Category: Show Reviews

Phish Release 11/22/94 Archive Show

In the middle of their 47-show U.S. tour in 1994, Phish stopped at the University of Missouri on a Tuesday and blew the roof off the place, and phans will now be able to relive the classic show in high quality with a new Live Phish release of 11/22/94

The “Buried Alive” opener comes in flying with a brisk transition to a clean and excitable “Poor Heart,” followed by a beautiful, vocally top-notch “Horn” > “Foam.” In addition to that hungry-energy unique to ’90s Phish, this show is extra special with its heavy doses of bluegrass thanks to the band’s five-day intensive training sessions not long before this show with Aquarium Rescue Unit’s Jeff Mosier.

The band’s infatuation with bluegrass at the time is clear as day in the second set; a raging “Big Black Fury Creature From Mars” ends acoustic and leads into a “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome” > “Little Tiny Butter Biscuits” > “My Long Journey Home” before resolving into an exceptionally patient “Bowie.” And the “Lizards” encore? Sprinkles on the icing on the cake.

The show was recorded by Paul Languedoc to digital multitrack and was mixed/mastered by Jon Altschiller. The sound quality is crystal, and even the crowd noise is a nostalgia overload, putting the listener in an intimate small auditorium setting with the band that is now gearing up for their return to Madison Square Garden for a four-night New Year’s run.

The new release is available through LivePhish and the LivePhish App. Tickets for this year’s MSG shows are available today at noon EST through Ticketmaster.

October 2, 2015
Aqueous Brought Their AQ Game to Rochester

There was nary a stone unturned when the two-set, three-hour concert that Aqueous presented at Flour City Station in Rochester was through. New songs were revealed, old songs were unearthed anew, peaks were reached and valleys were navigated.

A meandering slide-guitar-led intro, that sounded straight from the foothills of the Himalayas, acted as a Siren’s song drawing the dispersed crowd in toward the stage. As the fans drew near, the band launched into their fresh off the not-yet-pressed tune “Calling Out” — a sexy groover featuring ample Moog and wah. The journey started here, but the climb rose to a rocking plateau before falling into a delicate and beautiful space which built to yet another boisterous jam that reached into heavy metal territory.

And so it went for much of the night. Up and down and back around, musical explorations emerged from every corner. At times guitarist Mike Gantzer would act as the sherpa with nods, winks, hand motions or vocalized directions, leading the band together as a unified team. Other moments, the foursome (Gantzer, Dave Loss on keys and guitar, Evan McPhaden on bass, and newcomer Tom Vayo in only his fifth show on drums) seemed to find each other without prompting, a tight knit unit creating their own way.

A slowed-tempo cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Dancing Days,” an Aqueous debut, drifted into a wild Middle-Eastern metal mash. While that would serve as the only cover of the night, the band played it fast and loose with the teases. “King For a Day” was preceded by Jimi Hendrix teases and finished with the band noodling around with the Jurassic Park theme. The massive “All In” featured a short jam on The Beatles’ “Come Together” and a tease of Collective Soul’s “Shine.” Teases aside, this first-set closer was one of the night’s highlights.

It was more of the same in the second set, with Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive” showing up in Underlyer, followed by multiple Deep Purple references in “Don’t Do It.” Tony G, from opener Funknut, would lend a hand on keys for a short stint on “Don’t Do It.” The entire rest of the set was highlight worthy material, as the band took their complete “Complex” suite for a ride for the first time ever on stage. It featured more nooks and crannies than a Thomas’ English Muffin and the butter dripped deliciously into every one of them. The fun reggae groove of “Warren in the Window” was chiseled into a raging rock anthem to close out the set.

It was only appropriate that the encore would begin with another tease, this time Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” was the victim. There was time for one more “short one” so they launched into a near 20 minute version of “20/20” of course. Aqueous quit exploring as the clock struck 2am though it seemed like if the law would have allowed it, the band would have trekked onward indefinitely.

