As the first stop of The Black Tour for Imminence, from across the pond in the beautiful country of Sweden, they played The Studio at the Factory in Dallas Texas. I’m still in awe of how amazing, beautiful, ear soothing, and incredible this band is. It was just one hit after another, this band will grab you from start to finish.
It’s a challenge to put the show into words, they played these songs with so much passion that it was so hard to just look away, even for a second. Eddie Berg came in hot with the harsh vocal screams and soft soothing vocals with the second song, Paralyzed from their album Turn the light on. Harald Barrett and Alex Arnoldsson played their hearts out along side Peter Hanström, and Christian Höijer.
They worked this crowd so well that each person was locked in. Eddie can sing his soul out, but when he picked up that violin it was a whole different world we were immersed in. The bands songs that are well known are: Erase, Death by a thousand cuts, infectious and the debut of their new song Continuum. Holy hell the violin played a big role, it brought such beauty. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better they give you more and more.
As they were nearing the end of the set, Imminence played the title track from the album Heaven in Hiding, and the new title track from their new album The Black. I’ve started showing people this band cause I want to share everything that makes up Imminence with people and don’t feel my description does it justice. Closing out the night with, Le Nior from Sweden with love.
Wow! Simply wow! I have seen some amazing guitarist but never something like this in my life. Hearing Eric’s music on streaming doesn’t do it justice, just wait until you see it live.
As soon as Eric hit the stage the entire venue was locked on from the first second to the last, those first notes he played was nothing short of phenomenal. When he started the song Righteous it was magic all the way through. Other songs he played included Trail of Tears, Rafael, as well as a cover of Caravan by Duke Ellington. You had to see it to believe it. I was so into it that I took a moment to shut my eyes and went on that journey with the whole venue that night.
When he played Desert Rose… man let me tell you I found myself again eyes closed, swaying to the sounds of the drums and the guitar riffs that I didn’t want it to end. It’s a incredible song. I was listening to it like on repeat on my way home that night. When Eric took a break, his pianist Sean took the reins for a bit and it was beautiful just beautiful.
As the night was coming to a close, Eric gave the crowd an Eric Johnson guitar solo in an amazing fashion that I wish I could see and hear it again. During his solo he transitioned to one of his most popular songs, the song that got me into his music as a young kid playing Guitar Hero 3 on Xbox: Cliffs of Dover.
He makes it look so simple, but in reality it’s not, for some of us who have tried to master it on Guitar Hero. Hysterical attempts to say the least. Hearing it live was just a whole groove session, a beautiful ride all the way to the last strum of that guitar.
Eric Johnson y’all, a great show, an amazing guitarist, truly a master of his craft and still rocking it to this day.
Date: March 28, 2024 | Venue: The Louisville Palace Theater Louisville, KY
ONEUS 2024 2nd World Tour La Dolce Vita in USA | Fandom Name: TOMOON
ONEUS Members: Seoho 서호 or Lee Seoho (이서호), Leedo 이도 or Kim Gunhak (김건학), Keonhee 건희 or Lee Keonhee (이건희), Hwanwoong 환웅 or Yeo Hwanwoong (여환웅), and Xion 시온 or Son Dongju (손동주).
안녕하세요 TOMOON!
annyonghaseyo
Hello TOMOON!
ONEUS (원어스) debuted under RBW Entertainment on January 9, 2019, with a mini album “LIGHT US” and their title track, “Valkyrie.” ONEUS is a five-member group consisting of Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong, and Xion. Former member, Ravn, who originally debuted with the members as a six-member group, departed from ONEUS in October 2022. The group’s name, “ONEUS,” has two meanings – the first meaning is the members came together by gathering strength from every one of their fans. The second meaning symbolizes ONEUS’ mission to bring together regular people, who will work side-by-side to create a united world. The group’s fandom name, “TO MOON,” represents ONEUS’ fans as the “Moon,” who always orbit ONEUS, as the group represents the “Earth.” In addition, the group’s name, “ONEUS,” can be spelled as “One Earth” in Korean.
