Category: Show Reviews

Brit Floyd Drops the Hammer on Syracuse

There may come a time when your favorite bands become older and stop performing live or for whatever reasons. In order to hear those special songs in a concert setting again, you may need to go see a tribute band to get that nostalgic feeling back.

You know, the music that you can just close your eyes, listen, and fall in love with all over again. Most tribute bands do a great job at replicating the signature sounds and production of the original act they promote, and one band in particular that is at the top of the list is Brit Floyd. This group is named as the ‘World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Tribute Show’ and now, I can see why.

On May 20, Brit Floyd brought their 2015 Space & Time World Tour to the Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse and hammered the walls down, figuratively speaking. This world tour commemorates the 50^th anniversary of Pink Floyd and features music from their catalog along with tunes from the Syd Barrett era. The production of this show was nothing short of spectacular, featuring the arc lighting rig with the infamous circle rig in the middle, inflatables, smoke, projection screens, lasers, and much more.

There aren’t really enough words to describe how incredible this performance was. Tho, the highlights of the night, in my opinion, are as follows. The evening’s performance started off with a silent, dark audience paying full attention to a “Speak to Me” video compilation similar to that used by Pink Floyd in the mid 1990s.

The band covertly walked on stage, strapped in and slid into “Breathe,” segueing with “On the Run” into the ever popular ‘Time,” featuring Damien Darlington on vocals. For the next song, Angela Cervantes who is one of the backup singers, performed an intense, emotional version of ‘The Great Gig in the Sky” with Damian on Lap Steel guitar and Tom Ashbrook on Piano. Bringing “See Emily Play” from Floyds’ early days was a great treat for the crowd, as well. Closing out the first set was a polished version of Sheep, from the album Animals.

After a brief intermission, Brit Floyd hustled back to stage, eager to give us their all, and started with “One of These Days,” before playing “Louder Than Words” from the 2014 album The Endless River. Ian Catell on bass, locally from Syracuse, brought back some “Money” featuring some sexy Saxophone solos by Marcus Sholar, for his hometown. Soon came “Wish You Were Here” with Bobby Harrison leading the way on acoustic guitar. Warming the hearts of everyone present, the passionate crowd sang along to the words as if each person had written the words themselves. The band then gave introductions, including an intimate speech by Ian to his close friends and family in attendance. To end the set, came an enormous “Comfortably Numb” sang by the bass player.

‘The Show Must Go On’ kicked off the multi-song encore, paving the way for an incredible “In the Flesh” and “Run Like Hell.” To top off their performance in Syracuse, Brit Floyd gave an invaluable rendition of ‘Waiting for the Worms,’ ‘Stop,’ and “The Trial.” But before bidding adieu, the group assembled together in a row for a soft “Outside the Wall.”

In a nutshell, Brit Floyd is the next best thing to Pink Floyd themselves. The production and overall show they bring to fans is simply amazing and worth far more than what their tickets cost. They’re currently in the beginning of their world tour and hopefully we can catch them back around Syracuse in the next few years. If you haven’t seen them before nor made it to this show, you can order a copy of their Live at Red Rocks DVD from 2013, filmed in front of a sold out venue.

Set 1: Speak to Me, Breathe, On the Run, Time, The Great Gig in the Sky, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V), See Emily Play, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall (Part II), Keep Talking, On the Turning Away, Sheep

Set 2: One of These Days, Louder Than Words, Money, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut, Band Introductions, Comfortably Numb

Encore: The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh, Run Like Hell, Waiting for the Worms, Stop, The Trial, Outside the Wall

May 28, 2015
Hatebreed Wrecked Rochester’s Montage Music Hall

On Thursday May 14, Hatebreed managed to get away from their tour with Slipknot and headline their own show at the Montage Music Hall. This gave them the opportunity to play in a much smaller venue and play songs over their entire catalog including rare tracks and demos.

The place was jam-packed but before Hatebreed took the stage, local openers Order Of The Dead and Hate Machine had time to shine.

