Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

Saranac 2016 Concert Series ‘Going Out in Style’ with Dropkick Murphys

Saranac Brewery in Utica closed out its 2016 summer concert series with a bang Wednesday night. Dropkick Murphys’ 20th anniversary tour rolled into Varick Street, leaving a mass of sweaty and delirious flat-capped and kilted fans in its wake. The band last visited Utica in this very location on Sept. 20, 2012, and as Fred Matt mentioned when introducing the band, were the first to grace the Saranac stage in 2007.

The Celtic punk band has made a steady climb into mass consciousness since its formation in Quincy, MA in 1996. In 2004 the band re-imagined the song, “Tessie,” a song that helped push the Boston Red Sox to the first ever World Series title in 1903. The Dropkick Murphys’ version of the song is now one of three that is played at Fenway Park following each Red Sox victory.

The Murphys wear their love of hometown and the working man/woman proudly on their collective sleeves. This was made ever more present on this night when, prior to performing “Bastards on Parade” midway through the set, the band was presented with the first and only ever “You Give a Shit” Award by members of the local IBEW/CWA unit for their support of the union during the recent Verizon strike.

The show began with a rousing sing-along of the traditional Irish ballad “The Foggy Dew” and quickly escalated from there. “Out of Our Heads,” with the chant of “Here we go!” revving up the crowd, set the pace for the next hour and a half.

The Murphys faithful were given a bit of a scare early on during “Famous for Nothing,” when vocalist Al Barr took one step too many at the front of the stage and almost took a header into the pit. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and those not paying attention to the stage probably didn’t even notice the brief misstep.The band employs dual lead singers. Al Barr provides the gravelly yet melodic Oi! style vocals while band founder Ken Casey lends his slightly gentler voice to the trad-Irish and rousing pub rockers when taking leads. In addition to the boisterous front men, the band also employs some top notch musicians in drummer Matt Kelly, guitarist James Lynch and multi-instrumentalists Tim Brennan and Jeff DaRosa. Brennan is imposing and animated. Whether he’s ripping chords on lead guitar or squeezing out notes on the accordion, his tall frame looms large onstage.

It isn’t often a mosh pit forms at Saranac, but when Dropkick Murphys are in town, you can be sure one does. The pit formed early and was active throughout the night, especially when the band broke into the first song they ever recorded, “Barroom Hero.”Throughout the show, the band recognized the dedication of its fans. Casey invited one enthusiastic audience member to the stage to take his job for a song of his choice. The fan traveled from Raleigh, NC to see the band and Casey recognized him as one of their most die hard fans as he allowed him to take the lead on “Devil’s Brigade.” Following the performance, Casey said of the aspiring vocalist, “What he lacks in melody, he makes up for in enthusiasm.” A big hug between them sealed the arrangement and the fan headed back to the crowd.

The Murphys’ affinity for boxing is not a secret. Their 2005 album The Warrior’s Code was dedicated to Lowell, MA light welterweight fighter “Irish” Mickey Ward. Ward is most famous for his three epic battles versus Arturo Gatti in the early 2000s, fights that are still discussed in boxing circles today. Casey has even formed his own boxing promotion company, Murphys Boxing, promoting Danny O’Connor and Spike O’Sullivan.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, a quick drive up I-90 from Utica. Barr recognized the museum’s Executive Director Ed Brophy, who was one of the night’s attendees, as the band broke into the titular song from their Mickey Ward-inspired album to a roar from the crowd.

The biggest surprise of the night was when the opening notes of the Cars’ “Just What I Needed” began. Some with puzzled faces looked around for recognition of the song, while others of older vintage immediately recognized the Boston new wavers’ song. This one wasn’t too well-received by those in attendance, at least not those who were the most vocal the majority of the night, but it was a nice surprise to hear it mixed into the setlist.

The set ended with the high energy songs the band has made its trademark beginning with “Rose Tattoo,” a Murphys original that could easily be mistaken for a trad-Irish song. Originally released on the band’s 2013 Signed and Sealed in Blood album, the band re-recorded it with Bruce Springsteen for the For Boston Charity EP to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013. A ripping version of “Going Out in Style,” a song that will be played at many a Murphys fans’ funeral in future years, followed.Starting with the most famous banjo notes to open a song, the unmistakable “The State of Massachusetts” whipped up the crowd and the mosh pit and merged into the traditional “The Irish Rover” to close the set.

While encores are a given these days, the crowd still found it advantageous to encourage the band to return to the stage with the “Let’s go Murphys!” chant heard at each show. The band returned after a brief rest to Brennan’s accordion intro of the Woody Guthrie penned “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” a song made famous for its inclusion in Martin Scorsese’s Irish mob movie The Departed and a song that has become synonymous with Boston itself.

Continuing the fan-love, Casey invited all the ladies in the house to join the boys onstage for their last call classic, “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” Suddenly the Saranac stage was packed with fans bouncing and singing along to Casey’s ode to the beer goggles.

Casey then chose one lucky female fan to sing the parts of the modern day Murphys’ version of the Pogues classic “Fairytale of New York.” While the guest vocalist required some assistance with the lyrics from Casey, the fan held her own surprisingly well, much to the delight of those in attendance.

