Author: joe booth

I Prevail “True Power” tour stops at Buffalo Riverworks

On November 21st, I Prevail brought their True Power tour, named after their latest album, to Buffalo RiverWorks, with Pierce The Veil, and Fit For A King. Stand Atlantic was supposed to be on the bill but due to the lake effect snow that hit Buffalo and other regions, the show was postponed to the 21st from the 20th, and could not make the rescheduled date.

Fit For A King

When heading to the venue, you can see why they had to postpone the show, with snow piles all over the city. At first it was a sold out night, but with the reschedule, more tickets opened up but you would not be able to tell as the line to get in was still long.

Since Stand Atlantic had to step off this show, Fit For A King opened up the show, though while waiting for things to kick off, suddenly out of nowhere, there were multiple balloons being tossed around in the crowd, after a while, you noticed someone from the upper floor, blowing more to toss down, it was some needed entertainment as the doors opened up at its scheduled time but they didn’t move up the timeline so people had to wait longer for the show to start.

Pierce The Veil

Once things kicked off, it was full blast, with Fit For a King slaying it, everything was going well till suddenly the band stopped playing, it wasn’t clear at first what was happening but EMT’s were needed, come to find out someone had a seizure in the crowd. The EMT’s pulled the person from the crowd and the show continued on.

Next to go on stage was Pierce The Veil, who hasn’t had an appearance in the state for a few years now. Again, the show was going great, until people from the crowd were yelling at the band to stop again. This time, it was never clear as to what happened but many people were climbing to get out of the crowd and off to the side, being with a almost sold out show, the floor level was packed, so during the set, it was easier to go to the front. After everyone wanted to get out, the show continued but half a dozen or so people were seen by EMT’s throughout the show. Then on next, last to take the stage, I Prevail. This time, everything seemed to go well with the show not having to stop for medical emergencies.

Fit For a King

Pierce the Veil

I Prevail

December 14, 2022
In Focus: Chevelle Performs at Opening Day of the New York State Fair

On August 24, the New York State Fair opened its gates up for the annual fair that runs through Labor Day. Many come from all over the state and even out of state to Syracuse for the food, the exhibits and rides, but plenty come to Central New York for State Fair music acts at Chevy Park and Chevy Court, including opening day act, Chevelle.

At the State Fair, there is plenty to do, see, and even eat, especially those deep fried Oreos but one event that attracts so many, is the free concerts that take place at Chevy Park. A while back, the fair had grandstands but eventually removed them in place of an open field with a few bleachers in front of the stage. On the opening day of the State Fair, the band to close out the night was a very well known rock band, Chevelle. They played for over an hour and played a wide variety of hits from many of their albums.

After the band’s performance, an opening day special, fireworks for the end of the night, which could be seen throughout the fairgrounds. There are still many other performances lined up, along with other events. The State Fair’s last day is on Labor Day, September 5th.

September 1, 2022
Papa Roach Comes To Lakeview Amphitheater

On August 4, the iconic Papa Roach came to Syracuse with the Rockzilla tour at the St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview. The tour consisted of Falling In Reverse, Hollywood Undead, and Bad Wolves. The Amphitheater has been host to a long list of big shows, like Foo Fighters, Slipknot, and Shinedown, who is coming back. The venue was host to Incubus and Sublime the night before. The weather could not have been any more perfect but that wasn’t the case for the Rockzilla tour, as many fans were parking and lining up, a rain delay was called for a hour due to passing storms, many stayed out as to not lose their spot. The gates opened a hour and 15 minutes later than originally planned.

First band to get the show going was Bad Wolves, who formed in 2017. Up after them was Hollywood Undead who is a treat to watch, with members switching instruments during songs. To Follow after Hollywood Undead was Falling In Reverse. The singer Ronnie Radke was on a set of risers that spanned most the stage and was moving swiftly back and forth.

To close out the night, is Papa Roach, who has been around since 1993 and still rocking on with the release of their latest album, Ego Trip back in April. When the band hit the stage, the crowd went into a roar. Jacoby disappeared from the stage during one of the songs and many were looking around, then behind the pit, you could seen phones in the air and the spot lot on him as he went through the crowd. Then for one song song, he was up in the pit the barricade, with the barrier between him and the fans.

Though the show started off with bad weather, It wasn’t enough to stop it from going. They have many other concerts lineup of various genres, so head over to their site to see who’s coming next!

Bad Wolves

Hollywood Undead

Falling In Reverse

Papa Roach

August 16, 2022
August Burns Red Brings Their Latest Tour To Anthology

On July 19th, August Burns Red graced Rochester with their presence at Anthology during the Through The Thorns tour. On this tour, they were accompanied by Void of Vision, HollowFront, and We Came As Romans. Void of Vision kicked things off with their very enthusiastic front man Jack Bergin. Following them was Hollow Front who formed only a few short years ago.

