Author Archive

Forever the Sickest Kids/The Rocket Summer Duel Headline Double Feature! part II in Anaheim

December 10, 2009 by Steph

At the show on Saturday night (Dec. 5th) at the House of Blues in Anaheim, we got great photos and an interview with Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer! Catharine’s photos above are awesome and we’re working on getting the VIDEO interview edited for all of you to see.

I wrote a full review on this tour for the show in LA on December 3rd (Forever the Sickest Kids/The Rocket Summer Duel Headline Double Feature Part I). Instead of writing another review about the same tour with the same line-up and same set list, I’m going to give you the highlights of the last night of the Cheap Date Tour:

Artist Vs. Poet:
I guess they played while we were getting the interview with Bryce Avary. Sorry, guys, I really wanted to see them 🙁

My Favorite Highway
Great ballad “The Chase”
“Getaway Car” is the Rocket-Summer-like pop rock song
Close with the great “Bigger Than Love” again

Sing It Loud

People go crazy for these dudes when they come on stage.
Bassist Nate Flynn still refuses to button his shirt closed.
During the opening song “Best Beating Heart” the band jump in time and the fans scream
While playing “Bite Your Lip,” even the keyboardist is jumping back and forth
The boys announce their new record Sugar Sweet coming soon
Pat’s laptop got stolen “So expect nudes soon. He has a fantastic tiny dick”
Sing It Loud plays another new slow song. “We don’t have a name for this song yet because we’re lazy” but the lyrics include “I’ll never stop loving you it’s time to let you know.”

The Rocket Summer

The first time The Rocket Summer came to California, they sold out Chain Reaction
Lots of love for Anaheim, CA, who has been supportive over the ten year of The Rocket Summer’s touring
The crowd in House of Blues was stoked and roudy, the pit packed shoulder to shoulder and everyone was dancing and singing along.
They played all the favorites from Do You Feel and a couple off his new EP You Gotta Believe plus, he can’t forget about “Brat Pack”
Bryce snuck to the back of the pit and the crowd made a circle for him to play an amazing cover of “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. During the song, a ton of musicians from the night came on stage to sing along. Everyone’s face turned to the front stage and cameras went up like paparazzi.
Gold confetti rained on the crowd.
Awesome set.

Forever the Sickest Kids

The dudes of FTSK seemed just as stoked to be in Anaheim and they kept showing stuff like “You’re blowin’ my mind” and how we had decided that we “were gonna be the best crowd they’ve seen” and even sung “Oh Anaheim, Oh Anaheim” to the tune of “Oh Christmas Tree.”
Caleb claimed that when they play in Texas they have 15 crowd surfers per song so they challenged Anaheim to the same level of awesomeness. During the next song, Caleb kept count while kid after kid was thrown up and Caleb announced that we “beat the crap out of dallas for crowd surfers.”
One of the tech guys came on stage to fix something and was required to shake his booty at the crowd before he could do his job
A ton of people were there on their birthday but the FTSK guys decided they were gonna celebrate unbirthdays singing “boom shaka laka.”
Caleb often shouts “suck it!”

Category Live | Tags: Forever the Sickest Kids,My Favorite Highway,Sing It Loud,The Rocket Summer | 2 Comments

Forever the Sickest Kids/The Rocket Summer Duel Headline Double Feature! part I

December 4, 2009 by Steph

A line-up so nice, we had to see it twice! Forever the Sickest Kids, The Rocket Summer, Sing it Loud, My Favorite Highway, and Artist Vs. Poet played in Hollywood last night, December 3rd, at the Avalon and the night was AWESOME. I’m going to attempt to give you the scoop without ruining out HUGE feature on Saturday (December 5th in Anaheim at the House of Blues Disney) where we get to do a video interviewing Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer! (Forever the Sickest Kids/The Rocket Summer Duel Headline Double Feature Part II)

Did Artist Vs. Poet go on first? We walked into the venue while My Favorite Highway was setting up and sound-checking. I’d heard their name around the “Myspace scene” and was interested to see if they could bring it. They opened with a cover of “Gonna be a Good Night” by the Black Eyed Peas and transitioned to some of their own lyrics. The Taylor-Hansen-esque vocalist David Cook dominated the frontman formula with guitar, keys, the mic, and occasionally singing from atop his piano stool (not simultaneously, of course). Their guitar riffs and big bass pop-rock breakdowns fall into the category of Boys Like Girls and Sing it Loud while one of their heavily piano-based songs seemed to be influenced by a band on the very same tour, The Rocket Summer. Alex DeLeon of The Cab came on stage to sing a song with them and they closed with a sweet The-Fray-like song, “Bigger Than Love.” The only question I have left… which highway is their favorite?

