Dangerous New Machine Makes Mighty Sideshow Look Like Just Plain Freaks

Originally Published Here:http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/30/dangerous-new-machine-makes-mighty-sideshow-look-like-just-plain-freaks/

Published Thursday, June 30, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Show Review, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: alternative metal, Amanda Caines, Chattanooga, Dangerous New Machine, Hard Rock, Mighty Sideshow, Shutter, southern rock

Shutter, Dangerous New Machine, and Mighty Sideshow | Rhythm & Brews | 6/25/11 (Chattanooga, TN)

Photos Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157627080353184/

Thanks to inconsistent website information for which I hurled numerous curse words at Chattanooga’s downtown music venue “Rhythm & Brews,” I arrived in the middle of the band Shutter’s penultimate song—and they were the primary band I came to see. The song and a half of their set that I witnessed sounded absolutely stellar, and the band members were full of passion and energy. When vocalist Scott Plante announced that the next song would be their last, I had a major outburst of “WTF?!? Luckily, guitarist Cody Cass handed me a CD to review so I didn’t totally miss out. Of all the hard rock bands I looked up in Chattanooga, they were by far my favorite, and I look forward to sinking my teeth into their new CD.

Following Shutter was a wildly entertaining band called Dangerous New Machine from Atlanta, GA. When they first came on stage and started playing, the vocals were that really unmelodic, aggressive sort—of which I’m not a fan—and I was thinking, “oh, noooo!” I happily learned that not all of their songs sound like that and breathed a sigh of relief as I sat back and let them entertain me.

While most of their songs were pretty post grunge/southern rock-ish, there were some metal-inspired guitar moments, too, akin to Avenged Sevenfold or Ozzy. What impressed me most was not as much the flares of nifty riffage from guitarist Billy Gray as the awesome vocals—both lead and harmony. Lead vocalist Erik Rogers (formerly of Stereomud) definitely has the pipes to keep up with the big dogs in the underground music scene and can go from channeling the gravelly angst of Sully Erna (Godsmack) to belting emotional power-tones like Brent Smith (Shinedown) at the drop of a hi-hat.

He’s also a really big fan of the “F” word and hit the nail on the head when he said something along the lines of, “I bet you guys all think I’m an angry little dude with a Napoleon complex.” This came after his rap metal-esque, crowd-participating tribute to the soldiers who killed Bin Laden. Dangerous New Machine’s music is really angry a lot of the time, but the fans definitely get into it—Erik can really work the crowd.

As for the rest of the band, the bass and drums were nothing flashy, but really tight and polished. The stage show was very animated; all of these guys are really physical with their music and interact with each other in some very humorous ways at times. Erik even finished off the set by jumping off one of the huge side stage PA speakers at the end of their Framing Hanley-inspired cover of hip-hop hit “Low” by artist Flo Rida. It’s hard for any band to follow a “full-contact sport” of a show like that.

Headlining the show was Chattanooga’s own Mighty Sideshow, who had a lot of eye candy in their set props. Draped behind the drummer’s cage-like overhead cymbal rack was a huge banner with a drawing of a woman’s face with an orb set in her forehead that spun and changed colors via a hidden projector. Chains hung from the sides of the stage and adorned the foot of the drum platform that also bore the band name. While the stage set-up was impressive, I can’t say that the band’s stage show was all that exciting. The bad thing about an awesome stage set-up is that it creates a sense of anticipation that something exciting is about to happen—which is a lot to live up to for a musician.

Music-wise, not every song sounded the same, but I did notice some pervasive trends in chord interval choices across their set. A lot of the songs blended together to me, and many of the riffs consisted of only three to five chords without dynamic vocals to fill in the space. Vocalist Alan Whitener had a pleasant voice with some decent strength and he had a charming way of moving about, but he seemed to write his vocal lines within a narrow comfort zone melodically and rhythmically.