I was really impressed with both bands but Hate Machine really stood out. Shame on me for not actually knowing who they were prior to that night because apparently they been around for almost twenty-years. Proof that I’m not a Rochester native.

Their use of hardcore and hip hop drum beats, under their crushing guitar riffs, really made them stand out. And vocalist Jed Seaver’s use of rapping, singing and growls added to his kick ass stage presence, really made them a treat to watch and rock out to. They owned the crowd.

Hatebreed stormed the stage as vital as they come. After all these years, there hasn’t been a step back at all for their performances. They all look like they still enjoy what they do and they continuously give their best. They ripped through their setlist starting with “To The Threshold” and “Before Dishonor.”

They never really took much time in between songs but still managed to give fun crowd interactions. Frontman Jamey Jasta still proves he’s one of the best frontmen in metal. Other highlights were, “Puritan,” “As Diehard As They Come,” and by the crowd’s request, “A Call For Blood.”

The last time I saw Hatebreed in Syracuse they had sound issues, thankfully, Montage got it right and there were no sound issues at all. There was a clear bloody knuckle atmosphere, but no one was hurt, no fights (from what I saw) and everyone let their hardcore jollies out. Hatebreed managed to finish their 22 song set with their fist pumping anthem “I will Be Heard” and “Destroy Everything.” I was a little surprised they didn’t play “Last Breath” but there were plenty songs that were played that usually the band doesn’t get to play.

To wrap it up, it was nice to see Hatebreed take the time to play a small venue, especially at this point in their career where they are used to playing much bigger venues. Anyone who missed this show missed out on one of Hatebreed’s best concerts.

May 22, 2015
Tedeschi Trucks Band at Central Park Summerstage ‘Summer is Coming’

Nestled away in Central Park lays a bastion for music lovers, a musical oasis in the midst of Gotham. A serene evening with Tedeschi Trucks Band rang in the unofficial beginning of summer with the opening night of Summerstage. Rock ‘n’ Roll royalty Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi orchestrate an amazingly talented ensemble of musicians.

Kofi Burbridge (keyboard, flute), Tim Lefebvre (bass), Tyler Greenwell (drums), J.J. Johnson (drums), Kebbi Williams (saxophone), Maurice “Mo’ Betta” Brown (Trumpet), Saunders Sermons (trombone), Mike Mattison (vocals), and Mark Rivers (vocals). All got the opportunity to showcase their individual talents throughout the evening.

Tedeschi led the way out of the gate with her exceptional blues guitar and booming vocals on “Made Up Mind” and “Do I Look Worried” both off of their 2013 release Made Up Mind. Trucks’ slow and deliberate guitar started off “Midnight in Harlem” off of TTB’s 2012 Grammy award-winning, best blues album, Revelator followed with raucous applause from the audience before Tedeschi’s crooning sent them into a blissful trance.

After The Derek Trucks Band’s fast paced and raucous “Get What You Deserve” the first guest of the evening was invited out on stage, with Doyle Bramhall II (guitar) joining the group. Fans had the rare occurrence of having two former Eric Clapton guitarists on the same stage.

Next up came The Beatles “I’ve Got A Feeling” from Let It Be then Bramhall and Trucks traded off guitar licks on Derek & The Dominoes’ “Keep On Growing”. Bramhall stayed on for “Key To The Highway,” a tribute to the recently passed B.B. King. King recorded the song with Eric Clapton on 2000’s Riding With The King. Bramhall stepped off stage for the gospel “Break In The Road” which featured another shredding guitar solo from the prodigy Trucks.

Bramhall returned to join the band with the second guest of the evening Sharon Jones of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Trading harmonies and smiles with Tedeschi on Sam Cooke’s soulful “Bring It On Home To Me” and Etta James “Tell Mama”.

Bramhall and Jones left Susan and Derek in capable hands as Burbridge led the band into Made Up Mind’s “Idle Wind” leaving the keys for his flute to start off the tune before the band gave way for Johnson and Greenwell to show off their drumming talents and convening to bring the song to a close.

