From the Stage

The Bravery

2009-10-22T10:17:00.001-07:00

photo by Amy Willard

photos: The Dustys

2009-10-22T10:13:00.001-07:00

photos by Amy Willard

Footprint in Hip-Hop Tour hits DC

2009-08-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

By Ben Cantlupe

On Friday, July 24th, security at the 9:30 club in DC was tight. All bags were being checked, and all persons were being patted down. A line was forming around the block, promising a full capacity show, and no one was taking chances on the night that former members of the rap super-group Wu-Tang Clan were rolling into town. The night’s performance was part of the Footprint in Hip-Hop Tour, consisting of opening act Duo Live (pronounced ‘liv’), lyrical master and former Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah, and headlining superstars Redman and Methodman (also former Wu-Tang member). The show was like a time warp back into the 1990s, when the hip-hop culture was ruled by big shirts and low pants, thick beats and hardcore rap. All of the performers reiterated the theme of ‘real hip-hop’ vs. ‘today’s hip-hop’ during their sets, and from the audience response they were most definitely preaching to the choir.

Duo Live was first to take the stage, and they did so with confidence and good humor, considering they seemed relatively unknown to the crowd. DJ Sid V manned his turntables on a platform at the back of the stage, and MC Fre took to the front, accompanied by a woman in a wife beater and bright yellow pants. Her name is Chloe and she was announced as the first hype-girl in the game. The group, later joined on stage briefly by rapper Bill Young, put on a show worthy of being on the tour. DJ Sid V threw down simple and raw beats in their elements but perfectly complemented MC Fre’s formidable flow and stage presence. They performed one song that is supposed to be in a new mix-tape the Brooklyn-based duo is working on, adding to their already impressive arsenal of underground mix-tapes which contributed greatly to their current success. At a few key points during their performance, Duo Live showed how they like to give life to the show. MC Fre delivered a verse or two of one-song acapella. During their R&B-like song “Princess,” a girl from the crowd was brought up on stage, given a tiara and crowned princess for the night, then MC Fre and Chloe shared champagne mid-song. Towards the closing of the set, Chloe downed the better part of a forty, and then started singing as if it were a bottle of water. Although it seemed most of the crowd didn’t know what to think of Duo Live when they took the stage, the group met with a more welcoming reception as they were leaving.

The next act was a stranger to no one in the club. Ghostface Killah hit the stage in an oversized red shirt, oversized jeans riding close to his knees, with a white towel resting around his shoulders. He took immediate control of all aspects of the show, giving directions to the crowd, ordering certain lights to go on or off, and giving lengthy speeches in between songs. After one song, Ghost talked about his disgust for music on the radio and how ‘real hip-hop’ has conceded it’s crown to meaningless noise. He also had a somewhat backwards way of performing his songs; he would cut them short and hit the most popular parts of three or four songs within five-minute segments. Nevertheless, the crowd seemed to love every minute of the performance and showed their love with Wu-tang signs and crowd participation. The two DJs who were backing Ghostface had an opportunity to show off their skills during a DJ scratch battle in the middle of the set, which was incredible. Ghost finished his set with a tribute to “the man who taught me all the dance moves I know,” Michael Jackson. Blips of some of M.J.’s biggest hits from The Jackson Five and his solo work were played by the DJ while Ghostface busted out the moves he apparently learned from the master himself.

Unfortunately Ghost’s moves weren’t nearly as impressive (or hilarious) than those of headliners Redman and Methodman. The dynamic duo moved all around the stage, sometimes using choreographed dance, sometimes grooving to the beat, sometimes just flailing themselves about like rabid animals (crumping anybody?). Redman seemed to be the crazier of the two. He did most of the talking in between songs, pumped the crowd up, threw his water bottles, and also liked to get in the face of front-row audience members. His mohawk haircut probably helped project that image. Methodman did his part to hype the crowd too, starting Wu-tang chants and stage diving into the outstretched arms of the fans below. Every time a beat dropped and a new song began, the club roared as if it were a stadium at capacity. Red and Meth performed a lot of newer material, promoting Blackout 2, the sequel to their original collaborative effort as a duo. They did not neglect their old popular songs though, making sure to keep the veteran fans engaged. And engaged they were until the end of the show, leaving a sweet retrospective taste in the mouths of all of the attending fans at 9:30 club.

I had a chance to talk to Duo Live after the show and see what they had to say about DC and the Footprint in Hip-Hop Tour. According to Fre, they had been working on writing and recording music for two years before this tour, and playing members of Wu-Tang is “a dream come true.” “DC was the first place we came to outside of New York when we were starting out,” he said. “For a minute it felt like a job, but now we are approaching our music from a younger perspective and love every minute.” Duo Live have been putting music together since 1989, and since then they have been trying to be the “voice of the voice,” speaking to blue-collar, working class people.

The Footprint in Hip-Hop tour continues until mid-August, finishing in San Francisco. Fans of ‘real hip-hop’ should not miss this team-up of masters.

Official Redman website www.funkdoc.com

Official Method Man website www.method-man.com

Ghostface Killah on myspace www.myspace.com/ghostface

Official Duo Live website www.redemptionmusicgroup.com

RX Bandits hit the road with new release

2009-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

By Ben Cantlupe

This summer, RX Bandits and Dredg are touring the US together, promoting their recent album releases. Texas based Zechs Marquise jumped on the tour for a couple weeks, and will be parting ways to tour on their own during August. On Tuesday, July 28th, the three groups performed at Recher Theatre in Towson, MD.

