Tuesday, October 31, 2006
OhMyRockness: Apes and Androids!
I don't have time to write a full review but I needed to say something about the Apes and Androids show last night at the Annex. Just when I thought these guys ran out of cool shit to do they go and do what they did last night. I'll do a full review later but here is a quick taste.
Apes And Androids - Thriller
Monday, October 30, 2006
Atreyu and Every Time I Die 10/27
Friday night I had a chance to review the Atreyu, ETID, and Chiodos show at Nokia Theatre. I was pretty excited about this show for a few reasons.
I finally just followed some kids and found the entrance to the performance room. Once I got inside I asked some little pudgy fucker if I missed anything. He said "Yeah, some band Chodose played>" I replied "Chiodos played? Fuck!" To which he said "Yeah, Chodose."
So I missed the band I was most excited to see, which is not cool. Not that I wasn't excited about the rest - it's just that I haven't seen Chiodos before and I've seen Atreyu several times. So I pushed my way towards the front and waited for Every Time I Die to play.
As I was standing there I realized that 80% of the crowd were 15-16 year old kids. What the fuck happened here? A year ago if you went to see Atreyu and ETID there would have been a few teeny boppers but at least 50% of the crowd would have been hardcore kids. I looked good and I looked hard and I couldn't see a single fucking hardcore kid anywhere.
Then, as I was standing on the side, I realized I was surrounded by 15 year old girls. I felt like a creepy old guy - despite being only 26, but that's all it takes. Right Dateline? Sorry, bad joke. Anyway, I couldn't wait until the band started so I could get the fuck into the photo pit and away from the teeny boppers.
Every Time I Die finally came on and totally blew the fuck up. They are much better live then on tape. In fact I don't really like their albums all that much. They have a few good songs here and there but overall I'm not a big fan. They have a very intense energy live and the band is constantly running wild around the stage. During the set the guitar player leaped across the photo pit into the crowd, guitar and all.
Listening to the albums I never really noticed how much they sound like VOD at times. This is particularly true during the parts with actual singing. I have a new respect for ETID but I still don't dig their albums.
After they finished up I waited for From First To Last to take the stage. I know absolutely nothing about this band and I was planning on taking a seat in the back while they played. Then the lights went down and a band came on, that's when I noticed it was Atreyu. WTF? They aren't supposed to be on yet. Where's FFTL?
I rushed back to the side of the stage and back into the photo pit. Atreyu went into there first song and everyone there started singing along. I was the one of about 3-4 people in the photo pit besides the bouncers. I was the only one singing along and pumping my fist. It must have been pretty funny looking from both the stage and the crowd but fuck it - who cares?
After four songs I had to leave the pit. Technically I was supposed to leave after three but I snuck in an extra song. After that I went up on one of the raised platforms on the side and watched the rest of the show. I had a great view of the crowd from where I was at and it just confirmed my earlier analysis that Atreyu lost the hardcore kids.
It's kinda odd when you think about it. I mean Atreyu look like normal dudes now. They kinda ditched the glam accessories they had back in the day, which HC peeps hate. Now that they are just jeans and t-shirt dudes they suddenly are drawing the Tiger Beat crowd - weird. It seems kinda backwards if you ask me.
Back to the show - Atreyu was awesome. I've seen better performances by them but considering the singer just got in from a funeral it was pretty good. They have really learned how to perform since the last time I saw them. They were constantly moving all over the place and really playing hard. They played enough songs off of their first two albums to keep an old man like me happy. They closed with the same thing they always close with "Live! Love! Burn! Die!" which is still fucking awesome but after all these years it might be time to switch it up.
I know people are going to give me shit for digging Atreyu but I say this - fuck you! You like CYHSY and they really fucking suck!
Atreyu- Atreyu used to be a favorite of mine (I know that seems weird but they aren't really all that glam. They get lumped in with a bunch of shitty "metalcore/screamo" bands and I have always felt it was undeserved.)
- I've really been digging the Chiodos stuff I've been hearing. This band is fairly new to the scene but they are already making waves.
- It's a metal show and I don't get to cover many of those.
