SLAY AT HOME Free Virtual Metal & Art Fest This Weekend, Full Line Up & Schedule Revealed!

Slay At Home, a first of its kind virtual metal music and art festival organized by Frank Godla of Metal Injection, is set to air this Friday and Saturday (May29th & 30th) beginning at 3PM EST. The event will fundraise in support of two great charity organizations; Musicares and Global Giving

NEW VIDEO TRAILER WITH LINE UP (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6X-A1s6VrU)

The completely free event will be an artfully curated livestream show with exclusive never-before-seen performances from over 30 bands, cover song collaborations, commissioned music from artists that will debut at the fest, special guest appearances, art installations and much more!

The official schedule has now been released via the festival website, and is broken into hourly groups, with organizer Frank Godla explaining the set up: 

“By keeping the set times between 5 and 15 minutes for each artist, it allows me to not only keep things moving, but mix it up in ways that conventional festivals simply can’t. Every single hour will contain big names and emerging artists right next to each other. I’m trying to look at the bright side of our current situation, and not only make this an entertaining way to see the artists you love flex their creativity in new ways, but hope this event acts as a place of discovery for every viewer out there. Finding a band or artist to fall in love with is the mark of a great festival to me, and it’s my honor to share the work of these amazing individuals I curated because I’m passionate about them. I’ve been in touch with all of them every step of the way, and some even managed to throw me a few surprises. I’m honored and humbled to have all of them part of this, they truly went above and beyond to showcase their craft for the Slay At Home fest, and I can’t wait for the world to see something really special come to life this weekend.”

The free livestream is scheduled for 3PM EST both days in an effort to raise funds for the MusiCares Covid-19 Relief Fund helping artists, crew and industry workers during financial crisis, as well as the Global Giving Coronavirus Relief Fund, an organization helping front line workers in need during the crisis. See the listings below for details, as well as the festival website

WHERE TO WATCHYou can find the livestream on any device you own at Metal Injection’s YouTube and Facebook pages, and by the direct links below. 

Friday 3PM(EST) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ClyUJ11DASaturday 3PM(EST) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs19f6tPc5E

The festival will include never before seen performances from:

Suicide Silence Tesseract 

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Matt Heafy of Trivium 

Twelve Foot Ninja 

Tyler Bates 

Steve ‘N’ Seagulls

Darkest Hour

Allegaeon 

Entheos

Der Weg einer Freiheit

O’Brother 

Khemmis 

Silvertomb 

Mantar 

Astronoid

Employed To Serve 

Spirit Adrift 

Spotlights

Cadaver

Andy Gillion 

Johnny Booth

Panamama

Moon Destroys 

Nitesoil

Contracult Collective 

Spylacopa

Del Judas

Myrone

Chronus

AA Williams

Angel Vivaldi 

GlerAkur 

Jo Quail 

Commissioned music created to debut at the festival including performances from:

“Pallid Veil” Luc Lemay (Gorguts) Dave Davidson (Revocation / Gargoyl) Liam Wilson (Azusa, The Dillinger Escape Plan) Elliot Hoffman (Carbomb)  

“Digital Ink” Ben Weinman (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicidal Tendencies)Billy Rymer (The Dillinger Escape Plan, END)Brian Sullivan (Thoughtcrimes) 

“Solo Set” Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour) “DJ M’s Wacky Attacky”Manuel Gagneux (Zeal & Ardor) 

Cover collaborations with performances by:

Pustulus Maximus (GWAR) 

Tiziano Volante (Zeal & Ardor)

Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder)

Sacha Dunable (Intronaut)

Johnny Kelly (Silvertomb / Type O Negative)

Ash Pearson (Revocation)

Brody Uttely (Rivers Of Nihil)

Gwarsenio Hall (Two Mins To Late Night)

Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth)

Steve Zing (Samhain/Danzig)

Hank Hell (Silvertomb)

Pepe Clarke (Kyng) 

Jesse Korman (The Number Twelve Looks Like You)

Conor Marshall (Sylosis)

Greg Burgess (Allegaeon)

Frank (Metal Injection) 

Mrs. Smith  

Phil Pendergast (Khemmis)

Justine Jones and Sammy Urwin (Employed To Serve) 

Kevin Antreassian (The Dillinger Escape Plan)

