Concert Review: “All or Nothing Tour” – Rochester, NY

“All or Nothing Tour”
Unwritten Law, MxPx All Stars, Versus the World, FLF
Date: Sunday, November 4th 2012
Venue: The Club at Water St. Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The “All or Nothing Tour” made a stop in Rochester, NY on Sunday for an intimate gig held at The Club at Water St. Though the venue was small it didn’t stop the bands or the fans in attendance from having a good time. FLF hailing from Cape Coral, FL would take the stage first and put on a stellar performance that showcased the bands metal-core tinged, pop punk sound. Though the band’s set was brief they made good use of their time warming up the crowd. Viking Funeral Records artist Verses the World were up next and kept the crowd going with their Fall Out Boy minus the sugar coating type sound. Lead singer/guitarist Donald Spence worked the audience in between songs and one point left the stage to sing with the crowd. The band also performed a great cover of No Use For A Name’s “International You Day” which was dedicated to NUFAN’s fallen singer/guitarist Tony Sly who’s birthday was 11/4. Sly passed away in July of this year.

Up next was co-headliner The MxPx All Stars featuring Mike Herrera, Jack Parker, Harley Trotland and Jose Garzon. This is the All Stars first US tour together as the line was assembled to perform while regular MxPx guitarist Tom Wisniewski and drummer Yuri Ruley take some time off from the road. The band’s sound and energy was great as they blasted through classic MxPx songs such as “Move to Bremerton” and “Chick Magnet”. Herrera also took time to perform some material from his other band Tumbledown acoustically which broke up the set quite nicely before ending the night with “Punk Rawk Show” and “Responsibility”. Closing out the evening were veteran rockers Unwritten Law. The band sounded tight and wasted no time blasting through song after song however, there were several spots during the set that did feel a bit stiff and somewhat dated. Highlights of the set included “Teenage Suicide”, “Seein’ Red” and the always popular “Up All Night”.

The “All or Nothing Tour” features a pretty cool lineup in my opinion. It’s always great when headliners such as these have deep catalog’s to be able to pull songs from and perform a set that will please everyone in attendance. If the tour is making a stop in or around your area you should definitely go check it out. New fans as well as fans from the bands mid-nineties heydays will have a great time taking a walk down memory lane reliving all those great punk rock memories while also hearing some great new music as well.

MxPx All Stars Partial Setlist:
My Life Story
Move to Bremerton
Middlename
New York to Nowhere
Secret Weapon
Doing Time
Chick Magnet
Part, My House, Be There
Another State of Mind (Social Distortion cover)
Punk Rawk Show
Responsibility

Unwritten Law Partial Setlist:
Teenage Suicide
Rescue Me
Lonesome
Up All Night
Starships and Apocalypse
Seein’ Red
Mean Girl
Nevermind
Harmonic
Celebration Song
Cailin

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Concert Review: Paul McCartney: On the Run Tour – St Louis, Missouri

Paul McCartney/On the Run Tour
Date:  November 11, 2012
Venue:  Scottrade Center, St Louis, Missouri

Even at age 70 Paul McCartney can bounce around like a youngster.  Despite a trip off of a riser towards the end of the show (Macca quickly hopped up, struck a pose and began his guitar duel with Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on the solo riffs during “The End”) McCartney and company played for a solid 3 hours, introducing some new Beatles and Wings songs to their live catalog.

After taking the summer off, St. Louis saw the beginning of the second leg of the “On the Run” tour.  The Fab Five (besides McCartney, Anderson and Ray the group included longtime members Paul “Wix” Wickens (Keyboards) and drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr.) kicked off the show with “Magical Mystery Tour.” before sliding into “Junior’s Farm.”  After a rousing “Drive My Car” – with the audience supplying the “Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep YEAHS – McCartney removed his jacket.  As the woman in the crowd began to “Woo” he smiled and informed them “That is the wardrobe change of the evening.”

With a playlist full of Beatles and Wings classics, the band managed to sneak in some lesser known songs, including “Sing the Changes” (The Firemen) and “My Valentine,” a song McCartney recently penned for his wife, Nancy.  After the first group of songs McCartney held aloft what has to be the most recognizable musical instrument in the history of rock and roll:  his Hofner 500/1 violin bass.  Later in the show McCartney strapped on his old Epiphone Casino guitar to introduce the song he wrote on it, “Paperback Writer.”  There were other song snippets played as well.  “Let Me Roll It” ended with a quick, loud snippet of “Foxy Lady,” with McCartney giving a quick shout out to the other left handed musical genius, Jimi Hendrix.  Later, during “A Day in the Life” the song evolved into an audience inducing “Give Peace a Chance.”  He also paid tribute to his former Beatles mates no longer with us.  A touching accoustic “Here Today,” a song he wrote to John Lennon, had him brushing away a tear at the end while a simple version of “Something” on a ukulele given to him by George Harrison ended as a full blown rendition.

