Category: Rock

Dead and Company Kick Off Fall Tour in Style

Grateful Dead shows have a certain history in Albany, and ever since the opening of the Knickerbocker Arena in 1990, now the Times Union Center, Deadheads have flocked to the Capital District. At the start of Dead and Company’s Fall tour, the crowd enjoyed warm pre-show weather and an even hotter show inside as Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart brought John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti along for the strong start to a promising tour.

Opening with “Playing in the Band” was an apt way to welcome the two newcomers – Oteil and John – into the fold, and set the tone for the night. Fan favorites “Cold Rain and Snow” and “Tennessee Jed” followed and the bar was set. Mayer nailed the Jerry tone throughout the show, particularly during “The Music Never Stopped,” “Lost Sailor,” “Help on the Way”>“Slipknot,” and “Space”>”The Other One”. He is a great choice to fill the Jerry role as Trey Anastasio and John Kadlecik were in different iterations of Grateful Dead alumni shows.

Although restrained early on in the show, with Bob Weir setting a slower pace for songs, Mayer burst forth on “Bird Song,” a highlight of the first set. Periods of good jamming emerged from “Drums”>”Space”>”The Other One,” and a perfect segue into “Slipknot!” provided the highlight of the second set. “Franklin’s Tower” had atypical singing of later verses and a rough transition from “Slipknot!”, but some rust can be expected on the first night of the tour. As the next few weeks progress, the sound will become more cohesive and develop an even more well honed sound from this supergroup.

Dead and Company, Times Union Center, Albany, NY 10/29/15
Set 1: Playing in the Band > Cold Rain and Snow, Tennessee Jed, Feel Like a Stranger, He’s Gone, Bird Song, The Music Never Stopped
Set 2: Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance, Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower, Drums > Space > The Other One, Stella Blue > Not Fade Away
Encore: Touch of Grey

Listen to the show via Archive.org

October 30, 2015
Welcome to Buffa-vento

It was a misty cool mid-Autumn Tuesday evening, in a quiet revitalized corner of Buffa-vento at the Iron Works. Sometime after 9 p.m., the three women of And the Kids (Hannah Mohan on guitar/ukelele, Rebecca Lasaponaro on drums and Taliana Katz on bass) came on stage and sparked up a flame. A fire of music to gather around and keep us warm.

And the Kids are indie rock upstarts out to prove that the East Coast’s answer to Portland, OR is not Portland, ME, but Western Massachusetts. They mismatched glittery face paint with outfits of dark grays. However, the music was full of color. Mohan’s angular guitar leads were backed by driving bass and drums, while her unique and wide-ranging vocal delivery was often outlined with perfectly placed backing harmonies. The songs were short blasts of catchy yet off-kilter pop gems, each one feeling like it could be the song that catches them a big break. Original band member, keyboardist Megan Miller, was deported to Canada earlier this year. Being so close to the border, the band paid tribute to her with their song “No Countries” off of their latest Turn To Each Other. They squeezed 13 songs into their 45 minute set, pulling heavily off their newest release, including the hypnotic round-like vocals of “Neighbors,” and “Cats Were Born,” with its startling screams of “Aiyeeeee!”

After a short break, with the flames cooling down, Marco Benevento and his bandmates, Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums, came out to throw some more wood on the fire. Wearing a top hat and pink sunglasses, Benevento was clearly ready to get the party started with some color of his own.

Benevento’s unique take on music has grown to be wholly unique and more than a little difficult to describe. It borrows from rock, jazz, funk, classical, pop, techno etc., without ever residing within any one of those. Most impressively, a Benevento song can be a singalong with lyrics or without.

His customized upright piano makes ample use of effects pedals to become his own personalized synthesizer keyboard. When he wants that pure sound of hammers hitting strings, it’s right there waiting for him. No synthesized piano sound, no matter how expensive, can ever capture that. He also has the luxury of reaching inside and holding down the strings, creating a cool staccato effect, as he did during a long intro solo for This Is How It Goes.

After a couple of Beatles teases (“Norwegian Wood”, “Eleanor Rigby”) early on in the set, it was pure Benevento from then on out. Though there were hints of Steve Winwood’s playing here and a flourish reminiscent of Bernie Worrell there. He took many an opportunity to ham it up with the crowd as well, carrying a small keyboard out front and dancing around like a quasi rock star. Later, on “Limbs of a Pine,” it would be more of the same, this time singing at the front of the stage while capturing it all with some selfie GoPro filming. In the middle of the soundtrack-esque “Fireworks,” Benevento broke into a rambunctious barrelhouse blues number that appeared to be completely improvised. The man is playing by his own rules, on his own whims, and his band is right there every step of the way, never missing a beat.

The most thrilling moments however, came when the Dreiwitz and Borger weren’t following, but right in the thick of it. On “Escape Horse,” Dreiwitz opened with a mean slide bass solo before channeling the late Allen Woody with some monsterous bass blasts, while Borger slammed away on the skins producing one of the more rocking moments of the night.

Late in the set, they played a couple of new tunes off an album due out next April. “Follow the Arrow” was a funky number, with some elements reminiscent of “Thriller” thrown in. Another new one, “Dropkick,” will be released on a special 45 in November for Record Store Day.

The show closed with a one-two punch off of Swift. “Witches of Ulster” had Benevento performing a mid-set wardrobe change as he swapped the top hat for a seasonally-appropriate witches wig and hat. Then they finished off with “At the Show,” ensuring that all in attendance would have the impossibly infectious song stuck in their heads for the rest of the week. Benevento had once again made his own unique mark on Buffalo. Welcome to Buffa-vento.

October 28, 2015
Misfits and She Demons Manifested Mayhem at Water Street Music Hall

Misfits fiends and She Demons devotees got plenty of attitude thrown in their faces Tuesday Oct. 20 at Water Street Music Hall. The two bands stopped in Rochester as part of the Misfits ‘Static Age’ Revisted tour during which they played through the entirety of the 1977 album along with some newer material. A gravelly “Rochester, how the hell are ya tonight?” uttered by She Demons’ Priya Panda (bass/lead vocals) set the stage for an evening bleeding with playful hostility.

Panda leading the all-female group, was joined by Constance Day (guitar), Kiki Wongo (guitar), Alicia Vigil (bass) and Jessica Goodwin. Formed by Misfits frontman Jerry Only, the femme fatales assembled on stage and began their set under the cover of darkness. Stage lights soon illuminated their presence, driving back the shadows that briefly bathed their opening song in mystery.

If there had been a level of authenticity to their performance, it was lost as soon as the lighting exposed their overdone facial expressions. Panda’s growly tone with the crowd seemed forced to the point that she could actually have made herself hoarse from the strain. Though very obviously contrived, maybe even a little eye-roll worthy, their personas fit the bill for a band concocted by the creative hand of Only, who thrives in that fabricated ghoulish environment.

