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.
I haven’t heard of Meisha and the Spanks before, but they were a pleasure to discover. They were very punk rock and even just as a 2 piece band, absolutely rocked the huge stage!
Flatliners was great! They really knew how to hype up the crowd. The whole lineup for this show really featured a different range of rock music and Flatliners really rode that line closer to ska! I don’t see many ska bands these days, but after seeing Flatliners, I would love to see more ska around.
Comeback Kid needs no introduction, an absolutely incredible hardcore band that I’ve seen a handful of times and I always look forward to them every single time they play in Winnipeg. Big energy on stage, lots of hyping up the crowd, definitely some killer pits, getting to shoot them was a dream for me and this whole show I was able to produce some of the best photos I took to date.
And last, but definitely not least, Billy Talent was undeniably great. Despite being in the scene for a long time, they STILL bring a ton of energy and hype to their performance. I loved getting to see them and reminiscing about being thirteen and hearing them for the first time. It was the first time I got to see them live and the Burt Block Party was a great way to see them. Big bands playing outdoors really make you think about how awesome summer really can be, even as an adult.
Date: July 25 2023 Venue: The Louisville Palace Theater Louisville, KY Review
Playground 2023 KARD World Tour | Fandom Name: Hidden Kard
KARD Members: J.SEPH(Kim Tae Hyung or 제이셉/김태형), BM(Matthew Kim/Kim Jin Seok or 비엠/김진석), Somin(Jeon So Min or 소민/전소민), Jiwoo(Jeon Ji Woo or 지우/전지우)
Kard opened with their newest EP single “Icky” from the 6th mini album, followed by “Without You” from the 6th mini album “Icky”. They took a break from their performances of those two songs to say their hellos and talk a little bit with Hidden Kards’.
They got ready for some more jammed packed performances in the jaw-dropping historical Louisville Palace Theater. It was built in the 1920s and is one of the most mesmerizing venues I’ve been to, from the grand lobby to the intricately adorned balconies and stairwells to the vaulted ceilings with the “Spanish Baroque” architecture.
BM had asked what the best-fried chicken was and there were many answers being said but I remember it being “Lees” was the winner of best KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). BM asked how everyone was doing with the heat since it was almost 100° in Louisville, KY while Hidden Kard was waiting in line for who knows how long before doors opened at 6:00 pm EST. BM said that he would rather be naked, buck naked because of the heat. Somin and Jiwoo said that they liked the AC/Fan. J.SEPH said he would run the AirCon and the fan.
The lighting for the show was vibrant with all of their songs. They played “Ring The Alarm” from their 5th mini album ‘Re:’, “Hola Hola” from their 1st mini album “Hola Hola” and “Oh NaNa” from their single K.A.R.D. Project Vol.1 “Oh NaNa”. About midway through the show, they showed some photos from the group’s early days. BM commented that he looked young and wanted that photo to go away and tried to swat at it to get to pretend that it wasn’t there and said he was wearing a bib because he kept getting food on himself. While Somin pointed at it and everyone else laughed WITH BM.
Somin and Jiwoo’s stage was next with “Fxxk You” from the 6th mini album. BM was up next with “LIE” from his solo single “Lost in Euphoria”. The visual effects and the lighting made it feel like you are under the stars with the atmosphere in the venue followed by his single “Broken Me” which had more of a dark storm feel with the lightning in the BG. BM had invited J.SEPH back on stage for their song “Been That Boy” off of the 6th mini album the visual effects in the background were a forset that kind of reminded me of a mix of Harry Potter and Twilight but on a different level since there was BM’s abs on mostly full display. The BG effects also had a Matrix feel to it with the glitch and had the words like a lyric music video feel. The single “Rumor” from K.A.R.D. Project Vol.3 “Rumor” and Kard took a breather for the last half of the show and they read some of the fan’s signs and took some of the fan’s gifts they had for them.
Someone had made 4 crowns for the members out of playing cards. Some of the signs were “HOT GIRLS LOVE J.SEPH”, and “BAD BITCHES LOVE KARD” BM asked if everyone felt like a bad bitch and was met with loud screams, and “J.SEPH KFC DATE?” J.SEPH’s response was “HELL YEAH!”
The last half of the show started with “Break Down” from the album “Re:” which is a song that BM had said that Hidden probably remembers from a breakup and said for everyone to treat their significant others’ with care. The song is heartfelt and full of hurt while writing and it felt emotional for me live. There was an amazing ASL Translator rocking out to the music with them. They followed with “Gunshot” from the 1st single “Way With Words” which is one of my personal favorite songs from them when it came out a few years ago. “Bomb Bomb” from their 1st Digital Single. “Bomb Bomb” is a super upbeat and fun song that just makes you want to get up and dance with the little Latin flavor and a little flash of BM’s abs again (not that I was complaining).