As with everytime I’ve seen McCartney (this makes number six since the 1980s), his back up band was tight.  But even they are not above reproach.  Deducting that Rusty Anderson had made a minor mistake during his solo on “And I Love Her,” Paul admonished him and had him play just the solo over again.  And I’m pleased to say that the one song I’ve wanted to hear live and never have, “Maybe I’m Amazed,” was finally played.  I can now die happy!

The audience was packed with music fans of all ages – from senior citizens to teenagers to a young boy in his stroller whose parents were staying in the same hotel we were.  He may not remember the music he heard but years from now he can proudly tell people that he saw Paul McCartney live!

SET LIST
Magical Mystery Tour, Junior’s Farm, All My Loving, Jet, Drive My Car, Sing the Changes, The Night Before, Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady, Paperback Writer, The Long and Winding Road, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, Maybe I’m Amazed, I’ve Just Seen a Face, And I Love Her, My Valentine, Blackbird, Here Today, Dance Tonight, Mrs. Vandebilt, Eleanor Rigby, Something, Band on the Run, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Back in the U.S.S.R., I’ve Got a Feeling, A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance, Let It Be, Live and Let Die, Hey Jude.

FIRST ENCORE
Lady Madonna, Birthday, Day Tripper, Get Back

SECOND ENCORE
Yesterday, Helter Skelter, Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End 

Photo Credit: Rob Pue

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Concert Review: Kiss, Motley Crue, The Treatment “The Tour”
 Darien Center, NY

“The Tour”
Kiss, Motley Crue, The Treatment
Date: Saturday, September 15th 2012
Venue: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, NY

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The 2012 Darien Lake concert series came to a thunderous close on Saturday, September 15th as “The Tour” featuring Kiss, Motley Crue and The Treatment performed to a near capacity crowd. As fans of all ages many adorned in Kiss makeup gradually filled the venue the UK hard rock band The Treatment took to the stage and performed songs of their debut release “This Might Hurt”. The band had a really great sound and was full of energy. It’s always great to see up and coming bands on these larger tours come out and really give it their all and The Treatment did just that.

The kings of the sunset strip, Motley Crue were up next and proceeded to make an entrance like no other. Clad in hooded robes, masks and with scantily clad girls on their shoulders members of the band made their way through the crowd before walking up onto the stage. This seemed to really catch the crowd off guard and helped set the stage for the bands performance. Each song in the set was accompanied by pyro, water cannons, arial performers and at one point Tommy Lees very own roller coaster. These things all sound great on paper but at times during the show there seemed to be just too much going on which I felt took something away from the music. Vince Neil’s limited movement due to an injury sustained a few nights before requiring him to wear a walking cast didn’t seem to hurt the bands performance but it surely wasn’t helping. At times the members seemed distant and uninterested in each other. At the start of “Home Sweet Home” several sour notes rang out over the crowd and though the band quickly recovered you could surely tell each member was on a different page.

Kiss closed out the night performing a 13 song greatest hits set dressed in their iconic make up and signature platform boots. Though the set list was made up mostly of classic Kiss gems the band did
perform one new song. “Hell or Hallelujah” the first song to be released off the upcoming album titled “Monster” gave a little bit of fresh air to a set list which has gone relatively unchanged since the 1996 Reunion tour. The band sounded great and despite my extreme dislike for current members wearing past members make up the band looked just as good. Even though I would liked to have seen some different songs make their way in to the set it’s still always good to hear the classics performed live and loud!

With “The Tour” wrapping up just a few remaining dates in September I will be very curious to see what each of the bands have in store for the coming months. It would be great to once again see what each of these bands can do on their own separate headlining tours.

Kiss Set List
1. Detroit Rock City
2. Shout it Out Loud
3. I Love it Loud
4. Firehouse
5. Hell or Hallelujah
6. War Machine
7. Shock Me
8. God of Thunder
9. Love Gun
10. Lick it Up
11. Black Diamond
12. Calling Dr. Love
13. Rock and Roll All Night

Motley Crue Set List:
1. Saints of Los Angeles
2. Wild Side
3. Shout at the Devil
4. Same Ol’ Situation
5. Sex
6. Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
7. Home Sweet Home
8. Live Wire
9. Primal Scream
10. Dr. Feelgood
11. Girls, Girls, Girls,
12. Kickstart My Heart

The Treatment Set List:
1. Drink, Fuck, Fight
2. World on Fire
3. Get the Party On
4. I Fear Nothing
5. The Doctor
6. Departed
7. Nothing to Lose But Our Minds
8.) Shake the Mountain

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Concert Review “Rockstar Mayhem Festival” Scranton, PA

“Rockstar Mayhem Festival”
Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, Asking Alexandria, Anthrax, As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada, White Chapel, I The Breather, Bleeding Ink
Date: Saturday, August 4th 2012
Venue: Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

On Saturday August 4th the heavy metal circus known as “The Rockstar Mayhem Festival” screeched its way into the Toyota Pavilion located in Scranton, PA. Kicking of the day was the band Bleeding Ink who despite only playing a 20 minute set seemed to really give there all as fans were still slowly making their way through several security/ticket stops. I The Breather was up next followed by White Chapel and As I Lay Dying. Closing out the second stage was NY thrash legends Anthrax. Though I feel the band would have been more suited for the main stage they did do a great job packing their 40 minute set with such classics as “Caught in a Mosh and “Madhouse” before ending with the always popular “I Am the Law”.