The night, and Saranac’s summer concert series, ended with a cover of the Sam Cooke soul classic “Having a Party” and a party it was, and there was no better way to finish off the summer. The crowd was left wanting more, exactly what Dropkick Murphys were striving for.

Dropkick Murphys Setlist: Out of Our Heads, The Boys Are Back, Famous for Nothing, The Gang’s All Here, Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya, Sunshine Highway, Sunday Hardcore Matinee, Bastards on Parade, Worker’s Song, As One, Cruel, Barroom Hero, Devil’s Brigade, You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory (Johnny Thunders cover), Memories Remain, The Warrior’s Code, The Gauntlet, Just What I Needed (the Cars cover), Rose Tattoo, Going Out in Style, The State of Massachusetts, The Irish Rover (traditional)
Encore: I’m Shipping Up to Boston, Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced, The Dirty Glass, Having a Party (Sam Cooke cover)

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September 23, 2016
Ghost Kick Off Popestar Tour in Rochester, NY

Ghost is back on the road once again and is giving fans their biggest show yet – the Swedish metal group, lead by Papa Emeritus III, kicked off their Popestar Tour Friday, September 16 in Rochester, NY. The show was held at the Main Street Armory which was home for a few days while the band worked out the kinks in the new production they were debuting for the first time ever.

The show was kicked off by the duo that goes by Zombi. It was a synth set that kept fans occupied while they waited patiently to see the debut of Ghost’s new production. Everyone knew it was time for Ghost when the lights dimmed and their signature entrance music “Masked Ball” played over the house speakers.

To coincide with their new release, the Popestar EP which hit shelves that day, Ghost opened up the night with “Square Hammer.” Fans in Rochester were the lucky ones who got to see the new single performed live for the first time ever. Together with a new stage setup, which featured a trippy looking black and white checkerboard floor, Ghost was full of surprises all night long.

It didn’t take long Friday night for fans to realize something besides the production was different on the stage. Although the Nameless Ghouls’ identities are kept secret, there was an apparent change in the band. As rumors sparked throughout the room and comments flooded live Facebook streams, it was confirmed that the Ghoul who goes by Omega had been replaced. Sadly, Omega, who was one of the original members of the band, was not in Rochester and would not be with the band on this tour. It remains unconfirmed whether or not Omega is gone for good, but he was certainly missed Friday night.

With Omega’s departure, it’s with open arms that fans of Ghost welcome a new member. This new member is handling bass duties for the band and the original bassist, Water, has taken over the second guitarist role. Any fan of Ghost could easily identify Water as the Ghoul who was taking over Omega’s role.

What fans couldn’t answer though was, “Who’s the new bass player?” The new bass player is certainly a tiny one, which leads many to believe that the new member is indeed a female. This tiny Ghoul, who rocks the red nail polish, seemed a bit nervous on stage at first but warmed up throughout the set. To help confirm the rumors about the new Ghoul, she used a black guitar pick that had a pink symbol for Water. Overall, for her first show, the new Ghoul did a great job in the Water role. Original Water, who’s now playing as Omega, was outstanding. As Papa Emeritus III said in previous shows when he introduced Water on the bass, he plays a mean guitar.

Once fans realized there were new faces behind the masks and processed that Omega wasn’t there, they were able to appreciate the new production the band brought. This time around, Ghost had pyro, CO2 cannons, and confetti cannons. Throughout the night, these added bonuses would pop up and give Ghost’s live show an added punch. Songs like “Square Hammer,” “From The Pinnacle To The Pit,” “Year Zero,” and a few others featured those new added bonuses.

Papa Emeritus III, the front man of Ghost, engaged the crowd all throughout the night. He took a poll of where the crowd came from and it seemed like Buffalo was the clear winner. Other cities Papa mentioned were Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Albany, and obviously Rochester. One of the best things about seeing Ghost live is the humor of Papa Emeritus III. It’s almost impossible to go see a Ghost show without laughing once.

The Popestar Tour setlist was fairly similar to what Ghost has been playing since Meliora came out, but the show is certainly different. Papa no longer introduces his Ghouls, which also supports the rumors of a lineup change. Some new songs have been added while others have been cut. The balance between albums Meliora, Infestissumam and Opus Eponymous was fairly done. The only song off the setlist that wasn’t part of those 3 albums was “Square Hammer.”

The night came to a close in typical Ghost fashion. The song, “Monstrance Clock,” has been Ghost’s go to song to end shows for quite some time. For anyone who hasn’t had the chance to see Ghost yet, this tour is the one to certainly check out. The Popestar Tour runs all the way through October and wraps up in Brooklyn, NY on November 12. From now until November, the Ghost will make their way all across the United States and select cities in Canada.

