Category: Features

Magnaball Drive-In Jam: Phish treat fans to an audio-visual Odyssey

Phish has surprised their fans with special, unannounced sets at many of their festivals in the past 19 years. At The Clifford Ball, a flatbed truck drove the band around while they jammed. During The Great Went, the band DJ’d under fake names in a tent for a “Disco Set.” The Lemonwheel featured an hour long ambient set late at night, while Big Cypress had slightly-announced ‘Midnight set’ where the band played for seven hours straight, stretching from the end of the last millennium into the dawn of the new one. IT had The Tower Jam, with the band performing on an air traffic control tower while acrobats danced below and Superball IX had the ‘Storage Jam,’ which sparked a new era of psychedelic jamming and broke new ground. The Drive-In Jam would join all these in the annals of Phish lore.

Via unpluggedmusings.wordpress.com

Magnaball’s foray into the history of Phish’s special festival sets was the Drive-In Jam and it raised the bar while putting forth a performance on par with the ‘Storage Jam,’ if not exceeded this established upper echelon of improvisation. On a 183 foot movie screen, a wide array of visual treats combined with a progressively growing ambient jam that eclipsed the Lemonwheel by a longshot and morphed into a full on jam for 50 minutes. The Drive-in Set raised the bar for surprise performances and gave fans a treat after the music on the main stage ended an hour prior.

How can one explain what happened in those 50 minutes and the lead up to the Drive-in Jam performance? For starters, you can watch the video captured by Phun Guy and judge for yourself what transpired. Add to this a breakdown of what occurred in each ‘segment’ of the Drive-In jam and take a waltz through Phish at the top of their game, more than 30 years into their career.

Breakdown of the Drive-In Set (times are approximate, based on Live Phish recording time.)

0:00 – 8:10
Gentle, airy, spooky feedback with the sound of chains and haunted house noises – a psychedelic Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Screams and chimes ala “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” build on the cosmic sound that develops from the first portion of the jam.

8:10 – 10:30
Waves and a few bass notes from Mike redirect the jam to fresh territory, an ocean-sound-scape, where some light vocals accompany the developing music.

10:30 – 12:30
Trey takes a lead and Fishman is more prevalent in the mix, building towards a jam that could be a Type II jam of any song from this summer – the epic jams we experienced are found within this portion. All four are synced up now.

12:30 – 15:30
Trey jumps ahead with some arcing riffs while Fish works the crash cymbals loudly. Page is the captain here – guiding the band into the grandiose trip through an ambient wormhole. Trey keeps jumping ahead at times, short leaps that propel the jam with the rhythm section building upon already fertile ground.

15:30 – 17:30
Mike brings the bass to the fore and now we have a change in the tone – deeper and weirder. Trey pops in with some lighter notes while Page adds in UFO sounds to freak people out. The visual display at this time was practically a trip through an episode of Cosmos, minus Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s narrating.

17:30 – 22:30
And here comes Fishman! The pace picks up a bit as Mike and Fish are going double time and leaving the ambiance behind. Trey and Page follow suit and we have lift-off. This section of the jam is quite remarkable for the build and peaks throughout the ascent. This is a hyper-space jump via ludicrous speed. Fish doesn’t let up on the drums for a second and Trey gets a little nasty towards the end here.

22:30 – 24:00
Trey wants to get weird, so Mike gets into a new bass groove. A jam that could be found in an odd version of “Catapult” grows while Page adds in some subtle screams; the build is tremendous here. Closeup fractal imagery of the band is seen over the rest of the crazy visual effects.

24:00 – 27:00
Fish returns the jam to earth’s orbit. The mild funk that develops thankfully doesn’t fizzle or fade but instead grows into a new jam, one working in deep bass from Mike and spacey Page effects. The jam collapses in a collective heap of Trey and Page.

27:00 – 29:00
Bells, looping and synth arise and slowly rebuild the jam. Fish pounds the drums to redirect and we’re off once again!

29:00 – 32:00
With a solar array lighting the screen, another Type II-esque jam develops, eliciting a portion of “Cheap Sunglasses” followed by a vocal jam from Mike and Trey. This is a freaky portion of the entire jam and fodder for future late night Freakouts by The Bunny.

32:00 – 34:30
Some meatballs from Mike as Trey slowly paces forward and new territory being broken in a disjointed area where they slowly reconvene.

Magna late night #magnaball

A photo posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on Aug 22, 2015 at 10:25pm PDT

34:30 – 37:00
Trey takes over and we have all four dialed back in. A blissful jam emerges. The visuals of the band projected on the screen are more solid and animated with a touch of tripped out A-Ha.

37:00 – 40:00
As this jam builds it develops into a nearly composed portion that would be a treat to hear again live. Mike and Fish steer the ship while Trey leads the way and Page sets the tone for the jam – it’s hard to hear this jam and not recoil in amazement.

40:00 – 43:20
This just keeps getting better and better. Page is now leading the way with Trey and Fish creating interplay for a broader jam to develop that adds layers to the already existing jam – a meta jam. ‘Whoa’ vocals emerge midway through then Trey takes command.

43:20 – 45:30
Trey moves the jam into final section territory, a possibly composed portion of accelerated guitar work to signal a shift, which the others follow perfectly. The jam mellows a bit without flatlining; instead Page adds some synth effects to provide a base.

45:30 – 46:30
We come towards the close of the Drive-in Jam, all four slowly winding down the jam until it is just a series of beats and feedback played behind the screen.

Drive In set #phish #magnaball A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on Aug 22, 2015 at 10:25pm PDT

46:30 – 49:30
A darker section emerges, driving home the remaining jam with audio-hallucinations and growing vocals from Trey and Mike building the jam up.

49:30 – 51:40
Sound effects from Page are the beginning of the end for the Drive-In Set, as eerie mad scientist laboratory sounds carry over while Trey uses the Mu-tone to drip a little “Space” goodness into the final minutes. After one last build, the music ends slowly and gently.

51:40 – 52:17
Well deserved applause from the faithful 30,000 that stayed awake to witness this incredible musical event.

drive-in jam

August 27, 2015
Phish’s Magnaball Day 2: The Circus is the Place For Phans

With an absolutely mind blowing Day 1 under their belt, Phish carried the momentum in stride and coasted gracefully into what was the single best day of Magnaball on Saturday. Delivering four sets, including one unannounced “secret set,” which included almost an hour of free-form jazz infused improv laced with a touch of funk that lasted well into the morning, Phish came out and laid down a more than memorable first set which included a diverse blend of both classic and revamped numbers.

As Phish took the stage for their first set of the second day of the festival the weather and the crowd could not have been better. It seemed as if the majority of the crowd was fairly responsible on Friday night and opted out of late night partying into the sunrise in order to be full force for the marathon day that was Saturday; however, this likely wasn’t the case for everyone. Nonetheless, from where the NYS Music crew was planted, the crowd was in full swing and the energy was at an all time high for the day set.

