Hometown Heroes

Wow, what a year it has been! The girl at the rock show is back in business... next up:

Story of the Year at the Pageant tomorrow night with Wild Tiger!

SOTY plan on performing their breakthrough album Page Avenue in its entirety.

See you at the show!

Full Length Albums for Free?

This past Valentine's Day, Angels and Airwaves released their third full length album, LOVE. On Monday after Valentine's day, I went searching for the album at various music stores. After getting nothing but puzzled looks from sales associates, I jumped online to their modlife page to find that it was available for free. I couldn't believe it.

While I had heard of bands doing this, most notably, Radiohead, I haven't heard of one recently. AVA were asking instead for donations to their charity. For a minimal donation, you can also get another version of their song "Hallucination" that was remixed by Mark Hoppus (Blink-182).

I think that this is an amazing move. This is going to give anyone who can get to a computer access to download their music. People are going to tell other people about how you can download their album for free and they will earn new fans. According to a recent interview with MTV.com, Tom DeLonge said that "We were really interested in the one thing that ties everybody together in a very scientific way but a spiritual way." He was referring to the theme of the album, love.

But what about itunes charts and album sales charts? The success of this album depends on the level of promotion that is done. Currently, the album and its supporting tour are advertised on altpress.com.

Do you think that releasing free albums is a good idea for bands? Will it enable them to make more money on the supporting tour and merchandise?

What happens when musicians fall in love? A Valentine's Day themed blog

Josh Farro, the guitarist of Paramore recently got engaged. According to the band’s website, he will be taking some time off Paramore’s tour to plan a wedding and spend time with his fiancé. But, where does this leave the fans? Farro’s brother, Justin, will reportedly replace Josh for the tour performances that he will be missing.

Musicians, just like us mortals, fall in love. And us mortals fall in love with musicians. So, I want to take a look at some of history’s most notable modern “musicians who fell in love.” What effect did their romance take on their band and their own careers?

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

While the age-old story is that Yoko “broke up the Beatles,” The Beatles may have actually been falling apart despite the relationship between John and Yoko. John and Yoko were inseparable, even during recording session. To longtime fans, Yoko seemed to be getting between John and Paul, not allowing them the room they needed to work together creatively. John and Yoko used their relationship for philanthropic causes, holding a “bed-in” for world peace. John even wrote “The Ballad of John and Yoko” outlining the milestones of their relationship. They would remain deeply in love until John’s untimely death.

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

They seemed to be grunge-punk rock royalty, Courtney first saw Kurt perform at a show in 1989 and developed a crush on him. They were later formally introduced and Courtney pursued Kurt. In an interview Kurt even said; "I can't believe how much happier I am. At times I even forget that I'm in a band, I'm so blinded by love. I know that sounds embarrassing, but it's true. I could give up the band right now. It doesn't matter, but I'm under contract." While their relationship was dramatic and largely based on illegal drug use, they remained together. Nirvana continued to produce material, such as modern radio classics such as “Heart Shaped Box.” However, Kurt overdosed several times foreshadowing the tragic turn that would include the demise of Nirvana and the death of Kurt.

Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd

Eric tried for several years to win over Pattie’s heart, but Pattie was torn between repairing her marriage to George and giving in to her passion to be with Eric. Eric was so brokenhearted about not being with Pattie that he fell into severe alcoholism and a dependency on heroin. Eric basically wooed Pattie from her troubled marriage to George Harrison. Their relationship was both passionate and tumultuous, creating fuel for a musical fire. Boyd felt an intense connection to Eric, especially because George was becoming more deeply devoted to meditation and not her. Pattie inspired the song “Wonderful Tonight,” which Eric penned one evening while waiting for Pattie to get ready to go to a party. What could be more romantic and musically inspiring than that?

Although Pattie inspired Eric to write what some consider his best work, their love did not last. They later divorced, but remain close friends.

Love is a powerful creative force and it remains the most popular subject matter of song writing. Love is the human element, love makes us feel connected to music and it is what makes a song timeless.

Is this the end of Fall Out Boy?