Setlist: Square Hammer (Live Debut), From The Pinnacle To The Pit, Secular Haze, Stand By Him, Con Clavi Con Dio, Per Aspera ad Inferi, Body and Blood, Devil Church, Cirice, Year Zero, He Is, Absolution, Mummy Dust, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, Ritual, Monstrance Clock

September 22, 2016
Syracuse Area Musicians Form Supergroup, 1000 Drops Of Venom

Syracuse area musicians that helped create the Syracuse metallic hardcore sound, have formed the supergroup, 1000 Drops Of Venom. Members from the band are from some of the area’s most prolific performers, and include frontman Karl Buechner (Earth Crisis, the Path Of Resistance, Freya), guitarist Jonathan Dennison (the Promise, Unholy, the Path Of Resistance), drummer Andy Miller (Unholy), and bassist Chris Reilly.

1000 Drops Of Venom is set to release the band’s first metallic hardcore style 7″ EP, which is now complete, and currently being finalized. The EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered at the Watchman Studios in Buffalo by Doug White. The studio has also produced the likes of the Gym Class Heroes, Brutal Truth, and Psyopus. The EP will be released on a label still to be announced. The band leaked its first single from the upcoming EP, “To Their Doom,” now available for streaming.

When talking about the new project, guitarist Jonathan Dennison said, “Well, talks of starting a new band together with Karl has finally materialized. I think fans of our past and present bands will like what we’re doing. Musically, this band represents how we feel and some things never change.”

Vocalist, Karl Buechner added:

JD and I became friends back when Another Victim toured with Earth Crisis in the nineties. Since then we have played music together in Earth Crisis, the Path Of Resistance, and Freya at different points. It was only a matter of time before we put a band together on our own. Our beliefs and our take on metal and hardcore are identical. There is genuine hatred in this music but it’s not back to square one. I think it’s the best elements of what were known for.

1000 Drops Of Venom can be seen Tuesday Sept. 20, opening for Crowbar at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse.

September 20, 2016
Helmet, Supporting New Album, Hits the Road with Local H

Helmet recently announced touring plans for the band’s upcoming Dead To the World U.S. tour through the month of November and most of December. The tour finds the veteran alt-metal band playing thirty-six shows inside of forty-five days in support of their brand new and eighth studio album Dead To The World, scheduled for release on Oct. 28, days before the tour kicks off. Helmet brings along a special guest to open shows on the tour in two-man band Local H.

The venture kicks off in Bloomington, IL at the Castle Theatre on November 3, and concludes at Delmar Hall in St. Louis, MO Dec. 17. New Yorkers can catch the “Unsung” rockers at the Highline Ballroom in NYC on Nov. 12, and Nov. 13, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Helmet was formed in 1989 in New York City by frontman/lead guitarist and only surviving original member Page Hamilton. Hamilton moved from Oregon to New York, where he studied jazz guitar at the Manhattan School of Music.

Helmet’s Dead To The World Tour Dates:

Nov. 3 – the Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL
Nov. 4 – Saint Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI
Nov. 5 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, CA
Nov. 6 – the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern – Cleveland, OH
Nov. 7 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
Nov. 9 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 10 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
Nov. 11 – THE MET – Pawtucket, RI
Nov. 12 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY
Nov. 13 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
Nov. 15 – Black Cat DC – Washington DC
Nov. 16 – Visulite Theatre – Charlotte, NC
Nov. 17 – Motorco – Durham, NC
Nov. 18 – the Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Nov. 19 – Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL
Nov. 20 – State Theatre – Saint Petersburg, FL
Nov. 22 – Revolution Live – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Nov. 23 – the Social – Orlando, FL
Nov. 25 – the White Oak Tavern – Houston, TX
Nov. 26 – Mohawk Austin – Austin, TX
Nov. 27 – Gas Monkey Live – Dallas, TX
Nov. 29 – Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
Dec. 1 – the Roxy Theatre – Hollywood, CA
Dec. 2 – Casbah San Diego – San Diego, CA
Dec. 3 – Discovery Ventura – Ventura, CA
Dec. 4 – the Independent – San Francisco, CA
Dec. 6 – Dante’s – Portland, OR
Dec. 7 – the Crocodile – Seattle, WA
Dec. 9 – the Pub Station – Billings, MT
Dec. 10 – Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
Dec. 11 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE
Dec. 13 – recordBar – Kansas City, MO
Dec. 14 – Fine Line Music Café – Minneapolis, MN
Dec. 15 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
Dec. 16 – Metro Chicago – Chicago, IL
Dec. 17 – Delmar Hall – St Louis, MO

September 14, 2016
Blink-182 Paves the Way for Next Generation of Punk at SPAC

Blink-182 proved to everyone attending their summer tour last night in Saratoga Springs at SPAC that they are more than just “crappy punk rock.”

With over 20 years of experience under their belt, it is not shocking that they spent their entire summer touring across North America in stadiums and amphitheaters.

Blink-182 came to an almost entirely sold-out Saratoga Performing Arts Center on September 4. With A Day To Remember and All Time Low by their side, Blink-182 gave a performance that could only be described as breathtaking.

Although the tour is split between openers All Time Low and All-American Rejects, All Time Low gave their final performance on Blink-182’s tour this night. Sharing the special moment with Saratoga, All Time Low gave what could be their best performance of the tour.