Walking out on the stage, Phish opened up with “Divided Sky,” the crowd was instantaneously locked into a dancing groove as the range of this song truly captivated the masses. One of the most beautiful live music experiences a fan can have is when they get so lost in their own dance moves – that when they do finally take a peek out of the corner of their eye, they’re embedded in a sea of dancing people locked into a developing wave of unison. That feeling of not being alone is invaluable and that energy is absolutely unparalleled. Take yourself back to some of the highest moments of your life; a sexual encounter, walking across the stage after graduating, landing that big job after a good interview, making a crowded room of people laugh at the same time, etc… None of it can be compared to that feeling of simply belonging as an individual in a crowd of thousands of people all enjoying the same music together.

After the band pushed through their classic staple “Divided Sky” they slammed into “Moma Dance” which whiplashed the crowd into another wave of dancing madness. Mike, Page and Trey each took their turn to step into the spotlight and lead the rest of the band through their own respected numbers as Phish went on to play “Mound”, “Army of One” and “Scabbard.” as well as the stellar “Sample in a Jar” and “Tube” before the band hit a cool down song with “Halfway to the Moon.” Page poured out an abundance of emotion and took his time to work through the core of the song with precision.

As the band was feeling the energy, “Camel Walk” surfaced and a flowing wave of dancing emanated through the crowd; the good people were feeling this song and had the moves to prove it. The new Mike song, “How Many People Are You?” one of many new songs Phish has in their arsenal when they hit the road for their 2015 Summer Tour, made an appearance again after being debuted earlier this summer. The new songs were well received by the fan base as well as the next studio album is sure to be as well.

The sweet and tender cover of “When the Circus Comes” put the entire weekend into retrospect. The place, the people, the crew, the music and the community as a whole were part of this traveling circus and the circus was the place to be. The band stepped in and out of their solos beautifully and even the composed parts of this version spoke volumes.

Closing their set with “Undermind” > “Run Like an Antelope” was full of raw energy simply foreshadowing what was yet to unfold throughout the rest of the day. This was just a small piece of the pie as a whole, but what was witnessed on the first day of Saturday was some top notch Phish and they set the stage for the brilliance of music that was planted firmly on the horizon. As the nightfall came the music only got better. When the lights are turning ‘round, the wheels were rolling on the ground.

How does one describe Saturday’s second set without gushing over the energetic jams? Phish came out for this first night set swinging. The set moved from rocking energy to extended inspired jamming. The audience was on their feet throughout the set, often kept on their toes, not knowing what to expect next.

A powerful “Wolfman’s Brother” kicked off this energetic set. It was followed quickly by the one-two punch of a short, but sweet, “Halley’s Comet” straight into a “46 Days” that starts out raging and morphs into a slower and darker than usual jam. As the jam picked back up, Anastasio patiently incorporated the opening chords of “Backwards Down the Number Line,” bringing about an incredibly smooth transition. The band gave this traditionally standard tune a bit more energy than usual, keeping up with the energy of the earlier songs.

The set was capped by a perfectly combined “Tweezer” and “Prince Caspian.” The “Tweezer,” which seems to have a little more pep than most, goes into an intricate jam, out of which comes a near-perfect segue into “Prince Caspian.” There is little one can say about this “Caspian” other than “WOW!” What is usually a breather song for the set was anything but that this time around. It starts off with far more power than anyone expected and morphs into a nearly 17 minute excursion that almost returns to “Tweezer” before the band keeps the improvisation moving.

The entire set is must-hear Phish, an example of some of the finest playing the band has performed in their current era and one of the best sets of the tour. The “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian” segment alone is some of the best Phish ever played, with “Caspian” being one of the all time versions of the song.

By the time Saturday night’s set started, mild weariness from a lack of sleep may have set in due to the immense overall fun of Magnaball. That quickly dissipated, thanks to a killer opening section of “Meatstick” > “Blaze On” -> “Possum” > “Cities” > “Light” > “555.” Fresh off that amazing second set closing “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian,” which, admittedly got the crowd wildly worked up, Phish came out blazing for an incredibly diverse set that featured 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 song choices.

“Meatstick” got the juices flowing with a short and fun solo from Trey. Up next, however, is the jam of the entire festival. And that’s an incredibly tough statement to make amidst a weekend packed with some of the best Phish jamming since — wait for it — 2004.

“Blaze On” has risen quickly up the ranks as the best new song the band has debuted since 2009. It’s almost like Trey is saying, “Hey guys, check it out. Look where we are now, compared to where we were years ago.” The chorus ends with, “You’ve got one life, blaze on,” which seems like an omen to the past, present and future, telling us that these first 32 years were only the beginning.

After some polite psychedelic rambling, the band kicked it into high gear around the 10-minute mark for a major key jam, paced initially by Page’s clavinet, before Trey ramped in with a somewhat haunting lick that takes the jam into a completely different direction. The final two minutes of “Blaze On” are so reminiscent of the Superball “Golden Age,” it’s actually a bit eerie. At times, it even dove into sounding like it was riddled with anxiety, which came right after a calm and uplifting segment. Either way, this jam is a total keeper.

Up next was a straightforward, but always fun take on “Possum.” where the real winner was the hypnotic segue into the decades-old song written by original band member Jeff Holdsworth. This is one hell of a segue and a must-hear for every fan. “Cities” was next, and for a minute, this was going to go the way of Philly’s jam on August 11, but it ended up sounding like a bit of a reprise of the “Blaze On” jam.

“Light” was fun for nearly 16 minutes, but it doesn’t stand out among the behemoths of Magnaball. A fun segue into the Mike Gordon-penned funk song “555” seemed a bit out of place coming out of the space “Light” left behind. “Wading in the Velvet Sea” slowed things down even more, but it was well played, especially for a Phish festival.

Closing out the set was a personal favorite, “Walls of the Cave.” While this version doesn’t stand out much on the radar, it was executed perfectly, with Trey building tension throughout the jam, before bringing the song to a raucous close. A “Boogie On Reggae Woman” and “Tweezer Reprise” encore put a cap to an almost perfect Phish set, the latter bringing the crowd into a swirling frenzy.

We all had no idea what was about to happen next…

Set 1 review by Stu Kelly, Set 2 review by Jim Rizzo, Set 3 review by Neil Benjamin, Jr.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Divided Sky, The Moma Dance > Mound, Army of One, Scabbard > Sample in a Jar, Tube, Halfway to the Moon, Camel Walk, How Many People Are You, When the Circus Comes, Undermind > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Wolfman’s Brother, Halley’s Comet > 46 Days -> Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer > Prince Caspian*

Set 3: Meatstick > Blaze On -> Possum > Cities > Light > 555, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Walls of the Cave

Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman > Tweezer Reprise

*Unfinished.