After an afternoon of battling heat and the occasional crowd surfer in the venues parking lot the festival moved its way over to the main stage. The UK band Asking Alexandria opened up the evening with a brief 7 song set. Definitely the youngest band on the main stage and probably the least know by those in attendance were sadly given a luke warm reception. Despite the minimal crowd response the band forged on until their 30 minute set came to a close. Heavy metal icon Lemmy and his band Motorhead would be up next and instantly kicked the volume to the max. Performing such classic songs as “Damage Case”, “Killed by Death” and “Ace of Spades” the crowd sprung to life with pumping fists and banging heads. Slayer were up next and treated the crowd to a pyro packed set which was highlighted by such legendary Slayer tracks as “War Ensemble”, “South of Heaven”, “Angel of Death” and of course “Reign in Blood”. Immediately after pulverizing the crowd Slayer would leave the stage and a dark red curtain would be lowered. Following a brief intermission Slipknots intro “742617000027” began cranking over the pa. With a flash bang that could be heard for miles the masked clad band launched into an energy filled set that would entertain even the most casual of Slipknot fans. Highlights of the set included “Wait and Bleed”, “Vermillion”, “The Heretic Anthem” and, “Psychosocial”. Front man Cory Taylor wasted little time in between songs talking with the crowd as there certainly was an agenda and time frame for the evening.

I was super excited to be able to catch one of the stops on this year’s tour. With such a great line-up surely a good time was going to be had. However, catching the second to last show before of the tour did not yield such results. Yes I got to hear a number of my favorite songs by some great bands but with the exception of Slipknot and maybe one or two other acts the performances were a tad underwhelming and seemed rushed. I am sure by this stage in a tour bands are tired and ready to go home but, fans at the end of a tour pay just as much as those at the start of a tour and deserve a top notch performance. Despite a great looking bill and some really cool promotions related to the tour I think the show in Scranton, PA was a bit of a dud. Thankfully Slipknot closing out the end of a long, hot day and some promising performances from the Jagermeister stage left me with a glimmer of hope for next year’s run.

Slipknot Set List:
Intro- 742617000027
1.) (Sic)
2.) Eyeless
3.) Sulfur
4.) Wait and Bleed
5.) Disasterpiece
7.) Gently
8.) Vermillion
9.) The Heretic Anthem
10.) Psychosocial
11.) Duality
12.) Spit It Out
13.) People=Shit
14.) Surfacing
Outro- ‘Til We Die

Slayer Set List:
Intro- Darkness of Christ
1.) Disciple
2.) War Ensemble
3.) Die by the Sword
4.) Hate Worldwide
5.) Mandatory Suicide
6.) Alter of Sacrifice
7.) Jesus Saves
8.) Season in the Abyss
9.) Hell Awaits
10.) Dead Skin Mask
11.) Angel of Death
12.) South of Heaven
13.) Raining Blood

Motorhead Set List:
1.) Bomber
2.) Damage Case
3.) I Know How to Die
4.) Stay Clean
5.) Over the Top
6.) The Chase is Better Than the Catch
7.) The One to Sing the Blues
Drum Solo
8.) Going to Brazil
9.) Killed by Death
10.) Ace of Spades

Asking Alexandria Set List:
1.) Welcome
2.) Closure
3.) Breathless
4.) A Lesson Never learned
5.) To the Stage
6.) Dear Insanity
7.) Morte et Dabo

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Concert Review “Rockstar Uproar Festival” Syracuse, NY

“Rockstar Uproar Festival”
Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind, Adelitas Way, Fozzy, In This Moment, Duece, Candlelight Red, Mindset Evolution, Cruz
Date: Saturday, August 25th 2012
Venue: New York State Fair Grand Stand, Syracuse, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival came to the Great New York State Fair on Saturday August 25th and despite a few band cancelations the festival was quite enjoyable. The day’s festivities kicked off on dueling side stages sponsored by Jagermeister and Ernie Ball. Due to the venue layout all three of the festival stages were side by side making it very easy to watch all of the performances. Besides not missing one note of music the rotating stages allowed for a very mini lag time between groups. This not only kept the energy of the crowd up but gave the show a great flow and feel. Despite the absence of P.O.D and the recent cancelation of Papa Roach each of the bands on the smaller stages did a great job filling in the time and the afternoon was capped off by energetic performances from In This Moments and Fozzy which features WWE Superstar Chris Jericho on vocals.

