Concerts | The Audio Perv - Part 2
Archive for the ‘Concerts’ Category
16 Jul
2010

Drive A 6/26 Bamboozle Roadshow Nassau Coliseum Review

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Drive A as punk’s revival by Britnee Foreman

In an industry where punk rock is becoming more mainstream and commercialized, Drive A is reviving the genre in its initial form. I caught a performance at the Bamboozle Roadshow, before the tour was over in Long Island. Being that the band was slated so early in the afternoon to play, I was not prepared for the caliber of performance that the band put on.

The Los Angeles based quartet has clearly studied the greats and doing a damn good job at becoming their successors. The execution was flawless. Within the first song the crowd was moving and participating. There was clapping and fist pumping (not in the jersey shore way, mind you) and eventually a mosh pit.

Drive A has an aesthetic that matches their sound which is rare and admirable, seeing how punk rock calls for massive amounts of black clothing, and it was inordinately warm at an outdoor festival. I almost passed out in my sensible shorts and t-shirt, so kudos to them.

They had phenomenal energy during the whole set. There was jumping around, going back and forth and at one point the lead singer, Bruno Mascolo, jumped into the audience and started a mosh pit. I was unfortunately in the middle of it until I could pry my way out of the circle. I’m okay with participating in the show, but this writer is not built for being pushed around, sadly. But other than that, everyone was in to it. They audience even partook in a collective “Fuck You”, literally. There was a count off to get us all on the same page. Oh so angsty. It was an enjoyable show.

The band consisting of Mascolo, Jason Nott, Cody Root, and Taylor Knowles is very strong as a collective of musicians. Their music is guitar heavy with two guitarists but along with Mr. Knowles on the bass, Nott and Mascolo produce amazing riffs. It’s definitely high quality musicianship.
As a live experience it is definitely fun one. They have good fans and that enthusiasm will rub off, I assure you. So go and enjoy Drive A.

Setlist:
Loss Of Desire
Everyone’s Alone
Head Underwater
Out Of Focus
The Hell With Motivation
Take A Side
Can’t Sleep It Off
Are You Blind


16 Jul
2010

Shiragirl 6/23 Studio At Webster Hall

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By Bridget Maher

The Studio at Webster Hall was filled with grungy rock n’ roll chicks and punk rock guys covered in tattoos with spiked up hair – and we’re not talking about the crowd. Injected into a lineup of thrash, metal and glam, Shira and the rest of the ladies who comprise Shiragirl pranced around the stage in high heels, corsets and tutus. Accompanying their sexuality with power chords, Shiragirl surely doesn’t know the meaning to subtlety, not that they’d care. At one point, frontwoman Shira got down on her hands and knees and crawled around the stage, of course that’s after she thrust her corseted breasts into an audience member’s face and screamed “we have vaginas and we know how to rock”. The Shiragirl live show may not be the best representation of Shiragirl’s music. If Shiragirl were a mixed drink, it’d consist of Courtney Love, cheerleaders practicing, and early Pink. If Shiragirl spends more time writing melodies and less time shopping for their stage outfits, they might make it onto your favorite rock radio station. At least more people would take them seriously then.

(we had camera malfunction so we apologize in advance for blackberry photos)


13 Jul
2010

Minus the Bear 7/8 Webster Hall Review

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By Sophia Hepheastou

When you get older you start to see the soundtrack of your life change—the poppunk bands that once colored your music library are now replaced with dancey tunes, or existential lyricists who seem to touch on all the issues that plague your current life. Watching Minus the Bear perform at Webster Hall, reaffirmed that while some bands leave you, others are timeless.

The band graced Webster Hall’s stage just as scheduled, 9:00 pm sharp. Lead singer Jake Snider looked calm and collected, and ready, along with Dave Kundson ( guitar) , Alex Rose ( keyboard), Cory Murchy (bass) and Erin Tate (drums). All the members looked pretty down to earth, forgoing fancy ensembles for jeans and tees.