I finally just followed some kids and found the entrance to the performance room. Once I got inside I asked some little pudgy fucker if I missed anything. He said "Yeah, some band Chodose played>" I replied "Chiodos played? Fuck!" To which he said "Yeah, Chodose."
So I missed the band I was most excited to see, which is not cool. Not that I wasn't excited about the rest - it's just that I haven't seen Chiodos before and I've seen Atreyu several times. So I pushed my way towards the front and waited for Every Time I Die to play.
As I was standing there I realized that 80% of the crowd were 15-16 year old kids. What the fuck happened here? A year ago if you went to see Atreyu and ETID there would have been a few teeny boppers but at least 50% of the crowd would have been hardcore kids. I looked good and I looked hard and I couldn't see a single fucking hardcore kid anywhere.
Then, as I was standing on the side, I realized I was surrounded by 15 year old girls. I felt like a creepy old guy - despite being only 26, but that's all it takes. Right Dateline? Sorry, bad joke. Anyway, I couldn't wait until the band started so I could get the fuck into the photo pit and away from the teeny boppers.
Every Time I Die finally came on and totally blew the fuck up. They are much better live then on tape. In fact I don't really like their albums all that much. They have a few good songs here and there but overall I'm not a big fan. They have a very intense energy live and the band is constantly running wild around the stage. During the set the guitar player leaped across the photo pit into the crowd, guitar and all.
Listening to the albums I never really noticed how much they sound like VOD at times. This is particularly true during the parts with actual singing. I have a new respect for ETID but I still don't dig their albums.
After they finished up I waited for From First To Last to take the stage. I know absolutely nothing about this band and I was planning on taking a seat in the back while they played. Then the lights went down and a band came on, that's when I noticed it was Atreyu. WTF? They aren't supposed to be on yet. Where's FFTL?
I rushed back to the side of the stage and back into the photo pit. Atreyu went into there first song and everyone there started singing along. I was the one of about 3-4 people in the photo pit besides the bouncers. I was the only one singing along and pumping my fist. It must have been pretty funny looking from both the stage and the crowd but fuck it - who cares?
After four songs I had to leave the pit. Technically I was supposed to leave after three but I snuck in an extra song. After that I went up on one of the raised platforms on the side and watched the rest of the show. I had a great view of the crowd from where I was at and it just confirmed my earlier analysis that Atreyu lost the hardcore kids.
It's kinda odd when you think about it. I mean Atreyu look like normal dudes now. They kinda ditched the glam accessories they had back in the day, which HC peeps hate. Now that they are just jeans and t-shirt dudes they suddenly are drawing the Tiger Beat crowd - weird. It seems kinda backwards if you ask me.
Back to the show - Atreyu was awesome. I've seen better performances by them but considering the singer just got in from a funeral it was pretty good. They have really learned how to perform since the last time I saw them. They were constantly moving all over the place and really playing hard. They played enough songs off of their first two albums to keep an old man like me happy. They closed with the same thing they always close with "Live! Love! Burn! Die!" which is still fucking awesome but after all these years it might be time to switch it up.
I know people are going to give me shit for digging Atreyu but I say this - fuck you! You like CYHSY and they really fucking suck!
Every Time I Die
Full set on BSC Flickr
MP3:
Bored Stiff - ETID
One Day Women Will All Become Monsters - Chiodos
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Sparta at Irving Plaza 10/25
On Wednesday I went to Irving Plaza to check out Sparta. They had Sound Team and "special guests" open the show but I missed all of that. I got to Irving Plaza about ten minutes before Sparta took the stage. When I entered the main room I noticed it was surprisingly empty. I walked towards the stage and got a spot right up front and then I realized I forgot my earplugs (yeah I wear earplugs - fuck you). So I headed back down to the lobby to buy a pair.
When I got down the stairs I noticed a tall guy that looked very familiar. Then it dawned on me that it was Tom DeLonge from Blick 182. Since I hate Blink 182 passionately I continued on my path over to the coat check, where they sell plugs. The funny thing about him being there was that none of the regular people cared at all. However his "people" were making a bunch of noise. I swear they were trying to get people to look at him - it was fucking odd.
After I made my purchase I headed back to the floor, right before Sparta took the stage. I went towards the front and headed past the barrier into the photo pit. Most of the shows I go to don't have photo pits so it's a nice treat when I get to be right up front like that. Unfortunately the lights were fucking insane and most of my pics are washed out.
