Yungblud and MISSIO recently made a stop on their Twisted Tales Of The Ritalin Club Tour at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY. It was originally scheduled to take place at The Westcott Theater, but due to scheduling conflicts the show had to be rescheduled at The Lost Horizon and almost immediately sold out.
Fans of all different ages and backgrounds packed into the club like sardines waiting for MISSIO to take the stage. While mostly everyone was talking about Youngblud and how they couldn’t wait to see him, there were several fans in the front row going off on just how good MISSIO is.
After a brief introduction by 95X’s Scott Dixon, MISSIO took to the stage in complete darkness as the crowd roared in anticipation. Opening with one of their better known songs, “Twisted,” lead singer Matthew Brue danced to the background electronic beat with a fierce and commanding presence. Immediately captivating the audience with his impressive vocal range and soft but deep tone. MISSIO is able to blend heavy EDM beats with a mix of Rap, Rock, and Alt Rock in a unique style that works so well.
Between songs, Matthew Brue continuously connected with the audience on a personal level. Before performing the song “Politics” he spoke to the audience saying, “How many people here like politics? Though I’m not talking about the politics that you’re probably thinking of. I’m talking about the politics with friends. This song is about some friendships that are worse than politics. Like you just suck out my soul, why are you still here?”
Before performing “I See You” he reached out to the crowd once again. “We want to take our masks off, and what I mean by that is to be who you really are. Whether you’re dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety or any of the bullshit that comes with life struggles, we still see who you are.” Closing out their set with “Middle Fingers,” MISSIO thanked the crowd and left the audience buzzing as they awaited for Yungblud.
The hype waiting for Yungblud was unreal. Hearing every fan chanting “YUNGBLUD” as loud as they can was one of the loudest crowd noises I have heard at The Lost Horizon. The lights went dark and the crowd erupted into a frenzied scream as two figures dressed in body armor carrying dark flags walked onto the stage.
After a brief intro to “21st Century Liability,” Yungblud sprinted out from the side stage to fans screaming in ecstasy. The energy Yungblud has on stage is rivaled only by Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More, constantly jumping around to the beat of the music and walking out onto the barricade to lean into his fans.
Yungblud’s set overall was a very high-energy performance that didn’t slow down until he walked off the stage. Performing hits like “I Love You, Will You Marry Me,” “King Charles,” and “Parents” had the audience singing along to every word throughout the night.
Another highlight of the night was “Polygraph Eyes,” a song about the importance of consent. The way he connects with the audience is rare to see with live shows today, and his fans certainly showed their appreciation as much as Yungblud showed his to the fans.
Yungblud is a whirlwind of energy onstage and lives up to all the hype surrounding him. His performance is definitely worth seeing live, and the very impressive roster of artists that he has been working with is sure to skyrocket his career.
Setlist: 21st Century Liability, Psychotic Kids, I love you, Will You Marry Me?, King Charles, Anarchist, Polygraph Eyes, Parents, Medication, Loner, Kill Somebody, Live Interlude, I Think I’m OKAY, California, Die for the Hype, Hope for the Underrated Youth, Machine Gun
Ukrainian metal band JINJER brought their tour to The Montage Music Hall in Rochester for yet another sold out show. With support from The Browning and Rochester natives Poison The Prophet, this was an excellent night of metal music.
Opening the show, Poison The Prophet launched into an aggressive, in-your-face, heavy set that you would expect on this kind of bill. While they didn’t have much room to move around the stage due to the other band’s kits, they made up for it with a pure metal performance.
Poison The Prophet moved quickly through their 6-song set and left the crowd wanting more with loud cheers and applause after every song. Featuring two vocalists, Jason Acevedo and Justin Clay, the duo constantly leaned into the crowd with great interaction and stage presence.
Being a “local” band on a national tour can seem intimidating and often one can tell which bands are the “local” ones of the night. However, Poison The Prophet fit right in, and performed a fantastic set that was the perfect introduction to the show.
Next up were The Browning, the four-piece electronic metal band from Kansas City. Wasting no time opening with “Beyond Stone”, The Browning had the crowd going nuts with their unique fusion of rap, EDM, and heavy metal.
