odd that Skillet, who are strong Christian believers, were on the same bill with Godsmack because Sully Erna is a member of the Church of Satan. But it’s about the music, not the beliefs.
Godsmack, of course, headlined the show. Now don’t get it twisted, Godsmack ALWAYS puts on a great show. Even if they’re off a little on a night, you’re always going to get a great show from them. Now, I have seen Godsmack multiple times. For the past decade, the band has been no stranger to Syracuse and the rest of Upstate New York, so I’m sure there are a lot of people who have seen them multiple times. That being said, they seem to have lost a little fire in their performance that night. It was still a great show, but the energy that I am used to seeing from Godsmack over the years, I did not see at Uproar. Most notably in lead guitarist Tony Rombola. He’s very talented and was a nice guy when I met him a few years back, but it just seemed he lacked the passion he used to have on stage. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt though as maybe it was an off night or that the band is a little rusty from taking the last couple of years off. As far as their set, it was a good mixture of their classic hits and some songs off of their latest release 1000 HP. Of course, the one thing that stood out during the show was the dual percussion solo between Sully Erna and Shannon Larkin. Always enjoyable to see. And during “Whatever”, Erna threw beers at the crowd and invited some fans on stage – most notably the guy with the HUGE afro that fascinated Erna. It was pretty amusing.
Overall, it was a good lineup, but could have been so much more if Seether and Buckcherry were able to make the bill. I think fans would have gotten a much better bang for their buck and the show would have had MUCH better attendance.
The Saratoga Springs, New York horse racing tourists are going home, students are going back to school, and the metal is returning to the Putnam Den. Hometown hard rockers Thank Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic Allstars [JCHA] are offering up a great night of music on Friday, September 5th. Five dollars will get you through the door, and into a night heavy on the music and the fun.
JCHA has been hosting a monthly heavy music residency at the Den, whose reputation leans toward jam music. The monthly onslaughts have been importing talent from around the northeast along with other local heavy hitters. This month is no different except that instead of it’s normal Thursday occurrence, Metal is invading the Saratoga prime-time, a sacred Friday night.
Crown of Vultures, formerly Vacant, from Albany, will bring their progressive metal to the stage. Then the incredible two man assault of Foaming at the Mouth is an act not to be missed, bringing black and death metal to heights you might not soon forget. Surfacing, from Brooklyn will round out the eclectic night with metalcore reminiscent of Miss May I, and are poised to release their debut full length CD in October.
JCHA is the premier stoner heavy rock band in the region, and along with their on stage bartender/light show technician, will project a performance that has to be seen to be believed. Local artist Alexis Herzog will be painting live during the show, and her finished work from the previous show will be raffled off to one lucky winner, courtesy of only the price of admission.
Summer is over, fall is about to begin. Friday nights in beautiful Saratoga Springs can be unfiltered excitement during this time, as businesses are resetting from a busy season, and ready to entice the Upstate crowd to come out. Have faith, for JCHA, along with the Putnam Den, promise to provide you with a great show to have some fun, and bang your head.
Neuroceptor, a four-piece electronica fusion group from Rochester has just released their first EP as a band, Reuptake. The group released the album on August 30 while playing the Purple Pig Music Festival in Naples, NY. Reuptake features six tracks that blend organic sounds with electronic beats.
According to keys player Mike Lopresti, who also wrote and produced the album, “most of the tracks are inspired by some piece of nature or culture…the whole concept of Neuroceptor is blending electronica with these organic and natural inspirations.” With tracks like “Estuary Path”, “Roads of Spain”, and “Giant Earth Shattering”, Neuroceptor’s fascination between natural and synthetic dualities surfaces in both song titles and composition.
The opening track, “Anura” is named after the Greek term for the genus classification of “toad.” The tune has an underwater feel, setting a fluid tone for the EP. Beginning with fast, snappy drumming and a tight bass line, the addition of melodic keys shore up the full sound. As the track progresses, a plethora of croaking sounds, produced with analog synthesizers, create an out-of-this-worldly amphibious effect. The electronica track, nearly seven minutes in length, gets intense in the middle, but returns to the melody for a gradual comedown as it closes.
The aquatic vibe carriers over to the second track, “Ganges of Heaven”. Led by the guitar, this tune follows a more linear rock path than “Anura”. Third up, “Roads of Spain” introduces the band’s versatile side with a mix of reggae samples and ambient synth sounds. One could easily imagine blasting this jam at a summer beach party.
“Estuary Path” showcases Lopresti’s production skills. Both eerie and ambient at once, the song has the most personality of any on the album. It commences with the flowing theme introduced in the first couple songs. A few minutes in, however, sharper, more menacing synthetic sounds are incorporated. The track progresses through a Daft Punk-esque section before closing with strange samples playing over the dance party version of The X-Files theme song. As a whole, the nearly nine-minute long song is a captivating journey with distinct sections.