Zechs Marquise was first to take the stage. Their first official studio release, called Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare, dropped in spring of 2008 and has since been picking up speed in sales and reviews. The group’s live performance stretched the songs to a point where some of them were almost un-recognizable to ears familiar with the album. Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez, the Zech’s bass player, commented about the drastic difference in performance. “We try to give a whole different vibe when recording versus the performance.” Most of the songs opened up into extended solo sections, with the guitarists giving searing improvisations over bass and drum grooves or arranged hits. Zechs Marquise has a distinct sound although they like to play with spacey guitar effects and tonally ambiguous melodies. The instrumental group received cheers and applause from the captivated audience. Marfred stated that Zech’s “goal has been one new fan in every city.” If that is the case, they exceeded well over expectation on Tuesday night.

Next up to play was prog-rock RX Bandits. They were clearly the band most of the audience showed up for, not only from the excitement of the packed room when they started playing, but also from the “Bandits’ Bandits” shirt-wearers scattered amongst the pit. Their set was very percussion based with drum intros and all-member inclusive drum jams. Most of the songs they played were from the newer albums, namely their last release …And the Battle Begun and Mandala which dropped on the 21st of this month. The singers soulful vocal melodies were matched in intensity by the lead guitarist/keyboardist’s virtuosic solos and the drummer’s tireless execution of the band’s practically break-less set. The song “Only For the Night,” appropriately the last song of the set, was most definitely the crowd favorite. The crowd almost buried the speakers because so many sang along with the lyrics. Solo sections and a couple breakdowns elongated the song, and finally members of Zech’s Marquise came out for another percussive congregation dubbed “Zech’s Bandits,” which concluded in a mini drum off then a huge finish of the song and the set.

RX Bandits and Dredg traded off headlining sets during their tour, and it was Dredg’s turn at Recher. Unfortunately for them, it seemed as if they might have benefited from not headlining. Almost half the crowd left the show following RX Bandits. Dredg released a new album entitled The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion at the beginning of this summer. The group performed a few of the hits from that album, including “I Don’t Know,” which is representative of their introspective anthems. Dredg plays music that is very bass and drum heavy, with the guitar usually either furiously strumming or picking at chords note by note. The singer was the most eclectic member of the group. He had wailing vocals like Coheed and Cambria, though not quite as high-pitched. He had dance moves like Jack Black, though not as hilarious. Occasionally he laid his guitar on a table and played it horizontally like a steel guitar, achieving eerie yet interesting sounds. The fans that stayed for the headliners never regretted it, and the night closed on a positive note.

On August 1st, Zechs Marquise parts ways with Dredg and RX Bandits to tour solo. As Tall As Lions will be filling in the empty spot on the Dredg/RX tour. This is no excuse to miss any of the bands if they make it to your town. An extra ticket is worth the shows that you won’t want to miss.

Official Zech’s Marquise Website www.zechsmarquise.com

Official Dredg Website: www.dredg.com

Official RX Bandits Website: www.rxbandits.com

Pop-Punk Act Surprise Fans Before Warped

2009-07-29T05:25:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Rutz

photos by Amy Willard

Just two weeks ago, All Time Low released their latest studio album, Nothing Personal. The album has since sold more than double what their 2007 album, So Wrong It’s Right, sold, and held no. 4 on the Top 40 albums since its release. The band did a short tour of ‘secret shows’, with friends We The Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. On Thursday, July 16th, they played to a sold-out crowd in Cleveland, where the last time that they played in the city was on the Believers Never Die tour with Fall Out Boy, Hey Monday, Metro Station and Cobra Starship.

Days Difference opened up the show with their melodic pop-rock. The four piece Virginia based band played a short set, but even as the newcomers that not a lot of people in the crowd knew, they were able to get the crowd moving and excited about the remaining three bands.

Next up was Cartel. Cartel is working on their newest album, Cycles, so not only did they play several old songs, they played two or three new songs. Let Go, a song that was streamed on AbsolutePunk.net, was played to obvious crowd approval and delight. A lot of the kids in the crowd seemed to be more excited for Cartel than they were for anyone that night, and part of it might have been that Cartel had been silent for a little while prior to this tour. Lots of kids said that this was their first time seeing Cartel, despite that they had wanted to see them for a really long time. Nevertheless, Cartel’s set was energetic and exciting and a general crowd-pleaser. The single, Let Go, can be purchased on iTunes on July 28th, and the album is expected to be released later this year.

We The Kings had just been in Cleveland a little over three months ago, instead on the Bamboozle Road Show. That day it had been Travis Clark’s birthday, and the July 16th show had the same energy that that show did. We The Kings is always a band that crowds love, if not because of their personable band members, then because their infectious personalities seep through into their music. Crowd favorites like ‘Check Yes Juliet’ and ‘Skyway Avenue’ were played to an upbeat and room completely in motion. We The Kings never fails to put on an amazing show, and Thursday was no exception. As the direct opener for headliner All Time Low, We The Kings got everyone so pumped up that everyone was teeming with excitement by the time All Time Low took the stage.

Opening with ‘Lost In Stereo’, a fan favorite from their latest album, All Time Low took the stage by storm (Dear Maria pun, aha) to an overexcited and anxious crowd. All Time Low’s shows are always exciting—part of it is the music, part of it is the personalities of the boys on stage. The onstage banter that happens amongst the band members always warrants a laugh out of nearly everyone present, even if some parents might be a little uncertain about what’s being discussed. All Time Low manages to appeal to a wide age range, and always plays consistently with just as much vigor and enthusiasm as before. They played several new songs, mixed in with songs from previous albums, creating a good mix for people who maybe haven’t had the time to learn every single word to all of their songs. The show closed out with an all time favorite, Dear Maria, Count Me In, and brought their impressive light, sound and personality show to an end.

Overall it was a very exciting concert to attend. Cleveland was just one stop on their two week stint before hopping on Warped Tour, which is where you can catch them now. We The Kings will be joining Warped Tour in August.

Warped Tour Report

2009-07-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

by Amy Willard

Alright, this piece is going to be an informal recap of the July 14, 2009 Van's Warped Tour stop in Columbia, Maryland (that's because I'm still recovering from the 3,000+ photographs I've taken since last Saturday). Pretty much the day started out by heading up to the Merriweather Post Pavilion about 30 minutes before the gates, only to find thousands of fans already lined up in both directions around the venue (insane!).