Unfortunately for All Time Low fans, despite how preeminent their performance was, frontman Alex Gaskarth felt that the crowd in Saratoga Springs performance for them was not up to par. When Gaskarth asked fans to sing along, “Heyo”, with the band, little show attendees sang along with them. To his disappointment, Gaskarth said, “Wow, that is the worst that has been the whole tour.”

A Day To Remember, who just released their newest album Bad Vibrations this week, gave the energetic and overly fun performance all fans hope for at any A Day To Remember concert.

With confetti cannons, toilet paper and shirts being flung from a t-shirt cannon, A Day To Remember have mastered the art of making fans jump and scream through the duration of their performance.

With years of performing and now six full-length albums to work with, A Day To Remember found a perfect setlist to show off all types of their sound with a blend of songs like, “2nd Sucks,” and “If It Means A Lot To You” in their setlist.

Blink-182 played in Saratoga for the first time since the Honda Civic Tour in 2011. With fans waiting in line for hours and driving from all parts of New York to be there, the response from Blink-182 fans was incredible.

Blink-182 is one of the most influential punk rock bands in my generation. Even All Time Low would stop every night to thank Blink-182 for bringing them on the road. Growing up listening to Blink-182, All Time Low are a first hand example of how inspiring of a band Blink-182 is for their genre.

With the new presence of Matt Skiba on vocals and guitar as the replacement for longtime member Tom Delonge, it is hard to say which version of Blink-182 is better live. What can be said, is that Blink-182 put on a performance last night that fans will remember for years to come. Some songs off of their set like, “Reckless Abandon” and “I Miss You,” were stellar performances by Skiba to match Delonge’s vocals.

Blending songs like one of their earlier hits “Carousel,” to newer songs like “San Diego,” into the setlist made it so that fans of Blink-182 from any era would be able to enjoy a nearly flawless performance.

From an almost perfect setlist to little to no vocal or instrumental issues, Blink-182 put on a performance that left fans in awe. From the lawn seats to the pit, fans joined from all areas of Saratoga Springs to sing along to as many Blink-182 songs as they knew.

Leaving the venue, all you could see was the sweat running down people’s faces, and smiles stretched across the faces of Blink-182 fans of all ages.

September 7, 2016
Melvins Make Quick Work of the Westcott

There’s an old adage in baseball, “Get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in.” In other words, get the show going, keep it going and bring it on home. Washington work horses Melvins did just that on a sweaty summer Friday night at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater.

Melvins (Buzz Osborne – guitar/vocals, Dale Crover – drums/vocals, Steven Shane McDonald – bass/vocals) have been at it since 1983. When one draws the family tree of Seattle rock music, the Melvins would occupy several branches of said tree. Influential in their sound and the scene they helped forge, it is not a big leap to say that without the Melvins there would be no Nirvana.

Under the glare of red stage lights the entire show, there were no mincing words, no time wasted. The band took the stage and immediately stepped into the psychedelic wash of “Eye Flys.” The near capacity crowd entered the zone, swaying and head bobbing to the lengthy intro.

A quick segue into a hyped-up cover of KISS’ “Deuce” followed. Osborne, with his trademark mane a blur, created riffs that echoed those of Ace Frehley in his ’70s heyday.

The band ripped through a setlist from its vast catalog spanning 33 years. They are currently touring their new album Basses Loaded, an album recorded with a plethora of bassists that includes Krist Novoselic of Nirvana fame, Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle, Fantomas and Tomahawk and Jeff Pinkus from Butthole Surfers.

Current bassist Steven Shane McDonald, sporting a black shirt labeling his profession in KISS-style font, was front and center the majority of the show. He spent the night revving up the crowd with pure showmanship and a solid focus on the low end. If the band’s history is any indication, McDonald’s tenure in the band may be short-lived, as Melvins tend to employ more bassists than the fictional Spinal Tap did drummers. However, it would serve Osborne and Crover well to keep McDonald on board for the long haul. He brings a spirit of energy to the band that would be difficult to replace.

A chunky take on Alice Cooper’s “Halo of Flies” worked up the crowd as Osborne delivered superb riffs reminiscent of Tony Iommi. Crover’s tribal drums held the faithful captive throughout this take on the Cooper classic.

What truly captured fans’ attention however, was the appearance of “AMAZON” from The Maggot album. The song took on an epic feeling of a looming apocalypse. Osborne whirled around the stage during the instrumental parts as Crover mesmerized with more tribal beats. McDonald particularly shone during this performance. It was during “AMAZON” that the trio truly seemed to gel.

The show closed with the new dirgy bass-heavy jam “The Decay of Lying” and the equally sludgy Houdini classic “Night Goat” before giving way to the new album’s closer “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (Yes, THAT “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”).

As the satisfied crowd dispersed to the sounds of Ronnie James Dio singing his classic Sabbath tune “Neon Nights,” the steam rising from the worked-up crowd provided a visual metaphor for what this legendary band did to this little venue in the Syracuse art district.