Steve Swanson’s guitar solos were drowned in Wah-pedal effects instead of boasting technique, and both guitarists tended to play the rhythm part together instead of branching off into something more complementary. There were a few gems, though; I got excited every time they started off with a heavier riff—partially because of the bad-ass sound emanating from the full-stack Peavey JSX amp that one of them plays. They also had one slower song that stood out as well, but the rest of the songs were largely unimpressive in comparison. Despite claiming the metal and Southern rock genres, I thought they sounded a little more post grunge—kind of like a slightly heavier Smile Empty Soul.

Everclear Swims Through Set At Speed Street 2011

I admittedly don’t give a racing rat’s ass about NASCAR or the Coca-Cola 600, but I always go out to the Food Lion Speed Street festival and walk past the racing mumbo-jumbo on my way to the free concerts. Over the last three years, the rock stage headliners have gone from disappointing to just downright sad, and this year takes the cake. As a former fan of Everclear’s from my glory days as an angsty teen, I thought I might recognize some songs and enjoy some nostalgia from their three-chord, angry-at-my-dad brand of alternative rock, but I had no idea how tough it would be to recognize my old favorites. Everclear was meant to headline Speed Street last year, but the rain caused the festival coordinators to call off their set. This year, another substance made many of us wish they’d been rained out again—alcohol. At least that’s all I hope it was. Art Alexakis belted out what should have been familiar tunes with all the articulation of a drunken hobo with Tourette’s. His pitches stumbled all around the notes they aimed at, with his vocal quality akin to a dying pit bull. As I chatted with the members and friends of the previous band, Fusebox Poet, we all wondered during the first couple of songs what the hell was wrong with the guy—was he sick? Drunk? Old and out of practice? Either way, he sounded awful. Luckily after a couple of train wreck-esque songs, the sound engineer behind the knobs and dials had enough mercy to dial back the volume on the lead vocals and add some serious reverb, making the vocals ambiguously murky instead of, “Wow, that singer’s wasted!” I guess from a band named after pure grain alcohol, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Apparently Art Alexakis fell off the wagon. Mingling with the other rubberneckers (fans, that is), I started asking some people for their reactions to this sad spectacle. “As a fan of this band, this is just sad,” and, “If I’d paid for tickets to this concert, this is when I’d be asking for my money back,” were pretty much the consensus. Standing there chatting with people about how embarrassed for Art and the band we were, I was amused at the “A-Ha” moment when one fan realized that the murky, unfamiliar song we’d been listening to for at least a minute was “Everything to Everyone.” Yes, it was that bad. People were leaving in disgust. A similar realization of my own during “Wonderful” gave me a new, ironic picture of the sad-but-peppy tune that has forever ruined that song for me. This is what we should expect from last call at a karaoke bar—not from the man with a major label record contract who wrote the music. I was disappointed, sickened, even. Not only did I leave the show without the normal afterglow of a great, free concert, I left with a knot in my stomach, feeling like I’d just witnessed a bus crash. I hope that next year the festival booking agents will choose a more stable headliner for the rock stage—and I really hope Art Alexakis goes back to rehab before he ruins the legacy of a very popular band. (Originally published at shutter16.com)

“Science In The Cave EP” Leads Into The Dark…

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/28/cd-review-science-in-the-cave-ep-leads-into-the-dark/

Published Tuesday, June 28, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under CD Review, Editor : Amanda Caines, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: alternative rock, Amanda Caines, CD Review, indie rock, Science in the Cave

“Science In The Cave EP”

The band Science In The Cave dishes up some ’90s-style rock with their “Science In The Cave EP.” Think Bono from U2’s mid-eighties days singing for Radiohead in the early ‘90s. The quality isn’t the best I’ve ever heard, but it’s clear and decently-mixed. The reverb-saturated vocals are pleasant enough and the guitar sound is good, but they dominate sonically over the bass and drums, leaving them so far in the background, they’re almost unnoticeable on the first listen-through.