Notes: Caspian included a Tweezer tease and was unfinished. Cities contained a Mind Left Body Jam tease.

Read about the Drive-In Set here

August 27, 2015
Phish Magnaball Day 1 Recap: A Magna-ificent Start

Phish returned to Watkins Glen International Raceway on Aug 21-23 for their 10th festival, Magnaball. The sold out event gathered more than 40,000 fans to the gorgeous hillsides of the Finger Lakes Region of New York for 3 days of camping, art and the musical jam stylings of the Vermont quartet.

Creating a small city within itself, MagnaBall offered a Ferris Wheel, onsite radio station known as The Bunny, a Post Office, a huge 183-foot movie screen, a high class restaurant serving local and organic five-course meals, interactive art installations and so much more to keep fans glad, glad, glad they had arrived. Despite being sold out, tickets could still be purchased at the gates making for a slightly hectic arrival on Thursday and Friday.

The festival started around 8pm on Friday with a perfect yet uncommon opener of “Simple” with Page tickling the notes of “Magilla” and a howling good time as the band went into “The Dogs” from their Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House Halloween set, a nod to us all that Phish and the fans are wild animals. A sincere surprise was the appearance of the beautiful, instrumental classic of “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” as it jumped into a strong “Avenu Malkenu” and back home again in “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday,” which slowly led into “Free,” reaching great heights as Trey blared the rocking riffs to Mike’s hard hitting bass.

Taking a moment from the music, Trey reflected on the band’s history with their festivals and how their families have since grown in the number of children the band collectively has. Showing a bit of his ’embarrassing dad’ side, Trey shared that this day was also daughter Eliza’s birthday and requested a collective “Happy Birthday,” which the crowd happily performed as he brought her onstage.

The major bustout of the set was the short and sweet “Mock Song,” an original Mike tune that hadn’t been played since 2003 and with an appropriate lyric change of “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” The highlight of the set that was talked about all weekend was the set closing “Bathtub Gin”. The Magna Gin was over 20 minutes long with intense, improvisational peaks of highly danceable rhythm, layers upon layers of interchangeable, bizarre melodies and a blissful, playful pace to start the festival.

Trey brings his daughter Eliza out for a happy birthday wish. ? by Patrick Jordan.

A photo posted by phishfromtheroad (@phishfromtheroad) on Aug 21, 2015 at 6:26pm PDT

We were one set deep into Phish’s 3-night, eight-set Magna-opus and the gloves were already off. You weren’t getting out of there without some pain and bruises, but you were definitely getting out alive, possibly more alive than when you entered. The summer has seen the band playing at a consistently high level, not just for 3.0, and not compared to just 2.0 or 1.0.

The band is older, the crowd is older, but the music has been reinvigorated both with new songs and new twists on old favorites that has rejuvenated all involved. A ‘Not Your Father’s’ second-set-opener of “Chalkdust Torture,” got things jumping off from the rocking shell of the song proper, and as soon as the last verse was sung we were deep into a pool of straight improvisatory gravy. That gravy would flow throughout the set, as jams became songs became jams once again, oozing together over and over into a delicious stew for over 90 minutes.

After a dark and winding “Ghost,” Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” took a journey that eventually wound around to the bopping reggae groove of “Harry Hood.” They lingered patiently for a couple of minutes before launching into the “Hood” nearly everyone saw coming, giving the band another chance to showcase one of their rejuvenated songs, with a rejiggered closing section that allowed a bit more freedom. This time it meant a nifty little “Cars Trucks Buses”-esque jam preceding the typical climactic finish.

“Waste” provided a pleasant breather before more renewal was on display with the fresh off the wire “No Men in No Man’s Land.” The 2015-debuted tune is already taking on a fun rocking life of its own. There was nothing particularly new about “Slave to the Traffic Light,” sitting there in its classic set closing greatness but it stood tall and proud still, executing the dismount perfectly. Still got it! No surprises were in store with a “Farmhouse” and “First Tube” encore, but the stage was set, and the final energetic notes would dance along the Watkins Glen air for the remainder of the weekend.

Magnaball was not just some mash-up of two random words, but simply the best way to describe the current state of Phish, a band sounding as fresh as ever, even after 32 years. The first third of that definition was in the books.

Set 1 review by Susan Rice, Set 2 review by Eli Stein

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Simple>The Dogs > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday> Avenu Malkenu> The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Free, The Wedge, Mock Sock, Roggae > Rift, Bathtub Gin

Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture* > Ghost -> Rock and Roll > Harry Hood -> Waste > No Men In No Man’s Land -> Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Farmhouse, First Tube

*Unfinished.

Notes: Page teased Magilla in Simple. TMWSIY and Avenu Malkenu were played for the first time since July 4, 2012 (124 shows). After Free, Trey asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to his daughter, Eliza, who briefly joined him onstage. Mock Song was played for the first time since July 12, 2003 (320 shows), and featured a lyric change to “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” CDT contained a What’s the Use? tease and was unfinished. Hood contained a CTB tease from Mike.

August 26, 2015
San Francisco Meets Ridgefield: Jefferson Starship, Jazz is Dead Celebrate Milestones In Special Show

More than one long, strange trip began along the San Francisco Bay in 1965. The spotlight this year had been on The Grateful Dead’s anniversary during the Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago but more recently the San Francisco sound was again celebrated at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT. Exactly 50 years after the founding of the Jefferson Airplane, the Jefferson Starship teamed up with Jazz is Dead and Quicksilver ‘Happy Trails’ to mark the occasion.

Jazz is Dead made a return this summer after a 10-year hiatus, prompted by the occasion of the Dead’s 50th anniversary. Though their set was only an hour long (since they were sharing it with two other incredible acts) it was enough for them to make a solid statement about their interpretation of the Grateful Dead. The set was led in by Tom Constanten, who played alongside Pigpen in the Grateful Dead on keys around 1968-1970 including the Woodstock festival, playing “Mountains of the Moon” on keyboard. Founding bassist Alphonso Johnson was also joined by Jeff Pevar (guitar), Rod Morgenstein (drums), and Chris Smith (keys). The sound of Jazz is Dead was unique; the performance wasn’t a straightforward cover of Dead songs but rather a well-polished, technically tight arrangement of the originals that made it almost their own to a degree. In “Sugaree,” for instance, reggae rhythms were built around the main ideas of the Grateful Dead’s version. It is true that Jazz is Dead is a cover band, though defining them as one after their set in Ridgefield seems far-fetched because their arrangements are so interesting and refreshing.

