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Concert Review: Bad Religion, Rochester, NY

“Age of Unreason Tour 2019”

Bad Religion, The Lawrence Arms
Tuesday, August 6^h, 2019
Anthology, Rochester, NY

Our score: 5 out of 5 stars

Bad Religion made a stop at Anthology in Rochester, NY on August 6^th as part of the bands current “Age of Unreason” tour. Along with the elder statesmen of punk were special guest The Lawrence Arms. Despite a thirty year lapse since the bands last performance in the Flour City both groups brought their A game to the sold out crowd who packed the gills of the intimate venue on a warm Tuesday night.

Epitaph label mates The Lawrence Arms opened the evening’s festivities promptly at 8pm and as the venue quickly filled to capacity the three piece group from Chicago, IL held court treating fans to their windy city brand of grit infused punk rock. Bassist/vocalist Brendan Kelly jokingly traded barbs with the audience between songs and at one point noted that this was the bands first time performing in Rochester. The band sounded great as it played songs from it six album catalog including a handful from their most recent release 2014’s “Metropole” before leaving the stage to a chant of one more song from the ever growing crowd.

After a somewhat timely change over Bad Religion would take to the stage basked in powerful, dark blue lighting. The band opened their set with the edgy “Them and Us” from the 1996 album “The Grey Race”. Vocalist Greg Graffin and the rest of the band consisting of Jay Bentley, Brian Baker, Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller blasted through a 27 song set full of classic BR songs like “Stranger Than Fiction”, “Atomic Garden”, Suffer” and “21^st Century (Digital Boy)” and newer songs like “Chaos From Within”, “My Sanity” and “Do The Paranoid Style” all of which are from the bands recently released studio album “Age of Unreason”.

Bad Religion certainly made up for their long absence in Rochester as the bands high energy 27 song set fed the need of both long time fans and fellow new comers (some of whom were as young as 12 years old). Anthology’s medium sized venue played a near perfect host for the humble punk veterans who seemed to really appreciate the vibe and energy they received in return for their stellar performance. Bad Religion will be on tour in the States through October so if the band is coming to your area you owe it to yourself to be there!

Bad Religion Set List:

1.) Them and us

2.) End of History

3.) Fuck You

4.) Stranger Than Fiction

5.) The Dichotomy

6.) Recipe for Hate

7.) Chaos From Within

8.) Los Angeles Is Burning

9.) The Handshake

10.) My Sanity

11.) Atomic Garden

12.) Lose Your Head

13.) Suffer

14.) No Control

15.) Against the Grain

16.) Skyscraper

17.) Anesthesia

18.) I Want to Conquer the World

19.) 21^st Century (Digital Boy)

20.) Generator

21.) The New Dark Ages

22.) You

23.) Do The Paranoid Style

24.) Fuck Armageddon…This Is Hell

25.) Sorrow

Encore

26.) Infected

27.) American Jesus

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Music Tagged With: bad, concert, ny, religion, review, rochester, ...

Concert Review: “Generation Axe” Rochester, NY

“Generation Axe”
Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngvie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, Tosin Abasi,
Saturday, December 1st, 2018
Kodak Performing Arts Center, Rochester, NY

Our score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Generation Axe” made a stop in the flour city on December 1st as part of the super group’s current US tour. Fresh off a successful tour of Asia the guitar dominant tour featuring Steve Vai, Yngvie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi is total emersion in to all things guitar. From head spinning solo performances to face melting group jams “Generation Axe” packs a punch like no other.

Given the reputation of the five guitarists who make up “Generation Axe” going in you can sort of guess what you are going to be in for however, it isn’t until you see the thirty plus Marshall amplifiers and various other gear that adorns the stage does it really sink in that “this might get loud”! From the opening notes of the Focus song “Hocus Pocus” (which featured all five talents shredding out of the gate) to the closing notes of Deep Purples “Burn” some three and a half hours later the near capacity crowd which filled the Kodak centers multi level venue were left slack jawed the near entire time. The performance moved rather smoothly as each of the five featured guitarists performed some of their more notable material before switching off with one of the other players. Animals As Leaders, Tosin Abasi opened the solo portion of the night with a furry of slap-tastic notes and uniquely timed transitions setting the stage nicely with songs from his bands catalog such as “Woven Web” and the popular “Physical Education”. Though he may have been the lesser known of the five Abasi let his music and technique speak earning him an impressive response from the audience.

Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt would take the stage next opening with the always fun to sing along to “Get The Funk Out”. Nuno interacted sporadically with crowd and at one point teased them with the opening of the ballad “More Than Word” which he quickly stopped and joked that he would not be playing that tonight. Probably the most impressive of Bettencourt’s session was the piece “Extreme Melody” which was taken from a You Tube fan compilation consisting of all of his solos. Before leaving the stage Nuno invited the bearded berserker Zakk Wylde up to play on “Sidewayst” which then gave way to the Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society guitarists own solo portion. Wylde’s set consisted mostly of Black Sabbath songs such as “NIB” and “War Pigs” before being closed out with an amazing rendition of Gary Moore’s “Still Got the Blues”. Wylde’s set was pure energy and crowd interaction as the golden haired front-man left the stage several times to jam in the audience and at one point even made his way to the over-hanging balcony to jam for the higher up fans. Steve Vai (the man behind Generation Axe) would follow taking the stage with a lighted guitar to the tune of “There’s a Fire in Here”. Vai’s solo portion was quite brief in that it only consisted of three songs however the man with six fingers delivered tenfold.

Closing out the solo portions of the night was “The Maestro” Yngvie Malmsteen. Doused in a glow of red the long haired leather clad shredder from Sweden took listeners on a neo-classical voyage courtesy of his signature fender Stratocasters and wall of Marshall amps. From “Into Valhalla”, “Apreggio From Hell” and, “Paganini’s 4th Adagio” Malmsteen kept his foot on the gas and did not let up one bit. The night ended with a handful of songs featuring the entire line up. Easily my favorite from the three was the group’s all guitar rendition of the Queen track “Bohemian Rhapsody” complete with falsetto breakdowns. This alone made the ticket worth the price of admission. The night was closed out by Deep Purples “Burn” featuring Yngvie on vocals and I have to say it was nice to hear something from Purple’s catalog other than “Highway Star” or “Smoke on the Water”

“Generation Axe” is a great night of guitar playing and music. Vary rarely do you get to see two of these performers in the same place at the same time let alone all five. Equally impressive is the groups backing band consisting of Bassist Pete Griffin, Keyboardist Nick Marinovich and drummer JP Bouvet. The band performed a wide range of complex material the entire night never missing a beat and gave the five virtuoso guitarists the perfect foundation to build on. If “Generation Axe” is coming to your town get you and/or that loved one tickets to the show as you won’t be disappointed.

Set List:
1.) Hocus Pocus (Full Group)
2. Tempting Time (TA)
3.) Woven Web (TA)
4.) Physical Education (TA)
5.) Get The Funk Out (NB)
6.) Midnite Express (NB)
7.) Extreme Melody (NB)
8.) Sidewayst (NB/ZW)
9.) Into the Void (ZW)
10.) NIB (ZW)
11.) War Pigs (ZW)
12.) Still Got the Blues (ZW)
13.) There’s a Fire in Here (SV)
14.) The Animal (SV)
15.) For the Love of God (SV)
16.) Into Valhalla (YM)
17.) Baroque & Roll (YM)
18.) From A Thousand Cuts (YM)
19.) Apreggio From Hell (YM)
20.) Far Beyond the Sun (YM)
21.) Badlinere (YM)
22.) Paganini’s 4th Adagio (YM)
23.) Trilogy Suite Op 5 (YM)
24.) Black Star (YM)
25.) The Star-Spangled Banner (YM)
26.) Frankenstein (Full Group)
27.) Bohemian Rhapsody (Full Group)
28.) Burn (Full Group)

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Music Tagged With: axe, concert, generation, ny, review, rochester, ...

Concert Review: GWAR “30 Years of Tourment” Rochester, NY

“30 Years of Tourment”
GWAR, Butcher Babies, Battlecross
Date: Friday, September 18, 2015
Venue: Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Antarctic natives GWAR slaughtered their way to the Water Street Music in Rochester, NY on Sept. 18th as part of their current “30 Years of Tourment” tour. Along for the ride this time around were the always lovely Butcher Babies and Detroit darlings Battlecross. The night proved to be a mixture of sweat, energy and several unknown liquids which were expelled on to the crowd by the night’s headliners providing the perfect recipe for Friday night.