Stylistically, repetition is the thorn in the side of the songs on “Science In The Cave.” That’s not to say that all the songs “sound the same,” because they don’t; but there are some stylistic elements in the vocals and the guitar that are a little over-used throughout the course of the entire CD. There’s a little too much ascending/descending octave stuff in the guitars, and it’s pretty repetitive rhythm-wise and note-interval-wise in a lot of places, vocally. I’d love to see some more experimentation in the vocal lines and the bass lines and some expansion of the almost surf rock feel and arpeggio techniques on guitar like in “Death Haunted World,” which stood out big-time and is by far my favorite track on the CD. “Virus” is my second-favorite because of the driving rhythms and ominous guitar slides from the beginning up to the verse—reminds me of Coldplay-gone-doom.

Speaking of doom, I think they’re clearly obsessed with death and disease, judging by their song titles. “Cancer,” “Virus,” and “Death Haunted World,” … see what I mean? I really dig the dark, mysterious vibe of the tunes, though, so I’m not complaining. By the time the last track “1910” rolls around, I’m not anxious to grab it out of the player, so that’s a very good sign.

This is the kind of CD that makes incredibly groovy music to go in the background while something else is going on. It’s got the grooves to put you in a good mood, but if it’s your sole thing to concentrate on, you might get bored with the repetition within each song. Unless you like techno or new wave, in which case these tunes are incredibly dynamic in comparison. A song or two at a time, like in a play list or mix CD, it’s not glaringly noticeable. I can see myself popping this whole album into the player on a road trip, too—a definite “win.”
CD: “Science in the Cave EP”
Band: Science in the Cave
Reach: Local to Carolinas
Genre: Doom Indie—haha—or Alternative Rock
Sounds like: Radiohead, Coldplay (early), U2 (early)
Tracks: 8
Strongest Track: 3. “Death Haunted World”
Weakest Track: 5. “Insect”
Best Feature: Doomy Grooves
Listen Again: Yes
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

S.I.Q. Says, “I Used To Play In My Church’s Youth Band… Then I Found The ‘Devil’s Music’ And Never Looked Back.”

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/27/interview-s-i-q-says-i-used-to-play-in-my-churchs-youth-band-then-i-found-the-devils-music-and-never-looked-back/ Published Monday, June 27, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Interview, Podcast, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, charlotte, interview, Podcast, prog metal, progressive metal, S.I.Q.

