Category Archives: Review

Akron, Country, Folk, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, Photography, Review, Rock

The Avett Brothers w/ Special Guest Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers – Akron Civic Theatre – 06/19/2009 – Concert Review

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Friday night in downtown Akron was one of those nights to remember for many thanks to The Avett Brothers.  It was one of those nights that anyone who came to the show will think of for years to come with help from their amazing performance.  Intimate at times as well as a full on rock show, everyone who had a ticket to that show left satisfied.

North Carolinian brothers Scott and Seth Avett once used to fill the quaint Kent Stage in Kent, OH but thanks to their success as a folk rock band they needed a bigger place to play.  With help from the Kent Stage crew the boys left that smaller stage for the classy Akron Civic Theatre, a stage I think suited them perfectly.

Having no idea that there was even an opening act, I was thrilled when the curator of the Kent Stage announced that Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers were taking the stage.  Having just recently been introduced to the country rock act I found myself even more excited to be at the show.

Samantha Crain and crew took the stage and received a warm welcome just after eight o’clock.  After a few songs in it was clear that the crowd had accepted them into their ears, thanks to her unique singing style and country rock, and were cheering loudly after each song.

During one moment after a song Samantha Crain stated she missed a note and declared “everyone hits a wrong note” and continued on how she is hard on herself for doing so even though she knows it happens.  The crowd all seemed to agree with what she said and not once did I hear any wrong notes played.  Then again I only had heard a couple of songs prior to seeing her set live.

Samantha Crain admitted it was only the second show her and the band had played with The Avett Brothers and thanked them for the opportunity to share the stage.  Admitting she came from a small town in Oklahoma she basically confessed to living the dream.  Seeing her jump around excitedly on stage as she strummed her acoustic guitar just proved how excited she was to be up on that stage.

Shortly before the Avett’s took the stage, die-hard fans started screaming out “Happy Birthday Scott!”  Clearly many of the fans knew that one of the members was celebrating their birthday in Akron that night.

With the curtains still drawn The Avett brothers along with Bob Crawford started their set off with “PGFA”.  Everyone in the house went wild upon hearing the music begin and once the curtains were opened it was clear to everyone how great this band truly is.  With an array of instruments behind the trio everyone’s attention was focused on the amazing folk-rock playing from the banjo, the stand up bass, and acoustic guitar as well as dual signing that had just begun.  To add to the stage’s appeal there was a giant backdrop of a ship that resembled Scott Avett’s art.

While standing in literally the middle of the venue I felt that I had the best place to hangout at for the night while taking in all that The Avett Brothers dished out.  Their songs, as my friend Seth said it best, gave me that feeling that many in the past had to have felt when the Beatles first started playing their music live.  I was heavily sucked into each song they played and had a smile on my face that lasted pretty much until I got home that night and finally fell asleep.

Throughout the set Joe Kwon would join the trio and add cello to some of the songs.  The brothers would share singing duties and seemed to swap out guitars during every song and at times even during some of the songs.  It was really interesting to see Seth Avett swap guitars and narrowly miss continuing the song but he is a pro at what he does and there were no interruptions.

Playing through songs such as “Please Pardon Yourself”, “Die Die Die”, and “It Goes On & On” The Avett Brothers sounded as amazing as I thought they would.  I missed many the opportunity to see this band live in the past and regretted it each time.  Finally though I found myself at one of their live shows feeling privileged to be in their presence.

In between songs fans were screaming out requests to the stage in hopes that their favorite song would be performed spur of the moment but The Avett Brothers thanked them for their requests and continued on.  Seeing them smile up on stage as they performed just proved how great of a time they were having as well.  At one time a fan screamed that she loved them and Seth Avett responded “we love you too.”  The band even played a new song from their upcoming album to be released in September.

That one new song the band played just made my night.  It was titled “I & Love & You” off of their upcoming late summer release I & Love & You.  With Scott Avett taking the drumming duties as well as signing out the I and love and you with his hand as the crowd sang along I found myself getting chills.  It was a great feeling and a great love song.

After the band played “Skin & Bones” they exited the stage.  Fans screamed and applauded the amazing performance while at the same time were still hungry for more.  Luckily the Avett’s were not quite done yet and returned to the stage moments later with a couple of extra helpers, Kent’s very own folk star Jessica Lea Mayfield and her bearded brother David.  It was the perfect end to an amazing evening.

