Sarah Perry of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Fresh off their new EP, Civilisation I, London-based band Kero Kero Bonito brought their edgy electro-pop to Brooklyn Steel this past Thursday night. Negative Gemini opened the show, delivering a dance friendly set to a highly energetic crowd, eager to get the night started.
Originally a trio, Kero Kero Bonito have expanded their live band to include two more members; adding a whole new layer of noise and groove to their live sound. Sarah Perry fronts the band and continuously engages the crowd while adding quirky theatrical elements, like waving an oversized white flag during the opening song “Battle Lines.”
Sarah Perry of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
New band members James Rowland and Jennifer Walton were on percussion and keyboard duties, and throughout the show they kept switching instruments for various solos and jams. They each brought their own style to the instruments and the band remained just as sharp regardless of who was playing what.
Jennifer Walton of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Kero Kero Bonito have a dedicated and highly engaged fanbase. The audience sung along to every track and did not let up the energy one bit. The lengthy 21 song main set never felt dull, even when Sarah announced a “break” to perform one of the groups slower songs. Break time quickly ended and the high energy performance continued. During the encore, there was an unlikely cover of U2’s “Vertigo,” which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
A unique mix of punk and electro-pop with a traditional J-pop influence really set Kero Kero Bonito apart from other indie pop blends. They present a vibrant performance and their discography continues to evolve. The band continues on their North American tour through November.
Roost and The Mountain Carol will warm up the Adirondacks this fall with a performance on Friday, Oct. 11 in the Recovery Lounge at the Upper Jay Arts Center. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. with a suggested donation of $5.
Roost, a five-piece dance punk band from Burlington, with three members hailing from the 518, released their debut EP in January 2019, with a follow up EP due out in November. This summer the group hosted a new event in Vermont, the Alder Brook Campout, which they hope to be an annual tradition. They’ve performed alongside The Mountain Carol before and have gone on to play The Monopole in Plattsburgh together a few times.
The Mountain Carol, a synth-pop group from Plattsburgh, initially took form via two reclusive childhood friends from the backwater town of Saranac, New York. Guitarist Austin Petrashune returned home from Hong Kong where he had spent years playing the fiddle, while, in the middle of the woods down the road, songwriter Charles Wilson had forsaken drums in favor of channeling his imagination through the piano and a broken Casio keyboard. Once reconnected, the band found its ideal balance when they reached out to local impresario Matt Hall, a multi-talented Syracuse-cum-Plattsburgh fixture known for his many independent musical releases. The Mountain Carol seems intent on expanding the conventional role of a band, releasing music as well as video and mixed media art projects in conjunction with their mysterious fan club/utopian life cult “The Divine Council.” Don’t miss their show at Upper Jay Arts Center on December 10.
Carpool has just announced a month-long East Coast tour. It kicks off with a hometown show at Bug Jar in Rochester on Oct. 11. They make their way down the coast on their way to play Fest on Nov. 2. After that, they wind their way through the Midwest, hitting Chicago and Detroit on their way back to the finale on Nov. 14, back at the Bug Jar. Follow them on social media for updates.
The four-piece emo/punk band includes Chris Colasanto (Guitar/Vocals), Tommy Eckerson (Guitar/Vocals), Milo Duhn (Bass/Vocals), and Alec Westover (Drums/Vocals). Carpool released their sophomore EP I Think Everyone’s A Cop a year ago. Check out the NYS Music interview about the band and making of ITEAChere.
Rooted Entertainment and Woods Valley Ski Area are joining forces to celebrate Mother Earth with the inaugural Harvestfest at the ski area located just north of Rome on Oct. 19.
The day-long, first-year festival is headlined by Hayley Jane with special guest Rob Compa of Dopapod and Syracuse’s Root Shock.
The festival kicks off at 2:00 p.m. and is designed as a celebration of Mother Earth and female musicians. Joining the headliners are Connecticut r&b/soul act Erica T. Bryan from West End Blend with her latest project the New Mosaic, Ithaca ska band ¡Viva Mayhem!, and Syracuse alt-blues punks Late Earth.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will be donated to Groovesafe, a non-profit movement organized to stop unwanted touching and sexual assault at live music events.
