Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin Tour Raise More Than 10,000 Fists at SPAC

Capital Region area rock fans came out on a beautiful Tuesday summer night, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and had their faces melted off by one of the best rock lineups that have been assembled for a tour run. Fans were not only treated to some of the best bands in rock and metal today, all four bands have very recognizable frontmen. Metalheads had the pleasure of seeing Adam Gontier and super group Saint Asonia, Myles Kennedy with Alter Bridge, Ben Burnley and his band Breaking Benjamin, and Mr. oh wah himself, David Draiman of Disturbed.

The co-headlined Disturbed/Breaking Benjamin tour, not only saw four of todays best frontman, fans were also treated to some of the top musicians in the business. When you break down the lineup as individuals, you realize how good some of these musicians really are. Fans had the privilege to see the likes of guitarist Mike Mushok (Staind), guitarist Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge), and Dan Donegan (guitar) and Mike Wengren (drums) from Disturbed, to name a few, perform right in front of their eyes.

Every band on the bill was right down to business, and kept the talking to a minimum and the music on maximum. I like when bands introduced their songs and tell the back story of how they came about, and maybe for the singer to take a breather, but this was a welcome change, as it gives fans who paid their money, to hear more live music. The reason everyone buys a ticket for a live show is to hear music, and for some, drink beer and get shit faced. Less talking equals more songs that bands can put in their setlist, given the amount of time some bands have to play.

Fans who were smart enough to show up early, saw Saint Asonia take the stage first. Drummer Rich Beddoe, came out pumped up, as he stood behind his kit and yelled to the crowd to get the fuck up, while he waited for the other members of the band to take the stage. The band started the night off with the song “Fairy Tale.” Frontman Adam Gontier sounded really good on vocals. Gontier also looked rested and healthy and sported a fresh Mohawk and some bad ass sunglasses. Gontier was full of energy. Guitarist Mike Mushok and bassist Corey Lowery showed a lot of fire while they played.

Gontier thanked the fans for showing up early, and thanked them after every song. Gontier stated how beautiful upstate New York is, and before he actually named off a city, he told the crowd that he has recently moved to upstate NY, not far from Saratoga. Gontier also answered the question that many may have wondered. He stated that Saint Asonia will be around for awhile and that they were not gonna be a one album band like some.

Before playing the song “I Hate Everything About You,” by Gontier’s former band Three Days Grace, Gontier said that the band is asked all the time if they play songs by their former bands. He then said “Fuck Yes we Do.” He then went one to say I’m gonna play a song that I wrote a long time ago for that other band. Saint Asonia ended with “Let Me Live My Life.”

Alter Bridge took the stage in the second spot on the card. Alter Bridge started things off with “Addicted To Pain.” Singer Myles Kennedy was amazing on every track. I just wish his mic was turned up a little louder. Kennedy’s guitar skills are pretty good. The crowd had Kennedy smiling from ear to ear throughout the bands set, as fans sang each song with him. Now talking about skilled guitarist, Mark Tremonti is a down right beast guitar. Watching him play live is almost mesmerizing. His guitar solos are on point and totally flawless. Tremonti was feeling really feeling it, as he would make facial expressions to the sound of his guitar. You can feel Tremonti’s passion as he plays. At one point, Tremonti was jamming so hard he accidently unplugged his guitar. Alter Bridge had the whole crowd going crazy during the song “Metalingus.” Kennedy gave props to a fan playing air guitar in the upper balcony. Kennedy told the fan that he loves seeing that shit. The band ended their set with “Rise Today.”

First headliner of the night was Breaking Benjamin. The band has been touring relentlessly over the last two years ever since frontman Benjamin Burnley pieced together a new lineup and studio album. Their stage set consisted of C.O.2 blasters, that would shoot off at various times during the bands set. The cool air from the blasters helped cool off the fans down front in the pit. The band started things off with “So Cold.” Being the Star Wars fan that frontman Benjamin Burnley is, the band played the “Imperial March Theme,” from the movie. Ben pledged his allegiance to the darkside of the force giving a shoutout to Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and The First Order, as he wielded a red lightsaber.

Guitarist Keith Wallen, provided the vocal duties for the song “Sooner Or Later,” doing a decent job in the process. Breaking Benjamin played a throwback cover medley that consisted of “Schism” (Tool), “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Nirvana) and “Walk” (Pantera).

Burnley told the crowd on many occasions, that they were singing along beautiful and to keep it going. Burnley gave a speech and paid tribute to the men and women in our Armed Forces. Breaking Benjamin ended their night with “The Diary Of Jane.”

Fans by now were foaming at the mouths. For most in the venue, this was the first performance from Disturbed in the area in over four years, and for some, their first Disturbed concert ever. David Draiman and the rest of the boys showed that they were worth the wait. The band played a good mix of fan favorite tunes and some new tracks from the bands current studio album Immortalized.

Disturbed kicked things off with “10,000 Fist.” Standing in the pit looking back, it looked like more than 10,000 fist were in the air, as frontman David Draiman conducted the packed crowd inside the Saratoga Performing Arts Center by pumping his fist in the air. Pyro was in full effect, as flames shot out from various parts of the stage that made it feel like your face was gonna melt off.

These four guys have a one of a kind aura about them. When fans and critics talk about who’s the best this, and who’s the best that, all four musicians in Disturbed, should be in those conversations. There is no doubt that this band will be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame someday.

