Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Dust Bowl Metal Show Fest review by That Metal Station Nov. 2016
TMS Concert Reviews – Dust Bowl Metal Festival – Day One (Scottsdale, AZ) Posted on November 8, 2016 Author Walter Greggs
DUST BOWL METAL SHOW Home Page
Recently, That Metal Station had the pleasure of attending the first annual Dust Bowl Metal Festival. Hosted at Pranksters Too in Scottsdale, the show was brought to life by local scene driven and multi-talented Rich Ornelas (a.k.a Rev. Black Jack McBride) and would mark many first experiences in my journey into the AZ music scene. First time attending a show at Pranksters Too, this is a fantastic venue and I look forward to many more shows here. First time attending one of The Reverends well organized shows, Rich Ornelas did a fantastic job putting this together; there was a crowd forming during sound check and stayed throughout the entirety of the night. Most importantly it would mark the first collaboration with That Metal Station’s newest family member, photo artist Trevor Ronde of Expand your Mind Photography. Trevor joins me in this interview style retrospective of the Dust Bowl Metal Festival Day One.
Walter: Welcome to That Metal Station Trevor.
Trevor: Thanks a lot Walter for having me.
Walter: So we're here to talk about the awesome night that was Dust Bowl Metal Festival Day One. This was a first for both of us attending a show at Pranksters Too. You were there when I arrived already enjoying the atmosphere and feeling the place out. Tell me, what were your first impressions of the venue?
Trevor: I am pretty sure right when I opened up the doors to the actual venue part, I said out loud "Damn this place is huge!” It is just a very open venue with amazing lights and a really cool sound system.
I will definitely be hitting up a lot more shows there.
Walter: I agree Pranksters Too might very well become my new favorite in the Scottsdale area. The venue is very accommodating to the needs of the patron. My first thought was, "damn this place sounds great" very clean, and the atmosphere was just right for this sort of metal show.
Trevor: Absolutely and the employees were extremely nice and professional as well.
Walter: Service was top notch, plus the place had so much to offer in the way of entertainment. The separate hall allowed the people who were there for the show to enjoy the music without mingling with the patrons who weren't there for the show itself.
Trevor: And those patrons also didn't have to be forced into paying for the show if they only wanted to drink. Definitely a cool place! Next time, I need to try their food because it smelled damn good!
Walter: I grabbed a few French fries from DJ Deff Jeff, they were legit. Pranksters Too has everything you need and some.
Let's get into the show though. I think we were both impressed with the venue, lighting was good on your end for photos, and sound was good on my end for observing the music.
The night opened with the latest line up of Ashes of the Dead, they are finally settling in to their new line up. How was the experience for you on your end?
Trevor: I think Ashes of the Dead has found the members that they have been looking for. All four of them really clicked on stage and all sounded great together. I really look forward to seeing them progress as a band and creating the music they were destined to make.
Walter: They did a wonderful job opening the show, a perfect mix of hard ass metal without blowing the crowds mind; they really set the stage for the night ahead.
Trevor: Oh definitely! They set the tone for the rest of the bands and got the crowd really pumped.
Walter: Speaking of the crowd, what did you think of the early turnout? I felt there was a great showing before the festival even started.
Trevor: It was great to see people showing up before the show even starts. You don't get that very often these days. Those dudes definitely earned some new fans that night.
Walter: Absolutely! It would be insane for us to go through the line-up band for band. Tell me a little about some of your personal highlights of the night?
Trevor: 2 In the Chest will always be a highlight at any show that I attend. They are just a topnotch band from the music to the visuals they bring. Dead Swarm is another highlight for me. Those guys can shred!
Walter: This was another first for me, I love their music and I love the theatrics. With that being said, if I had to pick a favorite from the night it would be 2 in the chest for entertainment value alone.
Those guys are amazing live, and the music really drives you too bang your head.
Trevor: I am with you there. They bring the whole package to the stage. If you are not moving somehow during their set, you must not have a heartbeat. Haha.
Walter: And he (Rich Ornelas) includes his family in the set, it has a wholesome vibe. You can't help but smile watching his daughter dance on stage in full garb and even taking center stage introducing their next song at times.