With applause and smiles across the audience Snider softly whispered into the mic “ This is us on a Western Atlantic Coast,” perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the show. Without any small talk they continued fusing old and new tracks from all their albums from 2001, to their most current release “Omni.” Kundson melodically and seamlessly strung each riff along while Rose passionately struck each key. The crowd cheered louder with each track up until Pachuca Sunrise when the whole room became one voice singing “Don’t cry I’ll bring this home to you.” Aware of all the die-hards thirsty for more classic tracks, the band didn’t waste any time. The sound quality was stellar and each instrument harmoniously melted along with Snider’s syrupy sweet vocals.

Their time on stage flew, and before I knew it the crowd was clapping and cheering for an encore. Watching them on stage really reminded me of just how special their music really is—in that it’s rare to see an artist whose music brings so many people from such different age groups together. Their lyrics and instrumentation created an ambience that brought not only me, but the whole room to a different era, which was remarkable, but I felt they lacked finesse on a performance level. The band could have interacted a little more– making the whole experience a little deeper and more memorable. I’m sure with more shows the guys will open up—and show a more personable side, bringing fans in for a more intimate and dynamic experience.

Set List
1. Drilling
2. Throwin’ Shapes
3. Knights
4. My Time
5. Summer Angel
6. When We Escape
7. Secret Country
8. Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo
9. Fine + 2 Pts
10. Ice Monster
11. The Thief
12. Hold Me Down
13. Spritz!!! Spritz!!!
14. Pachuca Sunrise
15. Dayglow Vista Road
16. Encore:
16. The Fix
17. Into The Mirror
18. Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse

(photos courtesy of Sophia Hepheastou)


29 Jun
2010

Anna Rose 6/21 Bowery Electric Review

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By Britnee Foreman

The Wind Cries Anna Rose

Anna Rose, New York native, recently released her debut album “Nomad” and I had the pleasure of sitting in on her release party set. The twenty-five year old songwriter performed for a near capacity crowd at the Bowery Electric.

The folky songstress sings in a strong soprano pitch. The petite blonde’s songs tell stories of a life well lived and traveled. If there was a country Disney princess, the sound track would be provided by Anna Rose. Her songs have a maturity about them but a crisp, clear quality sang in the same cadence as many of our childhood favorites. It may have something to do with who the singer’s father is, but as an individual, she is a strong singer and very talented also playing guitar and piano.

Her music is very guitar heavy, having three guitar players in her band set-up with herself included. Accompanying was a drummer and a bassist to round out the sound. The way her songs are written it is easy for the audience to visualize the story she is telling. She has definitely been an apt pupil in the school of Hendrix, Morrison and Dylan.

My first impression of Anna Rose is that her music would be most fitting in a trendy coffee shop due to the very relaxed vibe about it. She definitely has the country-rock thing down and the potential to soon be counted as a peer to many of the young country starlets. She even performed a Dolly Parton cover of Jolene, for her encore. I’ll give her this, she definitely knows her audience.

However, I personally didn’t connect with the music. She is good, she is extremely talented, but if you asked me a month from now how I liked her show, I wouldn’t remember. It kind of kills me to write that because she seems so sweet, but it’s the honest truth for me. Even since the show, I’ve been listening to her songs to gain a better perspective, but soon after I forget what they’re about. But that is my personal opinion and doesn’t detract from all the potential that she has. I wholeheartedly welcome the chance for Miss Anna Rose to change my mind, because as a girl in this industry, I’m sincerely rooting for her. Maybe that’s just me. I recommend that you see her and judge for yourself. It’s the only fair thing to do.

Set List
• Walk Away
• Picture
• The Four Corners
• Whispers
• Overtone
• Wilshire Blvd.
• Gillian
• Manic Depression
• I’ll Be Gone
• You Got It For Free
• Jolene


27 Jun
2010

Too Fast For Love 6/12 Asbury Park Reviews/Photos

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By Britnee Foreman

I’m in love with Too Fast for Love

It seems that the most logical thing to do when you hear four amazing bands are playing together at one show is to go. Me, being a logical person couldn’t get to the Too Fast for Love tour fast enough. It’s economical to get more bang for your buck, and fun too. The line up for the evening was I Fight Dragons, Travie McCoy, 30h!3, and Cobra Starship.