Their 10-song set also went rather quickly as the band flowed through their setlist, with highlights being “Carnage,” “Pure Evil” and “Skybreaker.”
Guitarist Brian Moore was the most notable part of the band’s stage presence as he spun around relentlessly covered in paint while wearing a hoodie that resembled a cross between a zombie and a clown.
Closing out their set with “Geist,” the crowd responded with loud cheers and thundering applause. The Browning was a solid support act to be touring with JINJER and certainly gave it their all on stage. Finally, it was time for JINJER. The lights went dark and fog machines slowly began to fill the venue as the crowd screamed in anticipation. The moment Tatiana took to the stage, the band jumped right into the heavy number “Teacher, Teacher.”
When you think of metal bands with female vocals you probably think of In This Moment, Otep, Butcher Babies, or Arch Enemy. JINJER is very quickly making huge waves in the metal world and, in my opinion, Tatiana has the best voice in metal. The way she can transition from her cleans to the guttural screams is incredible to see live.
JINJER’s set was just pure raw energy. Playing fan favorites such as “Judgement (& Punishment),” “I Speak Astronomy,” “Perennial” and “Outlander,” the band commanded the audience’s attention and left them almost in a trance.
Closing out the night with the encore performance of “Pisces,” JINJER showed exactly why they’re selling out many of their tour dates. Expect this band to be performing at much larger venues very soon. Being able to see them at a club-type venue is something all of these fans will certainly remember.
Be sure to check out any of the remaining dates of this tour:
Oct. 15 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Black Circle Oct. 16 – Angola, Ind. @ The Eclectic Room Oct. 18 – Columbus, Ohio @ Al Rosa Villa Oct. 19 – Flint, Mich. @ Machine Shop Oct. 20 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ The Stache @ Interection Oct. 22 – Chicago, Ill. @ Bottom Lounge Oct. 23 – Belvedere, Ill. @ Apollo Theater Oct. 24 – Waterloo, Iowa @ Spicoli’s Oct. 25 – Iowa City, Iowa @ Wildwood Smokehouse Oct. 26 – Racine, Wis. @ Route 20 Oct. 29 – Calgary, Alberta @ Dickens Oct. 30 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Starlite Oct. 31 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Rickshaw Theater Nov. 01 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon Nov. 02 – Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theater
Danny Wimmer Presents announced that Metallica will be performing two headlining sets, with different set lists at next years’ Sonic Temple Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Sonic Temple will kick off May 15-17, 2020, with a full lineup to be released on December 2 at noon EST.
Sonic Temple, previously known as Rock on the Range, will be entering its second year under this name. The festival which takes place at MAPFRE Stadium is considered one of the best and largest rock/metal festivals in the United States.
“Metallica isn’t just another headliner. When Metallica takes the stage, it’s an event. It’s an experience. That’s the same standard we’ve set for every DWP festival – from the first band to the last band, and everything that happens in between. I can’t wait to bring the biggest band in the world to the biggest rock festivals in America.”
Danny Wimmer Founder – Danny Wimmer Presents
Danny Wimmer Presents is the largest independent festival producer in the U.S. “Metallica paved this road that we travel. How many artists on the bill at these five festivals first picked up an instrument, or first started a band, because of Metallica?”
Tickets for all events went on sale October 10 at 12 PM PT/3 PM ET for Fan Club members and for past purchasers of Danny Wimmer Presents events. The general public sale begins Monday, October 14 at 9:00 AM PT / Noon ET. Find more info and buy tickets HERE.
Denver, Colorado psychedelic jam-trio Cycles are making their way through the northeast this week, performing a series of shows throughout New York state as part of an extensive 2019 fall tour. Last night, the band played at Buffalo Iron Works, with Colorado’s The Magic Beans and Connecticut’s Eggy, for a commemorative night celebrating the venue’s tenth anniversary. This past Wednesday, Cycles sat down for an interview with NYS Music in Brooklyn, NY, just before performing a set at famed music club The Knitting Factory.
This was a first time appearance for the trio’s drummer Collin O’Brien, not only at the venue, but in Manhattan altogether. “I haven’t been to New York in like fourteen years,” he told NYS Music. “I’ve been freaking out walking around all day.”