Bassist John Moyer has this cool swagger about him as he plays, and his Go Pro camera that is attached to the end of his bass can prove it. Drummer Mike Wengren can bang the cans with the best of them. They way he can consistently twirl his drum stick and hit the cymbals on cue for an extended period of time is insane. Wengren also has one of the sickest looking drum kits in business. Guitarist Dan Donegan doesn’t get enough credit as a guitarist. His riffs and solos are some of the best in rock and metal. Singer David Draiman is one of the most recognizable voices not only in rock music but music alone. His style is like no other. His calm bad ass personality is intoxicating.

After Draiman said to the crowd “My brothers, my sisters, my blood….SPEAK TO ME!,” to a deafening response from the crowd, the band jammed out song after song. At the mid point in the set. The lights started to dim down, as the band took on some different instruments while Draiman sat on a stool in the middle of the stage. It was now time for the song that has now made Disturbed a household name. It was time for the bands cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic “The Sound Of Silence.” Seeing this performed live is not only amazing, but one hell of a concert moment to be a part of. Every fan in the house lit up their lighters and cell phones like Draiman requested, and set the whole atmosphere for the performance.

Near the end of the bands set, an intoxicated fan kept flipping off Draiman from the crowd. Draiman asked the fan, in David Draiman fashion, why the fan was giving him the finger. After not being able to hear what his response was he continued to the next song. Still flipping the singer off, when the song ended, Draiman acknowledged the fan again, and asked him to come closer so he could hear what he was saying. The fan responded incoherently something about making a bad deal with someone, and screwing him over. Draiman responded by saying that he didn’t think he made a bad deal and everyone is entitled to their opinion. He then said “But sir I would appreciate it if you would show me the respect I deserve by not flipping me off while I’m up on stage.” Disturbed ended one indestructible evening with “Down With The Sickness.” Disturbed showed why they are Immortalized by many.

August 21, 2016
Kristen May Departs Flyleaf, Feels She Never Fit In

Flyleaf is now in search of a new vocalist after Kristen May posted a video recently on social media updating her status and announcing that she is departing the band. In the video, May stated that fans have been asking her what’s going on with Flyleaf; if they were writing new music and if the band had any touring plans.

May then did a quick recap of her career up to where she is at now, which is being a mother to her baby boy. She then stated that after three years she was leaving Flyleaf:

Now is the time that unfortunately have to say goodbye to Flyleaf. It’s sad to say that, because so many of you fans have really accepted me with open arms and loved me. And to not have played for some of you, and you know, I know we have a lot fans in South America and all over the world, um even with all the touring we did, I know I didn’t get to meet you all. So if you were a fan of what I have done with Flyleaf I just want to say thank you so much, and much love to you.

May plans to continue her music career, just not with Flyleaf. She then touched on another reason why she is leaving the band besides wanting to be the best mom she can be for her child. She says:

I’ve toured in bands, and been on the road and away from home for 12 years. And so for me to be able to plant some roots for a little bit with my son, and my husband, and our dogs here at my home is really, really important to me.

As far as will I make music later, absolutely. I know that I will make music again. I already am picking up the guitar again and getting time when I can to make music but, I don’t think it will be with Flyleaf. Though I love the album Between The Stars, and I feel like the guys and I really poured our hearts and soul in it. I never truly felt like I was part of the team in the way that I never truly felt like the band was mine. And I’m sure a lot of people feel that way when they come in to a band that had a previous lead singer, um the story isn’t all mine. And so I never truly felt like I fit in. Life is too short to stay where you aren’t fully growing. Anyway, to be completely honest with you, I need to grow and move elsewhere. Committing myself to one band, just isn’t what is right for me.

May took over for Lacy Sturm, who stepped down from Flyleaf in October of 2012, after the death of one of the band’s lead audio engineers, and to raise her son Jack. Sturm has recently returned to music with a solo album titled Life Screams. Could a possible reunion between Sturm and Flyleaf be in the works?

August 17, 2016
Heavy Montréal Stands Strong With 30,000+ Metalheads

Once again, Montréal brought in thousands upon thousands of the world’s biggest heavy metal fans last weekend. The event known now as Heavy Montréal, was held on August 6 and 7 at the Plaine des Jeux at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The weekend was host to more than 37 bands that played across 3 different stages. Out of the 30,000+ fans that attended, approximately 23 countries were represented. Those countries include fans from, the United States, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland, France, Great Britain and more.

For those who attended the festival last year, there were two main differences. Those differences were the festival was dropped down to only Saturday and Sunday instead of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The other difference being in the actual festival grounds. This year, the festival moved to the smaller side of the island known as the Plaine des Jeux. Over the same weekend, metal fans may have run across many hipsters wearing their colorful tank tops and board shorts while taking the metro to Heavy Montréal. The reason for the mix of music scenes was because right next door at the old Heavy Montréal festival grounds was the ÎLESONIQ festival which was headlined by artists such as Zedd and Skrillex.

Anyways, back to the metal. Saturday was a busy day for everyone it seemed. Only the most loyal fans to the headlining bands camped along the rail all day to catch that one band they came for. Pop Evil was one of the bands who started off the weekend and they seemed to love Montréal and the crowd loved them. The band opened up with the crunching riff of “Deal With The Devil”. Festival sets are never long, so everyone has to bring their ‘A’ game. The crowd support and reaction at just 1:30 in the afternoon was incredible.

In the middle of the afternoon on Saturday, it seemed to go back and forth from one great artist to the next. Bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Skeletonwitch, Fear Factory and Kataklysm were only some of the options early in the day. Each of those bands all seemed to draw respective crowds which was surprising when some of the sets overlapped. Somehow it seemed like no matter who was playing next, each stage was packed.