Pete Wentz has set off a firestorm of speculation about the future of the beloved and loathed band, Fall Out Boy. On his blog, Wentz posted a message basically stating that the band has grown apart and he seems to be saying he is not sure where they currently stand as a group.

Judging from the miles of comments after the posting, fans are not taking Wentz's paragraph statement lightly.

Other band members have begun solo/side projects, so where does this leave the paparazzi favorite Wentz? What about the legions of longtime Fall Out Boy fans?

photo credit:Forrest/WireImage

Scenes from Van's Warped Tour 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Maine

This is one of my favorites of The Maine, because it was really how it felt to be in there with all the fans.
The Maine

The Maine

The Maine

The Maine

The Maine

Innerpartysystem

Innerpartysystem

Scenes from Van's Warped Tour 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Saosin

Sing It Loud

Sing It Loud

All Time Low

An All Time Low fan crowd surfs during the set.

Meg and Dia

Scenes from Van's Warped Tour 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota

The White Tie Affair

The White Tie Affair

The White Tie Affair

You Me at Six

You Me at Six

There for Tomorrow

The White Tie Affair and Kelsey and the Chaos, May 19th at the Blue Note Columbia, MO

Pictured is the lead vocalist of The White Tie Affair, Chris Wallace and myself.  He was a nice dude and he was very happy to mingle with the fans and pose for pictures outside of the Blue Note after the show.

The evening before, I was disappointed to learn that Forever the Sickest Kids were canceling their show, because they were sick.  I was expecting also to see The Audition, but they did not perform, nor did anyone at the show know why.  Thankfully, The White Tie affair still decided to play.  We arrived in time to catch Kelsey and the Chaos's set. Kelsey, the vocalist, didn't seem to fit into that kind of Haley Williams sprite-punk look but she did give a good effort at working the crowd.  One had to feel bad for her, as there was not a crowd at all and those present were motionless.  While backed by some talent, overall there just wasn't much there.  Her vocals were largely hard to understand and she sounded strained.  

She also made a poor choice in wardrobe, during most of their set I feared for the fate of her chest in her ill-fitting frock.  It was quite distracting to me as I felt bad for her.  Doesn't she know that lead vocalist has gotta wear something you can thrash around and jump in?  Maybe next time she should just stick to the standard v-neck tee and skinny jeans?  

While Kelsey was pushing the interaction with the kids, the rest of her band was largely existing in their own world, not even bothering to look up from whatever they happened to be playing.  I believe that they have a little work to do if they plan on jumping on the Vans' Warped Tour, as their myspace states they will be doing.

As for The White Tie Affair, their energy filled the mostly empty venue.  While they did play most of the songs off their only record Walk this Way, they also tackled some covers such as Lady Gaga's "Just Dance."  I felt that the set was a bit short and they miss

ed some of their better songs.  They really put on a show and they still made the crowd feel like they wanted to be there, even though there were not many fans.  Their overall sound was much improved from Kelsey.  One small detail that I noticed was that keyboardist Ryan McClain had a swivel stand for his keyboard that gave him a little more dancing mobility.  

Pictured is Kelsey and the Chaos, a five piece from New York.

Contact Erika

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We the Kings, Forever the Sickest Kids and The Cab, April 11, The Pageant, Saint Louis

We the Kings


Forever the Sickest Kids
The Cab

Forever the Sickest Kids on April 11th at The Pageant, Saint Louis

Plastic guns blazing, Forever the Sickest Kids took the stage.  They opened their set with an "old western" skit, behind them a cartoon  illustration of all members of FTSK riding horses in a 'shoot-em-up' scene.  It was a playful start to a powerful set.

Overall, FTSK sounded much cleaner than the last time I saw them at Pop's a few months ago.  Whether this was due to the actual sound in the venue or just playing tighter I am not sure.  The volume level was great, as it wasn't the kind of my-ears-are-bleeding-loud that has probably attributed to the partial loss of my hearing!