I picked up my press credentials, and dropped off a box of pasta for the food drive and made my way through the sea of fans to the Hurley stage to catch Sing It Loud. I wasn't too familiar with them, but they put on a good opening set at 11:15 AM.

After my first 3 songs (that's all you're allowed to photograph in the pit) I picked up some more press information-- aka the handy daily schedule-- and headed over to the Main Stage to catch the end of the After Midnight Project set and wait for Chiodos at 12:15. Armed with the usual 9:30 Club security, I ran into some familiar faces while in the pit.

Craig Owens, lead singer of Chiodos, picked up the tempo set by the After Midnight Project and really got the crowd going as he asked the mosh pit to separate entirely-- a gap of about 20 yards-- and then commanded them to "go fucking nuts" at the start of their next song (another instance where I'm thankful I shoot from a photo pit).

After Chiodos, it was mad dash across the field and back to the main pavilion's Hurly.Com stage to catch Lights. I had absoluely no idea who they were (later to find out it would be "who she is"), but was recommended to check her out. She's a tiny girl, with a powerful voiced, armed with a keyboard guitar who I would later discover on the homepage of MySpace. She's definitely worth checking out.

1:00PM? A sprint all the way back to Main Stage for ska rockers, Less Than Jake. Definitely one the more animated groups of the day. I've never really seen a group play it up so well for the photo pit. It was definitely a joy photographing them.

Less Than Jake's set gave me a little bit of down time to explore the hundreds of tents filling both the field and the main pavilion area... that's right, this Warped stop was in two locations which had to be a least a half a mile apart-- running between stages was a marathon (and there was no one holding up cups of water or crackers along the way, my friends).

I checked out the To Write Love On Her Arms tent, along with Invisible Children, and some other great causes represented on this years tour. I also snagged free stickers at most places I stopped. A good suggestion to Warped goers is to set your phone up with Twitter and start following the bands and sponsors, there were a lot of freebies givenway that day and if I wasn't so buys getting to set starts, I would have been all over that!

After my freebie excursion, I headed back to the Hurley.Com stage to catch Meg & Dia. The sister act provided ample entertainment to the pavilion that was quickly filling with A Rocket To the Moon fans who were slated to play the SmartPUNK Stage on stage left after.

I stuck around for the Rocket boys. I got to meet them and do an interview during their DC stop (but wait... there was no interview ever posted to BarricadeBuzz.com... oh yeah, that's because the tape recorded crapped out and my notes were illegible. Go me. Worst reporter ever). Anyways, it was great to photograph them outdoors, with better lighting. Their fans definitely packed the pavilion for their set.

With dehydration setting in (as noticed by my inability to keep my camera steady) I had to get something to eat. Thanks Merriweather Post Pavilion for my $5.00 hotdog and $4.00 soda. So refreshing-- and so necessary to survive the next set: A Day To Remember.

I made my way through the sea of aviators, Converse, Vans, tight jeans, and emo plaid to find a crowd doubled in size at the Hurley Stage since I last saw it for Sing It Loud. Having to push my way through the side stage areas just to get to the pit, I knew I was in for another rough set (not to mention the last time I photographed these guys, I had two crowd surfers thrown on me, and I managed to tear up my elbows on the stage deck pretty bad-- oh and let's not forget the bottles that started flying towards the stage as I entered the pit this time-- where was my helmet?).

Anyways, my goal for the ADTR set was to finally get some good photographs after a poor turn out in Baltimore a few months back. Mission accomplished (the beauty of outdoor concerts is the copious amounts of natural lighting-- it's like a concert photographer's best friend).

After fighting to get out of the pit at the Hurley Stage, I headed back down the path to the SmartPUNK Stage for Hit The Lights-- another band I needed to makeup photos on (shooting the AP Tour was just short of a nightmare...). Lead singer, Nick Thompson, was finally able to get those sitting in the pavilion to rise to their feet and really feel the Warped experience.

Finishing up with HTL gave me just enough time to run up the hill to back of the venue to find the Ernie Ball Stage and catch female fronted, VersaEmerge. There were definitely a band I wanted to make sure I saw, and was a little surprised to find them shafted to the back of the event-- they were really playing in "no man's land," if you ask me. Sierra Kusterbeck, lead singer, is packed with powerful vocals and plenty of hair tossing energy. If you're headed to Warped this year, give this up and coming band some love.

Headed down from the hill I was stopped by two guys armed with an iPod and box of CDs... A familiar sight throughout the day as local bands were constantly trying to get Warped goes to check out their stuff. They introduced themselves as "Standard of Living," and me, begin absolutely exhausted after about 6 hours of running around didn't quite realize who they were, until it finally clicked "Oh wait! I know you guys, you sing "Autumn In Amherst" that song is awesome." I think they were impressed, 'least I hope they were. I chatted it up with them for a little bit, and had them do a video clip for Buzz TV. Nice guys, Josh and Clayton. Check out Standard of Living, NOT on Warped Tour.

I finished out the day by catching The White Tie Affair on the SmartPUNK stage, a very impressive and animated band, that I had never heard prior to being in the pit. The Steven Tyler like performance made photographing fun. They were followed up by The Maine back on the Hurley Stage. The Maine belted out an awesome cover of "Pour Some Sugar On Me," to which the crowd of swooning teenage girls went absolutely nuts-- or maybe that was just them fighting over the Monster energy drink lead singer, John O'Callaghan, had handed into the audience after taking a swig. Who knows.

I made my way back up to the Earnie Ball Stage-- truck if you will-- to catch AIDEN. I was late getting in the pit, so the shots are limited, but I'll just say it involved a lot of eye liner and guitar licking (the photos will explain).