TTB busted out a rendition of Bobby Bland’s 1960 R&B classic “I Pity The Fool” before bringing the two-hour plus set to a close with the original, “The Storm”. Tedeschi reached down deep and soothed the audience one last time with her mesmerizing vocals for the encore of Revelator’s “Bound For Glory”. If this night was a precursor to TTB’s upcoming ‘Wheels of Soul’ tour, fans will be in for a treat with welcomed collaboration between TTB, Bramhall, and Jones.

The Wheels of Soul tour will be in Rochester, NY as a headliner at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) at Kodak Hall June 25. Followed by a stop at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, on July 29. The band will make one final stop in New York this year for a four night residency at the famed Beacon Theater, September 25-26 and October 2-3. Tickets go on sale on May 21 through Ticketmaster.

Setlist:
Made Up Mind, Do I Look Worried, Midnight In Harlem, Get What You Deserve, I’ve Got A Feeling*, Keep On Growing*, Key To The Highway*, Break In The Road, Bring It On Home To Me#*, Tell Mama#*, Idle Wind>Drums>Idle Wind, I Pity The Fool, The Storm
E: Bound For Glory
* – Doyle Bramhall II
# – Sharon Jones
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May 22, 2015
In This Moment Tears the Roof off Rapids Theatre

Rapids Theatre was treated to one of the best performance I have ever seen there to date, as In This Moment was here Friday on tour promoting their latest album Black Widow. They had brought some heavy hitters with them this time around. I was a little shocked as the line was not as long as I thought it would be. But never the less people filed in closer to the second bands performance.

First up was a five piece rock band The Nearly Deads from Nashville, Tennessee. They were a decent opener with some catchy melodies and she brought a lot of energy to the stage. The crowd did not respond to them very well, I think it had something to do that they were a spitting imagine of Paramore band. Her vocals were a bit weak, and she didn’t seem to have much range in her voice.

Second band up was Butcher Babies, I have never heard this band until that night. This band has all the elements of a metal band. Two scandalously dressed women who sang metal, a guitarist and bassist that had extreme amounts of energy on stage. Topped by a drummer whose double bass is one to compete with.

Towards the end of their set they forewarned the security guards to be ready. They look slightly baffled but soon enough realized what was about to happen. The music got heavier and the crowd surfing began to turn up. What I loved about this was as the fans were thrown over the barrier by security. The girls took the time to shake every fans hand or give them a fist bump. You don’t see this happen very often, kudos to them

Next up was the band I had been looking forward to seeing all night, Upon A Burning Body. I had previously listened to this band and loved everything about them. They originate from my birth state, Texas. Not one thing was out-of-place this entire performance. They had the crowd screaming and on their feet the entire time. Then Singer Danny Leal told the crowd he wanted to see some pits and mashing, the crowd listened and did just that. I witnessed several mash pits throughout the crowd for several songs. Then they proceeded to do a song tribute to Texas called “Texas Blood Money”. To finish off the night they sang “Turn Down For What” which for many know as a rap song sang by Lil Jon and DJ Snake. The crowd went absolutely crazy. Men put women on their shoulders, and it turned into a bit of a club scene. Their rendition of it was great and I prefer that over the original.

Last but certainly not least was the band most people where there to see, In This Moment. They took approximately a half hour to set up but it was definitely worth the wait. This is the second time I have seen them and every time I do it’s extremely theatrical. She is entrancing and with all her disappearances and reappearances after songs coming out in a completely different outfit. She keeps you guessing. They sang songs off their new album Black Widow. The choreography for her and her two dancing-girls who always remain faceless were done perfectly to a T.

Maria also took time to talk about how we are all united together by music, and how we must all take care of one another and change the world for the better. In my opinion the best part of the night was when I caught In This Moment Drummer Tom Hane`s drumstick. He threw it, what seemed like directly to me and I was floating on air. It now resides on my music memorabilia wall snugly between signed Shinedown CD and a painting done by Smile Empty Souls own Sean Danielsen.

