Concert Memory: Brian Fallon - April 29, 2018

I returned to the Starland Ballroom for my second time this year on a Sunday night in late April to see Brian Fallon in concert. The weather was chilly, but clear. Playoff hockey was still going strong (at least for my favorite team, who would be eliminated from the playoffs just over a week later). Baseball season had started and my favorite ballclub was getting hot. And I was preparing for my annual trek to Columbia, Maryland for the M3 Festival. All these wonderful thoughts of Spring were on my mind as I rolled into the parking lot of The Brass Monkey Bar and Grill to have dinner with my cousin prior to the show.

Should you ever get the chance to visit the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, I A: highly recommend that you do, B: implore you to stop at The Brass Monkey prior to the show. This is one of those hole in the wall dive bars that has great service and some of the best burgers in the state. Discovered by my friend Bobby during our trek to see Theory of a Deadman where I would discover Pop Evil, The Brass Monkey is just amazing. Great food, great service, and great prices. You really can’t go wrong if you eat there prior to attending the concert. My cousin got to experience this place for the first time and he was impressed.

After leaving with a belly full of hard cider and amazing burgers, we ventured to the venue to see Brian Fallon perform. We got in with plenty of time to grab a drink, pick a spot to stand, and wait for the opening act to grace the stage.

Caitlin Rose was that act and while I had never heard of her prior to this show, I certainly know who she is now. She was terrific! Seeing her live made me seek out her material and I added spending quality time with her music to my to-do list. I was impressed with her stage presence, her style, and her magnificent voice. A tip of the cap to Brain Fallon for choosing her to open on this tour. It was a terrific option to say the least.

I had not seen Brian Fallon perform a solo show before, and I had not seen him perform at all since one of the final shows the Gaslight Anthem did in New Jersey. Since then he had released two solo albums that I fell in love with and left me craving more. The songs from these records were all terrific and I was excited to see which ones he would perform. I was also curious to hear how they would sound in the live setting versus the studio version. The short answer is wonderful. Brian Fallon was in extraordinary form that evening.

I’ve always felt that the best concerts are the ones where you leave with a new favorite song. Perhaps it’s a song you hadn’t heard but now love, or a song that you forgot about and had the joy of rediscovery during the live setting. In the case of that Brian Fallon show, I was fortunate enough to leave with two new favorite songs.

“Sugar,” is a forgotten gem from The Horrible Crowes, a one-off studio album that Fallon recorded with Ian Perkins in between Gaslight Anthem albums. When I heard it on Elsie I thought it was a good song, but never gave it proper attention. “Sugar” is a slow, dark song and I was more attracted to the harder rock style songs on that record. Yet, hearing “Sugar” live for the first time totally changed my appreciation for this song. I never realized how magnificent the song truly is. Since this night, I’ve listened to “Sugar” dozens of times. I am grateful that Fallon decided to perform this one in concert. 

“My Name Is the Night (Color Me Black)” is a song from Fallon’s latest release, Sleepwalkers. It’s a song that I liked a lot after hearing it on the record, but it’s also a song that I now absolutely love. I most likely would have fallen in love with this song given enough time, but hearing it live just promoted the timetable. Fallon’s live rendition of this future hit was spot on. Most of the crowd seemed to enjoy the song as well because they were singing the lyrics right back to Brian. This is a magnificent song, that will be enjoyed for years to come. It will probably also become a go to request for future Fallon concerts.

The night wrapped up in an odd, but spectacular fashion. Technically, there was no encore, but the way Fallon addressed this was exceptional. After the performance of “Etta James,” the band walked off the stage and Fallon moved over to the onstage keyboard. He addressed the crowd about how encores have basically become fake. You know that the artist is coming back out, they just go backstage and wait it out. What are they even doing back there? Fallon suggested that rather than wasting time like that he could play another song instead. The crowd roared their appreciation.

Brian then performed the jewel of the evening. A stripped down, piano only version of the classic Gaslight Anthem song “The ’59 Sound.” The new arrangement was breath taking as the focus was clearly on the lyrics in this quieter rendition. Hearing this song in that arrangement was a real treat to the ears. It was a beautiful version that I hope will be captured on a live record someday for all to enjoy. Although, with the power of today’s internet, I am sure that you can just look it up on YouTube and see it for yourself.