It was a return, however, for the band’s guitarist Patrick Harvey and bassist Tucker McClung, whom have performed as Cycles in NYC before. “We’ve played New York a few times,” said McClung. “There was Brooklyn Bowl, and then we played at American Beauty once, for a Phish after party. That was really fun.”
“There’s a really sick jam from that [Phish] show,” said Harvey.
Sick jams were definitely in full supply for their The Knitting Factory show, which saw the band deliver a full range of musical styles, from jazz to funky-metal to soulful rock, across a dizzying set of songs that were all linked together via impeccable technical abilities.
While new to the city, O’Brien is also a relatively new addition to Cycles, at least as a full time member. The Chicago-born drummer moved to the band’s home base of Denver earlier this year and jumped on board with the band just in time for huge gigs like Arise Music Festival, Peach Music Festival, and Resonance Music Festival just last weekend. “I love it,” he said. “This has been the best summer of my life.”
He certainly fits into Cycles’ live musical experiment, with constantly shifting drumbeats and tempos thrown up against barrages of shrieking guitar solos from Harvey and slap-happy bass rips from McClung. As a unit, the band navigates an amazing balance between improvisational spontaneity and technical precision, and the results fuse together unique, often even quirky, song material with a sustained sense of freewheeling whimsy. A sense that, musically, anything could happen at any moment.
In their Knitting Factory show, they showed this resolutely. Some songs bled out into super spacey, affecting moments of trippy space rock. Other moments saw battles for highest intensity between chromatic guitar picking and dramatic drums fills—sometimes while McClung was balancing his bass on one finger like a vaudeville performer. At one awesome point in the set, Harvey broke from a melodic guitar solo to incorporate audio samples of an eighties’ sounding, glam rock tune into a hard-driving metal-funk jam from bass and drums. Does that sound odd? Absolutely. It is exhilarating and actually pretty groovy.
“I think when we first started, it used to be challenging to make it sound really full,” commenting on the three-piece driving force behind such heavily improvisational shows night after night. “But now, it just feels like I get to do whatever I want all the time. We’ve been playing together so much over the past three years, I feel like we all know where to get in and fill space, or where to leave space.”
Tucker McClung, Bass.
“Yeah, there is a lot of freedom in not having a lot of people on stage,” said O’Brien. “It’s easier to communicate ideas more instantaneously.” This sense of freedom is what gives the band the inspiration to perform a live musical game show next month, at Denver’s Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom (where they will actually have many people on stage).
Tucker broke the concept down to NYS: “It’ll be one set of us performing as Cycles, but we’ll open up the night with a set of this game show. It’s going to be a super interactive experience. We might have as many as 30 to 40 people coming up intermittently and participating in the show, and we’ll be the host band for this Johnny Carson mixed with Wheel of Fortune kind of experience.”
“And,” added Harvey, “we have a game show host who is the freakin’ man! Dennis Craig. Definitely the best host any game show could ask for.”
“It’ll be a healthy amount of uncertainty,” said O’Brien. “Stuff will go wrong in the best possible way.”
Cycles Guitarist Patrick Harvey. Photo: Miles Hurley
The rest of Cycles’ schedule coming ahead has them linking up with jam scene contemporaries like The Magic Beans, Sunsquabi, and others. The trio looks forward to a huge hometown show in December: a debut at Denver’s The Fillmore Auditorium opening up for Umphrey’s McGee.
“I used to see them all over the place when I lived in Chicago,” said O’Brien. “They’re so nice. They’re just some normal guys that are like really, really freaking talented.” McClung, meanwhile, talked about seeing the six-piece staple act for the first time at this year’s Resonance Music Fest. “Yeah, they did an acoustic set which was pretty awesome. I was getting really pumped watching it.”
This week, catch Cycles as they finish their New York stretch with a show tonight at Syracuse’s The Westcott Theatre, followed by shows next week at Olive’s in Nyack and at The Hollow in Albany. While this season of touring seems to continue a road-tested sense of hardcore gigging for the band, they show no sign of slowing down, an instead an invigorated and grateful attitude for the experience.