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May 21, 2015
Jason Bonham Serves The Capital Region Some ‘Rock And Roll’

Tribute and legacy acts are big business for concerts in today’s industry. The baby boomer generation has gotten older and wants that feeling they had growing up listening to the music that was the soundtrack to their lives.

You also have the newer generation who may not have had the chance to experience the great music, and are interested in seeing what their parents got to see.

In the case of Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience you get the best of both worlds. Jason, son of Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, celebrates the music that he did not have much of an opportunity to see. Performing to audiences who are starving to see it in person.

“The Song Remains The Same” starts the concert with a bang, and the energy never left the Palace Theatre for the next two hours. Stringing together both hits and rarities, Jason and his band kept the crowd in their palms with ease. Jason told funny stories about his father and the feeling he got playing in London with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin in 2007.

He also spoke about how the band is never trying to act as if they are Led Zeppelin. For most of the evening that last part was true, but about three-quarters of the way through the show the audience was invited to crowd the aisles and to have a “fucking good time.” After this request and for most of the rest of the evening lead singer James Dylan began to channel more than just Robert Plant’s vocals. Lead guitarist Tony Catania similarly did more than evoke Jimmy Page’s guitar work. Moving about the stage like two legends for the rest of the evening. James and Tony had been doing just fine with their great vocal and guitar playing respectively and did not need to change what they had been doing.

During “Thank You” video screens showed videos of John, receiving some of the loudest cheers of the night. An acoustic “Going to California” had the loudest sing along. “Kashmir” ended the set to a standing ovation and the band came out for a one-two punch of “Rock And Roll” and “Black Dog” to end the evening.

There is a fine line for a tribute or legacy act to walk on, so as not to become a caricature of the band they are paying their respect to.

For most of the night the musicianship on stage during Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience spoke for itself, but for a small part of the show the line became a little too blurred.

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May 21, 2015
Faith No More Leave Long Lasting Impression on Day One at NYC’s Webster Hall

Faith No More has embarked on one of the biggest tours of 2015 and for the first leg of the tour, they played two show’s at New York City’s Webster Hall last week, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a ticket and managed to take a trip down and catch the first show on May 13. The Webster Hall is one of Manhattan’s most premiere night clubs, and a very intimate setting to catch a metal show. It was a real blessing to have attended this show. But things started off with the most unexpected, a punk band from Mexico called Le Butcherettes.

San Francisco – October 28, 2014

You couldn’t ask for a more bizarre, yet appropriate band to open for Faith No More. Le Butcherettes is exactly what rock and roll is missing. And that is the “I don’t give a fuck” attitude packaged with the unexpected. It all starts with frontwoman Teri Gender Bender who is an absolute fiend. I would describe her as the female Mike Patton with a touch of Wendy O’ Williams to her. Not only vocally, she possesses a wide range, she’s playing the keyboard and guitar, but most importantly her performance was so wicked, dirty, and out of this world. Everyone in the audience was in awe from this band. I almost forgot I was at a Faith No More show before their set ended.

When Faith No More took the stage, it was the most surreal and beautiful thing to behold. They had everything in white on stage, and before they started, the stage hands and roadies covered everything in flowers. It almost looked like a wedding.

The same day, Faith No More performed on Jimmy Fallon. They started off with a new song “Mother Fucker” which lit everyone up with excitement. As for me, I haven’t felt such a surreal feeling of witnessing a band play since the first time I saw Soundgarden reunite at Chicago’s Lollapalooza back in 2010. The entire band has such a unique chemistry. Frontman Mike Patton’s outlandish and comical presence is something to behold, and vocally, whether if he’s singing his ass off, rapping, or doing super sonic screams, he proves to this day he’s one of the very best in the business.

The one who anchors the band is keyboardist Roddy Buttom. He has an intimidating presence, but he’s also comical. It’s very rare in a band when the keyboardist is the one that takes charge. I also really liked bassist Billy Gould’s performance, he’s definitely an underrated bass player.