Sparta came on and the crowd let out a big cheer. I like Sparta but I don't know every song by them. I can't tell you what they opened with but it was damn good. The most impressive part of the show was Jim Ward. I was blown away by the voice on that guy. His voice is extremely powerful live and actually sounds better then it does on wax.
They finished up their set and then left the stage. Of course everyone started cheering and clapping for an encore. Sparta came back out and told the crowd how they don't like encores and that they were just going to play and if you want to stick around that's cool. So basically they played an encore but didn't want to admit it was an encore. I'm pretty sure they closed with "Cut Your Ribbon" but my memory sucks so I can't say that for sure.
Most of the time when I review shows I have some crazy shit to tell you. This show didn't really have anything unusual happen. It was just a solid performance by an extremely talented band... but I still want them to get At The Drive-In back together (please!).
When I got down the stairs I noticed a tall guy that looked very familiar. Then it dawned on me that it was Tom DeLonge from Blick 182. Since I hate Blink 182 passionately I continued on my path over to the coat check, where they sell plugs. The funny thing about him being there was that none of the regular people cared at all. However his "people" were making a bunch of noise. I swear they were trying to get people to look at him - it was fucking odd.
After I made my purchase I headed back to the floor, right before Sparta took the stage. I went towards the front and headed past the barrier into the photo pit. Most of the shows I go to don't have photo pits so it's a nice treat when I get to be right up front like that. Unfortunately the lights were fucking insane and most of my pics are washed out.
Sparta came on and the crowd let out a big cheer. I like Sparta but I don't know every song by them. I can't tell you what they opened with but it was damn good. The most impressive part of the show was Jim Ward. I was blown away by the voice on that guy. His voice is extremely powerful live and actually sounds better then it does on wax.
They finished up their set and then left the stage. Of course everyone started cheering and clapping for an encore. Sparta came back out and told the crowd how they don't like encores and that they were just going to play and if you want to stick around that's cool. So basically they played an encore but didn't want to admit it was an encore. I'm pretty sure they closed with "Cut Your Ribbon" but my memory sucks so I can't say that for sure.
Most of the time when I review shows I have some crazy shit to tell you. This show didn't really have anything unusual happen. It was just a solid performance by an extremely talented band... but I still want them to get At The Drive-In back together (please!).
Link:
Full Photo Set on BSC Flickr
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Brooklyn Is The Place To Be Tonight
Lots of parties in the BK tonight. I'm going to the Vice party but I might stop by a loft party on S. 3rd and Roebling. If you think I have shit taste in parties then there are a few other options and they have fancy flyers - except this one.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Pennywise, Circle Jerks, & Ignite 10/22
I was originally supposed to go see this show at the Warsaw on the 19th but due to a scheduling conflict I chose to cover this show, at Irving Plaza, instead. Prior to the show I was actually a bit disappointed I didn't get to see this lineup in Brooklyn, as the Warsaw is my favorite venue. What I was unaware of though was that this was the last night of the tour, which ended up meaning lots of fun surprises.
The night started off on a bad note. I arrived at Irving Plaza with BSC photographer Phil. We walked up to the ticket window and I gave the girl my name. She handed me two tickets and we proceeded to walk through the door, where they scanned our tickets. Cool right? Not so much - the door gal tells Phil he has to check his bag, which contains his fancy camera. He tells her he's here to shoot the show and I back him up. So she asks for a photo pass, which I was told we would get. So I ask her where one would pick up their photo pass and she points to the ticket window we were just at. I went back to the window but they did not have us down for photo passes at all!
I walk back in and tell Phil that we got fucked and were short a photo pass. Of course he had no intention of leaving his $1000+ camera at the bag check so he split. Normally I would have called up a friend and told them to hurry and grab Phil's ticket but it was too late, they already scanned the damn thing.
So up the stairs I went with two tickets in my pocket. As soon as I got upstairs Ignite was taking the stage. I've heard plenty about Ignite and I definitely have a few samplers with songs of theirs lying around. However I never really got into them and didn't know shit about them. They started off the first song and I instantly fell in love with this band.