Hollow Front

And to step up to the stage after them was We Came As Romans, a band that has been around since 2005 and has been through many member changes. As their set went on, the front man, Dave Stephens was definitely not one to stay still as he went from one side of the stage to other and at one point, stepped off the stage to the barrier in front of the crowd.Â

August Burns Red

Then finally we have the heavy hitter, August Burns Red. As everyone was waiting for them to take the stage, a very popular song was playing, “Chop Suey” by System Of A Down, which isn’t uncommon since they play a variety of songs in between bands but this was in fact, August Burns Red intro song as not long ago they released it as a cover. From the first song, to the last, their performance seemed flawless and on top of that, everyone was treated to a light show. To close out the night, one song they typically save for last is “White Washed,” which is one heck of a banger and is a perfect one to end the show.

Void of Vision

Hollow Front

We Came as Romans

August Burns Red

August 11, 2022
iMatter Festival Returns to Horseheads Following Two Year Hiatus

After having a two year hiatus, shows and festivals of all sizes are coming back and coming back strong. One such festival that has been a staple for many years which brought people from all over the state and out, this festival, is iMatter. If you ever been to Warped Tour, you may get a similar vibe, with multiple vendors, bands with merch tents, two stages(way less than Warped Tour).

IMatter’s home is located in Horseheads at The L, and while not big in comparison to the other cities like Rochester or Buffalo, many flock to this area every year for it. One thing that shocks many, is the fact that this festival is free, which seems impossible and has been since the start. There is a lot more to talk about but who better to explain than the current organizer Adam Bunce.

Joe Booth: So, how would you describe iMatter Festival to someone who’s never been?

Adam Bunce: The iMatter Festival is a free annual festival featuring hard rock, metal, and alternative bands from local to national acts. The festival counter suicide, self-harm and self-doubt by promoting unearthed value, unveiled purpose and defiant hope to this generation.

JB: What was your inspiration for the festival and the name?

AB: The iMatter Festival is a free concert hosted by the iMatter Foundation promoting life, hope and value to our communities. Its message is simple: every life matters. The festival began in 2007 because the founder, Scott Lowmaster, wanted to give everyone in attendance something for free, and ask nothing in return from them for attending.

JB: What makes iMatter special for you?

AB: iMatter is special to me because it’s truly something unique and one of a kind. A festival like this would normally run upwards of $50-$500 to attend, yet we have found a way to make it free for those that choose to join us each year.

JB: What has been your favorite iMatter or memory?

AB: For me personally it was probably the year that Underoath headlined the festival. Underoath has always been one of the most influential bands for me over the last 20 years. It was always a dream of mine to book them and we had that opportunity in 2018.

JB: After being on hiatus for two years, were there any challenges to bringing back the festival?

AB: We’ve had a lot of issues this year, issues are always a thing when it comes to booking a festival. Unfortunately, we weren’t granted our mass gathering permit from the county. This is the main reason we had to move the location of the festival to The L. The L is an iMatter run venue that we opened up in September of 2021. As much as the festival is what helped us birth the venue, the venue just isn’t large enough to give iMatter the “feel” that an open field provides. We hope that in 2023 we’ll be able to get this all back up and running as an outdoor festival, it was either move to The L in 2022 or not run for a 3rd straight summer.

JB: I’m sure with the festival almost here, you still have lots of planning going on but do you have any goals for next year and beyond?

AB: Yes, we are always trying to make sure that we are offering something unique to those who attend. Its always our mission to keep the festival free, and we will continue to follow that model. But we love what some of the VIP packages have allowed us to offer those that are willing to pay for an enhanced experience on the day of the festival.

JB: Thank you for your time, would like to add any final thoughts?

AB: We are just ecstatic that we can bring iMatter Festival back after having a 2 year hiatus. Even if it’s just a smaller version of what iMatter has been historically, it’s a step towards what it was originally intended to be.

In case you haven’t seen it, this is the lineup for this year and even though this is a free event, the capacity is limited and all free tickets have been claimed but there’s still plenty of VIP packages you can buy. We will see you July 30th at The L for iMatter Festival Reset.

Take a look back at iMatter Festival in 2018 and 2019.

July 18, 2022
In Focus: As I Lay Dying Return from Hiatus to The L in Horseheads

On June 26, As I Lay Dying brought their Two Decades of Destruction Tour to a brand new venue in Horseheads, The L, which has been on a roll with shows since it opened.

This was a show to get to early as it nearly sold out and you had a bit of a walk from the parking lot. Brand Of Sacrifice opened up and came out swinging, the heavy metal band from Canada taking command of the stage.

Next up was Shadow Of Intent, hailing from Connecticut, who kept the energy going. Originally the band began as a two piece and started off with Halo-themed music, then transitioned to the deathcore sound they have now.