September 3, 2016
Metallica Kicks Off Return With a Sold-Out Performance at U.S. Bank Stadium

The internet just recently exploded with the news that Metallica has finally set a date for their new album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. The world has been waiting for the follow up to Death Magnetic, which was released in 2008 and now fans now have their calendars marked for Nov. 18. To make the news even better, Metallica released its first single “Hardwired” the same day. The single was well received by both fans and critics, who all said it seemed like the band went back to its roots.

On Saturday, Aug. 20, Metallica was the very first rock band to play at the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Joining Metallica for this special occasion were Avenged Sevenfold and Volbeat. Months before the show, the event was completely sold-out. With the album news and the single dropping days before the show, the hype around Minneapolis was incredible.

The line outside the new home of the Minnesota Vikings was miles long, as excited fifth members of the Metallica family eagerly waited to get in and secure their spot on the rail. The night started off with Metallica’s friends and old tour-mates Volbeat. Volbeat has been busy on the road after its recent release Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie. The band started things off with the first single from that album “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown.” The crowd response to Volbeat was great. Metallica fans seem to remember Volbeat quite well after their opening slot on the Death Magnetic tour.

Volbeat was given enough time to rip through ten songs. Other songs on the setlist included, “The Mirror and the Ripper,” “Sad Man’s Tongue” and “Hallelujah Goat.” Volbeat did a great job picking through a now decent size catalog. The band has gone through several lineup changes since its inception, including a recent change in bass players. Even with new blood in the band, Volbeat certainly still blend well together and put on a solid show. The performance ended with “Still Counting,” which left Minneapolis wanting more Volbeat except everyone in the crowd was ready for the mighty Metallica.

Before Metallica took the stage, Avenged Sevenfold had a chance to show the crowd that even though they’ve been quiet the last year, they still know how to kick ass. When the band took the stage, the venue was still quite empty, just as it was for Volbeat. Avenged opened with “Nightmare” and before fans knew it, there was a wall of fire behind the band. The pyrotechnics that Avenged Sevenfold brought with them were certainly a highlight of the entire evening. New drummer Brooks Wackerman did a spectacular job for just his second live performance with the group.

Avenged Sevenfold gave U.S. Bank Stadium fans hit after hit. Songs like “Beast and the Harlot,” “Hail to the King,” and “Almost Easy” were just some of what the band gave the audience. For the first time since 2012, the band played “God Hates Us.” The only downfall of watching Avenged as part as an opening slot was the short ten song set. There are not many bands that Avenged Sevenfold can open for, since they have the power to headline arenas and amphitheaters themselves. Singer M. Shadows said goodnight to the sold-out stadium with a killer performance of “Unholy Confessions” from their 2003 release Waking The Fallen.

As the lights dimmed and the giant video screens turned on, the familiar sounds of “The Ecstasy of Gold” began to play over the speakers. The video screens illuminated the sold-out U.S. Bank Stadium and there truly wasn’t an empty seat in the massive arena.

Lars Ulrich came out to his drum kit and kicked things off with “Creeping Death”. From the first note, the atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying. For a band that formed in the ’80s, Metallica has not lost its touch. There are not many metal bands that have the ability to sell out a 50,000+ stadium and Metallica did this months before the show happened.

The night’s stage was familiar to those who saw the “Night Before” show in San Francisco, where Metallica performed the night before the Super Bowl. The band and fans deemed the performance “Too Heavy For Halftime,” a title given after Metallica wasn’t picked to play halftime at the Super Bowl. The stage, fairly open and backed with the massive LED screens, was complimented by Metallica’s signature runway/snake pit. This circular catwalk gives a select number of lucky fans to be inside the catwalk and not get crushed in the crazy general admission crowd.

Metallica seemed to keep the setlist fairly generic for the special event. Fan favorites like “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Fuel” and “The Unforgiven” could have been guessed by anyone before the show started. One of the highlights of the show was the band’s performance of “Leper Messiah.” The band gave their fifth members a poll to vote on what song they wanted the band to play. The die-hard Metallica fans knew what song they wanted to hear from the list, and they got their way. Although James Hetfield forgot to sing a portion of the lyrics, the band actually went back later in the night and replayed that part of the song. The band completely laughed it off and so did the crowd.

The biggest question of the night was if fans would hear the newly released single, “Hardwired.” Well, after ending the set with “Seek & Destroy,” Metallica kicked off the encore with “Hardwired”. This new single sounded even better live and the crowd went insane. If this first single is any indication on the path Metallica took for the upcoming album, fans will certainly be happy.

After “Hardwired,” the band chose “Whiskey in the Jar” as their cover for the evening. The night ended with “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman.” At the end of “Enter Sandman,” there was a huge fireworks display that went off on each end of the stage. The fireworks came just feet from the new stadium roof. If anyone was going to destroy the brand new stadium, there would be no better way than to have Metallica do it.

For fans who stuck around shortly after James, Lars, Kirk and Robert said their goodbyes, they got to see a trailer for the new album that played on the LED screens. The hype for this November is going to be bigger than any other album Metallica has done. Surely to chart at #1, Metallica will be supporting their new release by hitting the road in early 2017.

