Taking the Darien Lake stage promptly at 7:30 p.m. was Foreigner. For those who are unaware of who these legends are – Foreigner is an arsenal of rock spanning five decades with 10 multi-platinum albums including 16 Top 30 hits. The crowd roared as Chris Frazier came out and took his prominent position behind the drum kit first followed by Bruce Watson on guitar, Michael Bluestein on keyboards/piano and Jeff Pilson on the bass. Tom Gimbel (rhythm guitar/keyboards/saxophone), walked on the stage next just moments before frontman and vocalist Kelly Hansen walked up to the center microphone stand. The crowd was worked into a frenzy by the time everyone was in place and it was time to blow the roof off!
Kelly and company started off with “Double Vision” as the fans started rising to their feet in excitement. After the first song couple songs Kelly made some pretty racy remarks. He started mocking people who were in the front row that were sitting down while everyone else was standing up. He called out people that were on their cell phones the entire time and used some profanity. I was in disbelief and I think my colleague had to pick my jaw up from the floor.
The ever-classic radio favorite, “Cold As Ice” was performed next. Towards the end of “Cold As Ice,” Kelly Hansen jumped down to the floor to sing with the audience as he walked around several sections before returning to the stage to finish the song.
What was pleasing to see was Foreigner included a little local touch to the show. He had the Attica High School Choir come out to the stage and sing “I Wanna Know What Love Is.” The crowd cheered ferociously as the kids walked to the stage. The performance by the choir was spectacular and it couldn’t have gone any better. To close out the night they played the classic “Hot Blooded.” This was my first time seeing Foreigner and mark my words I will go again every time they come to town, they have won over the younger generation.
Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams is gearing up for another tour, now celebrating his 20th year creating music. His fall tour will start at the end of August and will feature the brand new Keller Williams Trio with friends Bob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes.
When not playing with the trio, Keller will be performing with some of his side projects including Keller and the Keels, Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel, and funk project Keller Williams with More Than a Little. His bands will be making stops at festivals such as Lockn’ Festival, Luna Light and Magnolia Fest, among others. As if that wasn’t enough, Keller will also be solo headlining clubs along the way.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Keller will host an all-star lineup of bluegrass friends for “Thanksforgrassgiving” on Nov. 27 and 28. Joining him will be Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Larry Keel, Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band) and Jay Starling (Love Cannon). Catch this bluegrass extravaganza at The National in Richmond, Virginia on the 27th and the 9:30 Club in D.C. on the 28th.
Fans in Buffalo can see the Keller Williams Trio on Sept. 26 at The Tralf. For tickets, tour dates and other information, visit Keller’s website.
The summer concert season is finally upon us and is in full swing. Vans Warped Tour made a pit stop to Darien Lake as it does every year. This was their 21st year of being on the road and they have been pushing every year to be even fresher and entertaining than the next. They didn’t do so badly this year.
Upon arrival you could automatically tell this was an event for the younger generations. I’d say the majority of the fans were between 15 and 18 years of age. The line was wrapped around from the front entrance to around the fences at least a quarter-mile back. It was nothing but fouled mouthed scandalously dressed teenagers that were littering all over the place as I walked passed them to the Guest list tent.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It wasn’t too hot and it was a rain free day. The afternoon before we had hours worth of rain so the ground was pretty soggy and wet. My converse and calves were covered in mud by the end of the night.
Taking a walk around and scoping out the area, I had never been to Vans Warped Tour so wanted to see what they had to offer besides the 10 stages of music. In the middle of the event strategically placed in rows like a carnival setting they had band’s tents where you could buy merch or shoot the breeze with them. So I took a peek and continued down the hill to where my favorite part of the event happened.
I met the one of my biggest influences in life, Adam Elmakias. I have been following his work for couple years now and he is everything I wanted to be in life. Adam surprisingly is not even a year older than me. His job is to go on tour with bands and photograph their everyday lives on the road, on and off stage. I was little star struck but not the Justin Bieber fan kind. I took my picture with him and shot the breeze for a brief moment. He gives me hope that one day I’ll go on tour with a band and take pictures. That’s my dream in life.
The Unicorn stage was second in command that night. If you have never seen Family Force 5 I recommend seeing them at least once. They were highly entertaining on the stage. Their retro bright straight out of the ’80s fashion-wear, to the trampoline jumping on stage kept things fresh and new. These guys brought so much stimulation to the stage I couldn’t look away.