Grown Up Avenger Stuff: The Unsung Heroes Of Charlotte FemmeFest 2011

Anyone who has ever heard of Charlotte FemmeFest probably pictures a few stages full of angry lesbians with acoustic guitars and most of my rock-oriented friends avoid those sorts of concerts like a bad case of herpes. I can’t say that I am much different. I can express adamantly that I love the concept of FemmeFest and its mission: “FemmeFest aims to reach, inspire, and strengthen our cultural community with the work of underrepresented female voices throughout the region and beyond.” However, as one of the many female rock artists who has tried and failed to break through the ironclad stereotype of FemmeFest, I must say I was delighted to see Grown Up Avenger Stuff make it on the bill this year with their quirky amalgamation of rock, pop, grunge, punk, and metal. Too bad it only took them three years of begging (and the prestige of landing a record deal last summer) to get them into the FemmeFest fold. They are the only reason I decided to actually go to the festival this year for the first time. I went into FemmeFest with an open mind, because I do, from time to time, enjoy listening to some good ol’ folk music—but don’t tell my metal band friends. A lot of the artists were what I expected but I did find a couple of gems nestled in with the onslaught of acoustic emo-babble. By far, the best solo acoustic performance at FemmeFest was not the headliner but Reeve Coobs, who truly blew me away with her powerful choruses and excellent guitar-work. Even my husband, the guitar snob who I dragged along for a male perspective, was impressed with her playing. Her sweet-yet-mighty voice ran the gamut from self-effacing, light folk to robust, head-bobbing blues. I missed her full-band set since it coincided with Grown Up Avenger Stuff’s time slot but I am eager to find another opportunity to see Reeve with her band. The remainder of the lot of solo acoustic performers, on the other hand, canvassed the territory from boring to homogenous to downright cliché. With my show schedule in hand and hoofin’ it among Neighborhood Theatre, The Evening Muse, and Green Rice Gallery (Dolce Vita was a tease—no music there at the scheduled time!), I managed to catch a few songs from Natalie Royal, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Shana Blake, and Charlotte Parrott, but none of them presented anything I found noteworthy. The headliner, Jennifer Knapp, not only did not impress me, but also approached unprofessionalism with her persistent references to the copious amounts of Scotch she’d been drinking and playing songs she didn’t quite remember how to play. She was certainly the Lilith Fair poster girl with an acoustic guitar and a chip on her shoulder, but at least the girl can sing on key when she’s drunk. Outside the realm of regurgitated granola riffs lay a few hit-or-miss acts like HuDost, Donna Duncan, Chasing Pedestrians, and Stella Rising, I had been eager to hear StellaRising as they were the only band besides Grown Up Avenger Stuff whose name I had heard in the local music scene, but they disappointed me in performance. Each of their original songs smacked of a cover song I’ve heard too many times, but lacked the excitement of the real thing. When they finally did do an actual cover, it was Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” and vocalist Kristi Ormand choked the life out of it. The vocal ornamentations of the song were completely lacking, and Kristi didn’t quite have those high notes. It sounded almost as if this were the original version of the song from the early 80’s that Gnarls Barkley decided they could remake into something better. Chasing Pedestrians was enjoyable, overall, though singer/pianist Michaela Amato was the only standout performer, belting out their bluesy pop in one juggernaut of a voice with a timbre similar to that of Nelly Furtado or Natalie Merchant. The horn section in cheesy, blue, 50’s-style tuxes was an interesting choice that added some musical dimension and visual whimsy to the set. HuDost indubitably had the most eclectic mix of sounds in their set, using a sitar, cello, 12-string guitar with an “e-bow, “ and a harmonium, which I’d never seen in person before. I found myself profoundly mesmerized by their Eastern ethereal three-piece band. Their sonic profile displayed a continuum from new age/world meditation chanting to three part harmonies that could easily have come from a country station. Despite a glowing recommendation as a rockin’ lady I should check out, Donna Duncan brought nothing but worn out southern rock with stage moves that belong more in a strip club than at an all-ages festival. One could easily find a band like this in any biker bar in the Carolinas. By this point in the festival, my ears ached from too much of the same thing without enough variety—especially since granola folk music is not my first choice of sonic cereal. Granola is great for breakfast; I just don’t want to eat it all day long. When midnight rolled around and Grown Up Avenger Stuff finally took their places on the side stage in Neighborhood Theatre, they were truly a breath of fresh air to my rock-deprived lungs. Too bad their performance was so late, after most of the crowd had bought their souvenirs and headed home. I lamented that they didn’t have a better time slot so they could’ve shared their oscillations from charming sweetness to screaming bad-ass with a larger crowd. Vocalist Deirdre Kroener seasons her vocals with one part 50’s housewife, one part Broadway star, and one part Courtney Love on a bender. The musical styling of the band behind her goes toe-to-toe with her, boasting an arsenal of assorted tempos, moods, and genres anywhere from the likes of The White Stripes or The Beatles all the way to Hole or Weezer. If you don’t like the style they’re playing right now, wait five minutes—it’ll change. Every song is a new adventure, and even some songs within themselves are pretty bipolar, such as “Disagreements with Gravity,” where it’s calm and psychedelic one minute and thrashing pop-punk the next. One of the funniest changes comes at the end of their new song “Too Cool,” which remains firmly in the alternative rock pigeon-hole with a sugary chorus of, “too cool, too cool, too cool for me,” that sounds a little like a cuckoo clock—and then there’s the surprise ending. After a brief pause where the audience thinks the song is done, the Avengers come back in with a hardcore metal-style rebuttal to the song subject’s cockiness. Brilliant. Humor is an oft-heard tool of Grown Up Avenger Stuff’s, but that is hardly to suggest that all of their songs are silly or funny. Songs like “Static” and “Wish” round out their aural portfolio with a little bit of straight-up alternative rock that delicately bares the fragile faces behind the rock-hard avenger masks. John Thomsen’s dynamic guitar riffs meld together with a solid rhythm section that fortunately possesses the sensitivity to lift up the beautiful agony of Deirdre’s soaring vocals. As many times as I’ve seen Grown Up Avenger Stuff, I could see this was definitely not their best show. New bassist, “Mr. Red,” had some trouble getting his sound dialed in and it came across a bit clanky, some songs didn’t have quite the confidence to them that I’ve come to expect from the Avengers, and John broke a guitar string on the last song. After seeing them headline at Amos’ Southend with hundreds of adoring fans, I hated to see them close out their set at FemmeFest to a roaring crowd of… um… TEN. I hope to see them play the event again next year with better placement in the show’s lineup. All in all, FemmeFest was significantly more entertaining than I expected, and I did come home with a couple of new and different CDs for my music arsenal, even if I had to run around like a headless chicken to find all the music I wanted to hear. Maybe next year they’ll have each stage representing one loosely categorized genre so it’s not such a trail mix strewn about everywhere. A rock stage would be nice. To those who have yet to see Grown Up Avenger Stuff show their stuff: this band is a must-see. There are many upcoming opportunities on their calendar including June 17th at Charlotte’s own Amos’ Southend. To see their complete calendar that includes shows in Fayetteville, NC, and Charleston, SC, or to hear their tunes, visit their website at GrownUpAvengerStuff.com or on their Facebook Page. They also have a CD for sale, so definitely grab one if you like what you hear. For more information on FemmeFest, visit CharlotteFemmeFest.org. (article originally published at shutter 16.com)