Five songs in, Faith No More performed their well-known hit “Epic” along with another new song “Sunny Side Up”. The real highlight of the set was hearing “Surprise! You’re Dead!” and “Midlife Crisis” back to back. Faith No More did a phenomenal job playing songs off their Mike Patton-era catalog and material off their new album Sol Invictus.

Later in the set we heard “Easy” and “King For A Day” before closing with “Ashes To Ashes” and their new single “Superhero”. But of course the crowd was graced with a three song encore and a one song second encore thus giving New York City 19 songs total.

Overall, an unforgettable night for sure. Faith No More is back with a vengeance and will be returning to New York City at Madison Square Garden on August 5. So if you missed the two shows at Webster Hall, you still have a chance to see them in August, and I highly recommend that you do because you won’t regret it. 2015 is the year of Faith No More.

May 20, 2015
NYSMuse: A Conversational Review of Dear Jerry

A few of us from NYS Music made it to the Dear Jerry show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 14, mostly for the fun of attending an outdoor show early in the season and celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead. Afterward we couldn’t help but discuss the show and found we had several similar and differing thoughts. Even though we went without intending to review the show, we thought it would be a different twist to bring you some of our back-and-forth thoughts.

Set 1: The Wheel, Uncle John’s Band, Standing On The Moon, Liberty (Communion featuring Phil Lesh), Get Out My Life Woman (Allen Toussaint with Bill Kreutzmann), Shady Grove (David Grisman & Sam Bush), I’m a Roadrunner (Peter Frampton with Bill Kreutzmann), Deal (Buddy Miller), Sugaree (Jorma Kaukonen with Barry Mitterhoff), The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff), Attics Of My Life (Jimmy Cliff with Bob Weir and Mickey Hart *One verse, acapella), Fire On The Mountain (Jimmy Cliff with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Dave Schools)

Set 2: Help On The Way> Slipknot!> Franklin’s Tower (Billy & The Kids), Scarlet Begonias> I Know You Rider (Disco Biscuits with Bill Kreutzmann & Tom Hamilton), Loser (moe. Chuck on vox), St. Stephen (O.A.R), Not Fade Away > Bertha (Los Lobos with Bob Weir), Brown Eyed Women (Trampled By Turtles), Shakedown St (YMSB), Days Between (Bob Weir), Friend of the Devil (Grace Potter with Bob Weir, and Matt Burr), Tennessee Jed (Eric Church with Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart), Morning Dew (Widespread), Touch of Grey (Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart), Ripple (almost all of the evening’s performers & the crowd)

Steve Malinski: Mickey and Bill were part of the last few songs too, right?

Graig Adler: Yeah. Bill was also in the house band as well as Dave Schools.

SM: I didn’t have the greatest of starts to the show — thanks to DC traffic I was delayed getting there from Alexandria and didn’t arrive until “Shady Grove.” I didn’t know who was on because I couldn’t see more than some of the crowd from the gate but knew pretty quick from the mandolin that it was Grisman. It was a good first song to hear after the hassle of getting to Merriweather. I’ve always loved the Garcia/Grisman collaborations.

SM: There were several times I was pleased with the performances and interpretations; obviously there were some better than others and one in particular that ranked lowest. But overall I wasn’t as impressed, as my expectations were high for the show. Some groups did a couple of Dead tunes and others did just one, which was cool, no big deal. The flow of the show was a bit jagged and staggered logistically, so there was a bit of down time which for me dampened the vibes a little bit. More continuity would have made the experience better, in my opinion.

GA: Yes, it was impossible to get in a groove. But will make for one fine $29.99 DVD, lots of professional recording equipment on stage. Biggest surprise of the night was how good O.A.R. was and how good The Disco Biscuits would be if they stopped playing that crappy jamtronica.

SM: I thought Disco Biscuits had a pretty good groove going, especially with adding their own style jam in the middle. Billy and the Kids too. I think what made their sets stand out is they did more than one song and had the opportunity to loosen up and bloom a bit on the Dead tunes.

GA: Also, Bill Kreutzmann on drums and Tommy Hamilton on stage — two guys who play dead tunes for a living.