A shorter set was presented by Quicksilver ‘Happy Trails,’ a version of Quicksilver Messenger Service assembled for the occasion. Founding member of Quicksilver Messenger Service David Freiberg was joined by singer and wife Linda Imperial along with some fellow members of Jefferson Starship to recreate the sounds of the band. The set included a tribute to the late keyboard player Nicky Hopkins during a jam on “Edward, the Mad Shirt Grinder” and some psychedelic jams on the 50’s rock and roll inspired “Mona.”

Jefferson Starship isn’t in the same form as the times of “We Built This City.” Appropriately, they came back after a six-year hiatus in 1992 under the lead of Paul Kantner to honor the music of the band they were formed from. Playing songs of the Jefferson Airplane on the day of the 50th anniversary of that band’s founding was special, particularly for the choice of venue opposite the country from California. The Starship’s presence on stage was bold and cohesive – original members of the Airplane Paul Kantner and David Freiberg kept the sound true and original to the Airplane along with longtime Starship drummer Donny Baldwin, keyboardist Chris Smith and guitarist Jude Gold. The animated and exhuberant Cathy Richardson fulfilled the big-shoes role created by Grace Slick’s powerful vocals, to whom she gave a tip of the hat to near the end of the set. Together they made the performance feel engaging to the audience with down to earth, unscripted banter and humor between songs, which has been a consistency for the group through the past several years.

The Starship’s setlist wasn’t able to cover every fan favorite but included the staples like “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love.” The other parts of the set were more treats than crowd pleasers. Gold took the room through the busy finger-picked guitar tune“Embryonic Journey” adding his own improvised licks to the instrumental song. “Wooden Ships,” which Kantner wrote along with Crosby, Stills and Nash, carried a similar feel to CSN’s performance but Kanter’s and Richardson’s vocal duets throughout the song soared in its own way. The encore of performance of “Volunteers” was straight-forward but not moot. More than just a favorite, it marked the peak of energy in the show with members of Jazz is Dead, Quicksilver, and some of the crew coming on stage to jam along; the audience taking to their feet.

Hiding in the dark of a concert is the sound engineer – the person who can make or break the sound and experience of a show yet often not in the limelight. This particular show, along with a few others where Jazz is Dead and Jefferson Starship are teaming up, was both hosted by and mixed by legendary sound engineer Dan Healy, most notable for his years working with the Grateful Dead and role in the development of the Wall of Sound system. “As real as it gets” is the only way to describe the sound. Aside from Healy’s ears at the controls, the experience of the early days of the Fillmore was captured with the Pig Light Show, a recreation of the types of psychedelic projections seen at those early shows.

Dan Healy at the soundboard

Overall, the evening felt more of a community than band/audience. The small and cozy theater delivered a much bigger sound than first expected and added to the anticipation already in the air over the conglomeration of musicians who had immense contributions to the 1960’s San Francisco sound. One thing is for sure: never miss one-of-a-kind shows that don’t come around often like this one.

Jefferson Starship Setlist: She Has Funny Cars, Crown of Creation, Today, Lather, Wooden Ships, White Rabbit, Eat Starch Mom, Embryonic Journey, Have You Seen the Saucers, Greasy Heart, The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil, Somebody to Love

Encore: Somebody to Love

Jazz is Dead and Quicksilver ‘Happy Trails’
[FinalTilesGallery id=’377′]
Jefferson Starship
[FinalTilesGallery id=’378′]

August 23, 2015
Burlington Waterfront Fuels moe. Fun

You know it’s a good one when Rob’s smile is that big. moe. bassist Rob Derhak was grinning ear to ear as the sun set in a blaze of glory over the crowd gathered for Saturday night’s show at Burlington’s Waterfront Park, part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival.

On Friday night, moe. kicked off the weekend with a show at Higher Ground in South Burlington, late enough that fans also attending the Twiddle concert at the Waterfront could make it in time to see some of moe. (The band’s switched locations and times for their Saturday night gigs.) The box office said moe.’s Higher Ground show was sold out, but it never got too packed for fans inside the concert hall Friday night.

The show started off with “Same Old Story,” the highlight of the band’s latest album, No Guts No Glory, released last year. The song is always high energy and fun, but it’s easier to get into later in a set. “Waiting for the Punchline” followed it up, getting the crowd dancing like a good ol’ fashioned hoe.down, as usual. The rest of the set was relatively standard but enjoyable.

The second set got more exciting. It opened with “Rainshine” (which always sounds like “Haze” at the beginning, getting at least one member of the crowd falsely psyched up). It was only the third time this year the song, from moe.’s 2012 album What Happened to the La Las, made it into a setlist, and it ended up being a fun one with a nice heavy jam section.

Then Mihali Savoulidis, Twiddle’s frontman, joined moe. to play “The Road,” giving it more spunk than usual. After a good “Wind It Up,” the band played the first few chords of “meat” before guitar player Al Schnier stopped it and tried to get the whole band to join him in a rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World.” It didn’t last long — Al’s guitar cohort Chuck Garvey gave up playing and started laughing almost immediately, and Rob seemed to play every note on his bass in hopes some would work. Al gave up and the band proceeded with meat, jamming it through all its funky glory. It transitioned into first a stellar “Billy Goat,” which always gets the crowd singing along to its good-life-advice-y chorus, then “Head,” before finishing up the “meat” sandwich with more rumbling bass and shredding.

The show ended with a quick encore of “Lazarus,” which at this point is somewhere between the old “Lazarus” and the newer “The Bones of Lazarus.” Fans seem to agree that its better than “Bones” but doesn’t yet reach the heights of the storied “Lazarus”es of bygone days.

After a late night, moe.rons had to transition to an early show by moe. standards on Saturday night at the Waterfront. Part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival, the show featured a ring of vendors off chuck.side of the stage. Bluegrass jammers Cabinet opened the show with a lot of energy, then passed the stage off to moe.

The band started on a high note with a “Buster” that transitioned into “Spine of a Dog,” two songs that fit well together with the same sort of calypso feel to them.

After finishing up “Spine,” Al made the crowd turn around to view the amazing sunset, burning across the sky with bright pinks, oranges and yellows. “We’ll give you a second,” he said. “Look at this. This is fantastic.”

Rob joked that they just wanted to see everyone’s asses.

Then they played the lighter “Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes” before they got down and dirty with Rob slapping the shit out of his bass on “Not Coming Down.” That transitioned into “Wormwood” > “Deep This Time” > “Downward Facing Dog” to finish out the set with a whole lot of head bobbing and dancing.

Set two opened with moe.’s funnest song, “Seat of My Pants,” which was bouncy and fun with all the springy octave jumps and just enough down and dirty rocking. There may have been a brief tease to the theme song for Sesame Street. It almost sounded like it was going to go into “Rebubula,” but instead it continued into “Dr. Graffenberg.” Sometime in there, a crew of audience members dressed as sea life paraded through the crowd and made their way to the front, dancing there briefly before ebbing back to the sea (one can only assume). Besides that, Graffenberg was as whimsical and rockin’ as ever.

