Tag: rapids theatre

Headstones come to Rapids Theatre

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.

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July 14, 2015
In This Moment Tears the Roof off Rapids Theatre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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May 21, 2015
Seether and Mark Tremonti Come to Rapids Theatre

Rapids Theatre was treated to a spectacular night of some top notch hard rock music last night with Seether and Mark Tremonti. I pleasantly surprised by the line when I arrived an hour and a half before the show started, it was wrapped around the building and down the street. The skies looked dark and gray as it was about to down pour any minute, but luckily it held out for all the patiently waiting fans.

Alternative rock band, Red Sun Rising, kicked things off with their intricate guitar playing and captivating vocalist Mike Protich. This was the first time I have ever heard of them and I have to say I am now a fan!

They brought the most energy to the stage that night and kept everyone on their toes. Their catchy riffs and dynamics in his voice reminded you of a mix between Foo Fighters and Myles Kennedy. The fans were eating up every inch of what Red Sun Rising was putting out. These guys were a solid opener and I expect one day that they will be headlining shows.

Afterwards, the ever Famous Mark Tremonti and his self-titled band Tremonti took the stage. The crowd roared as he and his band walked out onto the stage. Mark Tremonti is known widely for being the lead guitarist in the bands Creed and Alter Bridge. Tremonti and his band had a strong solid performance with his famous guitar playing and a strong vocal performance. The fans reacted wildly to the song “Decay” and sang along the entire time. Though as the set progressed guitars were turned up too loud and the sound became quite poor. Tanner Keegan had replaced Wolfgang Van Halen for this tour due to Wolfgang’s commitment to his main band Van Halen. Tanner had brought the most energy to the stage that night with his quick spin moves and facial expressions. He in my opinion was an excellent replacement.

Then the band the whole theatre was waiting for, Seether. I have seen them on several occasions over the years all at different venues and have never been disappointed, until last night. It seemed like the beginning was all smoke and mirrors. Their light performance was great and entrancing but it sound itself was poorly done. I had gone everywhere in the theatre to see if I could get a different perspective but no matter where I went it was poor. Shaun’s vocals were lacking in the mix for the first few songs. That did not stop the fans from showing Seether all the love. They had played their classics such as “Fine Again”, “Rise Above This”, “Remedy” and their newest single “Words as Weapons”.

Overall the show was good and it seemed that everyone had a great time in one fashion or another.

May 8, 2015
Photo Gallery: Railroad Earth Visits a Frozen Niagara Falls

Railroad Earth played to a solid crowd during a very cold Sunday night at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls.

The band played through a number of songs stretching through their growing catalog. The band seemed to hit on all strides providing some great jams and hearty Americana rock. The New Jersey band continues to give New York state some love as they make it out this way whenever they can and will be continuing their tour with a stop in New York City with three dates this weekend at Brooklyn Bowl.

February 20, 2015