When you’re as blessed to be doing what we’re doing, it’s foolish to be agitated at the world. Because you have this awesome opportunity to rock out. There’s nothing better than this. If there was something better than this, I’d be doing it.
Patrick Harvey, Guitar.
For more information about the band, their music, and their upcoming shows, head to their website.
On Saturday September 21, 2019 four veteran hard rock bands rolled into Tags Summer Stage in Big Flats, NY to close out the summer concert series with a bang. 80’s iconic rock bands RATT, Warrant, Firehouse and Kix shared the stage for a night of rock and roll, reminiscing with gritty guitars, thundering bass, pounding drums, classic hits and power ballads. The entire six hour concert was abounding with that quintessential big driving eighties sound, par can lights, iconic riffs, screaming guitar solos, and lots of hair (for those who still have it) – along with plentiful lipstick and leather and vintage concert T’s both onstage and throughout the crowd. For many, 30 years ago seemed like yesterday and we were transported back to 1989.
STEPHEN PEARCY ~ RATT
Kicking the night off were veteran rockers Kix. Hailing from Hagerstown, Maryland, Kix formed in late 1977 with Ronnie “10/10” Younkins, Brian “Damage” Forsythe on guitars and bassist Donnie Purnell, with drummer Jimmy Chalfant and frontman Steve Whiteman coming on board shortly after. Kix released their debut self titled album Kix in 1981, followed up by Cool Kids in 1983 and Midnite Dynamite in 1985. It was after their release of their platinum album, Blow My Fuse in 1988, when the band experienced major commercial success with the hits “Blow My Fuse,” “Cold Blood,” and the power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” which reached number 11 on Billboard 100.
Kix hit the stage at 5:30 pm and began figuratively blowing fuses with their jaw dropping performance. Never missing a beat, Kix hit the ground running and never slowed down a for second during their hour long set. Steve Whiteman’s vocals were as strong as ever and still hit those high notes effortlessly. Whiteman, who has been out front revving up the crowds for nearly four decades with his charismatic and highly energetic stage presence, ran out on stage wearing all blue, as the band kicked into their opening number “Midnite Dynamite.” Whiteman has avoided the fate of many rock frontmen of his generation and has withstood the test of time as he still has the pipes, stage presence and energy of performers half his age.
KIXROCKS TAGS SUMMER STAGE
Despite being the first band in this classic line-up, many fans felt that Kix stole the show with their no frills, in your face, straight up rock and roll. As stated previously, Whitemans’s vocals were spot on superb. Both guitarists Younkins and Forsythe, although not overly flashy, were highly impressive with their style of playing and musicianship. Each yielding exquisitely beautiful guitars, their tone was magnificent as they complimented each others unmistakable style. Rounding out the astounding musicians in Kix were drummer Chalfant and newest member (2003) bass player Mark Schenker. Talk about a rock and roll bottom end, these two had the air moving. I’m sure the fans in the lawn section could feel the power emanating from the subs as the bottom end exploded like thunder.
The bands dominating performance unequivocally stunned the large crowd at Tags Summer Stage with their dynamic show stopping 10-song set. Their set included the opening number “Midnite Dynamite” as well as favorites “Get It While It’s Hot,” “Cold Blood” and “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” For a veteran rock band with a career that spans over forty years, Kix is proving to generations of fans, new and old, that they are timeless and still in charge. With seven studio albums under their belt, there are an array of songs in their catalog from the classics to the lesser known that they can pull out any night leaving the crowd wanting for more.
C.J. SNARE GREETS THE CROWD AT TAGS
Next up was Firehouse led by original members vocalist C.J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty and drummer Michael Foster, along with newest member Allen Mckenzie who joined the band in 2004.
Firehouse wasted no time kicking things off in blazing style as they exploded into their opening powerhouse number, “Overnight Sensation,” from their 1990 double platinum self titled debut album. Next was “Crash” from their 2003 album Prime Time, followed by “Shake and Tumble” from their debut album. Although Firehouse has not released an album of new material, they are no strangers to touring as road seasoned and extremely talented musicians and showmen who continue to perform with the energy and presence they have been know for for the past thirty years.