Lead vocalist Jonathan Cook's preferred thrashing movements on stage don't always agree with his corded microphone, luckily he had a roadie whose sole purpose was to un-tangle the mic.  They played fan favorites from both their first EP "Television Off, Party On" and their debut album "Underdog Alma Mater."  These included "Hey Brittany", "My Worst Nightmare", "The way she moves", "Breakdown", "Becky Starz", "Believe me I'm lying", "Whoa oh!", "She's a Lady" and "I don't know about you but I came to dance."  It was a decent length set, but I found myself saying "ahh already, they just started!" when they left the stage.  

FTSK drummer Kyle Burns, with his bleach blonde hair and Hannah Montana tee, was amusing to watch.  Because he plays by most standards, a smaller set, he is very visible on stage.  He drives the six piece group well though, intense and creative.  Do you remember Jim Henson's Muppets from Sesame Street? Burns reminds me of "Animal" the crazy monster drummer in the Muppets band, mostly in the way he moves and plays wildly.  But of course I mean this as a complement, after all, "Animal" was inspired by Keith Moon (famed drummer of The Who).

I am really looking forward to seeing the six guys again on Tuesday, May 19 at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO.  They will be playing with The White Tie Affair, The Audition, A Rocket to the Moon and Friday Night Boys.

In the two photos, lead vocalist Jonathan Cook is mobbed by young fans with requests to put his John Hancock on anything from Vans slip on shoes to ticket stubs from the show.  

The Cab on April 11th at The Pageant, Saint Louis

I had a minor panic attack on the way to The Pageant on Saturday, a few things stood in the way of getting inside in time to see the openers:  a traffic jam and a friend without a ticket to a sold-out show.  The traffic, finally allowed us to dodge enough 13 year old girls to park and the friend ended up paying $50 to a scalper for a ticket.  But, I would argue that the show was worth every penny spent.

We got inside just in time for The Cab to hit the stage.    Alex Deleon (lead vocals) oozed vocal confidence, fully utilizing his wide range.  His voice brings to mind Justin Timberlake's off his album "FutureSexLoveSound."  He sounded fresh, despite the Cab's recent tour heavy schedule. Right now they are on the Wonka Candy Bamboozle tour.  Their set was filled with most of the fan favorites off their only album to date (Whisper War) including "That 70's Song", "Bounce" and several others.  They somewhat surprized me when they played "Disturbia", the recent song made famous by Rhianna that they recorded for the new Pop Goes Punk album.  "It's time to get a little bit creepy,"  said Deleon before tackling the song.  It was fun, and the song still held its dark pop feel.  Without guitarists' skillful Ian Crawford's additions however, the song wouldn't have felt like The Cab's own interpretation. Crawford's soloing glistened as a high point in the set as he seemed to channel a Hendrix/Clapton/Mayer-esce energy when he stepped forward onto the higher end of the stage.  The Cab got the crowd in the right mood for the rest of the bands, Deleon urging them on the whole way "Are you ready to dance, this song, its called That 70's Song!" 

This picture of Ian Crawford and me (thanks Louis!) was taken after the show.  I was amazed at how he seems much larger on stage with a guitar - but he has a huge personality and was a really nice guy.  He was taking time to talk to everyone and even asked me what my blog address was cause he said he wanted to take a look...too bad I was so starstruck I almost blanked on what my web URL was!

More posts (and photos!) to come about the Forever the Sickest Kids and We the Kings performances!

Shiny Toy Guns hits the road with All-American Rejects

Shiny Toy Guns and All-American Rejects...to music fans this may sound like a strange tour pairing but I think that this show would have a lot to offer fans of both.  All-American Rejects would have a huge draw, especially since they just released an album and the Shinys (who also recently released an album) will reach arguably a larger fan base.  While I happen to be fans of both, I think that the more pop friendly crowd that AAR may draw will appreciate the more electro-goth sound of the Shiny Toy Guns.

According to a meassage board post from the Shiny Toy Guns myspace account, "I WANNA ROCK" is what this tour is named...a simple name.  But simply this tour will be incredibly loud.  incredibly melodic..."  

I think that this will be a win-win for fans of both bands.  