First up, I Fight Dragons, as the relative openers. There were local bands before on a different stage, but the show really got started when IFD took the stage. The Chicago based band is comprised of six members. Brian Mazzaferri, the lead vocalist barely had a voice that night so much of the singing had to be done by Bill Prokopow, who is also vocals and keys. Laura Green, the only one without a traditional instrument, uses a power glove, power pad, NES, SNES, and vocals. For those confused as to what a power glove/pad is, she uses Nintendo controllers as instruments. Translation: Bad Ass. Everyone in the band can also play Nintendo controllers for a melody, but it’s mostly Laura. Also in the band is bass player, Hari Raq, guitar player, Packy Lundholm, and drummer Chad Van Dahm. The show was amazing despite Mazzaferri’s lost voice. There was an entire song with just Nintendo controllers. Everyone was energetic and all over the stage (well, besides the drummer, but that’s given). They are currently on tour to support their album Cool is Just a Number.

Next is Travie McCoy and the Lazarus Project. This is the support tour for him and his newly released solo album. Accompanying him was GCH drummer Matt McGinley and Infamous on the turntables. Even though the album just came out the crowd knew the words to his first released single, Billionaire. Also at one point, McCoy’s friend, Tim William, came up to sing along with him. McCoy has got to be one of the most charismatic performers I’ve seen, top ten easily. The set was awesome with infectious rhymes and crowd moving beats. It was definitely a good time.

At this point in the show was the co-headliners 3OH!3 and Cobra Starship. Over the course of the tour they have switched positions in the line-up. This evening, the last date on the tour, Cobra went last since it is a home town show for them.

3OH!3 did there set as the sun was setting. The Boulder, CO based duo, made of Sean Foreman and Nat Motte, also has an album coming out called Streets of Gold. They did a good mix of songs off their previous album Want and the upcoming one during their set. It was hard to get pictures of the band because they were not in the same place for more than a second. Except for maybe the part where their agent iced the entire band on stage. “Icing” is apparently this phenomenon where if someone hands you a Smirnoff Ice you have to kneel on one knee and chug the drink (in case you didn’t know). Fans were going crazy holding up the “303” sign, jumping and singing along.

Last but not least was Cobra Starship; and their cobra crew was in full effect. The New York based quintet had a set full of energy with the occasional balloons and confetti being shot into the crowd. Front man, Gabe Saporta was all energy the entire set, with Nate Navarro behind the drum kit, Ryland Blackinton on the the guitar, Alex Suarez on the bass, and Victoria Asher on the keytar. The last album released by the band was Hot Mess in August, and they been touring pretty steady since its release. The show was fun; there was a light mural in the back the streamed different images during the show. During the song Good Girls Go Bad, the members of I Fight Dragons all came out in short shorts and danced around on the stage. It was a good ending to the night, as Gabe Saporta thanked all his fans for supporting the band as they finished. Confetti was falling and fangs were up everywhere.


23 Jun
2010

The Melvins 6/18 NYC Webster Hall Review/Photos

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By Bridget Maher

When I first got into music, my main mentor told me to listen to two bands. He told me to worship what these guys did. The first band was Dinosaur Jr. The other band was The Melvins. When I heard they were playing with Isis (during one of their final shows as a group) I knew that I needed to go. So here I was sitting on the floor in the photo pit writing a review while these mythical musical legends performed in front of me. The echos of “we are ready” (from The Water Glass) and rhythmic drum beats were making my creative juices flow. I was literally dripping in juice. Ok maybe it was sweat, it’s hot at Webster
Hall in NYC.

The Melvins took the stage decked out in gear that probably hasn’t been worn since 1993. Buzz Osborne looked like a mad scientist wearing a Snuggie, Jared Warren was a cross between a Roman Soldier and an Arabian prince while Cody Williams and Dale Crover were a mismatched pair of cave men.

Crover and Williams sat down at the drums and 45 mins later my ears were still throbbing. Warren, with his sparkly cape, grabbed his bass while Osborne (and his hair) never quit on the guitar. They played half way through their set before acknowledging the enthusiastic crowd. Osborne gave a shout out to Isis (how sad) and claimed that this might be their last time playing in NYC. Clearly he forgot about tomorrow’s show in Williamsburg. Even with the crowd chanting “tomorrow”, he kept correcting them with “terrible” and “horrible”.