Panda’s comfort level on stage was probably the most genuine aspect of the performance, shamelessly rocking the glam punk rock facade. The swivel of her hips on stage flaunted an undeniable sex appeal. Her hollered vocals were at times strong but more often crept into the realm of cheesy musical status. She redeemed the performance ever so slightly during the last song with a quick acrobatic bend backwards, kicking one leg toward the ceiling, before righting herself in a frenzied hair flip.

As the stage transformed for Misfits to take over, mic stands wrapped in a tangle of plastic skeletal arms and skulls were brought forth. Other skull accouterments accumulated, and before long it looked like a Halloween store had exploded on stage. All that was missing was a healthy tangle of acrylic spider webbing dangling from the light fixtures above.

Once assembled, Misfits, featuring Only (bass/lead vocals), along with son Jerry Caiafa (guitar) and Eric Arce (drums), bulldozed their way through the seventeen song Static Age album. The quick changeover between the collection of short-lived songs (many only last a minute and a half) transmitted a feverish hysteria through the crowd, driving the front mid section to burst into fits of moshing for nearly every tune. One audience member, adorned in a sky-high, well-manicured deep purple mohawk actively engaged in the raucousness, no doubt leaving some to wonder how the hair would survive the experience.

While on the subject of fashion, though some moshers may have been jeopardizing their own aesthetic, those sporting studded leather jackets seemed rather threatening to their thrashing comrades. In the flurry of shouldering and body slamming, there must have been a good handful of people walking out of the venue, sweaty foreheads imprinted with a distinctive pattern of metal shoulder embellishments.

Of course fashion can’t be discussed without mentioning the Misfits’ attire. Father and son both featured the trademark slender spiked proboscises neatly glued to the center of their foreheads. The bulkiness of Only’s structurally intricate black and red vest adorned with a smattering of spikes, straps and a skull on the back collar was mildly reminiscent of a first grader’s over-stuffed backpack on the first day of school.

Not at all restricted, Only strutted around stage, frequently switching sides with Caiafa and leaving no opportunity for their stage presence to stagnate. Underneath the guise of overly styled hair and ghostly makeup was a trio of musicians seeking to provide an authentic punk rock experience to their rambunctious crew of fans. When a gentleman in the crowd pumped his fist to emphasize his enthusiasm, Only smiled, giving a subtle but gracious nod in gratitude.
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October 28, 2015
Young the Giant Tour Kickoff; Keeping Their Word to Burlington, VT
Thursday night in Burlington, Young the Giant healed some broken hearts by more than making up for their February 12 show cancellation at Higher Ground. Their sold out October 22 show was not only their tour kick-off show, but also their make up date for that cancellation in February. Much to the delight of many, all tickets from the previous date were honored. This was one crowd that were elated to find out that Young the Giant are good for their word.

Wildling opened up the night with a solid set and jubilant tone. Talking to the crowd about their excitement to be on the road with Young the Giant, after only being a band themselves for a year’s time, before launching into a unique cover of Neil Young’s classic, “Heart of Gold.” Their sound is easy to digest but interesting enough to keep you actively listening. “Hummingbird”, an early single, is especially catchy with a powerful tribal beat. Overall, I was reminded of bands like Band of Horses and Kings of Leon, neither of which is a bad thing for a young band to be compared to. Gauging by the audience’s response throughout their set, Wildling was the perfect choice for support on this tour.

The electricity that could be felt in the crowd right before Young the Giant took the stage was palpable. Anticipation gave way to euphoria as the band exploded onto the stage, with fans transfixed on the band from the first note. Never has there been a more welcomed sequined jacket in the lives of concert goers, than the one worn by frontman, Sameer Gadhia. He was a literal light on stage; a bouncing ball of reflective kinetic energy, with a voice that became the heartbeats of hundreds of people. Sameer spoke to the audience between songs more than once, about the bands gratitude and appreciation of their fans, thanking them for their support and reiterating that he really means it, from his soul. He even encouraged fans to stop them and talk to them after the show because, as he put it, “we’re all just people”. Those moments really seem to set the tone for the show, making it feel less like indie rock band royalty and their fans, but more like a community of music lovers, all in it for the same thing.

Over their roughly 90 minute set, Young the Giant covered a wide range of material from both their self titled album, and Mind Over Matter, with their monstrously successful 2011 single, “Cough Syrup”, the clear crowd favorite. During that song, everyone in Higher Ground was singing outloud, and can you blame them? That song launched a brightly defined career for 5 gracious musicians from Irvine, California.
October 24, 2015
Wilco Treats The State Theatre to a Gem

Upon mention of the name Wilco, for some, the term “Dad Rock” immediately comes to mind. This term has become ubiquitous over the past year and a half; used to describe music that appeals to an older generation that resembles music from an earlier era. It was originally used as a put-down in a 2007 Pitchfork review of the band’s Sky Blue Sky album.

While Wilco’s music can sometimes echo the Super Sounds of the 70s, witnessing the band live reveals a band that is out to rock you regardless of your age. If your only exposure to Wilco is from its studio releases, you’re missing half the experience. Wilco is a band that begs to be seen live to fully appreciate its talent.

Whomever decided it was a good idea to preserve the old theaters throughout Upstate New York, despite all of the urban renewal efforts of the 70s and 80s, deserves a huge pat on the back. Upstate has a plethora of gorgeous old theaters perfect for hosting shows such as this — from the Palace Theatre in Albany to the Stanley in Utica, the Capitol in Rome, the Landmark in Syracuse to this gorgeously renovated old theater in Downtown Ithaca — beautiful venues are bountiful in this area of the state.

The assemblage at the sold out State Theater in Ithaca on Sept. 23 was treated to four shows in one. Nashville native William Tyler opened with a brief, but impressive, four song set of solo acoustic and electric songs. Tyler, throughout his set, made no secret of his extreme appreciation in having the opportunity of opening for Wilco.

While he was seated for the majority of his set, Tyler quickly had the audience standing and appreciating his slick guitar style on songs reminiscent of old school country, Delta Blues and Clapton. Tyler’s appreciation for the city and venue was apparent when he stood to show off the Grateful Dead t-shirt his sister had bought him pre-show. He also made mention of the Dead’s legendary Barton Hall show at Cornell in introducing his new duds to great applause. This talented man put on an impressive set and if he doesn’t become a household name in the near future, it will be a surprise.

Wilco took the stage promptly at 9:00 p.m. and ran through their latest release Star Wars, an album sprung upon an unsuspecting fan base as a free download this summer, in its entirety. It was a fairly straight forward run-through of the album and was politely received by the audience, if not yet entirely familiar to them.

The “third” part of the show finally brought the crowd to its feet, as Wilco dropped the A Ghost is Born track “Handshake Drugs” featuring the classic melancholy line “I was chewing gum for something to do…” This is where the headliner truly took the stage and had the fans hooked.