Prior to the start of the main stage performances fans we made to clear the venue which did cause quite a bit of confusion and chaos as fans were shuffled through various small openings leading under the grandstand viewing area. After a 40 minute wait fans were finally allowed to re-enter and take their seats for the rest of the evenings events. Up and coming hard rock band Adelitas Way opened the night and gave the fans a brief but energy packed set which came to a close with lead singer Rick DeJesus jumping in to the crowd for some quality time where he remained signing autographs and posing for photos for some time after the rest of the band left the stage. Staind would follow with a surprisingly energetic set which featured hits like “It’s Been Awhile”, “Mudshovel” and “Outside”. Despite singer Aaron Lewis preparing to take some time away from the band to promote his upcoming country album band moral seemed high and it really showed in the group’s performance. Hard rock heavy weights Godsmack would be next playing a greatest hits set consisting of songs from each of the bands albums. Highlights of the set were “Keep Away”, “Bad Religion” and of course the dueling drum solo’s between Shannon Larken and Sully Erna. Having seen the band several times now it would have been great to see something different from the band as this set was almost identical to the set performed by the band on this past springs “Mass Chaos Tour”. Shinedown closed out the night with a pyro packed performance featuring songs off the band latest album “Amaryllis”. Though the bands stage show featured a number of cool effects and a guest appearance by In This Moment front woman Maria Brink I felt the performance by the band was a bit boring. Singer Brent Smith very rarely left his podium and spent little to no time interacting with the crowd. At times the sound of the band seemed very produced and digital which I felt hurt the performance more than helped it. I am all for bands embracing technology however you have to know when enough is enough.

Though the “Rockstar Uproar Festival” is a bit smaller and doesn’t have as many big names artists as Rockstar’s other traveling tour “Mayhem Festival”. The smaller set ups gave each performance a more intimate feel. Having attended both festivals the “Uproar Festival” featured a wider variety of musical styles, better stage set up and a far better sound production. If Uproar is coming to your town be sure to grab a ticket and get to the show early to check out some really great talent.

Shinedown Set List:
1.) Sound of Madness
2.) Diamond Eyes
3.) Enemies
4.) If You Only Knew
5.) Devour feat. Maria Brink
7.) I’ll Follow You
8.) Unity
9.) .45
10.) Simple Man
11.) Second Chance
12.) Fly From the Inside

Godsmack Set List:
1.) Enemy
2.) Keep Away
3.) Cryin’ Like a Bitch
4.) Straight Out of Line
5.) Awake
6.) Bad Religion
7.) Speak
8.) Voodoo
9.) Drum Solo
10.) Whatever
11.) I Stand Alone

Staind Set List:
1.) Eyes Wide Open
2.) Right Here
3.) Now
4.) For You
5.) Paper Wings
6.) It’s Been Awhile
7.) Not Again
8.) Outside
9.) Mudshovel
10.) Something to Remind You

Adelitas Way Set List:
1.) The Collapse
2.) Hurt
3.) Alive
4.) Cage the Beast
5.) Criticize
6.) Sick
7.) Invincible

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Concert Review “Tail Gates and Tan Lines Tour” Luke Bryan, Justin Moore & Lee Brice

“Tail Gates and Tan Lines Tour”
Luke Bryan, Justin Moore. Lee Brice
Date: Sunday, June 17th 2012
Venue: Tag’s Summer Stage, Big Flats, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

 Luke Bryan’s “Tail Gates and Tan Lines” tour pulled into the Tag’s Summer Stage in the Upstate NY town of Big Flats on June 17th to kick off the venues 2012 concert season. Along with Luke Bryan were fellow country music acts Justin Moore and Lee Brice.

Long lines stretched out the venues gates as the estimated 5,000 concert goers made their way into the medium sized outdoor venue to enjoy a night of music from 3 country superstars. Lee Brice would kick off the night bringing his brand of rock infused country to the already near capacity crowd.

Brice played a number of songs off his latest album “Hard 2 Love” which quickly had fanson their feet and singing along. The set also included a guest performance from Today Show host Hoda Kotb. Justin Moore would take the stage next as the venue reached near capacity numbers and preceded to kick the energy level up a notch.Moore opened the set with the country meets rock song “Guns” before launching into hits such as “How I Got to Be This Way “, “Small Town USA” and closed out the night with the song “Backwoods”.

Luke Bryan closed out the night and immediately took control of the crowd which consisted mostly of cowboy hat clad women and their unsuspecting boyfriends. Bryan opened his set with the popular song “Rain Is a Good Thing” before leading into his latest single “Drunk On You” and the always popular number “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)”. Those in attendance were treated to a great night of music and entertainment as all three acts seemed to put their best effort forward. I highly recommend checking out the tour if it is making a stop in your area this summer.

Justin Moore Set List:
1.) Guns
2.) How I Got to Be This Way
3.) My Kind of Woman
4.) Backroad
5.) Twang
6.) Til My Last Day/I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends
7.) Heaven
8.) Beer Time
9.) Bait a Hook
10.) Rowdy Friends/Hank It
11.) Small Town
12.) Ass
13.) Backwoods

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Concert Review “Midwest Rock and Roll Express Tour” Ted Nugent, Reo Speedwagon, Styx

“Midwest Rock and Roll Express Tour”
Ted Nugent, Reo Speedwagon, Styx
Date: Friday, July 6th 2012
Venue: Tag’s Summer Stage, Big Flats, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The “Midwest Rock and Roll Express Tour” rolled into Tag’s Summer Stage in the Upstate NY town of Big Flats on July 17th and put on a show that was overflowing with classic rock hits. Local musician Brian Hughes kicked off the night performing a brief solo set of acoustic cover tunes. Hughes was able to put an interesting spin on several classic songs to which the crowd responded with heavy applause.