While Neuroceptor’s first self-titled EP was recorded solely by Lopresti, he recruited a band for a live show and they’re featured on the new album. “Reuptake is supposed to highlight us as a band,” Lopresti stated. “Giant Earth”, the fifth track, starts a bit slowly, but picks up with some funk in the middle and concludes with the most deeply layered and fullest sound on the EP. The finale, “Collective”, returns to reggae for an easy-listening ending to the album.
Overall, the six tracks on Neuroceptor’s Reuptake blend electronic and instrumental sounds to create a well-balanced, smoothly flowing album. Each song is both easy to listen and dance to, while there are certain nuanced points that may require a couple listens to fully appreciate. You can listen to more of Neuroceptor here, and they will next be playing live on September 20.
Escape The Fate have been making waves in rock and metal the past few years and currently are on this year’s Rockstar Energy Uproar Tour, headlining the Festival Stage in support of their latest album Ungrateful. I was honored to get the opportunity to spend a couple of minutes getting to know them. Drummer Robert Ortiz and guitarist “Thrasher” Bell were kind enough to invite me into their tour bus and gave me some insightful information on their music, the tour, and how rock and metal music is finally getting some recognition it deserves. Listen to the interview here or read it transcribed below.
Jay Saint G: So far, how’s the tour been going?
Robert Ortiz: It’s been going great man every show has been crazy it has been a good time I really enjoyed it and we have played some headliners and intimate shows; just added them to fill in the dates when we haven’t been doing Uproar and those have been going great too cuz it gave us the chance to get up close to our fans, and that we haven’t done in while and it’s been good.
Jay Saint G: I understand you’re from Upstate as well?
Thrasher Bell: Yeah, born and raised in Albany, NY. I used to play Saratoga Winters and Valentines growing up. It’s awesome to bring this package to Syracuse this year.
Jay Saint G: Very nice. Also, I know Maria Brink from, In This Moment, is from the same area if I’m not mistaken, so have you guys played any shows together?
Thrasher Bell: No, we didn’t.
Jay Saint G: Figured I’d ask. I understand the band has gone through quite some changes since Dying Is The Latest Fashion and some transitions in the band if you want to give some background on that.
Robert Ortiz: The band has been ever-evolving this is our 10th year.A band is hard thing to keep together especially rock ‘n’ roll. We just roll with the punches, the important thing is where do we go from here, we have a lot of love for what we’ve done with each album and each member and there’s a great history and we want to continue and make more history.
Jay Saint G: I see you guys are under Eleven Seven Records, who have been one of the more prominent rock labels in the last decade. How long have you guys been with Eleven Seven Records?
Both: I believe about a year and a half.
Thrasher Bell: They’re a good rock label.
Jay Saint G: If I may ask..you guys have been hitting radio hard with “Picture Perfect”, the latest single?
Robert Ortiz: Yea we hit it hard too with “One For The Money” and we figured it was the right time now to release “Picture Perfect” which is more of a ballad-type song. Its a somber song, not a depression song but deals with loss and having to overcome and learn from the things you may have missed out with the loved one during the time they spent with you. This year I lost my grandfather at the middle of our tour.
Jay Saint G: Condolences.
Robert Ortiz: Thank you. It was a really difficult thing to deal with and playing that song really helps me deal with it. It’s what it’s all about so we are hoping that this song can get on radio stations and reach people’s ears and maybe help them through a tough time.
Thrasher Bell: Yeah check it out at escapethefate.com is a good source for all our videos and tour dates.
Jay Saint G: I have to ask, have you guys played central New York?
Thrasher Bell: Yeah, I played all over New York.
Jay Saint G: What about the great New York State Fair at all?
Robert Ortiz: No, this is the first time. We played Albany and Buffalo, but never Syracuse. This is my first time at the State Fair. I’m looking forward to our show, I’ve seen all the bands before so I might go around and enjoy all the sights and sounds of what’s going on today.
Jay Saint G: I believe this is the second or third time Uproar has been to the fair, and as a native of Syracuse myself, when you’re here at the fair, you got to indulge in some of those deep-fried Oreos and wine slushies and fried Twinkies.
Thrasher Bell: So this is where it’s at. My inner fat kid is stoked!
Jay Saint G: Gianelli Sausage, Dinosaur BBQ, Tully’s and their tenders.
Robert Ortiz: Ok so what’s the spot I have to hit?
Thrasher Bell: I heard they have fried chicken and Krispy Kreme.
Jay Saint G: Yes there’s a place called sticks and things, they have shark on stick, alligator on a stick, it’s a pretty big hit here along with Dinosaur BBQ. They’re famous here in Syracuse, Rochester, New York City, but there’s all those tiny places you gotta hit like Jim’s Fried Specialties, they’ll fry anything! I get fat just thinking about it. I think I clogged an artery just talking about it.
