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Showing posts with label modern rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label modern rock. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Pop Evil Announce 2019 US Headline Tour Dates
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Concert Memory: Trans Siberian Orchestra - December 13, 2008
I have a confession to make. I have actually fallen asleep at a concert. This is something I never thought would be admitted, but here I am, confessing one of my deepest secrets to all that will read this. It’s not a fact that I am proud of, but at the same time, I’m not ashamed of it either. More than anything, I am surprised that it occurred at all.
My wife is a huge fan of Trans Siberian Orchestra. Every
holiday season we are forced to listen to their Christmas albums multiple
times. And that’s not a terrible thing; it’s just that they aren’t one of my
favorite bands to enjoy at Christmas time (or anytime). I don’t hate their
music, there are even a couple of songs that I thoroughly enjoy, but TSO is a
band that I can take or leave. And I never had the desire to see them live.
That was until I needed to come up with a good surprise for my wife’s birthday.
My wife is a December baby. Those reading this that have
birthdays in December know exactly what that means. However, for the rest of
you, I will spell it out simply. December babies get screwed when it comes to
their birthday. It’s Christmas time. It’s Hanukkah. It’s Kwanza. It’s
everything except someone’s birthday. People are busy with the holiday season,
decorating, hosting holiday parties, and worrying about end of the year
priorities. Birthdays are an afterthought. Even in their own families, December
babies get the “combo” gift (this is for your birthday AND Christmas), or they
get a birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper. It’s horrible!
I was always raised to remember that birthdays are
special. It’s a magical day meant for just that person and it should not be shared
with anyone or anything else---including another holiday. Therefore, I always
try to make my wife’s birthday special. A real birthday card. Real birthday
wrapping paper. And real birthday surprises.
In 2008, Trans Siberian Orchestra was touring once again. Their annual Winterfest. That particular year TSO was going to perform at a venue in New Jersey (the now defunct IZOD center) on my wife’s birthday. As soon as I learned that, I just knew I had to take our family to that concert so we could celebrate appropriately. It was a matinee show (the band was doing two performances on Saturday, an odd notion that I wish other bands would think about) and that was perfect for our family because my daughter was 11 years old at the time. I would prefer that she saw the early show instead of getting home after midnight.
And thus, I got us tickets and told my wife that we had a
big surprise for her birthday but would say nothing more. She would have to
wait until that special day to learn what was going on. On the day of her
celebrated birth, my wife, daughter, and I hopped into the car with only two of
us knowing where we were heading. My daughter and I had a plan and I think it
worked out pretty well. As we started driving away from the house, my wife was
filled with curious wonder.
“Where are we going?”
“You will see,” would be my only response.
Then about 10 minutes into the drive, my daughter played
her part by announcing that she would like to hear some Christmas music.
“Okay,” I said. “I think I have some we can play.”
Knowing full well that I had some, because I already had the TSO Christmas
album loaded in the car’s CD player before my wife even got to the car. I hit
play and the Trans Siberian Orchestra surrounded us in music.
My wife looked quizzically at me. She wanted to say
something but stopped. I chuckled inside and we continued on our ride. A few
moments later she finally burst out: “Wait! Are we going to see Trans Siberian
Orchestra?”
When I confirmed that we were, she literally squealed
with delight. It was one of the five happiest times for my wife that I remember
from our marriage (so far). She was ecstatic. You would have thought that I
told her she just won a million dollars. She was giddy.
And so, to the show we went. We had decent seats in the
100s section with a good view of the stage. It was also only the second or
third concert that my daughter had been to, so it was a real treat for her as
well, but make no mistake about it; this was my wife’s gift. And the surprise
of suddenly realizing that she was at a concert she had wanted to see her
entire life must have been overwhelming. She certainly had no idea her day was
going to be like that when she woke up in the morning!
When the band came on stage, I thought they were decent.
Like I’ve said, TSO is a band that I like but not love. I can take them or
leave them. But I watched their set with unbiased eyes and ears. And I enjoyed
their stage performance. I enjoyed their music. I enjoyed their antics. Then
somewhere about halfway through the concert, things slowed down to a crawl. And
that I didn’t enjoy so much.
So why the band was crawling through some excruciating
slow number, and my wife and daughter were mesmerized by the stage performers,
I found myself closing my eyes. It had been a long day for me. It had been a
stressful day for me. Planning and organizing and arranging everything so that
it went just right for my wife’s special day. I’m not using that as an excuse,
I am just stating the facts. It was a long day and closing my eyes at that
moment felt really, really good. So I closed them. And
next thing I knew, I was waking up twenty minutes later when the band kicked it
into high gear again.
I awoke with a jolt and looked around me. Had anyone
noticed? Did anyone see that I was sleeping? Did my wife see that I was
sleeping and if she did was that going to ruin her overall experience on her
birthday? I quickly assessed the situation and realized that no, she had not
seen me fall asleep. She was too engrossed in the show. Score one for the
husband who would remain awake for the remainder of the concert.
It would be my only Trans Siberian Orchestra event. I
figured if I could not stay awake for their entire show, then this clearly was
not a band for me to see live. I fulfilled my wife’s desire to see them live
and took her to a show on her birthday which was an extra special treat. I
figured if she would like to see them again, she can go with her friends or
other family members. Just count me out.