DJ Scully (The Number Twelve Looks Like You)

Billy Rymer (The Dillinger Escape Plan)

Scott Carlson (Repulsion)

Ra Diaz (Suicidal Tendencies)

Phil Demmel (ex-Machine Head)

Marta Demmel (Bleeding Through)

John Tempesta (The Cult, Rob Zombie)

Mike Tempesta (ex-Powerman 5000)

Joey Vera (Armored Saint)

Graham Bonnet (Rainbow / MSG)

Guest Appearances By:

Gost

Don Jamieson (That Metal Show)

Jose Mangin (Sirius XM Liquid Metal)

Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records)

Charlie Benante (Anthrax)

Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed)

Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste)

Chuck Billy (Testament)

Chef Brian Tsao 

Chef Chris Santos

Jessica Pimentel (Orange Is The New Black)

Rob Caggiano (Volbeat)

Art Installations By:

Mario Duplantier (Gojira)

Vincent Castiglia 

Trine Grimm

Jodi Cachia 

Zein

Carin Hazmat

Nathaniel Shannon

Kevin Wilson

Rodrigo Fredes

Vertebrae 33

Stefan Raduta

Alpha Group Celebrates Spongebob Squarepants’ 20th Anniversary with Fresh Line or Imaginative, Unique Toys

EL SEGUNDO, Calif – “Are you ready kids?” Just in time for the 20th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants, Alpha Group, the global master toy partner of Nickelodeon’s iconic and top-rated animated series, is introducing a brand-new, never-before-seen product line. Building upon two decades of incredible SpongeBob content and fandom, these toys have evolved from the conventional preschool toy range and are certain to excite a multi-generation fan base – Kids, Tweens, Teens and Millennials. The company’s imaginative range includes collectible pop culture figures, fun-loving novelties, plush and – for the first-time ever – SpongeBob toys that include Nickelodeon Slime! SpongeBob SquarePants has emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon since first premiering on Nickelodeon in July 1999. The series has been the most-watched animated program for more than 17 consecutive years, is seen in over 208 countries and translated in more than 55 languages. The Spring line up hitting retail now is as follows:

Slimeez with Nickelodeon Slime Experience the world of Bikini Bottom like never before with SpongeBob Slimeez Figures! Load each 3-inch figure with Nickelodeon Slime (included), push and watch the ooey gooey Slime ooze through the figures. Six figures are available this spring at Target, each packaged with 2oz. Slime and collectible SpongeBob cube for the ultimate blind package experience. Will you find the rare Gold SpongeBob Slimeez? Seven figures debut in Fall. Ages 6+, SRP: $6.99 – Slimeez in action :

SpongeBob StretchPants Play with SpongeBob in a crazy new way! Stretch his arms and legs to activate over 20 unique silly sounds and phrases from SpongeBob himself! Parents, siblings and friends can join in the fun by grabbing an arm and a leg. Keep pulling to hear what he will say next! The more you pull, the funnier he gets! Available on Amazon and Target for ages 4+, SRP: $24.99.

Masterpiece Memes 8-inch collectible vinyl figures bring to life fan favorite show and movie moments that have now become some of the most popular viral memes. Featuring exceptional details and window packaging for collector displays, the Spring Masterpiece Memes figures include Mocking SpongeBob, Imaginaaation SpongeBob, Surprised Patrick, Spongegar and Handsome Squid ward. Available at Amazon and Target for ages 6+, SRP: $19.99

SpongeHeads Young-and-old alike, dress up as your favorite SpongeBob SquarePants characters with the 20-inch soft, inflatable head wear! Made to fit most kid and adult heads, Sponge Heads allow fans of all ages to show off their favorite characters in a silly fashion statement! Let the party begin! Available on Amazon and Target for ages 6+, SRP: $12.99

Mini Plush – Bring Bikini Bottom to the toy collection with these soft, 6-inch Mini Plush friends! These adorable little SpongeBob characters are perfect for play and display. Six characters debut at Hot Topic and Target. Ages 4+, SRP: $7.99

SpongePop CulturePants The 4.5-inch vinyl collectible figures celebrate and capture iconic pop culture in a unique SpongeBob way. The Spring line includes B-Movie SpongeBob, Patrick and Dr. Plankton, based on the horror episodes from the show, as well as Old Timey SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward in an all-new timeless style inspired by the golden age of animation. Available on Amazon for ages 6+, SRP: $9.99

