The Venue: I’ve reviewed the House of Blues something like 9 times. Coming to the House of blues is like seeing an old friend after years. I hadn’t been their in a long while and it is far and away my favorite venue, if not my favorite place in Chicago period. It was a second home when I first started to go out to concerts on my own and it still feels like it.
Charming Liars (2/6): The instrumentation saved this band. The drum work was solid and the guitar work was pleasantly showy in places. Their sound was very much in keeping with the rest of the evening--bitter alt. rock with a slightly hardened edge. The frontman made a diligent effort to get the crowd pumped, but they were having none of it. Given that he took half the set to warm up and had a mediocre voice in the first place, it was understandable. The energy and edgy, bitter lyrics were enough to salvage the set, but on the whole they were sub-par.
10 Years (3.5/6): 10 Years was a very pleasant surprise. I’d heard these ages ago, and they didn’t make much of an impression then. It took me until they played “Fix Me”(their big radio song) to even recognize them they’d improved so much. 10 Years has come a long way as a band. Their bassist is wonderful and has a striking look in addition to his wonderful talent. With, rippling shoulder and waist length dreadlocks and wild head banging, he had more presence than even the front man. He also attacked the bass with a rare fervor that gave their sound extra fire.
Their drummer was solid as can be and even got a chance to show off a little with a short solo. Their guitarist wasn’t half bad either.
Their vocals were interesting. On the one hand, their lead vocalist was really good and had a very distinctive sound that really meshed with their overall sound perfectly.
While he was very talented on the guitar, their screamer fell decidedly flat. If you’re going to take the scream-o angle, you need to really go hardcore. There is no middle ground for screamers. In addition to being a mediocre screamer, he had a horrible attitude. Even their front man seemed taken aback when he flat out insulted the crowd. He literally compared them to his excrement because they were a very subdued crowd.
That attitude almost made me regret purchasing the album. However, I support the rest of the band whole heartedly and wish them nothing but success.
Sick Puppies(warning, flash): (5/6): These guys have successfully earned the second highest rating I give out. They were absolutely fantastic as always. I was a little nervous about this show as their new album has some pretty serious style changes and is decidedly not sure of itself. I should have had more faith in them. Over the years they've grown from the first line of a four set show to a headliner. They’re a powerhouse of hard-edged rock seeded with inspiring ballads and wonderfully hopeful rock songs. Between Shim Moor’s wonderful vocal control and his brilliant dynamic with the audience, he was wonderful. his guitar work has dramatically improved and he is absolutely frantic on stage.
However, it is very obvious this band is a close-knit team, especially with Emma Emma Anzai’s popularity and her increased partition on the vocals. She has brilliant stage presence, outside of her warm, bell-like voice and her mean bass work. She is far and away the best bassist I’ve seen live. She is also one of the very few bassets I’ve seen with such popularity among the fans. She is wonderfully gracious and vulnerable yet unbelievably strong. Her playing was the driving source of Sick Puppies’ set.
I couldn’t talk about sick puppies without touching on their charismatic drummer, Mark Goodman. He is the good humored, subtle yet amazing heart beat of the band and his smile alone is just beautiful.
Overall they impressed yet again and it was a pleasure.
Showing posts with label sick puppies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sick puppies. Show all posts
October 17, 2013
July 19, 2013
Album Review: Sick Puppies --Connect--
(3.5/6)
Lead Vocalist, Shimmon Moor, has always had a sexy voice that is frank and rugged. On past albums, his very solid, aggressive tenor range gave the songs a hopeful tone. On Connect More demonstrates his low sexually charged range. When he strikes a passionate note his voice becomes a velvet and steel growl that really brings an edge to his work.
Bassist Emma Anzai takes a few tentative steps into the limelight on this album. Her wicked talent that hasn't been seen in years she dominates the low end of everything she plays on. She has been dubbed the female ‘Flea.’ On Connect we hear of her whispery, alto voice.. Looking at her with jet black, shaggy edged hair wielding the bass like a weapon you'd expect a Joan Jett fearsome voice. On the contrary, her voice is soft and smooth and complements Moor’s velvety sound perfectly. She still sounds shy as she’s ever been, but on Connect, we start to hear a little more bravery. I have every confidence that once she relaxes into the role she will explode.
Mark Goodwin’s drum work is the rope that ties the album together; it is both subtle and consistent.
The lyrics are, as always, wonderfully provocative and sharp. Where things fall apart is in the delivery. I expected their passionate, die-trying attitude, and was met with something that fell just shy of it in many of the songs. I feel like part of their problem is that the band is feeling around stylistically. They need to regroup and hone their sound.
From an overall album standpoint, the album is really hit or miss. There are some fantastic songs on Connect, but there are also several that are stylistically clumsy and don't seem to fit on the album. However, there is an overproduced tone that permeates the album
That being said, I feel that the solid songs out weigh the unsteady ones.
Overall a solid, not amazing album, especially when held up against their previous works. I liked it, but it wasn't as magical.
Lead Vocalist, Shimmon Moor, has always had a sexy voice that is frank and rugged. On past albums, his very solid, aggressive tenor range gave the songs a hopeful tone. On Connect More demonstrates his low sexually charged range. When he strikes a passionate note his voice becomes a velvet and steel growl that really brings an edge to his work.
Bassist Emma Anzai takes a few tentative steps into the limelight on this album. Her wicked talent that hasn't been seen in years she dominates the low end of everything she plays on. She has been dubbed the female ‘Flea.’ On Connect we hear of her whispery, alto voice.. Looking at her with jet black, shaggy edged hair wielding the bass like a weapon you'd expect a Joan Jett fearsome voice. On the contrary, her voice is soft and smooth and complements Moor’s velvety sound perfectly. She still sounds shy as she’s ever been, but on Connect, we start to hear a little more bravery. I have every confidence that once she relaxes into the role she will explode.
Mark Goodwin’s drum work is the rope that ties the album together; it is both subtle and consistent.
The lyrics are, as always, wonderfully provocative and sharp. Where things fall apart is in the delivery. I expected their passionate, die-trying attitude, and was met with something that fell just shy of it in many of the songs. I feel like part of their problem is that the band is feeling around stylistically. They need to regroup and hone their sound.
From an overall album standpoint, the album is really hit or miss. There are some fantastic songs on Connect, but there are also several that are stylistically clumsy and don't seem to fit on the album. However, there is an overproduced tone that permeates the album
That being said, I feel that the solid songs out weigh the unsteady ones.
Overall a solid, not amazing album, especially when held up against their previous works. I liked it, but it wasn't as magical.
July 7, 2011
Summerfest 7/6/11
Venue: Summerfest, as previously reviewed. I like this stage a little better. (The rock stage)
Crowd: (3/6)Not bad. A little dead for the 8:00 show but overall a decent festival crowd. The crowd energy was fantastic during Sick Puppies; however, I attribute that to Sick Puppies and not to the Crowd. Surprisingly, lively for the 6:30 show, though and that was definitely the crowd, not the artist. For the 8:00 show the crowd was horrible.
The line up:
5:00pm: Litmus Vinyl (3.5/6)-- I came in during this set and spent most of the time running around and getting settled in to my camping spot. As a result I didn’t give them enough attention to give a detailed review. On top of this the band had some nasty technical issues regarding sound balance.