Milestones that ONEUS achieved in the past includes winning their first-ever music show win on MBC M’s Show Champion in 2021, for their lead single, “Luna,” which is off of the group’s 6th Mini Album, Blood Moon. In 2022, ONEUS joined the K-Pop competition series and reality survival show called, Road to Kingdom – where already debuted male K-Pop groups competed to see who could be placed at the top, as well as gain eyes from a massive global audience in the process. This television program aired on Mnet to let lesser-known groups be seen by a global audience, as well as showcase each group’s charms, skills, talents, and overall potential of making it on the global stage. Out of the seven groups that competed, ONEUS finished in 4th place overall and has gained a bigger fan base because of the show’s program. The members also got a chance to release their digital single, “Come Back Home,” during the show’s airing.
The talented and underrated K-Pop group, ONEUS, took the stage at the historical Louisville Palace Theater in Louisville, Kentucky for their 2nd World Tour La Dolce Vita in USA. ONEUS opened with “Baila Conmigo” from the EP La Dolce Vita in 2023.
They played a few songs before they took a small break and talked with TOMOON introducing themselves, talking about food and what animals they are, and talking about how long it had been since the last time they came to Louisville. TOMOON was high energy and excited to see them again and packed the theater. TOMOON showed up for this show. They slowed things down so they could take a small breather from all the dancing for a few songs to make it more of an intimate show while singing to the hearts of their TOMOONS. There was a moment near the end of the show when one of the members saw a TOMOON in front eating their popcorn and was in shock that they were just unbothered while watching the show or when they took a small break on stage and Keonhee was showing everyone what he saw and he took the box of popcorn on stage to see if it was a real box of popcorn and it was funny and a cute moment. While they were saying their goodbyes one of the members said “Louisville is the best” in Korean and the translator had to question it like did he say that? He had to explain that it also had a different meaning and was a good moment where everyone laughed.
As for the lighting for the show, it was vibrant with all of their songs and each song for the LED BG effects was the MV’s for a visual. One of the songs LED BG had Traditional Korean Hanok or Palace to show us Korea. I can agree that Korea has a special place in my heart in history, architecture, food, shopping, and most importantly music.
Thank you to Livenation, ONEUS, The Louisville Palace Theater, and RBW Entertainment for having us at The Camera Affect and In The Moment Productions for a great show. Please enjoy the moments we caught. We appreciate your continued support.
On March 20th, 2024, the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania became energized from the second the doors opened. The anticipation of the crowd grew as they eagerly awaited for the arrival of the night’s performers: Ministry, Gary Numan, and Front Line Assembly. It was very clear that the night would be more than just a show; it would be an immersive hypnotic experience with raw emotion, mesmerizing visuals, and electrifying futuristic sounds.
Starting off the night at 7:00pm was the Canadian electro-industrial band Front Line Assembly, who immediately locked in the audience’s attention with their electronic beats and captivating stage presence. Referring to themselves as FLA, the band is fronted by Bill Leeb and supported by guitarist Matthew Setzer, drummer Jon Siren, and synthesizer/keyboardist Rhys Fulber. Kicking off their set with their song “I.E.D.”, they transformed the venue into a sonic realm with other hits including “Deadened” and “Millennium.” Each song radiated such intensity that it seemed to put the audience under a synth spell. The pulsating beats and futuristic sounds were so powerful that you could feel it throughout your body, which is an experience in itself. FLA’s set served as a perfect introduction to a night that would continue to escalate with excitement.
The next set of the night was brought on by the talented Gary Numan. Gary Numan, the English synth-pop artist, is considered to be the pioneer of electronic music. Numan’s iconic presence reverberated throughout the venue, accompanied by guitarist Steve Harris, bassist Tim Slade, keyboardist David Brooks, and drummer Jimmy Lucido. Together, they created an electrifying journey for the syrienne. From the moment Numan stepped into the spotlight, his magnetic stage presence was like no other, and completely commanded the audience’s attention. His captivating movements radiated an aura that left the audience in another hypnotic synth spell. He seamlessly matched the energy of both the music and stage visuals creating one of the most immersive and mesmerizing performances I have ever seen. Nothing else seemed to exist around me other than Numan on stage, seeing how passionate he was about performing. As he unleashed classic hits such as “Cars” and “Metal” from his 1979 album The Pleasure Principle, Numan accompanied those with songs from his more recent albums, Intruder, Savage (Songs from a Broken World), and Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind). Opening the set with the haunting “Everything Comes Down to This”, he also incorporated songs into the set such as “The Chosen”, “Love Hurt Bleed”, “My Name is Ruin”, and closed out the set with the compelling “A Prayer for the Unborn”. Gary Numan’s performance not only showcased his musical expertise, but solidified his status as a legend in the realm of the synth-pop and industrial genres.