The always loud and outspoken Ted Nugent would follow and though performing hits like “Strangle Hold” and the always popular “Cat Scratch Fever” Nugent did not perform his staple of shooting his guitar with a flaming arrow. That aside the band performed flawlessly and sounded great.

Reo Speedwagon would take the stage next coming right out of the gate with “Don’t Let Him Go” and “Take It on The Run” before settling in to acknowledge the crowd. The band played all of their hits and closed out the night just as the sun was setting with the song “Ridin’ The Storm Out”. Reo played at the top of their game and the sound crew continued to shine with crystal clear sound which only added to the bands always upbeat performance.

Styx would close out the night as the near capacity crowd was on their feet from the opening notes of “Blue Collar Man” to the last notes of “Renegade” closed out the show. Tommy Shaw though appearing to be a bit under the weather still put on stellar performance. The band was full of energy interacting with each other and the crowd. The always animated Lawrence Gowan danced and spun around on his keyboard stand at dizzying speeds all without missing a beat.

The lineup, production and sound are top notch on this tour and if it’s making a stop in your area or nearby I highly recommend checking it out as the show is worth way more than the price of admission.

 

Ted Nugent :

1.) Wango Tango

2.) Just What the Doctor Ordered

3.) Free For All

4.) Stormtroopin’

5.) Wang Dang Sweet Poontang

6.) I Can’t Quite You Babe

7.) Hey Baby

8.) Cat Scratch Fever

9.) Strangle Hold

 

Reo Speedwagon:

1.) Don’t Let Him Go

2.) Take It on The Run

3.) Keep Pushin’

4.) Golden Country

5.) Can’t Fight This Feeling

6.) That Ain’t Love

7.) Like You Do

8.) Time For Me To Fly

9.) Back on the Road Again

10.) Roll With The Changes

11.) Keep on Loving You

12.) Ridin’ The Storm Out

 

Styx:

1.) Blue Color Man

2.) The Grand Illusion

3.) Too Much Time On My Hands

5.) Lorelei

6.) Man in the Wilderness

7.) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)

8.) Miss America

9.) Come Sail Away

10.) Rockin’ the Paradise

11.) Renegade 

 

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Concert Review “Rob Zombie & Megadeth” Scranton, PA

“Rob Zombie & Megadeth”
Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Lacuna Coil
Date: Saturday, May 12th 2012
Venue: Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

On Saturday May 12th Rob Zombie and Megadeth came to the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA. The co-headlining tour featured Rob Zombie, Megadeth and Lacuna Coil. It was a great night for music as the weather was perfect and the secluded hill top setting at the Toyota Pavilion made for a great concert experience.

The Italian rock/metal band Lacuna Coil started the show off and though the venue was still filling up at this point the fans that got there early were treated to a solid performance. Front woman Cristina Scabbia commanded the crowd’s attention which helped take the bands performance to the next level. Megadeth would take the stage next and were relentless in their approach. The band sounded fantastic blasting out song after song. The set was a mixture of newer songs such as “Never Dead” and “Public Enemy No. 1” as well as Megadeth classics “Sweating Bullets” and “Peace Sells”. Dave Mustain interacted off and on with the crowd and he and the rest of the band seemed very appreciate of the crowds applause and reactions. Horror Rock icon Rob Zombie would close out the night backed by his band consisting of John 5, Piggy D and newly acquired drummer Ginger Fish formerly of Marilyn Manson. The band played what could be considered as a greatest hits set, minus a few of the hits to the estimated 4,500 fans in attendance. Though the band sounded decent, I think it’s time for Rob to go back to the drawing board and design a new show. Fans saw an almost exact copy of the 2010 Halloween Hootenanny/Gruesome Twosome show and a similar set list. The brief 12 song set featured staple tracks such “Superbeast” and “Living Dead Girl”. The most notable event of the night came in the way of Zombie’s encore which started off with a pieced together trailer for his new film “Lords of Salem”.

Co-headlining tours are becoming more and more of a staple due to the ever changing economy. This has been both a blessing and a curse. Yes fans get to see several great acts for the price of one ticket however, in the essence of time bands are cutting their sets shorter and shorter. This tour is a perfect example of that. 12 songs by the tour “headliner” is just sad in my opinion. I only hope that if these co-headliner tours continue bands remember that it’s about the quality of the performance not the quantity of the bands on the bill.