Robert Ortiz: So what you’re saying is this day is going to take four or five years off my life.
Jay Saint G: I certainly hope not.
Robert Ortiz: I hope so cuz it will be worth it cuz it sounds amazing.
Jay Saint G: I think the fair is the only thing that keeps central New York going, so I gotta ask, going back to music, and less food, what was some of your musical influences?
Thrasher Bell: I was influenced by Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Slash, Eddie Van Halen, then took off to progressive metal.
Robert Ortiz: I was raised as a metal head. My parents were rockers. They raised me with the classics like Ozzy and Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin to Aerosmith, Guns n’ Roses and Metallica and all that awesome ’80s metal and then I fell in love with the big four of thrash metal that was all my shit. And that’s what influenced me to play metal, and then led to some of the newer bands like Thrice and Avenged Sevenfold. All that stuff that was new when I was in high school. And, now it’s almost everything. If it touches me in some way and I like it and it finds its way into everything I do. I always go back to those classic fuckin’ rock and metal bands that will always be in my heart.
Thrasher Bell: Yeah, anything they play on 103.5/103.9 The Edge.
Jay Saint G: Yes, great stations. I always check it out whenever I travel to Albany I put it on The Edge. Another question, is there any music you guys are listening to right now that may be out of the ordinary?
Thrasher Bell: Interesting one, we are listening to Jay Z right now which is classic to me.
Robert Ortiz: To me if I haven’t heard it its new to me. I tend to dive into weird stuff that will make me think like why was this artist huge? And I just never heard them? Maybe it’s before my time or a scene I was never into, so ill go back , or if its Mexican music or fucking some pop artist or anything like that, I always dive into it, last few months its been fucking Vicente Fernández, the mariachi music. He’s the man. I’ve been jamming that, but it’s weird and I love it so I don’t care. Lately been getting into this new band that just signed with our label what are they called? They’re getting huge on the radio…what are they called?
Thrasher Bell: Nothing More.
Robert Ortiz: Yeah, Nothing More. That’s one I’ve been listening to.
Jay Saint G: Yes, they just played a local festival here in Syracuse called 95x Fest. They absolutely killed it. Them and Otherwise blew all the other bands out of the water and that was my first exposure to Nothing More and they have been rapidly growing. It’s good to see that kind of music making that dominance to mainstream radio. It’s kind of refreshing to hear that.
Robert Ortiz: Yeah and that’s where I was coming from. We are definitely in the same vibe as them. They seem to somehow finally be breaking the mold of rock n roll radio has been the last 10 years. And I don’t think rock radio has taken a lot of chances, and they’re taking a big chance with them and it opens the doors for different bands that you know…that kids have been following for a long time. That style. That genre. Kids have been following, and that’s the direction rock has been going the last 10 years and now there’s finally one going balls to the wall with that sound and making that and growing that sound. And people may not have given that style of music that chance. In rock music they never would have given that chance back then and they are now.
Jay Saint G: Any chance we will see Escape the Fate and Nothing More tour together in the near future?
Thrasher Bell: I did tweet them that I was listening to their new record at the gym and they offered to do a little tour with us. So it’s a possibility.
Jay Saint G: We will keep our fingers crossed, and will be first to release that news.
Robert Ortiz: Honestly that tour would be awesome. We should call that the new face of rock radio
Jay Saint G: The Revolution.
Robert Ortiz: Yeah, the rock revolution tour
Jay Saint G: That would be killer. I don’t want to keep you guys too much longer. Couple more questions; Any crazy stories from the tour so far?
Thrasher Bell: Godsmack threw an after party. It was cool to hang with those guys so they had a lot of cool stories to share.
Jay Saint G: Yeah, them and Buckcherry are the veterans of the tour so they must have crazy stories to share.
Robert Ortiz: Honestly nothing crazy yet. But that drum solo that Godsmack does, everyone needs to see that because it’s such a spectacle.
Jay Saint G: You guys have been together 10 years and growing strong. Do you guys have any advice for up and coming bands that just started and how they can make it in rock n roll?
Thrasher Bell: I would say try to find a unique voice. And stick to your guns and practice, practice, practice. You want to rehearse before your shows and play as many shows as possible. And that’s how you grow as a band.
Robert Ortiz: I would say follow what’s in your heart. If you like it, someone else will like it.