Kicking off the night was the band Battlecross who blasted through a 30 minute set which set the bar relatively high for the following acts. Vocalist Kyle Gunther seemed to give everything he had from start to finish which complimented the rest of the bands in your face performance which seemed to ignite the incoming crowd. Up next would be the lovely Butcher Babies who despite this being the bands last night on the tour certainly did an amazing job of taking things to the next level as not only did the band command the crowd’s attention from the stage but took things further as both Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey took turns working the security barrier which at times was over flowing with energetic crowd surfing fans. GWAR would be next where they proceeded to close out the night in typical blood soaked fashion. This was the first time the band has performed in Rochester since the addition of both Pustulus Maximus on guitar and Blothar on vocals and the crowd seemed to enjoy the new characters and what they brought to the live performance. Though the performances seemed to lack the energy and spur of the moment banter once provided by the late great Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie) the set did feature some songs fans hadn’t heard live in awhile such as “I Bonesnapper”, “Babyraper” and the always entertaining ”Meat Sandwich”.

It was great to finally see the latest incantation of GWAR however there was something missing. Undoubtedly the absence of founding member Dave Brockie cast a big shadow for this reviewer and even though the bands current lineup put on a great show it was very apparent that Mr. Brockie left some extremely large latex and goo covered shoes to fill.

GWAR Set List:
(Partial list)
1.) Sick of You (Dubstep Version
2.) Vlad the Impaler
3.) Saddam a Go-Go
4.) Jack the World
5.) I Bonesnapper
6.) Babyraper
7.) Meat Sandwich
8.) Let us Slay
9.) Sick of You

Concert Review: John 5 and the Creatures, Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY

John 5 and the Creatures
Date: Saturday, March 7th 2015
Venue: Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Guitarist extraordinaire John 5 slid into the frozen tundra of Rochester, NY on March 7th to perform at the intimate Montage Music Hall. John is currently out on his first ever solo tour which coincides with his latest solo release titled “Careful with That Axe”. Though the crowd wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the guitarist who has worked with everyone from Kd Lang and David Lee Roth to Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie all were quickly wiped away.

The trio who along with John 5 includes bassist Ian Ross and drummer Roger Carter hit the stage basked in rays of red and green light before instantly launching in to the song “Flight of the Vulcan Kelly”. As the set progressed through songs like “Sin”, Jiffy Jam” and “Six Hundred and Sixty Six” 5 and company seemingly became more comfortable with the Rochester crowd and paused briefly to thank them for their support before closing out the night with John’s instrumental rendition of the Michael Jackson classic “Beat It” for closing out the night with a medley of songs ranging from AC/DC’s “Back in Black” to Iron Maidens “The Trooper” to White Zombie classic “Thunder Kiss 65”. This little medley alone made the night worth the price of admission and then some.

Though this may be John’s first tour as a solo artist he’s certainly no stranger to the stage as his 20 plus years of experience in music certainly showed as he worked the audience like a true veteran of the stage. He often signaled for crowd response or sending his guitar into the audience for them to play. Later on in the set he even brought up a fan play his guitar while he passed out high fives to those in the front row. If John 5 and the Creatures are making their way to your time in the coming month or two definitely make it a priority to get to the show as you won’t be disappointed. For those looking for something a little extra out of the night John is offering special VIP packages through www.John-5.com where you can attend sound check, meet the band along with getting some other really cool limited edition swag.

John5 Set List
1.) Flight of the Vulcan Kelly
2.) Villisca
3.) This Is My Rifle
4.) Sin
5.) El Cucuy
6.) Jiffy Jam
7.) Portrait of Sidney Sloan
8.) Guitar Solo
9.) Six Hundred and Sixty Six
10.) Mad Monster Party
11.) Young Thing
12.) First Victim
13.) Feisty Cadavers
14.) Beat It
15.) Medley

Concert Review “Juggernaut Tour 2015” Rochester, NY

“Juggernaut Tour 2015”
Periphery, Nothing More, Wovenwar, Thank You Scientist
Date: Monday, February 9^th 2015
Venue: Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The progressive metal band Periphery slid into the Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY on February 9^th to play one of the last shows of the groups 2015 winter “Juggernaut Tour”. The 6 piece group from Bethesda, MA is out in support of their latest albums “Juggernaut: Alpha” and “Juggernaut: Omega”. Also on the bill for the snow filled evening was Texas natives Nothing More, Wovenwar and Thank You Scientists. Even though mother nature reaped havoc on Upstate, NY the near 12 inches of snow did not stop 3 of the 4 bands on the bill from giving their all to those who braved the treacherous travel conditions.