Band members then took the set down a notch with the slow but beautiful “Where Does the Time Go?” Some consider this a bathroom song while others enjoy it wholeheartedly, getting lost in the nostalgic melody and skillfully written lyrics.

Then “Tubing the River Styx” segued into a smokin’ “The Pit” that transitioned into a lighter tone with “Kyle’s Song.” Then “Gone” segued into “Do or Die” with a pensive jam that featured the lights going down and the band playing in silhouette against the backdrop.
During al.nouncements, Al read a note that wished someone named Erica a happy birthday and said, “PS- San Ber’dino.” And almost immediately other band members started playing parts of the Frank Zappa tune, and they went right into it when Al’s announcements wrapped up. Then they wrapped up the show with “Happy Hour Hero,” a great song that has a laid-back melody, sending the crowd off to some Twiddle or just one more bottle.

It’s always a treat when moe. plays Burlington, and this weekend run was one for the books!
Friday, Aug. 7 at Higher Ground

I.
Same Old Story
Waiting for the Punchline
Okayalright>
Big World>
Ricky Marten
MarDema>
George
II.
Rainshine
The Road*
Wind It Up
meat.**
Billy Goat>
Head>
meat.
E: Lazarus

Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Burlington Waterfront
I.
Buster>
Spine of a Dog
Blond Hair and Blue Eyes
Not Coming Down>
Wormwood>
Deep This Time>
Downward Facing Dog
II.
Seat of My Pants>
Dr. Graffenberg
Where Does the Time Go?
Tubing the River Styx>
The Pit>
Kyle’s Song
Gone>
Do or Die
E: San Ber’dino
Happy Hour Hero

*Joined by Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle on guitar.
**Al stopped after the song started and tried to get the band to play the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World.” It didn’t work.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’364′]

August 22, 2015
Hearing Aide: Fear Factory ‘Genexus’

Fear Factory returns with its ninth album, Genexus, and this album does not disappoint. It’s absolutely amazing that nine albums in, the band still continues with the same sci-fi theme about the dangers of machines and technology. They sustain that industrial thrash metal sound that parallels their breakthrough album Demanufacture.

One bold move this album did, was the decision of moving away from the drum machine they used on the previous album, The Industrialist, and hired Mike Heller to handle the drums on this album. Dino Cazares handles all the guitars and bass tracks, while Burton C. Bell has laid down all vocals.

The album kicks off with a robotic track “Autonomous Combat System,” which reminds us that this is a Fear Factory album. A real stand out track is “Dielectic” which interestingly enough, uses a little bit of orchestral arrangements throughout the track. That’s really what makes this Fear Factory album stand out. We are used to hearing program arrangements, synthesizers, keyboards, and other electric sounds in almost every Fear Factory album, but this album continues that tradition, also using orchestral arrangements.

“Soul Hacker” is another killer track on this album, featuring some of the best vocals I Hacker” is another killer track on this album, featuring some of the best vocals you will hear from Bell. Halfway into the album, the title track features more the heavy and fast guitar riffs from Cazares that are so clutch with the double kick drums with synthesizers buried cleverly underneath. “Church Of Execution” has a bizarre and catchy riff that will get stuck in your head. Finally into the tenth track “Expiration Date” is a ballad which is a great way to end this album. It’s not very often Fear Factory graces an album with a ballad. Then this album offers two bonus tracks with “Mandatory Sacrifice” remix and “Enhanced Reality” which adds value to this album.

In conclusion, I do believe this is Fear Factory’s best album since 2001’s Digimortal. Some people may find this album redundant because of the constant theme and sound that Fear Factory has always used, but most people should appreciate all effort that was put into this album because of all the industrial arrangements that is timed out so well with the music. Fear Factory continues the momentum on Genexus and these songs need to be heard live.

Highly recommend the purchase. You can buy Genexus here.

Key Tracks: Dielectic, Soul Hacker, Church Of Execution, Expiration Date

August 21, 2015
Heavy Montréal Lives Up to Expectations

This past weekend metal-heads from all over ventured to Montréal for the three-day festival known as Heavy Montréal. From Friday, August 7 through August 9, fans filled up Parc Jean-Drapeau and were ready to see their favorite bands. The weekend consisted of a large variety of metal sub-genres and it seemed to sit well with everyone.

With 4 stages hosting bands all day it was impossible to catch every band playing over the weekend. It seems fans had a game-plan going into the festival each day with a list of bands and their set times. Some fans though, decided to rail camp all day to catch the headlining act of that night from the front row. Luckily all three days had perfect weather so people could get away with that and not die from the heat some festivals get. Friday had a handful of bands that drew some awesome crowds. During the early afternoon, Venom Inc. and Arch Enemy had giant crowds at the Scène HEAVY Stage. Venom Inc. was the replacement for Mastodon who dropped off the lineup just a few weeks before. For being a late addition to the festival, they sure did look and sound prepared and the crowd was loving it.

The next band to take the Scène HEAVY Stage was Arch Enemy that day. With their new singer Alissa White-Gluz and new guitar player Jeff Loomis, Arch Enemy took the title for best band on that stage for the day. Having Michael Amott and Jeff Loomis in the same band makes for some serious guitar shredding. Alissa connected with the crowd throughout the set because she’s originally from Montréal and spoke mostly all French to the crowd. After Arch Enemy finished their set, Extreme started their set on the Scène Molson Canadian Stage. This band definitely appealed more to the older fans in the crowd but was respected by all. Extreme is led by singer Gary Cherone, who many know as the guy who was “that other singer” for Van Halen. On guitar for Extreme was none other than Nuno Bettencourt. For those who pay close attention to rock news, Nuno was just at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood as a special guest for Steel Panther who played the final show there before they demolish it.

Within Temptation

Before Extreme was able to finish their set, many fans started the walk over to the Scène de la Forêt Stage for Nothing More. Easily one of the most anticipated bands of the weekend, Nothing More gave everything they had. Opening with “Mr. MTV”, Nothing More gave Montréal a performance that left fans eager for more. Not many bands can put on a performance like Nothing More did in just 30 short minutes. The band closed their set with, “This Is The Time (Ballast)” and “Salem (Burn The Witch)”. During their short time, Nothing More still setup their bass rig and the band all unloaded on it making crazy beats. At the end of the performance the entire band took to their personal drums to hammer away in the woods. After the performance was over, the band came off stage and greeted all the fans that stuck around to talk to them at the rail. The crowd showed incredible support for Nothing More and from the looks of it, they could have played on one of the main stages.

