Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

Pop Punk Duo poptropicaslutz! Release Debut EP

Long Island-based emo-pop duo poptropicaslutz! released their debut EP, just in case the world ends on May 6.

poptropicaslutz formed during the pandemic. Credit Eli Rae.

Composed of Nick Crawford and Christian Cicillia, the group’s seven-track project explores their inspiration with a no holds barred approach to making music.

Just In Case The World Ends is a project that started during the global pandemic, as poptropicaslutz! was forming, and the “end of the world” didn’t seem so farfetched,” the duo explained. “We thought about what album we’d make if it was our last chance to make one.”

The cover art for the debut EP, “just in case the world ends”, from poptropicasltuz!

The EP is released under Epitaph Records and is mixed by Matt Malpass, who previously worked with Blink 182 and MGK.

Most of the songs on just in case the world ends have a traditional pop punk song structure and content—self-aware lyrics and romantic themes. But poptropicaslutz! modernizes them with sparkly synths in their production. The combination of which makes for a fresh take on the hyper-punk genre.

poptropicaslutz! also released a music video for their lead track “this might be our last december” featuring Canadian artist 8485. According to the duo, this collaboration is the embodiment of the intersection of pop-punk and hyper-pop that they’re known for.

Throughout the EP the Gen Z duo showcase their interests in experimentation. Particularly with the track “lackluster at best, masterpiece at worst” which features an acoustic guitar as opposed to their usual hard hitting electric guitars of pop punk.

On “hysteria is impossible without an audience” they offer up some classic emo music before closing out the track with some impassioned screamo.

just in case the world ends is accompanied by a series of animated music videos from Rob Fidel. The 3-part cartoon series follows the mishaps of a group of evil genius pigs with mohawks who desperately search for a way to fly.

just in case the tour never ends PT. 1

May 14 – Columbus, OH – Big Room Bar

May 15 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen

May 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere – Zone One

May 18 – Boston, MA – Middle East – Upstairs

June 4 – Washington D.C. – Songbyrd

May 11, 2022
“The Bay Strikes Back Tour” with Testament, Exodus and Death Angel play to sold out Town Ballroom

On Friday May 6th 2022, Testament brought their “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” to Town Ballroom in Buffalo. The tour features Death Angel and Exodus as support for Testament. This show was originally scheduled for a different date last year but had to be rescheduled because of Covid-19. Testament has not played New York in many years, but that has now changed.

Death Angel

Vocals-Mark Osegueda. Photo credit-Mike Miller

Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda (who joined the group in 1984) are the only members of Death Angel to appear on all of their studio albums.

Death Angel is often referred to as one of the key bands in the Bay Area thrash metal movement of the 1980s, and secured opening slots at club venues in that decade, including opening for their peers Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Testament and Overkill.

Setlist: The Ultra-Violence, Evil Priest, Voracious Souls, Seemingly Endless Time, Claws in so Deep, The Dream Calls for Blood, The Moth, Humanicide and Thrown to the Wolves.

Photos by Mike Miller

Exodus

Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for its inclusion of guitarist Kirk Hammett in its initial lineup; he eventually left the band in 1983 to join Metallica as Dave Mustaine’s replacement.

Vocals-Steve “Zetro” Souza. Photo Credit-Mike Miller

Setlist: The beatings Will Continue, A Lesson in Violence, Blood in, Blood Out, The Years of Death and Dying, Deathamphetamine, Blacklist, Prescribing Horror, Bonded by Blood, The Toxic Waltz, and Strike of the Beast.

Photos by Mike Miller

Testament

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band’s current lineup comprises rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Dave Lombardo (formerly in Slayer).

Bassist- Steve Di Giorgio. Photo Credit-Mike Miller

Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since been rejoined by one of its songwriters Skolnick, who was out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy has been a member of Testament since 1986, when he replaced original singer Steve “Zetro” Souza, who had joined Exodus as the replacement of Paul Baloff. He and Peterson are the only members to appear on all of Testament’s studio albums, with the latter being the only constant member overall.

Testament’s fan base is mostly older fans, but the younger generation was peppered in the crowd for The Bay Strikes Back Tour. Their set featured 14 songs for the sold-out crowd. Playing such hits as “Children of the Next Level”, “Eyes of Wrath” and “Disciples of the Watch”. Their stage show used co2 air blasts, and arena LED stage lighting with strobes that was changing colors often.