Trevor: I loved that he has his daughter up there dancing and being a part of the show. It was adorable to watch for sure.
And damn straight I used the word adorable! Hahaha.
Walter: Let's talk about Dead Swarm. They just recently went through a line-up change of their own, introducing Kyle Cockson to lead guitar and Javad Beg on drums. Both musicians learned the set within a month of the show. What did you think of their performance?
Trevor: That's crazy! I didn't realize that they learned the whole set in a month. Their performance did not show me that they had that little amount of time. They both kicked ass!! Kyle was rocking out like he owned that stage and Javad beat those drums like they hit on his girlfriend. I think with the addition of those two, Dead Swarm is going to destroy the Arizona metal scene.
Walter: Anybody that knows Javad knows he is a machine on the kit; I interrupted a conversation with Javad and the drummer from Season of Suffering one time when they were geeking out on their kit set-up. I asked about drum triggers and how they work, needless to say I was out of my league asking the question. I might as well been discussing quantum theory.
Out of all the bands that night, I would have to say Dead Swarm had the sexiest instruments.
Trevor: Hahaha I am drumming illiterate so I feel you on that.
I think we need a drum-off between Javad of Dead Swarm and Forest from Ashes of the Dead. Everybody watching wins in that one.
Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with you on the sexiest instruments. Hahaha Rick Fowler's bass is one bad ass looking machine!
Walter: I would like to see a collaboration drum album with guest artist featuring, Javad and Forest on drums. Nothing but local guest, it would be insane.
Trevor: That would be amazing!
Walter: So let's be real. Were there any disappointing factors of the night?
Trevor: I would have loved to have seen even more people at the show. It was heavily promoted by everyone involved; I just think there were tons of shows going on that night.
Walter: Yes I agree, the turnout was great but the venue was large. I think it's very difficult to plan a show here due to the fact; you have no idea what other big show might be added to the weekend.
Trevor: I completely agree! Other than that, I was very happy with how the show turned out. Everyone seemed to be having a hell of a time and it showed the unity that is within our metal scene.
Walter: Well it was a great night of local Arizona metal my friend. The camaraderie was present, and if I had one compliant about the show, it would be missing some of the acts that night because we were all involved in some great conversations. The scene was alive that night, and everyone was in a very social mood.
Trevor: I couldn't have said it better myself! Haha.
Walter: Next Friday, Nov, 11th will be Day Two of the dust Bowl Metal fest, what do you think of the two day/two weekend format? Will you be there next weekend?
Trevor: I really like the idea. A lot of people are unable to do 2 days in a row for concerts and this way there is a better chance to bring in people for both nights. I am definitely going to try my best to make it out for round 2 next Friday!
Walter: Awesome man. Is there anything you'd like to add before we wrap it up?
Trevor: I just wanted to give a HUGE thanks to Rich from the Dust Bowl Metal Show for setting up an amazing night of music and for showing what it means to be a true supporter of the AZ metal scene.
Walter: Damn straight, Rich has been a driving force in the AZ metal scene for years. On top of being a really cool metal head, he is focused on promoting our local scene. A scene I have just had the pleasure of discovering over the past year now, I have to say thank you to the Rev. Black Jack McBride. You're an inspiration to all of us, from the fans to the bands. Thank you sir
Trevor: True that!!
Walter: Trevor, It was a blast hanging out with you and working together for the first time last Friday. You took some amazing photos, and it was awesome. Where else can we find you on the internet?
Trevor: It was a lot of fun working with you Walter!! You can find me on my website parabolmindmedia.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ExpandYourMindPhoto and soon to have my Instagram fully running.
Walter: Awesome man, until next time my friend.
Trevor: Hell yes!! Thanks for having me today! I look forward to going to tons more shows with you in the future.
The entire night was a combination of the best elements of what Arizona metal truly is; it was as organized as any large national touring festival would be, it had the elements of a house party regarding the social atmosphere, the bands were all professional, the venue was extremely accommodating, and there were zero issues. The scene was alive and it was all thanks to Rich Ornelas, thank you so much my metal brethren for the killer night. The lineup was crazy good, if your band wasn’t mentioned in this retrospective never fear, we want to promote your endeavor here at That Metal Station. Please feel free to hit me up on my Facebook page Walter’s Wall of Woe and drop me a line. Trevor and I will be attending shows across the Valley of the Sun weekly, we would be happy to make arrangements for interview, photo, and show review opportunities here in the land we love. Until next time metal heads, keep it brutal.