The front man had excessive amounts of energy and was a lot of fun on stage, very dynamic. The band’s overall sound was not one that I usually listen to so it took me a little work to really hone in on what worked and didn’t work about this band. They had a retro-folk sound that, while catchy didn’t quite grab my attention.
The vocals were sub-par, but palatable and had the instrumentation to match. I particularly noticed that the keyboards sounded off. If it weren’t electronic, I’d say it sounded out of tune, however given how hard it is for an electric keyboard to be out of tune, I’m going to assume that was intentional. It sounded like an attempt to mimic steel drums. I didn’t feel like the keyboardist had a firm enough mastery of her instrument to branch out into a different sound and it took her an undue amount of effort to stay on task.
The saxophonist was very good, and brought a nice addition to the sound. I didn’t think he pushed his talent too hard. I find one of the pitfalls of horn instruments is the tendency to try to hard for the showy sounds that their instruments make. The results are often closer to the previously reviewed Kids These Day, than to anything significantly impressive. This saxophonist knew how to balance the impressive with the more basic elements.
The guitar work was solid but made no impressions either way.
Overall, I would say a good listen, however they did not translate well to the album.
6:30 Soil (3/6)-- I wish I could give this band a lower rating, as I really don’t care for a lot of band in the Macho Rock subgenera as they have an arrogant, disrespectful attitude toward their fans, and frankly put I’ve seen bands produce this sound better with more class. However for that subgenre they were decently talented, though the front man was fairly inarticulate and more arrogant than his popularity granted him. The guitar work was passable, but most of their sound blended together in a discordant way. To their credit the front mans lack of articulation could be partly attributed to the sound balance issues that Summerfest was having. His attempts at the classic rock/ metal grunts and gravely tone came off as an attempt to copy the artists who originally made that sound, not as an attempt to make his own sound.
The bass work was pleasant, however and gave the band a little more depth than they would have otherwise had.
I also found their lyrics inane with an attempt to be profound without actually succeeding.
I’m going to go on to the next band now, as otherwise I’m just going to devolve into ranting about this genre.
8:00 Me talk Pretty (4/6)--
I have to say one thing that isn’t related to the act itself, but I find reflects well on the character of the leading woman.
After we saw Sick Puppies (reviewed below) my girlfriend twisted her knee getting off the bleacher and we had to get the first aid people. While I was out getting help, Uliana asked if my girlfriend was all right, and if she needed help. In a world were musicians are often treated as royalty, she didn’t have to do that. She could have just walked by. She chose to help. That says a lot about how classy this woman is.
Me Talk Pretty was the find of the festival for me this Summerfest. Front woman Uliana’s voice is fantastic-- reminiscent of the woman of symphonic metal and rock. She was also a lot of fun on stage, very energetic and tried to keep the crowd engaged. She was also very good at brushing off the rude comments a few drunk members of the crowd offered (Protip guys: Yelling ”take it off“ just because the singer is female does not earn you any points with nearby women, in fact it could get you mauled) Uliana had a euro-pop star feel to her and was a lot of fun to listen to. However, it is clear she is still a young artist and lacks a lot of the stage presence that her more experienced counterparts have. Specifically her moves on stage look very rehearsed and stilted. I also felt her band was not quite on par with her voice live.
Having listened to them now a little on Youtube, I’ve determined that it’s the drummer that is off. I couldn’t quite place it since overall the band was solid, not fantastic, but solid. They also should improve on their give and take and the technical elements of the guitar work. I can certainly see the talent there but in order to really succeed I think that the band needs to step up their game to match their singer.
10:00: Sick Puppies (5/6). After seeing Sick Puppies it always feels like something has been set right in my heart. They are an absolute pleasure to see every single time. As they are only a three person band, each member gets their moment to shine and even when they’re playing together each piece is clear.
I rave about basis Emma Anzai every time hear her play. She is a force all unto herself. From her fierce slap bass to her soft sultry voice and her powerful dynamic movement Emma is the only bassist I’ve seen live with that kind of hold on the audience. I’ve also seen her come out of her shell quite a bit since the first time I met her last year. Moving from shy to a much more confidant, professional woman, Emma has found her place in the band nicely.
Singer Shimon Moore is a character on stage. Between his amazing voice, his sense of humor and his knack for getting even the more passive members of the audience moving there are very few artists on his caliber. He also has a genuine desire to make his fans happy. He’s also very articulate on stage and has a natural knack for knowing when to talk and when to play. He’s also adapted his tone to really drive the show forward.
I often forget to be appreciative of Mark Goodwin as the drum work blends so smoothly into the rest of the music that I often forget how much talent it takes to be as good a drummer as mark. Like the others in the band, he has a sense of humor and can often be seen tossing a drumstick in the air and trying to catch it again. A master of both the traditional drum kit and the bongos, Mark is a welcome addition the Sick Puppies family.
That, by the way, is exactly what I would call this lovely little band. A family. They work so flawlessly together that it seems like they were born to play together. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next. (If monster is any indicator we are in for a really interesting album next)
Crowd: (3/6)Not bad. A little dead for the 8:00 show but overall a decent festival crowd. The crowd energy was fantastic during Sick Puppies; however, I attribute that to Sick Puppies and not to the Crowd. Surprisingly, lively for the 6:30 show, though and that was definitely the crowd, not the artist. For the 8:00 show the crowd was horrible.
The line up:
5:00pm: Litmus Vinyl (3.5/6)-- I came in during this set and spent most of the time running around and getting settled in to my camping spot. As a result I didn’t give them enough attention to give a detailed review. On top of this the band had some nasty technical issues regarding sound balance.
The front man had excessive amounts of energy and was a lot of fun on stage, very dynamic. The band’s overall sound was not one that I usually listen to so it took me a little work to really hone in on what worked and didn’t work about this band. They had a retro-folk sound that, while catchy didn’t quite grab my attention.
The vocals were sub-par, but palatable and had the instrumentation to match. I particularly noticed that the keyboards sounded off. If it weren’t electronic, I’d say it sounded out of tune, however given how hard it is for an electric keyboard to be out of tune, I’m going to assume that was intentional. It sounded like an attempt to mimic steel drums. I didn’t feel like the keyboardist had a firm enough mastery of her instrument to branch out into a different sound and it took her an undue amount of effort to stay on task.
The saxophonist was very good, and brought a nice addition to the sound. I didn’t think he pushed his talent too hard. I find one of the pitfalls of horn instruments is the tendency to try to hard for the showy sounds that their instruments make. The results are often closer to the previously reviewed Kids These Day, than to anything significantly impressive. This saxophonist knew how to balance the impressive with the more basic elements.
The guitar work was solid but made no impressions either way.
Overall, I would say a good listen, however they did not translate well to the album.
6:30 Soil (3/6)-- I wish I could give this band a lower rating, as I really don’t care for a lot of band in the Macho Rock subgenera as they have an arrogant, disrespectful attitude toward their fans, and frankly put I’ve seen bands produce this sound better with more class. However for that subgenre they were decently talented, though the front man was fairly inarticulate and more arrogant than his popularity granted him. The guitar work was passable, but most of their sound blended together in a discordant way. To their credit the front mans lack of articulation could be partly attributed to the sound balance issues that Summerfest was having. His attempts at the classic rock/ metal grunts and gravely tone came off as an attempt to copy the artists who originally made that sound, not as an attempt to make his own sound.
The bass work was pleasant, however and gave the band a little more depth than they would have otherwise had.
