Category: Media

Larry Kirwan and Friends Mark St. Patrick’s Day With Comedy, Tradition, and Rock and Roll

A sea of green pooled around the sides of Fifth Avenue as the world’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade stepped off to much better weather than expected, bringing over 200,000 participants to the celebration, and for some marked a new era of inclusion in the festivities. As the crowds fizzled away along the cross streets near the end of the five hour parade to their quotidian ways, some green-clad merrymakers were staggering a bit early while others continued their St. Patrick’s celebrations into the evening.

With countless pubs and venues in an already bustling music town there were plenty of ways to carry on into the night. Right in the heart of Midtown at Times Square former Black 47 leader Larry Kirwan assembled an eclectic and energetic lineup of entertainment at the B.B. King Blues Club.

As the early settlers of the dinner crew finished up dessert, the Lia Fail Pipe Band out of Mercer County, NJ performed a short set of tunes including a rendition of “The Foggy Dew,” a folk song about the 1916 Easter Rising. This traditional intro to the night helped disposition the show before comedian and long time yellow cab driver John McDonagh took to the stage as emcee for the night. Cracking a few entertaining observational jokes about the character of NYC and about some national politics (to a few mixed reactions), McDonagh helped kick the energy up a bit in the crowd, almost like a comedian warming up the audience before a taping of The Tonight Show.

The first musical act of the night required the need to term the mix of entertainment as eclectic. Rising NYC hip-hop artist Rory K (Larry Kirwan’s son) celebrated the release of his second album Young Professionals that night performing a handful of songs. While the genre may have been a bit different from the rest of the night, Rory K’s struck some chords with the audience. His confidence in the lyrics and exuberant stage presence made for an entertaining set, and possibly a new sound for some folks at B.B. King’s. Rory K’s night wasn’t completely over after his set was finished as he stepped back out later on for a father-son moment providing some freestyling over a portion of “Fire of Freedom.”

Stepping back into a more traditional setting, Black 47 co-founder Chris Byrne was joined by Andrew Harkin and Brian Tracey as The Lost Tribe of Donegal. As resident NYC musicians performing regularly at Rocky Sullivan’s in Red Hook (Brooklyn), they brought a mix of toe-tapping jigs and reels along with original compositions and a cover of Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” which blended a traditional sound with some rhythmic elements of modern rock music.

Black 47 last took the stage at the same place in Nov. 2014 with many somber emotions from fans after their final cover of “Gloria / I Fought the Law” and as Larry Kirwan took to the stage with his freshly assembled band there was plenty of cheerful delight to counter that nearly 18-month dejection. The band was made up of Kirwan, Coty Cockrell (keys), Deni Bonet (violin), Rene Hart (double bass) and former Black 47 bandmate Thomas Hamlin (drums). Joining the band for a few songs was multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso David Amram.

While nothing can replace the dichotomy that was Black 47 the cohesion on stage was remarkable. It was interesting to hear a handful of Black 47 tunes played with different instrumentation, particularly the keys and violin taking up the space where horns and uillean pipes were before.

The set list was comprised of several staples from the Black 47 catalog and a few new post-Black 47 songs penned by Kirwan. Of these songs, “Floating” had first made its debut this past fall at one of Kirwan’s solo acoustic gigs but now presented as a ballad defined that night by the beautiful sounds of Hart’s violin. Another new song hit the stage honoring Seán Mac Diarmada; dedicated this in memory of Sandy Boyer, host of “Radio Free Eireann” on WBAI, who recently passed away.

With the 100^th anniversary of the Easter Rising upon us, a theme of the night was the commemoration of the event. Though a minor element of the show, the songs “James Connolly” and “The Big Fellah” were part of the set in addition to the new song on Mac Diarmada. A Gaelic intro to “Big Fellah,” typically only sung on the studio version, brought the room down quiet before a distorted guitar cut through the silence. For “James Connolly,” an intuitive reaction from the crowd proves the power and legacy of the song.