Drummer Dave Lombardo sat atop his high rise drum platform hidden from camera and the crowd but with his playing technique he sits really low on his drum throne so it is hard to get a glimpse of him. There were many mosh pits happening and crowd surfing all night. The fans really enjoyed the show because they needed a way to release their stress from the current world situation happening. Parking was cheap, drinks were cold and cheap, and fun was had by everyone the whole night.

Setlist: Children of the Next Level, The Pale King, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, WWII, Eyes of Wrath, D.N.R, Legions of the Dead, Electric Crown, Souls of Black, Night of the Witch, Over the Wall, Into the Pit and Disciples of the Watch.

Photos by Mike Miller

Upcoming Testament shows

Sept. 9 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Van Buren
Sept. 10 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sunshine Theater
Sept. 12 – Wichita, Kan. @ Cotillion
Sept. 13 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Truman
Sept. 15 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
Sept. 16 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Brooklyn Bowl
Sept. 18 – St. Petersburg, Fla. @ Jannus Live
Sept. 19 – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. @ Revolution
Sept. 21 – Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel
Sept. 22 – Silver Spring, Md. @ Fillmore
Sept. 23 – Stroudsburg, Pa. @ Sherman Theater
Sept. 26 – Hartford, Ct. @ Webster Theater
Sept. 27 – Albany, N.Y. @ Empire Live
Sept. 28 – Portland, Maine @ State Theatre
Sept. 30 – Montreal, Quebec @ Mtelus
Oct. 1 – London, Ontario @ London Music Hall
Oct. 3 – Ft. Wayne, Ind. @ Piere’s
Oct. 4 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Rave
Oct. 6 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Burton Cummings Theatre
Oct. 8 – Calgary, Alberta @ Palace Theatre
Oct. 10 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore
Oct. 12 – Ventura, Calif. @ Majestic Ventura Theater
Oct. 13 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern
Oct. 14 – Reno, Nev. @ Cargo
Oct. 15 – San Jose, Calif. @ San Jose Civic

May 9, 2022
ArtPark Announces 2022 Season Lineup

The 2022 Artpark Summer Concert lineup was announced with a full range of artists coming to the Lewiston, NY, venue. Artpark was established in 1974 and is a summer outdoor music venue ranked one of the top 100 Amphitheaters Worldwide by Pollstar, with 150+ events attended by 150,000+ visitors.

Artpark Amphitheater Concerts

Modest Mouse- May 27

Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992. The band achieved mainstream success with their fourth album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News with the singles “Float On” and “Ocean Breathes Salty.”

Goose- June 8

Goose is an American jam band from Norwalk, Connecticut. The band consists of Peter Anspach, Jeff Arevalo, Ben Atkind, Rick Mitarotonda, and Trevor Weekz. They have sold out multiple tours and released many groundbreaking albums.

Patti Labelle- June 21

Patti Labelle is a two-time Grammy award-winning blues and pop artist, who has sold over 50 million records. She has many hit songs including “Lady Marmalade,” “On My Own,” and “New Attitude.”

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats- June 28

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are one of the most recognizable new forces in contemporary rock. They have opened for The Rolling Stones, appeared on Saturday Night Live, CMT Crossroads, and at NPR’s Tiny Desk.

Flogging Molly & The Interrupters- July 2

Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in 1997. The Interrupters is an American punk rock band, consisting of vocalist Aimee Interrupter, drummer Jesse Bivona, bassist Justin Bivona, and guitarist Kevin Bivona.

Barenaked Ladies- July 5

The Barenaked Ladies are a Grammy-award-winning Canadian rock band formed in 1988, with 17 albums and over 15 million sold.

Tedeschi Truck Band- July 12

The Tedeschi Truck Band is a 12-piece American Blues band led by married couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Their debut album, Revelator, won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Blues Album.

Bleachers- July 27

Bleachers is an American indie pop act and the stage name of Grammy-award-winning producer Jack Antonoff. Their pop music is heavily influenced by the late ’80s early ’90s.

Earth, Wind, and Fire- July 31

Described as one of the most innovative and the most commercially successful acts in history, Earth, Wind, and Fire is a multi-genre band who have sold more than 90 million albums around the world.

Additional Acts

May 29- Lake Street Dive

June 14- Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown

August 1- Khruangbin

August 3- Sad Summer Festival 2022

August 9- Elvis Costello and The Imposters

August 10- Ziggy Marley: A Tribute To His Father

August 16- Backroads Blues Festival

August 18- Brantley Gilbert

August 23- Dispatch and O.A.R

August 31- Boy George & Culture Club

September 3- Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Artpark Mainstage Theater

NEEDTOBREATHE- May 18

Rock band NEEDTOBREATHE have gathered one platinum single, four gold singles, and a gold album since they formed in 1998, and hundreds of millions of streams.