The evening wrapped up with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice (It’s Alright),” which was performed as a duo with Caitlin Rose. She mentioned how she was overwhelmed by the response the crowd gave her that evening to which Fallon replied “This is Jersey! These are my people!” That of course got one of the loudest roars of the night. “See You On The Other Side” came after the duet and the hard rocking “If Your Prayers Don’t Get To Heaven” (one of my favorites) closed out the show.

The end of the night came much too soon and left my wanting so much more. I don’t say that like it’s a negative either. That’s the sign of a great performance! Hopefully I will be able to catch The Gaslight Anthem at one of their anniversary shows this summer. If not, I will just have to hope that Fallon decides to make a return trip to New Jersey for a solo performance. As soon as it is announced, you can count me in!

Setlist

Last Rites

Forget Me Not

Red Lights

Come Wander With Me

Ladykiller

Bell Bottom Blues

Sugar

Neptune

My Name is the Night (Color Me Black)

Among Other Foolish Things

Watson

Downtown Train

Rosemary

A Wonderful Life

Smoke

Etta James

The ’59 Sound

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (w/ Caitlin Rose)

See You On The Other Side

If Your Prayers Don’t Get To Heaven

Concert Review: Pop Evil - March 24, 2018

On a chilled Saturday night, I drove to the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, to see Pop Evil’s perform as a headlining act. They were touring behind their latest self-titled release and I was excited to hear some of the new songs in concert. I was also excited to see this band live again, as it had been over a year since the last time I witnessed their magnificent concert.

I arrived early to see the opening acts, as I like to do, and was rewarded with a real treat. The first act of the night was a New Jersey based band called Ronin and they were exceptional. If you get a chance to see this band live, do yourself a favor and do it! I was so impressed by their quick set that I wanted to hear a longer performance. Alas, that was not going to happen. They gave a short, impressive, opening set and then it was time for the next act.

The next two bands of the night were just not for me. They weren’t awful, and they had stage presence, but I just wasn’t into their music. Perhaps it was the anticipation of Pop Evil coming on later, perhaps it was that Ronin had set the bar so high, but whatever the reason, I did not care for the next two acts. I kept an open mind, but I won’t be seeking out music from either of those bands.

As for the main treat of the night, Pop Evil was incredible as always. Although I did like their performance last year more than this year. If for no other reason than the fact that last year’s show was longer with more songs. I did think it was odd that Pop Evil was only playing 16 songs on this tour. That’s small for a headliner and the entire show was only 75 minutes. If they were co-headlining with someone, I would get that, but they were on their own. They should have given us 85-90 minutes and 19-20 songs. That was the only complaint I had though. Pop Evil has honed their live show through endless, rigorous touring, and they are a well-oiled machine that just knows how to give a performance.

And for me, it was a chance to release my inner rock demons. Where else can a corporate 9-5 guy go to unleash his pain by screaming “Be Legendary” and “Take It All” at the top of his lungs? Not to mention random high fives by strange dudes. That’s the power of rock and roll. It is an intense feeling that when let out into the night can be as powerful as anything in the human experience. Due to the maximum volume of the speakers, I was able to scream as loud as my diaphragm would allow and not bother anyone around me. And sing-screaming along with my Pop Evil favorites was a cleansing experience. It felt so damn good to rock that hard for an hour and change. And I was grinning the entire time.

Ten years of Pop Evil and they are still going strong. The setlist consisted of a few songs from the first two records and a large dose of the later hits as well as a good amount of songs from their latest release. “Hero” and “Monster You Made” got huge ovations and reactions from the crowd, rightfully so. They are two of the bands most beloved songs and always sound exceptional in concert.

“Silence and Scars” was the highlight of the night for me. I absolutely love that song and it was the first time that I got to hear it live. They did the song justice with a wonderful performance. I was on top of the world by the time the song was over.