Horrible weather didn’t stop 3 of the 4 bands on Periphery’s Juggernaut Tour from bringing each of their unique and progressive sounds to those who slipped and slid through the venue doors. Though Thank You Scientist were unable to perform due to a break down the 3 remaining acts on the bill put their best snow covered feet forward. The former members of As I Lay Dying would take the stage first with their new band Wovenwar. The melodic metal band which features Oh, Sleeper vocalist Shane Blay shredded through a brief 6 song set which showcased songs from the groups self titled debut album. The always spot on guitar duo of Nick Hipa and Phil Sgrosso were in top form as were the other member’s performances. Though the band took little time to interact with the intimate sized crowd they let their music do all the talking which resulted in tremendous praise from the audience. Nothing More would take the stage next flanked by an array of drums held up by ornate stands which factored heavily into the bands visual presentation. Despite the band showcasing a variety of talents including a 3 person bass solo and tandem drumming I found these occurrences to be the only real highlight of the bands 10 song set. After a brief set change the members of Periphery would hit the stage running with the song “Icarus Live!” which gave way to fan favorites like ”Make Total Destroy” and “Ragnarok” while also giving fans a taste of some of the songs off both new albums. At times the bands down tuned dinge seemed to over shadow Spencer Sotelo’s vocal performance but that aside the bands performance otherwise flawless.

Despite weather putting a huge damper on the evening’s attendance the 3 bands that performed demonstrated nothing but sheer professionalism. There is no doubt in my mind fans who came out this evening enjoyed the show. Bands with less professionalism would have simply thrown in the towel and bowed down to the weather gods but Periphery, Nothing More and Wovenwar showed their dedication to their fans and each put on noteworthy performances that will stick in the minds of each person who made it out to Water Street this night.

Periphery Set List
1.) Icarus Lives!
2.) Make Total Destroy
3.) The Scourge
4.) Psychosphere
5.) 22 Faces
6.) Ji
7.) The Bad Thing
8.) Alpha
9.) Graveless
10.) Scarlet
11.) Ragnarok
12.) Masamune

Nothing More Set List
1.) Christ Copy
2.) Sex & Lies
3.) Mr. MTV
4.) Bass Solo
5.) Jenny
6.) The Mathews Effect
7.) Dirge
8.) Fell in Love with a Ghost
9.) Salem (Burn the Witch)
10.) This is the Time (Ballast)

Wovenwar Set List
1.) All Rise
2.) Death to Rights
3.) The Mason
4.) Profane
5.) Tempest
6.) Prophets

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: 2015, concert, juggernaut, ny, review, rochester, ...

Concert Review: “Redeemer of Souls Tour” with Judas Priest & Steel Panther @ Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY

“Redeemer of Souls Tour”
Judas Priest, Steel Panther
Wednesday, October 1^st 2014
Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY

Our score: 4 out of 5 stars

After a 2 year hiatus from the music scene the metal gods themselves Judas Priest are back on the road supporting their latest album release titled “Redeemer of Souls”. The tour kicked off on October 1st in Rochester, NY before a near capacity crowd and though opening night didn’t go as smoothly everyone was hoping for both Priest and opening act Steel Panther were at the top of their games.

As the doors to the vast Main Street Armory opened fans quickly flooded the venue in anticipation of the evening’s events. As the evenings advertised 7:30 start time rolled around and quickly turned in to 7:45, 8:00, 8:15 etc. It wouldn’t be till almost 8:40 that opening act Steel Panther would take the stage. The band which has been taking a lot of heat since it was announced they would be part of the tour initially didn’t win over the Rochester crowd as they took the stage to a sea of boo’s. It was unclear if the late start was the fault of the bands or of the promoter however despite the unpleasant welcome the band shrugged it off and blasted through an 11 song set which touched on each of the bands 4 releases. Vocalist Michael Starr handled his vocal duties like a true veteran and in between songs attempted to regain the crowds trust through the bands normal joking and goofing on one another. This seemed to work as the band left the stage to cheers and applause the total opposite of how the night began.

After a few minutes a large Judas Priest banner dropped from the rafters signaling that the wait was almost over. After a brief intro the arena was filled with smoke and lights as Rob Halford and company ripped into the song “Dragonaut” which is also the first track off the band newest album. Halford seemed a little unsteady at first and was using a cane however by the end of the first number it appeared as though it was just a prop as he lurked back and forth with ease the rest of the night. The band played a variety of songs from their vast catalog such as “Victim of Changes”, ‘Turbo Lover” and “Love Bites” which hasn’t been in the set since 1986. The band’s sound was tight and well rehearsed with Rob’s signature scream being in top form. The newest member of the band guitarist Richie Faulkner seemed even more comfortable and certainly did his part to elevate the night’s excitement. Before calling it a night the band treated the audience to two encores which were both greeted with deafening roars and devil horns thrown high into the air.