Megadeth Set List:
1.) Never Dead
2.) Hangar 18
3.) Head Crusher
4.) In My Darkest Hour
5.) Trust
6.) She-Wolf
7.) Sweating Bullets
8.) A Tout Le Monde
9.) Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
10.) Public Enemy No. 1
11.) Symphony of Destruction
12.) Peace Sells
13.) Holy Wars…The Punishment Due

Rob Zombie Set List:
1.) Jesus Frankenstein
2.) Superbeast
3.) Scum of the Earth
4.) Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Koovy)
5.) Living Dead Girl
6.) More Human Than Human
7.) Demonoid Phenomenon
8.) Sick-Bubble Gum
9.) Mars Needs Women
10.) Pussy Liquor
11.) Thunder Kiss ‘65
12.) Dragula

 

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Concert Review “MassChaos Tour 2012″ Godsmack, Staind, Halestorm

“MassChaos Tour 2012”
Godsmack, Staind, Halestorm, Brook Royal
Date: Sunday, May 13th 2012
Venue: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The “MassChaos Tour” made a stop at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, NY on Sunday May 13th.The tour consists of native Massachusetts’s bands Godsmack and Staind along with special guests Halestorm and Brook Royal. This tour marks the first time the two Mass. natives have toured together.

The Broome County Veterans Arena is an older venue which is in desperate need of some upgrades. The venues biggest issue is the small entrance which caused fans to be backed up around the entire venue causing extremely long wait times. Once in the venue though fans were treated to a brief set by the band Brook Royal. Though I found the band to be nothing out of the ordinary they did use their time on stage wisely by playing song after song. Halestorm took the stage next and struggled through a number of mic issues which seemed to plague vocalist/guitarist Lzzy Hale resulting in her being very difficult to hear. Co-headliner Staind would be up next and treated the crowd to a strobe light induced barf fest as they played a spattering of songs tinged with hits such as “Outside” and “It’s been Awhile”. I found the bands performance to be stiff and somewhat boring. At times it seemed as though lead singer Aaron Lewis was just going through the proverbial motions. Despite my feelings towards the performance fans were on their feet showing their appreciation from start to the very end of the bands hour long set. Godsmack would close out the night and though the production of the show was much more scaled back than previous tours the band still

delivered. Front man Sully Erna worked the crowd back and forth as the night progressed kicking off songs such as “Keep Away” and “Cryin’ Like a Bitch”. Before the night was over Erna and drummer Shannon Larkin put the icing on the cake by treating the crowd to their signature dueling drum solos. This has been an amazing Godsmack live staple since the group’s 2003 Faceless tour.

Though the show had some technical difficulties and abbreviated sets the Binghamton crowd seemed appreciative of all the bands performances. The bands also seemed appreciative even though the venue was only about half full. There are few bands out there today still willing to tour outside the major markets and play smaller venues however the “MassChaos Tour” is making stops all over the U.S. which is something that I think is really great. If the tour is coming to a city near you make sure you check it out.

Halestorm Set List:
1.) Love Bites (So Do I)
2.) Mz. Hyde
3.) I Miss the Misery
4.) Freak Like Me
5.) Familiar Taste of Poison
6.) Rock Show
7.) It’s Not You
8.) Here’s to Us

Staind Set List:
1.) Raw
2.) Right Here
3.) Eyes Wide Open
4.) Spleen
5.) Failing
6.) So Far Away
7.) Now
8.) Country Boy
9.) For You
10.) Paper Wings
11.) Outside
12.) Not Again
13.) It’s Been Awhile
14.) Mudshovel
15.) Something to Remind You

Godsmack Set List:
1.) Awake
2.) The Enemy
3.) Good Day to Die
4.) Keep Away
5.) The oracle
6.) Love, Hate, Sex, Pain
7.) Cryin’ Like a Bitch
8.) Rocky Mountain Way
9.) Voodoo
10.) Batalla de Los Tambores
11.) Whatever
12.) I Stand Alone

 

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Concert Review: “End Game Tour 2012” Rise Against, A Day To Remember &Title Fight

“End Game Tour 2012”
Rise Against, A Day To Remember, Title Fight
Date: Tuesday, May 8th 2012
Venue: New York State Fairgrounds

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Rise Against played the Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds on Tuesday, May 8th as part of the bands “End Game 2012 Tour” The tour is in support of the band’s latest album of the same name which was release earlier this year. The tour line-up also featured Title Fight and the always entertaining A Day To Remember. Even though the weather at times was not the best causing a number of giant mud pits each of the three bands put on a solid performance for the assembled crowd.

Title Fight from Kingston, PA kicked off the show and received a warm reception from the crowd which was a mixture of styles and ages. Crowd favorite A Day To Remember were up next and once the band hit the stage the energy level went through the roof. The bands set featured flying beach balls, toilet paper and a giant hamster ball which singer Jeremy McKinnon used to walk over the top of the crowd. The later part of the bands set featured some of the bands more popular songs such as “Better Off This Way” and “All I Want”. As the storm clouds began to move in and day shifted to night headliner Rise Against would take the stage. After a brief intro taken from the 1970 film “Catch-22” the band launched into a thought provoking, energy filled set. The band wasted no time and played song after song. Though the band sounded muffled at time their set was still very tight. The set featured a number of Rise Against staples as well as some new songs off of the “End game” album. Later in the set fans were treated to an acoustic performance of “Swing Life Away” and a few other acoustic numbers. The band closed out the night with an extended version of the hit song “Savior” which left the muddy masses tired but still had them begging for more.