The singer was absolutely fantastic and he had a Hungarian flag tattoo'd on his arm which was cool by me (I'm 50%). It's nice to hear a band playing hardcore-esque music that has singing. The guitar player with the goatee had a killer stage presence. Very energetic playing from the whole band actually.
Like I said there were a few surprises during the show. Ignite played a few covers including a Johnny Cash song and also "Sunday Bloody Sunday". They also had a surprise guest come out who ended up being none other then Vinny Stigma. The singer, who's name I believe is Zoltar, dedicated a song to the 50 year anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution - my grandfather gave shelter to refugee freedom fighters so that really meant something to me. Ignite is a damn good band and I have a lot of catching up to do as far as their music goes.
Up next were the hardcore punk legends - the Cirle Jerks! I have never had the pleasure of seeing them and I was very excited about this show. Keith Morris came out looking tired and haggard. Then the music started up and he went fucking crazy, it was awesome. Dread locks were flying all over the place as he ran around the stage.
They played a couple of Black Flag songs and also played "Destroy You" which caused quite a stir in the crowd. Jimmy G also came out and did a song with Keith. I certainly suggest checking out a Circle Jerks show. Soundwise they haven't aged at all, they still have that same energy I image they had in '79. Of course I wasn't there back then so that's hard for me to say but compared to all the other old punk bands I've seen they are way more energetic.
Pennywise time! I'll be honest with you here, I like Pennywise but I don't love them. Growing up my friends LOVED Pennywise so needless to say I know quite a bit about them. My old band in high school used to cover "Bro Hymm" which, by the way, is one of the best songs I've ever heard. When they walked out the place went fucking crazy. Everyone rushed towards the front before the first note was even struck.
When they did started playing it got really crazy. I wasn't expecting such intensity at a Pennywise show. The pit was massive and unrelenting and I couldn't even count how many kids were crowd surfing. Pennywise sounded really good but I was surprised that I couldn't remember the words to most of the songs (has it been that long?). Jim looked fucking fierce up there with the veins in his neck bulging out about two inches.
Remember what I said about surprises, well Pennywise had a few too. They did a cover of "Fight For Your Right" by the Beastie Boys - which was nothing special. They did another cover of "Astro Zombies" by the Misfits with the Ignite guy singing, which was fan-fucking-tastic. That dudes voice is very well suited for Misfits songs. Later on they had Keith from Circle Jerks come out and they played "Nervous Breakdown" which was so good I can't even fucking describe it.
Of course Pennywise closed their set with crowd favorite "Bro Hymm". Once the opening riff was played the place went crazy, even more crazy then it already was. Everyone there rushed toward the stage. Security couldn't hold them all back and a few of them snuck through and ended up on stage. The DMS crew was there supporting their boys from the West Coast. During "Bro Hymm" they all were on stage with a bunch of sneaky fans singing along with Pennywise. It was an amazing finale to a great show.
The night started off on a bad note. I arrived at Irving Plaza with BSC photographer Phil. We walked up to the ticket window and I gave the girl my name. She handed me two tickets and we proceeded to walk through the door, where they scanned our tickets. Cool right? Not so much - the door gal tells Phil he has to check his bag, which contains his fancy camera. He tells her he's here to shoot the show and I back him up. So she asks for a photo pass, which I was told we would get. So I ask her where one would pick up their photo pass and she points to the ticket window we were just at. I went back to the window but they did not have us down for photo passes at all!
I walk back in and tell Phil that we got fucked and were short a photo pass. Of course he had no intention of leaving his $1000+ camera at the bag check so he split. Normally I would have called up a friend and told them to hurry and grab Phil's ticket but it was too late, they already scanned the damn thing.
So up the stairs I went with two tickets in my pocket. As soon as I got upstairs Ignite was taking the stage. I've heard plenty about Ignite and I definitely have a few samplers with songs of theirs lying around. However I never really got into them and didn't know shit about them. They started off the first song and I instantly fell in love with this band.
The singer was absolutely fantastic and he had a Hungarian flag tattoo'd on his arm which was cool by me (I'm 50%). It's nice to hear a band playing hardcore-esque music that has singing. The guitar player with the goatee had a killer stage presence. Very energetic playing from the whole band actually.