Hearing “100 in a 55” brought back memories of the first time I ever saw the band. It was in that very building, although the layout was much different. Starland Ballroom had a facelift a few years ago and the design, while similar, is much more open than it was when Pop Evil first started performing there. Thinking back to the night I first saw the band filled me with joy. I could remember hearing “100 in a 55” for the first time and watching people sing along to it. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, these guys are great. And look how many people know this song. This band is something special.” That song cemented the decision for me to go buy their first album. It was one of the best music decisions I’ve ever made.

Pop Evil came once again, conquered once again, and kicked serious ass once again. I am already looking forward to the next time that I will see them live again, even though I have no idea when that is going to be. Hopefully it will be sooner than a year from now, but whenever it is, I know it’s going to be a fabulous night of real rock and roll!

Setlist

Ways To Get High

Boss’ Daughter

Torn To Pieces

Waking Lions

Ex Machina

Deal With The Devil

Nothing But Thieves

Hero

Art Of War

Monster You Made

Silence and Scars

Be Legendary

Take It All

Encore

100 in a 55

Footsteps

Trenches

Concert Review: Pop Evil - February 18, 2017

I could not have chosen a better concert to start my 2017 live music experience! On an unseasonably warm February night I headed to the Starland Ballroom in Sayervillle, New Jersey, to see Pop Evil for the first time in almost 4 years. The last time I saw the band live was when they opened for Three Days Grace before Onyx had even been released. A lot has changed for this band in those 4 years, most of it for the better.

This show was originally billed as Pop Evil with special guests Red Sun Rising and Badflower. Yet, for some reason still unknown to me, there was a last minute change and Red Sun Rising was not on the bill. Badflower was moved up to the middle act, and local band Kid Felix were tapped to be the openers. Officially, Red Sun Rising posted on their Facebook page that due to reasons beyond their control, they are no longer on the Pop Evil tour. Unofficially, there is speculation that the band dissed Pop Evil, insinuating that they could not sing, and that got them kicked off the tour. If that’s true, how stupid can you be? Sorry (not sorry) Red Sun Rising, but no one knows who you are yet, you should be thankful that Pop Evil took you on tour with them.

Kid Felix opened the night at the Starland Ballroom. They are a local, south jersey band that I had never heard of before. I had zero expectations for their set, but as always, I kept an open mind and waited to see what they had to show me. What they showed me was simply magnificent. Their set time was limited, but they used it to their advantage. Kid Felix was terrific on stage, performing solid original music that was catchy and impressive. I was also surprised by the number of people that showed up to see their set. Just before Kid Felix took the stage, the Starland Ballroom was 75% full. For an opening act, it’s usually 25% full, if that. It was nice to see so many rockers come out and give support to Kid Felix.

Badflower was the second act and I have to say they just weren’t for me. There were moments when I was hopeful that this band would be decent and I would find a song or two that I could like, but it never happened. The lead singer/guitarist was an odd little man that looked borderline psycho. I’m sure the younger folks in the crowd thought that was really cool, but that’s never been for me. I like positivity and inspiration in my musical messages. Badflower just gave me anger, whining, and noise.

Shortly after Badflower finished their set it was time for the headliners to grace the stage. As I mentioned, it had been a while since I last saw Pop Evil live and I was looking forward to their show. The stage set was very cool with a red brick wall, a chain link fence, and a cardboard sign painted in black that read “Rock N Roll.” I wasn’t used to seeing Pop Evil with any kind of stage (as they had always been the opening act), so this was intriguing.

The house lights went dark and a man in a hoodie and a bandana covering his face like a villain in an old western movie walked out. He walked from the top of the stage to the cardboard sign with a can of red spray paint in his hand. He sprayed painted the word “No” over “Rock N Roll” and the crowd gave a disapproving boo. Then he added a W to the word “No” so the sign read “Rock N Roll Now,” which is the name of the tour. The masked figure pulled his bandana off and flipped his hood back and of course it was Leigh Kakaty. The band then came out on stage and kicked into “Trenches.”

The show was not sold out prior to the night of the concert, and arriving early, I was able to get a ticket with no trouble at all. However, by the time Pop Evil took the stage it was clear that the show had sold out (or was very close to it). The Starland was packed for Pop Evil’s performance. Filled all the way through with loud New Jersey rock fans that wanted to see an amazing night of music. Pop Evil was there to deliver. “Trenches” was followed by “Last Man Standing,” a quick cover of “Eye of the Tiger,” the ellipsis song “…” and “Ways To Get High.” It was a great way to get the night going. I had not realized how beloved “Ways To Get High” was. The crowd roared when the first notes hit and then sang every word back to the band. And while it is far from my favorite Pop Evil song, I grew a stronger appreciation for the song after seeing it live.