The day concluded with my favorite Florida pop-punk rockers, There For Tomorrow. I also had the opportunity of interviewing them in the fall at the 9:30 Club, and I've got to say, those guys have a special place in my heart-- very earnest and open about their music, it's no wonder so many love them.

Clearly the lesson I learned in my first (that's right, Warped Tour virgin) Warped Tour is that all cannot be accomplished in a day. I'm thinking you really need about 3 Warpeds to really get the full experience-- well probably like the whole tour to get the whole experience, but whatever. It would take at least 2 days to see everyband and probably a 3rd if you want to do all of the meet n greets and signings.

Some acts that I missed, but heard from other attendees that were worth checking out include: Gallows, Escape The Fate, TAT, and Black Tide.

If you've headed out to Warped Tour this year, let us know what your experience was like!

Might Could delivers delightful complexity

2009-07-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

By Ben Cantlupe

In Adams Morgan, behind the confines of the worn brick walls of BOSSA bistro, adorned by black and white photographs of nude people indigenous to a place most of us have never been to, Might Could, the acoustic guitar quartet from College Park, MD had taken to the stage. This was the second performance of their first tour, which includes dates in New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. On the night of June 28th, they traded sets with guitarist John Lee and his namesake group The John Lee Experience.

Might Could played selections from their two albums as a quartet (the very first album was a duo endeavor) as well a few new, unrecorded compositions. They performed “Machinery” from the album All Intertwined, which is a characteristic composition of the group, but doesn’t encompass all of the compositional facilities that Might Could has to offer.

Like all of their songs, “Machinery” is composed note for note and played as such, despite how incredibly complicated it is and seemingly impossible to follow at times. The song features an ostinato, or repeated bass figure in 7/8 time, but changes time signatures as one guitar plays a melody and the third guitar alternates from harmonizing the bass part to the melody to playing counterpoint. If your head isn’t spinning already, just consider the fact that all of the songs have this level of complexity on top of searing 16th note runs, rhythmic interplay, and a wide dynamic range. Oh, and it was all memorized verbatim. That is an achievement in it of itself.

Don’t be discouraged by the complexity of the songs; Might Could's music is quite an easy listening, even for someone who is accustomed to much simpler music. Some of the songs invoke a folk-spirit and have much softer and slower tones and tempos. Even the faster ones can make you think of mystical places or maybe obscure NES game levels.

You can have a listen for yourself at www.mightcould.net where some tracks from All Intertwined, the newest album (2007) Wood Knot, and the self-titled duo album are available for free streaming online. You can also purchase the two group albums through the website. In addition, you will find their tour dates, so be sure to catch these guys live if they are headed to your city.

Hopless and Sub City want you to Do Something

2009-02-28T06:27:00.001-08:00

article and photos by Sarah Rutz

Hopeless Records and Sub City have put together an amazing lineup for this year’s Take Action! Tour. A portion of all the ticket sales go towards DoSomething.Org, the organization that Hopeless/Sub City has chosen to be a part of this cool tour for the second consecutive year. The Cleveland show, which was only the second date of the tour, was packed into the House of Blues. Five bands for twenty dollars? Why not? A lot of kids seemed to think the same thing, judging by the amount of people that showed up. Whether they were there to support the headliner or one of the openers, excitement was teeming over all the kids there as they waited anxiously for their favourite performers to take the stage and put on what everyone hoped would be one hell of a show.

Anarbor, a pop-rock quartet hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, were first to own the stage, opening the concert with their infectious stage presence and catchy songs, getting the crowd moving and amped up for the rest of the show. A lot of people seemed to not know who they were, but by the end of their set, everyone was excited and completely into their set. Anarbor really knew how to keep the crowd moving, how to keep them excited and definitely how to put on a high energy show that only set the stage for what else was to come. They weren’t afraid of talking to the crowd and getting them involved in all the action, and certainly weren’t afraid of showing everyone what they were made of. By the time that Anarbor left the stage, the crowd was pretty jazzed and seemed to expect that the rest of the night would be a good one, judging by how explosive the first performance was.

Next up was Every Avenue, which, considering the high-pitched screams and raucous shouts that came from the crowd, was one of the most anticipated bands of the evening. The five members of the Michigan group filed onto the stage amidst roars from the crowd, and tore right into their set. Every Avenue is not unfamiliar with the House of Blues in Cleveland—they were just there a few months ago while on tour with All Time Low. And apparently the crowd wasn’t unfamiliar with them—more than once, lead singer Dave asks the crowd to finish lines in the song, only to be met with hundreds of voices singing his own lyrics right back to him. They completely own the stage, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds, and actively interacting with the crowd. Each member of the band continuously offers grins to the crowds, encouraging crowd participation and keeping a high level of energy throughout their entire set.

Meg and Dia took the stage after Every Avenue was finished, slowing things down for everyone with their combination of acoustic and electric instruments. Quite a different tune from the rest of the bands that were performing at the tour, Meg and Dia still have a way with getting the crowd involved by getting the kids to wave their hands, to clap and even to sway with the music. They even performed a cover of Blind Melon’s “No Rain”, dedicating it to the staff at the House of Blues. All through their set, the crowd was pretty mellow, enjoying the slow down that Meg and Dia brought them. Regardless of how slow their music was, though, they managed to pump a little bit of energy into the room, preparing the kids in the crowd for the techno-screamo duo that is Breathe Carolina.

Breathe Carolina entered the stage in complete darkness, only to start into their first song, Gossip, with strobe lights flashing onto the crowd and backlighting the two performers. They didn’t use any natural lighting (so if you have problems with strobe lights, beware), and their whole set was accompanied by lasers, incredibly cool effects created by two towers of strobe lights, and an excellent performance on their part. Even for people who didn’t know who they were, it was hard to not move along to their addicting techno beats, to jump along like everyone else was. It’s hard not to like two guys that launch themselves into the crowd, regardless of how much of a protest that the security guards put up by grabbing their ankles, just to hold their fans’ hands and to profess their undying love for the kids in the crowd. Breathe Carolina took the energy level in the room and cranked it up about ten notches, and by the time they were done, everyone was completely ready for the final act of the evening.