Giggle Blaster – SpongeBob is silly and wacky and now kids can be too with the SpongeBob-styled Giggle Blaster. Featuring a real working periscope, the fun-themed blaster sprays aerosol party string (included) and shouts over 15 SpongeBob phrases and sounds. Packaged with one can of aerosol party string, and compatible with most standard size cans, the Giggle Blaster arrives in Fall. Ages 6+, SRP: $19.99

Socialize with Alpha Group Facebook – @AlphaGroupUS IG – @TheAlphaGroupUS Twitter – @TheAlphaGroupUS Stay Connected with SpongeBob SquarePants Facebook – @Spongebob IG – @Spongebob Twitter -@SpongeBob

 

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Animals As Leaders Announce “10 Year Anniversary” Tour Line Up

’10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY’ US HEADLINE TOUR FULL BILL ANNOUNCED
The Contortionist Special Guests On All Dates
Buke and Gase, Evan Marien & Dana Hawkins and Moon ToothTo Each Appear At Select Dates

‘Camping With Animals’ Music Masters Camp To Take Place in Big Indian, NY July 16 – 19 2019

Animals As Leaders have announced the full line up for their upcoming ’10 Year Anniversary Tour’ of the USA. The Contortionist will be main support on all dates and Buke and Gase,Evan Marien & Dana Hawkins and Moon Tooth will join as the opening act, each on select dates (full list of dates and supports below). The 18 date tour will kick off on May 1st in Tickets for the 10 Year Anniversary Tour are on sale now from animalsasleaders.org\

For the last decade Animals As Leaders have risen to become celebrated heroes of their respective instruments. Tosin Abasi [guitar], Javier Reyes [guitar], and Matt Garstka [drums] have spent the last decade reimagining and reinventing instrumental prog, experimental metal, modern jazz and alternative creating complex, heavy and emotive musical landscapes to mass acclaim from fans and critics. Along the way, the trio has earned acclaim from the likes of Consequence of SoundRevolver,Ultimate Guitar, and Rolling Stone. 

Consistently delivering a captivating show, they have toured alongside Deftones,Between The Buried And Me and Periphery.
Animals As Leaders are also hosting their ‘Camping With Animals’ Music Masters Camp at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian in New York this July (16th-19th). An all-inclusive summer vacation masterclass program that offers instrument specific intensive masterclasses –  Guitar With Tosin Abasi Drums With Matt Garstka Guitar & Production With Javier Reyes as well as sessions such as ‘How to Use Technology for Self-Improvement, Writing and Recording’, exclusive performances from Animals As Leaders, special guests, group writing sessions and open panel discussions. Full information and tickets can be found at campingwithanimals.org


ANIMALS AS LEADERS ’10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR’W/ Special Guests The Contortionist

Wed May 01 – San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theater

*Thu May 02 – Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill

*Mon May 06 – Phoenix, AZ Marquee Theater

**Tue May 07 – Los Angeles, CA Mayan

**Wed May 08 – San Francisco, CA Regency Grand

**Fri May 10 – Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom

**Sat May 11 – Seattle, WA El Corazon

**Tue May 14 – Lawrence, KS Granada

*Wed May 15 – Minneapolis, MN Skyway

*Thu May 16 – Chicago, IL House of Blues

*Fri May 17 – Pittsburgh, PA Roxian Theatre

*Sat May 18 – Toronto, ON Opera House

***Sun May 19 – Philadelphia, PA TLA

***Mon May 20 – Boston, MA Paradise

***Tue May 21 – New York, NY Irving Plaza

***Thu May 23 – Atlanta, GA Masquerade

***Fri May 24 – Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom

***Sat May 25 – Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall

* Buke and Gase ** Evan Marien & Dana Hawkins *** Moon Tooth

Blu-ray Review “Life on the Line”

Actors: John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa, Gil Bellows, Julie Benz
Directors: David Hackl
Rated: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Run Time: 98 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Life on the Line” is the latest film starring John Travolta and surprisingly packs a solid supporting cast including Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa and Sharon Stone. Besides the fact that Travolta looks terrifying on the cover with his facial hair and strange hairline. I am still a fan at heart! This film definitely has problems but it also has some decent action-packed moments. So I will call it a toss up for everyone and a maybe for us Travolta fans.