I also found their lyrics inane with an attempt to be profound without actually succeeding.
I’m going to go on to the next band now, as otherwise I’m just going to devolve into ranting about this genre.
8:00 Me talk Pretty (4/6)--
I have to say one thing that isn’t related to the act itself, but I find reflects well on the character of the leading woman.
After we saw Sick Puppies (reviewed below) my girlfriend twisted her knee getting off the bleacher and we had to get the first aid people. While I was out getting help, Uliana asked if my girlfriend was all right, and if she needed help. In a world were musicians are often treated as royalty, she didn’t have to do that. She could have just walked by. She chose to help. That says a lot about how classy this woman is.
Me Talk Pretty was the find of the festival for me this Summerfest. Front woman Uliana’s voice is fantastic-- reminiscent of the woman of symphonic metal and rock. She was also a lot of fun on stage, very energetic and tried to keep the crowd engaged. She was also very good at brushing off the rude comments a few drunk members of the crowd offered (Protip guys: Yelling ”take it off“ just because the singer is female does not earn you any points with nearby women, in fact it could get you mauled) Uliana had a euro-pop star feel to her and was a lot of fun to listen to. However, it is clear she is still a young artist and lacks a lot of the stage presence that her more experienced counterparts have. Specifically her moves on stage look very rehearsed and stilted. I also felt her band was not quite on par with her voice live.
Having listened to them now a little on Youtube, I’ve determined that it’s the drummer that is off. I couldn’t quite place it since overall the band was solid, not fantastic, but solid. They also should improve on their give and take and the technical elements of the guitar work. I can certainly see the talent there but in order to really succeed I think that the band needs to step up their game to match their singer.
10:00: Sick Puppies (5/6). After seeing Sick Puppies it always feels like something has been set right in my heart. They are an absolute pleasure to see every single time. As they are only a three person band, each member gets their moment to shine and even when they’re playing together each piece is clear.
I rave about basis Emma Anzai every time hear her play. She is a force all unto herself. From her fierce slap bass to her soft sultry voice and her powerful dynamic movement Emma is the only bassist I’ve seen live with that kind of hold on the audience. I’ve also seen her come out of her shell quite a bit since the first time I met her last year. Moving from shy to a much more confidant, professional woman, Emma has found her place in the band nicely.
Singer Shimon Moore is a character on stage. Between his amazing voice, his sense of humor and his knack for getting even the more passive members of the audience moving there are very few artists on his caliber. He also has a genuine desire to make his fans happy. He’s also very articulate on stage and has a natural knack for knowing when to talk and when to play. He’s also adapted his tone to really drive the show forward.
I often forget to be appreciative of Mark Goodwin as the drum work blends so smoothly into the rest of the music that I often forget how much talent it takes to be as good a drummer as mark. Like the others in the band, he has a sense of humor and can often be seen tossing a drumstick in the air and trying to catch it again. A master of both the traditional drum kit and the bongos, Mark is a welcome addition the Sick Puppies family.
That, by the way, is exactly what I would call this lovely little band. A family. They work so flawlessly together that it seems like they were born to play together. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next. (If monster is any indicator we are in for a really interesting album next)
July 2, 2011
Summefest 7/1/11(roadtrip show!)
Venue: I always enjoy Summerfest. It happens to be one of the world’s largest music festivals and it’s in of all places Milwaukee, WI. It’s “11 days, 11 stages and over 700 artists” and around floury three years running. You can find almost any verity of music you please their, and even a few that you don’t please. You can also find a very wide verity of talent, ages, and kinds of artists. In addition there are booths full of food from local restaurants, including an Ethnic Garden of foods from around the world. There is also a plethora of vendors who sell everything from clothing, to knick-knacks, to incense. It is very easy to spend all eleven days there. (The most I’ve ever done was nine).
The crowd: (4/6) The overall Summerfest crowd is very laid back and usually not as furious as a normal concert crowd. Many of them have been camping their stage for hours, and even more have been walking around the seventy-five acres of the festival grounds. Sometimes they’re not even there for a specific band. For this particular show, crowd took a little time to get moving but they were very vocal. Above all they were a happy crowd.
Notes on the times: At a music festival, generally the first acts are the local, greener bands and the last acts are usually more well known experienced bands. Often this also indicates quality.
8:00 show: Kids These Days (3/6): I was shocked that this band had the 8:00 slot. Shocked. Last year I saw Sick Puppies at this slot. I usually give band with such young members a lot of slack as they are still growing into their voices as well as their style. Initially, I thought that perhaps Summerfest had been gracious enough to give a local high school band a slot.
I was wrong. They’re from Chicago, how embarrassing.
If each member performed on his or her own, they might have been decent. If it weren’t for the following issues.
The front man that did the singing, not the rapping was pushing his voice to make a very distinctive, specific sound usually found in blues and jazz. His voice however is too young to truly make that sound and you can hear the straining. He does have a good voice, however he will hurt himself if he continues pushing it.
While I am all for mixing genres and throwing pieces of outside genres into the mix, you should have a solid grounding in both genres if you attempt this. This band was still very green (understandable given their ages) and I felt that until they had a more solid foundation in their genre (be it hip-hop or blues) they should perhaps sick to one genre per song.
The coordination: They were trying to emulate the bands that would dance with their horns from the jazz era. A valiant effort however, none of them managed to bow, let alone move in anything resembling synchronicity and coordination. That alone would have improved the band visually quite a lot
Things I did like, however:
The female lead had a very strong sense of her range and could actually make the vocalizations that she was attempting without straining her voice.
The instrumentation: All of the individual players had at least a moderate degree of talent, however they did need some work on a technical level. Which, I think will come in time. They do have some underlying talent.
Overall a very green band with some talent that needs to mature several years and hone their sound before really hitting the music scene. If they do hone it, I do think there is a lot of potential.
The 10:00 show: Third Eye Blind (4/6): It was an odd show, but it was very enjoyable. I did not have very high expectations given that as far as I knew they had peaked in the late 90s. The first about 20 minutes matched that expectation rather well. Fun, but nothing special. They lacked energy and the instrumentation wasn’t spot on. Then they played “slow motion” One of their very controversial songs, which I believe was only officially released as an instrumental due to the drug and violence content of the lyrics. However, the fans know the song inside out and it is one of their most beautiful songs. While they are known for their catchy song, I find Third Eye Blind’s real talent is in what I call stoner ballads. This song was followed up by their second largest hit “Jumper” and it was as though both the band and audience suddenly remembered they were there for a rock show. By the encore, they were rocking and the audience was electric.
The crowd: (4/6) The overall Summerfest crowd is very laid back and usually not as furious as a normal concert crowd. Many of them have been camping their stage for hours, and even more have been walking around the seventy-five acres of the festival grounds. Sometimes they’re not even there for a specific band. For this particular show, crowd took a little time to get moving but they were very vocal. Above all they were a happy crowd.
Notes on the times: At a music festival, generally the first acts are the local, greener bands and the last acts are usually more well known experienced bands. Often this also indicates quality.
8:00 show: Kids These Days (3/6): I was shocked that this band had the 8:00 slot. Shocked. Last year I saw Sick Puppies at this slot. I usually give band with such young members a lot of slack as they are still growing into their voices as well as their style. Initially, I thought that perhaps Summerfest had been gracious enough to give a local high school band a slot.
I was wrong. They’re from Chicago, how embarrassing.