Bon Iver- June 7

Bon Iver is an American indie-folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, who has been nominated for multiple Grammys and won Best Artist.

The War On Drugs- June 11

The War on Drugs is an American rock band consisting of Adam Granduciel, David Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Charlie Hall, Jon Natchez, Anthony LaMarca, and Eliza Hardy Jones.

“Weird Al” Yankovic- July 29

“Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time, with five Grammys, and his 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200.

Additional Acts

May 28- The Head and The Heart

June 9- CHVRCHES

July 9- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert

July 11- Death Cab For Cutie

August 21- Jack White

Artpark is also hosting Art Camps for three weeks in July 2022. Classes run from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. and students can learn ceramics, drawing and painting, soft sculpture, galaxy pant pours, and felted insects.

Tickets to the 2022 Artpark summer concerts are available here.

May 4, 2022
The Great New York State Fair 2022 Concert Lineup Announced

The Great New York State Fair‘s 2022 lineup has been announced with a wide musical variety, taking place August 24 – September 5 at the Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

Founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, it did not become a musical showcase until until the 1950’s and 1960’s, when the fair began gearing towards entertainment.

The Great New York State Fair Logo.

Artists performing at the Great New York State Fair 2022 are some fan favorites, but also some new faces making their State Fair debuts.

Chevy Court Stage- free with admission

Jimmie Allen – August 24 at 6 P.M.

Jimmie Allen is making his return to the State Fair after a 2019 performance that put him on the map. Now, Grammy-nominated for Best New Artist and nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist, this all after being named the Academy of Country Music’s New Male Artist of the Year and the Country Music Association’s New Artist of the Year in 2021. He takes the Chevy Court stage on opening day at 6 P.M.

Jimmie Allen.

Niko Moon – August 26 at 6 P.M.

Fast-rising country star Niko Moon will be making his Fair debut on August 26 at 6 P.M. His song “Good Time” hit number one on the Billboard country charts and spent nearly half of 2021 on the top 40 pop charts. He has written for artists like Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley, and Rascall Flatts.

Niko Moon

Tai Verdes – September 2 at 1 P.M.

Platinum-selling breakout singer-songwriter Tai Verdes will make his debut performance at the Fair on September 2 at 1 P.M. He is known for his chart-topping hits like “A-O-K,” and “Stuck In The Middle” and has performed on The TODAY Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Verdes has been hailed by the likes of TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone, New York Times, NPR, and more for his music.

Tai Verdes.

Also Returning

September 2 at 6 P.M.- Gin Blossoms

September 5 at 4 P.M.- Night Ranger

Chevy Park Stage- free with admission

Foreigner – August 28 at 8 P.M.

Rock band Foreigner will return to the Fair stage and close out the first weekend of the Fair’s concert season on August 28 at 8 P.M. Foreigner has 16 Top 30 hits over their decades-long career, with nine Top 10 hits. Their catalog has sold over 80 million albums, and they held the longest number 1 on the Billboard charts with their album “4.” They are also looking for a junior high, high school, or college chorus to perform a 10-minute acappella set before their show, and they can apply here.

Foreigner.

Boyz II Men – August 29 at 8 P.M.

Grammy-winning vocal soul powerhouse group Boyz II Men will return to the Fair for the first time since 2009 on August 29 at 8 P.M. They have a long catalog of top hits, which fans will be able to sing to all night long.

Boyz II Men.

24KGoldn – September 2 at 8 P.M.

Rapper 24KGoldn is making his debut at the Fair on September 2 at 8 P.M. He made music chart records with his song “Mood” with Iann Dior as it became the first song ever to top four Billboard music charts at the same time. His mix of genres from rap, rock, and alt-rock will bring a wide variety of fans to the show.

24KGoldn

COIN – September 3 at 2 P.M.

COIN will bring their bright indie-pop to their debut performance at the Fair on September 3 at 2 P.M. They are most known for their single “Talk Too Much” which hit high on the indie charts. They help diversify the lineup with their fresh sound, which will bring a lot of young fans to the Fair.

COIN.

City Girls – September 4 at 8 P.M.

Rap duo City Girls are coming to the Fair and are making their debut on September 4 at 8 P.M. Miami-based Yung Miami and JT are known for their single “Act Up” which went platinum, and for their contribution to Drake’s song “In My Feelings.”