When the night was finally over and the venue was silent it was easy to say that despite a few small setbacks the tours opening night was a success. Both Priest fans new and old were given everything both bands had and then some as it was a great night of music. If the tour is coming to your area make sure to get your tickets as soon as you can as there are very few bands out there right now who can rival the power and fury of the one and only Judas Priest.

Steel Panther Set List:
1.) Pussy Whipped
2.) Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World
3.) Asian Hooker
4.) Just Like Tiger Woods
5.) Gold Digging Whore
6.) Girl From Oklahoma
7.) Community Property
8.) Eyes of the Panther
9.) 17 Girls in a Row
10.) Death to All but Metal
11.) Party All Day (Fuck All Night)

Judas Priest Set List:
1.) Battle Cry Intro
2.) Dragonaut
3.) Metal Gods
4.) Devil’s Child
5.) Victim of Changes
6.) Halls of Valhalla
7.) Loves Bites
8.) March of the Damned
9.) Turbo Lover
10.) Redeemer of Souls
11.) Beyond the Realms of Death
12.) Jawbreaker
13.) Breaking the Law
14.) Hell Bent for Leather

Encore:
15.) You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
Encore 2
16.) Living After Midnight
17.) Defenders of the Faith

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: armory, concert, judas, main, ny, panther, ...

Concert Review “Transgender Dysphoria Blues Tour” Rochester, NY

“Transgender Dysphoria Blues Tour”
Against Me!, Tony Molina, Big Eyes
Date: Saturday, May 10th 2014
Venue: Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The punk rock group Against Me! made a stop at Rochester, NY’s Water Street Music Hall on Saturday, May 10th in support of their latest album titled “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”. The 4 piece group appeared to be in top form with singer/guitarist Laura Jane Grace at the helm as the group blasted through an hour and fifteen minute set that included songs from the group new album and their sizable back catalog.

Big Eyes a three piece power trio from Seattle, Washington helped kick off the night as they performed a solid 35 minute set playing songs that were a blend of both classic and indie rock. Singer/guitarist Kate Eldridge laid down an impressive performance both on guitar and vocally while the group’s bassist and drummer provided an extremely tight back beat. Next up was the group Tony Molina from San Francisco, California. The group performed a unique blend of melodic punk rock tinged with Black Sabbath like break downs that quickly grabbed my attention. Sadly the rest of the crowd in attendance didn’t seem interested as there were several portions of the bands brief set which could have used immediate attention mainly in the name of feedback suppression which ran ramped in between each number.

After an extended set change Against Me! would take the stage opening with “FuckMyLife666” which set the performance of perfectly by paving the way for songs like “New Wave”, “Don’t Lose Touch” and “Trans Gender Dysphoria Blues”. The bands energy was high throughout the fast pace 75 minute set and though the band paused only briefly to interact with the frenzied crowd those in attendance didn’t mind. At point during the set the band asked the crowd for help as they sang happy birthday to bassist Inge Johansson which everyone seem to really enjoy and then it was immediately back to the set which was closed out shortly after by the song “The Ocean” from the bands “New Wave” album. After some persistent chanting from the crowd Laura Jane returned to the stage for a solo performance of “Baby, I’m an Anarchist” which was followed by full band performances of We “Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules)” and the always entertaining “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong”.

Whether you just discovered Against Me! or you are a long time fan you need to get to one of the remaining shows on this tour. The band sounds better than ever and the new material sounds even better live. Also if you want to check out some other cool music then get to the venue early and catch both Big Eyes and Tony Molina sets as I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Against Me! Set List:
1. FuckMyLife666
2. Cliché Guevara
3. New Wave
4. Walking Is Still Honest
5. Unconditional Love
6. I Still Love You Julie
7. True Trans Soul Rebel
8. Don’t Lose Touch
9. I Was a Teenage Anarchist
10. Turn Those Clapping Hand into Angry Balled Fists
11. Pretty Girls (The Mover)
12. Transgender Dysphoria Blues
13. Miami
14. Americans Abroad
15. Dead Friend
16. Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ
17. Thrash Unreal
18. Black Me Out
19. The Ocean
Encore:
20. Baby, I’m an Anarchist
21. We Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules)
22. Pints of Guinness Make You Strong

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: blues, concert, dysphoria, ny, review, rochester, ...