Alex Strife, All About the Benjamins and Our Children's Children at the Cherry Street Artisan, Columbia MO on February 19th

Thursday night, I went to the Cherry Street Artisan to see a couple groups that I have not yet been aware of.  My boyfriend Louis had seen It's All About the Benjamins last week when they opened for Josephine Collective and thought that they sounded really tight.  So,  I thought that it would be a great chance to see some fresh live music.

I'm really glad that I went because all three acts were really talented and its too bad that there were not that many people there.  I think there were around 20 people in the Artisan last night.  But, according to a friend of mine, Jessica Wakeford, who never misses a It's All About the Benjamins show, "the last time they played here the place was packed."

The show opened with an acoustic set by Alex Strife.  As he started playing, he said "I'm Alex Strife, people call me the beard."  Many of Strife's songs last night were covers, Strife said "because I don't really write music anymore.  I've kinda retired from writing music."  Strife clearly didn't take himself too seriously, as he said this while laughing. There was numerous requests from the audience to play "Warpaint",  which he replied to with "dude, I don't wanna play that song, I don't know the words!"  

Strife seemed to be having a good time and his set felt natural as something you might hear in a local coffee shop.  He sang songs about the south, giving them a forelorn feeling.  It was as though he was singing of a long lost love, the love being a southern culture not familiar to most midwesterners.  

 The songs he choose for the most part had beautiful and sleepy melodies.  His bearded appearance gave the impression that he was older and wiser than most of the audience, but I found out from Louis that he actually attended high school with him, which makes him my age.

 The second group, It's all About the Benjamins, I was feeling really excited to hear their sound for the first time.  Louis said earlier that night, "you'll really like these guys, they kinda remind me of The Honorary Title."  

They took the small stage with a rough start, they were having trouble sound-checking and after a startling sound, the lead singer said "Well that's a preview of our new album, what do you think?"  It sort of made everyone laugh and forgiving of the time it was taking to get going.  The album he was talking about is set to be released at the end of March.  These guys clearly love what they do, made apparent by the playful back and forth dance by the lead vocalist and guitarist during the first song.    

Some of their songs reminded me of The Maine, as well as their playful stage presence.  The guitarists had solid solos throughout the set.  The lead singer has a very wide vocal range, enabling him to take the songs in many different directions.  Their first single is "Love is Blind" and they choose to play the song last.  You can listen to the track on the band's myspace.

It's all About the Benjamins is also playing at the Cherry Street Artisan on March 12.  

The last group, Our Children's Children all sat down in a line in chairs for their set, lending them to a more laid back vibe.  They didn't rely on flashy antics or even customs guitars, just music.  During one song, one of the guitarists set his guitar facing up on his lap and played it as if it was a steel guitar.  It made that song stand out in my head - it was very creative.  Their songs contained a lot of emotion and each member was contributing on his own level, but it somehow still remained tight.  I would have liked this group to interact more with the audience, but after all it was a set in a coffee house.

Check out It's all About the Benjamins and Our Children's Children on myspace.  

Photo of It's About the Benjamins 

AP magazine's Tim Karan's refresher course on Blink-182

One of AP magazine's bloggers, Tim Karan, has added a great "refresher course" on all things Blink-182... it's kinda fun check it out...

Blink-182 and an appearance at Vans' Warped Tour?

By now I'm sure you have heard the good news for those of us who grew up on the pop-punk of Blink-182, they are back together and working on an album.

But are they planning on jumping on the Vans' Warped Tour this summer?

On the bands' official website, they write a brief message explaining that they have "reformed friendships" and conclude with only "Summer 09."  But why the cryptic message? Is summer 09 simply the planned release date of the new album?  Are they going on their own tour?  

In interviews, drummer Travis Barker, guitarist Tom DeLonge, and bassist Mark Hoppus have all hinted at touring.  They also appeared together, the first time in several years together on stage at the Grammy's and said that they wanted to start playing music together again.