Excitement teemed over as headliner Cute Is What We Aim For took the stage. Immediately breaking into the beginning notes of “Doctor”, the crowd was already singing along, and by the time the band got to the chorus, everyone was going insane. The floor was bending, shaking, and the combination of the music and everyone’s voices was just insane. Cute certainly knew how to put on a good show—talking with the crowd and introducing each song was it came on with little lead ins, telling everyone what exactly the next song was about. They played a mixture of songs from their previous CD and their latest record, but it didn’t really seem like that mattered too much to the crowd—everyone seemed to know the words to every single some that was played, old and new, and the crowd enjoyed every minute of it. What more could a band ask for?

The night turned out to be a huge success for both the audience and for all the bands—everyone leaving the venue seemed to be genuinely pleased with all of the events that had occurred, and the bands that were hanging out in the lobby were all pretty happy to stop and take a picture, talk with and hang out with all their fans. And, to make all of this even better, this whole concert was all for a good cause.

Take Action! Tour is on the road until April 1^st, so if you haven’t already hit up one of the dates, get out and go see this great tour!

Promotional tour gives high expectations for new release

2009-01-23T19:51:00.001-08:00

By Angelyn Thornton

photos by Amy Willard

On Friday the 16^th fans braved the bitter cold of January to wait in line outside of the 9:30 Club for the return of The Fray. Warming up the crowd for the evening was Vedera, a pop/alternative band out of Kansas City.

Lead by the soft but piercing vocals of Kristen May, Vedera kicked off the evening with a collection of songs from both past albums and future releases. May’s voice, much like the songs themselves, continue to ring in your head even after the music stops. The Vedera repertoire, with its heartfelt lyrics and eclectic moods, could easily be the soundtrack to your life.

The band currently has two EPs and one full length album in their discography with a second full length in the works. The band itself even handed out sampler CDs containing three new tracks for the upcoming release: “Loving Ghosts,” “Forgive You” and “Even I”. The first full length album, The Weight of an Empty Room, and the second EP, Stages, are available on iTunes and you can find the new songs (as well as band info) at www.myspace.com/vedera.

Next to take the lamp and chandelier-adorned stage was the main act, The Fray. After the success of their debut album, How to Save a Life, The Fray embarked on a promotional tour for their self-titled sophomore album which is set to be released on February 3^rd. The band opened with two songs from the upcoming album before launching into a mix of old favorites and new tracks.

One highlight of the set was a beautiful audience sing-along of “Look After You” which really reminded me how powerful and moving live music is. After an exceptional performance of “You Found Me”, the first single off the second record, the band left the stage and returned with a softer acoustic sound.
Acoustic or not, the set had one constant: great music. The world must wait almost two more weeks until the release of the new album but, judging by Friday’s performance and audience feedback, it will be well worth it.

You can purchase The Fray’s debut album and pre-order the upcoming album at iTunes and www.thefray.net.

Anberlin returns to DC at the 9:30 Club

2008-11-16T10:46:00.001-08:00

By Angelyn Thornton

On November 2nd, a quartet of alternative indie rock bands took Washington, DC by storm at the 9:30 Club. The first of the lineup was the Orlando based band, There For Tomorrow, making their first appearance in DC as a group. The four-man ensemble opened with the crowd favorite “No More Room to Breathe” whose video, along with the band itself, is nominated in the Breaking Woodie category for best emerging artist at this year’s MTVU Woodie Awards.

Each member is only 19 or 20 years in age, but appearances can be deceiving. These boys each carried the stage presence with that of a seasoned rock veteran, lending itself to their polished performance. Throughout the set, There For Tomorrow demanded audience reaction and made a point to engage the crowd whenever possible.

For an up-and-coming band, there was a surprising number of vocal fans present to enthusiastically sing along with each number. The Floridian band wrapped up its set with their favorite, “Pages.” Before exiting stage Maika Maile, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, bid the crowd farewell with a “good night and stay real.” A very appropriate send-off for these down-to-earth, hard-working musicians.

Next to the stage was Straylight Run. The Long Island-based trio brought a completely different sound to the club with its heartbreaking lyrics and gravely yet emotional voice of lead vocalist, John Nolan. With a full length album released in 2007 and a new EP just released in September, Straylight Run has been keeping busy in and out of the studio. Nolan decided to forgo any excessive amounts of crowd interaction and the band just plugged away with song after song. The group’s set included standouts such as “Mistakes We Knew We Were Making”, “Existentialism on Prom Night” and “Try.”

The third group of the night was Scary Kids Scaring Kids, six hardcore rockers out of Arizona. With high-octane adrenaline sounds, SKSK brought the momentum up to head-banging level and was the first of the night to induce crowd surfing among the fans. Scary Kids Scaring Kids got the crowd going with hits such as “Deep End”, “My Darkest Hour” and “The City Sleeps In Flames.” Their performance at 9:30 club was their last in the U.S. before the band embarks on a 6-month tour overseas while working on their upcoming third full-length album.

The headliner of the show was Anberlin. These five Floridians took the stage to a venue packed to capacity with shoulder-to-shoulder fans. Stephen Christian, the band’s lead vocalist, took the initiative and repeatedly urged the crowd jump around and move with every song. With a bass line that shook you from the soles of your shoes to the top of your head, Anberlin played a larger-than-life set that included “Paperthin Hymn”, “Godspeed” and “The Unwinding Cable Car.” Though this Washington performance was one of the last few dates on the tour, Anberlin still had the pleasure of enjoying the success of their fourth studio album New Surrender, which was released September 30th.