They took a few minutes to each give their thank yous before the end of the show. Let me just talk about “CAKE” for a second….babes it’s a song about cake 100% for sure….moving on. The BG had police tape with CAKE on the tape and some glitching word CAKE in red and blue which I thought added back into from before with “Been That Boy” and the glitching style text almost like a TikTok style and some flames because it was FUEGO. The single “Dumb Litty” is by far my favorite, the dance, music, and the almost grunge style for the BG affects gave it a 90s hip-hop vibe turned to graffiti. By the end of the song they got more into the atmosphere of the crowd and they were W.I.L.D.
KARD gave the fans what they wanted which was the encore. Starting with EP “Ride on the Wind” from their 3rd mini album which is an upbeat, soft song that you want to Ride on the Wind to but still has a beat you can dance to from the beats in BG of the song. They brought out a Will of Song and whatever song it landed on they would play. There was Enemy, Go Baby!, Hola Hola, and Red Moon. Somin spun the Will of Song with a very determined look on her face and Red Moon ‘won’ the spin. EP 4th mini album “Red Moon” went in a slightly different sound for this album and it’s on the sexy side and they do it with such grace and charm. The song still has that Latin flavor. Now the song live sounds maybe 1 or 2 octaves lower than the Studio Version. The last song was “Icky” again for the fans to learn/already know the dance to the song just for the one part for them to record and post on SNS wrapping up the night of a sweet WILD bliss until next time.
Kard isn’t considered the “normal” standard for groups because they are a CO-ED (boy/girl) group. They really do have a well-rounded group put together. So please give them a chance, listen to their songs, and catch them at a tour date near you on their World Tour.
On July 24, post-hardcore supergroup L.S. Dunes and brought the heat(wave) to Milwaukee, with a sold-out show at the Rave. The crowd was packed tight into the Rave bar as it became closer to showtime. The crowd was an eclectic group, consisting of a broad age range, from teens to “elder emos” like myself. Pinkshift took the stage first, energizing the crowd immediately with their 90s grunge, 2000’s pop-punk sound. I had not heard of them before this show but had listened to a few of their songs on the way to the show and was elated to see that they were incredibly active with the crowd and so full of energy for their entire set, even with the heat of the room. They were also incredibly reactive when someone in the crowd passed out, stopping immediately and calling for staff to get the person help. They certainly gained more than a few new fans in Milwaukee, including myself! Pinkshift continues the tour with L.S. Dunes through August 11 and then they make their way across the pond on their Britshift (+Belgium) tour from 8/19- 8/27, returning to the US for some short runs with Thursday and then Hawthorne Heights in September.
You could feel the anticipation grow as the time for L.S. Dunes to take the stage grew closer. The heat in the room was immense and the only saving grace was an enormous fan, blowing into the room from one entrance and the water that was passed out between sets. When they took to the stage, the crowd exploded with energy as everyone surged forward with excitement. I don’t think the crowed slowed down at all throughout their 12-song set. The crowd tried to convince them to do a second encore, but like they said to the crowd, they “only have 12 songs.” The band continues their tour through August 11th . Followed by joining Pierce The Veil on the Jaws of Life Tour next, from November 4th until December 8th.
If you thought St Louis couldn’t get any hotter, you weren’t at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tuesday night, July 25th. G-Unit headliner 50 Cent lit up the stage with support from Busta Rhymes and Jeremih. The Final Lap Global Tour is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin”, and is plugged as his last tour ever.
Opening the show was Jeremih, whose short set kicked off with his hit, Planez, brought to life by his backup dancer taking the role of flight attendant.
The set was followed by Busta Rhymes, with longtime hype man Spliff Starr, covering classics like Ante Up and Break Ya Neck, as well as covers, including a cover of Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls.
50 seemed to be having a great time as he played some of his biggest hits from his earlier years for the packed partying audience, including Candy Shop, Magic Stick, In Da Club, and P.I.M.P.
The Final Lap Tour continues through North America through September, then takes to Europe, beginning in Amsterdam September 28th. Below are upcoming tour dates:
As an album opener, I think it sets a good pace for the rest of the EP. It’s very melodic while still fitting into the pop punk genre. Not as catchy as some of the other songs, lyrically, but the instrumentals really help keep you engaged in the song.
You Mean to Tell Me a Head of Lettuce Sunk This Ship?
This song really grabs my attention right away with the first few notes and as we get into the lyrics it slowly picks up. It’s slower paced than the song before but it’s still keeping my attention. At 2:08 it really picks up in beat while still keeping that melodic tone within the voice that follows through the rest of the EP.
Alter Ego
We return with some high energy instrumentals compared to what we’ve heard so far on top of having lyrics that are rhythmic and would make it easy for a crowd to engage with, this would definitely be a song I would look forward to hearing if I ever got a chance to see them live.
Chin Up, Champ!