As a Blink fan from the beginning, I cannot wait to see what comes from these three this summer, whether it is an album, a tour, a Warped Tour appearance or even better, all three.

photo taken from Rollingstone.com

We the Kings, The Maine, The Cab, Versa Emerge and There for Tomorrow set to play the Blue Note, Feb. 26th

So, I am getting excited for this show (the Secret Valentine Tour)...We really haven't had a show lineup like this in Columbia for a couple of months.  I plan to be there so...you should too!

I've checked out these guys' myspace pages and several cities have already sold out, so I think I'm going to grab my tickets soon.

The Faint

October 19, 2008

The Blue Note, Columbia MO

I have only been recently introduced to The Faint, but I now understand why this group has such an extensive discography (13 albums).  The Faint was fresh from a European tour - Columbia was actually to be the first stop on the U.S. tour.

After the first couple of songs, vocalist Todd Fink exclaimed "this is our first time trying some of this stuff out."

FInk was outfitted in what seemed to be WWII era flying goggles and a long white blazer, which looked like it could have been a lab coat from an asylum in the 1960's.  His entire look was that of a mad musical scientist - mixing beats, voice mods and somewhat bizarre movements.

What Fink was talking about with his previous remark was not clear because to the audience the entire show was seamless.  If you have never been to a Faint show, go to the nearest show during their current tour!  You will not regret it.

The flashing lights were sometimes slightly dissying, but mostly they helped to set the scene as that of an other-worldly experience.  It is slightly rave-like, yet futuristic and dance-driven.  

The unbelievable thing was that they not only played but presented an entire production of creative lights, multi-media projections on a large screen behind the group, an extensive set and unstoppable energy.  The Faint progressed into each song with such fervor, there was little time left for anyone to give any social or political commentary to the crowd (something rare so close to the elections.)  The only sign of political angst included the track "paranoiaatack" and a closing statement by one of the group's members leaving the stage quickly passing the main mic, "vote for Obama!"

When the Faint left the stage for the first time - the crowd was in a stunned daze - especially me.  I couldn't believe their raw talent, musicianship and polish.  Most of the members during at least one point in the show switched instruments.  Even Fink played the synth for a few songs while still managing to sing and put on an entertaining show.

While the Faint has been on the international music scene since 1995, the group has a long future if they keep doing live shows with such power and intensity and continue releasing albums like their most recent "Faciinatiion."

Forever the Sickest Kids (The Sassy Back tour with Cobra Starship, Hit the Lights and Sing it Loud)

October 18, 2008
Ok, so this venue, which up until this point I have not yet has the chance to see a show at is not the kinda place a girl goes by herself - hence why I went with a couple of The Makeshift Gentlemen, Louis Brown and Joe Swigunski.  "Pop's" across the river from St. Louis and technically in Sauget, IL is literally between two neon strip clubs.

We made our way into the venue, which looks much like a metal barn.  But the place is actually really well suited to show, the state is roomy (several full drum kits, guitar stands, etc. fit comfortably along with the performing act and their equipment.)  However, drinking became much less desirable when we questioned the bartender on prices.  Anyway, bottled water in hand we made our way towards to stage.  We were just in tome to see Forever the Sickest Kids.  Perfect.

Ironically, as we were elbowing our way through the sea of mainly 13-year-olds and their parents, one of these kids yells right into my ear:  

"POSER!"

It kinda funny because the only thing that might have made me stand out from the crowd may have been my age.  I was wearing the required "uniform", black chucks slightly dirty (like they have been in a couple mosh pits, which actually happened at The Used show in July - a fat guy came out of nowhere and stomped on my foot and I wasn't sure if it was broken or not for awhile), black skinny jeans and slightly teased hair.

So, by this time FTSK is about to hit the stage.  Now I had never seen them live before this show so I was kinda wondering how they were going to sound live.  For those of you not familiar, FTSK has 6 members.  This is a lot of sound that has the potential to sound undefined.  Unfortunately, this proved to be true that night probably due to the fact that their sound was most likely from a secondary sound system.  Or they could have had someone mixing their sound that didn't know exactly what they were doing.  For me it was not a deal-breaker, but it was a show that I walked away with severely buzzing ears from.  