Sing it Loud opened with “Best Beating Heart” and the first thing that caught my attention was the bassist’s unbuttoned shirt revealing his skinny white hipster bod. Bet all the teen ladies were lovin’ that! Each band member seemed to be donning a different style – rocker, emo, surfer, hipster… the keyboardist was even wearing a hip-hop looking hat. Appealing to every crowd! I was pretty impressed with their attitude about the show, though. Lead vocalist Pat Brown explained that their trailer had broken down four times, but instead of canceling the show, they borrowed gear from the other bands and crashed with Artist Vs. Poet. The band broke into “I’ve Got a Feeling” and the crowd went NUTS! They closed out with “No One Can Touch” and “Come Around” – their power pop teen love anthems. Awh how cute!

The moment all of us (or about half of us, to be exact) had been waiting for! The stage was adorned with lamps that read “Hurt” “Hope” “Triumph” “Failure” “Faith” …and one other I can’t remember… and Bryce took the stage starting with the drum kit and looping drums, the piano, then the bass, and finally the guitar and then busted into “Break It Out.” In order to save some surprises for Saturday’s review I’ll just give you the low down: there were a group of kids in the middle of the venue jumping up and down, dancing, and singing along to every song. The first break between songs Bryce says, “It feels like a house party in here!” Frontman and mastermind of The Rocket Summer, Bryce Avary, sings his heart out on every song and in a way that lets you know he means every word from the feel-good power pop of “Brat Pack” (to which EVERYONE sang along) to the Jesus-centered ballads “Save” and “In This Hour.” He played my favorite off the new EP You Gotta Believe “Hills and Valleys” and his new single, the title track for which David Cook (or was it Will Cook?) of My Favorite Highway sung support vocals. I’m saving the acoustic track as a secret in case you plan on going to Saturday’s show, but let me tell you it’s a good one. As always, it was an amazing performance for The Rocket Summer. As always, I wish it was longer and they had played older songs.

l_366e1c86ff684e92901c2a060eec43d1 Dancing on stage to a school bell and announcements of detention, the Forever the Sickest Kids crew jammed out one power pop dance track after another: “Believe Me, I’m Lying,” “Catastrophe,” “Hey Britney” “The Way She Moves” and a ton more off their full-length Under Dog Alma Mater. They also played a few from their very recently released EP Friday like “She Likes (Bittersweet Love)” and “Hip Hop Girl.” The new songs sounded awesome, had a great beat, and were even a little more hip-hop than their previous tracks have been. Even for the new songs that a lot of the crowd didn’t know, everyone was bouncing, head-banging, moshing, and full on grooving. There was never a still moment from the crowd. Lead vocalist Jonathan Cook proclaimed, “Hollywood has been baptized by rhythym!” The guys on stage were gettin’ their groove on as well—keyboardist Kent Garrison was gettin’ freaky at the keyboard, Jonathan took to acting out the lyrics of the songs, and Austin was head-banging. To close the show, Selena Gomez, a close friend of Jonathan Cook, joined the sextet on stage to sing backup on “Whoa Oh,” the first single off UDAM. The kids went wild and there was no way anyone in that venue was standing still.

The night was full of good beats, catchy powerpop riffs, and lots of dancing. The crowd had a ton of energy and all the bands fed off it, making the whole night awesome.