I eventually did come forth and tell my wife that I
nodded off. I don’t remember if it was later that night, or another time, but I
did admit to it. I told her that the concert just wasn’t for me. She, on the
other hand, absolutely loved it and I think to this day it is still one of her
top five concert experiences. For me it is probably a bottom five concert
experience. And that’s okay. My wife and I don’t always see eye to eye on every
concert. I mean, she hated Dave Matthews Band whereas I’ve seen them 21 times
and counting. To each their own I suppose. And TSO is clearly not my own.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
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
Sunday, February 18, 2018
CD Review: Pop Evil - Pop Evil
It has been a while since there has been a CD review here
at The Rock And Roll Guru. There are
several reasons for this, time being one of the biggest. But when a new Pop
Evil record was announced, I knew that I had to write a review for this one. I
have been with this band since their earliest days and they have been one of my
favorites since the night I first learned of their existence. Hard working, dedicated, hit making machines that are constantly on
tour, Pop Evil is one of the greatest modern rock bands around.
I am certain I say this every time Pop Evil puts out a
new album, but they just get better with each release. Pop Evil is the latest incarnation of greatness from this little
band that could. The record is filled with uplifting messages of hope and peace
and belief in yourself, something that is usually at the core of good hard rock
records. It is why fans are so drawn to the music in the first place, it makes
them believe that they can achieve anything. Pop Evil is at the forefront of
that inspirational type of music and their self-titled release is further proof.
Pop Evil is the
first album to be recorded with new drummer Hayley Cramer. Chachi Riot brought
a crazy and intense drumming method to Pop Evil that was fun to watch live.
When he announced his departure from the band it was a huge disappointment, but
Cramer, an animal in her own right, has filled in nicely and won over fans. Her
drumming style is different than Riot’s, but her timing and ability is just as
grand. She has been a wonderful replacement. Cramer was a great find for Pop
Evil and after being on the road with the band for a while, she got to show off
her work in the studio setting with Pop Evil.
The end result shows that she is a valuable asset to this band.
The first single from this album was the hard hitting “Waking
Lions.” Filled with signature Pop Evil sounds and styles, “Waking Lions” is a
fantastic song about awakening the beast within to overcome challenges and
achieve all the dreams that are possible in life with hard work and
perseverance. This is something that Pop Evil is familiar with. They are a band
that has built an immense, devoted following based on the strength of their
music and their endless touring. They
know how to awaken the beast within. “Waking Lions” shows the high end of lead
singer Leigh Kakaty’s vocals which sound as majestic as ever. Kakaty’s voice is
powerful on this track and makes the music soar.
I will admit that I do miss guitarist Tony Greve, but
Nick Fueling is a master in his own right. He’s been with the band for as many
years as Tony was and has now played on more albums than Greve. Nick’s style
helped propel the band in directions they may not have otherwise gone in. While Greve was more of a hard and heavy
style of guitarist (in the vein of Pantera), Fueling is more of a modern rock
guitarist ala Shinedown or Nickelback. Fueling’s style is a better fit for this
incarnation of Pop Evil and since he joined the band they have gravitated
toward that modern sound that will fill arenas with fans and win over
newcomers.
Uplifting and inspiring, the track “Be Legendary” is
destined to be another top 5 single for a band that is filled with them. This
song could almost be a sequel to “Waking Lions.” “Be Legendary” contains positive
messages of always giving only your best and pushing yourself to be a legend.
It’s songs like this one that make Pop Evil such a fun and admirable band to
listen to. They don’t wallow in self-pity or cry over life’s tragedies. Instead
the band promotes ways to overcome hardship and inspire all to lift themselves
up and achieve the best that they can. These themes started way back on War Of Angels and were fleshed out on
the following releases. Pop Evil have gotten to the point where they have honed
their skills in this type of songwriting and can really inspire not only the
youth of today but those that are middle aged as well. We should all strive to
be legendary indeed.
One of the most unique and innovative songs that Pop Evil
has ever recorded is contained on this new release. “Nothing But Thieves” is a six-minute
gem that works al different types of tones and musical styles not normally
known in Pop Evil’s music. This branching out for the band was a bit of a risk,
but one that worked well as “Nothing But Thieves” is probably the best song on Pop Evil and could be one of the best
songs the band has ever recorded. It starts slowly with chimes and keyboards
and then builds in intensity until exploding at the 2-minute mark proclaiming
that we know what it’s like and we make mistakes in being right or wrong,
branding ourselves nothing but thieves. “Nothing But Thieves” combines so much
into one song which is what makes it so powerful. Fueling’s guitar solo at the
end is magnificent and completes the song in a majestic way. After hearing “Nothing
But Thieves” several times, it is my hope that the band will continue to experiment
with their music in this direction. The payoff is well worth the risk.
God’s Dam harkens back to early Pop Evil with Kakaty’s
voice sounding like it is 2007 all over again. The song reminds me of early,
unreleased demo tracks that Pop Evil had recorded before Lipstick On The Mirror. As far as ballads go, this one is up there
with some of the strongest that Pop Evil have recorded. Kakaty’s voice shines and
the lyrics are some of the greatest the band has written. And while “God’s Dam”
isn’t a true ballad in the sense of “Monster You Made,” or “100 In A 55,” it is
still a beautiful piece of music that fans are going to be singing along with
in concert as soon as the song is performed live.
Pop Evil has recorded another incredible album that fans
are bound to love and newcomers should welcome with open arms. The band has a
storied history for making hits and with Pop
Evil there are more hits that can be added to their repertoire. Hard
rocking and heavy as well as soft and sweet, Pop Evil hits all the right places for rock music lovers. It is an
inspirational record that is as beautiful as it is uplifting. Pop Evil soars. At this point in their
career no one really expected anything but greatness from the band and they
delivered it once again.
Ryo’s Rating: 9 (out of 10)
Track Listing
Waking Lions
Colors Bleed
Ex Machina
Art Of War
Be Legendary
Nothing But Thieves
A Crime To Remember
God’s Dam
When We Were Young
Birds Of Prey
Rewind
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