Tonight was no different. Snare had the crowd engaged and on their feet from the minute he stepped on stage as he interacted openly, made jokes and even invited a couple onstage to celebrate a special occasion with a dance during “When I Look Into Your Eyes.” His stage presence and commanded rock and roll respect and his vocal range and power are still as strong and commanding as ever. Leverty’s guitar playing remains soulful and melodic, yet blistering and intricate as he takes his playing through the stratosphere with his custom C.R. Alsip guitar. As Leverty solos through all the iconic Firehouse songs, it is easy to hear why he still remains one of the most gifted and talented guitarists after all these years.
BILL LEVERTY ~ FIREHOUSE
Rounding out the accomplished veteran line-up are original drummer Foster and their newest member, bassist McKenzie. Together, this dynamic duo kept the pace and rhythm with booming finesse as the band continued playing hit after hit including “Oughta Be a Law,” “All She Wrote” and “Lover’s Lane.” Firehouse closed out their 11 song power packed set with “Reach For The Sky” and lastly, “Don’t Treat Me Bad.”
The crowd at Tag’s did not have any time to cool off before Warrant took control of the stage in dominating fashion. With original members guitarists Erik Turner and Joey Allen, bassist Jerry Dixon and drummer Steven Sweet along with ex-Lynch Mob vocalist Robert Mason, who joined the band in 2008, they took the stage around 8:30, ready to roll as they exploded into their opening number “32 Pennies.” This summer Warrant is hitting the road promoting their “Dirty 30” tour in celebration of the anniversary of their first album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, which was released in 1989.
WARRANT
For the last thirty years Warrant has been tearing up the charts, recording and touring since the release of their double platinum debut album despite lineup changes on and off. Although Mason brings his unique style, energy and dynamic vocal performance to the band, he covers former original vocalist Jani Lane’s range effortlessly with tenacious vigor and rock and roll attitude.
Warrant exploded on stage with as much passion and attitude as they have for the last 30 years. It is obvious they want to give the fans what they have been coming to see after three decades of touring. Make no mistake, the performance, rock and roll attitude and energy are a big part of what makes Warrant as popular as they are with the fans, however the musicianship and dedication to their craft is what it is all about. Their powerful, unmistakable signature sound on all of their big hits such as “Down Boys,” “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “D.R.F.S.R.,” as well as their power ballads including “Sometime’s She Cries” and “Heaven” was evident Saturday at Tag’s.
ROBERT MASON ~ WARRANT
After much excitement and anticipation, headliners RATT took command of the stage at 9:45. If the eager crowd at Tag’s had not had their fill of incredible rock and roll yet, they were in for a full out assault as RATT invaded Big Flats, New York. With only two original members of RATT in this current line-up, RATT, with frontman vocalist extraordinaire Stephen Pearcy is going strong; they look and sound as good as ever.
Along with Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier is the only other original member of this multi-platinum commercially successful rock band. Despite the absence of three original musicians, this version of the band currently consists of guitarists Jordan Ziff (2018) and Chris Sanders (2018) formerly of Brittany Fox, along with drummer Pete Holmes formerly of the band Black and Blue. This line-up is phenomenal with Ziff easily filling the shoes of original RATT guitarist, Warren DeMartini.
JORDAN ZIFF ~ RATT
RATT kicked of their supercharged 75-minute set with “In Your Direction” from their 1984 multiplatinum album Out of the Cellar, followed by “Wanted Man,” from Cellar and “Dangerous But Worth the Risk” from their 1985 follow up album, Invasion of Your Privacy.
RATT mesmerized the audience for over an hour with 14 songs from their catalog of hits including “Way Cool Jr.,” “Lay It Down” and “You’re in Love.” Ziff and Sanders shredded through the classic RATT songs with finesse and speed making even the most intricate guitar parts appear simple. Croucier appeared to have the intensity and vitality as he had during the early days of RATT with his dynamic stage presence and performance, flipping his bass guitar around and over his head. RATT closed out the show with “Back For More” and finally their biggest hit, and probably most well known song, “Round and Round.”
Despite the cooling temperatures on the last day of summer 2019, Kix, Firehouse, Warrant, and RATT easily had the crowd at Tags heated up and not wanting the night, or summer to end. However, for all that attended this awesome rock and roll show, the summer most definitely ended on a positive, memorable note.