…Can’t wait to do it again tomorrow 😉

Category Live | Tags: Forever the Sickest Kids,My Favorite Highway,Sing It Loud,The Rocket Summer | 1 Comment

Jet and Papa Roach at Club Nokia in LA

December 2, 2009 by Steph

My photographer Catharine and I showed up at Club Nokia about 6:30 pm on November 23rd to a shiney, modern, second-floor venue, relatively empty for what was supposed to be a sold out show. The crowd ranged from old dudes in kakis to young guys with baggie pants and studded belts, to girls in platform boots and fur coats. There was a pretty obvious separation between the hipster rockers who came to see JET and the grungy metal bro-types who came to see Papa Roach. If nothing else, this show promised to be interesting…

The first band on stage was one called After Midnight Project. A scary-movie-type synth open led up to the guys taking the stage with their screams and jumping into a sort of thrash metal backed by a drum machine. Their style reminds me of a cross between H.I.M, Hinder, and Hawthorne Heights. Their set was full of throwing rock hands, shredding guitar solos, and the occasional dance or Big Band breakdown. The lyrics were full of obvious rhymes and cliché lines but the musicianship was pretty impressive. Frontman Jason seemed to be imitating an exaggerated version of a rock star, but his antics riled the crowd and being backed by average musician-looking dudes gave the band legitimacy. The band got a good response from the crowd, a good number buying CDs from a merch guy wandering the pit.

The next opener quickly became a new favorite of mine. Billy Boy on Poison, as eccentric as their name, rocked the stage with their funky Americana rock n’ roll and their nonchalant yet spastic front-man decked in suspenders and a New York Times t-shirt. Their opening song shouts, “We are the Revolution,” a nod to the sixties rock that inspires their sound. They jammed out a new song “I’m Ready” with violently sexual lyrics, “I can’t see your face but I can smell your c*nt” and their soon-to-be next single “Happy Valentine’s Day” with blasphemous and critical lyrics (better listened to than quoted). Frontman Davis told the crowd about his pot-smoking habits and his accident involving hair-cutting shears and his ball sack. Between their badass rock and Davis’s quirky performance, they got my attention and my two big thumbs up.

Jet, the band I had most been looking forward to, did not disappoint. Donning all black throughout the band—blazers, leather, jackets and collared shirts, these guys conjured up some authentic rock n’ roll. Jet played their new single not far into the show. An ironically named song, “She’s a Genius” begrudges the popular girl who “only listens to the radio to see who’s alive.” All the guys in the band were rocking hard – the set was laced with tambourine, cowbell, and touring member Louis Macklin was even juggling keyboard and a second set of drums. For one of my favorite songs of the night, frontman Nic Cester dawned an acoustic guitar for “Walk” which starts as a piano pop song and progresses into their usually bass-y funk rock. They followed it with the classic-rock-esque Aerosmith-style “Get What You Need” during which Nic got down into the crowd and shook some hands of excited fans.

While until this point, the vibe in the venue stayed relatively mellow, as soon as Jet started in on “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” everyone in the place was clapping, screaming, dancing, and singing along. This may be the only song most of the crowd knew, but Jet was an enjoyable band to watch whether either way. What Jet does well is play on the classic rock style and give it a modern spin. They seem to be stuck in the one-single rut but the songs they played off their new album Shaka Rock like “Seventeen” and “She’s a Genius” are definitely worthy of making another radio splash for Jet.

After a long set change, Black leather and tight pants filled the stage below the elevated drum set and the stage lights flashed like a haunted mansion strobe light. Lead vocalist for Papa Roach Jacoby Shaddix was decked out in a red and black harlequin pattern vest, metal chains around his neck, and eyes buried in days worth of eyeliner. These guys were prepared to rock the stage with a vengeance. In the midst of one of the first songs, Jacoby clenched the mic between his teeth and laughed like a crazy man, adding to the “metal” of his stage persona. Guitarrist Jerry Horton threw his long hair in the air while he went crazy on his axe. During “Broken Home” the crowd jumped and screamed to the lyrics of “I know my mama loves me.” Pissed off and sweaty, Jacoby began an intro of what sounded like The Ramone’s “Blitzkrieg Bop” and turned into their song “To Be Loved” which included some Linkin-Park-type rock-rap. Papa Roach may be the kind of band that appeals to the blue-collared dudes and the broken-home kids but everyone in this Los Angeles crowed pulsed the floor from their jumping in time with the heavy bass pulse for “Getting Away with Murder.” Rock “horns” thrashed with head banding per the band’s request. Jacoby screamed “You like that shit, huh?” and conducted the crowd to scream louder. On a more somber note, he dedicated “Scars” to his sister who’s “been through a lot of shit just like I have,” saying that the song is about being on the bottom and pulling yourself up and as the song played, everyone in the venue screamed the lines “GO FIX YOURSELF!”