Jeff Tweedy

A distorted run-through of “Camera” moved smoothly into the techno-beat intro of “The Art of Almost” from 2011’s The Whole Love. It was at this point that the audience was truly all-in on this show. Seat numbers no longer held any meaning as people began to make their way from the back of the cozy theater to stand at the front of the stage to witness the Wilco madness. Tweedy recognized those who made the move while playfully scolding the front row ticket holders for not jumping at the opportunity sooner.

Fan favorite (then again, almost all are), “Via Chicago” didn’t disappoint as the acoustic turned cacophonous with drummer Glenn Kotche and guitarist Nels Cline’s break out mid-song creating a frenzy of sound and light behind a seemingly oblivious Tweedy maintaining the soothing tone of the lyrics.

Wilco recently re-released a special vinyl version of its debut album A.M. and has been dipping into some of those songs on this tour. This show was no different, with the appearance of “Box Full of Letters,” the Pat Sansone-helmed “It’s Just That Simple” and the subdued, yet still rocking, version of “Casino Queen,” which was done acoustically during the second of two encore sets.

When attending a Wilco show, the true show is in witnessing Cline. Equal parts shredder, jazz aficionado and honky tonk slide guitarist, he leaves it all on the stage every night. It isn’t uncommon to see the remains of what used to be perfectly fine guitar strings dangling from Cline’s head-stock at the end of a particularly nasty “Impossible Germany.” And while his strings remained largely in tact on this night, Clines, commanded the attention of the State Theatre crowd, drawing roaring ovations throughout the show.

Nels Cline

Following a well-received “Impossible Germany,” Tweedy had some words with a few ambitious amateur photographers at the front of the stage; imploring them to enjoy the show in front of them rather than through the screen of their smart phone. After offering an apology for his dislike of the cameras, he joked about the bands new favorite place to play…Montreal (where they had played previous to Ithaca) to laughter from the crowd. The twenty-five song set concluded with another A Ghost is Born track, “The Late Greats.”

After a brief break, the band came out to a scorching ten minute version of “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” that had the crowd dancing along and Tweedy performing a “kitty cat dance” with “paws” in a defensive posture.

Another break had the stage crew assembling an array of acoustic instruments for the finale of this four-part show. Sansone switched over to banjo, Clines to slide guitar and pianist Mikael Jorgensen downsized to a melodica.

“Misunderstood,” the Woody Guthrie-penned “California Stars” and “Shot in the Arm” all engaged the audience in a sing-along. The close stage set-up made for an intimate small room feel for the remainder of the show, all that was missing was the campfire.

After twenty years and several line-up changes, Wilco is a band that still enjoys doing what it does. To see fire in the eyes of Jeff Tweedy and smoke from Nels Cline’s fret board after all these years, is truly a joy to behold. A joy that will continue into the new year with a fresh slate of eastern U.S. tour dates beginning in Pittsburgh on Jan. 25. This brief tour will make a few New York stops, including a two-night stand at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester and two sold out shows at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre. Go for the music, stay for the show.

Setlist:

Wilco
September 23, 2015
Ithaca, NY | State Theatre of Ithaca

01 – More…
02 – Random Name Generator
03 – The Joke Explained
04 – You Satellite
05 – Taste the Ceiling
06 – Pickled Ginger
07 – Where Do I Begin
08 – Cold Slope
09 – King of You
10 – Magnetized
11 – Handshake Drugs
12 – Camera
13 – Art of Almost
14 – Via Chicago
15 – Box Full of Letters
16 – Hummingbird
17 – Forget the Flowers
18 – Red Eyed and Blue
19 – I Got You (At the End of the Century)
20 – Heavy Metal Drummer
21 – I’m the Man Who Loves You
22 – Dawned On Me
23 – Jesus, Etc.
24 – Impossible Germany
25 – The Late Greats
Encore:
26 – Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Encore:
27 – Misunderstood
28 – War On War
29 – It’s Just That Simple
30 – Casino Queen
31 – California Stars
32 – A Shot in the Arm

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October 23, 2015
Grunge Legends Unite to Form Ten Commandos Project
Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepard have collaborated with Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Alain Johannes and Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan to form Ten Commandos, a hard-rock grunge group whose self-titled debut album will be released in late November.

The 10-song album features rock musician Peter Frampton and soul musician Nikka Costa. Frampton will perform on the track “Sketch 9,” while Costa sings on “Come.”

The record’s opening track “Staring Down the Dust” was released as a single on Oct. 9, featuring Lanegan’s raspy vocals over dirty guitar parts and heavy drumming with enough angst to teleport you back to 1990s Seattle.

Ten Commandos is available to be purchased on pre-sale at PearlJam.com. CDs are on sale for $11.99, while vinyls cost $22.99.

This most recent project is just the latest of Cameron and Shepard collaboration projects. The two played together in the band Hater, founded in 1993. Hater released two albums, the self-titled album released in 1993 and The 2nd, released in 2005.

Cameron and Shepard also paired up in the group Wellwood Conspiracy, which released four studio albums between 1997 and 2003.

Soundgarden is currently recording their seventh studio album, to be released in 2016.

Ten Commandos song list
- Staring Down the Dust
- War on the Peace
- Outermost Sky
- Come
- You Might Forget
- Sketch 9
- Sporthalle
- Four on the Floor
- Aware
- Invisibility
October 22, 2015
Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach Tour Shows Rock is Not Dead in Glens Falls

Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, In This Moment and From Ashes To New, drove their tour buses into Glens Falls on the last stop on their current tour, and showed the fans that packed the Civic Center why rock music is not dead, but fully alive kicking. All the bands will head off to play the Rock Allegiance Festival in Chester, PA.

The Monster Energy Drink fueled tour had everything you need in a rock show minus the pyro, as the venue does not allow it, but with the connection the fans had with this great lineup of rock stars, it wasn’t needed or missed as the chemistry between the bands and the crowd created enough sparks to burn the house down. This show had combinations of heart, passion, emotion, theatrics, charisma and of course, tons of energy.

From Ashes To New excelled as the opening band on this show. FATN set the tone for the night with a very energetic interactive set. Right out of the gate FATN had the fans engaged. As opener’s, FATN wasted no time talking and just played all their hits made popular on Sirius/XM Octane among other singles of their two Ep’s.

Concert goers who were not familiar with the band were instantly hooked by the bands energy, look and catchy style of rap-rock metal songs. Dual singers Matt Brandyberry and Chris Musser, flow off each other and have great chemistry. Brandyberry’s raps mixed with Musser’s screams and melodic hardcore hooks were spot on. After a fascinating all out performance, I’m sure FATN’s Facebook and Twitter pages jumped in likes and followers after their incredible set.

You can see From Ashes To New on tour this November when the hit the road with Like A Strom.

FATN Setlist: Downfall, My Fight, Land of Make Believe, Lost and Alone, I Will Show You, Through It All, Stay This Way

In This Moment’s home town girl, Schenectady native Maria Brink brought her theatrical style of live performing to the stage. Fans sang in unison to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” which introduced Brink and the boys to the stage.

Maria stood front and center in her black widow outfit for the first song of the night “Sick Like Me.” This would be the first of many costume changes through the night as Brink has an outfit and theme for every song on the set list.