Sometimes, often unexpectedly, life decides to take a plate of glass and smash you right in the face. When that happens, you can either retreat and regroup or take that sharp, broken glass and smash back. That is what Adapter did with their first EP, Period. This is a band with a chip on their shoulder, and the chops to go out and make a statement about it.
First impressions as a modern mix between Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band are never a bad thing, but as you dig deeper you realize Adapter subtly carved a sound of their own. Their sound can loosely be described as a new aged hard rocking spin on classic blues; however, they possess the in-your-face rock and roll spirit that once dominated life for many. Even through headphones there is a sense of electricity and danger, both musically and lyrically, with explosive rocking chords that nearly beg to be vibrating wall to wall in an arena.
Lyrically, Period is a familiar peek into a songwriter who has been damaged and cannot decide what to do next. The hard-rocking opening track “The Pains” delves deep into the mental struggle of whether to go back to a lover who has hurt you. This all too human battle continues as the EP continues with “Mean Bitch Blues,” where the band transports you to that dark unknown where you don’t know what to do next now that it has all ended except express anger and sadness. While only five songs, Period gives a good snapshot of the band’s capabilities melding between hard rock, trippy blues, and a more subtle, lighter side at times. Already sounding like a refined, authoritative group, Adapter will be a fun band to watch grow as they continue making music.
Within Shadows burst onto the Canadian metal scene a couple years ago, garnering a following with their relatable lyrics, emotionally-charged vocals and instrumental innovation. This summer, they released a few remastered songs from their 2017 album, Mind = Enemy, and launched their latest collection of work, Face to Face.
Within Shadows started as the solo project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sean Farias. He’s worked with a handful of musicians over the years. On this album, Farias worked with Derek Petricka on writing, recording, engineering and producing the album. The album also features collaborations with Oshie Bichar (Beartooth, City Lights), Lucas Mann (Rings of Saturn) and Joe Farias (Intruder X).
Face to Face at its core is metal catharsis. The music contained herein is a conduit for channeling primal pain and political angst. From the anguish of “My Sorrow” and the agony of “Betray” to the politically charged anthems “Uprising” and “Our Revolution,” the music provides a space for purging emotions. They are personal but also strike a resounding chord within the listener. Intense and brooding, Within Shadows does not merely ride out the storm, they charge into it headfirst.
There’s a little something for everyone on Face to Face, as the 13 tracks adeptly flow through various styles including hardcore, metalcore, hard rock, and djent. The album has a broad appeal, speaking to those who spent their formative years hanging out at the metal stages at Warped Tour as well as those of us who grew up on Black Sabbath and Metallica.
MT Ed’s production of the musical American Idiot (director Tina Crandall-Gommel, vocal director Heather Lonardo, music director David Curry) was performed at the Multi-use Community Cultural Center on September 14 as part of Rochester’s Fringe Festival. Inside of a house-turned-community-center, the local teenagers cast in the production sang their hearts out to the familiar tune of Green Day’s politically charged discography.
For a musical named after a song released over 15 years ago now and featuring the messages of a band formed in 1986, the content expressed in American Idiot seems to have ever-increasing political relevance. The show gave the spotlight to sensitive, nuanced, and often overlooked and taboo subjects such as patriotism, sex, drug use, teenage pregnancy, and loss. In a generation where existence is inherently political, the subversive messages in American Idiot presented themselves as a sense of relief from modern society to both the audience and the young performers.
It’s difficult to express one continual, overarching plot line using bits and pieces of a scattered discography. However, the direction of this musical managed to create substance in a challenging adaptation. Each scene felt like a moving, breathing snapshot of a story; each story stitched together like a quilt. The choreography was visually captivating and often reflected the compositions seen in Renaissance paintings. The music was well executed by a 5-piece band seated high atop a balcony that almost reached the ceiling. The stripped down production featured a set and props which accomplished much despite their minimalism. The lighting was also simple. Using mostly just a red, white, or blue wash, it sarcastically referenced the musical’s titular themes of American patriotism. Throughout the show, American Idiot consistently proved itself to be a worthwhile and entertaining experience for Green Day fans.