A Day to Remember Set List:
1.) The Downfall Of Us All
2.) A Shot in the Dark
3.) I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?
4.) My Life For Hire
5.) All Signs Point to Lauderdale
6.) 2nd Sucks
7.) You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic
8.) It’s Complicated
9.) Homesick
10.) Better Off This Way
11.) Have Faith In Me
12.) All I Want
13.) The Plot to Bomb The Panhandle
Rise Against Set List:
1.) Survivor Guilt
2.) Ready to Fall
3.) Collapse (Post-Amerika)
4.) The Good Left Undone
5.) Broken English
6.) Help Is on the Way
7.) Disparity by Design
8.) Drones
9.) Re-Education (Through Labor)
10.) Blood to Bleed
11.) Satellite
12.) Paper Wings
13.) Prayer of the Refugee
14.) Audience of One
15.) Swing Life Away
16.) Make It Stop
17.) Give It All
18.) Midnight Hands
19.) The Strength to Go On
20.) Savior

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Concert Review: Engelbert Humperdinck at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, April 29th 2012

Engelbert Humperdinck
Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Airway Heights, WA
April 29th, 2012

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Engelbert Humperdinck has been entertaining for 45 years and shows no signs of slowing down. While watching his perform, he just looks like he is having the time of his life during every song. He never stops strutting his stuff and dancing throughout the show. He also not only engages his fans with amazing stories in between but he even invites them up on the stage. For a man that is 75 years old, he acts half his age and puts to shame many of our current performers that have forgotten what is it like to perform live. Overall he just has this wonderful stage presence and it comes through with his fans and through this music.

I wasn’t able to personally attend this show but thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to be their watching it live from the comfort of my home. Thanks to Front and Center for setting up this fantastic streaming concert. The concert played perfectly without a hitch and did not encounter any streaming issues. It wasn’t just one boring camera angle either. There was numerous cameras constantly changing covering the whole stage. The sound quality was also very impressive, especially for streaming internet.

The concert ran from about 90 minutes and he really covered all of his classics. In this show he covers classics like “Quando, Quando, Quando”, “The Last Waltz” and “Release Me”. I also really enjoyed his new song for Eurovision 2012 and also currently #1 on the charts in the UK, “Love Will Set You Free”. Engelbert even covers classics like “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and Bryan Adams’ “When You Love a Woman” along with his great guitarist Yohan Frank. What I like most about hearing him life is that he sounds exactly like he does on the album. Engelbert’s voice just sounds fantastic and he is not afraid to belt out some big notes.

Engelbert is one of the last great entertainers and he puts on what a great show. I also really enjoyed his video clips including a funny comedy act from Eddie Izzard and a rare performance with Engelbert and Dean Martin. I have never had the privilege of seeing Engelbert in person, which I hope will change very soon. You here that Engelbert…come to the Orlando FL area soon!!

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Concert Review: Thomas Dolby “Time Capsule Tour” Ridgefield, CT

Thomas Dolby
“Time Capsule Tour”
The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
March 31, 2012

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“I keep hearing about artists who have made a big comeback album after 2 years. Try two decades.”

Yes, indeed: it’s been 20 years since Thomas Dolby released his last disc comprised of original material, 1992’s “Astronauts & Heretics”. And it’s been 30 years since the release of his signature hit song, “She Blinded Me With Science”, in 1982.

None of the elapsed decades seemed to make any difference whatsoever at the Ridgefield Playhouse stop of Thomas’ appropriately-named “Time Capsule” tour, though. Throughout the entire show, Dolby more than adequately proved that his abilities as both a musician and a songwriter have not diminished one iota over the course of time that he’s been largely absent from the music scene. And he’s still one hell of a storyteller, both in terms of lyrics and between-song recollections and anecdotes that are full of his distinct British wit and accessible sophistication.

Even though Dolby may be dismissed by most as an 80’s one-hit-wonder, his musical catalog has always showcased a myriad of musical styles and influences – all of which he handles with a degree of mastery that makes each foray its own wonderful little aural journey. The cross-section of songs played in Ridgefield readily displayed this as Dolby bounced from quiet piano ballads (“Love is a Loaded Pistol”) to ethereal jazz crooning (“The Flat Earth”) and even some toe-tappin’ knee-slapping country bluegrass (“The Toad Lickers”).

Unlike his one-man “Sole Inhabitant” tour in 2006 in which he surrounded himself on three sides with an array of techogadgetry and delivered songs entirely synthesized, Dolby brought along a backing band this time around. Comprised of drummer Matt Hector and guitarist Kevin Armstrong (with occasional appearances by opening act bluegrass musicians Aaron Jonah Lewis and Ben Belcher), his musical entourage added the right level of instrumentation to Dolby’s songs – never overpowering the maestro’s keyboards but never slipping too far into the background as to become irrelevant.