The band consists of really great musicians and some awesome performers. They know how to command the crowd and the excitement oozed out of the fans. To be honest, I didn’t expect much out of these “bro”-type rockers and although I wouldn’t go as far as to say I left a fan, I think I was at least persuaded to understand their appeal.

The night was pretty awesome. Everything went smoothly, none of the bands were terrible, and we left unscathed. Woot!

Can’t get enough of the photos? Even more available on our Myspace album Papa Roach and Jet at Club Nokia

Category Live | Tags: After Midnight Project,Billy Boy on Poison,Jet,Papa Roach | Comments Off on Jet and Papa Roach at Club Nokia in LA

Fall Out Boy Takes a Break… Indefinitely?

November 20, 2009 by Steph

While an interview with Pete Wentz on mtv.com simply states that Fall Out Boy will be taking it easy in 2010, other news sources are claiming that Wentz has announced Fall Out Boy is taking a break indefinitely. The MTV version simply claims that after such a huge tour with Blink 182 and no tours or videos, the band is taking a well deserved break. The other side of the story is much more serious…

There are a whole slew of sources that claim that Fall Out Boy has no come back strategy (search “Fall Out Boy, indefinitely). The story seems to have originated with an interview they did for this month’s Kerrang! magazine. Gigwise.com claims that the members are parting company for the time being to focus on their own projects (Patrick Stump has become a very successful producer- The Hush Sound – Like Vines, Gym Class Heroes – As Cruel As School Children, Cobra Starship – !Viva La Cobra! and more).

Fall Out Boy, Greatest hits According to Gigwise.com, Wentz also, “partly blames his celebrity status and high profile relationship with Ashlee Simpson as one of the main reasons for the hiatus.” He says, “My biggest personal reason for taking a break is that I feel my name has become a hindrance for the band…(Patrick) is a musical genius and it’s unfortunate that he gets reviewed based on whatever’s going on in my personal life or how my hair looks….I think the world needs a little less Pete Wentz. A lot of people think Fall Out Boy is me. But it’s the four of us. I want to fucking vomit when I read intros that say, ‘Pete Wentz: accidental internet poster boy.’ It makes me feel ugly.”

Interesting timing for these rumors since they band just released Believers Never Die – Greatest Hits this Tuesday, November 17th. However, the band has not blogged about this for their fans, which they have been known to do for any news.

What do you all think? Are they finally “Dead on Arrival” or will they soon be shouting “The Take Over, the Break’s Over”? Hopefully a blog from one of the members will reveal all soon.

Category Features, News | Tags: | Comments Off on Fall Out Boy Takes a Break… Indefinitely?

Glamour Kills Tour feat. All Time Low and Hey Monday

November 19, 2009 by Steph

Glamour Kills Tour with…

All Time Low & Hey Monday

November 7th, 2009
Hollywood, CA
House of Blues, Sunset

Even MORE photos available on our myspace: Glamour Kills Tour Album

Category Uncategorized | Tags: All Time Low,Hey Monday | 2 Comments

Bm Linx’s album Black Entertainment

November 16, 2009 by Steph

The New York City electro-rock band Bm Linx (pronounced B-M Links) recently released their sophomore album Black Entertainment to sustain their relentless touring. Tony Diodore (vocals/guitar), Jonathan Murray (bass), and Andrew Griffiths (drums) have successfully created an album that’s catchy and impressive musically. Bm Linx is part of the recent resurgence of retro electronic bands, joined by other amazing bands like Empire of the Sun and Passion Pit. The album is filled with 80s electronic pop-funk which pervades songs like “123cat” and “Kids on Fire” with synth melodies backed by electronic guitar, drum machines, and drums. The influence of late-90s electro-rock bands like Daft Punk shines through on “Valentine” and “Defender” making these songs insta-catchy, trendy, and dance-worthy.