DUST BOWL METAL SHOW Home Page
The Reverend Black Jack McBride DJ of the Dust Bowl Meal Show
Joe, Forest and Jeff of Ashes Of The Dead
Walter: Welcome to That Metal Station Trevor.
Trevor: Thanks a lot Walter for having me.
Walter: So we're here to talk about the awesome night that was Dust Bowl Metal Festival Day One. This was a first for both of us attending a show at Pranksters Too. You were there when I arrived already enjoying the atmosphere and feeling the place out. Tell me, what were your first impressions of the venue?
Trevor: I am pretty sure right when I opened up the doors to the actual venue part, I said out loud "Damn this place is huge!” It is just a very open venue with amazing lights and a really cool sound system.
I will definitely be hitting up a lot more shows there.
Walter: I agree Pranksters Too might very well become my new favorite in the Scottsdale area. The venue is very accommodating to the needs of the patron. My first thought was, "damn this place sounds great" very clean, and the atmosphere was just right for this sort of metal show.
Trevor: Absolutely and the employees were extremely nice and professional as well.
Walter: Service was top notch, plus the place had so much to offer in the way of entertainment. The separate hall allowed the people who were there for the show to enjoy the music without mingling with the patrons who weren't there for the show itself.
Kevin of Mersa
Trevor: And those patrons also didn't have to be forced into paying for the show if they only wanted to drink. Definitely a cool place! Next time, I need to try their food because it smelled damn good!
Walter: I grabbed a few French fries from DJ Deff Jeff, they were legit. Pranksters Too has everything you need and some.
Let's get into the show though. I think we were both impressed with the venue, lighting was good on your end for photos, and sound was good on my end for observing the music.
The night opened with the latest line up of Ashes of the Dead, they are finally settling in to their new line up. How was the experience for you on your end?
Trevor: I think Ashes of the Dead has found the members that they have been looking for. All four of them really clicked on stage and all sounded great together. I really look forward to seeing them progress as a band and creating the music they were destined to make.
Walter: They did a wonderful job opening the show, a perfect mix of hard ass metal without blowing the crowds mind; they really set the stage for the night ahead.
Trevor: Oh definitely! They set the tone for the rest of the bands and got the crowd really pumped.
Reverend Black Jack McBride of 2 In The Chest
Walter: Speaking of the crowd, what did you think of the early turnout? I felt there was a great showing before the festival even started.
Trevor: It was great to see people showing up before the show even starts. You don't get that very often these days. Those dudes definitely earned some new fans that night.
Walter: Absolutely! It would be insane for us to go through the line-up band for band. Tell me a little about some of your personal highlights of the night?
Trevor: 2 In the Chest will always be a highlight at any show that I attend. They are just a topnotch band from the music to the visuals they bring. Dead Swarm is another highlight for me. Those guys can shred!
Walter: This was another first for me, I love their music and I love the theatrics. With that being said, if I had to pick a favorite from the night it would be 2 in the chest for entertainment value alone.
Those guys are amazing live, and the music really drives you too bang your head.
Trevor: I am with you there. They bring the whole package to the stage. If you are not moving somehow during their set, you must not have a heartbeat. Haha.
Walter: And he (Rich Ornelas) includes his family in the set, it has a wholesome vibe. You can't help but smile watching his daughter dance on stage in full garb and even taking center stage introducing their next song at times.
Trevor: I loved that he has his daughter up there dancing and being a part of the show. It was adorable to watch for sure.
And damn straight I used the word adorable! Hahaha.
Jeremy of Dead Swarm
Walter: Let's talk about Dead Swarm. They just recently went through a line-up change of their own, introducing Kyle Cockson to lead guitar and Javad Beg on drums. Both musicians learned the set within a month of the show. What did you think of their performance?
Trevor: That's crazy! I didn't realize that they learned the whole set in a month. Their performance did not show me that they had that little amount of time. They both kicked ass!! Kyle was rocking out like he owned that stage and Javad beat those drums like they hit on his girlfriend. I think with the addition of those two, Dead Swarm is going to destroy the Arizona metal scene.