Dokken

The last two bands that were caught on Friday were Meshuggah and Korn. Meshuggah who is a Swedish extreme metal band, seemed to fit in with the vibe of the weekend very well. The people of Montréal and surrounding areas seem to love the “heavy” and “extreme” metal that this festival brought in. While not every single person in the crowd was waiting to see Meshuggah, there were still a sea of fans screaming their name and banging their heads with singer Jens Kidman. Last up on Friday night was Korn, which was the band everyone there was waiting to see. Shortly after 9 P.M., the sea of people tightened up and everyone pushed closer to the stage. The set started with that very familiar cymbal intro which lead to a big “Are You Ready?!” from Jonathan Davis. Starting with “Blind”, then moving through the rest of their debut album Korn, the band had the crowd going wild. Fans may have seen Korn 10 times already, but this set was very special and has only been done numerous times since the band announced they would be playing Korn in its entirety for its 20th anniversary. After finishing the album with “Daddy”, easily the most emotional song ever written by Jonathan Davis, Korn played a 3-song encore. The three songs were, “Falling Away With Me”, “Here To Stay”, and “Freak On A Leash”. Heavy Montréal couldn’t have picked a better band to set the mood for the next two days of the festival.

Slipknot

On Saturday, the music once again started at 1 P.M. sharp. Some of the bands to open up the day were Slaves On Dope, Deafheaven, The Brains, Mass Murder Messiah and Rock From The Crypt. The crowd for the first few hours of the day seemed to scatter from stage to stage until they were ready to camp for a certain band. Starting at 3 P.M. is when the crowd seemed to shift mainly toward the 2 main stages. Lita Ford took the Scène HEAVY Stage at 3 P.M. and she absolutely rocked for her age. Some people may have scratched their heads when seeing her on the lineup for this festival, but she surely didn’t disappoint the least bit. After her set Abbath took the stage to keep the crowd right there in the main area.

Lamb Of God

Although Abbath sounded pretty great, many of the fans stayed right in front of the Scène HEAVY Stage. The reason why many fans stayed put was because Gojira was next up on that stage. These metal giants from France had a huge fan base in French-speaking Montréal. The mosh pits during Gojira were unlike anything seen the previous day and a half. Following fan favorites Gojira, Testament was ready to keep the crowd moshing. Fans must have known Testament was going to come out all business just by seeing their cryptic looking backdrop, one of the most bad-ass ones of the weekend. Their set consisted of a mix of songs spanned across 5 albums but mostly from The New Order which was their 2nd album. That being said, old-school Testament fans had a smile on their face. Unfortunately for Testament, their bass player and drummer couldn’t make the show so Tilen Hudrap from Vicious Rumors took over bass duties and Alex Bent from Battlecross took over on drums. Even with the fill-ins, Testament sounded great and casual fans probably didn’t notice any difference at all.

Bullet For My Valentine

After Testament, the attention shifted over to the Scène de l’Apocalypse Stage for The Devin Townsend Project. This band is led by Canadian born Devin Townsend who was the head of Strapping Young Lad from 1994-2007. Now Devin focuses on his solo project and it’s just as heavy. Taking the stage Devin told the crowd to get ready for the nerdiest show of the weekend, due to the fact he wears headphones on stage now. The DTP was one of the best performances of the entire weekend. Devin did a fine job mixing crowd interaction, humor and straight up metal during the set. Right after watching the entire Devin Townsend Project set, fans shifted to the Scène de la Forêt Stage to catch a bit of Battlecross. This band just seemed to fit on this stage perfectly with the look they had.

Testament

Unfortunately due to other acts, time with Battlecross was cut short. Die-hard fans definitely stayed the entire half hour, but many shifted to the main stages for Iggy Pop and Faith No More. Iggy Pop put on one hell of a show for his age. Although he may not be “heavy metal”, this 68-year-old was most likely an influence for half the bands playing over the weekend. This punk-rock legend definitely had the respect from the crowd and other artists who came out to see him perform. Last up on Saturday was Faith No More. These legends who just got back together in the recent years have been headlining major festivals all over the world and Heavy Montréal was next on their list. The band opened with “Motherfucker” off their album Sol Invictus, which came out this year. Faith No More dug into this new album six times throughout the night. It only took the band 5 songs to play their biggest hit “Epic”. The crowd definitely knew Faith No More would be playing “Epic” and hearing the whole crowd sing, “You want it all but you can’t have it” was simply amazing. After “Epic”, the band eventually played other hits such as “Midlife Crisis” and “Easy”. To end the set before the encore, the band picked their song “Superhero” which was also on Sol Invictus. The set was ended with “Digging The Grave”, “This Guy’s In Love With You” and “Just a Man”. Faith No More certainly didn’t have a metal atmosphere going for their stage setup; dressing in all white, having an all white stage decorated in only flowers. Although it was different from what the rest of the day had musically, Faith No More still drew a very large crowd that kept the energy going throughout the late hours of the night.

Lita Ford

The final day of Heavy Montréal seemed to have the best lineup judging by the increase in people right from the get-go. Chris Jericho opened the day with his band Fozzy. This guy earned a lot of respect from other guys in the music community and that showed when Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Randy Blythe from Lamb Of God came out and watched his band side stage. Next up for the day was Motionless In White, who seemed to have a huge number of fans there.

Devin Townsend Project

After Motionless In White, was 90s band Coal Chamber which is led by front-man Dez Fafara. For those who don’t know, Dez is also the singer from DevilDriver. After being split for nearly 7 years, Coal Chamber just recently got back together and released their new album Rivals on May 19th. Dez and the rest of Coal Chamber got the crowd moving while security had the fire hose out cooling them down after moshing. The next two bands up on the main stages were a blast from the past, Warrant and Dokken. Warrant has been out on the road with singer Robert Mason after the death of Jani Lane their original lead singer. With Robert in the band, Warrant still plays all the classics and sounds like them took a time machine from the 80s to 2015. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Dokken. With Don Dokken and drummer Mick Brown being the only original members still in the band, they had a lot to live up to. That being said, the band itself sounded great but the vocals just aren’t there anymore. After almost singing for nearly 40-years, Don Dokken at the age of 62 just can’t hit the notes he could in the past. Although the set wasn’t an absolute disaster, the power wasn’t there in Don’s voice. In some instances it did sound like the notes could be hit, but there was no power behind them. Most of the energy from their set came from drummer “Wild” Mick Brown, who introduced Dokken to the crowd.