Closing out the night was the industrial metal band from Chicago, Illinois who paved the way for the genre, Ministry. The headlining band had the audience eagerly waiting for what was to come. They absolutely did not disappoint as the iconic frontman, Al Jourgenson, took center stage next to his skeleton cross mic stand. Jourgenson was accompanied on stage by guitarists, Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto, bassist Paul D’Amour, keyboardist John Bechdel, and drummer Roy Mayorga. Since the second they walked onto the stage, each member radiated such passion.
Starting off their set with a song from their newest album HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, “B.D.E” brought an empowering energy to the stage right from the start. This song covered the topic of toxic masculinity and violence against women, which had me head banging the whole time. Ministry has always been a very political band, and each song resonated deeply, highlighting the band’s commitment to addressing societal issues through their music. The powerful visuals behind them put an emphasis on the topics being discussed in each song. After playing a few other songs from their most recent album, the crowd’s energy heightened even more as the gritty classic hits including “N.W.O.”, “Thieves”, “Just One Fix”, and “Stigmata” echoed through the venue. Throughout their performance, I couldn’t help but notice the huge mosh pit that opened up in the center, as many fans enjoyed this moment together. Closing out their set with their most popular song, “Jesus Built My Hotrod” the crowd became even more energetic, not wanting the night to end. Just like the rest of the night, the band did not only put on a performance, but created a psychedelic and vibrant yet edgy experience that the whole audience will forever remember. Ministry is such an iconic industrial metal band, and their legacy will live on and continue to leave a lasting impact.
Ministry, Gary Numan, and Front Line Assembly, were some of the most mesmerizing and talented performers I have ever seen. Each act brought their own unique and electrifying energy and passion to the stage, creating hours of an immersive experience. The legacy of all three performers will forever be respected and recognized in the industrial world, serving as inspirations for the future.
Exodus & Fit For An Autopsy Obliterate The Stage in Anaheim
Venue: House of Blues in Anaheim, CA
Date: 11/24/23
Over the past several years, I have been lucky to check off many bands from my bucket list in terms of both seeing and photographing. I first saw Fit For An Autopsy back in 2017 and finally got them in front of my lens in January of 2022. This US tour is their biggest to date, and they co-headlined with the thrash metal legends in Exodus, who I finally got to check off my bucket list. The icons in Darkest Hour and the death metal boys in Undeath provided support for this tour. Coming through my favorite venue, the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA, this was a show I simply could not pass up.
Undeath from Rochester, NY opened the show up with a bang. This was my third time seeing and photographing these boys and they seem to get better and better each time. Vocalist Alexander Jones is a force to be reckoned with as he commands the stage. Guitarists Kyle Beam and Jared Welch brought the riffage and the headbangs galore. Bassist Tommy Wall is an absolute beast, strumming and creating those deep tones. Finishing out the band’s lineup is drummer Matt Browning, who’s clean and precise drumming holds the foundation down. The band played a mixed setlist of 7 songs, 3 of which came from their 2020 album “Lesions of a Different Kind” and 2 of which came from their 2022 album “Rise From The Grave”, both released via Prosthetic Records. The band even played two new songs, titled “Brandish The Blade” and “Cramped Caskets”, both of which continue the band’s sound of brutal death metal meets hardcore, which is truly a unique sound. I’ve loved seeing this band three times now, and I cannot wait to see and photograph them again!