If each member performed on his or her own, they might have been decent. If it weren’t for the following issues.
The front man that did the singing, not the rapping was pushing his voice to make a very distinctive, specific sound usually found in blues and jazz. His voice however is too young to truly make that sound and you can hear the straining. He does have a good voice, however he will hurt himself if he continues pushing it.
While I am all for mixing genres and throwing pieces of outside genres into the mix, you should have a solid grounding in both genres if you attempt this. This band was still very green (understandable given their ages) and I felt that until they had a more solid foundation in their genre (be it hip-hop or blues) they should perhaps sick to one genre per song.
The coordination: They were trying to emulate the bands that would dance with their horns from the jazz era. A valiant effort however, none of them managed to bow, let alone move in anything resembling synchronicity and coordination. That alone would have improved the band visually quite a lot
Things I did like, however:
The female lead had a very strong sense of her range and could actually make the vocalizations that she was attempting without straining her voice.
The instrumentation: All of the individual players had at least a moderate degree of talent, however they did need some work on a technical level. Which, I think will come in time. They do have some underlying talent.
Overall a very green band with some talent that needs to mature several years and hone their sound before really hitting the music scene. If they do hone it, I do think there is a lot of potential.
The 10:00 show: Third Eye Blind (4/6): It was an odd show, but it was very enjoyable. I did not have very high expectations given that as far as I knew they had peaked in the late 90s. The first about 20 minutes matched that expectation rather well. Fun, but nothing special. They lacked energy and the instrumentation wasn’t spot on. Then they played “slow motion” One of their very controversial songs, which I believe was only officially released as an instrumental due to the drug and violence content of the lyrics. However, the fans know the song inside out and it is one of their most beautiful songs. While they are known for their catchy song, I find Third Eye Blind’s real talent is in what I call stoner ballads. This song was followed up by their second largest hit “Jumper” and it was as though both the band and audience suddenly remembered they were there for a rock show. By the encore, they were rocking and the audience was electric.
May 18, 2011
Sick Puppies w/ Seven Day Sonnet at the Cubby Bear
The Venue: The Cubby Bear (3/6) I’d heard bad things about this venue so I came in expecting a disaster. It honestly wasn’t as bad as I anticipated though they defiantly could stand better mics. It was specifically the mics, not the amps as there was a lot of crackle and muffling to the speech. It was not much more than a bar with a stage. Nothing wrong with that, but It often leads to the venue doing neither well. It was also an odd size. It was smaller than even the 1000 person venues I’ve been to but not tiny enough to be a truly small venue. I didn’t really get to the bar or bathroom so no comments on those. The merch booth was set up in a very easy to get to place and there was surprisingly decent ventilation. It was disorganized from a time perspective, however. If the door is at seven I expect the show at eight at the latest, and the main act to go on at nine. The main act didn’t start until ten and there was a LOT of lag between sets.
The crowd (3/6): The crowd was too passive for what they were there for. This is your band’s first headlining tour. A band that was the first opener of four a year ago. I’ve seen what this band is capable of and, yes; Shimion Moor did manage to work his magic on them, but really? You do remember whom you’re here to see, don’t you? Show it.
First Opener: Seven Day Sonnet (3/6): It would be a lower score had it not been for the fact that I heard some of their recorded stuff. I feel like this band has many of the issues I see in many younger bands. They’re uncoordinated on stage and seem to be out there to have fun, which is fine, but they didn’t have the technical aspects down. Especially not the bassist. I was very close to the stage so I could see very clearly what was going on. At one point I looked up at the bassist was strumming, not picking, not slapping or popping, strumming. He was especially all over the place on stage. No precision to speak of and no real sense of give and take. The two guitarists were passable on a technical level, but at least didn’t draw attention to them over the lead consistently.
The lead was solid for his genre (Screamo is not known for its quality vocals) but if he’s going to make it his band needs to step up their game
Main Act: Sick Puppies (5/6) Always, a pleasure seeing this band. They are phenomenal with the crowd and very engaging. Shimon Moore is articulate, and knows how to balance talking with the music so that it feels personal, but doesn’t drag. They also have a stunning dynamic of give and take on stage that is magnificent. Emma Anzai (bass) and Shimon Moore (lead) have extent musical conversations on stage. Between his clear, velvety voice and her whisper soft lilt the vocals alone would be enough to make for an amazing show. Add to that Moor’s wonderfully precise guitar work and Emma’s masterful bass and you have one of the best shows ever.
I cannot say enough about Emma Anzai’s bass work, Every time I see her live I rave more. She is unlike any other bassist I’ve seen on stage. I would even go so far as to say, she is the best bassist I’ve ever seen. Full stop.
The other thing that continues to fascinate me is that this band is just three people, no synth, no sampling. Just instruments and vocals. And every one of them has near- unrivaled talent.
The crowd (3/6): The crowd was too passive for what they were there for. This is your band’s first headlining tour. A band that was the first opener of four a year ago. I’ve seen what this band is capable of and, yes; Shimion Moor did manage to work his magic on them, but really? You do remember whom you’re here to see, don’t you? Show it.
First Opener: Seven Day Sonnet (3/6): It would be a lower score had it not been for the fact that I heard some of their recorded stuff. I feel like this band has many of the issues I see in many younger bands. They’re uncoordinated on stage and seem to be out there to have fun, which is fine, but they didn’t have the technical aspects down. Especially not the bassist. I was very close to the stage so I could see very clearly what was going on. At one point I looked up at the bassist was strumming, not picking, not slapping or popping, strumming. He was especially all over the place on stage. No precision to speak of and no real sense of give and take. The two guitarists were passable on a technical level, but at least didn’t draw attention to them over the lead consistently.
The lead was solid for his genre (Screamo is not known for its quality vocals) but if he’s going to make it his band needs to step up their game
Main Act: Sick Puppies (5/6) Always, a pleasure seeing this band. They are phenomenal with the crowd and very engaging. Shimon Moore is articulate, and knows how to balance talking with the music so that it feels personal, but doesn’t drag. They also have a stunning dynamic of give and take on stage that is magnificent. Emma Anzai (bass) and Shimon Moore (lead) have extent musical conversations on stage. Between his clear, velvety voice and her whisper soft lilt the vocals alone would be enough to make for an amazing show. Add to that Moor’s wonderfully precise guitar work and Emma’s masterful bass and you have one of the best shows ever.
I cannot say enough about Emma Anzai’s bass work, Every time I see her live I rave more. She is unlike any other bassist I’ve seen on stage. I would even go so far as to say, she is the best bassist I’ve ever seen. Full stop.
The other thing that continues to fascinate me is that this band is just three people, no synth, no sampling. Just instruments and vocals. And every one of them has near- unrivaled talent.
December 12, 2010
Music Update and Concert review : Sick Puppies and Bad City
Sorry folks, it’s been a rough few months in real life land for me and I ran into a slight case of broke, so there was a hiatus. Mea culpa.
Musical things of note that have happened:
The Show itself: Alter Bridge (not reviewed) with Sick Puppies, and Bad City. (House of Blues, Chicago)
The Venue: The House of Blues, Chicago (4/5): I've reviewed it countless times. However, they've made some changes than I'm still not sure about. Initially, The House of Blues had the balcony as exclusively VIP. I never had any desire to go up there, as a rocker, my place is on the floor whenever possible, and so I can't comment on how it is up there. However, I've never seen the place more crowed on the floor. I'm pleased one of my favorite venues has gained more patronage.