Walter: Anybody that knows Javad knows he is a machine on the kit; I interrupted a conversation with Javad and the drummer from Season of Suffering one time when they were geeking out on their kit set-up. I asked about drum triggers and how they work, needless to say I was out of my league asking the question. I might as well been discussing quantum theory.
Out of all the bands that night, I would have to say Dead Swarm had the sexiest instruments.
Trevor: Hahaha I am drumming illiterate so I feel you on that.
I think we need a drum-off between Javad of Dead Swarm and Forest from Ashes of the Dead. Everybody watching wins in that one.
Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with you on the sexiest instruments. Hahaha Rick Fowler's bass is one bad ass looking machine!
Walter: I would like to see a collaboration drum album with guest artist featuring, Javad and Forest on drums. Nothing but local guest, it would be insane.
Trevor: That would be amazing!
Erik, John and Jeramey of Malicious Melodies
Walter: So let's be real. Were there any disappointing factors of the night?
Trevor: I would have loved to have seen even more people at the show. It was heavily promoted by everyone involved; I just think there were tons of shows going on that night.
Walter: Yes I agree, the turnout was great but the venue was large. I think it's very difficult to plan a show here due to the fact; you have no idea what other big show might be added to the weekend.
Trevor: I completely agree! Other than that, I was very happy with how the show turned out. Everyone seemed to be having a hell of a time and it showed the unity that is within our metal scene.
Walter: Well it was a great night of local Arizona metal my friend. The camaraderie was present, and if I had one compliant about the show, it would be missing some of the acts that night because we were all involved in some great conversations. The scene was alive that night, and everyone was in a very social mood.
Trevor: I couldn't have said it better myself! Haha.
Walter: Next Friday, Nov, 11th will be Day Two of the dust Bowl Metal fest, what do you think of the two day/two weekend format? Will you be there next weekend?
Trevor: I really like the idea. A lot of people are unable to do 2 days in a row for concerts and this way there is a better chance to bring in people for both nights. I am definitely going to try my best to make it out for round 2 next Friday!
Walter: Awesome man. Is there anything you'd like to add before we wrap it up?
Trevor: I just wanted to give a HUGE thanks to Rich from the Dust Bowl Metal Show for setting up an amazing night of music and for showing what it means to be a true supporter of the AZ metal scene.
Walter: Damn straight, Rich has been a driving force in the AZ metal scene for years. On top of being a really cool metal head, he is focused on promoting our local scene. A scene I have just had the pleasure of discovering over the past year now, I have to say thank you to the Rev. Black Jack McBride. You're an inspiration to all of us, from the fans to the bands. Thank you sir
Trevor: True that!!
Norm of Sick Black Automatic
Walter: Trevor, It was a blast hanging out with you and working together for the first time last Friday. You took some amazing photos, and it was awesome. Where else can we find you on the internet?
Trevor: It was a lot of fun working with you Walter!! You can find me on my website parabolmindmedia.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ExpandYourMindPhoto and soon to have my Instagram fully running.
Walter: Awesome man, until next time my friend.
Trevor: Hell yes!! Thanks for having me today! I look forward to going to tons more shows with you in the future.
The entire night was a combination of the best elements of what Arizona metal truly is; it was as organized as any large national touring festival would be, it had the elements of a house party regarding the social atmosphere, the bands were all professional, the venue was extremely accommodating, and there were zero issues. The scene was alive and it was all thanks to Rich Ornelas, thank you so much my metal brethren for the killer night. The lineup was crazy good, if your band wasn’t mentioned in this retrospective never fear, we want to promote your endeavor here at That Metal Station. Please feel free to hit me up on my Facebook page Walter’s Wall of Woe and drop me a line. Trevor and I will be attending shows across the Valley of the Sun weekly, we would be happy to make arrangements for interview, photo, and show review opportunities here in the land we love. Until next time metal heads, keep it brutal.
Monday, December 12, 2016
SPINNAKER LOUNGE In Modesto California Screwed over 3 Arizona Metal Bands.