Aside from the somewhat serious tone of the theme behind the show, there were many more fun moments throughout the night to bring back memories and excitement from the Black 47 years, particularly toward the end of the set with the booze-themed “40 Shades of Blue” and the former band’s MTV hit “Funky Ceili.”

Here’s looking forward to next St. Patrick’s Day in Manhattan.

Setlist:

Livin’ In America, Bas in Eirann, Big Fellah, Walk All The Days (w/ Chris Byrne), Fanatic Heart, Five Points, Camptown Races, Hard Times, Redemption Song -> Fire of Freedom (w/ Rory K), Floating, Sean MacDiarmada, James Connolly, Izzy’s Irish Rose, 40 Shades of Blue, Funky Ceili

Encore: Like a Rolling Stone

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March 31, 2016
Telegram at Pianos

Fresh from their appearance at SXSW and a packed week of NYC gigs, Telegram blazed, marched and paraded through a set of tightly wound, well-conceived, and – it must be said – extraordinarily loud songs at Pianos on Thursday, March 24. As a Brit myself I was heartened when the band, with their British accents and modest entourage, quietly streamed into the audience to catch the end of opening act Stephen Babcock and have a Stella or two.

I mention their entrance to the room, before they even got on stage, because their noticeability in a crowded room is pretty relevant: these guys, with leather tightly fitted and hair impressively styled, properly look like they are in a band. Once they are on stage, photographer Thom McKenna says to me, grinning: ‘One of the most English things I have ever seen.’ I agree, only to be caught off guard by the accent of frontman Matt Saunders as he introduces the band after their second song: ‘We’re from London’, he says, but his voice is not. A furrowed brow and a Google search later I confirm that Matt is, in fact, Welsh. It was the first of many times last night that my expectations were subverted by Telegram.

Telegram hurtled through their first couple of songs with bold assurance, gain-soaked instruments and a touch, I think it is fair to say, of glam-rock styling. It is tempting to lump Telegram in with a troupe of other ‘new psych bands’, as the Guardian did back in 2014, and as I had mentally done before even arriving at the show. But their third track of the night, ‘Inside/Outside’, with the its syncopated hi-hats and danceable snare cracks sharply glimmering through the mid-range overdrive, sets Telegram apart by the distinctiveness of their instruments and their musicianship. It cannot be overstated quite how loud the set was – one hopes for their sake that Matt, Pip, Moon and Cook wear ear-plugs on stage – but loudness does not equate to a hot mess. The guitar playing got pretty relentless at times, but it was always precise, with the rhythm often only hitting punchy downstrokes and the lead reverberating, echoing, and not ever, to my ear, muffling a note.

The bassist, Moon, is normally at the sonic frontier of the band’s sound. This is the case with their cover of Bowie’s ‘Heroes’. The bass is the backbone of the cover, and it does not fail to please the audience. The cover may well have been the highlight of the evening, which is no bad thing; nonetheless, it does make me wonder what it is about the song that makes it stand out just slightly above the rest of the band’s set. Perhaps it is the sheer spaciousness of ‘Heroes’, the way it demands that whoever is playing it give it room to breathe. Telegram’s sound can occasionally get so intense that they miss opportunities to let melodies expand, for ideas to soar and grow, as they instead move swiftly on to the next raging chord. As Telegram moves forward, I wonder if they will try to make room for more of whatever it is they managed to capture in that Bowie cover.

On Friday, March 25th, Telegram played at Brooklyn’s Shea Stadium. I am jealous of anyone who could make it and catch this forceful and impressive band on their last evening in New York City. Here’s hoping they return soon.

March 31, 2016
Okeechobee Makes Great First Impression

Aquachobee, Coronachobee, okeechobeings, yogachobee, are just a few of the new words learned while attending the sold-out inaugural Okeechobee Music Festival. From March 3-7 thousands of music fans “entered the portal” to spread their Okeechobee love and good vibes in south Florida paradise. The news of the festival hit the town of Okeechobee about three years ago and could not have been more of a success. The festival is the brain child of Paul Peck, a graduate of Tulane University who had years earlier sowed the seeds for Bonnaroo with Rick Farman. Years later Peck took his knowledge from the Bonnaroo experience to create a musical and art themed wonderland. Held on hundreds of acres of wide open spaces, the Okeechobee Festival was massive yet elegant.