Besides theatrics, Brink sort of brings a pop element to the stage as she has two back up dancers who dress in full costume, with a choreographed routine for each song. Brink stated that its feels great to be home and talked about performing her first show at the QE2 and at Bogies in Albany.

In a different but cool way, Brink goes into full theater mode during the song “Sex Metal Barbie.” She stands at a pink podium dressed and sings the song as if she’s giving a speech to the crowd, which only someone like Brink can pull off.

The last song of the night “Whore,” Brink dresses like a school girl and sits on a stool with a dunce cap on her head. The word whore is painted to look like blood in red on the front of the cap. Brink described the meaning behind the song, as taking something negative and turning it into a positive and the taking that into something bigger.

In This Moment Setlist: Sick Like Me, Black Widow, Blood, Sex Metal Barbie, Big Bad Wolf, Whore

Papa Roach took the stage first as part of the co-headline tour. The black curtain hiding the stage dropped to the first song of the night “Face Everything and Rise (F.E.A.R).” Right after, fans erupted when the first note of “Between Angels and Insects” started. Papa Roach was all about business from the start and blazed through the first three songs.

Frontman Jacoby Shaddix said to the crowd “You love that $#!t,” to a huge crowd response after singing “Getting Away With Murder.

The ultra charismatic Shaddix, then asked the crowd how they were doing by saying “Motherf***ers in Glens Falls, NY how you f**king livin’ tonight?” The crowd responded with a deafening roar which prompted the hyped up Shaddix to say “That’s what I’m f**king talkin’ about, Friday night baby, you guys f**king partying tonight?” Fans were eating up everything Shaddix was saying.

Shaddix then said “Yo check this out we are Papa Roach, and we are f**king grateful to f**king be here tonight. We f**king love you guys, but what I want to see on this f**king next song y’all check it out. I wanna see this f**king whole place jumpin’.” Shaddix then asked fans , “Are you with me?” The more than over willing fans screamed with readiness . Shaddix now wanting to get more involved with the crowd then said “lets see what your made of but only when I say go.” Shaddix then introduced the next song Warriors.

Shaddix got up close and personal with the crowd during Warriors. Shaddix walked throughout the lower half of the arena slapping hands with fans before returning back to the stage. After the song Shaddix said “Now we have a f**king rock and roll show on our hands.”

The next song Forever, Shaddix dedicated to all the ladies in the crowd. While the intro played, Shaddix asked the crowd if they were having a good time. Shaddix then pointed to some fans up close and said that he knows they are having a good time cause he can see the fire in their eyes.

Shaddix introduced the band one by one during the intro to Hollywood Whore. He started with guitarist Jerry Horton. Shaddix looked to what he called his main motherf***ing man back there on drums Tony Palermo. Shaddix then told Palermo he was a bad motherf***er, as Palermo laughed. Shaddix then said over on bass we have monster, his name is Tobin Esperance. Shaddix then said who the fuck cares what my name is, lets push some rock and roll. Shaddix and the crowd then sung the intro to Hollywood Whore together.

Before Falling Apart, Shaddix had to acknowledge the fans up in the seats by saying “F**k yeah, I’m felling you up there, how you guys up there?” Shaddix then added “I see we have some P Roach fans up there, nice fucking t-shirt homie f**k yeah thanks for representing tonight.”

Shaddix then stated that this was the last show and it has been an awesome tour. Shaddix then stated “In This Moment, Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch what the f**k, best tour ever man its been f***ing awesome. It’s an honor to share the stage with those guys.”

Shaddix gave a speech how the band came about. He talked about how they started in high school as a garage band when Shaddix was sixteen. Shaddix then went on to say next thing you know Papa Roach doing this s**t f***ing world-wide twenty-two f***ing years later. Shaddix then added “So anybody who’s f***ing got big dreams, keep f***ing chasing them if you know what im f***ing saying.”

In Shaddix’s attempt to be Moses, he wanted to bring it back to old school Papa Roach days and asked each side of the floor to part in the middle for what he call the Braveheart or the Wall of Death. Shaddix then said when he says go, he wants each side to bum rush each other to create one huge mosh pit. The band then played “Blood Brothers.”

Shaddix and Horton sat on a small elevated stage in the middle of the arena floor and played an acoustic version of “Scars.”

In a scene fans have been waiting for all night, Maria Brink joined Shaddix on stage for a historic moment as they sang their collaboration of “Gravity,” before ending their high-energy set with “…To Be Loved.”

Papa Roach Setlist: Face Everything and Rise, Between Angels and Insects, Getting Away With Murder, Warriors, Forever, Hollywood Whore, Kick in the Teeth, Falling Apart, Blood Brothers, Broken as Me, Scars, Gravity, Where Did the Angels Go?, Still Swingin’, Last Resort, …To Be Loved

You think fans would be spent by the energy this show has displayed thus far but fans also must have been fueled by Monster Energy as well. Fans were now ready to explode for Five Finger Death Punch waiting for them to hit the stage. As the venue turned to black, fans started a FFDP chant.

Once again the black curtain fell to Five Finger Death Punch and the first song in the setlist “Lift Me Up.” FFDP kept the trend going by getting straight to the point ripping off song after song to start the night. Frontman Ivan Moody had a red handprint painted on his face to resemble their mascot Knucklehead.

FFDP put all the rumors to bed, as the band looked like a tight-knit band of brothers who were having fun on stage and showing no signs of animosity between them. These five amazing musicians may be five totally different personalities, but together as a unit FFDP has endless chemistry and talent and raw emotion.

In normal Five Finger fashion, the band paid tribute to all the men and women in the armed forces by playing their cover version of Bad Company.

Before the song, Ivan Moody asked fans in the crowd who have served, or are currently serving, to put their hands up. Moody the said “Keep your hands up. Everybody else see those hands? You shake them, you thank them and you buy them a beer for our fucking freedoms.” The crowd reacted with a thunderous roar and even louder U.S.A chant.

As Moody looked for Jason Hook to start things off, Hook teased Enter Sandman as Moody played to and sang with the crowd until drummer Jeremy Spencer purposely stopped the song as the fans kept singing on cue despite him stopping the music. This prompted Moody to tell the crowd to say “F**k you Jeremy,” the crowd obliged. Spencer respond with a 5 second drum solo, stood up and gave the crowd two middle finger’s.

Moody then asked Hook to give him something. Hook then started playing Crazy Train only to have Zoltan take away Moody’s mic after the fist line of the song.

Hook showed off his incredible guitar playing skills. Moody then jokingly said to Hook “Jason stop flirting, lets play the song that we dedicated to the armed fucking forces.” The band then played Bad Company.

Before FFDP got into “Jekyll and Hyde” from their new album Got You Six, Moody asked for some of the lights to be turned down because he couldn’t see a thing. Moody the said “Turn off that spotlight I’m not Axel Rose.”