Saturdays biggest surprise was Escape The Fate. Playing on the Blabbermouth.net stage, these guys absolutely stole the show. Skeptical on how the crowd would react at a festival dominated by “heavier” bands, Escape The Fate provided that breath of fresh air in the afternoon. The band’s setlist consisted of mainly songs off of their last 2 studio albums, which were both solid from start to finish.

Other bands that played Saturday that put on unforgettable performances were Sabaton, Sebastian Bach and Black Label Society. Sabaton had the best stage set of the entire weekend hands down. The Swedish power metal guys in Sabaton brought both pyro to their stage set and a tank. Yes, you read that correctly, a tank. To go along with the awesome stage show, Sabaton ripped through a 10 song set list that consisted of songs like “Ghost Division,” “To Hell and Back” and “Night Witches.”

Sebastian Bach, who everyone knows as the voice of Skid Row, seemed to surprise the audience with a high energy impressive set. Sebastian came on stage to “Slave to the Grind” and was headbanging while swinging his microphone around him. Sebastian connected with the Montréal crowd by speaking lots of French to them, which brought roars from the packed audience. Fans of the TV show “Trailer Park Boys” were present in the crowd, which is a show Sebastian is commonly featured on. Fans brought in a sign for Sebastian, which he took, not to rip up and throw away like Axl Rose would have done, but instead Sebastian held it up high with laughs and propped it up on stage. It could easily be seen that Sebastian was in high spirits and truly loved performing at Heavy Montréal.

Black Label Society was one band that not a single person in Montréal should have missed. Friday night the band played a headline show in the city and on Saturday once again at Heavy Montréal. Watching Zakk Wylde shred on the guitar is mind-blowing. The man can virtually play anything with his eyes closed. The band was tight and ripped through a quick 8 song setlist, highlighted by “Funeral Bell,” “Bleed for Me,” “Godspeed Hell Bound” and “Stillborn.” The end of the set wasn’t the end of Zakk for the weekend. Everyone knew that Zakk and his band would be back on Sunday for more, but not to perform as Black Label Society, but under Zakk’s name instead for a softer set.

The end of the day 1 for Heavy Montréal was capped off by Mastodon, Nightwish, and last but not least Five Finger Death Punch. Mastodon, who was scheduled to play last year’s Heavy Montréal but was forced to cancel, came back this year and gave fans what they’ve been waiting for. The group from Atlanta, Georgia mixed with tremendous talent all around has been on the round behind their 2014 release of Once More ‘Round the Sun. As many fans hoped, Mastodon focused on that album playing track from it such as “The Motherload” and personal favorite “High Road.” Other fan favorites from the set included “Oblivion”, “Divinations” and “Blood and Thunder.”

Nightwish made its only stop in North America of 2016 at Heavy Montréal. For being a symphonic metal band from Finland, the crowd support for Nightwish was unbelievable. The band opened with “Shudder Before the Beautiful” which was off their 2015 release Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Their latest album seemed to be the focus of the night with 5 songs played off it in total. The band brought in an impressive pyro display wish some fans certainly didn’t expect. Between the frequent pyro blasts right in front of singer Floor Jansen and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, the C02 cannons going off gave Nightwish the complete production package.

Night 1 of Heavy Montréal was closed out by one of the most bad-ass bands of today, Five Finger Death Punch. These guys have been non-stop with a vicious cycle of releasing albums and touring without taking a break. Work has already begun for their next album after just recently putting out Got Your Six. The road warriors opened their set with “Lift Me Up” which was off Volume 1 of The Wrong Side of Heaven And The Righteous Side of Hell. With a short set and so many tracks to choose from, it’s hard for the band to really dig into their catalog. The guys seemed to try and keep everything balanced by playing at least 1 song off of 6 different albums. The night ended strong with “Got Your Six,” “Under and Over It” and “The Bleeding.” Five Finger Death Punch gave the crowd everything they had and the crowd showed no signs of letting up. Fans at Heavy Montréal were ready for day 2 before they even left the island.

Sunday started off with bands I Prevail and We Came As Romans. Both drew in the younger crowds early in the afternoon. I Prevail played their hit cover song “Blank Space” which was made famous by Taylor Swift. Surprisingly, this rendition was awesome and I Prevail really made it their own.

Guitar genius Tosin Abasi was on site Sunday with his band Animals as Leaders. This instrumental djent band drew in all the guitar nerds in the crowd over to the Scène HEAVY stage to get a glimpse at Tosin doing his thing. Animals as Leaders was definitely one of the standouts of the weekend for their uniqueness.

One of the summer’s biggest metal tours made their stop in Montréal on Sunday. The tour features Saint Asonia, Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed. Saint Asonia was the creation of Adam Gontier, formally of Three Days Grace and Mike Mushok of Staind. Joining them in Saint Asonia are Corey Lowery on bass and Rich Beddoe on drums. Basically a “supergroup” these guys have been going strong after their formation in 2014 and touring behind their 2015 self-titled release.

Hatebreed also played on Sunday. Many fans may have missed the fact that Hatebreed was at Heavy Montréal because they were a very late addition for Trivium who had to cancel last minute. For a last minute add-on, Hatebreed came to destroy Parc Jean-Drapeau. Ironically, the band opened up with “Destroy Everything” and then immediately went into “Looking Down The Barrel of Today.” The band a total of 4 songs off of The Concrete Confessional which was a heavy hitting album Hatebreed released last May.

Both Blind Guardian and Zakk Wylde drew big crowds on day 2 of Heavy Montréal. Blind Guardian who just played Wacken Open Air in Germany 2 days before coming to Montréal, had the best sound of the weekend. The German power metal band played a 8 song set that featured tracks from 6 different albums. The most popular album of the setlist for Blind Guardian was Nightfall in Middle-Earth. The tracks featured on that album that were played during the set were “Into the Storm,” “Mirror Mirror,” and “Time Stands Still(At The Iron Hill).”