For more information on these bands, please visit their official websites:

Official Website for There For Tomorrow www.myspace.com/therefortomorrow
Official Website of Straylight Run www.straylightrun.com
Official Website of Scary Kids Scaring Kids www.scarykids.com
Official Website of Anberlin www.anberlin.com

Hanson delivers a new sound with a good cause to VA

2008-10-31T11:30:00.001-07:00

By Angelyn Thornton

photos by Amy Willard
It may have been a cold night outside but things were heating up at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA on October 28th. Braving the freezing winds, a line of excited fans wrapped around the side of the building with an hour still to go before the doors were set to open.
After much anticipation, the anxious crowd quickly filled the roomy venue. First on stage was Everybody Else, a 3-man band out of Los Angeles, who brought a simple and uncluttered brand of alternative pop-rock to the venue. With catchy songs and impressive dance moves (courtesy of the lead singer), the joy was contagious.
Despite having no prior familiarity with Everybody Else, Hanson fans gave into the urge to dance and sing along. These three guys interacted with the audience and seemed to be friendly, down-to-earth folks who one could easily spend a mellow Saturday night with. This band was just plain fun. No “ifs”, “ands” or “buts” about it. With more energy and enthusiasm than you could conceive to be possible on one stage, Everybody Else gave a great jumpstart to the night.
Next up was Dave Barnes, a singer/songwriter straight out of the Nashville scene. For this set, Barnes brought a light-hearted and laid-back mood to the theater. Accompanied by a drummer and a bassist, the trio delivered a set full of mellow rhythms worthy of the most delicate toe-tapping and head-bobbing. With album number four now under his belt, Barnes gave the crowd a generous mix of old and new songs.
Never being one to leave an audience un-entertained, he consistently kept the fans laughing with his goofy charm. Barnes and his bandmates also made sure to spread the word about an organization they are involved with called Mocha Club which, with $7 monthly donations from each supporter, provides communities in Africa with food, clean water and education. Check it out at www.mochaclub.org
And finally came Hanson, the main act and the reason why the State Theater was packed with throngs of screaming fans. The boys of Hanson, whose faces were once plastered on every teen magazine in the supermarket, are all grown up and back with a new sound.
The trio of brothers took the stage to a theater brimming with loyal and die-hard fans both young and old. The very moment that the first of the Hanson men stepped on the stage, the sheer volume of the echoing screams was deafening. The boys’ set list included a mix of fan favorites from their previous records and from their most recent release, The Walk. About halfway through, Hanson switched it up with a changeover to an acoustic set.
The acoustic stylings were prefaced with a plug for The Walk Around The World, a campaign that the boys started to raise money to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. During the day, Hanson hosts a barefoot walk around the town or city that they are performing in that night and donates $1 for every mile counted. The goal is to reach 24,902 miles, the distance around the world. You can learn more at www.hanson.net or at www.takethewalk.net

Dandy Warhols rock the District

2008-10-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

By Angelyn Thornton
photo by Amy Willard

On a chilly Monday night, the six members of The Upside Down emerged on stage for the relatively modest-sized crowd at 9:30 Club on September 22nd. Armed with harmonicas, tambourines and all the usual trappings of a rock show, the sextet rocked the house with its smooth blend of voices and alternative folk tunes. Sounding like the rock-and-roll offspring of the B-52's, The Upside Down channels a more kitschy funk into their brand of rock. Even through minor technical problems and flying pieces of tambourine, the prevailed without even skipping a beat and delivered an energetic powerhouse performance.
With echoes of “Will to the stage, please...” and the inevitable good-spirited heckling of the crowd, Darker My Love entered the spotlight as the second act of the evening. Accompanied by a trippy video background, the 5-man band contributed a different style to the evening’s sounds. Throughout their set, the boys wove back and forth between psychedelic funk-rock and folksy indie punk. Jam sessions punctuated each song while unique sleighbell accents occasionally filled the space. With an abundance of charm and appeal at their disposal, Darker My Love quickly won the crowd over and undoubtedly gained some new fans in the process.
And finally the star players took to the stage. With their dedicated fan base on display, the crowd of both young and old(er) swelled to maximum capacity within the club as The Dandy Warhols took their turn. A vivid, yet sometimes over-the-top, light show complimented the simple, no-frills setup of the stage. The set was as much about the music as it was about the spectacle. The high-energy foursome continually spun catchy tune after catchy tune that kept the fans singing along. All in all, it was night of past and present. The die-hards relived their old favorites while a new wave of younger fans was formed.

Music Builds Tour brings Soulful Spirit to Nissan Pavilion

2008-09-20T19:34:00.001-07:00

By the Barricade Buzz Staff
photos by Amy Willard

Last weekend, Barricade Buzz had the privilege of experience something different, Christian rock. One of our photographers and reports set out to the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia to catch the Music Builds tour. The concert featured popular Christian bands, Jars of Clay, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Switchfoot, and Third Day.Jars of Clay

Opening the benefit show for Habitat for Humanity, were Nashville natives, Jars of Clay. Dawned in all white garments, they took the stage shortly after 7 pm. They delivered a powerful performance, and spiritual motivation with songs off of their EP Closer, which was released in August. Some of the highlights included their popular single, "Closer," and a new song from an expected 2009 release, "Heaven."

Following the catchy opener was Robert Randolph and the Family band. This funky soul act features the incredible talent of steel pedal guitarist, Robert Randolph. The rhythm and soul of this musically gifted group really got fans moving. The performance also featured guest vocals from Randolph's sister. Barricade Buzz was especially blown away by the versatility of this group, as musicians began trading off instruments halfway through the set.