They've also added more security in the bar area (which is 21+ for obvious reasons, they have other areas meant for younger patrons, though truthfully the House of Blues is really designed for a 21+ crowd.
The Crowd: (2.5/5) While I didn't stay for Alter Bridge, I sincerely hope the crowd improved for them. These people were very still and had a dulled vibe. They improved for Sick Puppies, but I think that is a function of Sick Puppies being that good, rather than a function of the crowd.
The First Opener: Bad City (2.5/5 live, 3/5 recorded) First openers are always a little green, a little uncoordinated, and a little unbalanced as they are unpracticed. However, they also tend to have a lot of often-misplaced energy. This band was a perfect example of all these things, a clumsy, but energetic and some how they had a little charm. Their sound seemed quite disparate from their look, lead man Josh caddy looks as though he would fit in more with bands like My Chemical Romance than in a rock show. Their sound was very much rock, with a little bit of an eighties nostalgia flare. Their look fit more in this decade however. They certainly put in effort though and you could tell that, unlike many of these greener bands, they had practiced a good deal. I'm not sure these boys will make it beyond the local scene.
Second Opener: Sick Puppies (5/5) these guys are in my top three for live shows. Shimon Moore (the front man) is fantastic with the crowd, he can get them moving even when it’s a slow song, and he got a good portion of the people there for Alter Bridge to jump. One of his tactics, which I’m quite fond of, is to challenge the people who are Sick Puppies fans to "show them how we do things at a Sick Puppies show" so to speak. In a very still, often unforgiving crowd people who by a show of hands had never seen Sick Puppies before, I saw most of the pit jumping and eve some slam dancing-- a rarity for an opener.
One of the things I particularly like about these guys is that they are constantly improving their show, altering their set lists, and they clearly put a lot of work into their shows. It’s a treat when you see a band for your second or third time and it’s an even better set, with even tighter coordination than the last one.
Another thing that caught my attention was that we're seeing more vocals from their bassist, Emma Anzai. Anzai has a wonderful, very soft alto voice that is not often heard on their albums. I'm looking forward to hearing more of her on their next album.
I unfortunately had to bail for Alter Bridge, the weather was nasty. More reviews later.
Musical things of note that have happened:
- 10/4 Kill Hannah front man, Mat Divine, upon landing a roll in Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, canceled his long standing tradition of a huge, mutli-day music event in December ( Called New Heart for Xmass) In favor of something on a similar scale in New York, offending many Chicago fans.
- 9/12--the VMAs happened: I admit I should have reviewed them highlights include:
- 30 Seconds to Mars riding in on bikes as tribute to their "Kings and Queens" video
- And one of their members, Shannon Leto, had to take an emergency break when he got glitter in his eye thrown by more exuberant fans.
- Rihanna made a "surprise" performance with Eminem.
- Gucci Mann tossed hundreds of dollars onto the carpet.
- Lady Gaga came out in a dress made of raw meat, I'm not entirely sure why, possibly because she's gaga.
- 11/23 30 Seconds to Mars released their "Hurricane" 14 minute movie and MTV banned the video within two days for its sexual content. 30 Seconds to Mars released to the fans that day, and an uncensored version is due out the sixteenth of this month. I watched the video and I can see why MTV banned it. Hurricane was full of very sexual imagery, and some things that bordered on pornography. However, it was incredibly artistic and had an interesting message
- 12/11 Q101 kicks off its Twisted Event-- I attended the first day (review below)
The Show itself: Alter Bridge (not reviewed) with Sick Puppies, and Bad City. (House of Blues, Chicago)
The Venue: The House of Blues, Chicago (4/5): I've reviewed it countless times. However, they've made some changes than I'm still not sure about. Initially, The House of Blues had the balcony as exclusively VIP. I never had any desire to go up there, as a rocker, my place is on the floor whenever possible, and so I can't comment on how it is up there. However, I've never seen the place more crowed on the floor. I'm pleased one of my favorite venues has gained more patronage.
They've also added more security in the bar area (which is 21+ for obvious reasons, they have other areas meant for younger patrons, though truthfully the House of Blues is really designed for a 21+ crowd.
The Crowd: (2.5/5) While I didn't stay for Alter Bridge, I sincerely hope the crowd improved for them. These people were very still and had a dulled vibe. They improved for Sick Puppies, but I think that is a function of Sick Puppies being that good, rather than a function of the crowd.
The First Opener: Bad City (2.5/5 live, 3/5 recorded) First openers are always a little green, a little uncoordinated, and a little unbalanced as they are unpracticed. However, they also tend to have a lot of often-misplaced energy. This band was a perfect example of all these things, a clumsy, but energetic and some how they had a little charm. Their sound seemed quite disparate from their look, lead man Josh caddy looks as though he would fit in more with bands like My Chemical Romance than in a rock show. Their sound was very much rock, with a little bit of an eighties nostalgia flare. Their look fit more in this decade however. They certainly put in effort though and you could tell that, unlike many of these greener bands, they had practiced a good deal. I'm not sure these boys will make it beyond the local scene.
Second Opener: Sick Puppies (5/5) these guys are in my top three for live shows. Shimon Moore (the front man) is fantastic with the crowd, he can get them moving even when it’s a slow song, and he got a good portion of the people there for Alter Bridge to jump. One of his tactics, which I’m quite fond of, is to challenge the people who are Sick Puppies fans to "show them how we do things at a Sick Puppies show" so to speak. In a very still, often unforgiving crowd people who by a show of hands had never seen Sick Puppies before, I saw most of the pit jumping and eve some slam dancing-- a rarity for an opener.
One of the things I particularly like about these guys is that they are constantly improving their show, altering their set lists, and they clearly put a lot of work into their shows. It’s a treat when you see a band for your second or third time and it’s an even better set, with even tighter coordination than the last one.
Another thing that caught my attention was that we're seeing more vocals from their bassist, Emma Anzai. Anzai has a wonderful, very soft alto voice that is not often heard on their albums. I'm looking forward to hearing more of her on their next album.
I unfortunately had to bail for Alter Bridge, the weather was nasty. More reviews later.
June 29, 2010
Summerfest2010: Saliva, Adelitas Way, Sick Puppies, Halestorm
Venue/Event (Summerfest (warning: flash heavy), Milwaukee, WI): Why I’m Spoiled for Life on Music Festivals (4/5)
I’ve been going to Summerfest most years since since1998.
Summerfest is, easily the best music festival I’ve been to. It claims to be the world’s largest music festival, and at least in the midwest, I’ve not found anything that even comes close in capacity, length, or quality. Eleven stages, eleven nights, at the peak of the Midwestern summer it runs from noon to midnight. If you’ve never been and you can get to Milwaukee next June, go. It is the best music in the Midwest.
The best part, unless you’re at the ‘main stage’ at the Marcus Amphitheater, it’s 15$ a day for evenings or 8$ for afternoons. Period.
The main stage acts are killer. Such acts this year included, Justin Beiber, Rush, and Tom Petty. However, in the evening you will get things that are just as good on the free stages. In addition to what I saw this year, some highlights were: The Offspring, Papa Roach, Joan Jett, and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few. There is no assigned seating in the free stages either so if you’re willing to camp you can get as close as you want to these bands..