I have a couple of friends that just love everything about Attila. I’m sorry but I can’t see what the hubbub is about. Sure they were wonderful to photograph, but vocally and lyrically it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Their first song right out of the gate was called “Middle finger”. Crowd was nothing but obsessed with this song. Then when they started singing their second song “Rage” all hell broke loose. The crowd surfing and moshing began and was in full force, as a photographer in the pit when that happens can become a dangerous scenario if you are not aware of your surroundings. The only thing I enjoyed about Attila’s set was that they had life plastic red garbage cans set up filled with beach balls. The idea behind this was to give the fans the balls and have them play some beer pong.
Most of the melodic hardcore bands or borderline metal bands were placed in the far back on the Monster stage. I found myself unable to be peeled away from this particular setup, as most of the bands there were so tight on point. There are a few worth mentioning that were really pleasant to listen to as well as photograph.
Escape the Fate, this band I had been eagerly waiting to see because a couple of people I talked with said they were fantastic live. So upon arrival a few minutes before show time I was pleasantly surprised by the hustle of the stage crew. So as the show began the outfits immediately caught my attention. They seem to match accordingly on stage which I thought was a nice touch. Some bands put in little effort towards appearance and it looks poor on their part. I was not disappointed at all by Escape the Fate. They kept my attention the entire time by delivering such a powerful performance.
Fit For A King, These guys were recently in town for a show at a tiny club called The Waiting Room. I did not attend but from what I understand they put on a great performance, according to a colleague this one trumped over the previous. Front man Ryan Kirby delivered a strong solid performance and newest member who is bassist and clean vocalist Ryan O` Leary was nothing but energy on the stage.
Hard Rock Kevin Says Stage had any miscellaneous band that didn’t quite fit into the pop metal categories. Alvarez Kings I must say out of all the bands on that stage I saw were the most relaxed. They weren’t your typical warped tour kind of band. They were softer and it wasn’t what I normally listen to you, but nevertheless enjoyable. I would certainly go out of my way to listen to them while doing a relaxing activity.
Ernie ball stage was hopping the entire day; it was conveniently placed by the concession stands. This stage is meant for local winners of the Battle of the Bands competition. My favorite part about this is that it’s a truck that has a stage built into it. While I was paying a ridiculous amount for a hot dog that my wallet still hates me for, I couldn’t help but overhear a couple of bands that made me stop and take a listen.
Until We Are Ghosts, Until we are ghost are based out of Rochester, NY which is approximately only hour away from Darien Lake. I have had the pleasure of working with these guys doing live photography for them on several occasions when they come to Buffalo. When I heard they were playing on warped Tour I couldn’t have been happier for them. I have seen how hard they have worked to get here. They deserve it all and more. The guys started off their set with Repression. Vocalist Rob Anders always brings an unbelievable performance every time I’ve seen them. Today was no different.
A Story Inspired, These guys are from my hometown of Buffalo, NY. Never previously heard of A Story Inspired until I captured them on the Ernie ball stage in the early afternoon. These guys have clearly become of my go to favorite local bands when I need a heavy music fix; which is often, especially at the gym. The band consists of two vocalists Zachary Mecca, and Josh Karlis. These two are perfectly in sync and I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the stage. Bassist Noah Elardo is well-known for his “Lion Mane” hair, he used this to his advantage on stage giving the ladies something to be googly-eyed over. These guys were one of my favorite bands by far. Everything about their set was tight and choreography was synced to a T. My hope is to see this band take off and go all the way in this music industry, it shows that they have put every last stitch of energy into their music and would want nothing more.
The Shark stage was one of two stages that had the big named veteran musicians on. The first major headlining band to kick things off on the Shark stage at was Silverstein. I listened to these guys a little bit in high school. They brought their aggressive melodic punk style in full swing. Shane Told and his band brought their best to the stage Wednesday. Second song in they played “Smile in Your Sleep”. This song got the crowd screaming and starting mosh pits.
August Burns Red is from our friendly bordering state Pennsylvania. Vocalist Jake Luhrs and his band have been together for just about 13 years now and their sound was spot on. Drummer Matt Griener had such great dynamic drumming, and their lyrics and sound are so skillfully crafted to make it their own.