I would be remiss, however, to write this band off as a one-note act. Track 2 on the album, “Jimmy Rose” is completely rock like if Green Day and The Killers wrote a track in 1998. “White Limousine,” my personal favorite, and “Understanding Orange” are the folk/classic rock tracks on the album based on finger picked acoustic guitar. The versatility the band displays between influences and ability are pretty astounding.

Although I have to admit that the band didn’t catch me the first spin around, between the dance beats, guitar riffs, and dark vocals and lyrics, this band seems to have a little something for everyone. And to add to that, I hear they put on an amazing live show. I hope you give them a shot (and maybe a second shot, if need be).

Rating: (3.5/5)

Category Albums | Tags: Bm Linx | 1 Comment

Straylight Run with Lydia, Anarbor, and Camera Can’t Lie

October 29, 2009 by Steph

I arrived with photographer David Endicott at Chain Reaction this warm October 23rd night (I know, warm night in October, ridiculous) to a crowded venue full of hipsters and fashionistas all eager for The Mile After Tour. We scheduled an interview with Straylight Run’s Sean Cooper for about halfway through the set and settled in the venue just as Camera Can’t Lie started playing.

Click here to listen to the interview with Sean Cooper, bassist for Straylight Run

Click here to listen to all of our interviews or subscribe to our podcast.

Camera Can't Lie, Eric Arjes, by David Endicott

Camera Can’t Lie

This three-piece from Twin Peaks, Minnesota, Eric Arjes, Josh Bendell, and Kyle Lindsay, took hold of Chain Reaction’s tiny stage and rocked it like they owned it. Their showmanship never faltered and by the way they played, you never would have known that these guys were the opener on the bill. They played an awesome acoustic song, something to the effect of “going home,” but most of their songs were more rock-heavy leaned more towards the influence of bands like This Providence and Train. Their song with the chorus “what’s on my mind” was upbeat and had a funky bass groove. The guys were great performers and gave us a great set. And we were only getting started!

Anarbor, Slade Echeverria, by David Endicott

Anarbor

Anarbor is a funky four-piece with a dance-y drum beat whose debut EP Free Your Mind I acquired last spring totally impressed me. These young dudes, Slade Echeverria (vox/bass), Mike Kitlas (rhythm guitar), Adam Juwig (lead guitar), and Greg Garrity (drums), had girls were screaming for their songs like “Where the Wild Things Are.” They informed us that “You and I” is about “a dog, Skippy Doo and Shaggy.” They offered their EPs, normally on sale for $5, for as much as a fan could afford. Even if it was just a kiss or a hug. This display of kindness was followed by a sad story: that day, their merch guy “Video Matt” had left his keys to their van while they went to grab food and took off without saying goodbye. It was a sad story and got lots of “awh”s from the crowd (especially the ladies). They closed their set with “Sober” which they clarified is “a song about getting drunk and waking up lonely” and they can’t be too lonely because the crowd was full of young girls clapping and singing along.

Lydia, Leighton Antelman, by David Endicott

Lydia

I must admit that Lydia was my favorite band of the night. Initially they sounded a bit experimental with lots of noise and reverb. This sextet of guitars (Steven McGraw, Ethan Koozer), bass (Jed Dunning), percussion (Craig Taylor), keys (Mindy White), and a male(Leighton Antelman) and female (Mindy) vocal duet was like a sweet lullaby hovering over impeccably crafted rock songs. When the set started, I had trouble hearing Mindy’s back up vocals, but by the time they played “This Is Twice Now” with Mindy’s haunting old piano intro, the sound guy had the perfect mix and everyone was singing along loudly. Frontman Leighton grinned huge as if this was the first time any crowd had ever loved his music so much. Leighton’s voice reminds me of a more breathy Anthony Green (Circa Survive, The Sounds of Animals Fighting) or a brighter Dave Elkins (Mae) complimented by the angelic airy tones of Mindy. My favorite song of the night was “All I See,” a love song whose vocal parts complimented each other immaculately. The crowd was spellbound by the set and the band earned tons of applause but sadly, after their set was over, more than half the crowd filtered out of the venue not to return.