Zakk Wylde was playing for his 3rd time in 3 days. This time just under the name Zakk Wylde, but still with his BLS bandmates on stage with him. The set started out with “Sold My Soul,” which seemed like a 20 minute guitar solo that features Zakk going nuts by playing behind his head and with his teeth. The band played “In This River” which is a Black Label Society song, but this version definitely had a different spin to it. Watching the band transform and play something completely different than the day before was very cool. There probably aren’t many bands out there that can do what Zakk and his Black Label crew could.

Sometime during the late afternoon the rain finally came down. While it started out as a light shower and then stopped, things changed shortly after with a downpour. The rain didn’t last long but from what fans were saying, it was the first time it had ever rained at Heavy Montréal.

As stated earlier, Alter Bridge was in Montréal and ready to show the city what they’re made of. Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti together make one of the best guitar combos in rock. Together, with the rest of Alter Bridge, the band puts on an incredible live performance. Myles is one of the best vocalist there are today and the band creates some heavy hitting riffs that are hard to get out of your head once you hear them. Songs like “Come To Life,” “Ties That Bind,” “Isolation” and “Addicted to Pain” are just some of what Alter Bridge played during their short set. The only thing that can be said is that Alter Bridge needs to do a headlining tour and come back to Montréal very soon. With a new album The Last Hero due out on October 7, Alter Bridge fans may very well get that headlining tour they’ve been wanting.

One of the best bands of the day if not the best overall was the mighty Killswitch Engage. The guys in Killswitch Engage squeezed in 11 songs into their short set time and showed every other band over the weekend how it’s done. Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz lead the charge and opened up the set with “My Curse.” Between songs Dutkiewicz made sure the crowd did not calm down. This was definitely the set to see at Heavy Montréal. The crowd was a constant circle pit with crowd surfers and topless chicks. To sum it all up, the word would be chaos. Vocalist Jesse Leach was quite impressive in his ability to not only cover his original songs, but also some of the songs Howard Jones originally sang on. Songs like “Rose of Sharyn,” “The End of Heartache,” and “Holy Diver” sounded incredible with Jesse back in the band. On top of that, their newest material from Incarnate and Disarm the Descent was absolutely killer live. The mix of fast brutal riffs and energy Killswitch Engage brings to the table makes them a hard act to top for the rest of Heavy Montréal.

The 8th Heavy Montréal was closed out with Breaking Benjamin, Volbeat and Disturbed. Breaking Benjamin has been on the road ever since their release of Dark Before Dawn in 2015. With Benjamin Burnley is the only original member left in the band and he’s done a spectacular job filling the spaces next to him on stage. The reformed Breaking Benjamin sounds awesome together, especially Ben. It’s a pleasure to be able to see Ben back out on the road playing songs such as “So Cold,” “Breath,” “I Will Not Bow” and last but not least “The Diary of Jane.” To add to that, the new material off of Dark Before Dawn is also great live and the crowd in Montréal certainly helped Ben out by singing basically every word alongside with him.

Volbeat, who just released Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie came out with “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown.” The highlight of their set was performing “Evelyn” with the Barney from Napalm Death. Volbeat who now features a new bass player, Kaspar Boye Larsen and Rob Caggiano on guitar, still puts on a great live show, but the energy on stage was missing that came from their former bass player Anders, who left the band last year. The band was sure to play hits like “Sad Man’s Tongue,” which was introduced with a little “Ring of Fire” intro by Johnny Cash. The crowd was definitely familiar with Volbeat and their love and respect for Johnny Cash. The night for Volbeat ended with “Still Counting” and just about everyone at the festival could be heard singing, “Counting all the assholes in the room,” even the people waiting across the way waiting for Disturbed.

Back from their hiatus and hitting the road after releasing Immortalized, Disturbed has been destroying every arena, amphitheater and festival it can play at. Heavy Montréal was no exception to that statement. Bringing an onslaught of pyro, just like Nightwish did the evening before, David Draiman and the rest of Disturbed were there to show Montréal they were back and meant business. The set opened with “Ten Thousand Fists,” “The Game” and “The Vengeful One.” For a band that took a long break, one would expect them to be rusty and still not be in the swing of things. Not Disturbed, this band is a well oiled machine that shows no signs of slowing down. The biggest surprise was hearing the band play “Land of Confusion,” a song that hasn’t been featured in their setlist often on tour. The band obviously played it’s insanely popular cover of Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sound of Silence.” Just about every cell phone and lighter was in the air for this song and it was a powerful performance to say the least. The night was full of other hits like “Stupify,” “Inside the Fire,” “Stricken,” “Indestructible” and “Voices.” The night and entire weekend came to a close with the song that just about everyone in the world could have predicted, “Down With the Sickness.” This was the perfect ending for a perfect weekend of metal music at Heavy Montréal.

If anyone has thought about going to Montréal for this festival, it’s highly recommended. The city is beautiful, the people are friendly and getting to and from the festival is easy. On top of that, Heavy Montréal is one of the most organized and put together festivals in North America. Look for a lineup announcement coming to NYS Music for Heavy Montréal 2017 early next year.

August 16, 2016
The Evolving Evolfo at Shea Stadium Brooklyn

The night was dirty, loud, revolutionary, beer-soaked and pleasantly dark. I’m not only describing the inside of indie Brooklyn’s sacred sanctuary, Shea Stadium, but also the band behind the interior madness, Evolfo. As the band entered the stage, their UFO style of music was introduced to the crowd with a thunderous instrumental intro highlighting everything from the keyboard and bass to the drums and horn section.