The Avett Brother’s live show turned me into a bigger fan than I already was.  I really think the live experience just intensified their talent.  While leaving the historic Akron Civic Theatre I heard no complaints at all and everyone was just in a great mood.  I do not think I have ever attended a show quite like the one I did on that warm Friday night.  I can not wait till the next time these boys come back to a city near me.  I know I will be there in a heartbeat.

The Avett Brothers Setlist (as taken from the band’s web forum):
PGFA
Solomon
Paranoia
Please Pardon Yourself
Die Die Die
PGFR
Down With The Glistening Shine
Gift For Melody Ann
Song Of The Dying Sailor
Greensboro Woman
Salina
It Goes On & On
I & Love & You
At The Beach
Murder In The City
Swept Away
Talk Of Indolence
Matrimony
Skin & Bones

Encore (with Jessica Lea & David Mayfield)
Talk Of
Will You Return

Cleveland, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, Punk, Review

Rancid, Rise Against, Riverboat Gamblers – Tower City Amphitheater – Cleveland, OH – 06/15/2009 – Concert Review

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This is not a review.  I repeat, this is not a review.  OK, I am lying, the more I write about it the more it sounds like a review.  Oh well…

Let’s face it, Bonnaroo drained me.  The trip to and from along with the actual four days at the festival took everything I had out of me.  When I returned home I napped for a mere hour and then hopped in the car to go see punk rock legends Rancid with Rise Against and Riverboat Gamblers down at the Tower City Amphitheater.

I was a zombie of sorts.  Only having ingested some terrible Hardee’s in Bowling Green, KY, the arrow in my stomach was pointing to empty.  Luckily my buddy Fatty who was driving owes me big for when we went to see the Bouncing Souls and make me turn my car around on Route 8 because he forgot his ticket.

I could not tell him that I forgot my ticket because I did not have one so I just asked him to stop at Taco Bell for a snack.

I did not have a ticket because someone wonderful got me on the list for Rancid complete with a VIP pass.

We arrived to the venue with the Riverboat Gamblers already playing.  The Austin, TX punk rockers really enthralled me so I made sure to pick up their latest release on LP entitled Underneath The Owl.  I have yet to listen to it but I do know they played a few songs off their new album and it sounded good.  They are one of those bands I never really gave a chance before but will now thanks to their great performance.

Once it looked like the stage was set up for Rancid I headed backstage to get a better view of the band.  I hung out behind the scenes and peered at the from the side.  As pissed as I was that they were not headlining the show I was still pleased with their almost one hour set including classic songs such as “Ruby Soho” and “Olympia”.  They also played some new tracks from their recent release Let The Dominoes Fall… such as “Last One To Die” and “New Orleans”.

They sounded really good live and jumped around youthfully as if they were playing 15 years ago.  Many times I hear that people think Tim Armstrong might not be playing all of the songs but I was right there and it sure as hell looked like he was beating the crap out of his guitar playing to the huge crowd.  Matt Freemon was hammering his bass and killed it during “Tenderloin” and of course Lars Frederickson was doing what he does best, entertain.

Great set by one of my favorite punk bands of all time.

Rancid Setlist:
Radio
Last One To Die
Journey to the End of the East Bay
Roots Radicals
Nihilism
Olympia WA.
Salvation
Bloodclot
New Orleans
Fall Back Down
The Way I Feel
Time Bomb
Tenderloin
East Bay Night
Maxwell Murder
Ruby Soho

Rise Against took stage as the sun said goodbye to the day.  I am a fan of the first three Rise Against albums but their last two releases have not done too much for me.  I stayed afar from the stage and checked them out while I chatted with a couple of my friends who were only there to see Rancid.

Rise Against, I can say, has major stage charisma.  Lead singer Tim McIlrath was running all over the stage singing his heart out to his diehard fans.  Where the band did play a lot of newer songs I was happy to hear some older ones from their first three albums.  I was shocked the band did not play “Swing Life Away” when Tim McIlrath came to stage with an acoustic guitar in hand but I guess they have played that song enough times and perhaps it was time for them to give it a rest.

It was great to see Rise Against headline a show and you knew the band was grateful for the oppertunity as they thanked Rancid as well as named off some of the venues in Cleveland they once played before such as the Agora as well as the Tower City parking lot by the stairs where years ago they were just an intro band to the Vans Warped Tour.  Times have change indeed for Rise Against, I was just glad to hear them admit it.

It was a good night for punk rock in Cleveland thanks to the three bands that took over Tower City that night.  As if the show itself was not good enough right as Rise Against was finishing up their set fireworks started going off over the Progressive Field as the Cleveland Indians game had just finished up.

I had yet to find a setlist for Rise Against or Riverboat Gamblers but when I do I will post it here.