Official Premise: As a huge electrical storm sweeps towards Texas, lineman Beau (John Travolta) is haunted by memories of his brother’s death by lightning years earlier. Bailey (Kate Bosworth), the niece he helped raise, has a secret she needs to share with her boyfriend Duncan. But he and Beau’s brave team are racing to replace miles of power cables before the tempest strikes. Also starring Sharon Stone, Life on the Line is a tribute to the heroes who risk it all to keep us safe.

“Life on the Line” is being released as a combo pack with Blu-ray and Digital HD included here. The Blu-ray is presented in 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. Both looks and sounds great especially when the action kicks in. The special features aren’t great though. There is a “Life on the Line” Music Video by Fiona Culley featuring Darius Rucker and some Behind the Scenes with Cast/Crew Interviews included.

 

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Testament’s Chuck Billy talks about signature line of vaping pens “The Chief”

Chuck Billy is probably best known as the vocalist for the legendary bay area thrash metal band Testament. However when not performing with the band around the world Chuck keeps himself busy with several business ventures. His latest is that of his own signature line of vaping pens “The Chief”. Together with Lord Vapor the leading provider of high-quality custom vape pens Billy is set to create a product line just as intense as his music. Media Mikes spoke with Chuck recently about the new product line, his experience with vaping and also touched on the upcoming plans for Testament.

Adam Lawton: What was your first exposure vaping and what was it that you found appealing?
Chuck Billy: I tried vaping years ago when I was in Amsterdam. After I got back I bought my own volcano just like I had seen in Amsterdam. There’s certainly a different feeling that comes with vaping. For me being a singer and trying to keep my lungs healthy vaping always seemed a little easier and I enjoyed that. ==

AL: How did the opportunity to create “The Chief” line of herbal vape pens?
CB: I had talked with Adam from Lord Vapor quite some time ago about doing a product line but it never really got hooked up. About eight months ago we met up and really started talking and working on designs. We had to figure out how to make the product better than it already was and also to have it stand out among the other pens like this. We went in and looked and things like temperature. We found that the hottest current temp wasn’t enough to throw the size of cloud we wanted. We worked with some things and got the temps hotter and also worked with the overall look of the pen. Once we got all that stuff down we ordered the first run of prototypes. It did take awhile but once we got it things worked great. We hit the market in March with the first run of “Big Chiefs” and we are currently working on the second line which will include slim line pens both in rechargeable and disposable models.

AL: What did you find to be the most difficult part of developing this product?
CB: The graphics and the design seemed to take the longest. There was a lot of back and forth between us and the manufactures because we weren’t right there while they were being made. Upping the temperature was certainly the easy part but getting things to look right with not only the pen but also the packaging certainly took some time. You need everything to look correct right out of the box because once you go into production if things aren’t right then everything comes out wrong. It was a bit of a gamble but we learned through the process and we have a really great product.

AL: What do you think has caused the recent rise in vaping?
CB: It’s an option people have to where they can go out in public and not cause a scene from smoking. I have used mine in movie theaters without anyone ever saying a word. One of the days on the recent tour we went out with the Exodus guys and we were all vaping during dinner and having a great time without any problems. Those are definitely some of the advantages over being out and smoking say a pipe or joint. You are a bit more inconspicuous. Also again for me personally it’s less harsh on my lungs than other methods.

AL: Are there plans to increase the line outside of just pens?
CB: I’m not sure if we are going to try out liquids or not at this point. That is something that I am not really a fan of. We are working on the rechargeable and disposable pens right now and wrapping up sales on the first 1000 signed and numbered special edition Chiefs. Once those are gone we have plans to change the packaging making those first run Chiefs really special. I think this the Chief signature line is something that’s going to keep growing. Adam has opened the door for me on this and within the next year or so I may venture in to a signature accessories line as there are just so many different accessories you can get.