There’s also the food. You can get the standard midwestern festival food like roasted corn, funnel cake, and cotton candy, but you can also head to the ethnic food court for Thai, Mexican, and German. For festival food its not badly priced.
There’s also extensive shopping. Local artists and artisans come to Summerfest to sell their work and you can find shops for everything from clothes to incense to palm readings.
There are also booths for video game systems and a large section for children including several inflatable castles, face painting and more.
In case you overheat, they have an air-conditioned area as well as the first aid tent and information booths.
And on 3 July they have fireworks
Most years I go more but this year my wallet couldn’t take it quite as much so I only went two days.
So unbelievably worth it
Day one (6/28): Warm up on a Cold Day.
Crowd: (3/5) typical, tired festival crowd. Not a lot of energy but still willing to give what they had left for the band.
Saliva: Click, Click Superstar, pt. 2 (2/5)
I’d been curious about Saliva as the few songs I did have of theirs were solid and I enjoyed them quite a bit.
Little did I know that I would be hearing one of them over and over throughout the show.
I stood up to see the act, hopped up on my bench, and prepared for a long anticipated chance to cut loose and head bang.
Saliva came out and tried to pump the crowd, I rocked a little but as they played something just wasn’t working. Then they played their big number “Click, Click, Boom!” The crowd woke up and we rocked.
Then as the next few numbers played and the got to “Superstar, II” that’s when it hit me. Every, single song with the exception of their one other hit “Always” had the same cord progression as “Click, Click, Boom!” I thought I had to be mistaken, so I tried a little experiment and softly sang “Click, Click, Boom!” under my breath. Sure enough, same song.
Redundancy is lethal to any good band, but sometimes the live show can still be good if the energy is strong. Not so once again. It was as though front man Joesy Scott was miming a concert. He had the approximate energy of a piece of lint. He acted as though he had energy but it fell flat
While it was lovely to hear “Always” and Click Click boom, the show it self was a bit of a waste.
Okay I’m sick of listening to click click boom, next band
Day 2(July 4th): Its too frikin’ hot.
The Crowd (3/5) a little more lively than yesterday’s crowd but I attribute that to Sick Puppies amazing performance.
Adelitas Way: Survive, Dirty little thing. (3/5)
I nabbed their debut album when I saw them last year with Theory of A Dead man and while I had to hop out mid set to get Halestorm’s autographs, it was a nice listen. They’ve grown up a little and I very much look forward to new material. Hearing “Dirty Little Thing“ never gets old. On seeing them a second time they are really growing on me as an up and coming dirty little rock band. I’m keeping this review short as truthfully I only heard about two or three songs and one was a cover of “Survive.”
Sick Puppies: Wake Up The Festival (5/5)
If you pick up one new band this year, pick these guys up. I predict that they will explode in the next year or two. Wonderfully energetic and very talented this Australian born LA based band comes on with an intensity I’ve only really seen in a metal show. They got a hot, tired festival crowd to move, scream and head bang. Considering they weren’t the final act of the evening and that by a show of hands about half the crowd hadn’t seen them before that was a feat.
Front man Shimon Moore has an interesting range, which isn’t expressed as well on the album as it is live. He’s predominantly a tenor, but throws out some grunts and gravely low notes that smolder. He also has incredible energy and a great deal of drive. Not only was he constantly in motion but also, he was constantly encouraging the crowd, priming them and reacting to them. I find even energetic artist can often be flummoxed by an unanticipated crowd reaction, not Shim (as his fans and band mates call him), Shim rolled with even the unexpected reactions. I think that shim alone could have the energy to work an arena, though he sometimes isn’t spot on in choosing the songs to pump the crowd for. That will come with practice.
But, this isn’t the Shimon Moore show.
Bassist Emma Anzai, could also have brought down an arena all by her self. She is a slim little thing, and soft voiced who at first look doesn’t look as though she could carry, let alone play the bass she hammers.
Using both slap bass and plucking, Anzai is on fire on stage. She has a fierce presence not often seen or heard from the bass. She brings out an element you don’t see often in rock shows these days: mind blowing bass solos.
Sick Puppies are far from a one trick pony, in addition to their throttling, head banging rock; they also have songs that are poignant romances that speak to every man.
Halestorm(4/5): One Good Trick from a One Trick Pony
I love Halestorm, but seeing them as the last act didn’t hold up the way I thought it would. Lzzy hale is breathtaking, and has wonderful energy and a voice like none other, but it was very hard for them to follow sick puppies. Which was a little disappointing, considering how much I love theses people.
That being said, what I saw of their set was still as epic as ever. I think they need new material because all of their songs are breakup songs.
I still have faith in them. They are a truly amazing band. However, I think I’ll let my other reviews of their work speak for their talent.
I’ve been going to Summerfest most years since since1998.
Summerfest is, easily the best music festival I’ve been to. It claims to be the world’s largest music festival, and at least in the midwest, I’ve not found anything that even comes close in capacity, length, or quality. Eleven stages, eleven nights, at the peak of the Midwestern summer it runs from noon to midnight. If you’ve never been and you can get to Milwaukee next June, go. It is the best music in the Midwest.
The best part, unless you’re at the ‘main stage’ at the Marcus Amphitheater, it’s 15$ a day for evenings or 8$ for afternoons. Period.
The main stage acts are killer. Such acts this year included, Justin Beiber, Rush, and Tom Petty. However, in the evening you will get things that are just as good on the free stages. In addition to what I saw this year, some highlights were: The Offspring, Papa Roach, Joan Jett, and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few. There is no assigned seating in the free stages either so if you’re willing to camp you can get as close as you want to these bands..
There’s also the food. You can get the standard midwestern festival food like roasted corn, funnel cake, and cotton candy, but you can also head to the ethnic food court for Thai, Mexican, and German. For festival food its not badly priced.
There’s also extensive shopping. Local artists and artisans come to Summerfest to sell their work and you can find shops for everything from clothes to incense to palm readings.
There are also booths for video game systems and a large section for children including several inflatable castles, face painting and more.
In case you overheat, they have an air-conditioned area as well as the first aid tent and information booths.
And on 3 July they have fireworks
Most years I go more but this year my wallet couldn’t take it quite as much so I only went two days.
So unbelievably worth it
Day one (6/28): Warm up on a Cold Day.
Crowd: (3/5) typical, tired festival crowd. Not a lot of energy but still willing to give what they had left for the band.
Saliva: Click, Click Superstar, pt. 2 (2/5)
I’d been curious about Saliva as the few songs I did have of theirs were solid and I enjoyed them quite a bit.
Little did I know that I would be hearing one of them over and over throughout the show.
I stood up to see the act, hopped up on my bench, and prepared for a long anticipated chance to cut loose and head bang.
Saliva came out and tried to pump the crowd, I rocked a little but as they played something just wasn’t working. Then they played their big number “Click, Click, Boom!” The crowd woke up and we rocked.
Then as the next few numbers played and the got to “Superstar, II” that’s when it hit me. Every, single song with the exception of their one other hit “Always” had the same cord progression as “Click, Click, Boom!” I thought I had to be mistaken, so I tried a little experiment and softly sang “Click, Click, Boom!” under my breath. Sure enough, same song.
Redundancy is lethal to any good band, but sometimes the live show can still be good if the energy is strong. Not so once again. It was as though front man Joesy Scott was miming a concert. He had the approximate energy of a piece of lint. He acted as though he had energy but it fell flat
While it was lovely to hear “Always” and Click Click boom, the show it self was a bit of a waste.