The Monkees And Nirvana Had A Baby, And Its Name Is “The Spiveys.”

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/20/show-review-the-monkees-and-nirvana-had-a-baby-and-its-name-is-the-spiveys/

Published Monday, June 20, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Stephanie Moore, Show Review, Snug Harbor, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Nirvana, Snug Harbor, The Beatles, The Monkees, The Spiveys, Weezer

The Spiveys at Snug Harbor

Surrounded by a plethora of pirate plunder at Snug Harbor, I settled in with the set of spectators for The Spiveys in anticipation of a good time. I’d never been to Snug Harbor before, and, though it wasn’t what I expected, it was still pretty cool. The Spiveys weren’t too shabby, either.

I’ve been a fan of Adam Middleton’s unique attack on writing vocal lines ever since I first heard him perform with The Stellas, and his new band, The Spiveys, takes that even further. Adam and drummer Jacob Worden (also formerly of The Stellas) got together with guitarist Jesse Reaves (You Tonight), and what began as a summer side project for these guys clicked into place as a more permanent fixture in the Charlotte indie rock scene.

To say that The Spiveys are just another indie band would be to ignore some of the eclectic other stuff going on in their music. It’s like an orgy of bands from the 60s and the 90s: Nirvana, The Monkees, Weezer, and a little reach-around from The Beatles’ experimental side. They even tried out their cover of “Happiness is a Warm Gun” that they had prepared for the Tosco Beatles Tribute show the following night. It was a little out of tune, guitar-wise, but, not being familiar with the song, I wasn’t completely sure if it was intentionally de-tuned or not—apparently it wasn’t. That, and the scariest feedback sound I’d ever heard right at the beginning of “Can’t Stay Here” were really the only bad points of the show. Everything else was thoroughly enjoyable.

Tempos of their originals span from the slower, chillin’-at-the-soda-shop-style “Oh My God,” to the funky, mysterious and rhythmic “Modest Mannequin” that borders on disco at times, all the way to channeling Kurt Cobain’s bold angst in “Shut the Fuck Up,” which Jesse dedicated to Jacob for the night. Further cementing the Nirvana connection, Adam played a blue Fender Jag-Stang, Kurt’s custom guitar invention. As a rocker chick who cut her teeth on Nirvana, I have a soft spot for anybody who can rock out grunge-style.