MALICIOUS MELODIES BRACE4IMPACT 2 IN THE CHEST
Bullhead City & Modesto California December 9th and 10th 2016
A few weeks ago all three bands got together and set up a little weekend mini tour. Malicious Melodies and Brace4Impact had a show planned after the bullhead city show in Modesto California a couple months ago. At this time 2 IN THE CHEST could not do the show because of a prior engagement in Tucson Arizona. We that show fell through and the drummer for Malicious Melodies could not make either show in Bullhead City or Modesto, so Velvet De blonko from 2 IN THE CHEST was asked if she could sit in for these two shows and of course if anyone knows her she stepped up because that’s what Arizona bands do, they stick together because we are one big family. So because of this situation and the fact that a band dropped off at the Modesto California show 2 IN THE CHEST was added to the bill in Modesto California.
December 9th 2016
After some conversation between Malicious Melodies and 2 IN THECHEST. We all decided to wagon train it to Bullhead City for the first show. When we arrived everything was looking good. Malicious Melodies Fired up their set and hammered out an incredible performance giving Riviera Roadhouse Some killer Hard Rock n Roll. John AKA Charles Manson, Singer for Mal. Mel through the crowd in to an explosive frenzy and after only 4 rehearsals Velvet Pulled off an incredible performance. The sound was really good in that little bar with Erik Dennis and Jeremy carrying the awesome tones with guitars and bass. Making this performance one of the best I have ever seen. Little Sammy the Dust Bowl Metal Show Princes was part of this incredible performance as well holding the tempo high and tight with her little tambourine and singing with the band made for a great all-around performance for Mal. Mel. The bar staff was incredible to all of us. Sammy being only 8 and the bass player for 2 IN THE CHEST and his girlfriend only 18, they were very accommodating to us and that was a breath of fresh air. I was pumped to say the least I could not wait to get on stage. But it was not time for that.
Now is the time for Brace4Impact to hit the stage with their aggressive style of hard core brutal metal. With their 8 string guitars the powerful low tones of the meal was to say the least very; very cool. And the new bass player holding down the even lower tones made for one killer set for these beasts of metal. The cool thing about this little mini tour is that all the bands used the same gear making it easier and faster for the transition this gave each band a longer set in turn giving the crowd total entertainment or the entire night.
Next up 2 IN THE CHEST that small town was not ready for this. As soon as the band started performing every camera in the house started recording and taking pictures. I don’t think they have ever seen a performance like this before in their little town. And that made for a very fun environment for 2 IN THE CHEST and of Course; Sammy AKA Mary Ela O Sullivan Stole the show with her bad self.
Ok the night was done it was time to get to the hotels and try to get some sleep for the long drive to Modesto California.
Arriving and setting up the hotel rooms was the first thing we all did. We all met at the venue in just about the time for the show to begin. Brace4Impact showed up again with all the gear and we got with the promoter and got the underage people all set up with their red x on their hands and started loading in and setting up, as 2 IN THE CHEST was the first band to perform this night. The promoter even had a BBQ grill out back grilling burgers and dogs for all the bands. it was looking to be a great night of music for our little mini tour.
I Dropped Rachel and Sammy in the back and drove around front to unload the gear because with all the rain, it made it a huge lake out back and we could not load in from there. As I pulled around front to unload the guitars and stage gear the Bartender locked the back door Leaving Rachel and Sammy out back. Now the only way for them to get into the venue; was to walk all the way around this very long strip mall. So to complete this task they had to wade in knee deep water to do that, (Not very cool to say the least) Rachel Being Legally Blind and Sammy only 8 years old making it waist deep for her, 51 degrees outside and they were soaking wet Freezing, pretty much set the tone for the night with Rachel, She was furious.
OK after calming Rachel down from that, we continue to set up the gear. Then I get a phone call from Erik From Mal. Mel saying the Bar tender will not let Sammy and Carter (Mary Ela & Scotty Six Gun) into the venue to perform. We all knew they would not be able to stay in there as that’s how things work. Bands with under age people have to wait outside until it’s time to perform then when it’s time to perform they do the set and then have to leave right away. We knew this was the case. But this bar tender would not even let them in at all.