Quintet group Blessthefall was one of those bands, a forced to be reckoned with that day. They are a melodicore band from Arizona. These guys brought and left every last ounce of energy on the stage. The vocal presence of Beau Bokan was undeniably the strongest I heard all day. They opened up with “you wear the crown but you’re no king”. The middle of their set they played one of their most popular songs 2.0. This is primarily a song they are known for.
Asking Alexandria was one of the last bands to close out the evening at approximately 8pm. They had introduced their new singer Denis Stoff. He certainly brought his own flavor and did justice to all of their harder songs. I was impressed by them all around and thought they put on a good performance and kept the crowd enticed for the entire performance. Once they started singing “Breathless” The crowd just lost their minds. Moshing began and extreme crowd surfing commenced.
Well my very first Warped Tour was a success. I Spent approximately nine hours shooting and walked away with a little sunburn, muddy covered shoes and feet that felt like they were going to fall off; but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. All the bands brought their own flavor and it was enjoyable for all on one level or another. I will see you next year Warped Tour 22.
There is no better time of year than right now. Summertime is always the time where bands take advantage of the warm beautiful weather and hit the road. This summer, classic rock legends Def Leppard are hitting the road with their friends Styx and Tesla. On Sunday, July 12, the trio rolled into the Buffalo area with a show at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.
Shows at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center usually draw people to the adjoined theme park before the show. Throughout the day while walking around the park, Def Leppard shirts could be spotted everywhere. Seeing all of the fans in the park was an early sign that it was going to be a packed house. Hundreds of people were waiting for the gates to open at 6 p.m. so they could be the first ones in. Before Tesla took the stage at 7 p.m., fans were lining up to get food, beer from concessions and shirts from the merchandise booth.
When the house music stopped shortly before 7 p.m., a look around the amphitheater proved that fans were there to see every band of the night and not just headliner Def Leppard. Tesla took the stage with a loud applause from the crowd and started the show with “Edison’s Medicine (Man Out of Time).” The crowd seemed to enjoy every second of Tesla’s set. The excitement really came out of the crowd when guitarist Frank Hannon played the opening chords of “Signs” and then continued with another classic of theirs, “Love Song.” Opening bands don’t normally fill an entire amphitheater because most people use it as extra time to mingle and get their beer. That wasn’t the case on Sunday night for Tesla. Lead singer, Jeff Keith, was spot on the entire night hitting notes from songs written over 20 years ago. The closing song of the set, “Modern Day Cowboy” capped off a high energy set that left fans definitely wanting more from them. After Tesla had finished their set, there was chatter all around the seats about how awesome the band had sounded and how amazed they were.
Styx was next up for the night and fans were definitely warmed up and ready. From the start of the set, fans joined the members of Styx by singing along to every song of the night. Opening the set with “The Grand Illusion,” Styx had an entire night planned with only their best songs. Changing backgrounds with each song to coincide with its album or theme, Styx kept the crowd on its feet. Styx looked like they were having more fun playing on stage together than anyone else in the crowd. The band’s energy and enthusiasm was through the roof and out of the amphitheater. While the rest of the band took a short break, singer and keyboard player Lawrence Gowan kept the crowd entertained with covers of “Rocket Man,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” The band came back out after and played “Come Sail Away” before walking off stage one more time prior to the encore. Some fans thought the band was finished and started leaving their seats to the concessions. Shortly after though, the fans came scurrying back as they heard the applause of the crowd as Styx played “Rockin’ the Paradise” and “Renegade.” Guitarist, Tommy Shaw and the rest of Styx were spot on the entire evening and left the crowd eager to see Def Leppard.
As the lights dimmed and a giant Def Leppard banner was dropped down in front of the stage, fans knew it was only a matter of time before the finale began. The show opened up with “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and the giant banner getting sucked up into a vacuum instead of falling to the bottom of the stage. Def Leppard wasted no time after that, going immediately into songs “Animal,” “Let It Go” and “Foolin’.” Whenever the house lights lit up the crowd, anyone could see it was a packed house. There wasn’t an empty inside seat visible and fans filled the lawn all the way to the back. Lead singer, Joe Elliott, sounded great all night long as well as the rest of the band. Vivian Campbell, who’s been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma on and off, showed no signs of slowing down. Both Campbell and Phil Collen were spot on with their guitar parts while frequently going out on the catwalk into the crowd together. The production for Def Leppard was done perfectly and synced with each song; whether it was neon signs or a wall of TVs. The set included “Two Steps Behind,” which Joe Elliott did solo with an acoustic guitar. Rick Allen and Rick Savage kept the band tight on the drums and bass. The band ended the night with “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph” which features a history timeline of photos on a giant LED screen behind them.