SETLIST
Rise From The Grave
Necrobionics
Brandish The Blade
Cramped Caskets
Acidic Twilight Visions
Chained to a Reeking Rotted Body
Lesions of a Different Kind
Darkest Hour from Washington D.C. was up next as direct support for the co-headlining tour. This is a band that has been on my bucket list for quite some time with their melodic death metal verging on metalcore sound that also has some inspiration from thrash metal. From the moment I saw guitarist Mike Schleibaum and vocalist John Henry walk out, I knew this was about to be iconic. Drummer Travis Orbin immediately blew me away with his intricate drum patterns that are truly showcased throughout the band’s nine song set. Bassist Aaron Deal was truly energetic, giving me the windmills and headbangs. Finishing out the band’s lineup is guitarist Nico Santora, who I previously photographed with one of his’ other bands Fallujah. He fits perfectly into Darkest Hour’s sound and is always so fun to capture. The band played a well-mixed set of songs spanning many of their albums, but primarily from their 2017 record “Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora”, and a couple from their upcoming 2024 release “Perpetual | Terminal”. This was truly an incredible set with high energy that really set the stage for the co-headliners. I’m so glad I finally got to see and photograph these guys! I own all of their records on CD, so it was cool to finally check them off my list!
SETLIST
Perpetual Terminal
The Sadist Nation
Stand and Receive Your Judgement
Knife In A Safe Room
Those Who Survived
The Flesh & The Flowers of Death
Rapture in Exile
With a Thousand Words to Say but One
Amor Fati
Fit For An Autopsy from Jersey City, NJ came up next as the first of the co-headlining bands to perform. I was beyond excited to see and them again as their 2019 album “The Sea Of Tragic Beasts” tied for first in my top albums of 2019 with Jinjer’s “Macro”. Their 2022 album “Oh What The Future Holds” had just dropped when I photographed them last year, and it’s been truly incredible to see their growth as a band in the span of the past year. The band opened with the title track “Oh What The Future Holds”, which set the stage for the set to come. With an incredible light show, the band came prepared with the theatrics. Vocalist Joe Badolato is front and center, and performed the best I’ve seen him, and that says a lot because he’s always pretty powerful on the mic. The band then went into the next track on the album “Pandora”, which is a very riff heavy song that showcases the talents of guitarists Pat Sheridan and Tim Howley, as well as the rhythmic bass coming from Peter “Blue” Spinazola. The breakdown in this song especially goes hard live, and the light show was on POINT here. The band then went into one of their new songs titled “Hellions”, which can be heard on the new split EP released in 2023 via Nuclear Blast titled “The Aggression Sessions” with Thy Art Is Murder and Malevolence, which is a heavy aggressive deathcore sounding song. The drums are especially booming in from Josean Orta. The band played some of my favorite songs, like “The Sea Of Tragic Beasts”, “Warfare”, and “Two Towers”, which were all absolutely incredible to see them play live. They had the crowd truly going nuts with crowd surfers and moshing galore. The band played a total of eleven songs with songs from every album from 2017 on. This is truly Fit For An Autopsy at their best I’ve seen them thus far. I cannot wait to see and photograph them again and to continue seeing their growth.
SETLIST
Oh What The Future Holds
Pandora
Hellions
Warfare
Hydra
Iron Moon
A Higher Level Of Hate
The Sea Of Tragic Beasts
Your Pain Is Mine
Far From Heaven
Two Towers
The all mighty Exodus from San Francisco, CA came to the stage next. I was very excited to finally see these guys after listening to their music for quite some time, and they surely did not disappoint. From the moment they walked out on the stage, they were insanely high energy. Opening with the song “Impact Is Imminent”, vocalist Steve Souza truly had control over the stage and the crowd. Guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Atlus were in total sync, riffing those thrash riffs that get the crowd going wild. Going into R.E.M.F. from their newest album “Persona Non Grata”, I was hooked in on that drum beat from Tom Hunting the moment the song started. The dude is an absolute machine and as the sole founding member of the band, he is truly the foundation. Alongside Hunting in the rhythm section is bassist Jack Gibson, who’s headbangs and rhythmic strumming truly adds that edge to the band. The band in total played ten songs that spanned over five of their twelve albums. With an expansive discography and history dating back to 1979, Exodus remains strong and prominent in the metal scene. I am so glad I finally got to see and photograph these guys. They were truly so much fun to capture with their high energy. I highly recommend seeing them when they hit a city near you!
SETLIST
Impact Is Imminent
R.E.M.F.