City Girls.

Also Playing

August 24 at 8 P.M.- Chevelle

August 25 at 8 P.M.- The Art of Rap Featuring Ice-T

August 31 at 8 P.M.- Nelly

September 1 at 8 P.M.- Riley Green

September 3 at 8 P.M.- Dropkick Murphys

April 23, 2022
This Week’s EQXposure on WEQX Features Kendra McKinley, The Pine Boys and more

Each Sunday evening from 7-9 pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Kendra McKinley, The Pine Boys, Gozer, and many more.

WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

Kendra McKinley – “Dirty Laundry”

Kendra McKinley is a Hudson Valley singer-songwriter who blends pop, jazz, and soul using vibrant sensuality and wit. Her new single “Dirty Laundry” will be on EQXposure, and the music video is out now.

The Pine Boys – “Lunatic”

The Pine Boys is a three-piece band that resides in Albany, NY, and consists of members Andrew Cerone, Brett Maney, and Sam Lasky. The group brews together genres like Alternative Rock, Hip-Hop and Funk. Their song “Lunatic” off of their album Vacationland will be shown on EQXposure. The song is very funky, with muffled vocals and cool synths and an almost wolf’s howl in the background.
<a href="https://thepineboys.bandcamp.com/album/vacationland-2">Vacationland by The Pine Boys</a>
Gozer – “Braindead”

Gozer are a band also from Albany, NY. The members include Mykah Dillenger, Sean Murphy, Nick Kossor, and Seth Maset. They are an original hard rock band and music contributors to various podcasts/movies. Their single “Braindead” will also be shown on EQXposure. The song has a lot of heavy guitars and is reminicisent of an early 2000s rock song, with stellar vocals and lyrics.
<a href="https://gozer4.bandcamp.com/album/gozer">Gozer by Gozer</a>

April 22, 2022
Patterns of Decay Drop Thrashy Self-Titled Project

Patterns of Decay, a five-piece heavy metal band from New York has dropped their self-titled, second studio album. Their newest project continues to showcase the thrashy and violent metal they have founded themselves on.

The band was first formed in 2014. Moreover, in 2014, Patterns of Decay released their debut EP Malicious Intent. Four years later, the band would go on to release their first studio project, Suicide Notes In Comic Sans.

The band consists of Christian Contello on vocals, who throughout the album showcases his impressive death metal scream. Moreover, Dan Gold is on guitar and Matthew Stirrat is on guitar and vocals. Lastly, Antonio Romano provides the drumming for the band and Jesse Herman plays the bass guitar. Since 2014, the band has kept its same lineup.

Notably, some of the best work on this project comes from the lead guitarist. Throughout the album, the tone of the guitar is rather brittle and harsh. However, the speed and precision at which it is played harmonize every song in a thrashy fashion. One such song, “Ru(m)ination,” goes as far as to showcase this excellence in its entirety.

These skills can also be found on “Of Famine and Plague,” which is easily the best song on this album. Excellent drumming, harsh strings, and demonically screeching vocals all make this track a total moshpit essential.

This project still comes with many flaws, however. Most notably, for every good song on this album, there is also an equally as bad one. Sometimes the instrumentation is too harsh like on “Reguirtate”, and sometimes there may be displeasing dissonance like on “Ocean Black”. However, that should not deter any metal fan from listening though, because there are definitely some hidden gems amidst the filler.

Patterns Of Decay is available on streaming platforms now. For more information on the band, visit patternsofdecay.com.

Key Tracks: Of Famine and Plague, House of Doors

April 21, 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
Five Finger Death Punch Tour Coming to Jones Beach, Syracuse, Darien Lake

Hard rock band Five Finger Death Punch released new single “AfterLife” and announced a summer and fall tour with stops in Jones Beach, Syracuse, and Darien Center.

Five Finger Death Punch’s Afterlife tour will make three stops in New York. Credit: Travis Shinn.

“Afterlife” is the first single and title track from Five Finger Death Punch’s upcoming studio album.

On their tour Five Finger Death Punch will be joined by hard rock/metal legends Megadeth, Mongolian sensation The HU, and newcomers Fire From The Gods. The tour begins in Portland on Aug. 19. It will stop in New York on Sept. 12 at the Jones Beach Theater, Spet 20. St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, and on Sept. 27 at the Darien Lake Amphitheater.