Okeechobee was hosted on a former equestrian area that was expected to be turned into a housing development but after the project failed, festival promoters soon discovered it would be the perfectly ideal place for a large outdoor four day festival. With concrete walking paths through most of the festival ground getting around Okeechobee was a breeze. However, an increase of signs next year would make for a great improvement. The festival consisted of The Chobeewobee Village, Yogachobee, Jungle 51, Aquachobee, and the Grove which housed the three main stages “Be”, “Here” and “Now” Each festival area had its own theme and different stages. The Aquachobee stood out as being a favorite during the day. Many happy festival goers made their way to the manmade beach to sun bathe and swim while taking pics and making custom bags courtesy of Corona. One of the greatest things about Okeechobee was the many special places to take unwind and relax while within listening distance of the music. There were a few groves of trees which were decorated with vintage furniture and warm mood lighting. There was also nice lounge chairs throughout Aquachobee.

Most of the festival’s audience was college aged students from nearby cities like Miami, Tampa and Orlando. This was a first time camping festival for many that had learned about the fest on their cities’ local radio stations. Although there were many first time festival goers presented an overall positive vibe which was upbeat and respectful. Everyone united and thrived in peace over the course of the four days and many new festival families were formed. Each camping area was named after texting acronyms for example NSFW, LOL, ROFL, etc but there were no signs anywhere indicating the different camping areas. Hopefully, signs will be in place next year. There were showers available for $7 but tickets had to be purchased prior at a general store that was a significantly large distance from the shower facilities. The food vendors truly represented a plethora of culinary diversity with decent prices.

The Festival kicked off Thursday afternoon with an opening ceremony in The Yogachobee Village. Which led to a night of enjoyment featuring the Okeechobee Allstars led by The Lee Boys Rosevelt Collier, Big Gigantic’s Jeremy Salken, Lettuce’s Nigel Hall and many more great musicians For late that night Jungle 51 was opened and many danced well into the early morning dancing to great Dj’s like Big Wild. On Friday the grove was finally opened. The stages were placed perfectly. Although the stages were evenly distanced from each other and there was no sound bleeding over. Moon Hooch got the party started on the “Be” stage and made way for an incredible set by the great Grace Potter later in the afternoon. Other bands that played on the stages were Twiddle, X Ambassadors, and Lil Dicky and the legendary Robert Plant. That evening Hall and Oats took the “Be” stage and rocked the place with all their greatest hits. It was obvious most of the fans rushing the stage that night were there for Bassnectar. Thousands packed in tightly to be as close to the DJ as possible and absorb the beats and bass rising up from the ground.

Saturday afternoon crowds were treated to sets by Dr. Dog, Lotus, Booker T. Jones, Lotus, and Mac Miller. As the sun went down the temperature dropped to the high fifties and the stars finally came out. Crowds danced to the beats of Kendrick Lamar, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Big Gigantic. Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: Skrillex. The set was intense and dynamic; the bass and electronic melodies flooded the concert area as thousands moved in a trance-like state. Toward the end of the Skrillex set many migrated back to the “Now “stage to claim a space to dance during the all star jam known as the Pow-Wow. This super jam included R&B Heartthrob Miguel, Win, Butler, John Oates, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Eric Krasno of Lettuce, three members of Mumford and Sons, the horn section of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band kamasai Washington and the legendary George Porter Jr.