Tickets for the family-friendly festival are $20 and available through the Woods Valley website here. For more information, visit the Facebook event page here.
The boys were back in town at the New York State Fair. In 2018, Dropkick Murphys was a last minute Chevy Court fill-in for Dickey Betts, who suffered a mild stroke and was unable to perform. Singer Ken Casey announced at the 2018 performance that it was the band’s first state fair appearance. The Boston-based Celtic punk rock band drew a crowd of 13,000 in 2018. This year, they more than doubled that with an estimated 30,200 in attendance. Casey joked that, “We played here last year as a last-minute addition. They invited us back this year. I can tell you, we don’t get invited back too many places.”
Singers Al Barr and Ken Casey traded vocals throughout the evening as they ran back and forth across the stage, getting the crowd amped up. They brought along their traditional entourage of back-up sounds that included an accordion, banjo, keyboard and of course the bagpipes. All punk music should have bagpipes! The Dropkicks played a nice mix of fan favorites and rebel rousing tunes including, “The Boys Are Back,” “The State of Massachusetts,” “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya,” “First Class Loser” and their spin on the traditional Irish song “Black Velvet Band.”
The Dropkicks ripped through 23 songs and kept the crowd on their feet and bouncing along to the music. A quick poll of the audience determined there were many first-time attendees. The band ended their main set with the inspirational union track “Worker’s Song” before coming back to finish off the night. For the encore, Ken Casey let the crowd sing along to the catchy hit “Rose Tattoo.” They rounded out the evening with “Until the Next Time” and ended with their biggest sing along hit, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” Singers Casey and Barr ran through the crowd high-fiving fans and inviting them to sing along. The band knows how to make their fans feel welcome and that is why the Dropkicks will keep getting invited back.
Woods Fest Music Festival is quickly becoming a “can’t miss” event in Central New York, featuring many of the best emerging and established bands in the region and New England.
The all-day festival also featured a Super Jam to finish the night on the big stage. The jam saw members of Nina’s Brew and The Old Main joining Annie in the Water on stage to finish the festival. Following the outdoor festivities, the music continued inside the lodge until sunrise.
The latest from Shiragirl, Andi Underground, was released on July 26, is a unique blend of old school punk rock and modern pop. If Madonna and The Ramones were to have a musical child, Shiragirl would be the product of this affair. This album described as a dystopian punk rock musical was co-written with Tim Armstrong of Rancid, and mixed by Cameron Webb (Motorhead and Kelly Clarkson).
The title and concept of the album are inspired by the infamous tale of Alice in Wonderland, where a girl is wanting to escape a society headed for digital chaos to an underground free world. Andi decides to break away from the dystopia and runs away, and this is the soundtrack to her journey.
The album begins with the track “Controlled” where Andi is describing the controlling lifestyle she’s experiencing. It’s a single file march to brainwashing, where if you step out of line, you might end up dead. This track is the start of Andi going against the grain with the aggressive lyrics “We don’t wanna be controlled” and breaking away from the conformity. This tune sets the reckless attitude for the rest of the album.
Photo by Max Aria.
Another track that stands out is the third track of the album and hit single “Nothin To Lose.” The song premiered on July 2, with deep roots and influence of old school punk rock, the hard-hitting track is the anthem of this rebellious story. The lyrics represent Andi running away and falling down a hole into an underground co-existing world, and feeling like she has “Nothin to Lose,” by following her intuition and venturing into this new unfamiliar world. The electrifying guitar solo in the middle of the song gives the imagery of breaking through metaphorical barriers, and a sense of rebellion from the world she escaped. The EP tells a story that’s well thought out by Shiragirl and her manager, with the tracks cohesively placed to give the story order.