AL: Aside from your vaping products can you give us an update on Testaments current plans for the coming months?
CB: We are pretty busy. We recently wrapped up one tour and will be heading out on another which is overseas in Europe. After that we will be taking three or four months of to finish the writing of the new record. We really want focus on the album and getting it done. Being that we all don’t live near one another these days that can be a little difficult. There’s a lot of emailing and getting together when we can so it takes time. We are very fortunate at this time that our label Nuclear Blast isn’t breathing down our necks to get it done. They don’t do that as they know when it’s ready it’s ready. That’s been the beauty of things as we can make the album right and we are happy with it.

All Time Low’s Zack Merrick talks about clothing line “Amerrickan”

Zack Merrick is best known as the bassist for the pop/punk band All Time Low. However in his down time away from the band he designs limited addition clothing for his company Amerrickan. Zack took time out of his busy schedule recently to discuss the clothing line his partnership with Killbrand and gave us an update on All Time Low’s upcoming album.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the new run from Amerrickan?
Zack Merrick: Right now we have pulled everything off of our website because we are trying to push the designs that are on hottopic.com. So anyone wanting to pick up some of our designs can get them directly through Hot Topic.

AL: What was that initially interested you in doing a clothing line?
ZM: It was a great way to keep myself creative while I wasn’t playing music. I started taking photos and Jonny from Killbrand really liked them. We saw that there was a great response so we teamed up together and started Americkan.

AL: Can you tell us a little more about your partnership with Jonny and Kill Brand?
ZM: We have a lot of “joint meetings” and “joint files”. (Laughs) Jonny is like my big brother. He takes care of me and is always looking out for me and worrying about me. He is just as worried about me as my mom is sometimes. Jonny is super easy to work with and it’s really a lot of fun. When I head to California to work on designs with him I usually end up staying on his couch

AL: Most of the line is done as limited edition runs. Can you tell us a little bit about that decision?
ZM: It’s easier for me to make designs and think of things in a limited run. It’s also a unique way of doing things so that only 50-100 fans can get a shirt instead of everyone having the same shirt. This way you don’t over saturate the market.

AL: Can you give us an update on All Time Low and what the band has planned for the coming year?
ZM: I just finished recording my bass tracks the other day. Alex is in the studio currently working on vocals and guitar tracks. As a whole we are all gearing up to start press for the new album along with some doing some new photo shoots. We start touring in February over in UK with You and Me at Six and then we bounce around the planet to Australia then back to the States and so forth. With the new record coming out in 2015 it should be a good year and a long touring run.

 

Mimoco® Announces Star Wars x MimoPowerBot™ Line of Universal Backup Battery Chargers for Smartphones and Tablet Devices

(New York – June 25, 2014) – At CE Week 2014 (Booth #169 in the iLounge), Mimoco, the Boston-based consumer electronics design studio, is proud to announce the Star Wars x MimoPowerBot™ line of backup batteries for smartphones, tablets, and other 5V USB-powered devices.

MimoPowerBot is Mimoco’s newest tech’cessory, originally hatched on Kickstarter where fans were invited to preorder the product concept expanding upon Mimoco’s character-based spin on designer electronic accessories.

Renowned for the MIMOBOT® collection of designer USB flash drives and eight Star Wars x MIMOBOT series, yielding more than 30 different stylized Star Wars characters in the form meets function electronic line, Mimoco’s newest crossover collaboration with Lucas Licensing continues the trend of pioneering licensed electronics.

The Star Wars x MimoPowerBot line kicks off with a pair of fan-favorite characters: the loveable droid, R2-D2; and the Empire’s own Sith lord, Darth Vader.

Both Star Wars x MimoPowerBot styles will be powered with a 5200mAh capacity lithium-ion battery with a 2.1A output for fast universal charging of tablets, smartphones, and other 5V USB-powered devices. The MimoPowerBot can charge a smartphone up to 3 times on a single charge and will serve as a trusty companion on long intergalactic trips to keep one’s device powered up while on-the-go.

In addition to the Star Wars crossover products, Mimoco is also showcasing at their CE Week booth their original Bloohvian and Animobotz designs, as well as the Adventure Time x MimoPowerBot collection. The full MimoPowerBot line will ship in time for holiday 2014, alongside the currently available MimoPowerTube assortment also on display in the Mimoco booth.

For more info, please visit Mimoco.com and prelaunch.com where Mimoco is currently accepting preorders for the new Star Wars x MimoPowerBot line.

If you want to pre-order these, click below:

Darth Vader: http://goo.gl/VmsRdK