One of their newer installments, “Bloody, Bloody Knife,” had a familiar, almost White Stripes meets 60’s punk sound and included a guitar solo by Matt Gibbs. During the solo, his hair completely covered his face while he melted our faces. The crowd favorite, “Mechanicals,” created an infectious dance party with a late night lounge feel. The whirling keyboard effect used by Rafferty Swink sounded like something Dr. Dre may steal for his next album while Matt Gibbs’ creative lyrics were politely screamed in a Shakespearean manner. As soon as it feels like the song couldn’t get anymore genre blending, the bursting horns march their way into the room like an impromptu parade down Bourbon Street. Gibbs gave the crowd a minute to catch our breath as he highlighted how ecstatic the group was to play in such an iconic, underground sonic space.

After boogieing through “Love Like a Freak,” Evolfo kept the most recent songs coming with “Rat City.” Imagine David Bowie’s “Suffragette City” played with a faster tempo by a psychedelic garage band like The 13^th Floor Elevators, but with just the perfect amount of brass to shackle it to the ground. Next up was “Let’s Carry On” which saw bass player Ronnie Lanzilotta stomping back and forth like an air guitarist on Red Bull. His energy was so intense he cosmically summoned one of the members from the opening act, Mobile Steam Unit, to jump on stage and rage with him equally as hard. The momentum spread like the Zika virus and before you knew the entire crowd was infected; one of the highlights of the hour long set.

Judging by the “Herbie and the Headhunters” t-shirt worn by their bearded saxophonist, Jared Yee, this gnarly crew were no strangers to the realm of funk. They have no shame in fronting as a “funk band” even though they consider themselves “garage-soul.” One of the best tunes that display their thrilling, chilling funk talent is “Wild Man” which Evolfo played with delightfully terrifying precision. I had a moment to speak about the visually freaky yet addicting music video for “Wild Man” with Gibbs before the set, inquiring about the first music video regarding any correlation to the imagery in the video compared to what he thinks about while on stage. He replied:

“Well some things in the video do quite literally have a place in our show. Some of the outfits and the demon mask and other small things have made their way onto the stage over the years. And then, of course, I hope that we portray some of that raw animal magnetism. I would love for real life to be as crazy as “Wild Man.” If we’re in the zone and we’re getting the energy from the audience I believe we can really live up to that fun with reckless abandon. As far as what’s on my mind while I play, I pretty much always wish I could pour some ambrosia on the audience and make them turn into animals. That would be ideal.”

After the “Wild Man” lit up the room with aerobic weirdness, they were ready to give us what we wanted, the title track to the newly announced EP, Last of the Acid Cowboys. The lyrics are coming from a place of pure spacey madness. Swink’s keyboard is projecting a surfin’ synthesizer sound while he sings in an eerily familiar Jim Morrison tone. If this song doesn’t wind up on the next Quentin Tarantino soundtrack, someone isn’t doing enough research.

Gibbs shed some details about the new EP and it was time for one more classic Evolfo tune for the brass-aholics in the crowd. Loaded with sexual innuendos, tantalizing bass lines and mod soul-funk, the climax during “You Light Me Up” is definitely the horn (or horny, sorry, I had to) section. Their time on stage was short and sweet, but the memory of that performance will last a long time, even for the fans in the booziest of states.

Musical evolution has been as much a staple of New York City as pizza, or more recently, Pokemon Go. Much like the global sensation of walking around with a smart phone and searching for rare creatures from a different dimension, a new species of music is evolving right before us. Label it whatever you want, but for those of us lucky enough to discover the rare Evolfo at Shea Stadium on a Wednesday night, we have a new band that is about to morph. After the release of their new EP, a tour is sure to follow and if they continue to put on shows with that sort of allure and creativity, I gotta catch em’ all.

August 12, 2016
Steel Panther Brings Hair Metal To The Sherman Theater

On Saturday, July 30, the greatest 80s hair-metal band to not come out of the 80s took over the Sherman Theater. Steel Panther, the comedic hair-metal/glam-metal band came to Stroudsburg, PA to give fans a taste of what they can’t get anymore, unless they’re listening to classic-rock radio stations that have been playing the same songs for 30 years.

Unlike bands like Motley Crue, Van Halen, Skid Row, etc. Steel Panther can give fans a live performance that’s absolutely spot on. Perhaps it’s because the band only got its start in the early 2000s or maybe they have some special potion that keeps their musical talents from slipping away.

After releasing a live acoustic album called Live From Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage Steel Panther has been playing gigs in select cities. Between gigs the band has also been working on its official follow-up album to 2014’s All You Can Eat. While fans are anxiously waiting for new material, they get to watch Steel Panther do what they do best out on the road.

Saturday’s set started off with “Eyes of a Panther,” which is off Steel Panther’s official debut album Feel the Steel. The debut album seemed to be focused on the most throughout the night. Over half the setlist came from that first album, but the crowd didn’t seem to care.

As always, Steel Panther’s show wasn’t without the jokes, banter, and crowd interaction with the ladies. Even though some of the act may be repetitive for some fans, that didn’t stop them from laughing hysterically. For fans who aren’t familiar with Steel Panther, mix together a glam-metal band with Dr. Dirty and that’s what is created.

Lead singer Michael Starr, at the age of 51, continues to exceed expectations for live performances. At his age, Starr continues to blow away fellow vocalists in his age group. Singers from other 80s bands should be getting on top of their game before Starr takes their job. Starr and fellow guitarist both played in the Van Halen cover band called The Atomic Punks, so if Van Halen ever needs a new singer, Starr should be getting a phone call.