Shiragirl has made a name for herself in the music industry and proved to be more than a Warped Tour icon with this album. The group sky-rocketed their career when Shira and her band crashed Warped tour in her iconic pink RV and set up a stage on top the RV. The unknown band at the time rocked out and after receiving a rousing crowd response, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman invited Shira to return the following summer to host the official Shiragirl Stage. The stage was shared by female artists from all over the nation and ultimately helped accomplish Shira’s mission to empower women by providing a platform for creative expression. The stage went on to host over 200 female-fronted bands, some of them making their Warped debuts including Paramore’s first-ever tour, and the legendary Joan Jett.
Not only is Shiragirl a staple of the East Coast punk rock scene, but she’s also a symbol of female empowerment in the music industry. It’s no question why Shiragirl is considered a Warped Tour veteran. This album successfully serves as a rebellious anthem to break away from the norms in society and create your path. Expect to see Shiragirl grabbing the punk rock scene by the horns and headlining large scale festivals very soon, especially after the release of Andi Underground.
Key Tracks: Controlled, Nothin to Lose, We Are the Underground
All Time Low announced in a tweet last week that they will be joining Blink-182 for the rescheduled Columbus, OH show of their ‘Enema of the State’ tour on September 22. Blink-182 and Lil Wayne have been on tour together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Blink’s beloved Enema of the State album. It was supposed to kick off last month in Columbus, but it had to be delayed due to production issues. For pop-punk fans, it looks like it was worth the wait.
Back in January, Blink-182 vocalist/ bassist Mark Hoppus and All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth joined forces to debut their new project, Simple Creatures. The duo released their first EP ‘Strange Love’ back in March, listen to it on Spotify here.
According to Lil Wayne’s website, he will not be on the tour for Columbus date in September, so fans will get a full night of pop-punk with All Time Low, Neck Deep, and Blink-182. Tickets for the remaining shows, (listed below) including the All Time Low date, are on sale now.
July 19 – New York, NY – Good Morning America July 20 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre July 21 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion July 23 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion July 25 – West Palm Beach – Coral Sky Amphitheatre July 26 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre July 27 – Atlanta, GA – Cellaris Amphitheatre at Lakewood July 29 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place July 31 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 1 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater August 2 – Dallas, TX – The Dos Equis Pavilion August 4 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center * August 5 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion August 7 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre August 8 – Los Angles, CA – The Forum August 9 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands ^ August 27 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre August 30 – Portland, OR – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater August 31 – Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheatre
September 2 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre September 4 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center September 6 – Wichita, KS – Hartman Arena * September 7 – Council Bluffs, IA – Stir Cove * September 8 – Kansas City, MO – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater September 10 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre September 12 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center September 14 – St. Loius, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre September 16 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center September 18 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion September 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center September 22 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena $ October 11 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock ^
* without Lil Wayne ^ blink-182 festival date $ with All Time Low
Shira Yevin, better known as Shiragirl, upset The Vans Warped Tour atop her pink tour bus in 2004, so much that the following year she was given her own SHIRAGIRL stage to curate the amazing female talent in the industry. Since, she has been drawing fans with her edge and overwhelming personality – full of energy. So infectious that she has shared the stage with Joan Jett, NOFX, and Rancid, whom she is currently working on her upcoming album with.
“I’m Stoked to be playing the Warped 25th Anniversary in AC. I lived in Brooklyn for a long time, but I am originally a Jersey Girl, little known fact, so it’s pretty cool to be here.
Shiragirl. Photograph by Lisa Johnson – Rock Photographer. All Rights Reserved.
I’ve played in a lot of awesome, fun Jersey shows and obviously all the Warped Tours over the years. In Jersey we would do a lot of basement shows and in New York it’s about the clubs. I love New York City, it’s my favorite city in the world.”
Shiragirl just released a new single on Tuesday, July 2, called “Nothing to Loose” off their upcoming EP, Andi Underground. Produced by Rancid’s Tim Armsrong, the album weaves a mysterious concept loosely inspired by Alison in Wonderland. “It’s a dystopian tail where black mirror meets the runaways,” said Shiragirl. The album was recorded at The Boat studio, mixed by Cameron Webb and mastered by Andrew Alekel. Shiragirl features co-performers Raine Palladino and Leanne Bowes.