Festival, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, Photography, Review, Road Trip

Bonnaroo 2009 – Day 4 In Review / The Wrap Up

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Editors Note – Sorry for the delay, Bonnaroo took a lot out of me and after the long drive home I went to see Rancid/Rise Against at the Tower City Amphitheater with very little sleep.

The final day of Bonnaroo came and went faster than any of the other days and before I knew it I was headed for the first real meal in four days thanks to the Cracker Barrel in Murfreesboro, TN.  The Southern Belle served catfish was an absolute delight and the three of us relaxed and talked about the whole weekend and unexpected events.

More on that in a moment.  First I should note that I was able to review the final day for BlogCritics.Org:

Concert Review: Bonnaroo 2009 – 06/14/2009 – Day 4

I kept my reviews on BlogCritics pretty simple mostly focusing on the music aspect and seem to be getting some interesting comments stating I am a “newb” and so on.  I did not want to go into detail about Bonnaroo on those reviews because the read would be way too long.  It was a music review, not a Bonnaroo journal.  After reading them I think I could have done better but what I was trying to do was review each day nightly and sometimes I was up till 5am while doing so.  It is what it is…

Thankfully I have this site to blabber on about everything else…read on in a moment for a Bonnaroo wrap-up.

The final day at Bonnaroo was short and quick mostly because I had to cart an ill fated Matt from one hotel to another.  The poor kid woke up feeling like hell and asked me how I felt about staying another night at the hotel.  I was honest with him and told him I preferred not to backtrack so I found a hotel in Murfreesboro, a city about a half hour North of Manchester.  We all drove to the new hotel and dropped Matt and our stuff off.  It was bittersweet to see the room number was 420.

By the time we dropped sickly off and got back to Bonnaroo it was going on 2pm.  Luckily day four doesn’t get hopping until about that time.

To sum up day 4 at Bonnaroo I will say it was the perfect way to end the four day festival.  I saw a great performance by Jessica Lee Mayfield, a Kent, OH artist.  I saw Andrew Bird for a quick moment before heading over to see Merle Haggard take the stage.  I can not even tell you how awesome it was to be in the crowd as the legendary country artist played.

Coheed & Cambira threw on a killer performance full of interesting covers and a 10+ minute drum solo during their closing song “The Final Cut”.  I sang at the top of my lungs throughout all of their songs and enjoyed every minute of it.  I am thrilled that they were on the Bonnaroo bill.

Coheed & Cambria Setlist @ Bonnaroo:
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood & Burial)
Apollo I: The Writing Writer
No World For Tomorrow
Gravemakers & Gunslingers
Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith cover) / Under The Milky Way (The Church cover)
A Favor House Atlantic
The Crowing
Blood Red Summer
Mother Superior
Red Rain (Peter Gabriel cover)
Welcome Home
The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut

The last show of the festival for Adam and I would be the amazing performance by Coheed & Cambira. I opted to skip out on Phish and yes I am kicking myself for missing it as I heard it was an amazing close to the festival with Bruce Springsteen joining the jam rockers on stage for a couple of songs.

Oh well…  I am just not a Phish fan and preferred to get on my way.  Adam and I drove back to Murfreesboro and were looking for somewhere to grab a real meal when suddenly Matt texted Adam asking us if we had eaten yet, good timing.  We picked up Mr. Sniffles and went to Cracker Barrel and pretty much took turns summing up the weekend.

It was a good time had by all.

Bonnaroo Wrap-Up Pissed Off Edition:

If I has to sum up the weekend with five words it would be: “Bro toss me the frisbee”

The three of us had a blast driving from Ohio, pit-stopping in Nashville, and of course kicking it at Bonnaroo.  Granted Matt only made it to two of the four days, the three of us have enough musical memories to last a lifetime.

Let’s discuss some shall we?

First there is the good folk at Thirty Tigers who invited us to stop at their office and hang out for a moment.  I can not even tell you how nice Katie and John are.  We even met the owner later on Thursday, sadly I can not remember his name.  Anyways, if you are a folk/country/rock music lover do youself a favor and check out their site and sample some of the bands on their label and thank me later.

Our hotel was in Kimball, TN.  I thought it was not going to be terribly far away but I was a little off on distance.  The room was booked as it was the cheapest in the area as the surrounding communities tent to hike up their prices of the nightly rates for those who refuse to camp.  Extra money or not I am glad we got a hotel because there is no way this guy could camp at Bonnaroo.  No showers, no AC, no way.