Okay I’m sick of listening to click click boom, next band
Day 2(July 4th): Its too frikin’ hot.
The Crowd (3/5) a little more lively than yesterday’s crowd but I attribute that to Sick Puppies amazing performance.
Adelitas Way: Survive, Dirty little thing. (3/5)
I nabbed their debut album when I saw them last year with Theory of A Dead man and while I had to hop out mid set to get Halestorm’s autographs, it was a nice listen. They’ve grown up a little and I very much look forward to new material. Hearing “Dirty Little Thing“ never gets old. On seeing them a second time they are really growing on me as an up and coming dirty little rock band. I’m keeping this review short as truthfully I only heard about two or three songs and one was a cover of “Survive.”
Sick Puppies: Wake Up The Festival (5/5)
If you pick up one new band this year, pick these guys up. I predict that they will explode in the next year or two. Wonderfully energetic and very talented this Australian born LA based band comes on with an intensity I’ve only really seen in a metal show. They got a hot, tired festival crowd to move, scream and head bang. Considering they weren’t the final act of the evening and that by a show of hands about half the crowd hadn’t seen them before that was a feat.
Front man Shimon Moore has an interesting range, which isn’t expressed as well on the album as it is live. He’s predominantly a tenor, but throws out some grunts and gravely low notes that smolder. He also has incredible energy and a great deal of drive. Not only was he constantly in motion but also, he was constantly encouraging the crowd, priming them and reacting to them. I find even energetic artist can often be flummoxed by an unanticipated crowd reaction, not Shim (as his fans and band mates call him), Shim rolled with even the unexpected reactions. I think that shim alone could have the energy to work an arena, though he sometimes isn’t spot on in choosing the songs to pump the crowd for. That will come with practice.
But, this isn’t the Shimon Moore show.
Bassist Emma Anzai, could also have brought down an arena all by her self. She is a slim little thing, and soft voiced who at first look doesn’t look as though she could carry, let alone play the bass she hammers.
Using both slap bass and plucking, Anzai is on fire on stage. She has a fierce presence not often seen or heard from the bass. She brings out an element you don’t see often in rock shows these days: mind blowing bass solos.
Sick Puppies are far from a one trick pony, in addition to their throttling, head banging rock; they also have songs that are poignant romances that speak to every man.
Halestorm(4/5): One Good Trick from a One Trick Pony
I love Halestorm, but seeing them as the last act didn’t hold up the way I thought it would. Lzzy hale is breathtaking, and has wonderful energy and a voice like none other, but it was very hard for them to follow sick puppies. Which was a little disappointing, considering how much I love theses people.
That being said, what I saw of their set was still as epic as ever. I think they need new material because all of their songs are breakup songs.
I still have faith in them. They are a truly amazing band. However, I think I’ll let my other reviews of their work speak for their talent.
May 20, 2010
Nickelback and Breaking Benjamin,with Shinedown and Sick Puppies.(Road trip show:Rosemont, IL)
The Venue (Allstate Arena, Rosemont IL): (3/5) I once again feel like I’m comparing two very different things. Arena shows are very different animals from smaller venue shows. This is only one of two arenas I’ve been to for music, the other being the Bradley Center, in Milwaukee, WI) Arenas are not designed to house concerts, so the space always feels a bit jury rigged when they set up a show, but frankly where else would be equipped to hold 20,000 screaming, jumping fans?
Personally, I’m not much of a fan of arena settings. The majority of the seats are too far away and it’s often much more expensive (though this area is pleasantly not as pricey as others (in this case 85$ for floor tickets)) and people are more inclined to sit. As Brent Smith said during Shinedown’s performance, you’re at a rock show not church, stand up. I always feel like sitting through the majority of a rock show is insulting, these people are out there, performing so that you will dance and have a good time. Dance! Tangent aside, this venue did one thing right, they had better ventilation on the floor than I’ve seen in many smaller venues. I could actually feel a cool breeze when I was all the way in the front by the stage.
Another thing this venue has to offer that smaller ones don’t is the ability to use screens and pyrotechnics, which can really enhance a good show (or cover for a bad one like strobe lights)
As with all arenas, the food and drinks were over priced and the merch was rather limited. The bathrooms were clean considering the number of people they served. They were relatively clean, with good, working fixtures and no graffiti.
However, one of the downsides was that the sound system was sub par. Not horrid, just not the best one I’ve encountered.
The Crowd: (2/5) Again, this is partly a function of being at an area show, but the crowd was entirely too laid back for beginning at a show that had at least two bands that should have blown the roof of the place. They were also entirely too drunk to care.
On to the show itself.
First act (Sick Puppies) (3/5 show, 4/5 album): Ladies and gents sharpen your ears, these folks have talent. In person they were good, surprisingly metal for another wise straight up rock show. Being the opener they only played five songs. On the metal side of rock, these folks came all the way from Australia to rock us solid. The vocals were a nice combination of screams, grunts, and melody. Sick Puppies are a small three-person band (guitar/vocals, base, drums), two guys and a girl. Curiously, while bassist Emma Anzai rocks a mean bass, she didn’t sing in the live show (she does on a few tracks on the albums) I am always impressed with a good looking, hard rocking woman, especially in a genera that is dominated by men. Front man, Shimon Moore, can sing, rock out, and play a decent guitar at the same time. Most artists, in my experience, either focus on playing, or singing even when they do both, Moore did both the entire time. While his guitar work isn’t the most complex, it still takes talent to multi-task on that level, especially when there is no rhythm guitar backing him up. Those that do attempt both, often times end up standing still, not true with Moore, he head banged as hard as any other band I’ve seen.
Did I mention the hot girl playing both slap and standard bass? Yeah, there was that.
Anzai tore the bass up in ways I’ve not seen in a long time. Especially not from the first opener.
Well done, folks. Well fucking done.
I would put this music on to: Rock out, Angst, or get rid of pent up anger
Second Act (Shinedown): (4/5) I’ve gushed at length about Shinedown in a previous review. While they played a short set, as they were only the second of four acts. Shinedown is a four-man alternative metal show. Brent smith has a voice that is so powerful that he had to hold the mic back from his mouth when he really belted (see above Re: the mediocre sound system). This particular set didn’t quite have the energy of one of their main act shows, but Smith still managed to get complete strangers to the band to jump and move. His stage presence and ability to work the crowd continue to blow my mind. He’s flirtatious, gracious, and sincere. I was a little surprised “45” never got played, as it was one of their single tracks, however, I think that was because the show was already a heavy on the emotional songs.
Speaking of which, there was a very nice touch about halfway through the set. Ronnie James Dio passed on recently, and they played their cover of Skynard’s “Simple Man,” in tribute to him. Smith put an incredible amount of emotion into it, I’d be lying if I said my eyes were dry for that number and I never really listened to Dio. Smith puts so much emotion and energy into what he does that you can feel it somewhere deep in your chest, its rending.
Unlike many acts, Shinedown’s shows aren’t all about the front man. He plays off his guitarist especially but other band mates as well and is very, very deferential when they have solos and is sure to give his band their moments in the light.
I would put on this music to: Cry, to make myself feel like I can overcome the odds.