SM: O.A.R.: It was cool to hear the island vibes from the song but they had a shaky start with the opening riffs and that set the tone for me. It wasn’t bad, but not my favorite of the night. I did enjoy the one O.A.R. show I had seen before outside of that though. I really enjoyed the refreshing arrangements by Trampled by Turtles and Yonder Mountain String Band playing stripped-down Dead. YMSB’s version of “Shakedown Street” had everyone’s attention.

GA: O.A.R., I thought they sounded great. His mic wasn’t turned on to start the song.

SM: It was tough to notice that in the wash of the crowd where I was. I don’t recall seeing Phil Lesh on stage throughout the night. Was he there at all? It would’ve been awesome to see them all play together, especially since I just missed getting a Dead 50 ticket.

GA: Communion (Phil Lesh, Stu Allen, Grahame Lesh, Ross James, Alex Koford and Jason Crosby) played the first four songs.

SM: I’m sad I missed Phil. I heard people mention him in passing and I hadn’t realized he was on the bill.

GA: It seems he still doesn’t want to play with these guys. Which is concerning for Dead 50. He really only seems to play Terrapin and Shapiro events these days.

SM: I do hope Phil settles his differences or whatever is going on for Chicago. I’m sure no one — the fans or the band — want to see the farewell shows dampened by differences.

GA: Audley Freed and Buddy Miller were also in the house band.

SM: The house band was pretty solid. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the stage well so it was tough from the projector to keep track of who was up there except for the announcements of the guest artist for a particular song.

SM: For me, the end of the show made up for what I missed at the start. It was a bit emotional and a tear-jerker. “Ripple” is one of those pretty songs to begin with. Now add a slide show with images of Jerry along with the song’s lyrics to encourage a 19,000-Dead Head sing-along. This was probably the best way to end the show, with something that rings out.

GA: I’m surprised that nobody mentioned that the house band drummer for the show was Raymond Weber, the legendary funky NOLA drummer and former member of Dumpstaphunk. He’s SOLID! There was a very funny exchange involving him in an episode of Treme that went like this: Bass player Cornell Williams asks with surprise, “I know you didn’t just tell Raymond Weber that he dropped the beat, did you?” “Yeah, I did,” Antoine replies. “Ray, when was the last fucking time you dropped the beat?” Williams asks. “Me? ’83,” Weber responds.

May 20, 2015
Sean Danielsen Comes to the Forvm

The Forvm was entertained to a wonderful night of rock bands going acoustic Tuesday night. Amherst had a special guest in town. Leader Singer Sean Danielsen was on tour doing his own acoustic music. Most people know him as the front man of the band Smile Empty Soul. I had the pleasure tosit with him before doors open and do a small interview and pick his brain on a few things. He was a down to earth delightful man to talk to.

Before doors opened bands arrived and started unloading all their gear. I had started chatting with the bands on the excitement from going rock to acoustic. All the local bands performing I have seen at least one time, and was very excited to hear them all acoustic. I was very interested to see how the arrangements were going to be.

6pm hit and it was time for doors to open. People filed in one by one and the venue filled up only about quarter of max capacity. Then the first band took the stage, this was Letterbox from Silver Creek New York. They are originally a four piece but they stripped it down to their vocalist Paul and main guitarist Andrew. This is how Letterbox originally started; this is how I knew them from years back. It was just Andrew and Paul. Then later down the line they added their bassist and drummer. Letterbox was a solid opener and played all their greatest hits and even entertained a new song that they have never played in public before.

Second up was John Harris, he treated the audience to originals and covers that everyone knew. This was John’s last show in Buffalo as he is moving to Syracuse in a couple of weeks to pursue his first love, jewelry. John is a full-time custom jewelry maker and does all sorts of charity work with big names such as Seether, and Ever Clear. He takes broken cymbals and creates custom works of art, they go up for auction and the proceeds go to charities. Next up was female fronted band Lost Elysium. There set was great Ashley’s captivating vocals rang clear through the venue. Now the band I was anticipating to see all night, Seven Faces. I have done work for them over the past couple years and have only known them as a hard-hitting in your face rock band. I spoke to drummer Chuck and vocalist Scott prior to the show they explained all the hard work they had put in and how they think this is something that could stick given the circumstances. I was pleasantly surprised to hear their set. It was entrancing and everything I hoped it would be.