This massive tour has already had a few stops in New York and is due for 2 more later this month in Wantagh and Saratoga Springs. Check out the rest of the tour dates here.
For the event schedule for Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, click here.
On Friday July 10, Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls was introduced to one of Canada’s best punk rock bands, the Headstones. The Headstones were a staple in the music scene since the late 80s. They disbanded in 2003 and decided to regroup and restart in 2011. Now they are back with vengeance and ready to make a name for themselves again, and they did just that when they came to town.
First act up of the night was a last minute wild card that I had never heard of before, Radio 9. Front women Patsy Silver had tons of energy on stage and was all smiles the entire time. I had to take a double look on stage because I could have sworn Mick Mars was their bassist; nope it was just doppelganger Joey Cristofanilli.
I have heard nothing but wonderful things about local legends Klear and finally had the opportunity to experience them live. Lead guitarist Bruce Wojick just left you with your jaw dropped to the floor and singer Fred Shafer wowed the crowd with his strong vocal presence and captivating lyrics. They have become one of my favorite local bands, hands down.
Next up was the Headstones and they brought such a powerful dramatic performance. They started off the set with “Bin This Way for Years,” then a little more than a quarter into the show vocalist Hugh Dillion stopped the show to call out all the irresponsible crowd surfers. He wanted anyone who was crowd surfing to be completely kicked out of the show for the remainder of the night. His reason was he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. The crowd roared with agreement and the show continued.
What I noticed all night long was Hugh constantly kept lifting his mic stand in the air and slamming it down onto the stage. I was not familiar with such a gimmick, it more or less gave off a sense of attitude. As the show was coming to a close they decided to play a brand new song called “Fuck It.” I could certainly see where the title came from. The only song I knew by them was one of their last encores called “I Smile and Wave,” and this seemed to be the crowd favorite by far. Every time the chorus was sung the entire crowd waved towards the front of the stage. I must say Headstones are back and they are here to stay this time. The show put on by them was a forced to be reckoned with.
On Tuesday, June 30, The Forvm was treated to the spectacular show from The Ataris from Indiana. On tour promoting their 1999 classic album “Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits,” they will be singing the album in its entirety while on tour. The Ataris are currently finishing their long-awaited new album The Graveyard of the Atlantic, which will be their first since 2007′s Welcome the Night.
As I arrived to the Forvm approximately an hour before the show started I realized there were only a small handful of people waiting to get in. Upon arrival I realized that The Ataris were running a little late which is perfectly fine and normal considering they were coming from NYC which on a good traffic free day is a six hour drive at a minimum. As I looked to the stage I seen that The Home Crowd was already sound checked and ready to go. They waited patiently and I was anxious to see them because I have heard nothing but great things about these guys.
So as the time seemed to slowly pass I caught wind from the promoter that Ataris finally arrived approximately 15 minutes before the first band went on. So I went outside to say hello and introduce myself. In all honesty I didn’t know anything about the band besides the song called “Boys of Summer” which wasn’t even their own song. The first thing that caught my eye was the sound of a barking dog coming from the beat up eight passenger van. Being an animal lover I had to investigate. Kris Roe singer from The Ataris told me he brings his dog along on tour all the time.
Back inside it was time for The Home Crowd to take the stage. They are back after being on a hiatus and changing members, so I wanted to see how the new line up was. I was immediately impressed by their stage performance. They have a high energy on stage and its quite vivant that they put their heart and soul into the music. As they played I noticed they almost had a cult like following. People had homemade shirts of the Home Crowd and were singing along to every word of every song. They made quite an impression on me that night. I hope to see them headlining some big acts.