Blacklist
Fabulous Disaster
Prescribing Horror
The Beating Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
A Lesson In Violence
Bonded By Blood
The Toxic Waltz
Strike of the Beast
This tour was truly one for the books to capture. With so many different styles of metal, it was a night that felt like a mixture of nostalgia and eclecticism. You have the thrash from Exodus, the deathcore and post-metal from Fit For An Autopsy, the melodic death metal and metalcore from Darkest Hour, and the brutal death metal and hardcore from Undeath. This was truly an incredible show that I cannot say enough was a night to remember. I am so thankful any time I get to do a show like this.
A night of chaos, death metal and metalcore, mosh pits, crowd surfing, stage dives, and non stop metal.
Creeping Death a local death metal group from Denton, Texas brought the madness to the stage. They sure do not disappoint when they come to town. They played some heavy hitting songs like, Bloodlust Contamination, Intestinal Wrap, The edge of Existence, and the last song called The Common Breed from the latest album Boundless Domain.
The next group that hit the stage was The Acacia Strain, Albany New York’s best deathcore band. They brought there best out to Dallas and fired it up like it was no one’s business with there songs, Carbomb, The Hills Have Eyes, Dr.Doom, Beast, and Skynet. This set was accompanied many stage divers and a giant most pit! The energy was intense, even after they got off the stage.
It’s been 4 years, FOUR YEARS, since Montreal, Quebec’s finest deathcore band, Despised Icon tore up the dance floor, and the stage. Being a fan of this band, I was just as amped up as the rest of the crowd. They came in with there best tracks, Snake In The Grass, The Aftermath, Beast, MVP, and a real banger of a song called Purgatory.
The headlining act. came all the way from Marlboro, Maryland, a technical death metal band, better known as Dying Fetus. They are a force to be reckoned with coming with some deep heavy hard drums, vocals and ear melting guitar riffs. From there old school tracks to the new bangers. The setlist included: Fixated On Devastation, Subjected To A Beating, Unbridled Fury, Grotesque Impalement, but let’s not forget these last two that got the crowd losing their minds, From Womb To Waste and Wrong One To Fuck With.
Overall it was a crazy night, with incredible performances from all the bands that played tonight.
Polaris’ The Fatalism Tour plowed through town on Halloween night, at the amazing Echo Lounge & Music Hall. Can you say they delivered with an amazing set? You bet your sweet Halloween candy they did. In true Texas fashion, they came to the stage wearing Buc-ee the Beaver onesies, form the world famous store Buc-ees. From that point forward it was on!!
They opened with their first song from there new album Fatalism entitled, Harbinger. Starting with a smooth intro and onto a face punching riff to get this Dallas crowd going. Making the mosh pits go hard and the crows jump go harder. It didn’t stop there, next they played Nightmare, and from there the energy went sky high and blew the roof right off. Jamie Hails vocal energy that had the fans literally stretching passed the barricade screaming and singing the lyrics with him.
After they played their fourth song of the set they took a little breather. Asking if the crowd wants more, they happily obliged and dug deep too their 2017 debut album The Mortal Coil, with the first song off that album, called Lucid. It was just pure energy from the back to the front, including the second level of the venue. You can feel the passion as Polaris performs.
Two more songs in Polaris dedicated their next song Martyr to the memory of there guitarist Ryan Slew. He passed away June 19, 2023, the crowd clapped and cheered loud with the load roar of chants of Ryan’s name. Emotions took over and they delivered a powerful performance.
Filled with emotion and passion they played song after song, but they weren’t done yet! Beginning the close out, with the first encore song being Pray for Rain, from their album The Death of Me. Crowd surfers flying over a fast paced mosh pit, fans head banging and singing along with the band that it was like they were just getting started all over again. However, they were not leaving Dallas without giving it the last blow from down under with the song The Remedy. WOOO!!!!! It’s all I can say cause holy hell this band was giving it all and left it all on that stage. Freaking amazing way to close out Halloween night in Dallas Texas.
I was first introduced to The Gaslight Anthem in 2013 by my boyfriend, my go-to source for my personal music education. I fell in love with lead singer Brian Fallon’s poetic lyricism; I’ve always been a sucker for a song lyric that can stick in your head while stabbing you in the heart. The GaslightAnthem is a New Jersey rock band that in many ways seems like a sound from another era, an ensemble that somehow (thankfully) missed a change in mainstreammusic, staying with a 70s sound similar to Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, or The Steve Miller Band.