During Satchel’s guitar solo, he made his way up to the drum kit. From the kit, Satchel played some famous guitar riffs while also playing the bass drum. Watching Satchel play is just mesmerizing. The guy comes up with some bitchin’ riffs and can shred up and down the neck of the guitar with ease. Michael Starr and guitar master Satchel shouldn’t be getting all the credit though. Lexxi Foxx and Stix Zadinia do a kick-ass job on the bass and drum-kit.

The only downfall of the night was that it seemed to end too fast. Only playing 15 songs including a guitar solo just doesn’t seem to feed the Steel Panther hunger. With more songs though, the band would probably have to cut out the comedic segments between songs and that’s a part of the experience.

Setlist: Eyes of a Panther, Tomorrow Night, Fat Girl, Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World, Let Me Cum In, Asian Hooker, Turn Out the Lights, Guitar Solo, Ten Strikes You’re Out, Girl From Oklahoma, 17 Girls in a Row, Gloryhole, Community Property, Party All Day, Death to All but Metal

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August 4, 2016
Disturbed Turns up the Heat at Darien Lake

It was a hot humid day this past Sunday at Darien Lake. In turn made some people harbor inside with the AC not to be seen until the temperature cools down and we can breathe easy again. That didn’t stop rock fans from coming out and enjoying the top notch lineup that was about to implode the venue.

Saint Asonia is a new name to the music scene, but the musicians in it are rather seasoned. Staind‘s Mike Mushok, Dark New Day‘s Corey Lowery and former Finger Eleven drummer Rich Beddoe help make up the group. With only one album out people had an idea of what to expect, though they threw a Three Days Grace song in the mix. I was highly impressed by this band and how tight they were. The stage presence was good but could use some work. Please don’t become a one trick pony. There is too much talent and years left for that. Though with the heat wave of 89 degrees we had, let’s dismiss this performance for lack of movement from some members.

Alter Bridge, was formed from the ashes of Creed in 2004. Alter bridge came at you with tons of emotion from the moment they hit the stage. Myles Kennedy, whose voice, sounds radiantly clear despite moving continuously around from stage left to stage right. Adrenaline was running high at this point, and there was more to come. Mark Tremonti really knows how to schmooze the crowd with his killer smile and flawless guitar riffs. The rest of the set-list was a compilation of songs from of all their previous productions, but it was arranged in a manner that kept it agile and very engaging.

Breaking Ben has been a heavy hitter in the scene for years. They have had their fair share of problems recently and have made somewhat of a comeback but seem to be slightly struggling. Not quite sure if the heat was getting to the bands that night but Breaking Ben vocally was not on their game. He didn’t quite hit the notes he typically does but we all have our off days. That didn’t stop the fans from loving every moment of the show. They sat and had a collection of their best songs ranging from all the catalogs. Fans sang along to ever y last one of them despite his diminished vocal ability.

This band brings it each and every time they come to town, Disturbed has been dominating the rock scene for just short of 25 years; 22 years to be exact, only 20 of those years contained David. Disturbed brought extra heat with them that night with a pyrotechnics that could be felt from the back rows of the venue. David brought his deep heavy hitting vocals and was on point the entire night. He ranged from his older favorite tunes and even played a new song for the engaged crowd. He also did his rendition of “Sound of Silence” who was originally written by Simon and Garfunkel. This seems to be his newest bit and people either love it or hate it; there is no in between. Regardless, his entire performance was one for the books and Buffalonians will always welcome him with open arms anytime he wants to come to Buffalo.

August 2, 2016
Slipknot and Marilyn Manson at Lakeview Amphitheater Syracuse

Slipknot and Marilyn Manson made a stop on their joint tour at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY on July 23. The tour features an aggressive schedule and will include stops in more than 30 cities across North America. Of Mice & Men joined as special guests.

First up was Southern California quintet Of Mice & Men lead by front man Austin Carlile. You can always tell when a band wants to be somewhere and really wants to play, when they hit the stage exactly on time and rip through as many songs as possible. That was the impression I got from Of Mice & Men and I can appreciate their effort and enthusiasm. Of Mice & Men tore through eight songs in thirty minutes that included booming vocals that alternated between screams and harmonic melodies, metal solos complete with whipping long hair and some seriously hard drum beats. Highlights of their set included “Public Service Announcement,” “Never Giving Up,” “You Make Me Sick” and “Pain” off of their upcoming release Cold World due out September 9.

After some uncertainty and much debate from fans as to whether or not Marilyn Manson would be healthy enough to play, the band took the stage. Manson previously cancelled his July 21 performance in Quebec City at the last minute due to illness. Manson started in with the theatrics immediately, throwing bags full of blue and red colored chalk into the crowd who responded by picking up the bags and throwing them in the air so that others could share in the fun. Manson’s set was full of oddities, including stained glass images of Manson in a Jesus-like pose at either end of the stage, a variety of microphones including one with a knife and one with brass knuckles, a Marilyn Manson $666 bill as the backdrop, a burning bible and even stilts.

The crowd filled in quickly as the first notes of “Angel With the Scabbed Wings” hit the air. Manson didn’t waste any time and jumped into the crowd to interact with the fans during the second song “Disposable Teens.” There was a bit of flopping around the stage, throwing of a few microphones and some of the singing was incomprehensible at times but the worst part of the set was two very lengthy delays, one 15 minute delay where Manson left the stage after the fourth song “mOBSCENE” and another lengthy delay before the final song of the evening “The Beautiful People.” I am guessing that the delays are due to Manson’s illness and that hopefully once he is feeling better, he will resume a full length performance. Despite the short set, Manson did a great job of engaging the fans. He performed the entirety of the Eurythmics’ cover “Sweet Dreams” perched above Paul Wiley (guitar) and Twiggy Ramirez (bass) on stilts. For the encore, Manson brought two female fans up on stage to help sing “The Beautiful People” while he ran through the crowd all the way to the sound board and shot off a cannon filled with Manson’s $666 bills.