Sunday was another perfect day of music to end this very high energy musical weekend. Starting off with the rap rock band Bangarang who were Destination Okeechobee winners from Tampa started the Grove right on the now stage. Later on the now stage was one of the anticipated acts of Big Grams featuring Big Boi of Outkast and the duo of Phantogram. The “Be” stage took a modern Americana theme and welcomed award winning songwriter Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit which featured his very talented wife Amanda Shires on the fiddle. Next was the long time running band Ween which earned many new fans. The evening followed with Odeza, The Heavy, and The Avett Brothers overlapping on each of the three main stages. Which led to the grand finale of Mumford and Sons on the “Be” stage? Mumford and sons did there amazing set for the first half and then there set morphed into one great super jam joined by The Avett Brothers, Tom Morello and many more musicians By early Monday morning the music on the main stages ended but there was plenty of room to party near the art installations and Ferris wheel near Aquachobee.

Okeechobee has been a labor of love from some very creative people. The event not only sold out at 30,000 but still maintained its intimate vibe. Okeechobee will take its place among the festival giants like its big brother Bonaroo. The hard work and dreams made for a magical weekend of musical discovery and camaraderie. See you next year in the portal!

March 25, 2016
Getter Rips at Webster Hall

Following the release of his stylistically diversified Radical Dude EP, San Jose native Getter (aka Tanner Petulla) wreaked some auditory havoc at Webster Hall on Friday, March 18. Fans were engaging Webster Hall’s social media channels with a fierce perseverance, determined to find out what time he went on as their excitement amplified leading up to his performance.

After a super heavy, brain-combusting dubstep set by New York’s own Symbiotic, Getter took the stage and swiftly opened with the first single from Radical Dude, “Rip and Dip.” Getter’s style of producing/DJing has evolved through the years from massive dubstep tracks to a diverse assortment of genres which culminate to an ethereal, trap-light sound that still contains those hard-hitting dubstep roots. His live shows are most definitely a reflection of his most recent release as he’s stated in interviews that he has purposely released his expanded styles to show fans that they can expect vastly different genres of producing in the future. When a producer and DJ of Getter’s caliber creates tracks like “666!” and can incorporate Enya’s “Only Time” and Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Going Down” into a live performance and have the crowd cross-eyed with amazement, it’s safe to say they are most definitely capable of broadening their approach and style with new releases and live shows.

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Some highlights of the performance included a “Damn Daniel!” sample, obligatory “SUH DUDE” appearance, which has an excellent melodic, crunching bass behind it, and some new tracks, namely one feat. rapper Pouya. Getter’s collaborations with Pouya and other rappers are a fascinating departure from his earlier work, clearly showing his range as a producer. I’d never seen a mosh-pit at an EDM show before Getter at Webster; glad he’s upgraded from the BASSment to the Grand Ballroom.

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March 25, 2016
Hendrix Spirit Alive In Syracuse

On Wednesday, March 16th, The Experience Hendrix rolled into the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse as an all-star cast brought the legacy of Jimi Hendrix’s music to life for the capacity crowd. Jimi’s sister, Janie, opened the festivities, welcoming the congregation to the Electric Church in celebration of the spirit and music of Jimi Hendrix.

The stage saw a revolving cast of guitarists and singers coming on and off the stage to share their renditions from Hendrix’s library. The evening started with Dweezil Zappa on lead guitar, Billy Cox (who played in both the Band of Gypsies and The Jimi Hendrix Experience) on bass and lead vocals, and Chris Layton (of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble) on the drums, ripping through “Freedom”.

The absence of an opening act was evident as it took several songs before the crowd matched the energy level of the music being pumped out of the Marshall stacks. Though, with the 25-song setlist clocking in at 3 hours with a 20 minute intermission, it is debatable if an opening act was even feasible.

Much like a well-written symphony, the onstage ensemble went through physical crescendos and decrescendos as musicians were added to and taken from the mix, providing a seemingly endless variety of ingredients to the hungry masses. From the basic power trio, to a full stage that included two pedal guitars, two lead guitars, bass, and percussion, The Hendrix Experience delivered a full spectrum of flavors through the night.