The thing is 2 IN THE CHEST would not have driven 12 hours to a show if they could not perform. After I talked to the Bar Tender, John from malicious Melodies talked to her and Tao from brace4impact talked to her the story was still the same, she was a total bitch and did not give two shits about anything or anyone but her selfless pride.
When the rest of the band members from Malicious Melodies and Brace4Impact heard this, everyone was pissed. So the only answer to this was the same for all bands, we all stick together and if 2 IN THE CHEST is not allowed to perform then we do not perform either. SPINNAKER LOUNGE https://www.facebook.com/The-Spinnaker-Lounge-230901263772551/?fref=ts SEND IN YOUR YELP REVIEW AS WELL screwed the wrong person over. They not only screwed 2 IN THE CHEST they screwed Malicious Melodies & Brace4Impact. That’s three Arizona metal bands.
Well after we loaded up all the gear and took off, we all met at the hotel and partied it up for the rest of the night and headed out on the 12 hour trek back home in the morning.
The DUST BOWL METAL SHOW is asking all you meat bags to go to their page and give them the worse rating you can and show that evil bitch that you do not screw Arizona bands.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
DUST BOWL Metal Review October 14th 2016
Metal Review 10/14/2016
Reverend Black Jack McBride
Fighting the
Phoenix from Canon City, Colorado
Members:
Chris King |
Lead Vocals
Zach Snyder
| Guitar | Vocals
Kyle Snyder
| Drums
Kyle Parker
| Bass
Austin Parks
| Guitar
Headed out
for a night of metal tonight and holy son of a motherless Chicken!
I showed up
kind of early, well it was early for me. Most know I have an extreme autistic
child and it’s hard to pull away from the house in time to catch all the bands.
Good news is the local EXISTENCE AD I have seen several times so I did not feel
too bad about that. Crippled ninja was up next and let me tell you these guys
have a really killer style of metal. It totally stands out from a great deal of
the local bands. I have seen them several times and I enjoy them every time and that goes without saying. If you have not checked them out, they are definitely worth
the ticket to get in for sure. I absolutely love these guys.
I am always interested
in supporting the touring bands because in this day and age the music scene
sucks the hairy berries, and makes it very hard to at minimum make enough to at
least get to the next show. Most people do not understand this. Locals should
always buy a CD or a shirt or donate some cash to then bands. They work really
hard on tour. It’s not easy doing this, everything costs money,
Now the
first touring act was a band of course I have never heard of, “FIGHTING THE
PHOENIX” I am going to say right off the bat these guys are national material
point blank. FIGHTING THE PHOENIX brings to the table a standard that some of our
local talent really needs to adhere to. There are no words that I can say in
this review that will give these guys the true props they deserve. They hail
from Canon City, Colorado. I talk about this all the time. When you get on
stage to perform you either bring it or you don’t and these guys brought it and
left it all on stage. They have an incredible stage performance. Although you
know some of it is choreographed it does not look rehearsed at all, It looked completely
natural. They all know where everyone was at all times and every member in that
band was explosive with their movements and delivery of their parts to this
amazing performance. Another thing I say all the time is, when I go to a show I
go to SEE a performance not just hear it. “If I wanted to hear music I would
pop in a CD” Steve Lee Xpansion Theory.
This is
totally true; and I am sure everyone can relate to this. So many times I go to
shows that the bands look like they don’t even want to be there. FIGHTING THE
PHOENIX gets 2 full horns \m/ \m/ for their amazing performance. Check them out
of Facebook at your earliest conveyance; it is worth your time.
The DUST
BOWL METAL SHOW will be spinning their entire record in the air raid hour on Thursday
October 20th 2016 Show in most cases start at 6:00pm. Tune in at http://dustbowlmetalshow.com Click the listen live tab.
Paralys From
Rock Springs, WY
David
Siegel-Vocals
Jason
Dreher-Guitars
Adam
Fitzgerald-Drums
Mike
Metz-Bass
Matt
Cutting-Guitars
The last
band of the evening was a killer band from. Wyoming These guys were fun as
heck. I did some live feed for them that night. Very powerful band, full of
infectious grooves, and one hell of a lead guitar player. At times his fingers
were moving so fast I think time stopped lol. But seriously I would love to
share the stage with any of the bands on the bill this night. Colorado and Rock Springs, WY should be proud of these guys.
http://dustbowlmetalshow.com Click the listen live tab.