SET 1: Calling Out > Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Dancing Days* > King for a Day, Random Company+ > All In

SET 2: Underlyer > Don’t Do It^, Complex Pt. I > Wandering% > Complex Pt. II > Warren in the Window

ENCORE: 20/20

NOTES:
* Led Zeppelin, Debut
+ LTP 11/14/2014 82 shows
^ with Tony G on keys (Giant Panda/Funknut)
% Debut

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October 1, 2015
Ghost Performs a Ritual for a Sold Out Terminal 5

As the darkness rolled across Hell’s Kitchen, thousands of fans poured into Terminal 5 to see Ghost on Sunday, September 27. Touring behind their latest release Meliora, Ghost set out on their ‘Black To The Future’ North American tour last week. Since night 1 in Washington, D.C., Ghost has been packing venues and bringing their live ritual to the masses.

Papa Emeritus III of Ghost

Sunday’s show started off with the doors opening early to get some fans upstairs on the rooftop bar so security could clear space on the crowded New York City streets. Once doors opened to let fans inside the actual venue, space quickly filled up. Before opening band Purson even took the stage, the floor and both balcony levels were jammed packed. Unfortunately for fans who didn’t secure a spot along the rail on the top levels, it would be a tough night for them to see Ghost. Although the line of sight for many fans on the balcony was obstructed, it didn’t stop those fans from dancing and singing along with the bands all night.

After a quick set by opening band Purson, the house lights went dark and the smell of incense filled the air. The show started with “Spirit” as the Nameless Ghouls took the stage one by one before Papa Emeritus III appeared out of the center. Following the track list off of Meliora, Ghost then went straight into “From The Pinnacle To The Pit”. It was no surprise to see Ghost basically play their entire new album due to the high praise and success it’s had since coming out on August, 21st. Even though the band played most of Meliora, they still played a total of 6 songs of Infestissumam and 4 songs off Opus Eponymous. Fans of Ghost seemed to get everything they could have wished for on Sunday. The Nameless Ghouls who are the backing instrumentalists of Ghost are all fantastic musicians. Without being able to show facial expressions and interact with the crowd verbally, the Nameless Ghouls do a great job of expressing themselves behind the masks. The two guitar players mix perfectly with one another and get filled in with the percussion, bass and keys. Papa Emeritus III took the time to speak to the crowd between almost every song. Papa joked about “Frankie” (Pope Francis) being in town the same time Ghost was there but not coming to the show. Papa also shared with the crowd that his mother was at the show, although she wasn’t seen from the crowd.

Papa Emeritus III of Ghost

Towards the end of the night, the band went acoustic for a version of “Jigolo Har Megiddo” that didn’t slow the night’s performance down one bit. Even with an acoustic song, the wild New York City crowd was still moshing. Ghost may not seem like the band to create mosh pits but Sunday night there was something in the air. From the first song to the very last, giant circles in the crowd could be seen from above as fans threw down in the pit. During some songs a second smaller pit would develop in another area of the floor. Before ending the night with an encore performance, Ghost played their cover of “If You Have Ghosts” which was very fitting. To cap the night off, Papa Emeritus III took a poll of who in the crowd had seen Ghost before. As the majority of the sold-out Terminal 5 crowd raised their hand, Papa responded with, “Okay, everyone here besides you,” talking to a young lady in the crowd. He then told the girl to just mime the words like he does sometimes, which made the crowd laugh. Everyone at that point knew Ghost was ending the show with “Monstrance Clock.” The crowd dominated the song by singing along word by word with Papa. At the end of the song, Ghost left the stage and the night was over. Ghost said their goodbyes and thank yous prior to the encore and the crowd let them know they put on an unforgettable performance with a loud applause.

The ‘Black To The Future Tour’ just started and there’s plenty more dates around the U.S. to catch. For all the dates and other band information, fans can visit Ghost’s Website. Fans can also check the official Facebook and Instagram pages for exclusive content from Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls.