Set list: Angel with Scabbed Wings, Disposable Teens, No Reflection, mOBSCENE, The Dope Show, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics cover), Antichrist Superstar

Encore: The Beautiful People

It was time for the final band of the evening. The crowd filled in when Manson hit the stage but it seemed much denser as Slipknot took the stage. A video of burning mannequins began playing in the background as the band members creeped onto the stage donned in their trademark masks and tore right into “The Negative One” off of their most recent release .5: The Gray Chapter.

Slipknot’s stage setup is intense. The band has three percussionists, one was set up center stage on risers, the other two were on either side of the stage with their equipment on hydraulic risers that moved up and down and spun around through the entire set. While the center percussionist played a traditional drum kit, the other two were playing on hollowed out kegs that appeared to be homemade drums. The band’s total of nine members come together to create an impressive sound. The band is known for their wild stage antics but fans were to expect things to be toned down a bit in light of lead singer Corey Taylor’s recent surgery. Taylor paused at one point to address his recent spine surgery, “I had surgery recently on my spine, who the f*** has to just have spine surgery for no reason?” He promised that the band was still going to deliver and they certainly did.

Slipknot played a selection of songs from their catalog including hits from their self-titled debut and their 2001 release, Iowa. Taylor asked the fans, “Who wants to go back to 2001 with me right now? Who wants to hear some songs off Iowa?” The band played “Distasterpiece,” “The Heretic Anthem” and later in the set “Left Behind” all tracks from Iowa.

Corey Taylor engaged the fans throughout often referring to them as “family” and requesting the lights go up so he could see their faces. The band played an extensive 18 song set. Fan favorites included “Psychosocial,” “Wait and Bleed,” “Duality” and “Spit It Out.” Taylor ended the evening by stating “I sincerely hope you have had as much fun as we have.”

Set list: The Negative One, Distasterpiece, Eyeless, Skeptic, Before I Forget, Killpop, Dead Memories, The Heretic Anthem, Psychosocial, Pulse of the Maggots, Left Behind, The Devil in I, Wait and Bleed, (sic)

Encore: Surfacing, Duality, Spit It Out

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July 31, 2016
Kerfuffle Sells Out 3 Years In A Row

This past Saturday was one of the most scorching days of the year. It also happened to fall on Kerfuffle’s third birthday. Kerfuffle is the creation of Alternative Buffalo 107.7 FM. This has sold out every year so far, they bring a selection of popular alternative bands from different sub genres. They have nailed it every year thus far.

LA, rockers, The Moth and the Flame kicked things off this year. What makes TMTH such a distinct and fun band to listen to is their fearlessness and originality. They are not afraid to do what they want to do. They aren’t a cookie cutter pop band. There is the grittiness of Robbins’ vocals which glisten on the band’s recordings but give their performance life and depth.

Coleman Hell was certainly not what I expected when he first appeared onstage. The only song I knew by him was his radio hit “Two Heads”. That was the black sheep of his song list. Everything else was very much different and percussion-heavy synth-pop. He appeared on stage in a paisley 70`s bright colored suit, that look straight out of the 70`s. He was a very spiritual individual and talked about the energy being overwhelmingly positive at the event.

Pvris (Pronouned as Paris) is a band that shows no signs of stopping. They have continuously been moving up the ranks and stealing the spotlight left and right. Today was an exception, they definitely brought their game but not their A, maybe B-.The vocals were great but she didn’t hit the high notes that she typically does, which gave it a less sensation to the song.

Madisen Ward and the Momma bear were a breath of fresh air. Hailing from Kansas City, the duo performed lively, soulful acoustic folk tunes side-by-side for Madisen takes the lead on most of the verses, but his mother certainly held her own.

New Politics come to Buffalo what seems like several times a year. They sell out each and every time. The band is based out of Brooklyn, NY. The love the audience had for this band is undeniable; it is clear as to why. Front man David Boyd gets the crowd to its feet and is quite the hype man. He has full faith in his fans and lets them carry him away into the crowd as far as they’ll take him. Dave`s famous acrobatic moves our ones you find in a hip hop studio; he does head spins and somersaults with the greatest of ease! Grant it some of their stuff is something you will find at every show they do, but if its not broke why fix it? These guys stole the show as they do every time.

The Strumbellas are a six piece Canadian based band that played for the first time in Buffalo. They are alternative country rock but didn’t seem to woo the audience; they were rather uninterested in the bands performance. It’s hard to follow heavier hitter the New Politics.

Bloc Party are all the way from England, they had some technical difficulties after the first song. Even the first song you could tell there was trouble but they pushed through it. Lead singer Kele apologized a couple times saying “Buffalo doesn’t deserve this”. Buffalonians do what they do best and screamed from the crowd saying its ok and that they’ll wait, not in the sarcastic tone either; in the true we support you because this kind of stuff happens tone. After what seemed like the longest seven minutes of Bloc Party`s life they got their sound system working again. Once they did you could still sense the aggravation in the way they looked but they came back with what they could pull from the wreckage, which was restless punk ska music that had hints of old school wrapped up neatly into it.