Straylight Run, John Nolan, by David Endicott

Straylight Run

I have to start off my review of Straylight Run’s set by saying that Straylight was a great band, their releases Straylight Run and their Prepare to be Wrong EP are excellent, and they are still that great band. John Nolan (vocals, keys, guitar), Sean Cooper (bass) and Will Noon (drums) really work as a three piece and even though it was sad not to have Michelle DeRosa’s lovely vocals in the band anymore, it didn’t necessarily feel like the band was lacking. It really broke my heart to see so many people leave after Lydia’s set and not stick around for Straylight. The band played one of my favorites (and one of their most popular) “Existentialism on Prom Night” early on in the set and later thanked the crowd for “staying after ‘Existentialism’” which got a number of chuckles. John Nolan’s vocals seem even more calculatedly strained than normal on songs like “Another Word for Desperate” and “Your Name Here (Sunrise Highway)” had an awesome reverb-filled breakdown. “Ten Ton Shoes” was a folky tune with cool percussion and heavy bass and they rocked all their songs in their (what seemed like a very long) set as a great band should.

Straylight Run, Sean Cooper, by David Endicott

My biggest gripe with the set was Straylight’s lack of interaction with the audience. This didn’t hinder the fans from singing along with the songs, but it did make the show feel a little disconnected. It wasn’t until more than halfway through the show that John played a gorgeous acoustic “Mile After Mile” before which he joked sarcastically about how sexy he is with his shirt off (which lead to a fan screaming for him to “Take it off!” of course). Finally, the last song of the set “Hands in the Sky (Big Shot)” everyone’s arms shot up and we clapped through the whole song. It was like the entire set had just come together. I was glad the show finally got this last burst of energy, I only wish it had lasted longer.

We left the venue feeling satisfied and a little sad. It was a great night full of awesome music, I only wish everyone would have stayed to hear Straylight Run. Maybe they would love them.

More photos…

Camera Can't Lie, Kyle Lindsay, by David Endicott

Anarbor, Mike Kitlas, by David Endicott

Lydia, by David Endicott

Lydia, Mindy White, by David Endicott

Lydia, Steven McGraw, by David Endicott

Lydia, Jed Dunning, by David Endicott

Lydia, Mindy White, by David Endicott

Straylight Run, by David Endicott

Category Interviews, Live | Tags: Anarbor,Camera Can't Lie,Lydia,Straylight Run | 1 Comment

Ingrid Michaelson with Greg Holden in Hollywood

October 14, 2009 by Steph

Ahh, another flawless night with Ingrid.

The night opened with a sweet british lad named Greg Holden. A decent minstrel, he seemed really grateful to share the stage with Ingrid as he explained that he left England for New York in the hopes of making it big and Ingrid Michaelson happened to catch him play there and snag him for her tour. Lucky break, eh? His set was good and his songs were sweet. His vocals remind me like Joshua Radin with an English accent, which, if you know Joshua Radin’s music, is a HUGE compliment. He also had a healthy dose of “young man” as he made some drinking jokes and hints about gather some beautiful ladies on his arms after the set. My favorite of his set was a beautiful cover of “walking on sunshine” which I wasn’t quick enough to capture, but you can watch it on AOL video here.

He also managed to get Ingrid’s entire band on stage for a sing along of a drinking song whose chorus sung, “If makes no difference what city I’m in/the drinks cost the same and they do the same thing/ I know it won’t stop till I start up again/ and I’ve got no intention of giving up.” I’m pretty sure that I’m going to buy his album “A Word Edgewise,” maybe you should too.

ingrid1 Now, about Ingrid Michaelson… I could sit here and rave about Ingrid’s flawless vocals or her original music. Her beautiful use of the ukulele or the mandolin. I could go on about the set, the songs on her new album, Ingrid’s solo ukulele version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” all of my favorites on Boys and Girls and her Be OK EP, her “reimaging” of “The Way I Am” (aka, “Ice Ice Baby” and the “Fresh Prince” theme song) or my favorite song of the night, “You & I.”