Like I said there were a few surprises during the show. Ignite played a few covers including a Johnny Cash song and also "Sunday Bloody Sunday". They also had a surprise guest come out who ended up being none other then Vinny Stigma. The singer, who's name I believe is Zoltar, dedicated a song to the 50 year anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution - my grandfather gave shelter to refugee freedom fighters so that really meant something to me. Ignite is a damn good band and I have a lot of catching up to do as far as their music goes.
Up next were the hardcore punk legends - the Cirle Jerks! I have never had the pleasure of seeing them and I was very excited about this show. Keith Morris came out looking tired and haggard. Then the music started up and he went fucking crazy, it was awesome. Dread locks were flying all over the place as he ran around the stage.
They played a couple of Black Flag songs and also played "Destroy You" which caused quite a stir in the crowd. Jimmy G also came out and did a song with Keith. I certainly suggest checking out a Circle Jerks show. Soundwise they haven't aged at all, they still have that same energy I image they had in '79. Of course I wasn't there back then so that's hard for me to say but compared to all the other old punk bands I've seen they are way more energetic.
Pennywise time! I'll be honest with you here, I like Pennywise but I don't love them. Growing up my friends LOVED Pennywise so needless to say I know quite a bit about them. My old band in high school used to cover "Bro Hymm" which, by the way, is one of the best songs I've ever heard. When they walked out the place went fucking crazy. Everyone rushed towards the front before the first note was even struck.
When they did started playing it got really crazy. I wasn't expecting such intensity at a Pennywise show. The pit was massive and unrelenting and I couldn't even count how many kids were crowd surfing. Pennywise sounded really good but I was surprised that I couldn't remember the words to most of the songs (has it been that long?). Jim looked fucking fierce up there with the veins in his neck bulging out about two inches.
Remember what I said about surprises, well Pennywise had a few too. They did a cover of "Fight For Your Right" by the Beastie Boys - which was nothing special. They did another cover of "Astro Zombies" by the Misfits with the Ignite guy singing, which was fan-fucking-tastic. That dudes voice is very well suited for Misfits songs. Later on they had Keith from Circle Jerks come out and they played "Nervous Breakdown" which was so good I can't even fucking describe it.
Of course Pennywise closed their set with crowd favorite "Bro Hymm". Once the opening riff was played the place went crazy, even more crazy then it already was. Everyone there rushed toward the stage. Security couldn't hold them all back and a few of them snuck through and ended up on stage. The DMS crew was there supporting their boys from the West Coast. During "Bro Hymm" they all were on stage with a bunch of sneaky fans singing along with Pennywise. It was an amazing finale to a great show.
Circle Jerks
Ignite
More Photos On BSC Flickr
MP3:
Every Single Day - Pennywise
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Tonight: 120 Days & Dysrhythmia
Union Pool
October, 24 2006 at VICE RECORDS PRESENTS-
120 DAYS/DYSRHYTHMIA/WZT HEARTS
484 Union Avenue, corner of Union & Meeker, Brooklyn, 11211
Cost: $TBA
Monday, October 23, 2006
Art Brut, Spinto Band, & Annuals at Irving Plaza 10/19
On Thursday night I went to Irving plaza to see Art Brut, Spinto Band, and Annuals. While I was very excited to finally catch Art Brut again I was also interested in the much blogged about Annuals. I arrived to the show at 9PM and, as always, grabbed a beer. After about 15 minutes or so Annuals took the stage.
The very first thing I noticed was the size of the band. I think their were about six people in the band. From what I had heard online they didn't sound like a band with six members. The lead singer also stood out with his weird fur bunny cap and a hoodie over that. As soon as the first note was struck the guitar and bass player on the north side of the stage went nuts. They had amazing energy, as did the lead singer/keys/floor tom guy.
While I was unfamiliar with nearly all of the Annuals songs I had a great time listening to them. I will definitely put the album into rotation once Tom gives it back. While I haven't heard the whole album I have heard a few MP3's and I have to say the live show kills any recordings. This band is excellent live and needs to reflect that better on tape.