Regardless of what style they’re entertaining in any given tune, The Spiveys are tight in their rhythms, catchy in their songwriting, and energetic in their musical execution. Adam is one of those people who likes to do crazy things on stage, and Jesse dives right in with him with power-slides and pop-rock bounces. These guys are truly fun to experience live, and I will definitely catch them again in the near future. I advise all fans of grunge or bubblegum pop to do the same. More Photos Here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157626884365799/

The Jupiter Tide Bellows, “WAKE THE F*CK UP, CHARLOTTE!!” (Among Other Things)

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/15/interview-the-jupiter-tide-bellows-wake-the-fuck-up-charlotte-among-other-things/

INTERVIEW: The Jupiter Tide Bellows, “WAKE THE F*CK UP, CHARLOTTE!!” (Among Other Things)

Published Wednesday, June 15, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Interview, Podcast, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Audio, Burger King, Charlotte Music, comedy, El Pollo Loco, interview, Jagermeister, metal, Podcast, rock, The Jupiter Tide, The Money

Fernandina Brings Indie Rockabilly to McHale's

The Deal: Fernandina, a rock/alternative/country trio from the York County suburbs of Charlotte, brought some catchy indie rock with a rockabilly twist to a disappointingly small crowd at Fort Mill’s McHale’s. Surrounded by an ambiance from artifacts of an Irish-American person’s den, musical multi-tasker Amy Coccia stepped up to the lead mic with a guitar and a harmonica. Following her were drummer Dan Viands and bassist Jason Poore. I knew Amy and Jason at least were high-quality musicians since I played with each of them in various high school band ensembles, so I was willing to take a chance on a not-my-cup-of-tea genre on the basis of well-written music’s defiance of the boundaries of stylistic pigeon-holing. Several songs into their extra-long set, I patted myself on the back for taking that gamble. The Good: Every song had a charm to it that made it unique from every other. Though I often find that going to see a band in an unfamiliar genre tends to make all the songs sound the same to me, Fernandina was an exception. I thoroughly appreciated the multitude of journeys through the genres in their music. Amy’s vocals are clear and bright, showing excellent control of the scoops, slides and flips that display her full utilization of her vocal instrument. Her guitar work wasn’t too shabby either. On some songs she reminded me of a female Tom Petty; on others she channeled more of the Dixie Chicks, but both the rocker chick and the country girl have a home in her chords. Bass master Jason Poore tore up the bass lines like a Victor Wooten, Jr., adding interest and intrigue beneath the soaring voices of Amy and her Stratocaster. Even though Jason certainly enjoyed grabbing the spotlight for a few bass solos and the like, he played fair and traded solo time with Amy. The two harmonize as well vocally as instrumentally, singing in tandem for most numbers, including a breathtaking duet accompanied by a lone guitar. The Bad: Through the entire first set, I tried to find my typical points of conflict so I could find some way to keep my reputation of being a hard-nosed music critic. Um… the bass was too loud sometimes from where I was sitting and the venue was as dark as a tomb so it was impossible to photograph. That, and the full parking lot gave the lion’s share of its occupants to the classic rock cover band playing tired tunes on McHale’s back porch. I didn’t go check them out, but I would bet Fernandina’s covers of “Proud Mary” and “Walk Like An Egyptian” put their slapdash Skynyrd to shame. That’s all I’ve got — they really were that good. The Verdict: While the genre of this band is hard to classify without a lot of slash marks—the closest I could attempt would be “indie rockabilly”—the level of quality is readily apparent: fantastic. If toe-tapping tunes and superb singing aren’t enough to get people out to a Fernandina show, it’s worth the trip just to watch Jason play the bass like it was the lead guitar. Tags: Live Reviews, Rock Hill, McHale's, Fernandina(read more at qcvibes.com)

The Jupiter Tide Brings Tsunami of Rock to Amos' Southend

The Deal: The Jupiter Tide played second of four bands at Amos’ Southend, but had enough crowd presence to have held the headlining spot among the bands present. This was also the first show with the band’s new drummer, Joey Garrett, so there was something new to prove. Shadow of Myself, Ruckus Avenue and Namesake rounded out the evening with a variety of sounds on the rock-metal continuum.