Volbeat Setlist: The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, The Mirror and the Ripper, Sad Man’s Tongue, Hallelujah Goat, Dead but Rising, The Gates of Babylon, Doc Holliday, Seal the Deal, Radio Girl

Avenged Sevenfold Setlist: Nightmare, Critical Acclaim, Beast and the Harlot, Hail to the King, Buried Alive, Almost Easy, Afterlife, God Hates Us, Bat Country, Unholy Confessions

Metallica Setlist: Creeping Death, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fuel, King Nothing, The Memory Remains, The Unforgiven, Leper Messiah, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, One, Master of Puppets, Battery, Fade to Black, Seek & Destroy, Hardwired, Whiskey in the Jar, Nothing Else Matter, Enter Sandman

August 30, 2016
Corey Taylor Speaks About Fan Cell Phone Incident; Would Do It Again

Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, was interviewed recently by Las Vegas Review-Journal freelance writer Melina Robinson. Robinson asked Taylor various questions from what the weirdest thing about Las Vegas is to what its like to be Corey Taylor. She also asked Corey Taylor about when he recently slapped a cell phone out of a fans hand who was on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or playing Pokémon Go, instead of paying attention to the show.

https://youtu.be/NbI-gcnmPVk

A video went viral of the incident on social media and YouTube, which made fans who attended future shows standing up close on the rail or inside the pit, think twice about pulling their phone out at a Slipknot show. Taylor does clear up some of those phone issues in the interview.

Robinson mentioned the recent controversy involving Taylor smacking the phone out of a fans hand at a show. Robinson then asked, “What is your personal take of the connectivity/disconnectivity of cell phone usage?”

Taylor replied:

You watch people walk down the street, and they can’t get their beaks out of their stupid phones to cross the street. I love watching people get buried in their tiny little technological worlds, and then reality comes and smacks them in the face.

I don’t mind people who take pictures. I don’t even mind people who shoot video. I love that because you’re still engaged in the show. A lot of people get the wrong idea, they think that if I just see someone on their phone, I’m trying to rage quit their fun. I’m not trying to do that at all.

But if I see someone, and it’s so obvious they’re not even there, you’ve got to poke them with a stick to get their attention sometimes. Sometimes that means smacking the phone out of their hands. You can hate me all you want. It’s not going to stop me from smacking those things out of people’s hands.

Slipknot/Stone Sour fans, consider yourself duly warned.

August 24, 2016
Blink-182 Brings Classic Pop-Punk to the Lakeview Amphitheater

Flinging toilet paper, throwing bras and shooting fireworks is just the beginning of the beautiful chaos presented by a Blink-182 show. On Aug. 23, All Time Low, A Day To Remember and Blink-182 presented the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY with nothing less than an outstanding rock show.

The show opened with Maryland natives All Time Low who gave a performance that left fans in awe. During their opening song, “Lost In Stereo,” guitarist Jack Barakat ran off stage and into the audience surprising hundreds of fans with pictures and high-fives.

Barakat went out of his way to hit every part of the venue from the floor seats, to out past the lawn, while continuing to perform “Lost In Stereo.” As exciting as it was to watch, Barakat should have expected the fans that ran after him in droves trying to get his attention.

“I grabbed some dude’s hand and he grabbed my ass,” said Barakat after he returned to the stage from being in the crowd. When returning, they played what was their best song of the night, “Weightless,” which showed off the most energy and excitement from the crowd.

As an opener, All Time Low expressed their incomparable joy for being asked to be a part of the tour with Blink-182. Frontman Alex Gaskarth opened up to the crowd about how they started playing music in high school, and found their influence from bands like Blink-182.

“We started this band when we were just in high school and we had just found out about bands like NOFX, Blink-182 and Green Day, and all of those bands are basically the reason we are a band,” said Gaskarth.

With some vocal issues to start off the night, Gaskarth stabilized his voice when singing the acoustic song, “Missing You,” which showed off his rich tonal quality, and less strain in his vocals.

As excited as fans were to see Barakat out-and-about in the venue, during All Time Low’s closing song, “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” Gaskarth followed the trend by running with his microphone up the halls of the amphitheater and ending against the barricade of the lawn.

Like every All Time Low performance, by the end of their set, the stage and their mic stands showed off a rainbow assortment of bras thrown on stage by young fans.

Opening with All Time Low’s pop-punk style, the crowd was ready to hear five-piece rock band, A Day To Remember, fill the Amphitheater with their heavier sound.

Starting their set with fan-favorite “The Downfall Of Us All,” dozens of beach balls were released into the audience, but this wasn’t the only thing shot out to the crowd during their set.

During their beloved song, “Right Back At It Again,” a man came out with a costume and a t-shirt cannon shooting shirts to fans the entire song. Besides the t-shirts, the band starting throwing out dozens of rolls of toilet paper during, “All Signs Point To Lauderdale,” which made the venue sparkle with the white rolls being thrown every direction.

With t-shirts and toilet paper shot across the venue from song-to-song, fans were screaming from excitement. With all of the energy and smiles from their set, “Right Back At It Again” and “All Signs Point To Lauderdale”, became the most memorable parts of their performance.