Each of the guitarists more than held their own and provided his own take on Hendrix signatures. Dweezil churned out an amazing wah-laden solo in “Stone Free”. Eric Johnson spent much of “Are You Experienced?” off in the wings of the stage conjuring supernatural feedback sounds from the amps. Zakk Wylde invoked some Jimi showmanship with both behind the head soloing, as well as literally chewing out a solo with his teeth. The Slide Brothers’ Calvin Cooke and Chuck Campbell hit unfathomable registers on their pedal guitars, most notably on “The Sky is Crying”. Mato Nanji and Johnny Lange shared a blistering solo in “Spanish Castle Magic” that had the crowd screaming in appreciation.

Then of course there was Buddy Guy, who was doing his thing before Jimi was doing Jimi’s thing. And at 79 years old, Buddy continues to do it. Buddy delivered gritty, witty lyrics in “Louisiana Blues”, and backed them up with shredding solos that reinvigorated the crowd that had started to look at their watches (not out of boredom, but disbelief and exhaustion). There is something about watching an elder statesman ripping through scales with the speed and feel that most guitarists will never know, it gives folks the energy to cheer just a little louder, a little longer.

Leaving the venue, I noted that instead of hearing conversations that started with “I wish they had played…”, what I heard mostly was “I can’t believe they played…” as the crowd was clearly pleased with how deep they dug into Jimi’s catalog. Much like a congregation after mass, those leaving the Landmark Theater appeared to be uplifted, fulfilled, and spiritually satiated, thanks to the service at The Electric Church.

For more information on the Experience Hendrix tour, visit their website here. To check out the full photo gallery by Mark McGauley, visit this link.

Cast (in order of appearance): Dweezil Zappa: guitar; Billy Cox: bass, vox; Chris Layton: drums; Mato Nanji: guitar, vox; Henri Brown: vox; Chuck Campbell: pedal guitar; Scott Nelson: bass; Calvin Cooke: pedal guitar; Eric Johnson: guitar, vox; Noah Hunt: vox; Zakk Wylde: guitar, vox, keyboard; Johnny Lange: guitar, vox;Janie Hendrix: backup vox; Kenny Wayne Shepherd: guitar; Billy Austin: drums; Buddy Guy: guitar, vox; Guitar: Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji, Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, Johnny Lange, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Buddy Guy; Pedal Guitar: Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell; Bass: Billy Cox, Scott Nelson; Drums: Chris Layton, Billy Austin; Vox and Backup Vox: Henri Brown, Noah Hunt, Janie Hendrix

Set 1: Freedom, Stone Free, Foxey Lady, The Sky is Crying, Wait Until Tomorrow, One Rainy Wish, Love and Confusion, Third Stone from the Sun, Are You Experienced?, Manic Depression, Little Wing, Purple Haze,

Set 2: All Along the Watchtower, Fire, The Wind Cries Mary, Spanish Castle Magic, Gypsy Eyes, I Don’t Live Today, Come On – Part One, Voodoo Chile, Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), Louisiana Blues, Hey Joe, We Gotta to Live Together, Red House

March 24, 2016
John 5 and The Creatures Terrorize Syracuse’s Westcott Theater

There was no shortage of excitement this past Friday in Syracuse; The Syracuse University Men’s basketball team crushed the Dayton Flyers in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the SU women’s basketball team dominated Army West Point for a huge win and nestled in the culturally diverse Westcott Street neighborhood, the Westcott Theater hosted the infamous and incredibly talented guitar legend, John 5! John is on his current headlining solo instrumental tour.

It was an awesome sight to see so many music fans in attendance. To say that this was just a night of instrumental music would be understating it. I would describe it as an artistic live performance of a horror movie set to an intricate, perfectly designed musical score.

John lurked out onto the stage with his fine-tuned band, The Creatures, and from the moment the first notes hit the air, they tore up the stage with selections from the most recent album “Careful with That Axe” along with some surprises from earlier albums.

For those who recognize John 5 as Rob Zombie’s current guitarist and as a horror aficionado, it was probably not shocking that the band paid a little tribute to the horror genre. John and company played a very kooky and cool version of the classic “Munsters Theme.” During their rendition, a macabre looking skeleton tossed out guitar picks. The audience was definitely getting into the whole vibe.