Then what the crowded room and gathered there for, The Ataris. In the beginning they gave off great vibes from the stage and the fans were holding on to every last word he sung. Though I was disappointed with some of the fans, Kris had clearly stated that they were singing their 1999 Album “Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits” in its entirety. disrespectful fans decided to continue shouting out songs for him to sing and he had to repeat himself a couple times. Just as quickly as it started it stopped, their momentum and stage performance that is, the show became quite dull and they seemed rather tired. To close the night out the sang with the only song I ever knew by them, “The Boys of Summer” by Eagles singer Don Henley. Overall I’d have to say is that while The Atari’s lacked a lot of energy in the set, I felt with the proper guidance and discipline they can make a strong worth while comeback.
Rock musician Chris Cornell, best known for being the lead vocalist and songwriter of Seattle grunge band Soundgarden, will perform across North America in his recently announced acoustic fall tour, including several stops in the northeast. On Oct. 11, Chris Cornell will take stage at the University of Buffalo Center of the Arts in Buffalo, two days after an Oct. 9 performance at Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario.
About a week later, Cornell is scheduled to play at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Oct. 18 and the Shubert Theatre in Boston on Oct. 21.
The 50-year-old singer has recently announced the release of an acoustic album titled Higher Truth, to be released on Sept. 18. The fall performances will have an intimate, acoustic setting, featuring music off of Cornell’s upcoming album.
Cornell is widely considered to have one of the best voices in rock music, with a four-octave range. In 2011, Rolling Stone selected Cornell as the #9 Best Lead Singer of All Time, while he was named the #12 Greatest Voice in Music by MTV in 2005.
This past Friday the Tralf Music Hall located in the theater district of Buffalo was bursting at the seams with musicians and patrons alike. This was the night that many had been waiting for ever so patiently. It was the night a band would be crowned winner of Art Voice Boom competition. They would walk away five-thousand-dollars richer and opening up at the ever famous Kerfuffle concert at the end of July.
I arrived shortly before the first band took the stage and I was pleasantly surprised by what I seen. I saw musicians from many local bands that came out to support and that really was the best part of the night. It shows that this music community is ever-growing and supporting of one another. That what I say holds true time and time again. The fact that we are all in this together. Without the support of other bands and music fans we are nothing.
First to take the stage was the band Intent to Sell, I have watched these guys over the past year and I am blown away time and time again by the way they incorporate hip hop with rock and roll. What I like best about this band is that the lyrics tell a story that each and every one of us can relate to. They finished their set off by talking about the dangers of addiction and it really touched home with me. I think for most of us know or know someone who was personally affected by the results of addiction. They finished their set with a song called “The Light.” This song was about losing someone who we can all relate to and really put ourselves in the lyrics of the song. It was truly touching and beautiful.
Second band up was Uncle Bens Remedy. I saw these guys a couple of weeks ago at the semifinal rounds. I must say they really get the crowd going. Tonight was no different from the first time I saw them. They came from Gowanda, N.Y. and brought two busloads of people.
This band can be considered country like. There songs don’t necessarily all have deep meanings but they are fun, witty and upbeat. Front man Ben Westlund really gets the crowd going and you can’t help but be entranced by his on stage charm and loud hillbilly like calls.
Third up was a band I had never previously heard of but was quite entrancing. They were called Luanjie, they are a funk rock kind of band. From their catchy riffs to the melodies this band was entertaining from start to finish. What I loved is the bass player had a homemade bass that he used on stage and it sounded just as great as one pulled from the wall of Guitar Center.
Last but certainly not least was Erica Wolfling. She is a solo artist that I am amazed by every time I have watched her. She has such a beautiful haunting voice that you can’t help but stop what you’re doing and watch her. She is talented in many instruments from the piano, to guitar and even the harp.
Now the time came that everyone for weeks on end has been waiting for, the results. The winner of the Art Voice Boom competition was Uncle Bens Remedy. They walk away with a five thousand dollar prize and opening spot on the Kerfuffle concert.
There has been a lot to be said about the Buffalo music scene these days, especially with bands like moe. and most recently Aqueous, making a splash in the music community. One band that has been around for the last few years is Buffalo’s Funktional Flow.