Finally, Andi’s crew hacks the system and takes down the filter software, and all that it upholds: social control, apathy and compliance. Now the people are free to see reality how it really is, rise up, empower themselves, and most importantly, do as they please.
Depicting “Creepin” – Andi Underground (To Be Released July 19).
“Nothing To Loose” when Andi follows Rabbit down a dark hole to an underground world.
“This is the character Andi Underground,” as she pulled a pair of anime-esque stickers out of her bag and showed me. “It’s about this girl that runs away from home and falls into an underground world and decides she needs to save everyone. I’ve always loved Alice in Wonderland. There’s a lot of different ways you can spin it; a lot of metaphors.”
The record is also inspired by our current political climate. “I feel that as much as we escape into TV and movies talking about futures, it is here already. Technology controls our lives, there’s a lot of things happening in the news where one could say we’re already in borderline dictatorship. There’s a lot of scary things happening so the record is an artistic way to make a statement about what I think, or dangers of the cultural norms that grow from being so technology based.”
“I think its hard in the social media day and age you have to put everything out there, you have to be on it – on it- on it. It’s hard to live in the moment with that, but constantly sharing content, music, videos and sharing, speaking to the fans and being connected to the fans. It is so cool to meet people after the show, just to feel like we made their day better is a great feeling.”
“It’s amazing to see how the tour has grown and affected so many people,” said Brooklyn’s Shiragirl. “To be apart of this is a huge honor – there are so many amazing bands. We are super stoked to be apart of the final chapter. Last year we were lucky enough to bring back the stage for the final full cross country tour. I just have nothing but great things to say about Kevin Lymann. I wanna be like him when I grow up.”
The sun was hot, quickly rolling into sets, swimming and hanging at the beach with friends. The pressure of squeezing so many good bands into a single Sunday of Vans Warped Tour grew daunting, but others vibed out. Nearly every band was packed – both Full Sail and Blackcraft stages shared adjoining beach and in the end, the mass of people merged as if they were one.
California’s Atreyu took Van’s “Off The Wall” mainstage at doors. Over the past 15 years the band, who has preserved a near original lineup, pulled out all the stops from favorites “Becoming The Bull” and their cover of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” with a metal twist, of course.
Guitarist Travis Miguel in his comfort zone. Photo by Chuck DeFilippo.
Guitarist, Travis Miguel, was hyped on the gig. “It’s not every day that you literally get to play on the beach. Usually when you’re at a big festival like this, nine times out of ten it’s in the middle of nowhere in some field. It’s nice to see the Atlantic Ocean from the stage.” This energy and consciousness allowed longtime brotherhood to shine though in the delivery of their material from intense oldies like “Blow” or the more cinematic “House Of Gold,” from their latest album, In Our Wake.
“Vans Warped Tour is pretty surreal; I remember my first Warped Tour was 1998 and Deftones played, CIV and Rancid. Incubus played on this little flatbed-truck-stage before anyone knew who they were. It was a long day, I remember getting sunburnt and the Deftones went on – everyone lost their minds in a dirt field in Orange County. It was gross, pulling dirt buggers out for two days and beign sunstruck… but with that being said I had the fucking time of my life,” said Miguel.
“I’ve gone to Warped Tours since then, but in 2005 we actually played and that was surreal because not long before that – I was the kid going to Warped Tour having the time of my life. To be asked to play the 25th Anniversary is cool because it is like bringing back old memories: seeing crew people, friends I haven’t seen in years, and you pick up right where you left off. It’s sensory overload because there’s so much going around: press, a half pipe out there, a human cannonball, music everywhere – it’s a fun day for sure.”
Travis Miguel, Atreyu.
“Now that I’m older, looking back, it’s safe to say that everybody in the band’s view is: we’re extremely lucky to be doing this. We don’t take it for granted. There’s a lot of bands we came up with back in the day that are long gone and the fact that we still get to do this, essentially the same five members for 15 years…I’m definitely proud of that.”