Ghost Setlist: Spirit, From The Pinnacle To The Pit, Ritual, Con Clavi Con Dio, Per Aspera Ad Inferi, Majesty, Stand By Him, Prime Mover, Body And Blood, Devil Church, Cirice, Year Zero, He Is, Absolution, Mummy Dust, Jigolo Har Megiddo, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, If You Have Ghosts, Monstrance Clock

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October 1, 2015
5 Seconds of Summer Brought the ‘Rock Out with Your Socks Out’ Tour Through SPAC

5 Seconds of Summer brought their Rock Out with Your Socks Out Tour to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center along with Hey Violet from their record label Hi or Hey Records. Fans arrived early to see the band 5SOS brought along for their first headliner of this magnitude. The Rock Out with Your Socks Out tour had proven to be extremely successful for the groups up to this point and the show at SPAC was no exception.

Hey Violet kicked off the night with an energetic set filled with crowd engagement. All throughout their time on the stage members encouraged fans to get involved in the set and have a good time. From the moment they took the stage they had the feel of a 2000’s girl fronted pop-punk group much like Paramore when they started or Hey Monday. They elicited a strong reaction from the crowd with original songs such as “You Don’t Love Me Like You Should” and “I’m There”. The strongest part of the set came with their cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” with their own unique punk flare mixed in throughout the song. Fans really seemed to enjoy their set and remain engaged through its entirety singing along when they knew the words and dancing along when they didn’t.

As time grew closer to when 5 Seconds of Summer was scheduled to take the stage the excitement could be felt throughout the venue. An image of a clock flashed across the projector screen counting down the time until the set would begin. This had fans screaming with excitement from the moment it started and increasing in volume as the seconds ticked away closer to zero. When the clock struck zero the incredible production and showmanship started; drummer Ashton Irwin kicked things off with a drum entrance for their opening song, “End Up Here” off of their 2014 self titled release, while he rose from the ground up to the top of his riser. They also played “Don’t Stop” and “Long Way Home” off of that release. After “Long Way Home” it was time for one of the highlights of the evening; 5 Seconds of Summer searched the audience for one lucky fan to bring on stage to help with guitar during their song “Rejects” which had every pre-teen and teenage girl off their feet screaming at the top of their lungs hoping to be selected.

Another noteworthy aspect of their set was their candid happy birthday performance with the audience for Tyler Szalkowski, lead guitarist for the Albany pop-punk group State Champs. Pure Noise Records’ State Champs recently supported 5 Seconds of Summer on their last Australian tour. Seeing such a fun moment shared among friends certainly made the show a unique experience for everyone in attendance. 5 Seconds of Summer have been very active in promoting smaller bands from the pop-punk and heavier rock genres including State Champs. Also among those bands are Sleeping with Sirens, All Time Low, Beartooth and many more talented groups.

Fan favorites like “Amnesia” had what seemed like the entire audience singing along to every word. However, the energy reached a new level for their cover of the Green Day song “American Idiot” and did not fall as they carried on into “Kiss Me, Kiss Me,” their current single “She’s Kinda Hot” and arguably their most well-known song “She Looks So Perfect”. They finished out the show on a high note with “Good Girls” and “What I Like About You”. 5 Seconds of Summer put on a high energy, extremely well produced set that will keep fans coming back every time the group returns.

September 30, 2015
Carolyn Kelly Blues Band and Charlie Musselwhite Bring the South to Syracuse

Southern flair washed the Westcott Theater in spicy fits of harmonica and blues guitar Sunday, Sept. 13. Carolyn Kelly Blues Band opened, the leading songstress demonstrating her powerful vocals for a mature, introspective crowd. Nearly every audience member was seated, either in the rows of collapsible chairs closer to the stage, or further back on the beer keg stools clustered around small bar tables. They sat quietly, listened thoughtfully and applauded graciously after each song. Kelly was joined by Terry Mulhauser (guitar), Don Sollars (drums), Jerry Neely (keyboard), Jim Pavente (bass), and special guest Skip Murphy on harmonica.