Shadow Of Intent

Rolling up after them was Whitechapel, a band that is a staple in the deathcore community and probably could be considered the heaviest on the tour. Finally, to close out the night was As I Lay Dying, who had been on hiatus since 2014, having formed in 2000 in San Diego, California.

There was a bit of a hiccup before the tour as a few band members stepped down but the show went on and the place was filled, with Ryan Neff from Miss May I stepping in; he’ll be back at The L in September with another stacked lineup.

There have been many great shows at this venue but this one was definitely one for the books and with no signs of slowing down with the lineups that have already been announced, The L is making itself well known in the Northeast music scene.

Brand Of Sacrifice

Shadow Of Intent

Whitechapel

As I Lay Dying

July 12, 2022
Beartooth Brings Below Tour To Rochester

On Sunday May 1st, Beartooth brought their Dark Below tour to Main Street Armory in Rochester and they came with an incredible lineup. Upon arriving at the venue, a long long line of attendees were waiting to get in as this was definitely a show not to miss. If you were looking for Beartooth merchandise, the line was as long as the one outside.

Erra, who hails from Alabama, started off the night right with lots of energy to get the crow moving.

ERRA

After Erra, The Devils Wear Prada, a metalcore band from Ohio, took the stage next, who is probably the heaviest band on the tour.

The Devil Wears Prada

Then followed up by them was Silverstein, who came from just across the border in Canada. They have played many shows, recently in Albany and will be back on tour in September.

Silverstein

As the night couldn’t get any crazier, to finally take the stage, Beartooth. During setup, a white curtain concealed as stage hands worked to prep everything and when the band took the stage, after 20 seconds or so, the whole thing dropped and a roar came from the crowd. They played a good chunk of songs from their newest album Below but of course played many of their older hits like Body Bag which seemed to be a crowd favorite. Later this summer they The Ghost Inside, and Bad Omens support A Day To Remember on the Just Some Shows tour.

Beartooth

May 23, 2022
Attack Attack! come to Montage Music Hall

On March 30th, Attack Attack! brought the East Coast Scuttle to Montage Music Hall in Rochester and what a performance it was. It had everything from mosh pits, to crowd surfers and crab fingers. Although the venue wasn’t sold-out, it was hard to tell on this Wednesday evening as a sea of fans could be seen while entering the venue’s main entrance.

The night began with local act, Armor Alive. While the lightest out of all the bands with their rock sound, they were still was able to pump-up the crowd.

Next up was Across The White Water Tower, who are another local but are part of the tour. They brought a mix of rap and metalcore on top of their high energy stage performance.

Until I Wake followed, who also hail from the state. The Buffalo natives performed with a heavy metalcore influence

Conquer Divide were the penultimate performers. The group, which is made up of 5 very talented women” were the reason for many of the fans in attendance.

With the first 4 performers, the crowd was delivered wild night of raging and uproar and that was before the headliners made their way to the stage. Attack Attack!, who are known for their crab stance as they perform and their unique song titles, rocked the stage. Bringing full-circle a night for the ages at Montage Music Hall.

If you didn’t catch them on this tour, don’t worry, a little birdie said that they may be back in the fall with a new lineup.

Armor Alive

Across The White Water Tower

Across The White Water Tower

Until I Wake

Conquer Divde

Attack Attack!

April 18, 2022
Cannibal Corpse Sell Out Anthology

On February 26th, Cannibal Corpse stopped by to a sold out show at Anthology in Rochester and accompanied with a pretty heavy line up by White Chapel, Revocation, and Shadow Of Intent. Upon entering the venue, you can tell right off the bat it was going to be a packed house with the main floor area already full and lines at the mercy tables. The show started off with Shadow Of Intent who reigned from Connecticut and wasted no time getting the crowd moving and you can feel the energy throughout.

Cannibal Corpse

Next up to kick off the wild night was Revocation, who was formed in Massachusetts. Revocation was a fun band to watch as front man David Davidson, who is the lead vocalist and guitarist.

White Chapel

After them, we had the heavy hitters, White Chapel who are well known for their American deathcore music. When they took the stage, things got a bit foggy and rowdy as some decided it was time to give the security staff a workout.

Looking back into the crowd, all you can see is a sea of metal lovers waiting for the main reason why we all came out tonight. Cannibal Corpse, who is no stranger to the area as they were formed in Buffalo back in 1988. As soon as the band kicked off their set, crowd surfers were in full force, making some of the photographers duck for cover as the security staff was busy catching them. Watching them perform was a delight, as they really showed why they are part of some of the most iconic death metal bands around. With their tour in full swing still, surely it won’t be long before Cannibal Corpse comes back with another killer show that would most definitely sell out again.

Shadow Of Intent

Revocation

White Chapel

Cannibal Corpse

March 17, 2022