Pictured left to right: Matthew Lester, Joey Lewis, Jeffrey Kuebler, Jim Edgar, and Ben Whalen
They added two new members to the trio. Joining the band is guitarist, Joey Lewis. Alongside horn/keyboard player, Matthew Lester, everything seems to be moving onward and upward since. It was only a month or so ago that both were introduced as full-time members during the band’s CD release party for, Let it Settle, that went down at local music hot spot Nietzche’s.
Lester and Lewis join original members Jeffrey Kuebler (guitar), Jim Edgar (drums) and Ben Whelan (bass).
NYS Music caught up with the band while they were rehearsing for their much-anticipated sets for Buffalove Music Festival at North Fork Music Park in Warsaw, NY. The festival will take place June 18-20 and Funktional Flow have been a big part of Buffalove since the beginning.
Tom Sgroi: For those people who haven’t seen or heard you, who is Funktional Flow?
Jeffrey Kuebler: Funktional Flow is a melting pot of a lot of different genres that we are influenced by. It’s basically each one of us in the band and our different influences that we bring to the table, a lot of different styles and genres that we kind of throw in a blender. If we’re into reggae at one time that will come out and if it’s funk that will come out.
Jim Edgar: Whatever music you get into at the time that you listen to definitely influences you.
TS: What’s been the most difficult thing for the band with going through a few different guitarists since the beginning?
JK: Integrating different people to the music, songs that we played a thousand times we had to run over and over and getting them integrated into has probably been the biggest setback. At the end of the day it was a good learning experience and it made us all better going through it.
JE: Yea, definitely three different guitar players gives the band three different sounds for sure, it does make song more fun as it wasn’t the same over four years (laughs).
TS: Tell us a little about the newer members with Matt and Joey, how you guys ended up picking them up and having them come on full-time?
JK: It was a natural progression and Matt was before Joey. We played with Matt with Ben Whalen, Your Mom and the Reacharounds and that got us playing together and he got familiar with our style and that was a no brainer. Me and Joey have been playing for years, pushing a decade really, so that was a natural thing, it was great having him come aboard and were very happy with the current and final lineup.
TS: Ben, Jim and Jeff, you’re all original members, how have you guys kept it together since the start?
JK: A lot of fist fights (laughs).
Ben Whalen: I don’t know, communication and true friendship. We’re actually friends when were not playing.
JK: We have a lot of fun and that’s what it really boils down to.
TS: How do you think adding keys and horns will add to the overall sound of the band?
JK: It can only add to it and make it more dynamic and full sounding. It also kinda lends itself to what we originally wanted when we set out to create the band. When we generally write songs we will write them in mind of all the instrumentation. Having that has really rounded out our sound.
TS: Tell me a little about Buffalove. You guys have really been the forefront of it, what is it all about?
JK: Yea Cody (Conway) built the festival around us and Aqueous and it’s grown from there. Its getting bigger every year and to play with some of the caliber of bands it’s getting, is really a cool thing.
TS: Matt and Joey, what’s it been like for you guys joining the group?
Matt Lester: Yea I started playing with these guys a lot, anytime they needed horns I would play. I was fortunate to be invited to Bliss, NY to the cabin they go down to and that was the first time I played keys for them and that’s when everything starting clicking. It’s been a lot of fun for sure.
TS: Joey?
Joey Lewis: Yea, I was there for a while seeing how the rotation was going for Funktional Flow. Having the guitarists and not having the best of luck and I would help out with whatever gig I could. I was pretty aware of the songs so they didn’t need to waste time. So, finally I decided I wanted to play with the kids I grew up with and are my friends, and the music I like to play. I was really happy when they asked me to be in the band and contribute.
TS: Yea, because you were involved with a couple other bands. ( The Heritage and Whiskey River).
JL: Yea, I felt obligated to them but at the end of the day when you hone in your talent and want to play the music you want to play and you don’t want to do it for any other reason that is when I asked Jeff and Ben if they wanted to bring me on full-time.
ML: Yea like joey said we were in other bands and had an obligation but at the same time when the opportunity arose it wasn’t something we could pass up for sure. I’m really glad we made the decision because it’s been a blast ever since.
TS: This is more for Jeff, Jim and Ben again but last year you guys played Catskill Chill, what festival would you want to be part of in the future?
JK: Any and all of them, I would love to play Summer Camp
BW: F@#$! Yea, Summer Camp!
TS: Ok, sounds like that is the big one for every one.
TS: What other local or regional bands influence you guys?