The 110-minute, 16-song set concert touched upon all of five of his studio releases, including his most-recent release, “A Map of the Floating City”. There was even time for one mega-obscurity: 1986’s collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto, “Field Work”, a song that had never appeared on a Dolby album until the 2009 reissue of his debut disc, “The Golden Age of Wireless”. And, of course, a little bit of “Science” was thrown in for good measure.

It’s refreshing to have Dolby back on the scene performing music that’s every bit as powerful as it was decades ago as well as new material that easily matches the caliber of his earlier work. In a day and age that seems to produce so few virtuoso musicians, Dolby’s “Time Capsule” is a pill that, when taken, reminds us how rich and rewarding pop music can be when prescribed by someone as gifted as he genuinely is. One can only hope that Thomas doesn’t go on another multi-year sabbatical. I’m going to need a refill sooner than that.

To read Dave’s interview with Thomas Dolby, please click here.
To read Dave’s review of Thomas Dolby’s “A Map of the Floating City”, please click here.

For more information about Thomas Dolby, visit www.thomasdolby.com

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Concert Review “Shadows Fall, Station 58, Syracuse, NY”

Shadows Fall, Maps of War, Spire, All That Is Sacred, One Step From Falling
Date: Friday, February 17th 2012
Venue: Station 58, Syracuse, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Shadows Fall came to the intimate Station 58 venue in Syracuse, NY on February 17th and performed to a near capacity crowd. The band came through the city as part of a 5 date tour that is in preparation for their appearance at this year’s Sound Waves festival held in Australia.

One Step From Falling started the night off playing an interesting blend of experimental rock that reminded me of early System of a Down however with less substance. All That Is Scared took the stage next as the club began to slowly fill and though the bands set was brief each member appeared to put their best foot forward. Local favorite Spire was up next and received a very warm welcome from the crowd. The band played a technical blend of prog metal that received a great response from the crowd that helped set the stage for the rest of the evening. Maps of War followed playing to a packed house. The band was very technical and provided an intense in your face performance.

Shadows Fall would close out the night and though the band had not performed since the summer of last year it did not show. Lead vocalist Brian Fair with his signature dreadlocks had the crowd in a sweat filled mosh from the word go. Fair took several trips into the crowd which seemed to only fuel the crowd that much more. Guitarists Jon Donais and Matt Bachand laid down their signature riffage while drummer Jason Bittner and Bassist Paul Romanko filled in the band’s sound with thunderous bass runs and beats. The band played a variety of tracks from their 6 album catalog as well as the track “Fire From the Sky” which will be on the bands upcoming album due in May of this year. Shadows Fall along with all the other bands on the bill really delivered by putting on a great show for the Syracuse crowd.

Shadows Fall Set List:
1.)    My Demise
2.)    Thoughts Without Words
3.)    Enlightened By The Cold
4.)    Burning The Lives
5.)    Stepping Outside The Circle
6.)    Still I Rise
7.)    Fire From The Sky
8.)    The Power of I and I
9.)    King of Nothing
10.) What Drives The Weak
11.)  Inspiration on Demand
12.)  Destroyer of Senses
13.)  The Light That Blinds
14.)  Redemption

 

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Concert Review “The Toasters 30th Anniversary Tour” Ithaca, NY

“The Toasters 30th Anniversary Tour”
The Toasters, The Rudie Crew, The XSKAVATORS
Date: Friday, February 24th 2012
Venue: The Haunt, Ithaca, NY

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Toasters 30th Anniversary tour made a stop in the eclectic college town of Ithaca, NY on Feb. 24th where they performed to a diverse crowd sprinkled with punks and old school rude boys. The first group to take the stage was The Rudie Crew who like The Toasters hail from New York, New York. The group performed a 40 minute set playing what could be described as Rasta infused ska music. The group provided an upbeat performance which got the crowd instantly off their checker clad feel. Home town favorites The XSKAVATORS would take the stage next performing their own unique version of early traditional ska.

The Toasters would close out the night providing me with some great flash back moments from the first time I saw the band some 13 years ago. Lead vocalist and guitarist Robert “Bucket” Hingley and his band belted out such classic hits as “2 Tone Army, “Dub 56” and “Weekend in LA”. As the crowd continued to skank their way through the evening the band closed out the night with their classic anthem “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down”. Though the band now features a stripped down 5 piece line up The Toasters still provided their signature big band sound. The only negative from the night came in the way of time. The first group did not take the stage until 10:30pm which was an hour and a half after their scheduled time. After two stage changes and 3 full sets of music the show finally wrapped up at around 2 am making for a very long night.

The Toasters Set List:
1.)    House of Soul
2.)    Two Tone Army
3.)    Shocker
4.)    I’m Running Right Through the World
5.)    East Side Beat
6.)    Run Rudy Run
7.)    Social Security
8.)    Pirate Radio
9.)    Sitting on Top of the World
10.)  Dub 56
11.)  History Book
12.)  Talk is Cheap
13.)  Dog Eat Dog
14.)  Ploughshares Into Guns
15.)  Matt Davis
16.)  One Track Mind
17.)  Weekend in LA
18.)  Decision at Midnight
19.)  Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down

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