Faith No More

After Dokken, Andrew W.K. came on the other main stage as the singer for Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg. This was a very cool pairing and Andrew W.K. seemed to have that energy to keep the rest of the band behind him going. After a 45 minute set, things shifted back to the Scène Molson Canadian Stage for Asking Alexandria. These guys from England just filled their singer vacancy after the departure of Danny Worsnop with singer Denis Stoff from the Ukraine. With an identical voice to Danny, Denis is the perfect fill in for this band. His youth and energy brought life back into Asking Alexandria, which seemed to die out during Mayhem Tour last summer. AA just finished up their summer on Warped Tour where Denis got to show the US crowds that he could fill the big shoes that Danny left empty. The crowd at Heavy Montréal was filled with fans of Asking Alexandria to the point where Denis didn’t even have to sing any of the screaming parts of their last song “The Final Episode (Let’s Change The Channel)”. Hearing the entire crowd yell, “Oh My God” during the intro of the song easily proved that Montréal has Asking Alexandria fans.

Venom Inc.

Next up was Within Temptation on the Scène HEAVY stage. This Dutch symphonic metal band was stellar. Sharon den Adel the lead singer of the band was an absolute delight to watch. Within Temptation was a complete different breed of what the rest of the festival had over the weekend, but they showed they had what it takes. There’s no wonder why this band sells out all their shows over in Europe. The 11-song set they played seemed to not be enough for festival attendees.

Korn

The last bands to close out Heavy Montréal were absolute monsters. Those three were the ones from the Summer’s Last Stand Tour: Bullet For My Valentine, Lamb of God and Slipknot. Before and after Bullet’s setlist, two great bands got stuck with bad set times over at the Scène de la Forêt stage: Upon A Burning Body and Wilson. Unfortunately not many people wanted to lose their spots at the main stages to go see them.

The good news for Bullet For My Valentine fans was that they got to play a bit longer than they have been on their tour with Slipknot. In the previews for the festival, fans knew they could expect songs like “Your Betrayal” and “Scream Aim Fire”, but Bullet added a few more in the set for Montréal. Fans got to hear songs like “Alone”, “The Last Fight”, and “4 Words (To Choke Upon)”. It was obvious that Bullet was itching to play a longer set for quite some time, as they had even more energy to spare.

Nothing More

Lamb of God also got to play a little longer on Sunday with a 12-song set. Unfortunately for those looking to hear new material off VII: Sturm und Drang, LOG only played “512” and “Still Echoes”. Even though the set wasn’t heavy on new material, Randy and the rest of Lamb of God put on a brutal show that surely left fans bruised and sweaty.

There’s no better way to end a 3-day heavy metal festival then with Slipknot. When there’s 9 guys on stage wearing masks and playing loud music with flames going up everywhere, that’s how to end a weekend. Corey Taylor is one hell of a leader on stage. Corey has the ability to control the crowd with ease. The highlight of Slipknot’s setlist was easily during “Spit It Out”. There’s a huge difference watching Corey control an amphitheater and a sea of people in an open field. Every single person at Parc Jean-Drapeau was down on their knees waiting for Corey to give them the command “jump the fuck up”. When that command came, the entire crowd at once lifted into the air and went absolutely insane. When that song was over, there was no time to rest because Slipknot went right into “Custer” which was off their latest album .5 The Gray Chapter. With time running out on the weekend, the band ended with a 3-song encore featuring “(sic)”, “People=Shit” and “Surfacing”.

Heavy Montréal proved to be a huge success this year going for a full three days of music. With a perfect variety of bands, a perfect venue and a large variety of food and drinks, Evenko set up one killer festival. Anyone who likes to attend festivals such as Rock on The Range, Carolina Rebellion, etc., try to attend Heavy Montréal at least once.

*Be sure to check here periodically for next year’s Heavy Montréal festival info*

August 21, 2015
Film Review: Straight Outta Compton

“Straight Outta Compton” released by Universal Studios and Legendary Pictures have made what I believe is the best music bio-film since “Ray.” Any fan of music, hip-hop, and film should take the time to watch this movie.

Director F. Gary Gray (“Friday”, “Law Abiding Citizen”) did wonders in portraying the dangerous reality of Compton and South Central L.A. and the brutality of the music industry. Writers Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff put together a master script as well. My only complaint about this movie (and it is aimed at the writers) was the dialogue in the first half of the movie seemed just a tad bit exaggerated between everyone in the movie. I believe the whole purpose of that was to keep some of the elements light-hearted and humorous to keep the audience engaged in a movie that had a dangerous tone to it.

The acting was excellent. I would have to say the star of the show is easily Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. who portrayed Ice Cube. This movie is definitely his breakout role and he is going to have a bright future in the movie industry. It is amazing how much he looks and acts like his father. Corey Hawkin’s portrayal of Dr. Dre was very powerful as well.

If you know your N.W.A. history, you will like this movie. If you have no clue about N.W.A., you will like this movie. The movie follows all the big events revolving around N.W.A., from their shaky start and struggle, to the controversy that followed the song “Fuck Tha Police,” to the breakup of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre leaving the group, and having leader Eazy-E struggling to keep the band happy as well as dealing with their manager Jerry Heller.

This movie is a celebration of what I believe was the golden era of hip hop, a reminder on how N.W.A. paved the way for all hip-hop artists today, as well as a call for the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame to induct N.W.A. Do yourself a favor and see this film and then go blast the album Straight Outta Compton.

August 19, 2015
SOiL with Powerman 5000 Take Fans on a Time Travel Trip

The summer evening had people out of their house on a Tuesday, July 7 and into the one of the local metal music stomping grounds, The Montage Music Hall. The driving factor to come out this night was SOiL, listed as the special guest of Powerman 5000. Although it was a Tuesday night, the walk through the venue doors became a gateway into the future and it became Friday night. The venue had all that was needed for a good time to take place by hosting the bands on the Powerman 5000 tour.

SOiL had brought in music lovers. The talk and chatter of people clearly interpreted a cohesive understanding that this band is a staple to go see live whenever they are on tour. SOiL played an important role to progress metal to the airwaves with hit singles. These songs became a part of mainstream radio from the 2001 Scars album release. That release included two songs that were included on the set list for the evening, “Halo” and “Redefine.”

Ryan McCombs vocals were on point; full throttle power seemingly came from somewhere deep within him. The venue was over taken by a full out sound blast filling every inch of the place. Indications of acceptance that the band was delivering were immediate. People moved in as close as they could to the stage, phones glowing, ready to grab a picture before bodies started moving. The energy of the crowd shifted as they were embraced with the sound waves; that was the moment that confirmed this was a show worth going to. It became an experience, not just a night out. As the metal groove was in full play, even the biggest bad ass was moving to the beat, showing giddy approval of what they were witnessing.

Bassist Tim King did his thing by keeping the crew together in the foundation core for both the harmony and rhythm. The band was one system, one body that fed off each other. As the bass and drums built the intensity, a pulse was alive and strong. Drummer Mitch Gable literally hit it. The combination of the two were a countdown for all systems and ready for take-off. The crowd felt the pulsating vibrations to their core with the bass and drums fully in check. Harmony streamed in from guitarist Adam Zadel’s skills for people to get their metal sway on.