Let us not forget about Matt who wanted to skip out the first day of Bonnaroo to just relax at the hotel.  I was ok with his decision.  During breakfast I joked that the B-52’s were playing in Chattanooga, TN and I almost regret that…haha.  Matt was dead serious when he asked me to drive him to Chattanooga and leave him there for the day so he could see the B-52’s play on the river.  I was not exactly happy to drive out of my way but he does love that band and I know he had a blast there so I am glad I could help a friend out.  Spite my little disagreement with a local officer we were able to pick up Matt up late night and get the hell out of there and back to the hotel for some sleep.  He wrote a little blog about his solo experience.

Seeing Those Darlins live made my day.  Kelley Darlin giving me a hug after their set was even better.  Too bad it was pouring rain, thunder storming, and there were announcements of Tornado watches in the area.  Those Darlins had to bail to save their equipment and Adam and I had to save our Matt.

Friday while stuck in a traffic jam on a side road the three of us were quick to see a colossal sized lady selling fruit in once of the random vendors set up on the side of the road.  She sat there stuffed in a lawn chair ever so un-ladylike with her chubby legs wide open for the world to see.  Poking fun at her with closed car windows did not pay off though…karma is a bitch.

Not even five minutes later we were subject to a random car search courtesy of the local drug task force.  As the officer explained how and what they would be doing I am pretty sure that at least 50 pounds of marijuana drove past us.  For being a random car search they sure picked the wrong car.  We had nothing.  Still determined to find a single speck of weed they tore through my CDs looking to see if I hid weed in the CD cases.  I honestly wanted to kick all of them in the asses for being so dumb.

Freedom of choice was a good thing too.  With such a wide span of performaces Matt did his own thing over the weekend and Adam and I cruised the grounds checking out as many sets as we could.  We managed to come across some bands we had never even heard of including Justin Townes Earl (Steve Earl’s son) as well as talk to folk from all over.

I was joking about all the hippies raiding the grounds but to be honest there were music fans of all types filling up the farm.  There were indie kids, country kids, punk rockers, douche bags, and even older folk all there to listen to music and for some to get as hammered as possible, slam down drugs, and make failed attempts at picking up members of the opposite sex.

Say what you want about me, I am not one who does drugs.  I had my fling with them when I was younger and left it at that.  I am not going to judge anyone either for doing them but I was getting a little annoyed at all the wide pupiled, acid dropping, ‘shroom eating, nitrous oxide huffing, ragers bumping into me, asking me where they could score stuff, and even at one time falling on me.  That my friends is another reason why I did not camp there, it’s not my style. Sadly one person never made it home from Bonnaroo.  It was reported that the Bonnaroo cleanup crew found a 20 year old male deceased in a tent.  I am thinking drugs played a part in his death and that my friends is why I do not EFF with that crap.

The entire experience was amazing if not better than when I attended in 2006.  Where else could one go to and see that many bands with some major label artists?  At no moment the entire weekend was I miserable.  I was happy to be a part of the festival and am already planning on next year’s.

All the ladies and their hula hoops were fun to watch.  There is something so hypnotizing about a beautiful Bonnaroo lady and her hula hoop.  I chatted with a girl before the Beastie Boys performance who was telling me how she made hula hoops and sold them at festivals.  That might explain why there was an abundance of hula hoops on the farm.  Novel idea if you ask me…  In fact I just discovered that I sold my Bonnaroo ticket to a great girl who actually makes and sells hula hoops.  Check out her site for more info!

Being a part of 80,000 people is so surreal.  You look around and all you see are people who came to the farm the very same reason you did.  The only way to really experience Bonnaroo is to be there.  I am sure the experience is even more intense when you camp too but again, that is just not me.

The plethora of genres of music kept me going all weekend. Surprisingly I found myself only watching the entire sets of very few artists and instead cutting sets short so that I could see someone else perform.

The weekend was a great success.  We made it to and from without any causalities. I did not want to punch anyone in the face, shocking…  I am actually considering doing it again next year.  I know Matt will be sitting that one out but I am pretty sure Adam is all about coming with.

Now if only I had a hint of what the Bonnaroo 2010 line-up will be??? I am sure it is going to be awesome.

Download This!, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review, Ska

Left Alone – Left Alone – CD Review

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Street punk shows it has a nicer side thanks to Left Alone, a Wilmington, CA act on their latest self-titled album Left Alone released through Hellcat Records.  On the band’s third release they continue to play street punk material but incorporate elements of pop punk, reggae, and ska making for a real fun listen.