When either Williams or Crover threw his drum stick to the crowd and instead it landed in the photo pit I had to begrudgingly give it to fans who have been around since I was wearing diapers. Yeah, these guys don’t interact with the crowd much, but musical legends don’t need to. Plus, like Osborne said, this is probably one of their last shows. So instead of sitting on the ground under the stage I am going to go close my eyes and bang my head to the drums just like everyone else. After all this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

(photo credit: Bridget Maher)


18 Jun
2010

Kings of Convenience 6/5 NYC Webster Hall Review

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By Stephanie Kibbe

Assumptions I had made about Kings of Convenience before arriving at Webster Hall last Saturday night: #1- Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe would barely speak English #2- they would be incredibly shy #3- the audience would be mostly talk over the entire show. You know what they say about what happens when you assume right? Yeah…
First of all this precious Norwegian duo were very chatty. Not only were they chatty but they spoke in non-broken English (a feat that dare I say Sondre Lerche was unable to do the first few times I saw him live years ago). In between songs they were cracking jokes with the audience and telling stories of playing New York years before. I think my favorite joke of the night went something like this:”This show sold out three months in advance, that means you guys are incredibly organized.” It’s one thing to be as talented as they are, but to be as fast on their feet as they were in a language that wasn’t their native tongue was pretty impressive to me.

Top make things even better, the “incredibly organized” crowd that came out to catch KoC were probably one of the quietest crowds I’ve experienced in awhile. When I say quiet I of course mean not being that douchebag in the middle of the crowd trying to chat loudly to his buddy next to him why “Stay Out Of Trouble” is the sickest jam he’s ever heard. Granted, they do not typically attract that kind of crowd, but it’s New York so I find myself expecting the worst and being pleasantly surprised when I’m mistaken.

It’s also important to note that Franklin For Short (the band who opened for them) worked out wonderfully as KoC’s back up band during the songs that just wouldn’t sound right without a full band. You can really get an idea of how talented they are by how easily they were able to play songs that weren’t their own. I always find it amusing to watch two bands play together to see how well they play off each other and they were definitely a great fit for each other.

If you have a chance to be incredibly organized and catch Kings of Convenience on this tour, I would highly recommend it.


18 Jun
2010

Circa Survive 6/8 NYC Highline Ballroom Review

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Circa Survival of the Fittest (by Britnee Foreman)

I’m going to out on a limb and say that the Circa Survive show is the best show I’ve been to in a while, maybe my whole life. While you may read this and think I must be exaggerating for the sake of interest, I am being completely honest with you. Should you happen upon anyone else that went to the show at the Highline Ballroom, they’ll probably tell you the same.

The show was high energy, with stage diving, balloons, confetti, crowd-surfing and as the jaded New Yorker that reviews music it’s almost embarrassing to confess how much I enjoyed this show, almost.

The band is currently doing a support tour for their recent album Blue Sky Noise; and with filming for the Jimmy Fallon show earlier in the afternoon, it would be easy to assume that their set would not be as energetic as it actually was. The band certainly brought their best for the sold out crowd, and it was obvious how appreciative their fans were. The crowd was singing along to every word of every song, even the new ones. And at one point Green, the lead singer, threw his sweaty shirt into the crowd, of course inciting a tug of war for the prized possession. Three songs later the fans are still tugging at the shirt, but they decided it would be better to rip the shirt into pieces so that everyone could have a bit of it. So, they proceed to rip it, with their teeth. That’s dedication.

There was definitely an element of fun and camaraderie during the show. I almost fell over a few times as the crowd moshed/aggressively swayed. It was all in fun so I couldn’t do anything but laugh, enjoy, and sway along. Then the large inflatable balls came out for crowd to bat around. You can imagine the jokes that came from the stage at that time, with Green insisting that we hit him in the face with our balls. At one point during the set he grabbed one and clung to it for dear life huddled over center-stage.

It was a great show all around. Even the opening act Kilimanjaro was great despite the technical difficulties of the speakers blowing out during the first song. Handled like professionals. Well done all around. Circa Survive is a must see, it will greatly improve your quality of life, seriously.