Five Finger Death Punch will also appear in the “The Retaliators” a horror movie set to be released this fall. The gave both an on screen performance and contributed to the movie’s soundtrack. Currently, the movie has a rare and notable 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Tickets will go on sale April 15 at 10 a.m.

Five Finger Death Punch Tour Dates

Fri Aug 19 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

Sat Aug 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre

Tue Aug 23 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

Wed Aug 24 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre

Fri Aug 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion

Sat Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater

Tue Aug 30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

Thu Sep 1 – Del Valle, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Fri Sep 2 – Houston, TX –The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

Tue Sep 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

Wed Sep 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

Fri Sep 9 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

Sat Sep 10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

Mon Sep 12 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

Wed Sep 14 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

Thu Sep 15 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion

Sat Sep 17 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater

Sun Sep 18 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

Tue Sep 20 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

Wed Sep 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

Fri Sep 23 – Scranton, PA – Pavilion at Montage Mountain

Sat Sep 24 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium

Tue Sep 27 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

Wed Sep 28 –Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

Fri Sep 30 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

Sat Oct 1 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

Tue Oct 4 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center

Wed Oct 5 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

Fri Oct 7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds

Sat Oct 8 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

Mon Oct 10 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

Wed Oct 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

Fri Oct 14 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Sat Oct 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre

April 16, 2022
Alice Cooper’s “Detroit Muscle” Tour Makes 3 Stops in NY this September

Metal legend Alice Cooper will embark on a “Detroit Muscle” tour this fall, with stops in Buffalo, Binghamton, and Albany in September.

Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he’s best known for.

With a schedule that has included six months year in and year out on the road, Alice Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock-rock, Cooper has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where CNN can present real life shocking images.

As he finally heads back out on the concert trail in 2021, Alice insists he’s still motivated to continue touring and recording albums, as well as making time for other projects, including most recently, Alice’s widely praised 2018 performance as King Herod in NBC-TV’s live production of “Jesus Chris Superstar” on Easter Sunday.

Released in February, 2021, his latest album Detroit Stories, (produced by Bob Ezrin) is inspired by the garage rock music of Detroit in the late Sixties, including several classic covers of Detroit hits from that era, recorded in Detroit with all Detroit musicians.

As if that wasn’t enough, “Nights With Alice Cooper,” Alice’s nightly radio show, continues to air in nearly 100 cities in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK. The five hour long show features his favorite classic rock songs along with his insider anecdotes about many of the artists.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15 at 10AM at ticketmaster.com.

Alice Cooper ‘Detroit Muscle’ 2022 U.S. Tour Dates

Sept. 07 — Bethlehem, Pa. @ Wind Creek Event Center
Sept. 09 — Alton, Va. @ Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Sept. 11 — Windsor, Ontario @ The Colosseum @ Caesar’s
Sept. 13 — Buffalo, N.Y. @ Shea’s Buffalo
Sept. 14 — Binghamton, N.Y. @ Visions Arena
Sept. 16 — Albany, N.Y. @ The Palace Theater
Sept. 17 — Atlantic City, N.J. @ Tropicana Casino & Resort
Sept. 18 — Wallingford, Ct. @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Sept. 20 — Muncie, Ind. @ Emens Auditorium
Sept. 21 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ DeVos Hall
Sept. 22 — Hammond, Ind. @ The Venue @ Horseshoe Casino
Sept. 24 — Louisville, Ky. @ Louder than Life Festival
Sept. 25 — Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
Sept. 27 — Memphis, Tenn. @ Orpheum Theater
Sept. 28 — St.Louis, Mo. @ Stifel Theatre
Sept. 30 — Cedar Rapids, Iowa @ Paramount Theater
Oct. 01 — Springfield, Ill. @ Bank of Springfield Center
Oct. 04 — Loveland, Colo. @ Budweiser Event Center
Oct. 06 — Prescott Valley, Ariz. @ Findlay Toyota Center
Oct. 08 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ TBA

April 15, 2022
Trinity of Terror Tour sells out Buffalo Riverworks

On Monday April 11th 2022, The Trinity of Terror Tour made a stop in Buffalo at RiverWorks. This is a triple headlining tour featuring Ice Nine Kills, Black Veil Brides and Motionless in White. The Buffalo show was a sell out with 5,000 people singing along to every song. Buffalo RiverWorks is the city’s newest premier waterfront, boating, sports, music, dining and entertainment destination located along the banks of the Buffalo River.