Moody then asked how many fans had their new album. The crowd went nuts which made Moody stop and say “Wow, you guys are rowdy.” Moody then reiterated and asked the crowd how many of you actually bought the f***ing thing? Then asked how many downloaded it to a small amount of cheers. Moody then said “Oh so proud, you cheap son of a b***h,” which made the crowd laugh. Moody then said “It’s alright though. It’s only like fifteen bucks, so you can like work at McDonald’s for like an hour and a half and you got it,” to more laughter from fans.

After a top-notch drum solo by Jeremy Spencer, It was now that part of the show where FFDP looks for the next generation of metal fans to bring onto the stage for the next song “Burn MF.”

Moody though was looking for a certain someone that he wanted on stage he met while he was walking his dog before the show. Moody not realizing the girl made it up to the stage, said thank you for making his day as he turned around to notice the girl was behind him. Moody then said “There you are,” and stated that she looked so much like his own daughter. Moody asked her for a hug and if she wanted a Monster (Energy Drink). Now Moody was back to business as he said “So now were gonna show them how the big kids do this.” Moody then violently screamed into the mic “Open it up,” then said “If you don’t wanna get hurt, now is the right time to get the fuck out of the way.”

Moody and Hook slowed it down a bit as they played an acoustic arrangement of “Wrong Side of Heaven.” They continued acoustically through to the song “Battle Born.” The rest of FFDP joined them on stage to finish the song electric.

Before FFDP played “Burn it Down,” Moody said that Zoltan keeps stopping him cause he wants to play something heavy. Moody the dedicated the song to all the crazy motherf***ers in the mosh pit. After the song ended Moody’s love for the crowds energy said “You guys are f***ing nuts.” FFDP ended the set with “Coming Down.”

Fans chanted for the band to come back out for an encore. Fans didn’t have to wait long as the band came back out and played “Under and Over It.”

Moody then wanted to get something off his chest that he said would only take a second. Moody stated “Social media sucks d**k. I don’t have a Facebook page, I don’t have a Twitter, I don’t give a fuck about any of that shit. So if you ever see one that says Ivan L. Moody, fuck that shit. Here’s the reason. Anybody on the internet can say anything at any given time, and immediately it’s considered true. Eighty percent of my life is you guys, this band and my family and that’s it. The other twenty percent belongs to my dog.” Moody then thanked the fans for coming out and not believing the B.S. Moody asked for everyone to put their lighters and cell phones in the air to light the venue then introduced the last song of the night, The Bleeding.”

Five Finger Death Punch Setlist: Lift Me Up, Hard to See, Never Enough, Got Your Six, Bad Company, Jekyll and Hyde, Drum Solo, Burn MF, Wrong Side of Heaven, Battle Born, Coming Down Encore: Under and Over It, The Bleeding

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October 16, 2015
Hearing Aide: Coheed and Cambria’s ‘The Color Before the Sun’

Most bands find it difficult to keep finding new inspiration to put out records that don’t tarnish their legacy. This is especially true when they find themselves recording their ninth studio album which is the situation Coheed and Cambria find themselves with The Color Before the Sun. What’s interesting about this particular record is that it’s the first to not be a part of the overarching story that has been made up of their previous albums. The Color Before the Sun deviates from what has come before it, but not in musical quality. The band is as strong as ever and has put together another solid entry in their catalog.

The album kicks off with a strong and big power pop opener in “Island” which also happens to be one of the standout tracks. The album is definitely split between slower more emotional songs and the big catchy hook driven tracks. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Infinity On High era Fall Out Boy for their ability to blend multiple genres of music but retain that pop atmosphere. “Colors” brings things more in line with traditional Coheed sounds where as “Ghost” creates a great emotional midpoint to the album. The way some of the slower songs are structured shows off singer Claudio Sanchez’s voice as well as a little experimentation with the guitars. The band has been known to draw influence from prog music but this album definitely doesn’t go to that well often. This is much more of a straight forward album which isn’t a bad thing at all. The band still gets to show their musical chops but does it in a very pop radio friendly method. Sanchez’s signature higher pitched vocals cut through and he has a few standout moments showing off how much control he has over his voice.

Perhaps the best track on the record is “Atlas.” I can see this becoming a staple of their live show for years to come. Again it brings a big pop hook and gets the record back in an upbeat swing as it heads into its second half. The lead single “You Got Spirit, Kid” reminds me a lot of early My Chemical Romance which is a style of music sorely missed in 2015’s pop landscape. I know I’ve made a few references to Coheed sounding like other bands but make no mistake, this album is 100% them. It’s a testament to how they’re able to take influences from many styles of music and combine them into their own unique sound. They’re a band that when you hear them, you know it’s them. Few bands are able to do that these days and often finding themselves blending into the mix after an album or two. Even less of those bands are able to carve out a legacy and absolutely devoted fan base like Coheed and Cambria.

I have to pay special attention to the album closer, “Peace to the Mountain.” This song builds to a fantastic ending not just for the song itself but for the album as a whole. As the song comes to its finale, horns and strings come into play accompanying the full band. I love when pop and rock bands are able to pull this off. It’s tricky because many times it can come across as forced or even sounding bad as the band wanted to cram too much into one song. This track is an excellent example of the musicianship the band has to offer. The added elements here make this song feel big and important. It’s a great way to finish the record giving that feeling that the ride is now over.

I love the fact they were willing to stray from their bread and butter with the concept albums. I’m sure this allowed the band to feel a little less restricted but at the same time this isn’t a radical departure from what has come before. They’re still the same band. Maybe a little more simplistic in direction but again, that isn’t a negative. Far too often bands are condemned for making a record with a bit more simplicity in mind but many times this forces more creativity to come out. While this isn’t a crazy prog rock masterpiece, it can be just as hard to write a solid timeless pop record. Coheed and Cambria are still writing great songs and can be proud to add another fantastic album to their discography with The Color Before the Sun. If you’re a fan, you’ll want this and if they’re new for you this is a great entry point.

Key Tracks: “Island” “Atlas” “Peace To The Mountain”

October 15, 2015
Darius Rucker Following his Heart to Where the Music Leads

Sometimes a conversation enlightens you and broadens your ability to appreciate things even more so than you already do. This was the case after speaking with Darius Rucker. Known to most as the lead singer to the Grammy Award winning group Hootie and The Blowfish, Darius Rucker had already made his mark on music lovers nationally in the genre of rock/pop.

Why in the world would an artist of his caliber decide to switch genres and “go country?” How would the country genre accept him? What was the motivation behind this need to follow his musical journey down a new road?

I had an opportunity to speak with Rucker about his career, his beloved Charleston, South Carolina, and what motivated him to make this move towards what has become his true calling.

Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi Darius, thank you so much for speaking with us at NYSMusic. We are really looking forward to your shows here in New York and want to give you a warm welcome.

Darius Rucker (DR): Thank you.

KS: You were born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Were you raised in a musical household?

DR: Well everyone in our house sang. We sang a lot. Especially my mom. She sang all the time. And my sister as well. There was always music being played whether it was the radio or the big ol hi-fi we had. So yes, I would say it was a musical household.