I have to say what truly amazes me, and I think I have said this before, is how John’s guitar playing is incredibly diverse! From tearing through intense solos, to a very laid back, warm country sound and a revved up killer version of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” I can’t wrap my head around the precision in his delivery and his ability to make it look effortless.

Some of the song highlights of the evening included: “This is my Rifle”, “Mad Monster Party”, “Black Grass Plague” and a medley that pays homage to classic rock and metal music icons!

After the smoke cleared and final notes faded away, John 5 and the Creatures took a moment to express their thanks and appreciation to those who attended. If you didn’t get the chance to experience John 5 and the Creatures on this tour, you definitely missed an incredible experience musical experience.

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March 24, 2016
Stuyedeyed at Shea Stadium

The Brooklyn/NYC DIY scene is replete with talented bands and artists that offer a plethora of genres for anyone’s taste. Stuyedeyed stands out with their psychedlic, desert-esque facet of punk rock. It’s almost as if Jimi Hendrix, Danzig and Kyuss had a peyote ceremony in the desert and made music. Their live performances are bursting with masses of energy and instrumental intricacies that will have you wondering how they played those notes and moved around so much. Stuyedeyed is Nelson Antonio Espinal (guitar/vocals), Andrea Scanniello (guitar/organ/vocals), Luis Ruelas (drums), and Humberto Geñao (bass).

A recent performance at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn showcased their raw talent and ability to croon a crowd with heavy, crunching guitar riffs, smooth, groovy bass and ferocious drumming that could have you saying a divine four letter word. Although most of the material they performed was brand new, some tracks I’m familiar with made an appearance such as “Land Mines” (from their Cursed EP) which has a melodic guitar riff over a driving force of drums and a bass line that makes you want to groove your hips and bang your head simultaneously. “Erik’s Song” was played (also from the Cursed EP) and its heavy, droning guitar riff over a continuous drum roll matched superbly with Espinal’s aggressive, crooning vocals. Stuyedeyed bleeds DIY and possesses a natural talent not seen in many groups which is why they have become one of my favorite bands in the scene. I heard they may be recording new material soon; I’m very excited to see what comes next for the psych-rock quartet. Check out their EP, Cursed as well as their Facebook page for upcoming shows in Brooklyn/NYC.

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March 23, 2016
Big Gigantic Got Rowdy with a Sold Out Terminal 5

Big Gigantic commenced their Spring tour to a sold-out crowd at Terminal 5 this past Friday, March 11^th. The performance was chock full of familiar samples, super funky sax, meticulous drumming and a new and unique stage setup that appeared to have the duo commanding a spacecraft through a galaxy of super light beams.

Upon entering the venue, the energy level was extraordinary. Once Big G took the stage it was clearly evident why; the combination of their music style and the amount of energy and intensity they put into a performance is infectious. When you see saxophonist Dominic Lalli belting out a solo whilst sweating bullets or drummer Jeremy Salken laying down an intricate groove with tons of focus it’s very easy to appreciate their talent & dedication and give it back by showing off your funkiest moves to those closest to you. Big G got the crowd super hyped with tracks new and old, namely their new single, “Little Things” (feat. Angela McCluskey) which has an excellent balance of EDM styled builds and drops and anthemic piano/sax along with an excellent dose of sultry, soulful vocals. They dropped some Griz x Big Gigantic with “Let The Good Times Roll” as well as their celebrated remix of Aloe Blacc’s “Need A Dollar” which had fans sending singles off of the third level balcony. Ivan Jackson from Brasstracks was Big G’s very special guest and ably brought his brand of brass to the sold out crowd by guesting on a few tracks.

Big Gigantic is forging an awesome place for themselves in the live instrument/production genre as their evolution of sound has continuously been on an upward trajectory. I’m hoping to catch their sets at some festivals this summer as they will surely not disappoint.