For their final number, Kelly announced, “It is Sunday so we’re gonna’ take it to church on this one,” then reaching deeply into her soul, bellowed a rich opening solo of “Amazing Grace” before the band joined in. The historically statuesque crowd came alive, feeling compelled to clap along to this final number, revved up by the intensity of the band’s performance.

Charlie Musselwhite and his musical crew including June Core (drums) Steve Froberg (bass) and Matt Stubbs (guitar), followed quickly after. Musselwhite attempted to warm up the crowd calling out “It’s so quiet in here. We got some blues in the house tonight,” as if reminding the audience they were permitted to be a little more rowdy. A spunky performance of “River Hip Mama” proved too irresistible for an older woman to the left of the technical booth as she whipped out her shiny iPad to snap a quick video. Musselwhite brandished an impressive set of pipes given his seniority in the blues scene, hitting every note like a pro.

Singing aside, Musselwhite’s harmonica maneuvers are largely what draw crowds. His masterful playing produced a sea of shrill pitches mixed with more mellow hums, delivering that thirst-quenching satisfaction blues harmonica offers fans. Stubbs’ blues-rock persona could have given the allusion both visually and sonically that he was the long-lost third member of the Black Keys. With greased, combed back hair, scruffy beard and sporting dark t-shirt and jeans, his heavier guitar riffs completed the allusion.

Musselwhite played with the crowd a little, prefacing “Stranger in a Strange Land” with the inspiration behind the song, which came from his experience as an eighteen-year-old looking for a factory job. He began, “A couple years ago when I was 18…” and the crowd chuckled. He continued, “Sometimes it still feels like I’m eighteen, though it’s fleeting.” Musselwhite vibed a mix of old wisdom and young charm, effortlessly switching between modest humor and sly sauciness.

September 29, 2015
Three Days Grace Shines, Pop Evil Shows no Heart to End Summer in Clifton Park

Three Days Grace and Pop Evil took over Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on a beautiful, end of summer day. Hundreds of area rock fans lined up outside the venue sharing their past experiences and opinions about various music subjects along with the usual Matt[Walst] vs Adam [Gontier] debate that every fan must express their vast opinions over.

This show really looked good on the tour poster, but in the end fell flat and somewhat disappointing. There was nothing really memorable or notable about the show except the feeling that some who took the stage, were just going through the motions. Both Three Days Grace and Pop Evil are currently touring in support of new studio albums.

Pop Evil was set to hit the stage first. Upstate Concert Hall was packed wall to wall with fans ready to get the night started. Fans sang in unison to Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer”, as it played over the house speakers while they waited for the band to take the stage.

Pop Evil hit the stage around 8pm for a forty-five minute opening set. Fans cheered louder and louder as each band member became barely visible on stage in the dark venue knowing the show was about to start.

After a small pause, the band started things off with their hit single “Deal With The Devil,” from their third studio album Onyx.

It was clearly visible that frontman Leigh Kakaty was not into performing. The uninspired performance came off as bad karaoke as he butchered song after song. It was amazing that someone of his talent would put forth an effort like this to paying fans. His expressions and body language were as if he couldn’t wait to be doing something better. Kakaty was so off-key during the song “Last Man Standing,” you would think he was doing it on purpose. To Kakaty’s credit, he did perform the songs from their current and forth studio album Up, with a little more heart.

The rest of the band put in a very energetic set. Joshua “Chachi Riot” Marunde behind the drums is a show all of its own. Chachi is one of the most animated live drummers out there as he gestures to the lyrics. Bassist Matt DiRito is another one to watch onstage. DiRito loves to gyrate and play to the crowd as he sings along to the songs. Kakaty stated that this was their last show on the Three Days Grace cycle. The band then ended with their song “Trenches.”