They came to Arizona and brought down the
http://dustbowlmetalshow.com Click the listen live tab.
They came to Arizona and brought down the
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Local Metal Review EMPIRE OF DEZIRE
Local Metal Review: EMPIRE OF DEZIRE
By Reverend Black Jack McBride: Guitar Player Singer in 2 IN THE CHEST
09/02/2016
First off I ended up getting a late start tonight because I
had so much to do Thursday night and Friday, that I did not even get to bed
until about 2pm. then I had to get up take care of some things around the house
and get to a show at Pranksters Too. Well I missed the first two bands and that
was a real bummer, but I did get to check out your # 1 DUST BOWL METAL SHOW metal
band of the month. “EMPIRE OF DEZIRE” and let me tell you what, I have seen
these guys several times, and man oh man they have sure kicked up their game a
few notches.
As soon as I rolled up in the parking lot I heard them
playing and Tulins voice is something you cannot mistake. She brings to the
metal scene a completely different element, an element that this scene really
needs. We have so very many awesome bands in Arizona, and some of them just get
up on stage and play music, don’t get me wrong; most of them have some kick ass
music. But to me going to show is much, much more than just hearing music. I go
to a show to not only hear the show but to see the show and I think that’s the
feeling of many other patrons of the local music scene.
Some don’t know this but not only am I in a local band DJ of this radio show graphic designer ECT. I am also a consultant. I talk to many bands about how to better their performance. And it’s usually done on a hush hush basis.
Making your live performance the best it can be, can be the
difference between failing at a show or winning new fans and becoming successful
in your endeavors as a live performer. Now in saying this live performance to
me is one of the most important avenues to becoming someone favorite band. Having
friends is awesome they come to your shows and even if you suck they blow smoke
up your arse and say you kicked ass. What a band needs is to build a dedicated audience
through their awesome performances on stage.
Today’s music is saturated with so, so very many bands. And
some of them are incredibly good. But they are missing a key element to take them
to the next level, and that element is their performance on stage.
As I have said before I have seen these guys several times. Tonight
something was different about these guys. They have become a powerhouse in this
scene and it’s because they bring more to that stage then just music. They bring
a live performance that you can not only hear and see; but you can feel it. I stood
there watching their entire set mesmerized by each and every movement they made,
each and every note that was played, and each and every vocal line that was sung.
These guys have perfected there Brand exponentially. And I mean that from all
that is within me as a person.
I go to so many shows, and see so many amazing bands, and
there are those that just stand out for many different reasons. “EMPIRE OF DEZIRE” brings to the stage all; the elements needed to pull off an incredible
performance. I really can’t say any more about these guys then I already have. This
was a land mark performance from them. If you can get my attention, and keep me
captivated the entire set; you have something going. You have something
special. I am not an easy guy to mesmerize either. So “EMPIRE OF DEZIRE” gets 2
full metal horns. \m/(‘,’)\m/ YOU GUYS KILLED IT. Thank you for allowing me to
attend your amazing performance.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Dust Bowl Metal Show Local review 08/12/2016
Dust Bowl Metal Review 08/12/2016
Well I did
not plan on going anywhere this weekend because I am tied up with shooting
videos for my band and getting things done for the radio show as well as
getting ready for
Dime Fest at Joes Grotto Saturday the 20th It’s is
a rare sighting for 2 IN THE CHEST because we usually stay underground during
the summers because of the heat. Anyway I
received a phone call from a very dear friend stating he had access to some
tickets to a show that was being held at the Marquee Theater. When I found out who, I became very excited, maybe a little too; excited to say the least. The band I am referring to is
STRYPER. I haven't seen these guys perform sense 1989 and lemme tell you it
was awesome.
But let’s
step back a little bit. The entire show was amazing I missed the first band. I
thought the show started at 8:00 pm, well apparently it did not. So I missed the
first act. I did
however make the second act and so on. The band that was loading on stage was
an instrumental band. HANDS & FEET.
I am not too interested in instrumental
bands because I am so used to listening to someone sing when I go to a show.
But all that aside, these guys are very, very good.