KS: What are a few of your earliest influences in music?

DR: Early on for me Al Green was just everything. I can remember being a little kid (around 4 or 5) and hearing his voice and hearing him hit those notes. I remember thinking ‘that’s what I want to do. I want to do what Al Green’s doing’. He, as well as Gladys Knight and the Pips. Then when I got a little older, like 6, 7, 8, or 9 I started really getting into AM radio and that’s when it just went across the board. The Opry shows, Kenny Rogers, or Cheap Trick. Anything I could hear (influenced me), literally anything.

KS: I, like many others, have followed your career since Hootie & The Blowfish days. You are one of those artists that have been able to successfully cross over from rock to country and you did it so seamlessly. Talk to me a little about that transition, and what made you decide to go from a very successful rock career into a new genre such as country music.

DR: You know, we had been touring for a while. We had been on the road pretty much every summer since we all got out of college. One of the band members mentioned that they didn’t want to do it every year any more. Ever since the late 80’s I was big into Foster and Lloyd. Then Radney Foster came out with his solo record Del Rio TX 1859, and I just remember hearing that record for the first time and after hearing that record I would tell anyone who would listen, that I was going to make a country record some day. I had never thought of singing it, until I heard that record. I just wanted to sing that record. I wanted to sound like that. I wanted to be that. So I said, someday when I get the chance I’m going to make a country album. When we decided to take a break, I was like, I’m going to make my country record. And to be honest with you I didn’t think I could get a record deal.

KS: Really?

DR: I wouldn’t have given me a record deal. I mean why? There was this African-American guy that just came from a very successful rock band, they had a great run and are out touring, so why would some country guy go ‘yeah I’ll give you a shot’? I wasn’t even looking for a record deal to be honest with ya. I was going to do it here in Charleston with my buddies. And then my manager got me a record deal with Capitol. It was fun making the record and then all the hard work started with the tour; going to 10o something radios stations, shaking hands, saying hey, and playing for six people in the cafeteria or the conference room, a lot of work but all in all it was fun. I had a great time and I’ve made some great friends who are still great friends on that tour. And finally we convinced them (the radio stations) that “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” was a song that they should play, so they did.

KS: I have to tell you, to me it seemed very seamless. It was one of those things that just seemed like it was meant to be.

DR: I think so.

KS: So right now you’re touring with your new Southern Style album, which is your fourth solo album. Talk to me a little about this new album and what you hope listeners will take away from it.

DR: I hope they take away how much fun I’m having in country music. The songs are always important to me, that’s why I write so many, and to come down to such a small number of thirteen when you write 50 something, it tough to decide but you want great songs on it. You can expect great country music on it because it’s a lot of fun,this album. And it’s been great playing it live and seeing the crowds singing along with the songs.

KS: Is it tough to choose which you decided to put on an album? And the others, do you say I’ll put these back here because I’ll put those on another album.

DR: We keep a lot of them, but some of them we try to get cut by other folks. Every record there are 50 songs I think are great, that I love, but I just can’t cut an album with thirty songs.

KS: Right, exactly. Now I have to say, for several years I lived in Charleston and it became “my happy place”. When you live there it becomes something very special to you. It’s rich with history, culture, architecture, and has a peace that is tough to put into words. When listening to “You Can Have Charleston”, I think you captured some of that emotion I feel towards the city. Talk to me a little about that song and some of the others from that album that focus on that area.

DR: Yeah, Charleston, that’s a great way to say it. It’s “my happy place” That’s a wonderful thing you just said because I think it’s the most wonderful place in the world. I’ve been a lot of places and this is where I want to be. I choose to live here. I can live anywhere in the world I want, but I choose to live here, because this is where I want to be. “You Can Have Charleston”, is such a great song. I love it. When Frank Rogers brought it to me, I thought to myself I wish it was a little more positive but the positiveness of the song for me is how much he loves the city and can’t believe he is leaving it. He loves her and he just can’t stand it, as that’s the last thing in the world he wants to do. That beginning verse with the topsails and the Clydesdale, that’s my life. That’s my city.

KS: In 2012 you had an experience where you joined Old Crow Medicine Show on the stage at The Grand Ole Opry where you sang a little song that was originally sketched by Bob Dylan and modified by Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show — Talk to me a little bit about that experience.

DR: Oh that was so great. Those guys have been so great to me. We had played the Opry two or three times together where we played “Wagon Wheel”. I can remember after I cut it and started hanging with those guys, I was talking to Ketch and he said ‘I heard your version of it and I love it’. I was like ‘thank you, that means a lot’. Their version is just perfect. And he was like ‘I realized when I wrote that song a long time ago I was going to have to play that song for the rest of my life. So you better look out, because you are going to have to play that song for the rest of your life’. Sure enough, he’s right. Every time I play a country show, I play that song. It’s so cool to have a song that iconic, and to just be a part of that song and the greatness of that song, it deserves to be in the Library of Congress. It will always be one of those american classics. Long before I remade it, it was just a perfectly great song. Written by two guys at two different times of their lives, and is just a wonderful piece of work.

KS: The interesting part of this is that the original lyrics were just a few lines jotted down by Bob Dylan and then Ketch Secor picked up and expanded upon it making it the iconic tune we know today. That song has actually taken you on quite a journey. Talk to me a little about when that song hit and what happened afterwards.

DR: We released it, and then all of a sudden it took off. It took off. You know, we play it everywhere and people love it, my fans just love it. It was one of those songs that you stand out of the way and let it happen.

KS: I can remember the night you received the Grammy for it. It was an amazing evening for you and the song. That same year you were invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry. Talk to me a little about that evening.

DR: When I first met with Mike Duncan to sign my record deal I told my management I want to play The Opry as much as I can because it’s important to me to some day be a member of The Grand Ole Opry. I want to be a part of that family. And we did, and we worked hard and when they asked me to be a member of The Grand Ole Opry that was probably the first moment that I thought ‘okay, this is really happening. I’m really a part of country music’, and it was a great feeling. It is truly amazing to me that they kept that from me for a month. My kids knew for like six weeks and didn’t tell me that.

KS: How did they do that? That’s so impressive.

DR: Yeah, they were like 8 and 12 back then, and they didn’t tell me. You’ve got to be kidding me? I’m there and I’m singing my song, and Brad (Paisley) comes up and he says that to me, and I look over and all my friends and family are there. I was like ‘wow, how did you pull this off?’ It was great!

KS: That’s wonderful. And speaking of wonderful, for some that may not know, each year you get back together with the guys from Hootie & The Blowfish to reunite to perform. Tell my readers why this is so special.

DR: Oh it’s a big thing for Charleston. There are people who have seen us for years around the country, some may live here, some even plan vacations around it. They come down to Charleston for the week, see our shows, and in turn we get to help our community. The great things we get to do, for example, the roundup where we get kids and give them haircuts, and dental exams, and eye exams, shoes, backpacks, and all the school supplies they need. And all of this comes from that show. So we keep doing it so that we can help out.