The connection of all systems was completed when McCombs vocals took hold, containing passion and deep meaning, what serious metal music fans want to hear and see. He was at one with the microphone, the song, his boys and himself. People were connecting and were in the moment with the band in a unique moment of time. Ryan sang with a powerful roar that included perfect pitch, pure emotion and soul. Add in qualities of stage presence and a sense of deepness and he is unique, not just through his vocals or the rasp in the voice. He is the full package as the front-man.

Each of these guys bring to the stage the talent and coolness that are combined and meant to complement each of their skills. No wonder why these guys have sold over 1 million records worldwide.

It would be dismissive not to talk about Powerman 5000 (PM5K), who displayed a wild experience and definite change up to the metal hardcore that was on before them. Described as futuristic electronic metal, the confidence in their style and skill kept everyone engaged. Spider One connected immediately with the Rochester crowd by introducing an off-topic conversation. He asked and waited for answers regarding restaurants that are open and have food in Rochester. People started yelling back responses, “WindJammers!” and then a specific response “Pizza!” Spider’s response was that he would have loved that information earlier in the evening.

Powerman 5000 performed with a futuristic sound of rap with metal and an electronic edge mixed well with the green laser lights shooting from the drum sticks, guitars and not to mention the outfits that had everyone thinking they had traveled to a future time. The tour is supporting the release of the latest album Builders of the Future.

Unfortunately for Rochester, time travel from the Friday night vibe had to return to Tuesday as the show ended. Not one person left dissatisfied with their time travel trip.

August 19, 2015
Sublime with Rome Rocks Reggae Vibes at CMAC

Sublime with Rome at the beautiful Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) Aug. 4, had a very laid back festival vibe going on. Intended or not, that was the feel for the night. And it was just fine.

There were guys and gals from the 20-something age bracket mostly. Flowers in their hair, some bearing bare feet, girls with hula hoops, tie dye and reggae nation shirts decorated the shiny happy people in the venue tonight. Everyone came together this warm yet cloudy summer evening to witness the vibes we know as Mickey Avalon, Pepper, Rebelution and Sublime with Rome.

Sublime with Rome

Pepper heated up the night like the hot tamales trio they are. Mixing things up with rock edge to their reggae, hip-hop sound they immediately hit the stage and got right into the tunes. The only request they had been for the sound guy: “Hey sound guy, this place is made of metal, turn up our bass” ordered front man Kaleo. That’s when their energetic upbeat flare came out and got the crowd going. People were singing along loud and proud. Which resulted in a some excitement, clapping along bopping around and when asked to jump around by the band, the crowd up in the front rows delightfully accommodated. With a tight-knit fast paced set, all in attendance were primed up and ready for more. The band members, a divine mix of fellas, two are from Hawaii and one from San Diego, California. They are now just based out of San Diego, Ca. They definitely seasoned the night with their good vibrations of beach hang tunes, and weekend party anthems. Pepper is: Kaleo Wassman– vocalist/guitarist, Bret Bollinger-vocalist/bassist drummer Yesod Williams. Pepper is still out in support of their 2013 sixth studio album, this one self- titled and released on their own record label Law Records.

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Rebelution comes cruising in from Isla Vista California. The band consists of Eric Rachmany – Guitars, vocals, Marley D. Williams – Bass, Rory Carey – Keyboards,Wesley Finley – Drums and two special guest touring members: Khris Royal – Sax, percussion, Zach Meyerowitz – Trumpet. They are out spreading the love and good vibrations in support of their current release Count Me In Remix EP

These guys came right out and went directly into the set with their signature uplifting rocking, world reggae sound, complete with a two-man brass section. It set the mood for their sway and sing-a-long set. A perfect warm summer breeze that came through completed the “beach” feel to a now full house under the shell, once someone announced for all who were on the lawn to come in due to sprinkles of rain that started during the Pepper set. One would think this would cause chaos, but there were a few seats to be filled. Actually, it worked out quite nicely because well,everyone one was in a peace and love mood while Rebelution sang ‘To blessed to be stressed’. Everyone came together to enjoy the night while beach balls and glow sticks were being tossed around, girls danced enchantingly with their hula hoops. An even cooler aspect to the set, there was a young girl and guy up on stage painting on a canvas while the band played. Rebelution played one song into the next which kept the flow of the night moving in the right direction. They seemingly could have played forever with the amazing energy they contained and the crowds response, neither side seemed like they would have minded if they played all night. Like most things though, it had to come to a beautiful end.

Sublime with Rome

If you want to hear what it sounds like to be blessed with no stress
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Pepper

Once the Sublime with Rome banner was set into place for their arrival. Some serious nostalgia and excitement took over the venue, when a euphoric cheer came about from the crowd. With a bat of the eye they all came out with a sharp set and kicked it off with the infamous single ‘Date Rape’from the Sublime 1992 debut album 40 oz. To Freedom with original front man Bradly Nowell, who passed in 1996 and is dearly missed.

The placed filled right up, fans were in every seat, filled every space and every aisle to come together for the show. Sublime with Rome ripped into a very fast-paced on point-set, all that came to see them we very much into it as everyone sang along to just about every song.

They played approximately 20 songs. Playing a lot of the Sublime hits, ‘Summertime’,” ‘Pawn Shop’, ‘Bad fish‘, and ‘Smoke two joints’. They sprinkled in a few Sublime with Rome songs ‘Same old situation’ from the debut album Yours Truly, with the new front man Rome. Where ever you go off the current release Sirens. They also managed to mix in a Led Zeppelin cover ‘Ramble on’ before taking a break to come back out of and do an encore with ‘Santeria’ and ‘What I got‘,” Rome called out “Rest in Peace Bradly Nowell!”

As it is known, there is a history with Sublime which is how Sublime with Rome came to be. The current members of Sublime with Rome are Rome Ramirez – lead vocals, guitar. Eric Wilson – bass, Josh Freese – drums, percussion. Eric Wilson an original member of Sublime, Rome came to be in 2009. Sublime had to legally change the name to Sublime with Rome due to trademark issues disputed by the Nowell estate. Sublime has toured on and off between albums since 2010. Regardless, it was clear to see Sublime songs and new songs by Sublime with Rome were graciously excepted by all. They keep the feeling and the Sublime spirit musically and tastefully alive.

Discover Sublime with Rome on:

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This evenings show with (Mickey Avalon) Pepper, Rebelution and Sublime with Rome felt like a mini vacation, from the fun-loving crowd that came to see the show, to the bands that came to play. It took you out of your life for a moment and created relaxing fun evening with a not-to-soon to forget atmosphere.

August 18, 2015