Switchfoot

San Diego rockers, Switchfoot, claimed the stage next with their popular recordings off of Oh! Gravity, Nothing Is Sound, and Beautiful Letdown. The vocals of lead singer, Jon Foreman, really drew the crowd to the stage as more fans began filing into the pavilion. The spirited performance showcased the pure talent and soul of the band. Note worthy songs included "Awakening," "Oh! Gravity," the Americana packed message of "American Dream," and the ever popular "Dare You To Move," made popular by the major motion picture, A Walk to Remember.

Finally, the spirituality of the venue that night reached another level as Third Day began their set as the headliner. Fans quickly rose to their feat and lifted their hands in the air to praise this Georgia based band. The performance included songs off of their summer release, Revelation. Lead singer, Mac Powell, appeared to unite the crowd with his melodic vocals and his inspirational words. We were particularly moved by "Revelation," and enjoyed the "This Is Who I Am."

The Music Builds Tour delivered entertaining music with a side of spiritual enlightenment. The positive energy beaming from the stage was both enjoyable and inspiring. From the view of the audience, fans received comfort and hope with every melody sung. If you're looking your looking for a concert packed with energy and spirituality, then definitely catch this tour and help support Habitat for Humanity.

For more photos, visit the Photo Pit on this site.

Not quite a Panic! on this year's Honda Civic Tour

2008-05-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack performs at the Chevrolet Theater

By Jennifer Penna
photo by Amy Willard

The Honda Civic Tour, which hit Connecticut, on Saturday May 10^th proved to be a night of entertainment, great sound, and of course rock. The concert opened just before 6:30 PM with Doug Neuman, a jazz cover artist. While he demonstrated he has a good voice, singing songs like Fall Out Boy’s "Dance Dance," placed him outside of the style of the concert.

It wasn’t until 7:00 PM when Phantom Planet took the stage, dawning their own band shirts and jackets, that the audience rose to their feet. Even though they got off to a rough start with some rocky vocals, the band had electrifying energy and guitar solos performing songs off their Raise the Dead album such as "Geronimo," "Do the Panic," "The Living Dead," and their hit single "California" off The Guest record.

After a fifteen minute intermission, The Hush Sound performed keeping the momentum that Phantom Planet had generated. After Brendan Urie, lead singer of Panic at the Disco, came out to perform a quick solo, The Hush Sound continued by rocking out their hit songs "Honey" and "Wine Red." These songs show the audience that they are a band to watch out for and that they have a surprisingly good sound. The alternative rock quartet from Chicago have a jazz type feel with the piano that adds an element a lot of other bands today do not have.

Motion City Soundtrack's set soon followed and really got fans excited. They had such a strong opening with "My Favorite Accident" and their high energy continued throughout their performance. The few technical difficulties they experienced did not take away from the intense enthusiasm the band showed. After hearing and seeing them perform "Everything," "Broken Heart," "Time Turned," and many others, anyone can tell that Motion City Soundtrack has really come into their own and improved their stage presence and it seems they are only going to get better from here.

Everyone in the audience was standing from the moment they entered the stage to the last note of the last song even through the slower songs like ‘Last Night.’ The entire band was constantly moving and jumping around including the keyboardist and the drummer. The performance ended with their hit "The Future Freaks Me Out" and the entire band throwing everything off stage from drum sticks to water bottles and set lists leaving the audience to try and grab anything they can from the band’s amazing set.

The main event for the evening, Panic at the Disco, took to the stage with their sophomore album Pretty Odd With the new songs came a new sound that has a mix of hard and soft rock with positive lyrics. While they played a good amount of new and old tracks, the audience seemed to have more energy then the band, which is unlike their previous shows.

Many of their hit singles such as "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" and "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," were slowed down in tempo and did not have the same power that they once did. "Strike Up The Band" showed a little excitement with the guitar solos, but it seemed like the entire band and especially the lead singer, Urie, were holding back. "Folkin Around" also added a country sound to the mix whereas songs like "Northern Downpour" had more of Beatles type sound. Even though many of the fans were excited just to be at the concert, Panic at the Disco seemed to be just a shadow of their former selves.

Vanilla Sky returns to Rome

2008-04-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Brian Autore of Vanilla Sky performs at Alpheus in Rome

by Amy Willard
photos by Amy Willard

It's a Friday night and after getting lost for about twenty minutes, I arrived to a familiar scene, a quiet neighborhood, and a crowd of teenagers anxiously awaiting something--only I wasn't in DC, I was in Rome. [Yeah, Rome, Italy.]

So what were about a hundred kids, dawned in dark jeans, Converse, and studded belts waiting for? Well, from the outside you really wouldn't know. Standing at an unmarked building with a gate around the door wouldn't exactly explain much, but the sounds from inside was definitely an indicator that something was happening.

I was about to dip my toe into the Italian music scene at a club called Alpheus. After waiting about thirty minutes, and receiving puzzling looks from just about every face in line, I was finally let into the show.

I made my way to a small stage, situated in a room, probably about half of the size of the 9:30 Club. As I turned around to watch the door, dozens of kids began packing in at the front of the stage. It didn't take long for me to realize that this concert would take me back to shows in the US, as a swarm of boys starting pushing each other around creating an infamous mosh pit.

Luckily I was able to seek refuge between the barricade and stage. At around 22:00 [10:00 PM] the first act took the stage. I had no idea who was opening the evening, nor did the girl standing next to me, but we lent our ears.

The openers happened to be a local band called Scenario. They are a hardcore/screamo act with tons of energy. Normally I'm not into that genre, but I found my self bobbing along. Feel free to give them a listen at http://www.myspace.com/scenariomusic.

About an hour after the start, it was time for the headliner, Vanilla Sky (the band, not the movie). As an anxious crowd began to cheer, the four Roman based musicians took to the stage. Dawning a white Atticus T-shirt, lead singer, Brian Autore, took to the center microphone and announced "BUONA SERA!! SIAMO VANILLA SKY!!" [GOOD EVENING! WE ARE VANILLA SKY!]