Around New York, you can see Big Gigantic performing at Summer Camp Music Festival on May 29 and Camp Bisco on July 14.

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March 17, 2016
Annie in the Water and Hayley Jane Collaborate for Overnight Recording

On Sunday, March 6, Brad of Annie in the Water along with Hayley Jane asked via Facebook for suggestions on what to write a song about. Within an hour, they had more than 50 suggestions and proceeded to write a song throughout the evening and recorded the final take around 6:30am as the sun was coming up. The song, “Dr. Ashlee Little the Narwhal and Other Earthly Creatures (This Will be a Long Song),” has a silly storyline with a real message of love and optimism, inspired by their frends. The track was recorded in Clifton Park, NY. Enjoy!

March 14, 2016
Cradle of Filth Unleashes ‘Inquisitional Torture Tour’ On Cleveland

Not since 2011, have the states been graced by one of the most renown British metal bands, Cradle of Filth. The North American Inquisitional Torture Tour was meant to kick off in Philadelphia, PA on January 26, but the first four dates were cancelled due to visa issues. The tour kicked off on January 31 in Charlotte, NC and wrapped up in New York, NY on March 8 before heading back overseas.

Joining Cradle of Filth on this tour were Los Angeles natives, Butcher Babies and the Australian Progressive Death Metal band, Ne Obliviscaris, who were embarking on their first US tour.

On March 3rd, the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio fell under siege to the trio of metal bands. A long line of Cradle of Filth fans outside the venue, braving the elements eagerly waiting for the show. Some with their faces painted and donning wildly colored contacts similar to those of Cradle’s vocalist, Dani Filth.

The night started off with Ne Obliviscaris, who immediately won the crowd over. From the powerful screams and growling vocals of Xenoyr to the clean vocals and symphonic cries of the violin by Tim Charles along with guitarists Benjamin Baret and Matt Klavins, bassist Brendan Brown and drummer Daniel Presland, this band knew how to leave you wanting more. Their 2015 EPs Sarabande to Nihil and Hiraeth are worth checking out.

It’s always refreshing to see women, dominating the stage in the metal world and that’s just what the Butcher Babies did. With their their aggressive stage attire and vocals, the band’s frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey kept the crowd screaming. Backed by Henry Flury on guitar, Jason Klein on Bass and Chrissy Warner on drums, the band played songs from their 2015 album, “Take It Like A Man.”

Setlist: National Bloody Anthem, Blonde Girls All Look the Same, The Butcher, Gravemaker, Igniter, Jesus Needs More Babies for His War Machine, Monster’s Ball, Magnolia Blvd., The Deathsurround, Goliath, I Smell a Massacre and Axe Wound.

Cradle of Filth’s long awaited US Tour brought fans flocking from out of state to Cleveland’s House of Blues. The band serenaded the crowd with favorites from albums past in addition to songs from their new album Hammer Of The Witches, the album cover which also made for the background for the stage. Frontman Dani’s entered the stage in spiked attire, a painted face and ghoulish contact lenses, later adding of a crown of horns. With their sometimes dark and provocatively poetic lyrics, symphonic musical style and macabre imagery a Cradle of Filth performance is always a glorious spectacle. With the unique vocals of Dani Filth in addition to the vocal power of keyboardist, Lindsay Schoolcraft along with Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka on drums, guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda, bassist Daniel Firth, Cradle of Filth never fails to deliver and outstanding performance.

Setlist: Humana Inspired to Nightmare (Intro), Heaven Torn Asunder, Gilded Cunt, Blackest Magick in Practice, Lord Abortion, The Graveyard by Moonlight, Malice Through the Looking Glass, Right Wing of the Garden Triptych, Born in a Burial Gown, Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Nymphetamine (Fix), Her Ghost in the Fog, The Twisted Nails of Faith, Yours Immortally, From the Cradle to Enslave, At the Gates of Midian, Cthulhu Dawn, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and The Forest Whispers My Name.

March 14, 2016