After a small break for stage hands to tear down, set up and test gear, Three Days Grace chants started throughout the building as the lights dimmed in the venue.

Three Days Grace one by one made their way onto the stage for the first song in the set “I Am Machine,” which is off their current and fifth studio album Human. Human is the first studio album recorded with current frontman Matt Walst.

Walst shows a lot of liveliness on stage but sometimes comes off as trying to be something he’s not to overcome the fact that he is not Adam Gontier. He does a great job singing all the 3DG hits and showed tons of heart, passion and emotion on stage. Matt showed signs that he is becoming more comfortable as frontman for 3DG since joining the band over two years ago. Walst changing his image from his time in My Darkest Days to mimic Gontier does not help fans forget the fact that they wish Adam was on stage singing, but that shortly went away once the music starts and Walst was embraced by fans

Walst got up close and personal with fans in the crowd several times through the night as he left the stage for the security barrier to sing with the more than willing fans. Walst tried several times to start a circle pit during the bands set. Unfortunately for Walst, two factors were not going to allow that to happen as the venue was packed tight with a mixed crowd of all ages who were there to support their love for rock music and to sing along with the show rather than get rowdy.

Guitarist Barry Stock loved playing to the crowd as he threw out several guitar picks to fans in between songs. Stock seemed very blissful playing for the fans. Even breaking a string on his guitar during the song “Pain,” couldn’t wipe the smile off Stock’s face.

Coincidently, drummer Neil Sanderson broke one of his snare drums in the middle of the song “Break,” which sent their stage manager scrambling and replacing the drum in seconds. Between the songs “Home” and “Painkiller,” Sanderson played an exceptional drum solo to the delight of fans.

During the song “Home,” 3DG transitioned into a cover of the song “Sober” by Tool, then blended back into the finish of “Home.” Fans sang every word to every song on the set list. Three Days Grace ended the night with fan favorite “Riot.”

Pop Evil Setlist: Deal With The Devil, Last Man Standing, Dead In The Water, Torn To Pieces, Ways To Get High, Take It All, Hero, Footsteps, Disarray, Trenches.

Three Days Grace Setlist: I Am Machine, Just Like You, Chalk Outline, So What, Pain, Break, Human Race, Home (Sober Interlude), Drum Piano Interlude, Drum Solo, Painkiller, Fallin Angel, The Good Life, I Hate Everything About You, Never Too Late, Animal I Have Become Encore: The Real You, Riot.

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September 29, 2015
Little Big Town Performs Under a Rare Supermoon Eclipse

Little Big Town (LBT) performed at Tag’s Summer Stage in Big Flats, NY under a rare super moon eclipse. Kimberly Schlapman of LBT said it best — “We have been together for 17 years and have never had this happen. Look to the heavens tonight and enjoy the view, normally we would be offended if y’all look away but not tonight. The next time this happens wont be until 2033 when we’re all old and sittin’ on our front porch sippin’ sweet tea”

It was a nearly sold out show at Tags Summer-stage and the crowd was beyond excited to see LBT after an original postponement from earlier this summer.

Up and coming Nashville artist, Cam opened the show with David Nail coming on stage next with a “follow your dreams” message with hits including “Whatever She’s Got,” “Kiss You Tonight” and “Night’s On Fire”.

Little Big Town opened their set with “Day Drinking” followed by “Quit Breaking Up With Me” and “Front Porch Thing”. The 20 song set was packed with all their hits including “Painkiller” and “Little White Church,” and of course for the encore, “Girl Crush”.

The harmony-smashing quartet looked and sounded amazing with their signature vocals, melodies and hooks. Jimi Westbrook, alongside band-mates Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Karen Fairchild sounded as good as ever following throat surgery earlier this summer.