KS: Now you’ve done a Christmas album, Home For The Holidays. What prompted that particular album?

DR: Well I’ve been asked several times by people if I had thought of doing a Christmas record. I had thought about it, but didn’t think it was time. So last year when it was brought up, I thought it was time. So we sat around and we said ‘let’s make something old school’ like those Christmas records we used to listen to. So we tried to make something cool and laid back, and great cool arrangement. I’m so proud of that record, so proud of it.

KS: As a journalist I have this long list of people I’ve always wanted to interview, such as yourself. Who is on your bucket list, what is something you still would like to accomplish?

DR: Ohhh…good question. Lots of crazy stuff. I still want to be on the big screen at The Superbowl, I still want to meet Sir Paul McCartney, I still would love to be in a Martin Scorsese movie, see I want crazy stuff.

KS: Seems doable to me and I hope you can do all of those things! Thank you again so much for speaking with us and we can’t wait to welcome you to our area this October.

As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t help but feel like I had just made a new friend. What a great guy. What an honestly true human being. I had already felt a kindred spirit with him being that he’s from “my happy place”, Charleston, South Carolina. After our conversation though and learning so much about him as a person, as well as an artist, I truly admired his spunk, his vision for his life, dedication to achieving his dreams – TWICE, and his overall genuine demeanor.

It was a few weeks later after I conducted this phone interview that I had the chance to watch another interview Darius Rucker did with Dan Rather for his show, The Big Interview. I saw once again the same genuinely decent person speak of his journey, sharing intimate parts of his struggles, his losses, and victories. When asked by Dan “Why do you think it’s working for you in country?” Darius replies, “..I think the main reason is that people realized how real it was for me. It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about trying to be a superstar. I was going to do this in the basement with my buddies. It was about the music. I wanted to be country. I wanted to play country music”.

Personally, I can’t wait to see his upcoming show and see my new Charlestonian friend rock the country music as he has rocked all the music he’s performed all these years. I strongly urge you to take in one of two shows he will be playing here this month in New York to see what I’ve seen. He will play Oct. 22, at the Oncenter War Memorial in Syracuse. Then he will trek on down the road to Albany on the Oct. 23 where he’ll play once again at the Times Union Center. Joining him on his Southern Style Tour are newcomers David Nail, and Cam. Both amazing artists that are blazing up the charts with hits.

If I had to describe Darius Rucker I would tell someone he’s a musician that is truly a risk taker, a trail blazer, a door opener, an odds beater, a hard worker, and a genuinely kind man. It was my pleasure interviewing him, and I can’t wait to see this low country fella tear up the stage living the dreams he always wanted and playing the music that was always in his heart.

October 14, 2015
Rock Allegiance Festival Sells Out PPL Park

On Saturday, October 10, metal-heads from all over the Northeast made PPL Park in Chester, Pa., its final destination. PPL Park was host of this year’s Rock Allegiance festival which was sponsored by Monster Energy. Since the festival only lasted one day, it needed to have a lineup that would draw fans from all across the Northeast. The festival promoters couldn’t have done a better job at putting the lineup together because weeks before the event, PPL Park was sold out. With a lineup consisting of numerous bands that could have headlined, Rock Allegiance was set to be a success from the start.

Saturday’s forecast was perfect for the event, consisting of warm weather and sunshine. The beautiful day definitely helped fans get to the stadium early to get things started right after 11 a.m. With three stages going all day, there was something for everyone. The bands that opened the morning and early afternoon were no amateurs. Bands such as Unlocking The Truth who are still in their teens, took the Rock Allegiance Tent Stage and immediately demanded the circle pits to be started. That type of crowd control and confidence will definitely keep those youngsters going for a long time. Other bands such as Devour The Day and Red Sun Rising, kept the early afternoon rocking on the two stages set up inside the stadium.

                                               From Ashes To New

The 3rd band of the day to take the Tent Stage was From Ashes To New. This band has been on the road with Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach and In This Moment, all who were also at the festival. From Ashes To New drew a huge crowd for their set time and they were phenomenal. It’s no surprise now why they were on the road with those other bands. The energy and style this rap-rock band was very refreshing because many new bands today go toward the scream vocals and heavy riffs.

Shifting to the main stages afterward, The Glorious Sons took the stage for a quick set of hard-rocking blues rock. They were definitely the band that stuck out the most, but not in a bad way. Although many fans weren’t there to see them specifically, The Glorious Sons got love from the respectful crowd. After they were done, all the attention shifted to Stage East for Nothing More. At this point, if someone hasn’t heard of Nothing More or hasn’t at least heard “Jenny” or “Mr. MTV”, they’re living under a rock. There hasn’t been a band moving up the ladder this fast in quite a long time. Lead singer Jonny Hawkins and the rest of the band put on one of the best live performances today. They’ve been on the road for quite some time now and are taking cities by storm. The crowd at PPL Park definitely could have gone for a longer set because 30 minutes was certainly not enough. The next band that played inside on Stage West was Atreyu, who just released Long Live on September, 18. This was their first album in six years and these guys got a huge welcome. This band may have been overlooked on the lineup due to all of the other big names, but Atreyu proved they still have what it takes to be on the main stage. Lead singer Alex Varkatzas spent most of the set down in the crowd getting up close and personal with people in the front row.

                                                     Nothing More

In the meantime while Nothing More and Atreyu were rocking the main stages inside, the Charm City Devils and Superheaven were playing over in the Tent Stage. After their short sets were done, Pop Evil took over back inside the stadium. Touring on behalf of their recent album Up, Pop Evil played a mix of material from their newest album and Onyx. Pop Evil is a band that works off of the crowds energy and they shined on Saturday. The band looked like they were having fun on stage and they sounded great. As soon as Pop Evil ended, the crowd ran over to the Tent Stage to catch a set from the Butcher Babies. The Butcher Babies are a heavy metal band fronted by Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, two of the most metal chicks in the music industry today. These two ladies take control of the stage and put on an unforgettable performance. The girls jump all over the stage and get down on the crowd to sing with the audience. Anyone who decided to skip out on seeing their set missed an awesome show, but luckily the Butcher Babies are always on the road. Their newest release Take It Like A Man will surely keep them on the road for some time. Speaking of girls in metal, right after the Butcher Babies were done, In This Moment took over PPL Park. With a full stage production with costume changes, choreography and more, Maria Brink and the rest of the band proved why they are one of the top metal bands in the scene today. Although the band has a handful of albums now, their two most recent releases Blood and Black Widow have given them radio play and mainstream success. The crowd sang every word with Maria throughout the entire set. In This Moment seem to get better and better every time around and their performance at Rock Allegiance is proof.