Their fall tour promoting History Books, their first single in nine years, stopped by The Factory in Chesterfield, MO on Saturday, September 23, along with Catbite and Donovan Woods.
The night opened with Catbite, a Philadelphia based ska band, fronted by lead singer Brittany Luna. Their energetic sound reminded me of the rawness I remember from the late 90s/early 2000s garage bands (in the best of ways) and had a definite No Doubt “Tragic Kingdom” vibe, bouncy but raw. When Britt slowed down for “Bad Influence”, she was able to show off the soulfulness in her voice, a fantastic contrast to the upbeat ska punk of the rest of the set.
Following Catbite was Donovan Woods, a folk singer-songwriter from Canada, whose baseball cap, beard, and build completely juxtaposed his soft voice and heartfelt lyrics. Donovan’s music gave the feel off people-watching outside a coffee shop; just small snippets of other people’s lives. Enough to pique my interest and make me wonder where their story goes when the music ends. Interspersed between his songs Donovan bantered with the audience, laughing with them as he told stories like deciding on a “short walk” to a Whole Foods he saw was “just across the park” (the park being St. Louis’s Forest Park, a 1,326 acre park that’s roughly one and half times the size of New York’s Central Park), or commenting that his ballad “Clean Slate”, a popular pick for weddings, is “better for a second wedding, since you don’t usually have much money for music for your second one.”
The Gaslight Anthem kicked off their set with “45”, bringing the energy back up, a house party vibe that carried through the night. Brian Fallon told stories about the band’s career between his songs, giving a peek into their 15 years together.
Gaslight’s new song, History Books, was fourth in the set, an emotional song about ending relationships. The new track, one of ten on their new album, features fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen. The album, History Books, will be available October 27, 2023.
To start off the night on Kamelot’s tour, comes Xandria. A German symphonic metal band. With lead vocalist Ambre Vourvahis, rhythm guitar and keyboardist Marco Heubaum, bassist Tim Schwarz, and drummer Dimitrios Gatsios. Let me say this from a personal perspective. Wow! Simply put you have to hear it, see it, and witness it to understand the passion behind this band and how amazing they are from beginning to end truly incredible, with some pretty awesome added bonus that the singer does just all around amazing.
You ever heard a symphony orchestra? Now add some metal vocals with clean screams with the blasting sounds of the drums and shredding and solo sounds of ear pounding guitars, now add some POWER!! Well put that all together and you have a band called Kamelot. From start to finish this band gave everything they had and more to deliver and amazing show here at the Echo Lounge and Music Hall in Dallas Texas.
What a way to start the set coming in their song Veil of Elysium from their 2015 album Haven. Tommy with his smooth and powerful vocals gave the fans exactly what they wanted the passion in the song and the way the band played the crowd was just electric and you could feel it. To make the song just as intense Kamelot had special guest vocalist Melissa Bonny from Ad Infinitum. Personally can i say… Wow what a singer,
Cannot forget how amazing guitarist Thomas Youngblood how he was just shredding all the songs and how well Sean Tibbetts delivered some amazing bass work. But turned up a bit more once they hit the fifth song Opus of the Night, from their new album The Awakening. The drum work and keyboarding from both Alex Landenburg and and Oliver Palotai. Again an amazing display of power metal with the symphonic sounds.
As the night rolled on Kamelot frontman Tommy slowed it down with Song for Jolee. Tommy again showed how good and beautiful his vocals are. Such a beautiful song and well played by Oliver Palotai, but just when you think it can’t get any better here comes Alex, Thomas, and Sean to give the big finish to such a beautiful song. What a band and they are just amazing and just keep on giving.
To end their incredible set in Dallas they finished with the top hit Liar Liar, from their album Haven. What a way to finish an amazing night displaying once again how great this band is incorporating symphonic sounds with the intensity of power metal. The solo Thomas hits us with is nothing short of incredible, just truly incredible. Oh and it doesn’t stop there, oh no it doesn’t bring back Melissa to show how great a vocalist she is but then hits you with guttural vocals you didn’t expect to hear. What a set. What a night. What an incredible night.
The Camera Affect 