The Good: There are few bands in Charlotte that simultaneously rock as hard and work as hard as The Jupiter Tide. In addition to playing its songs that possess widespread appeal in the alternative metal/hard rock genre, the band articulates the meaning and energy of its music through dramatic stage movement as well with hardcore head-banging, light-up-mic-stand spinning and karate kicks. Its sound is the mutant offspring of Megadeth and 30 Seconds to Mars, with blazing guitar harmonies set afire by both lead-quality guitarists Monte Anderson and Brett Baker and dynamically melodic vocals from singer Adam Nelson. Adam and Monte harmonize vocally as well, going toe-to-toe in power and control on both the singing and the metal-injected screaming. Even though Monte’s long hair, orange contact lenses, and oddly-coiffed beard make him look a bit like an axe-murdering mountain man, his axe-murdering is strictly practiced in the musical sense — he’s a string-searing bad-ass. Brand new drummer Joey jumped right in and double-kicked some serious ass as well, pounding out strong, clean time-keeping for the rhythm section with bassist Daniel Hoover.

The other bands were all decent, though the only one that stood out songwriting-wise was Namesake. For fans of high-energy emo songs, these guys’ record due out June 21 is probably worth a listen, and its show might be worth seeing a few months down the road (more about that in a moment).

Shadow of Myself’s lead guitarist Brian Baker had some impressive axe control on his solos even if his riffs were mundane in comparison, and the vocalist, Travis Keziah, had a strong voice and expression that could stand out with the right song.

The guitarist from Ruckus Avenue, Chad Chriscoe, took the lead vocals on a couple of their songs and showed enough emotion and prowess as a vocalist that he dwarfed the talent of Philip Morgan, the designated singer of the band.

The Bad: The Tide was a bit off this time on its usually good cover of 10 Years’ “Wasteland,” with the vocals just not quite gelling throughout the song. Moments of greatness peeked out from what was otherwise a pretty boring rendition of a slower song that, despite allowing for some sing-along from the audience, decelerated the momentum of the show. Luckily, they amped it back up right afterward with their new tune “Save Me,” which rings of late-90s Stabbing Westward.

Namesake, while showing off some intriguing tunes, fell flat in its performance of them. Singer Will Crafton was constantly wandering off pitch, and the sampling tracks provided as much drumming as the actual drummer Kevin Nordeste (who wasn’t bad according to his drum solo mid-set). From a stage presence standpoint, guitarist Brad Wagner stood out strongly as the only one with any real sign of animated showmanship, and bassist James Nalley might as well have been a mannequin for all his stage movement. They do have potential as a band, but need some serious work on solidifying their stage presence.

The Verdict: The Jupiter Tide had a good, entertaining show, with its new addition meshing well in the mix, but they should maybe stick to the energetic original songs or pick some better-fitting cover songs to play, at least. The fans loved it, and the band closed their set with their catchy-but-brutal “Fig. A” that ends with hard hits and three brutal growls, sending the band off stage on a climactic high note. Namesake, also, may be worth seeing again once they get a little more stage experience under their belts.

The Jupiter Tide will be back in the Charlotte area on June 18 at The Money in Rock Hill, S.C., and June 24 at The Hot Box in Lancaster, S.C.

Originally published at: http://clclt.com/vibes/archives/2011/06/06/live-review-the-jupiter-tide

Primus Sucks And The Dead Kenny Gs Are Looney Tunes

Originally Published Here:http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/03/show-review-primus-sucks-and-the-dead-kenny-gs-are-looney-tunes/

SHOW REVIEW: Primus Sucks and The Dead Kenny Gs are Looney Tunes Published Friday, June 3, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Dianna Augustine, Show Review, The Fillmore (Charlotte), Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, jazz, live review, metal, Primus, primus sucks, punk, rock, the dead kenny gs, The Fillmore (Charlotte), weird stuff

While I’m not the biggest fan of funk, jam bands, or drums & bass, Primus is one of those bands that is truly legendary, so I just had to experience them live. As a former bassist, I’ve always looked up to Les Claypool’s technique-flexing approach to bass playing. That, and sometimes they’re just hilarious. Their opening act, The Dead Kenny Gs, was pretty delightfully insane as well.