I could tell you that her sense of humor is almost as awesome as her vocals, even though her manager doesn’t want her to talk about “balls and poop” anymore. But really, you can see here I’m not an objective observer. I am a fan. I think Ingrid Michaelson is probably one of the most talented female musicians touring today, right up there with Regina Spektor. So take my word for it. She is fantastic. And I’ve embedded a few of my so-so videos from the night to prove it, including a duet she performed with Greg Laswell that has yet to be released (are they together? I saw a ring on that left ring finger, Ingrid!).

Category Live | Tags: Greg Holden,Ingrid Michaelson | Comments Off on Ingrid Michaelson with Greg Holden in Hollywood

Blink, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, and…Asher Roth?

October 12, 2009 by Steph

For no reason other than to make it an all-day event (and maybe to snag some limited edition merch), my friend Jimmy and I were the first to arrive at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater on September 17^th. After a long day of sitting in lawn chairs under umbrellas and chugging gallon-bottles of water, the line condenses, security gets tighter, and finally the gates swing open.

In order to avoid Asher Roth, we wandered around the venders, entering to win Travis’s car and buying $6 sodas. To no avail, we wandered to our seats just before Asher came on stage. The general feeling of the crowd was pretty hostile and they seemed annoyed at the disturbance of his party-hard MC act. He played the only song I know—“I Love College”—as the third song in his set and I thought it a bit too early into the set, but it turned out to be his last song. Three songs for Asher… I almost felt a bit bad for him. As someone texted to the venue’s marquee “Asher, would you like some epic with that fail?”

Next on the docket: Taking Back Sunday. These guys are one of those bands that I’ve always known, always heard around, I even know a couple of songs, but I never really got into. They put on a good stage performance, with lots of mic swinging. Adam Lazzara must practice with the swinging a lot because he was quite a trickster and there were multiple times I thought he’d hit guitarist Matthew Fazzi in the face, but didn’t. They played the song of theirs that everyone loves—“Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)”—and half the crowd sang it at the top of their lungs. After a rockin’ and sweaty set, Taking Back Sunday relinquished the stage to Weezer in a big round of applause.

weezer It seemed as though the entire crowd (at least those sitting) were on the edge of their seat because the moment Weezer took over the stage, everyone was on their feet. Cheering at a stage full of men in white track suits seemed a little odd, but the moment they started playing, the scene fell into place. Their set choices could not have been better. They played an excellent mix of old and new, including all of my favorites.

Now Blink. Oh, Blink. One of my favorite bands. Because of the nature of their break-up (mostly a conflict between Mark and Tom), throughout the show I was nervous that Mark’s familiar fun-poking at Tom would cause a break-up repeat. The two hugged at the opening of the show, a rehearsed (but not insincere) sign of their rekindled friendship, however at every “Shut up, Tom” out of Mark’s mouth and at Tom’s “Fuck Obama!” (to which Mark had a disapproving WTF face) I cringed a little out of worry. It was amazing, though, to see Mark and Tom joking around like old times—lots jokes about being gay for each other and jerking off.

Blink 182 About the music, Blink has never sounded so good and the set was amazing. Have you ever been to a show where every song you thought, “OMG this is my favorite!” Okay, so I may have dorked out a bit but the best of Blink—“Rock Show,” “Damnit,” “Violence,” and so on—would be hard-pressed not to do the same. Near the end of the show, Travis did a drum solo while his kit ascended, swung from the ceiling, and rotated until Travis was at a 90-degree angle with the floor. And, as always, his performance was still flawless. Blink’s music seemed to only benefit from their years apart, as they all refined their skills and cleaned up their sound in +44 and Angels and Airwaves. The show was fantastic.

Blink 182 As we were all fleeing the stadium in hopes of escaping the parking lot in a reasonable amount of time (which I didn’t) we were stopped to make way for the tour vans to leave. Out of one leaned Mark as it drove by and he waved at everyone and shouted “thank you.” Talented and nice. The perfect pair. An amazing trio.

Category Live | Tags: Asher Roth,Blink 182,Taking Back Sunday,Weezer | Comments Off on Blink, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, and…Asher Roth?

Older Entries

Newer Entries