Setlist:
Day Drinking, Quit Breaking Up With Me, Front Porch Thing, Pain Killer, Bones, Faster Gun, Little White Church, Bring It On Home, Tumble and Fall, Pavement Ends, Sober, Your Side Of The Bed, Smokin and Drinkin, Things You Don’t Think About, Turn The Lights On, Save Your Sin, Tornado, Pontoon

Encore:
Girl Crush, Boondocks

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September 29, 2015
Nothing More Packs The Lost Horizon

There aren’t many bands that have been on the road as much as Nothing More as of recent. After countless opening slots on tours and a few headlining gigs, Nothing More are out on the road once more headlining the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, which came through Syracuse to the Lost Horizon Sept. 23. Monster Energy put together a tour with not only an awesome headliner but with three other great bands — The Color Morale, Turbowolf and Separations.

The Lost Horizon show was the sixth show on the tour. From the time Separations came on stage, both levels of the floor were filled up with fans waiting patiently for Nothing More. Although many fans were there to see the headliner, they were open to seeing some other great bands. Both Separations and Turbowolf did a good job of getting the crowd involved in the set. Although both sets were on the short side, the bands got to get their music and message to the crowd. Those who were interested in more were invited to the merchandise booths in back to hang out and meet the bands.

After Turbowolf ended their set, The Color Morale took the stage. These guys were a late addition to the tour after Marmozets had to drop off last minute. Marmozets were forced to cancel their tour due to a knee injury by one of their members who ended up needing surgery. Even though The Color Morale were added on late, it didn’t seem like they were short of any fans there. These guys really got the Lost Horizon moving and kept security busy. From start to finish, this band had the crowd on its feet, moshing, and being all around wild. The Color Morale were definitely ready to get on this tour and show Nothing More fans they have what it takes to hang on the road.

After The Color Morale left the stage and the lights were dimmed, fans knew who was ready to come on stage and close the night. With new drummer Ben Anderson behind the kit, Jonny Mark and Dan came out and jumped right into their song “Christ Copyright”. The best thing about seeing a headlining Nothing More show is that they’re playing a bunch more songs than an opening set. In other words, they play almost their entire self-titled album Nothing More. Unlike most albums these days, Nothing More put out a killer album from start to finish last year and have been riding on it ever since.

The entire night was filled with good vibes and amazing energy from the band and the crowd. With a small venue, the guys in the band were up close and personal with the crowd all night long. One of the best parts of catching a Nothing More show is seeing the amount of fun they have on stage and how happy they are playing for fans. The night wasn’t as smooth as Jonny Hawkins, who’s the lead singer, would have liked it to go though. To start things off, Jonny’s in-ear monitors died on him. Jonny decided to try and play without them, but quickly decided he needed them as he couldn’t hear himself. The blame was placed on the crowd for being too loud according to Jonny, while he laughed and got a backup set. The backup set saved the night for Jonny who almost lost them during the bass solo. While Mark and Dan were on the bass, Jonny sat on the floor looking for his lost monitors. Once he found them though, it was an easy night the rest of the time.

Nothing More ended the night with 3 monster tunes “Jenny”, “This Is The Time (Ballast)” and “Salem (Burn The Witch)”. Every single person in the crowd at the Lost Horizon knew “Jenny” and showed the band that Syracuse loves Nothing More. The crowd knew after the band played “Jenny” that they needed energy for two last songs. When the opening riff for “This Is The Time” started, both levels of the Lost Horizon were on their feet, jumping up and down and pumping their fists in the air. To end the night, Jonny said there would be no wasting time walking off stage making fans wait for an encore. The band told fans they needed everything they had left and in return Nothing More would give them the same. Nothing More ended the night with “Salem” which is the only song they played that evening that was not from their latest album. This tune had everyone in the band playing with drumsticks. Jonny, Mark their guitar player and Dan their bass player all joined Ben on their personal drums to smash along to “Salem”.

With a busy rest of the year touring, Nothing More has their mind set to make a new album at the start of 2016. Fans can look forward to that and Nothing More coming back to the Syracuse area soon.