Just over a year ago, five musical soul mates came together to form The Nth Power and have seamlessly risen to the top, carrying the power of love and transcending the senses in the most purely uplifting manner. The supergroup of sorts is comprised of keyboardist and singer, Nigel Hall, whose raw emotion and passion is one of the many driving forces within their music. Drummer/vocalist Nikki Glaspie, who recently parted ways with the NOLA funk outfit Dumpstaphunk, truly believes in what The Nth Power is doing and made the band her primary focus with the decision. Rounding out the group is Nick Cassarino on guitar and vocals, Nate Edgar who holds down the low-end on bass, and percussionist Weedie Braimah. The band may be less than two years in the works, but have an immense amount of experience with members playing with such acts as Lettuce, Beyonce, John Brown’s Body, Warren Haynes Band, Toubab Krewe, and the aforementioned, Dumpstaphunk.
Taking on the soulful side of funk, the group embraces a mutual love and respect for music’s power and utilizes the tool to take people on a roller coaster ride of emotions, hitting them right where it counts. Their live show has been described as more than just music and, as the band rolls into town next Friday, Buffalo is ready to embrace the band’s love with open arms.
The Nth Power is set to play Catskill Chill Music Festival the following night in Hancock, NY with a late night set start time of 1:15am. For those in the western N.Y. region, this is a great opportunity to check these guys out if you’re unable to make the fest. Being that this is the band’s first time to the Queen City, they’re hoping to see a good turnout and mutual love for their overall mission. If you have ever checked out their Twitter page, you will see a lot of hashtags that say #thenthpowerlovesyou, and it’s through their music that it’s expressed. On the flip side, I can say to them that #buffalovesyouback and the excitement and anticipation for the show is washing over the city with less than a week left.
Photo by Joshua Brasted
Opening the night will be Jamestown’s smackdab. The funk band not only draws influence from the headliner, but was extremely excited to be announced as the opening act. The five-piece is fronted by singer Jon-Marc Johnson and also includes Matt Baxter on guitar, Mark Cooper on keys, Ryan Ecklund on bass, and Daniel Witherspoon on drums.
Tickets are only $10 in advance and can be purchased here. They can also be purchased at the door for $12.
If you’re still on the fence, check out a video of The Nth Power below. Being that this is their first show in Buffalo, the band is sure to dig deep and put on a great performance for all who show up to The Tralf next Friday.
Brothers and cofounders of CashorTrade.org, Dusty and Brando Rich, made the announcement on Wednesday Aug 27 about their iPhone app from SiriusXM headquarters in NY. The CashorTrade app is now available for FREE download from the iTunes store, which will offer fast push notifications and increased user functionality. The new iPhone app complements the already successful website with, now, fast access to your future tickets and concerts at your fingertips.
CashorTrade.org is the first social ticketing platform that encourages fans to honorably buy, sell, and trade their extra concert tickets with fellow music lovers. The site allows users to directly connect with other fans for ticket trades, without any markup or fees and avoiding the dreaded online scalpers. The safe and efficient site gives fans the ability to create trade relationships while gaining reviews based on their trades and communication. The website also offers city, venue, and festival pages to supply ticket listings by performer, making it easier to find the next big show.
While the CashorTrade.org site is FREE to use, fans can pay $2 a month to go Gold. The Gold Membership was released last year, allowing users to utilize the Trade Tracker that now sends mobile notifications, suggested trades, repost features, featured listings, and much more. To register for the Gold Membership, click here. The site has seen over 1100 sign ups per month since starting in 2009, with nearly 1 million page-views, 100,000 face value ticket listings, and over 3,000 positive transaction reviews just last month alone.
Originally started to simply help fans buy, sell, and trade concert tickets, the site has turned into a full-blown movement, connecting thousands of people around the country. It’s fans helping fans, no matter if they are into Phish, Dave Matthews, the Disco Biscuits, or any of the other hundreds of artists listed on their site. This is our music and nobody likes to miss a show. CashorTrade provides more than just tickets, it’s a growing community of like-minded music lovers with a genuine level of trust. As they say, “We’re all in this together. Embrace the face!”
Besides providing a fresh fan-base, touring Europe allowed Joe Driscoll to bring along fellow Syracuse-based hip-hop heads, and inexorable party-starters, 
The opening track, “Anura” is named after the Greek term for the genus classification of “toad.” The tune has an underwater feel, setting a fluid tone for the EP. Beginning with fast, snappy drumming and a tight bass line, the addition of melodic keys shore up the full sound. As the track progresses, a plethora of croaking sounds, produced with analog synthesizers, create an out-of-this-worldly amphibious effect. The electronica track, nearly seven minutes in length, gets intense in the middle, but returns to the melody for a gradual comedown as it closes.
Just over a year ago, five musical soul mates came together to form 
CashorTrade.org is the first social ticketing platform that encourages fans to honorably buy, sell, and trade their extra concert tickets with fellow music lovers. The site allows users to directly connect with other fans for ticket trades, without any markup or fees and avoiding the dreaded online scalpers. The safe and efficient site gives fans the ability to create trade relationships while gaining reviews based on their trades and communication. The website also offers city, venue, and festival pages to supply ticket listings by performer, making it easier to find the next big show.