                                               Bring Me The Horizon

One of the craziest crowds of the day had to be for Bring Me The Horizon. Even with a throat infection, singer Oliver Sykes made sure the crowd was left bloody with broken bones just as he demanded. The infection didn’t seem to affect Oliver one bit. The band was spot on and had the crowd in their control before they even took the stage. The fans waiting in front of the East Stage were definitely waiting for BMTH all afternoon. Touring in support of their latest release That’s The Spirit, Bring Me The Horizon has been packing venues left and right the last few weeks in the States. All of the momentum they’ve gained at the smaller shows seemed to explode at Rock Allegiance on Saturday. While Bring Me The Horizon played, new “supergroup” Saint Asonia played over in the tent. Fans of Three Days Grace and Staind were surely over in the tent watching Adam Gontier and Mike Mushok. Their self-titled album has been all over the radio since the announcement of the group and debut at Rock on the Range earlier this year. The original voice of Three Days Grace and axe man of Staind seem to blend perfectly together and have created something nobody expected. Their setlist was mixed with singles off their album and covers of Three Days Grace and Staind.

Even with all of the bands mentioned so far, Rock Allegiance was not even half over. After Saint Asonia, Jacoby Shaddix and the rest of Papa Roach took over PPL Park. There’s never a Papa Roach show were Jacoby leaves the crowd disappointed. The crowd for Papa Roach was definitely the most so far out of the day. The highlight of the set was when singer Maria Brink of In This Moment came on stage to join Jacoby in singing “Gravity”. Fans who caught the tour with FFDP, Papa Roach, In This Moment and From Ashes To Knew were definitely expecting this duet because they have been doing it nightly. Watching Jacoby and Maria sing the song together was one of the top moments of the day. During Papa Roach’s set, Hollywood Undead competed for audience in the Tent Stage. It was a hard decision to make for fans to pick one or the other. Papa Roach easily had the majority of the crowd, but the tent was still packed for the rap-rock band. The guys came out in their signature masks and carried on their performance like they weren’t competing with anyone.

                                   Papa Roach

As the sun went down and the night grew cold, Five Finger Death Punch took the East Stage and got the crowd on their feet and moving. Even with a shorter then normal set, Ivan and the rest of FFDP put on a great performance with a mix of material from their catalog. Unfortunately, the band only played 2 new songs off their latest album, Got Your Six which were “Got Your Six” and “Jekyll and Hyde”. With such success on the charts, many fans were hoping for more of the new material then some of the older. FFDP has always been a band that supported the country’s armed forces and they showed their appreciation Saturday night. Ivan took one fan’s sign that read he had been deployed and had the entire band sign it. As usual, Ivan invited some youngsters on stage to rock out to their song “Burn MF.” During the song, Ivan high-fived the kids and gave them energy drinks, guitar picks and arm bands. What Five Finger Death Punch does for their fans and the troops is a prime example of how every band should be.

One of the best crowds of the day, hands down, belonged to Boston rockers Godsmack. Sully Erna is one of the best in the business when it comes to putting on a rock show. Sully makes sure the crowd is into the performance and if they’re not, he’s going to change that. The band recorded the song “Something Different” which is going to be used for a new documentary. During the song the crowd reaction was amazing to watch from the stands. Every person was jumping up and down singing along with Sully. Another highlight of the set was the usual “Batalla de los Tambores” with Sully and Shannon. For those unfamiliar with that song, it’s the dual drum instrumental where Sully and Shannon both play on their own drum kits and Robbie and Tony rock the bass and guitar. They play their own song while mixing in riffs from Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC and more. The night was closed out with a cover of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” and then their classic hit, “I Stand Alone”. Godsmack could have easily closed out the entire night, but there were still two more bands to go.

While Godsmack was rocking the stage on the right, the stage on the left was empty with the iconic Korn album backdrop from 1994. With the 20th anniversary shows being common recently, many fans were expecting Korn to play the entire debut album. The set started off in that direction with “Blind”, “Ball Tongue”, “Need To”, “Clown” and “Faget”. But once the band dove into the riff for “Here To Stay”, the crowd knew they weren’t getting the full album. Which for many seemed okay because at a festival there’s typically a mix of fans who want to hear more of the hits. Korn seemed to put on the best setlist of the night. The material they picked kept the crowd moving and it didn’t let up. The highlight was when “Shoots and Ladders” went into the ending for “Somebody Someone” and the crowd went absolutely nuts. Surprisingly Korn ended the night with “Freak On A Leash” and then announced that was their last song instead of announcing it ahead of time. Ending the set like that left fans begging for more as Jonathan Davis brought his wife on stage sharing with the crowd that it was their anniversary.

                                             Korn

Once Korn ended, the entire Stage East crowd shifted to the right to be in front of the stage for Rob Zombie. Even though it was apparent some of the crowd had filed out after Korn, Zombie still had a huge crowd. Unfortunately due to smaller main stages, Zombie didn’t have the stage production some people expected. Even without his signature stage production, Rob Zombie and his band put on a hell of a show. The band came out with different costumes and instruments all night long. Guitarist John 5 was a crowd favorite because of his costumes and unique guitars.The night opened up with a White Zombie cover of “More Human Than Human”, which set the pace for the night. During the song “Sick Bubble-Gum” the band had huge balloons for the crowd to amuse themselves with while they chose sides with either Piggy D. or John 5 by chanting “Rock” or “Mother Fucker”. Rob Zombie always has and will continue to be one of the best entertainers in the music industry. Fortunately for fans in Chester, they got to see one of Rob Zombie’s last shows for a while. The band has been on the road for quite some time now and are ready to take a break from the road. Fans ended the night in Zombie style with fan-favorite “Dragula”.

Just as fans thought the night was over with a closing fireworks display alongside the Delaware River, Steel Panther was ready for the after-party under the tent. Three albums in, Steel Panther continue to have success with their parody style 80s hair metal. Not only did fans stick around for the after party, but many band members came out to watch Steel Panther. Watching side stage were members of Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Nothing More, From Ashes To New and even more. Unfortunately, none of those guys got on stage to do any covers, which was surprising due to all of the guest musicians they usually get on stage. Regardless of whether they had guests on stage, Steel Panther put on a show that was perfect to end the day. The band had the entire tent rockin’ and laughing for the entire hour.

                                                      Rob Zombie

Not only did Rock Allegiance have an awesome day of music, it had some great choices for food and drink. Labeled as having “Gourmet Man Food” and craft beers on top of that, PPL Park had it all on Saturday. Throughout the stadium, there were your basic food vendors as there would be at any event there. On top of that were all the food trucks that the festival brought in. The best part about all of the options was that none of the lines got ridiculously long like they do at other festivals. The prices for everything were fair which helped keep concert goers wallet’s happy. Most of all, having options besides your typical hot dogs, hamburgers, etc was a relief. The same goes for the basic festival overpriced beer, Rock Allegiance made sure there were plenty of options. The festival was filled with plastic canning jars which were being used for a variance of alcoholic beverages. Considering the price of tickets and the experience festival attendees got in return, Rock Allegiance was an absolute steal. It was no surprise at all that this event sold out ahead of time and hopefully it will return again next year.

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October 14, 2015