17 Jun
2010

Grace Potter And The Nocturnals 6/12 Webster Hall Review/Pics

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By Bridget Maher

It didn’t take long for the smell of marijuana fill Webster Hall on June 12, in fact the entire night could have been a show from 1969. Grace Potter’s vocals and flower girl stage persona are eerily similar to that of Grace Slick. Potter’s cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” might as well have hopped in a DeLorean, traveled at 88 miles per hour and seen Jefferson Airplane live in 1967.

Potter isn’t the only one successfully channeling the late 60’s and early 70’s. Each member of The Nocturnals has their own rockin’ look. Both Scott Tournet (guitar, harmonica), Matthew Burr (drums) have hair longer than mine and Burr’s mustache only rivals Sellleck’s. Catherine Popper (bassist) wore a slinky backless dress that perfectly matched Potter’s and a red rose in her hair.

Grace spent the evening bouncing around the stage with a huge smile, rocking out on a flying V guitar or standing behind her keys and messing up her hair. She introduced “Goodbye Kiss”, a song off their newest self titled album that was released June 8, 2010, as the “happiest sad break up song ever” . She then said that it was like The Kink’s “Lola” but without the transvestites. Potter was right, it is a song that deserves to be listened to on a beach while sipping a margarita. If “Goodbye Kiss” is an indication of the other songs on Grace Potter & the Nocturnals than it seems that this 60’s psychedelic rock group might be heading down south for a more country sound.

Throughout the show, the only thing that could distract from the blonde bombshell on stage was the bushy bearded man on the upper balcony dancing in a fashion that I can only describe as hippie thrashing. The stage got dark with a beautiful backdrop of tiny lights fittingly for another new track “Tiny Lights”. As the transitional instrumental interlude ended, the crowd cheered as they recognized one of the more popular songs “Big White Gate”. This song inspired an audience member to whip out his iPhone and rev up his “lighter app” and wave the phone toward the stage. It’s clearly a very technologically advanced crowd. Potter and Popper (try saying that 3 times fast) both appreciated the crowds dancing abilities calling it “cool as shit to watch” and dedicated the next song “to all the dancers in the room”. However a cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” probably wasn’t the best choice.

The encore was probably the best part of the show for the older members of the audience with Potter’s outstanding cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”. Hearing “feed your head” in person was a million times better than on the Alice in Wonderland soundtrack. The night was full of psychedelic sound and color, legs that went on for miles and a bit of accidental crowd flashing from Miss Potter herself during enthusiastic dancing. If anyone has any doubts that Grace Potter and her band The Nocturnals are around for good, then I suggest they see them live.

Set List:

Medicine
Sweet Hands
Oasis
Apologies
Only Love
Goodbye Kiss
That Phone
One Short Night
Tiny Light
Big White Gate
Ah Mary
Hot Summer
Heart of Glass (Blondie cover)
Paris

Encore:

Watching You
White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane cover)
Nothing but the Water

(Photo credit: Bridget Maher and Kevin Seaman of Rockpit.com


17 Jun
2010

Holy Ghost! 6/8 Stubb’s Austin Review/Pics

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By Jennifer Murtha
Even the rain could not put a damper on the dance party Holy Ghost! kicked off Tuesday night at Stubbs. The New York duo took the stage in Austin with additional musicians and successfully brought to life the tracks of their debut album Static on a Wire.

Nicholas Millhiser and Alexander Frankel got their start in Automato, a hip-hop sextet who’s first and only record was produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. In 2007 they released ‘Hold On’ a track that would become a club staple around the world. It was the first release by the childhood friends under the name Holy Ghost!. Over the past few years they’ve slowly been gaining momentum and fans remixing Friendly Fire, Phoenix and MGMT.

Millhiser manned the drums while Frankel tried to get the crowd involved while adding additional percussion and synth. Their live sound seemed very solid for a band that is on their first extensive tour. A perfect pairing with LCD Soundsystem for a rave-like atmosphere even though the venue wouldn’t let you bring in glow sticks.

(photo credit: Jennifer Murtha)


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