Concert Review: 3 Doors Down and Daughtry – Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY

“3 Doors Down and Daughtry”
Aranda, 3 Doors Down, Daughtry
Date: Saturday, February 9th 2013
Venue: Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The second leg of the 3 Doors Down & Daughtry tour made its way to the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY on Saturday despite cancelling the previous night’s show due to extreme weather conditions. Though some of that weather was still lingering it didn’t stop any of the bands from putting on a solid show for the near capacity crowd.

The hard rock band Aranda would open up the night and though their set was brief the band definitely seemed to give it their all. At one point during the 30 minute set guitarist Dameon Aranda began playing slide guitar with his boot. An interesting touch if I do say so myself. 3 Doors Down would be up next and from the first notes of “Time of My Life” to the closing sounds of “When I’m Gone” singer Brad Arnold and the boys commanded the stage. Though the setlist was virtually unchanged from the first leg of the tour the band sounded just as good if not better. To take things up another notch Chris Daughtry would make a guest appearance on the bands most notable hit “Kryptonite” sharing vocal duties.

Daughtry and company would close out the night performing a somewhat hodge podge of songs from the American Idol alums 3 albums. The beginning of the set started off a little rough as it was plagued with sound issues causing the fans in the first few rows closest to the stage to begin voicing their displeasures. As the set progressed the sound seemed to get better however the crowd began to noticeably thin out only after a few of Daughtry’s song. This really made me question the lineup for the evening. Those things aside probably the most exciting part of Daughtry’s set was the cover of Phil Collins classic song “In the Air Tonight” which featured Brad Arnold returning the favor as a guest vocalist.

If you didn’t have a chance to catch this lineup on the first leg of the tour and are a fan of either artist you surely won’t want to miss your second chance. All three acts put on a solid show belting out hit after hit which makes for a great night of music that the whole family can enjoy.

3 Doors Down Set List:
1.) Time of My Life
2.) It’s Not my Time
3.) Duck and Run
4.) The Road I’m On
5.) Away From the Sun
6.) Let Me Go
7.) Goodbye
8.) Loser
9.) There’s a Life
10.) Landing in London
11.) One Light
12.) Here Without You
13.) Citizen/Soldier
14.) Symphony of Destruction (Megadeth Cover)
15.) The Better Life
16.) Kryptonite (w/ Chris Daughtry)
17.) When I’m Gone

Daughtry Set List:
1.) Break the Spell
2.) Feels Like Tonight
3.) Outta My Head
4.) Crawling Back to You
5.) What I Want
6.) Renegade
7.) Start of Something
8.) Gone Too Soon
9.) Tennessee Line
10.) Over You
11.) No Surprise
12.) In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins Cover)(w/ Brad Arnold)
13.) Every Time You Turn Around
14.) We’re Not Gonna Fall
15.) Home
16.) September
17.) It’s Not Over

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: 3, armory, concert, daughtry, doors, main, ...

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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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: concert, ny, review, rochester, tour

Concert Review “Children of Bodom’s 15th Anniversary Tour” Rochester, NY

“Children of Bodom’s 15th Anniversary Tour”
Children of Bodom, Eluveite, Revocation and Threat Signal
Date: Monday, January 30th 2012
Venue: Water St. Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

January 30th ad the Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY played host to the third show of a 36 date tour which is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Finnish heavy metal group Children of Bodom. Along with Children of Bodom the nights line up featured special guests Eluveite, Revocation and Threat Signal.

Ontario, Canada’s Threat Signal kicked off the show playing a blend of harmony infused metal that did a great job priming the audience. Though their set was brief the band seemed to put everything they had into their performance. Revocation would take the stage next and treated the crowd to what could be described as Mid-Evil Metal. Front man Dave Davidson did a great job of setting the story for each epic song prior to its performance. This only seemed to draw the crowd more into the band’s blend of progressive, mystically tinged music.

The 8 piece Celtic-metal group known as Eluveite would be up next and despite every inch of the stage being filled with band members and instruments Eluveite stole the show. Lead vocalist Chrigel Glanzmann had the crowd in the palm of his hand during the bands 40 min. set. Chrigel and the rest of the band filled the venue with a variety of unique sound normally not heard in the metal genre. The band performed a number of tracks off their 2010 release “Everything Remains (As It Never Was)” album as well as a few new songs off the upcoming “Helvetios” album. After an impressive 40 min. performance the band left the stage to repeated chants of “one more song”.