Atreyu embodies the morals of Warped, fans and crew alike. “We’ve all seen each other at our best and our worst. It’s very much a brotherly relationship between the five of us: we get on each others nerves just as much as actual brothers would, I’ve been in two of their weddings and we’ve been apart of each other’s big life moments. It’s definitely a family vibe,” said Miguuel.
Sunday kicked in, full force from the start, making it difficult to navigate through all the great bands playing. The beaches were packed – a sea of people relaxing or constantly shifting from stage to stage. Mid-afternoon highlights included Circa Survive frontman, Anthony Green, crowd-surfing his way from the mainstage into the Atlantic.
Punk-rockers, Keep Flying, dominated the Monster Energy stage early on in the day with their addictive horn lines and heart-racing tempos. The sextet blew up at last years Warped Tour, and if you didn’t know any better, you would think they had been there from the start. They controlled the crowd with showstopper “I Always Knew,” both visually and musically overstimulating. Not to mention the electrifying horn section, intricate harmony and energy from each member.
Keep Flying, dominating the Monster stage with furious drums, punk-horns and electricity.
The day carried on with Worcester, MA veterans, Four Year Strong. Contrasted by their laid back vibe and over-familiarity with Vans Warped Tour, the four piece pulled out all the stops. Opening with “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die,” FYS set the bar with signature double-bass, dueling-guitar and dueling-vocal exchanges. The crowd was absolutely insane.
There was just too much to digest: Big D and the Kids Table, Dirty Heads, The Used and Bowling For Soup – but the day rolled on. The Skatalites changed the pace on The Blackcraft Stage with authentic reggae flare. As the sun set and punk-rockers grew tired, a solid crowd swayed for Kingston, Jamaica’s finest. Atlantic City was blessed by none other than “The Queen of Ska,” Doreen Shaffer, who soulfully harmonized with the band. Born in the 1940’s, Shaffer filled the crowd with a youthful energy, and soul.
Cusped between electronic, pop and rock genres, Andy Black turned heads for unfamiliar listeners, drawing them to the Monster Energy stage as they passed on the beach. His most explicit example, the album titled track “Ghost Of Ohio” fuses these elements into something obscure and refreshing. Fans of any taste can harmonize with his energy and showmanship.
Taking Back Sunday warmed up the main stage for Warped closers’ Blink-182 with driving tracks like “What It Feels Like To Be A Ghost,” while lead Adam Lazzara strut the entire length of the stage, twirling his microphone like a noose. Later in the evening, ska legends, Reel Big Fish, drew attention from the Full Sail stage as the crowd shifted angles to The Blackcraft stage for an epic RBF Set. Kicking of the set with “Asshole,” turning backstage into a skank-inspired dance party.
Vans Warped Tour did an amazing job attending to sparse incidents in the pits or those who needed medical attention. Surrounded in a mosh-pit or relaxing by the beach was one in the same, because everyone truly had each other’s backs. The mass of Vans Warped Tour cannot be defeated, as we all plead for another year.
Reel Big Fish skank-party as the sun set on the Atlantic.
Interviews with Atreyu, Matt Butler, Kaleido and Shiragirl spoke on behalf of the festival as a whole: its status, impact, family vibe and overall positivity. Regardless of why you were there, who you were with and who you saw, Vans Warped Tour’s 25th Anniversary Tour was the necessary cap to years past.
“It’s amazing to see how the tour has grown and affected so many people,” said Brooklyn’s Shiragirl. “To be apart of this is a huge honor – there are so many amazing bands. We are super stoked to be apart of the final chapter. Last year we were lucky enough to bring back the stage for the final full cross country tour. I just have nothing but great things to say about Kevin Lymann. I wanna be like him when I grow up.”
Stay Tuned for the full Post Warped Tour interview with Shiragirl.
Reminisce with highlights from the bands of Vans 25th Anniversary Warped Tour.