The Roman quartet opened their set with "Nightmare," the third track off of their 2007 album, Changes. The face paced, pop-punk hit quickly got the crowd moving. A little mix up in the sound interrupted the opening, but the guys brushed it off and recovered quick.

Vanilla Sky played an array of songs from their album, as well as a few covers I never saw coming. One of which included Vanessa Carlton's "Thousand Miles,"-- which I have to say, sounds pretty good in a rock scenario.

Then guitarist, Vincenzo Mario Cristi, transitioned into a cover of Blink 182's "Small Things," as bassist, Francesco Sarsano, selected a girl and two guys to come up on stage, one of which could have been mistaken for drummer, Luca Alessandrelli's, long lost brother. After a few moments of hesitation, the guests quickly took to the mics to carry out the song.

Halfway through the show, the band exited the stage, leaving fans restless in the pit. Suddenly the cheers for Brian or Vinx turned to a chant.. "VA-NIL-LA! VA-NIL-LA!" As the crowd grew louder, Autore took to the stage for a solo performance of "Broken Car," from their 2004 record, Waiting for Something.

The band continued to play a great set, alternating between songs in English and Italian. I would tell you what they said between songs... but my Italian isn't that good. The set list also included their recent single, "Se Voui Andare," which has an English version entitled, "Goodbye."

Vanilla Sky wrapped up their hometown performance with their infamous cover of Rhianna's "Umbrella." When I first heard these guys had such a cover, I had my doubts. Hearing it live, however, I would pick their version any day.

Overall, the concert was energetic and enjoyable. In all honesty, I was afraid that they were going to be a CD only band--great in a studio, terrible on stage-- but hearing them live confirmed that they in fact have talent.

I had a chance to briefly chat with Cristi aka Vinx after the show. He thanked me for coming but felt the band did awful that night. Sorry man, but I'm going to have to disagree.

Vanilla Sky is continuing to tour through Europe with their album, Changes, so be sure to catch them live if you can! Also, if you're in the United State, head over to Eventful.com and DEMAND them for a city near you.

The complete set list: [grazie a Vinx]
Nightmare
Your Words
Cut Away
Se Vuoi Andare
Distance
On & On
A Thousand Miles/Small Things
XMas Girl
Gotta Believe
Letargo
Devastante
Break It Out
Broken Car
Unfriend
Umbrella
The Ghost Track

for more photos, please visit http://www.myspace.com/barricadebuzz

Nathanson Returns to Boston

2007-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

By Amy Willard
photo by Amy Willard

On a warm, August evening, Boston's Copley Square patiently waited the arrival of San Francisco singer/song writer, Matt Nathanson.

The free show from WBOS radio concluded a summer long concert series which previously featured recording artists: Brandi Carlile and Fountains of Wayne.

Nathanson, a former Massachusetts resident, returned to his home stage, opening up his set with his debut single, "Car Crash," from his latest album, Some Mad Hope, which hit stores earlier this week.

The record has been several years in the making for the California based artist, and is a compilation of inspirational ballads that “depict both a personal and musical transformation,” as one long term fan, Jennifer Penna, 20, said after driving more than three hours from Connecticut to attend the concert.

Those who are unfamiliar with Nathanson’s previous work can still understand his new direction by simply listening to the opening lyrics, "I'm wide awake and so alive..."

The free concert served as crucial promotion for the record, providing enjoyable entertainment for loyal fans and unsuspecting tourists to Boston that evening. Although the balancing on the microphones appeared to give the artist some difficulty, Nathanson still delivered a sound performance.

"Come On Get Higher" and "To The Beat of Our Noisy Hearts" really got the crowd moving, as Nathanson passionately delivered his fresh set of lyrics. Although the performance featured primarily new songs, he did appease long time listeners with his older work, including "Angel,” a song he dedicated to "the great Bruce Springsteen.”

Other moments in the show included a rendition of "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick, and Journey's ever popular, "Don't Stop Believing," which "really gets any concert going,” according to Nathanson.

The show slowed to the original finale of "All We Are," the concluding track on Some Mad Hope. It was quickly revived, however, with his notorious cover of James’s "Laid,” featured on the soundtrack to American Wedding.

Despite having to reserve himself from his normal concert routine of vulgar language and hilarious, but inappropriate stories that can only be described as an “experience,” Nathanson delivered yet another passionate performance. Be sure to catch this San Francisco artist on tour next summer and pick up Some Mad Hope.

Lifehouse proves just who they are

2007-07-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

By Amy Willard

The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. was all abuzz Wednesday night, as Lifehouse set the stage for main headliner, the Goo Goo Dolls. The California based trio opened their set with nostalgia as they welcomed the crowd with "Spin" from their 2002 album, Stanley Climbfall.
Lead singer and guitarist, Jason Wade, had fans quickly singing along as he transitioned into the 2000 hit, "Hanging By a Moment." Looking out into the crowd, Wade expressed his gratitude to fans and said he was glad to be back in the state. Lifehouse has not performed in Connecticut since April 2005, at Toad's Place in New Haven.
The guys mellowed the place of the show with new songs, such as "Whatever It Takes," from their latest release titled, Who We Are. After reading a few signs and welcoming a fan one thousand miles, from Wisconsin, they covered rock and roll legends, The Rolling Stones, with their alternative rendition of "Beast of Burden."
Lifehouse continued to play tracks off of their new album, as well as their infamous single "You and Me" off their self-titled 2005 release. The show concluded with their latest single, "First Time," and "Broken," the fifth track off of Who We Are.
These California rockers certainly did not disappoint. They put on a great performance, it is definitely a shame their set could not go on longer. If you are a long time fan, newcomer, or are looking for a great alternative rock band to see live, catch Lifehouse on tour.

Complete Set List [July 25, 2007]
Spin
Hanging By a Moment
Whatever It Takes
Who We Are
Beast of Burden [cover]
The Joke
You and Me
First Time
Broken