We slow it down again with this one, but it still keeps those catchy vibes. This is what I would consider the slowest paced song on the album. The first couple lines of lyrics feeling very powerful and it’s conveyed throughout the song
I Found a Date for the Holidays
The closing sounds very much like Modern Baseball, which the band takes a lot of inspiration from as it’s highlighted on their TikTok. That inspiration makes itself present in this song by sounding like an instant anthem that’s begging to be screamed out every time it comes on
Overall,
The name of the album “Get Well Soon”, reminds me of the kind of feelings you’d have while going through a hard time and the songs lyrically would remind me of what I would sound like talking myself through it. It’s not often you see a whole set of songs encompass the same theme or feelings but that is the vibe I got from this whole EP right down to the album artwork.
I found the transitions between the songs to be smooth and natural, not trying to be too hard and flowing well into one another. I like that there are dynamic variations within the instrumentals and the harmonizing throughout the songs and I think that comes from the inspirations within the pop punk genre not unlike Modern Baseball (as mentioned earlier) but I find Savings still has a sound that makes them unique.
Each release is better than the next and I am always looking forward to new music from Savings.
Even with the chill in the air, March 4th was a beautiful day in Minneapolis. Along with the chill, you could feel the excitement exuding from the fans making their way into First Avenue. There was a lot to be excited about. This was a Sold-Out hometown show for Mod Sun. The crowd was all ages and was a perfect mix of recent fans attending their first concert and longtime fans who have been following and attending Mod’s shows for 10+ years.
Pardyalone, who also calls Minnesota home, opened the show. I had not heard of him before this tour. His performance did not disappoint and I fell in love with his unique sound immediately. He played six songs and sang his heart out and I really loved how often he made connections with the audience during his set. Mod Sun said later in the show that Pardyalone is the next big thing-and I am inclined to agree with him. He just dropped a new song and video on March 6th “Alone” ft. Travis Barker. You can check it out here.
Next was the Australian pop/punk band, Stand Atlantic. The female fronted quartet had the crowd hyped up and bouncing their whole set. I had heard of Stand Atlantic in the past because of Warped Tour, but didn’t get a chance to really listen to their music until recently. I regret not making time to really listen to it sooner, because it’s just so fun to listen to and their live show was amazing! It was impossible not to bounce around or dance to every single song. They’re now a staple in a few of my playlists.
While the energy was already high, it was like an explosion when Mod Sun hit the stage. His whole set was mostly songs from his 2 most recent albums, God Save The Teen and Internet Killed the Rockstar. His setlist was uniquely emotional, from love songs like Eyelids and Avril’s Song (tonight it was Minneapolis’ song) to throwbacks to some of his older songs and his cover of Iris (originally by the Goo Goo Dolls). And we can’t leave out the breakup/bad relationship songs, Stay Away and Karma. I think the most touching moment for me was when he brought his mom up on stage to dedicate and sing her the song “Single Mothers” which is a song off of God Save the Teen that he wrote just for her. I don’t think there was a dry eye left in the house by the end of the song.
Before playing “Battle Scars”, Mod had a few raw, intimate words to say. (TW: Drug use / addiction)
“…I’m standing here before you now, 3 years, 9 months and 14 days without putting drugs in my body. …. 90% of the shows that I’ve played I don’t even remember because I used to get so fucked up on stage. But I want you to know, right now, tonight, I am 100% present with you Minnesota, and I will never forget this night.
If anyone in this room is dealing with something similar to me, whether it’s drugs, alcohol, any kind of addiction…maybe it’s anxiety, maybe it’s depression, maybe sometimes you have a negative-ass voice inside of your head when you wake up in the morning that tells you, ‘Stay asleep, fuck the world, you don’t gotta do shit…’ I just want you to know right now … It’s a crazy world outside those doors, but when we are inside this building, inside these walls together, I know one thing for sure…We are all EXACTLY where we are supposed to be tonight.”
If you are a local or familiar with First Avenue, you may already know why selling out a show at this venue is extra exciting. If you don’t, let me enlighten you. When an artist sells out a show at First Avenue, they get their name on a star on the side of the building. Getting one of those stars has been a dream for Mod for years. And now he’s got one. Although I’ve been to a lot of concerts at First Ave, I haven’t been to any that sold out and that was really cool to experience and I will remember the words he said to the crowd to end the night:
“We officially sold out First Avenue, Minneapolis…I will never, EVER forget tonight.”
Rival Town is a heavy pop punk band from Ontario, Canada
They are gearing up for a new album and their first single “RUN” was just released! The song starts off strong with a theme- like intro. The lyrics feel very relatable to anyone struggling with mental health. The music video has very interesting lighting that matches the vibe of the song and band. It’s a good song to release as their first single due to how easily you’ll be able to dance and sing to it. Some really cool timestamps include 1:24 they switch it up and highlight the piano for a solid moment and at 1:37 the bridge slows down the song and the band does a really good job building up to the chorus again. The ending hits hard with a scream that really solidifies what I think the song is trying to represent. All in all, I cannot wait for what else they have in store!
The Camera Affect 