“How many people grew up listening to heavy music?” asked frontman Jeremy McKinnon before performing the popular, “2nd Sucks.” Although this was the heaviest song of their set, A Day To Remember also played their heavy, recent single, “Paranoia,” off of their upcoming release, Bad Vibrations out Sept. 2.

A Day To Remember used their stage presence, performing abilities and outstanding stage effects to stand out as putting on the best performance of the night.

As soon as punk legends Blink-182 took the stage, they immediately went into performing their ever popular, “Feeling This.” Blink-182, which now includes original members drummer Travis Barker and vocalist and bassist Mark Hoppus, were accompanied by their fill-in member, Matt Skiba.

Although there were attempts by Skiba to nail Delonge’s vocals in songs like “Stay Together For The Kids” and “Reckless Abandon,” these attempts backfired on Skiba. With vocal strains and pitch issues, Skiba struggled to stay true to the original vocal parts of songs. This being said, in songs like “Los Angeles” and “Cynical,” Skiba hit the nail on the head vocally.

Despite their new album, California being released a few months ago, Blink-182 presented a diverse selection of songs that stretched across their discography for their set list. With their mix of performing older songs like, “Dumpweed” and newer songs like, “San Diego,” Blink-182 built their set list to accommodate fans of all eras.

Possibly the highlight of Blink-182’s set was when Hoppus brought smiles to the faces of fans all across the venue as he decided to do a song entirely in the dark.

“We invite you to take part in rock and roll history, as you take out your cellular phones, turn on the flashlight feature, and watch in utter f-cking awe and amazement, as we perform this song entirely in the dark,” said Hoppus.

Against what the crowd anticipated, the song that they went into performing was the minute long, infamous, humorous song, “Happy Holidays, You Bastard,” which after finishing the song, Hoppus said “You’re welcome” to the audience.

Along with Blink-182’s traditional humor, before performing their hit, “Stay Together For The Kids,” Hoppus gave the audience a briefing of the upsetting nature of the song.

“It’s so sad, you want to put on eyeliner, be alone in your room and listen to Taking Back Sunday and tell your parents to f-ck off,” said Hoppus.

With fans of all ages attending and singing along to Blink-182, it is easy to see how influential of a band they are. Some fans, like 26-year-old Tatianna Davis, were seeing Blink-182 as a celebration. Celebrating her two-year anniversary with her boyfriend, Davis and her boyfriend attended the show together. “These are bands I grew up listening to that I absolutely adore,” said Davis.

Blink-182 closed their set with, “Dammit,” but surprised the crowd by bringing out Landon Barker to close the set. By following the footsteps of his father on the drums, young Barker was the perfect close to the evening.

The smiles on the faces of fans covered in confetti, toilet paper and dirt was priceless, which should be more than enough motivation to see a Blink-182 tour in a town near you.

All Time Low Setlist: Lost In Stereo, Love Like War, Dancing With A Wolf, Six Feet Under The Stars, Backseat Serenade, Something’s Gotta Give, Missing You, Weightless, Dear Maria, Count Me In

A Day To Remember Setlist: Downfall of us All, I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made of?, It’s Complicated, 2nd Sucks, Right Back At It Again, Have Faith in Me, All Signs Point To Lauderdale, Paranoia, All I Want, If It Means A Lot To You, The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle

Blink-182 Setlist: Feeling This, What’s My Age Again?, Family Reunion, Rock Show, Cynical, First Date, Down, I Miss You, Bored To Death, Built This Pool, Dumpweed, Stay Together For The Kids, Reckless Abandon, San Diego, Not Now, Violence, Kings of the Weekend, Dysentery Gary, Happy Holidays, You Bastard, Los Angeles, Carousel, All The Small Things, Brohemian Rhapsody, Dammit

August 24, 2016
Festivalgoers Let Their Soul Shine During Second Half of The Peach

Saturday and Sunday at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA was more of the same weather wise with scorching heat, humidity and powerful storms that would delay several sets in the evening. Despite the elements, festivalgoers all across Montage Mountain appeared to be in better spirits for the later half, perhaps due to an acceptance and understanding of these factors, but more likely due to the outstanding music delivered to their eyes and ears. Headliners like Trey Anastasio Band and Umphrey’s McGee delivered top notch sets on Friday and Gov’t Mule and new supergroup “RB&B” brought the festival to a truly satisfying close on Sunday.

New York’s own Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds swooped onto the main stage early in the afternoon. Arleigh Kincheloe and brother Jackson, along with the rest of the birds energized the mountain with their soulful yet funky performance fans have come to love.

The afternoon also welcomed back Tom Hamilton to the Grove Stage with his band American Babies. Hamilton is a talented songwriter and although his presence in Thursday night’s Pink Floyd Electron set was nothing short of jaw dropping, the change of pace with the lively Americana feel to his afternoon set is exhilarating as well. Also during this time, metal rockers Brown Sabbath slayed over on the Mushroom Stage. Their frontman is as comical as he is talented, addressing the crowd as “motherfuckers” in between sets. As the name suggests, the Austin based band covers the catalog of Black Sabbath, but they do so with horns and Latin-style percussion for a unique experience both metal heads and hippies can appreciate.