Opening track “Spiked With Pain” was a full punk rock track with sing along abilities and guitar and bass riffs suggestive of Rancid.  There is a reason why this band was signed to Hellcat and perhaps Tim Armstrong enjoyed the similarities of Left Alone and the band he fronts.

“Branded” follows with the same energy as the first track with front man Elvis Cortez’s raspy voice just appealing to my ears.  As if that was not good enough, the bass lines were sick throughout and overall the song is just screaming to be released as a single.

Almost sounding like the Madness meets Operation Ivy was the brisk “Sad Story” with a more ska approach that is easily likable and surly makes you want to skank away.  The song was easily one of my favorites on the entire CD.  See below for the music video of the song.  Good stuff.

The catchy “3 Bottles Of Wine” and “Porcelain” both seem more pop punk tracks. They seem to escape the street punk image held by the band but still are enjoyable for what they are worth.

“Bombs Away” sounding a lot like The Clash’s “Police And Thieves” carries on just fine as the song is not a direct rip off but more so a compliment to the UK grandfathers of punk.  “Brindle” starts off with a strong bass line that strays right into a fast paced track sure to be a hit at one of their live shows as it makes you want to swing your arms and dance around carelessly.

I loved “Self Made” with the more so 90s punk feel and an organ playing in the background.  “Wishing Well” continued that feeling with a simple yet catchy punk track with some group vocals.  These are the kinds of songs that turned me into a punk rock fan in the first place.

It’s nice to see a band like Left Alone not label themselves as one specific genre of music and experiment with their talent.  This album is full of tracks with sing along qualities that span back to their previous releases but add a more fine tuned effort making for a good listen if you find yourself a fan of punk rock.

Left Alone is far from a commercial pop punk act and thanks to their recent release they should be grabbing some attention.  Perhaps it is a good thing they stay away from the mainstream though as they have too much talent to be considered just another pop-punk act out there.  Having already been fans of their previous releases Lonely Starts and Broken Hearts and Dead American Radio I can honestly say this CD is just as good of a listen if not better.

Download This! – Left Alone – “Sad Story”
Download This! – Left Alone – “3 Bottles Of Wine”

(I would totally let the girls in this video kick my ass)

Motown, Music, Music Video, New Release, R&B, Reggae, Review, Ska

Westbound Train – Come And Get It – CD Review

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Boston’s Westbound Train are back with an all new album following their impressive 2006 debut Transitions.  This time the seven man crew completely outdo themselves in every way possible with Come And Get It.  The album was once again released on Hellcat Records and proves to be one of my favorite releases to date this year hands down.

Think ska music infused with jazz, reggae, and heavy doses of R&B and you have the perfect blend of what Westbound Train specializes in.  Not to be compared with Motown, although close at times, the band remains a ska act throughout this release but keeps a soulful attitude.

I had the pleasure of reviewing the band’s last CD a while back and was impressed with every moment of it.  This time I am back to that same level of excitement with Come And Get It.  I must say that I am pretty sure that this CD will be my soundtrack for this summer hands down.

As soon as the CD started with “I Don’t Belong Here” lead singer Obi Fernandez’s voice seems to sooth the soul and set the mood.  With horns, a groovy rhythm, and even some background harmony the song immediately put me in the most relaxed of states as the song reminisces about the good times.  Almost reminding me of a Smokey Robinson song, “Ain’t Gonna Be Easy”, was a full forced R&B track sure to please any listener one way or another.

“Why You Cry” was an amazing ska soul track with ear catching singing thanks to King Django and also amazing tenor saxophone solos.  “Come And Get It” featured some sick organ playing throughout the song with even more impressive singing.

“What You Need”  was one of the more diverse tracks on the CD thanks to The Sweet Divines adding their classy soulful backup singing.  If that was not good enough they return on “So Many Things A Man Can Say”, one of the albums more Motown inspired songs.  If there is any track on this CD that proves this band has soul, this is the track.

“Critical Ska” was just that; a fine instrumental ska track from start to finish with an array of guitar, piano, and sax solos perfect for playing in the background of any outdoor party.  “Cheers! The World’s Almost Over” ended the CD but not without leaving a good feeling.

Westbound Train is a ska band that has some serious soul playing abilities and Come And Get It proves it.  I’m not saying this album is pure Motown but I am saying this comes very close and Westbound Train does it well.  Fans of The Slackers, The Pietasters, and just good soulful music will enjoy this CD over and over as did I.  Look for the band this summer at the 2009 Van’s Warped Tour.

In the event that you have not heard these guys it is only right for me to post some videos of material from their previous releases:

Westbound Train in Mainz (2007-04-30)