JK: Oh man there is so many good bands around here with so many talented people and to be part of the scene is great. I would say at the top of the list would be our boys, Aqueous. We have done a lot with them and they’re doing some great things and representing for our area. They have been a big influence, but there is so many to mention but that is the first one that pops in the head. We go out to so many show’s in Buffalo since Ben has a hand in so many shows. I say that we gain a bit of influence from every band we play with.
JE: I’d say anyone we play with in the area too.
TS: If there was one band you could tour with and open for perhaps who would it be?
JK: Umphrey’s McGee!
BW: I think we would be a better fit for like moe. or a reggae band. The Green or Rebelution.
JK: Revolution would be awesome. Umphrey’s would be a dream and I could hang it up after (laughs).
TS: Is there one musician, past or present that if you could have a conversation with you would pick?
JK: Bradley Nowell
JL: Shannon Hoon
ML: That’s a really good question and there is so many to choose from but I have a deep affiliation for Phish pretty heavy I would have to say Page McConnell.
JE: There is probably a million people but drummer wise I would have to say Keith Moon, maybe.
BW: Hendrix I guess
TS: Anything else you guys want to add?
BW: New album coming in the late summer/fall.
TS: Yea, I know you guys have been writing a bunch of new songs so that is good to hear, so new album the fall. Well thanks for your time guys and I look forward to checking out your sets with the upcoming Buffalove Music Festival in a few weeks.
Check Funktional Flow out with a bunch of other great bands at Buffalove Music Festival! Get your tickets here.
Rapids Theatre was treated to one of the best performance I have ever seen there to date, as In This Moment was here Friday on tour promoting their latest album Black Widow. They had brought some heavy hitters with them this time around. I was a little shocked as the line was not as long as I thought it would be. But never the less people filed in closer to the second bands performance.
First up was a five piece rock band The Nearly Deads from Nashville, Tennessee. They were a decent opener with some catchy melodies and she brought a lot of energy to the stage. The crowd did not respond to them very well, I think it had something to do that they were a spitting imagine of Paramore band. Her vocals were a bit weak, and she didn’t seem to have much range in her voice.
Second band up was Butcher Babies, I have never heard this band until that night. This band has all the elements of a metal band. Two scandalously dressed women who sang metal, a guitarist and bassist that had extreme amounts of energy on stage. Topped by a drummer whose double bass is one to compete with.
Towards the end of their set they forewarned the security guards to be ready. They look slightly baffled but soon enough realized what was about to happen. The music got heavier and the crowd surfing began to turn up. What I loved about this was as the fans were thrown over the barrier by security. The girls took the time to shake every fans hand or give them a fist bump. You don’t see this happen very often, kudos to them
Next up was the band I had been looking forward to seeing all night, Upon A Burning Body. I had previously listened to this band and loved everything about them. They originate from my birth state, Texas. Not one thing was out-of-place this entire performance. They had the crowd screaming and on their feet the entire time. Then Singer Danny Leal told the crowd he wanted to see some pits and mashing, the crowd listened and did just that. I witnessed several mash pits throughout the crowd for several songs. Then they proceeded to do a song tribute to Texas called “Texas Blood Money”. To finish off the night they sang “Turn Down For What” which for many know as a rap song sang by Lil Jon and DJ Snake. The crowd went absolutely crazy. Men put women on their shoulders, and it turned into a bit of a club scene. Their rendition of it was great and I prefer that over the original.
Last but certainly not least was the band most people where there to see, In This Moment. They took approximately a half hour to set up but it was definitely worth the wait. This is the second time I have seen them and every time I do it’s extremely theatrical. She is entrancing and with all her disappearances and reappearances after songs coming out in a completely different outfit. She keeps you guessing. They sang songs off their new album Black Widow. The choreography for her and her two dancing-girls who always remain faceless were done perfectly to a T.
Maria also took time to talk about how we are all united together by music, and how we must all take care of one another and change the world for the better. In my opinion the best part of the night was when I caught In This Moment Drummer Tom Hane`s drumstick. He threw it, what seemed like directly to me and I was floating on air. It now resides on my music memorabilia wall snugly between signed Shinedown CD and a painting done by Smile Empty Souls own Sean Danielsen.
JE: I’d say anyone we play with in the area too.