The darlings of the festival scene, Twiddle, brought a massive crowd to the Mushroom Stage mid-afternoon on Saturday. This would likely have been a massive pool party like that of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong the day before, but the wave pool was closed. No matter though as fans packed the area to witness the rising stars welcome Russ Lawton on drums and Ray Paczkowski on keys, both from Soule Monde and TAB, join the band for “White Light.” Bassist Zdenek Gubb proved himself to be MVP of the set with powerful and funky bass playing that could be felt at the very top of Montage Mountain.

The highlight of Friday afternoon was Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Because the Grateful Dead means so much to so many people in the community, it’s no wonder their set drew such a massive crowd to the main stage. Joe Russo and friends bring a thrilling and welcomed update to the classics so many of us have come to cherish. Their set included greats like “Eyes of the World,” “The Wheel” and a full and powerful “Terrapin Station.”

As was the trend each evening at Peach, Mother Nature made her presence known with continuous flashes of lightening that would come with strong winds, rain and thunderstorms forcing The Lennon Claypool Delirium to prematurely end their predictably spacey yet original set. Fans took cover under the Pavilion as the first part of the storm passed overhead flooding the floors under their feet. Once passed it was finally time for the great Trey Anastasio Band to hit the stage. The pavilion, now packed with fans, housed tunes like “Cayman Review,” “Magilla,” “Gotta Jibboo” and “Money Love and Change.” As soon as “Sand” started to pick up, Anastasio was forced to tell fans to once again seek cover due to more severe weather. Once given the all clear, TAB returned to the stage to pick up “Sand” where they left off. Later in the set, Trey shared the story of how former TAB trombonist Jeff Cressman left the band to play with Santana. When Trey asked him who might replace him, Cressman suggested his daughter Natalie. Jeff was then welcomed to the stage and the father-daughter team thrilled the crowd together during “Push on Til’ the Day” to close one of the best sets of the entire Peach weekend.

Umphrey’s McGee gave the best musical nightcap of the weekend with their latenight set on the main stage Saturday night. The lightshow in the Pavilion was spectacular and the music was on point. The progressive rockers from Chicago played older songs from their catalog such as “Wappy Sprayberry” as well as a cover of Prince’s “Controversy,” a song they first covered in Minneapolis the day after the legendary singer’s death. “Puppet String” included Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” teases. Fans beat on the back of the seats within the Pavilion; the sound dragging the band out for a thrilling encore of “In the Kitchen” into “Glory” and ending with a reprise of “Puppet String.”

Sunday was the return to struggle city for many campers packing up their belongings to hike off the mountain and return home. Lines seemed to move faster and despite it being the fourth day of the festival, people were in good spirits.

Sunday began with a special ‘Wake up With Warren Haynes’ acoustic set that featured Gov’t Mule numbers “Beautifully Broken,” “Raven Black Night,” and “In My Life.” The set would not have been complete without the delivery of some Allman Brothers Band tunes to commemorate the festival’s beginning. Haynes played “Old Friend” and “End of the Line,” two ABB songs he contributed to. Warren returned for a two-song encore beginning with Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” and Gov’t Mule favorite “Soulshine” to the delight of thousands.

Not more than a year since the Black Crowes called it quits, founding member Rich Robinson is taking his solo career to new heights. The Rich Robinson Band performed Sunday at The Peach. In addition, Robinson was welcomed to the stage to join Blackberry Smoke and later on with Gov’t Mule.

Blackberry Smoke is a southern rock group with bluesy guitar riffs and country music undertones not unlike that of the Allman Brothers Band. The set featured originals as well as a down home version of Led Zeppelin’s “Your Time is Gonna Come.” Robinson joined the quintet for The Black Crowes’ “Wiser Time,” in which he delivered a thrilling guitar solo.

With Gregg Allman canceling a week prior to The Peach due to illness, a supergroup was formed to fill in the time slot he was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The group consisted of Joe Russo, Marco Benevento and Oteil Burbridge. The trio delivered a unique set that was largely a jazz-fusion jam in which the talents played off one another with ease, a nice segue to the headlining guest packed performance by Gov’t Mule. After a few Gov’t Mule tunes including “Mule” and “Game Face” with a “Mountain Jam” tease, Rich Robinson was once again welcomed back to the stage for a Crowe’s signature song “Sometimes Salvation.” The encore included “Come and Go Blues” with Charlie Starr, Brit Turner and Brandon Still of Blackberry Smoke before Oteil Burbridge joined the stage once more to aid in Allman Brothers’ classic “Dreams,” before ending the festival with a triumphant “Whipping Post.”

The fifth annual Peach Music Festival was legendary in its own right with world class musical acts, a stunning yet difficult venue, and memories fans would take with them for the rest of their lives. The spirit of the Allman Brothers Band was alive and well and we are happy to hear Gregg Allman is on the mend.

August 22, 2016