Next up was Spinto Band and I didn't really care. They were fairly bland and did nothing for me. There were a couple of decent songs throughout the set but even the good ones were average at best. One of the singers, whom I believed played bass, reminded me of David Byrne. Actually the whole band were very herky-jerky Talking Heads in their motions. Needless to Say I was pretty happy when they finished up.
Once Spinto Band finished up I moved towards the front, where I ran into some friends. I also ran into the only 6'6" guy in the building and he happened to be right in front of me. Not only was he exceptionally tall but so were the rest of his buddies, clocking in at an average height of about 6'3". Unfortunately there was nowhere to go at this point and I was stuck behind the wall of giants.
Art Brut took the stage and immediately Eddie started doing his shtick, which is always amusing. I'll just get right down to it - Art Brut was fucking awesome. I really think that Art Brut is an exceptional live band. They bring a punk mentality to pop music and not in the pop-punk way. I would say more in the Buzzcocks way although they don't sound like the Buzzcocks. If you see them live I think you'll understand what I'm getting at.
At one point Eddie jumped into the crowd and started dancing with everyone. After a few minutes he was completely absorbed by the crowd. His microphone was passed to the front but Eddie was not. At this point the security guards started checking the crowd for any sign of him. A few minutes later Eddie came charging back towards the stage from the side and brushed right by me.
That was the sort of night it was - very fun and surprisingly intimate for Irving Plaza. But I think Eddie said it best, "Art Brut - Top Of The Pops. Annuals - Top Of The Pops. Spinto Band - Ehhh." He then followed with this very funny line, "The only reason they're on this tour is because they beat We Are Scientists at dice" (see video below). This comment led to the Spinto Band eventually charging Art Brut on stage. Eddie grabbed one of the guys and tossed him into the crowd. Of course it was all in good fun, which is the Art Brut way.
The very first thing I noticed was the size of the band. I think their were about six people in the band. From what I had heard online they didn't sound like a band with six members. The lead singer also stood out with his weird fur bunny cap and a hoodie over that. As soon as the first note was struck the guitar and bass player on the north side of the stage went nuts. They had amazing energy, as did the lead singer/keys/floor tom guy.
While I was unfamiliar with nearly all of the Annuals songs I had a great time listening to them. I will definitely put the album into rotation once Tom gives it back. While I haven't heard the whole album I have heard a few MP3's and I have to say the live show kills any recordings. This band is excellent live and needs to reflect that better on tape.
Next up was Spinto Band and I didn't really care. They were fairly bland and did nothing for me. There were a couple of decent songs throughout the set but even the good ones were average at best. One of the singers, whom I believed played bass, reminded me of David Byrne. Actually the whole band were very herky-jerky Talking Heads in their motions. Needless to Say I was pretty happy when they finished up.
Once Spinto Band finished up I moved towards the front, where I ran into some friends. I also ran into the only 6'6" guy in the building and he happened to be right in front of me. Not only was he exceptionally tall but so were the rest of his buddies, clocking in at an average height of about 6'3". Unfortunately there was nowhere to go at this point and I was stuck behind the wall of giants.
Art Brut took the stage and immediately Eddie started doing his shtick, which is always amusing. I'll just get right down to it - Art Brut was fucking awesome. I really think that Art Brut is an exceptional live band. They bring a punk mentality to pop music and not in the pop-punk way. I would say more in the Buzzcocks way although they don't sound like the Buzzcocks. If you see them live I think you'll understand what I'm getting at.
At one point Eddie jumped into the crowd and started dancing with everyone. After a few minutes he was completely absorbed by the crowd. His microphone was passed to the front but Eddie was not. At this point the security guards started checking the crowd for any sign of him. A few minutes later Eddie came charging back towards the stage from the side and brushed right by me.
That was the sort of night it was - very fun and surprisingly intimate for Irving Plaza. But I think Eddie said it best, "Art Brut - Top Of The Pops. Annuals - Top Of The Pops. Spinto Band - Ehhh." He then followed with this very funny line, "The only reason they're on this tour is because they beat We Are Scientists at dice" (see video below). This comment led to the Spinto Band eventually charging Art Brut on stage. Eddie grabbed one of the guys and tossed him into the crowd. Of course it was all in good fun, which is the Art Brut way.
Annuals
Link:
Full Photo Set On BSC Flickr
Top Of The Pops
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