September 28, 2015
Photo Review: Starset Delivers A Stellar Demonstration In Erie

Unknown to many in attendance for the Breaking Benjamin and 10 Years show at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA on September 16th, the poster for the event made no mention of the band Starset, who would set the mood for the evening. This was merely because they were a later addition. As the crowd gathered, filling the general admission area of the floor in addition to both of the levels of seating on either side of the venue, they eagerly waited to get the show kicked off with 10 Years. As Starset took the stage, they were met by a large number of blank curious stares. Who is this band?

The band is Starset, a Cinematic Rock Band out of Columbus, Ohio. Consisting of vocalist, Dustin Bates, Bassist Ron DeChant, Guitarist Brock Richards and Drummer Adam Gilbert. Why are they called Cinematic Rock? For starters, their album Transmissions, which is woven with orchestrated interludes, gives the album a soundtrack feel. It’s their on stage performance that is truly out of this world. Not only do they feature two giant LED screens on either side of the set, but also a giant touch screen used to deejay the electronics for the on stage performance. The LED screens play space related content that coincides with the music. If that wasn’t enough, the band members wear space suits, which have recently been fixed with jet packs and masks that feature a variety lights and colors.

As their performance progressed, so did the energy of the crowd. The blank stares that surrounded at the beginning of the night had transformed into enthusiastic shouts among those in the crowd who had began singing along. With each performance, Starset’s fan-base seems to expand. The band’s on stage energy and presence coupled with their symphonic sound and cinematic visualizations captivates and leaves you hungry for more.

Starset is a band with a message. A message commissioned by an organization known as The Starset Society. What is that message? You can read more about by visiting their webpage. Starset’s debut album Transmissions was released in July of 2014 and landed at #49 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. You can still catch Starset on tour at many announced locations, with additional locations still being added both on their website http://www.starsetonline.com/ by looking under “Demonstrations” or via their Facebook page.

Starset Erie setlist: First Light, Rise and Fall, Down with the Fallen, Halo, Telescope, Carnivore, The Future is Now, My Demons

September 24, 2015
L7 Sells Out Brooklyn’s Warsaw

In the ’90s the punk/grunge music explosion was primarily dominated by male fronted bands. However, there were a few female bands who defied the norm and managed to take the scene by storm. One group of women who managed to gain worldwide recognition was the Los Angeles punk quartet, L7.

Originally formed by Donita Sparks and Suzy Gardner in 1985, the band has had a remarkable career. They have had numerous hits such as the smash breakthrough songs “Pretend That We’re Dead” and “Andres.”

Flash forward to 2015, I’m standing in line at the famed Brooklyn punk concert hall and Polish National Home, the Warsaw, the show is SOLD OUT and L7 is playing! The last time I saw L7 was over 20 years ago and I feel the same excitement as I wait for the show to start as I did back then.

With a packed house, I could feel the momentum building as the fans waited for L7 to hit the stage, and then it happens, smoke rolls out , the amp hum is heard, guitars are plugged in and BAM! Donita, Suzy, Jennifer and Demetra hit the stage wasting no time ripping right into “Deathwish” from their album Smell The Magic. Without a pause, they lit right into the mega hit “Andres.” During the song, bassist Jennifer Precious Finch miss-stepped and fell off the stage. To prove that she is still in top form, Jennifer kept right on playing, never missed a beat and jokingly quipped when the song was over, “eh, who needs notes? Notes are overrated.”

The ladies belted out a massive 18 song set with most of the songs from their most well-known albums, Smell the Magic, Bricks are Heavy, and Hungry for Stink. They ended the evening with their fan favorite song that always gets the crowd pumped, “Fast and Frightening.” L7 thanked the crowd, said goodnight and left the stage, leaving behind a drove of wild fans chanting and begging for more. Twenty years later, L7 has proven that they are without a doubt one of the most powerful female punk rock bands of all!

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September 17, 2015