Third Act (Breaking Benjamin)(2/5):I tried to like them, because they have a similar style to many bands I listen too, but ultimately I was more interested in the videos they played than the band itself. (Especially when they played a Halo video, I’m nothing if I’m not a geek.) Front man, Benjamin Burnley certainly tried hard, so he gets credit there, but frankly, the band lacked energy, and what energy the crowd produced was absorbed and not returned.
Also, the Burnley, if you read this, its pounced Poly-am-er-ous not Poly-aim-er-us. It’s a little thing, but man it bugged me. The song and video for polyamorous also insulting to people who practice polyamory.
I would put this on to: tune it out, get annoyed
Main Act(Nickelback): (4/5) A Nickelback show is a party that has 20,000 guests. This is the second show of theirs I’ve seen and while it gets a little predictable the second time around, is a true rock show. Frontman Chad Kroeger is a huge flirt and knows how to talk to the crowd. He’s got a terrific, dirty, sense of humor without crossing the line between naughty and crude. He’s a party animal without getting so caught up in the party atmosphere that he forgets how to sing and play. Its obvious that as much work as Kroger puts into his art, he’s there hanging with his best friends and his fans, who he treats as friends--even handing out shots to those who can show ID and shooting free t-shirts into the crowd. Other than for the sentimental songs, the grin never left his face.
Kroger also interacted very closely with his band mates, more so than others I’ve complemented for it. He even threw his band mates' names into a few of the songs to direct the crowd to them.
Then there was the drum solo, which was simply epic. Daniel Adair is an excellent drummer and has the endurance of a horse.
I don’t think I could talk about their set without talking about the pyro-show. Many times, Shiny Bright Things are used to distract the audience when the artist isn’t as goo d. However, in Nickelback’s case it functioned as punctuation, accentuating an already great show.
I would put this music on to: Party, kick back, drink, get laid.
Personally, I’m not much of a fan of arena settings. The majority of the seats are too far away and it’s often much more expensive (though this area is pleasantly not as pricey as others (in this case 85$ for floor tickets)) and people are more inclined to sit. As Brent Smith said during Shinedown’s performance, you’re at a rock show not church, stand up. I always feel like sitting through the majority of a rock show is insulting, these people are out there, performing so that you will dance and have a good time. Dance! Tangent aside, this venue did one thing right, they had better ventilation on the floor than I’ve seen in many smaller venues. I could actually feel a cool breeze when I was all the way in the front by the stage.
Another thing this venue has to offer that smaller ones don’t is the ability to use screens and pyrotechnics, which can really enhance a good show (or cover for a bad one like strobe lights)
As with all arenas, the food and drinks were over priced and the merch was rather limited. The bathrooms were clean considering the number of people they served. They were relatively clean, with good, working fixtures and no graffiti.
However, one of the downsides was that the sound system was sub par. Not horrid, just not the best one I’ve encountered.
The Crowd: (2/5) Again, this is partly a function of being at an area show, but the crowd was entirely too laid back for beginning at a show that had at least two bands that should have blown the roof of the place. They were also entirely too drunk to care.
On to the show itself.
First act (Sick Puppies) (3/5 show, 4/5 album): Ladies and gents sharpen your ears, these folks have talent. In person they were good, surprisingly metal for another wise straight up rock show. Being the opener they only played five songs. On the metal side of rock, these folks came all the way from Australia to rock us solid. The vocals were a nice combination of screams, grunts, and melody. Sick Puppies are a small three-person band (guitar/vocals, base, drums), two guys and a girl. Curiously, while bassist Emma Anzai rocks a mean bass, she didn’t sing in the live show (she does on a few tracks on the albums) I am always impressed with a good looking, hard rocking woman, especially in a genera that is dominated by men. Front man, Shimon Moore, can sing, rock out, and play a decent guitar at the same time. Most artists, in my experience, either focus on playing, or singing even when they do both, Moore did both the entire time. While his guitar work isn’t the most complex, it still takes talent to multi-task on that level, especially when there is no rhythm guitar backing him up. Those that do attempt both, often times end up standing still, not true with Moore, he head banged as hard as any other band I’ve seen.
Did I mention the hot girl playing both slap and standard bass? Yeah, there was that.
Anzai tore the bass up in ways I’ve not seen in a long time. Especially not from the first opener.
Well done, folks. Well fucking done.
I would put this music on to: Rock out, Angst, or get rid of pent up anger
Second Act (Shinedown): (4/5) I’ve gushed at length about Shinedown in a previous review. While they played a short set, as they were only the second of four acts. Shinedown is a four-man alternative metal show. Brent smith has a voice that is so powerful that he had to hold the mic back from his mouth when he really belted (see above Re: the mediocre sound system). This particular set didn’t quite have the energy of one of their main act shows, but Smith still managed to get complete strangers to the band to jump and move. His stage presence and ability to work the crowd continue to blow my mind. He’s flirtatious, gracious, and sincere. I was a little surprised “45” never got played, as it was one of their single tracks, however, I think that was because the show was already a heavy on the emotional songs.
Speaking of which, there was a very nice touch about halfway through the set. Ronnie James Dio passed on recently, and they played their cover of Skynard’s “Simple Man,” in tribute to him. Smith put an incredible amount of emotion into it, I’d be lying if I said my eyes were dry for that number and I never really listened to Dio. Smith puts so much emotion and energy into what he does that you can feel it somewhere deep in your chest, its rending.
Unlike many acts, Shinedown’s shows aren’t all about the front man. He plays off his guitarist especially but other band mates as well and is very, very deferential when they have solos and is sure to give his band their moments in the light.
I would put on this music to: Cry, to make myself feel like I can overcome the odds.
Third Act (Breaking Benjamin)(2/5):I tried to like them, because they have a similar style to many bands I listen too, but ultimately I was more interested in the videos they played than the band itself. (Especially when they played a Halo video, I’m nothing if I’m not a geek.) Front man, Benjamin Burnley certainly tried hard, so he gets credit there, but frankly, the band lacked energy, and what energy the crowd produced was absorbed and not returned.
Also, the Burnley, if you read this, its pounced Poly-am-er-ous not Poly-aim-er-us. It’s a little thing, but man it bugged me. The song and video for polyamorous also insulting to people who practice polyamory.
I would put this on to: tune it out, get annoyed
Main Act(Nickelback): (4/5) A Nickelback show is a party that has 20,000 guests. This is the second show of theirs I’ve seen and while it gets a little predictable the second time around, is a true rock show. Frontman Chad Kroeger is a huge flirt and knows how to talk to the crowd. He’s got a terrific, dirty, sense of humor without crossing the line between naughty and crude. He’s a party animal without getting so caught up in the party atmosphere that he forgets how to sing and play. Its obvious that as much work as Kroger puts into his art, he’s there hanging with his best friends and his fans, who he treats as friends--even handing out shots to those who can show ID and shooting free t-shirts into the crowd. Other than for the sentimental songs, the grin never left his face.
Kroger also interacted very closely with his band mates, more so than others I’ve complemented for it. He even threw his band mates' names into a few of the songs to direct the crowd to them.
Then there was the drum solo, which was simply epic. Daniel Adair is an excellent drummer and has the endurance of a horse.
I don’t think I could talk about their set without talking about the pyro-show. Many times, Shiny Bright Things are used to distract the audience when the artist isn’t as goo d. However, in Nickelback’s case it functioned as punctuation, accentuating an already great show.
I would put this music on to: Party, kick back, drink, get laid.
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