Children of Bodom closed out the night treating the fans with songs that spanned their 15 year career. Front man Alexi Laiho put on a blinding display of guitar playing only further confirming why he is often considered one of the top metal guitarists of the day. Through most of the set I found Alexi’s vocals hard to hear over the deafening roar of guitar and drums. This could have been attributed to the tour being only on its third show and still having some bugs needing to be worked out or, the band is really just the loud. Over all the bands performance was ok. Personally I would have liked to have heard one or two covers tracks off the bands “Blooddrunk” album.

If you have never seen Children of Bodom before I highly recommend making out to one of the shows on this tour. I recommend getting their early as the entire tour package is really solid. Also you definitely won’t want to miss Eluveite.

Children of Bodom Set List:
1. Shovel Knockout
2. Are You Dead Yet?
3. Not My Funeral
4. Kissing the Shadows
5. Living Dead Beat
6. Round Trip to Hell and Back
7. COB/Deadnight Warrior/Hate Me!
8. SixPounder
9. BloodDrunk
10. Angels Don’t Kill
11. In Your Face
12. HCDR
13. Bodom After Midnight
14. Bodom Beach Terror
15. Downfall

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: 15th, anniversary, bodoms, children, concert, ny, ...

Concert Review “Thursday Farewell Tour” Rochester, NY

“Thursday Farewell Tour”
Thursday, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Zechs Marquise, Such Gold, Endyga
Date: Sunday, December 4^th 2011
Venue: The Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Thursday, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Zechs Marquise rolled into the historic Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY on December 4^th for what has been announced as Thursday’s last tour ever. Along with the New Jersey natives was the Alabama hard rock band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Zechs Marquise from El Paso, Texas.

The nights show was kicked off by two Rochester based bands Endyga and Such Gold. Both bands seemed to be crowd favorites as each played a brief but energetic set while fans were still filling the intimate venue. The instrumental group Zechs Marquise would be next playing a unique blend of rock and free jazz. For those who don’t know Zechs Marquis features Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez on drums. Marcel is the older brother and band mate of The Mars Volta guitarist’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Though the band was solely instrumental the crowd really seemed to enjoy what they heard from the 5 piece group.

Next to take the stage was the high energy rock act Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. Vocalist Dallas Taylor worked the stage like a pro as he bounded from the tops of amplifiers to a podium which had been assembled for him. The band seemed to have a take no prisoner’s attitude that took the show to the next level.

Thursday would close out the night for what was most likely the bands last appearance in New York. The band after a 13 year career announced on Nov. 22 that this tour would indeed be their last as a group. Though thoughts of never being able to Thursday perform live again were fresh on all the minds of those who filled the venue there was nothing but positivity in the air. The band played a variety of material pausing momentarily at times to thank the fans for their support over the years. If this is the last Rochester will see of Thursday then the band did not let anyone in attendance down. The band seemed fresh and really played to the crowd. With this date being the last of the tour I was a little worried that we would be receiving an abbreviated show. This was not the case at all. Playing just under 90 minutes the band as well as the crowd gave their all. If you get the chance to catch Thursday on a few of their remaining shows definitely do so.

Thursday Set List:
1.)    Open Quotes
2.)    Workforce
3.)    Understanding
4.)    Magnets
5.)    No Answers
6.)    Sparks
7.)    ATV
8.)    Division
9.)    Signals
10.) Cross
11.) Sugar
12.) Auto
13.) Counting
14.) Resuscitation

Encore:
15.) Jet Black
16.) Turnpike

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: concert, farewell, ny, review, rochester, thursday, ...

Concert Review “Epitaph Tour 2011” Rochester, NY

“Epitaph Tour 2011”
Judas Priest, Black Label Society, Thin Lizzy, DJ Lady Starlight
Date: Wednesday, November 16th 2011
Venue: Main St. Armory, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The Epitaph Tour headlined by Judas priest made its way to upstate New York on Nov. 16th playing to a near capacity crowd. The tour is slated to be the last tour for heavy metal legends Judas Priest who will be retiring from the road after almost 40 years in the music business. The crowd consisted of a variety of ages that ranged from pre-teens on up to what appeared to be grandparents. DJ Lady Starlight kicked off the night spinning a variety of heavy metal classics which she would continue to do in between each of the other acts sets. Thin Lizzy took the stage first playing a variety of hits. Though the crowd’s reception to the band started off luke warm classic tracks such as “Jail Break” and “The Boy’s Are Back In Town” quickly won the audience over.