The Violent Femmes are a flash back from the past for some people. I think most of us know the song “Blister in the Sun”. That dates back all the way to 1983. The guys are well seasoned and casual dressers for the most part. They haven’t changed a bit vocally from when they first began according the people who have known them from day 1. They had the crowd to singing a good handful of their songs and the main audience was roughly between the ages 16-30.

Awolnation, where do we begin? Let’s start by saying the entrance was one to catch attention. Lights were turned down low with a blueish hint haze. A woman dressed in a vintage looking space helmet, wearing a long black robe carrying a lantern appeared on stage. You can find her on their “Beautiful Things” music video as well. No words were spoken just haunting music. Then as quickly as she came she disappeared. As soon as that happened the audience knew it was time to get this party started; not that it hadn’t already. Front man and brain child Aaron Bruno took to the stage with the rest of his mates and when the bass dropped to start the chorus, the crowd erupted to pandemonium that would not cease until the night’s end. It was also refreshing to see a group of musicians who were so musically bound. There were moments of improvisation and jam band style expansions of songs. “Sail” stands out as an example of a song that sounds much stronger live than on the album. The song set was nothing short of impressive; their performance guaranteed more sellout crowds on return trips through Buffalo.

Kerfuffle was a success this year, the staff managed to keep their composure while aiding in keeping everyone cool hydrated and happy. The fans soaked up just about every performance that night and the headliner did not disappoint. Hopefully they can keep selling out and keep bringing heavy hitting bands that are relevant like they are doing now. Great job Alternative Buffalo, Kerfuffle is one to compete with.

July 30, 2016
Rockin in the Heat, Vans Warped Tour Heats Up Darien Lake.

It was a balmy, cloudy start to the day for this years edition of the Van’s Warped Tour at Darien Center. Around twelve the weather turned and the sun decided to stay out making the weather quite enjoyable.

The Word Alive:

The five piece metal core band out of Phoenix, AZ; led by lead vocalist Tyler “Telle” Smith kick-started the day off from the second they took the stage. Immediately the crowd was engaged, singing along with Smith and the mosh pits starting immediately when the band took the stage. When the band played their hit track “Sellout” off their most recent album Dark Matter, the crowd went insane and a circle pit started and seamlessly didn’t end until the song was near its end. All in all, The Word Alive kicked off Vans Warped Tour with an enormous bang.

Four Year Strong:

The Boston, MA punk rock group, dressed in Hawaiian clad gear took the stage on the Journey’s right. From the jump off the band’s energy ignited the crowd. Playing a good combination of old and a couple new tracks, the band held high energy throughout their performance. With a crew member dressed up as Santa tossing out shirts to the crowd, Four Year Strong lived up to the performances of the past Warped Tour.

Ice Nine Kills:

The quartet metal core band took the stage and their set up was miraculous. With a giant skull set up with the drum set the middle, INK hands down had the best stage set up on the entire bill. Playing all of their hit songs like, Bury this hatchet in your head, and closing with Me, Myself and Hyde. From beginning to end INK crushed their time on stage and the crowd was involved right from the jump. Lead vocalist Spencer Charnas was the life of the stage as he came into the crowd and really ignited the place around him. Overall Ice Nine Kills put on one of the better performances of the day.

Every Time I Die:

The Buffalo, NY five piece in their first Warped Tour appearance in two years took the day. With it being their homecoming performance on the Vans Warped Tour the band did not pull any stops, with the Buckley brothers Jordan and Keith jumping into the crowd really exciting everyone in attendance for their performance. They debuted a new track off of their upcoming album Low Teens to be released on September 23 of this year. A special gift was given to anyone that purchased any merchandise from their tent, with any purchase a digital download of the new album was given. Overall, the hometown boys really brought down the hammer and heated up the already hot day with the best performance of the day, really showing that Buffalo metal will only live on through this band.

Sum 41:

In their first appearance in many years the Canadian quintet showed they still have the juice. Playing all of their classic hits and a new track off of their upcoming album Sum 41 definitely gave this writer the nostalgic feeling of being back in high school. With tracks like Still Waiting, In Too Deep, Fat Lip and The Hell Song; Sum 41 brought the crowd to life with all of their classics as their performance was towards the end of the evening. There wasn’t much room to stand as the revival of an old punk rock classic made their long awaited reunion. One of the most notable parts of their performance was when the band brought up fans from the crowd to party on stage with them, proving that this band is definitely ready to make their way back into the scene. Deryck Whibley looked like he never missed a beat and the band followed his lead and kept the crowd alive with their performance.

July 29, 2016
2016 Vans Warped Tour NYS Fairgrounds Syracuse

The 2016 Vans Warped Tour made its first appearance in Syracuse at the New York State Fairgrounds on Thursday July 7. Despite the extreme heat, the punk rock music festival drew a large crowd. The fairgrounds was an ideal setting for the expansive set up that included seven stages, vendors, local food trucks, an adult size slip and slide and the air conditioned “chill out” truck that offered fans free energy drinks and some relief from the burning heat of the sun.

Warped Tour is celebrating its 22nd birthday this year and the impressive lineup included Warped Tour veterans Less Than Jake, Yellowcard, New Found Glory and Sum 41. The lineup also included popular metal acts Motionless in White, White Chapel and Every Time I Die. There were also a few Upstate New York bands, including Syracuse’s own One Last Shot and State Champs from Albany.

The Vans Warped Tour offered a perfect blend of veteran acts, rising stars, local favorites, punk rock and metal. The mix of offerings attracted a broad spectrum of fans of all ages and music preferences making for a one of a kind experience.

Check out the photo gallery for captured moments and memories from the day.

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July 27, 2016