Buffalo RiverWorks crowd- Photo credit- Mike Miller

There are three guarantees in life; death, taxes and waiting in long lines at a sell out concert. Many concert attendees did not head the advice of the venue to arrive early. Traffic was as expected and one of those meandering snake single file lines to enter the venue in the parking lot. Some fans waited over an hour to enter the concert in the rain. But once fans passed through security, they were greeting with a huge two floor, standing room only, 50,000 sq. ft space, filling up with music lovers alike. The stage had a large drum riser with 2 LED video screens. One in front of the drum riser and a larger one behind it that would play music videos in between sets. Along the edge of the stage were remote light bars that are blinding if you look at them directly.

Motionless in White

Motionless in White is an American heavy metal band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2005, the band has stated that their band name is derived from the Eighteen Visions song “Motionless and White”. Their set was nine songs in length featuring songs like, “Disguise” and “Another Life”. During “Cyberhex”, the song was stopped at the last chorus because of a fan injury. Security and medical professionals were able to attend to the fan and the show continued on. Their second last song was a Killers cover, “Somebody Told Me” where almost every fan was singing along to the lyrics, because who does not like The Killers? It was announced that the bassist Justin was not there because he was at home expecting a new born child in Rochester.

Motionless in White- Photo credit- Mike Miller

Band members: Chris “Motionless” Cerulli (lead vocals), Ryan Sitkowski (lead guitar), Ricky “Horror” Olson (rhythm guitar), Vinny Mauro (drums), and Justin Morrow (bass).

Setlist: Disquise, Reincarnate, Necessary Evil, Voices, Thoughts & Prayers, Cyberhex, Another Life, Sombody Told Me, and Eternally Yours.

Black Veil Brides

Black Veil Brides is an American rock band based in Hollywood, California formed in 2006. Their style has constantly been changing ever since the group was formed in 2006. They were originally described as metalcore when they were formed but now resemble glam metal/shock rock like Kiss or Motley Crue. Singer Andy Biersack was recently diagnosed with Covid-19 and had to drop from their current tour for a few shows. He was recently cleared and they have rejoined the tour.

Black Veil Brides- Photo credit- Mike Miller

Band members: Andy Biersack– lead vocals, keyboards; Jinxx– rhythm guitar, violin, backing vocals; Jake Pitts– lead guitar; Christian “CC” Coma – drums; Lonny Eagleton – bass, backing vocals

Setlist: Faithless, Coffin, Crimson Skies, Shadows Die, Wake Up, Scarlet Cross, Knives and Pens, The Legacy, Fallen Angels, and In the End.

Ice Nine Kills

Ice Nine Kills (sometimes stylized in all capital letters or abbreviated to INK, and formerly known as Ice Nine) is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspired lyrics, Ice Nine Kills formed in its earliest incarnation in 2000 by high school friends Spencer Charnas and Jeremy Schwartz. Charnas is currently the only remaining founding member.

Ice Nine Kills- Photo Credit- Mike Miller

Throughout their set, they used props like axes, drills and chainsaws for imagery to remind fans of horror movies as each band member was a separate character. Some of their inspiration was from movies like American Psycho, Hostel, Psycho and The Evil Dead. Their 13 song set featured songs like: “Welcome to Horrorwood”, “Hip to be Scared” and “Wurst Vacation”. During their third song, a fan appeared to be injured and security signaled to pause the show again. Security was overhead saying that the fan just dropped their phone and were struggling to get back up. Shortly after this the show resumed.

Band members: Spencer Charnas – lead vocals; Ricky Armellino – backing vocals, rhythm guitar; Joseph Occhiuti – backing vocals, bass, keyboards; Dan Sugarman – backing vocals, lead guitar; Patrick Galante – drums.

Setlist: Opening Night, Welcome to Horrorwood, Wurst Vacation, Hip to be Scared, Stabbing in the Dark, Rainy Day, IT is the End, Communication of the Cursed, Take Your Pick, Ex-Martis, The Shower Scene, Funeral Derangements, and The American Nightmare.

This tour will be stopping in Huntington NY at The Paramount on Friday April 15th for another sold out show. Ice Nine Kills will be back in Buffalo opening for Metallica on August 11th at Highmark Stadium (Home of the Buffalo Bills!)

Motionless in White

photo credit- mike miller

photo credit- mike miller

photo credit- mike miller

Black Veil Bride

photo credit- Mike Miller

photo credit- Mike Miller

photo credit- Mike Miller

Ice Nine Kills

Photo credit- Mike Miller

April 13, 2022