Second last up was Christian Lawrence, also known as Opus, and Dead By Wednesday. Sounds little silly but I had the pleasure of talking to him a little bit before the show and had no idea of who he was until he got on stage. One of the most genuine musicians I have met. He sang mostly originals and they were all spectacular. I currently have his acoustic cd in my car and known almost all the lyrics word for word!

Then lastly was Sean Danielsen, if you weren’t there before the doors opened this would have been the first time you seen him. He remained in his trailer all night until five min before he was supposed to be on. I felt bad for Sean, when it was his turn to be on stage I could have counted the number of people on just my fingers and toes. Though the ones who did stay showed him all the love that he could ever need that night. He started off with songs like “Food Chain” and “Waves”. These were singles off his latest album Food Chain. Then he sang the song that made his main band Smile Empty Soul rise to fame. “Bottom Of the Bottle”. Everyone sang along to this song and showed his all the support he could ask for. As he finished his set he went and sat at his merch booth and talked to the small amount of fans that were left and signed a few things for everyone. It was a great performance by everyone that night and all the bands hard work showed in each of their sets. Not one individual left disappointed that night.

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May 19, 2015
In Flames Ignites the Town Ballroom

On Friday, May 15, Swedish melodic death metal pioneers, In Flames, brought their special brand of heavy metal to Buffalo. The crowd was treated to a powerfully diverse setlist, which covered the majority of the band’s extensive discography. In Flames was joined by Maryland’s djent authorities, Periphery, and Massachusetts’ metal sons, All That Remains.

Periphery took to the stage first and instantly got the crowd moving with a few beloved tracks from earlier in their discography. Their crushingly heavy sound, laced with choppy breakdowns and intricate overlays, forced their diehard fans to get the mosh pit going right from the start. However, the general consensus from the first few rows of fans was disappointment in Periphery’s song selection, since the rest of their set consisted of all new material from their newest albums, Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega.

It seemed as though all the fan-favorite songs had been left behind for this tour, but as an opening band, Periphery’s stage presence made up for it tenfold. These guys know how to have fun and how to get the crowd involved. One lucky fan even got the privilege of being the lead man in a circle pit, orchestrated by Periphery’s lead vocalist, Spencer Sotelo.

All That Remains followed and got a great response from the still-growing crowd. Vocalist, Phil Labonte had a lot to say about the negative feedback their last few albums have been getting. “A lot of people say they don’t like us anymore because our new stuff isn’t heavy enough, but we’re in the band and they’re not,” he commented, right before the band started a powerful ballad with mostly clean guitars and singing. Diehard ATR fans were delighted after hearing the tracks, “This Calling” and “Six” from their cult classic album, The Fall of Ideals, but for the most part, the crowd was divided between ATR’s fans of old and new. It was easy to tell the two groups apart. Older fans looked bored half the time, but the majority of the crowd mostly newer fans loved the entire set and emotionally sang along with every lyric. Either way, ATR had a lot of energy and a tight sound, keeping the whole crowd head banging the entire time.

Afterwards, In Flames took to the stage and dominated. They opened with ‘Embody the Invisible’, a cult favorite track from their 1999 album, Colony. Other cult favorites followed such as, ‘Clayman’ and ‘Bullet Ride’ from IF’s year 2000 release, Clayman. Aside from those three 15-plus year old tracks, the rest of the set covered a lot of musical ground. They made sure to play ‘Cloud Connected’ from the album, Reroute to Remain, and ‘Take This Life’ from the album, Come Clarity. Both of those songs get a lot of criticism from older fans, but they also carry a lot of weight. ‘Cloud Connected’, released in 2001, was the first song to get the band serious Western exposure in mainstream US metal, while ‘Take This Life’, went on to appear in a version of Guitar Hero after its 2006 release.