When The Dead Kenny Gs came out on stage wearing long, curly black wigs and white suit jackets with blood spatter on them, I couldn’t help but giggle. Then two of them picked up saxophones, paying harmonic homage to their living namesake, and proceeded to make some crazy noise that vaguely resembled the lovechild of Count Basie and The Melvins. Instrumental punk rock jazz—really? I figured, hell, let’s give it a try.

Listening to The Dead Kenny Gs was like hearing the Muppets take over a jazz combo performance. It was straightforward jazz with sax and vibraphone one moment and gutteral screams and blast beats the next. Some of it also sounded like a soundtrack from Looney Tunes and I half expected to see Wile E. Coyote skulking around with some ACME products in the crowd. Very strange, but at the same time intriguing, I couldn’t help but shake my booty while wondering, “WTF?”

Not only was their music interesting, they were fiercely talented, especially percussionist Mike Dillon, who simultaneously played vibraphone and a drum kit. That was some Cirque de Soleil grade coordination. Saxophonist Skerik did a bit of musical multi-tasking as well, alternating between his overdrive-effected sax and a sample pad (and occasionally screaming lyrics into the sax mic).

Showing their roots, they covered Dead Kennedys’ “Kill the Poor,” which Mike Dillon says has come back into fashion since its inception in the early Eighties because the similar economic climate has reared its ugly head. The one other lyric-laden song in their set was their own “Black Death,” with political tones that chastise BP for spilling oil while recognizing that our world as we know it would literally shut down without the black gold. All-in-all a bad-ass set and enough variety to keep even the most severe cases of ADHD entertained.

Even though The Dead Kenny Gs seemed to have had a lot more fun on stage, the crowd was clearly there to hear Primus (even if they’re shouting “Primus Sucks”–inside joke). As a side note, I noticed that this crowd was a serious sausagefest, with literally at least 75% more fellas than ladies—I guess pork soda is mostly a male-oriented beverage. As Primus broke into their opening tune “Pudding Time,” I felt the floor thundering beneath me from hundreds of foot-stomping, fist-pumping fans getting into it.

Illuminated by numerous stage lights and guarded by 30-foot-tall inflatable astronauts, Primus was part funk-metal band, part acid trip, like as if a spaceship landed in the middle of a hash bar. The astronauts’ visors acted as projection screens showing everything from eyeballs to pigs to George W. Bush (shown during “My Name is Mud”), creating an eccentric ambiance in the concert hall. Les Claypool’s odd vocals, while not melodic, add peculiar percussive elements to the rhythm-driven riffs. Between songs, Les made some cheap jokes, engaging the audience with profane interjections and questions. He asked of the Fillmore audience, “Is this a good place to go? ‘Cause we don’t wanna be playing no shitholes!” He also let us know a little bit about their upcoming album, from which they played a few songs, including an allegory about the changing dynamics of the music business via salmon… and something about lumberjacks. They also had Les come out in a monkey mask at one point—never a dull moment.

Primus entertained and amused me, but, being a vocal-oriented music fan, I appreciated with much less engagement in the music than I might have. Then again, I was sober, having somehow avoided a contact high from the patchouli-doused hippies reeking of reefer on all sides of me. Les Claypool lived up to his reputation as possibly the most talented bassist alive, and drummer Jay Lane dazzled us with massive drum solos reminiscent of Carter-Beauford-meets-Neil-Peart.

Their performance, while impressive, did not inspire me to go out and purchase the entire Primus discography, but I am happy to have attended and will make sure my eclectic music collection always possesses a peppering of Primus.