For more information about MT Ed and upcoming performances of American Idiot and other shows visit their website.
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard is one of the most prolific rock bands currently out there. Starting with their debut album 12 Bar Bruise in 2012, the boys from Melbourne have released almost 2 albums per year since then, pushing it to 5 full length releases in 2017 alone! With a quick break in 2018, King Gizzard is back with a headline show at Summerstage in Central Park.
Fishing for Fishies, released in April of 2019, showed the band
embracing a boogie-sound and mixing this groove into their blend of psych/heavy
rock. Then, King Gizzard began to tease what sounded like a new thrash-metal
album, delivering the incredible Infest
the Rat’s Nest this past August. This album is a true homage to the genre
with their signature style mixed in seamlessly.
It’s no surprise that the audience was intrigued as to how King Gizzard would fill the set at Central Park Summerstage on August 28. The band kicked things off with fierce renditions of Infest the Rat’s Nest tracks “Self-Immolate” and “Perihelion.” The show itself was well organized as the band tended to group tracks from the same album together, allowing them to dig deep into the style of each album: three tracks in a row from Polygondwanaland early on, with three straight tracks from Murder of the Universe later in the set.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at Central Park Summerstage – 8/28/2019
A last-minute addition of “Planet B” to the setlist paved the way for the final leg of the show. The band ditched the outdated tradition of leaving the stage and resurfacing for an encore, but instead powered through using every last minute of the early show to play for the fully engaged audience. The band was sure not to let up one minute before curfew. A constant stream of crowd surfers, full throat singing, and mosh pits all over the Rumsey Playfield made for a very high intensity show.
King Gizzard embarks on a fall tour of Europe in October and November, with a final show at the Maho Rasop Festival in Bangkok, Thailand in mid-November. Does that leave enough time for one more full-length release in 2019?
Setlist: Self-Immolate, Preihelion, The Great Chain of Being, Plastic Boogie, Inner Cell, Loyalty, Horology, Boogieman Sam, Evil Death Roll, Digital Black, Vomit Coffin, Murder of the Universe, This Thing, The Bird Song, Planet B, Mars for the Rich, Cyboogie, Am I in Heaven?
The Stone Temple Pilots have been playing since the late 80’s, and even with a new face on the mic, they don’t seem to be slowing down. Droves of fans packed the wide room of Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY on Tuesday September 10th. The crowd was a sea of late 40’s dads and also a young crowd that will keep these memories alive.
The quartet came out to a massive roar as they took the stage. They started off strong, working through “Coma,” “Wicked Garden” and “Vasoline.” After a few classics they moved into their newer songs. They did an incredible job weaving through their repertoire, at one point playing two of their most memorable songs sandwiching their newest singles.
You can catch STP on the last leg of their tour coming up on September 19 and 22 in Philadelphia and New York City. Check out the setlist and photos from Zatchmo Lives Media below.
Setlist: Coma, Wicked Garden, Vasoline, Crackerman, Lounge Fly, Big Bang Baby, Glide, Big Empty, Plush, Meadow, Interstate Love Song, Roll Me Under, Dead and Bloated, Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart.
Between songs, Matthew Brue continuously connected with the audience on a personal level. Before performing the song “Politics” he spoke to the audience saying, “How many people here like politics? Though I’m not talking about the politics that you’re probably thinking of. I’m talking about the politics with friends. This song is about some friendships that are worse than politics. Like you just suck out my soul, why are you still here?”
The hype waiting for Yungblud was unreal. Hearing every fan chanting “YUNGBLUD” as loud as they can was one of the loudest crowd noises I have heard at The Lost Horizon. The lights went dark and the crowd erupted into a frenzied scream as two figures dressed in body armor carrying dark flags walked onto the stage.
After a brief intro to “21st Century Liability,” Yungblud sprinted out from the side stage to fans screaming in ecstasy. The energy Yungblud has on stage is rivaled only by Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More, constantly jumping around to the beat of the music and walking out onto the barricade to lean into his fans.
Another highlight of the night was “Polygraph Eyes,” a song about the importance of consent. The way he connects with the audience is rare to see with live shows today, and his fans certainly showed their appreciation as much as Yungblud showed his to the fans.