In Flames receives a lot of criticism the world over, mainly because of their drastic change in sound after getting noticed in North America in the early ‘2000s, but there wasn’t a single miserable expression worn during their set this past Friday night. Vocalist, Anders Friden kept the crowd entertained with his witty personality and at one point, initiated the first of many crowd surfers. He also pretended to not realize he was in Buffalo. “Don’t be offended if I accidentally say Boston a few times,” he joked about halfway through the set. It also happened to be IF bassist, Peter Iwers’s birthday, so as he is a huge hockey fan, the band got him a Buffalo Sabres jersey autographed by every member of the three bands playing that night and presented it to him on stage. Needless to say, the sea of Buffalonians loved every second of it.

IF’s latest album, Siren Charms, was the main focus point for the set, but they also included tracks from the albums, A Sense of Purpose and Sounds of a Playground Fading. They closed the night with ‘My Sweet Shadow’, a synth driven fan favorite from the album, Soundtrack to Your Escape. ‘My Sweet Shadow’ was a brilliant closer and scored IF a loud, roaring ovation as the outro faded out. Afterwards, fans darted to the guard rail in the hopes of catching a guitar pick or a drumstick before the guys respectfully disappeared backstage. It was a fitting end to a successful night, as In Flames did what they always do best: They left their fans wanting more.

Rest assured In Flames, Buffalo, NY can’t wait for your next visit.

May 19, 2015
Pokey LaFarge Stops and Smells the Lilacs

The first Rochester Lilac Festival dates back to 1898. It added musical entertainment just a few years later in 1901. Over a century later, in 2015, Pokey LaFarge would grace the Lilac Festival stage playing music that harkened back to the festival’s humble beginnings. While his music does pull from many early music influences like Western swing, ragtime, old-time country and jazz, it manages to rise above a simple throwback. Still, Pokey LaFarge was bringing the festival way back. And he was doing it playing his new and original music, leaning heavily on material off his latest release, Something In the Water.

Everything about LaFarge fits into the persona of the music. His name, his hometown of St. Louis, the way he carries himself, his incredible voice and the company he keeps. His band, with Adam Hoskins on guitar, Ryan Koenig on harmonica, banjo and percussion, Joey Glynn on upright bass, Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet and saxophone, TJ Muller on trumpet and banjo, and Matthew Meyer on drums, kicked the set off with a jazzy intro for their time-shifting leader to waltz out to. LaFarge amassed the perfect outfit to suit his musical vision. Not only in the instrumentation, but the players he has chosen match and enhance the old-time nature of the music both in their playing and persona.

Musically, the band was able to adjust to the needs of every tune, giving each one it’s own individual character. Even in reaching its goal of sounding old, it came across quite fresh. The band contracted and expanded, forming different configurations. When Meyer took a break from the drums, it left the audience to fill in with a dance of claps and stomps on LaFarge’s instruction. The horn players each had a turn on the bench as well. A trumpet or harmonica could be swapped for a banjo or percussion. And they all chipped in with their voices, each taking at least one turn on harmonies. Of particular note was a duet with Chloe Feoranzo on “Let’s Get Lost” off of LaFarge’s self-titled album.

The festival was blessed with an unusually hot opening weekend, prompting LaFarge to declare, “Let’s forget spring and skip straight to summer,” before kicking into “City Summer Blues” featuring Adam Hoskins on slide guitar. “Wanna Be Your Man” got TJ Muller up front and center with some nifty trumpet work. They closed out the set with a cover, a rousing rendition of Bob Willis’ “What’s the Matter with the Mill” that gave every member of the band a chance to shine on a solo and the crowd one last chance to dance in the grass under the hot sun.

The crowd had steadily grown throughout the set, as passersby from the festival grounds were drawn in to the sweet sounds of old-time jazz and country. The music might even have transported some from a Lilac Festival past. I could have sworn I saw some flappers out there…

May 18, 2015