If you’ve read any of my other reviews on this band then you know how much I appreciate them as a live act and how I think they are flat out amazing in concert. Having now seen them as headliners and for the first time in almost 4 years, I can only say that their live show has gone from great to spectacular. The way they commanded the crowd, the stage presence that they had, and their ability to rock the club was flawless. This band could easily be headlining arenas with their material and ability. Pop Evil is truly one of the best live acts out there. Their energy is infectious and the New Jersey crowd clearly loved the band.

Leigh talked a lot about his love for New Jersey and his appreciation for how much we care about the band, but that may have been the traditional lead singer language that he will repeat the next night to the next crowd. I want to believe that he really does have a soft spot for New Jersey and that we really are the greatest crowd, but that’s my New Jersey bias kicking in.

Leigh did reminisce on the first time the band played the Starland Ballroom as an opening act. He talked about how they played to approximately 20 people and 2 of them were his parents. That took me back to the first time I saw the band perform live as openers for Theory of a Deadman. I remember not even wanting to go in to see the opening act, but my wise friend Bobby talked me into it. I am so glad that he did, because I fell in love with the band that night and I haven’t looked back since.

The band performed “Purple” for what they said was the first time in over a year. They stated that they wanted to do something special for this special New Jersey crowd and I was delighted to hear the song. “Purple” has always been one of my favorite Pop Evil songs and it was terrific live.

Watching Pop Evil perform as headliners made me very happy. Not only because the show was so awesome, but because the band was doing so well and they looked so happy. Having watched and followed Pop Evil since their first album when they were an opening act performing to a small number of people and then slowly converting them to fans one member at a time, it was nice to see them at such a level of success. I’ve always believed in this band and it’s so good to see them doing so well. It’s akin to watching your children grow up. Pop Evil has been through a lot over the years and they still come out on top.

New drummer Hayley Cramer was a delight behind the drum kit. And while I miss Chachi Riot and his animal like drum playing, Hayley is a fantastic drummer in her own right and fits into the band well. She can also play the keyboards, as was made evident during the first Encore. Leigh and Hayley came out on stage together and played a slowed down version of “Beautiful.” It was a nice arrangement for the song and it was neat seeing Leigh sing it to only the keyboard playing in the background. 

I am somewhere in that photo all the way toward the back of the crowd.

The band would come out for a second encore which consisted of “Footsteps” and “Take It All.” Toward the end of “Footsteps” Leigh stopped the song and asked the crowd if it was all right if he came down to them. Of course they were fine with that! Leigh walked down into the crowd and asked everyone to crouch down low. He had the whole ballroom crouch low and he did so as well. He then talked about how making music was a process that started with great friends getting together working out songs. He wanted us to share that experience, the way that songs began. He then had us all sing the end of “Footsteps” together acapella. It sounded fantastic! Leigh thanked us for being fans and friends and then jumped back onto the stage for the last song of the night.

“Take It All” was jaw dropping and even though there are other candidates for the title, I think this will become Pop Evil’s signature song. It is a perfect ender, full of high energy and beloved by the crowd. Every person was screaming it back to the band to end the night.

And when it was all over, I was sweaty, I couldn’t hear, and it was hard to speak. But it was absolutely worth it. Pop Evil has grown into a force to be reckoned with and it’s only a matter of time before they are performing arenas across the United States and forcing me to see them from the nosebleed sections. I know it will be worth it though and I’ll just be happy to see the band live again.

Setlist

Trenches

Last Man Standing

Eye Of The Tiger

…

Ways To Get High

Ghost Of Muskegen

Torn To Pieces

Sick Sense

Boss’ Daughter

Divide

Purple

Lux

Deal With The Devil

Vendetta

Monster You Made

If Only For Now

Hero

100 In A 55

Encore

Beautiful (just Leigh and Hayley)

Second Encore

Footsteps

Take It All