Black Label Society took the stage next and was surely a crowd favorite. Zakk Wylde and company put on a stellar performance which seemed to work the crowd into a rabid frenzy. Songs such as “Crazy Horse”, “Fire It Up” and “Stillborn” gave the crowd plenty to bang their heads to. Though the band only played an hour each member appeared to give it their all. The assembled masses in return showed their appreciation in a variety of ways.

Judas Priest would take the stage next to close out the night. The stage featured a chain link motif that only added to the fact that after 40 years in the business the band are still the kings of heavy metal. At times throughout the set I found it hard to hear Rob Halfords vocals which seemed to get lost in the mix. That aside the band was extremely tight. Newly added guitarist Richie Faulkner who replaces K.K. Downing did an excellent job and seemed to fit right in with the veteran metalers from Birmingham, England. The set featured a variety of classic songs assembled from the bands vast catalog. Songs such as “Diamonds and Rust” Screaming for Vengeance” and “Hell Bent For Leather” which featured Halfords signature of riding a motorcycle across the stage were definite highlights.

If you are fan of both classic and newer heavy metal you will want to check out the Epitaph Tour. Not to mention this will most likely be one of the last times you will be able to see Judas priest live.

Thin Lizzy Set List:
Are Your Ready
Waiting For An Alibi
Jailbreak
Massacre
Emerald
Killer On the Loose
Rosalie/Cowgirls Song
Black Rose
Cowboy Song
The Boys Are Back In Town

Black Label Society Set list:
Crazy Horse
Funeral Bell
Bleed For Me
Suicide Messiah
Overlord
Parade of the Dead
Fire it Up
Guitar Solo
Godspeed Hell Bound
Concrete Jungle
Stillborn

Judas Priest Set List:
Rapid Fire
Metal Gods
Heading Out To The Highway
Judas Rising
Starbreaker
Victim Of Changes
Never Satisfied
Diamonds and Rust
Prophecy
Night Crawler
Turbo Lover
Beyond the Realms of Death
The Sentinel
Blood Red Skies
The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)
Breaking The Law
Painkiller
The Hellion/Electric Eye
Hell Bent For Leather
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
Living After Midnight

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: 2011, concert, epitaph, ny, review, rochester, ...

Concert Review: I’m Alive Tour – Rochester, NY

I’M ALIVE TOUR
Featuring: We Came As Romans, Miss May I, Of Mice And Men, Texas In July
and Close To Home
Date: Friday, October 14^th 2011
Venue: Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The I’M ALIVE tour featuring We Came As Romans, Miss May I, Of Mice And Men, Texas In July and Close To Home wrapped up its month long run in Rochester, NY on Oct. 14th. The show was held at the legendary Water Street Music Hall with the bands playing to a near capacity crowd. It was a predominately younger crowd for the metal-core tour package which featured a solid line up of today’s upcoming acts. The Michigan based band We Came As Romans were billed as the headlining act. The band is out touring in support of their newest release titled “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be”. The album was released in Mid-September via Equal Vision Records.

Close To Home kicked off the night with a brief set which in my opinion was the spark that started off the night. The band played a tight set which got the crowd going from the first note. Texas In July took the stage next and provided a solid performance. Though there seemed to be little interaction between the crowd and the band the performance was still on point. Of Mice and Men were next and proved to be the catalyst that stepped the concert up a notch. OMAM vocalist Austin Carlile brought his A game which the crowd recognized by crowd surfing Carlile from the stage to the rear of the venue as the bands set came to a close. The Ohio based Miss May I were up next and continued to throw gasoline on the fire as an attempt was made to crowd surf 100 people over the security barricade. Last to take the stage was We Came As Romans. The band played song a variety of songs of their latest release as well as the bands 2009 release “To Plant A Seed. Despite being the last night of the tour We Came As Romans and all the other bands on the tour put on a great show.

Even though the venue seemed to be unprepared for the amount of fans wanting to get into the show each band put on a solid performance that made standing in the rain for almost 2 hours worth it. Of Mice and Men really put on a stellar performance that not only musically sounded good but seemed to really invoke the crowd into a rabid frenzy. By the time headliners We Came As Romans hit the stage the club was bursting with energy and people. At times throughout the set you could feel the club shake as fans moved from side to side. Water Street Music Hall despite the slowness of the ticket taking process is still a great place to see a show and, if you get a chance to see any of the bands featured on the I’M ALIVE tour definitely check them out as you won’t be disappointed!

Be sure to check out our album review of We Came As Romans “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be” as well as our interview with lead guitarist Josh Moore.

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: alive, concert, ny, review, rochester, tour, ...

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