Despite any sound issues, FTSK put on a real show.  They broke onto the stage bringing with them a sense of youthful excitement, which mirrored the feeling of the crowd well.  You could have literally put any member on stage by himself with whatever he plays and you would have a show.  FTSK engaged the fans with ferocious intensity.  They held the kids in the palm of their hands, the kids responded to any request by FTSK to clap, jump, mosh or just go crazy.

One of the ways FTSK did was was with a rhinestone encrusted mic stand with "FTSK" glittering down the front (much like Steven Tylers scarved mic stands this has become a well known aspect to their shows).  The top of the stand was bendable enough to be sung towards the fans by Jonathan Cook during choruses.  This of course got the kids jumping and screaming the lyrics off both of their albums, the newest, "Underdog Alma Matter" and "Television Off, Party On".  

FSTK is Jonathan Cook (vocals), Caleb Turman (Guitar, vocals), Marc Stewart (guitar), Austin Bello (bass), Kent Garrison (keyboards), Kyle Burns (drums).

note: this photo was taken from FTSK's myspace page.  

CD review of The Makeshift Gentlemen's "Casanova"

This photo was taken at the CD release party for the Makeshift Gentlemen at The Bluebird in Saint Louis.  I am pictured here talking with bassist John Henselmeier after the show.

Casanova, the first major release of The Makeshift Gentlemen, will have you intrigued with the "Introduction."  With a synthetic Dracula-like organ tune, increasing in intensity the listener is brought into the sinister night world sound the album creates.

The track order seems to be purposively chosen in order to bring the listener into the industrial lyrically demented world of "Casanova."  Songwriter, lead singer and guitarist Joe Swigunski's emblematic lyrics drive the purpose of the album, that is, to get everyone moving.  The lyrics are richly symbolic when not taken for face value; the listener must wonder what was was going through Swigunski's mind when he penned the words.  "Casanova" remains mysteriously dark without being overtly satanic.

"Nighttime Projections" remains the most relatable and human track as it refers to the images the moonlight casts on objects in a child's room.  While a frightening image is painted, the brightly toned lyrics remind us that "everything's gonna be fine."  It could be a motivational tool as well, instructing listeners to "face your fears."

Synth and backup vocalist Jake Ferre's emo-like screams add urgency to the tale of Frankenstein being constructed in the title track "Casanova."  Ferree's instantly mind catching hooks give some tracks a slight 1980s throwback feel without taking away from the shadowy feel established by the whole album.

Bassist John Henselmeier gives depth to the sound of the album, without being overly flashly.  His depth of sound provides an excellent accompaniment to Swigunski's intense vocals.  Henselmeier's creative mind lends itself also to the album artwork.

Appropriately titles "Intermission" gives listeners a chance to see the amusing side of the Gentlemen.  You will not be able to listen to this track without moving - it serves as a mental break from the stories told through the intricate worlds invented in each song.  It also gives Swigunski a chance to showcase his inspired guitar riffs.  It's almost as the word 'dance' serves as a thesis statement and "Intermission" serves as a reminder about halfway through the album.  The playful laughs of the gents are included as an end to this enjoyable track.

Louis Brown's drums are a driving force throughout.  With technical skills abound, Brown adds stylistic additions.  The sweet but brief drum solo by Brown in "Juggernaut" seems to present the listener with only a taste of Brown's originality and powerful sound.  Brown's solid base provides the full sound that is necessary for a dance-track hit.  "Marathon Paving Machine" also provides Brown with the opportunity to demonstrate his organic sound, that is, effective fills that don't sound like a show-off addition.  

The album's ingenuity is also aided by some finishing touches, which came about during the recording process.  The most notable of the creative additions include the siren intro to "Giant Mechanical Spider," which serves as a warning to the listener to beware of the need to dance they might feel in the coming three minutes and 41 seconds.  The sound is evocative of a huge sci-fi metal spider marching down mainstreet, mashing everything in its way.

Parents too will enjoy this album, as there is only one indecipherable instance of an objectionable-to-some word.

Purchase "Casanova"on itunes or at The Makeshift Gentlemen's myspace page at www.myspace/themakeshiftgentlemen.com