It is a three piece band and the bass player has a Jaco Pastorius vibe with his sound and I like that a lot. Very well versed on his playing style great stage presents and you can tell this guy has been playing for a while.
The guitar player and style of
playing is in the vein of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. And to pull riffs off like
these guys, you have to be very good and let me tell you this guy has some great
finger work. The music was very catchy as well. The siinger has a charisma about him as
well. You were just drawn to his charismatic vibe.
The drummer well that guy is just cool. He was very prepared and very tight with his chops, as well as a great visual performance. HAND & FEET get 1 and 2/3 horns <\m/ \m> because I’m a jerk and really don’t care for bands without a singer. But as I said these guys rocked the house at the marquee for sure and yes I would go see them again. They are very entertaining.
Next up was
a band that donated to the dust bowl metal show and I haven't been able to see them yet, until this night. COLOR OF
CHAOS Now these guys are a power house 80's style metal band with incredible
stage presents too.
It is a three piece band and the bass player has a Jaco Pastorius vibe with his sound and I like that a lot. Very well versed on his playing style great stage presents and you can tell this guy has been playing for a while.
The drummer well that guy is just cool. He was very prepared and very tight with his chops, as well as a great visual performance. HAND & FEET get 1 and 2/3 horns <\m/ \m> because I’m a jerk and really don’t care for bands without a singer. But as I said these guys rocked the house at the marquee for sure and yes I would go see them again. They are very entertaining.
You can tell these guys have played a few shows together and I
mean a few shows. Very good band of musicians.
Although I am really not into
that type of metal anymore, it still lays strong on my heart because it’s great
music when metal music had singers. And in the words of Mr. Michael Sweet of
Stryper, in the 80s there were some pretty guys. Lol he is right some of them
looked better than the chicks did.
Well anyway the singer is a crazy man on stage taking control of the crowd like no one’s business. The bass player stands about 100 feet tall, naaa just kidding. A tall guy for sure. He plays a Thunderbird bass, and in my book, that’s is awesome. Great sound on the bass. The guitar player was phenomenal to say the least. Very good chops and the music as I said, has an 80s flair to it, and it’s really cool. They look great on stage they performed very well and the crowd really loved them. COLOR OF CHAOS gets 1 and 2/3 <\m/\m> Metal Horns. Because they are just freaking entertaining bam! Period
Well anyway the singer is a crazy man on stage taking control of the crowd like no one’s business. The bass player stands about 100 feet tall, naaa just kidding. A tall guy for sure. He plays a Thunderbird bass, and in my book, that’s is awesome. Great sound on the bass. The guitar player was phenomenal to say the least. Very good chops and the music as I said, has an 80s flair to it, and it’s really cool. They look great on stage they performed very well and the crowd really loved them. COLOR OF CHAOS gets 1 and 2/3 <\m/\m> Metal Horns. Because they are just freaking entertaining bam! Period
On a side note I was a bit upset at one of the security guards. This guy must not know what kind of show he was doing security for because, he some kind of a God complex or something. Let's just say he had a very crappy attitude 1. And 2 when Michael Sweet was throwing out picks to the crowd, one landed just on the other side of the cattle wall. And this guy about 60 years old or so went just on the other side of this cattle wall to get the pick, and this security guard all but tackled him like a freakin NFL football player. This is an older gentleman, he merely wanted the pick Michael threw out. This is not the worst part.
That mean son of gun went over picked up the guitar pick, mind you, I have been watching the whole thing. He picked up this guitar pick and I thought he was going to hand it to this older guy after all he just slammed the poor old dude. No that would be doing something nice, this guy threw the pick deeper into the crowd leaving the older gentleman standing there with a, what the heck just happened look on his face.
STRYPER was performing so it was very hard to hear anyone talk in the building but I walked over to that security guy and just lipped...
“THAT WAS BAD MAN,
THAT WAS JUST BAD WOW!” And he gave me a
screw you look and went back to being a jerk at side stage. (TO ALL THE PEOPLE
THAT WORK THERE OR KNOW WHO WORKS THERE HE WAS THE GUY ON STAGE LEFT). Ya, a
room full of Christians, like they are going to cause trouble. Whatever, this
guy was just being a jerk.
Let me elaborate just a bit. Back in 1992 my band ScapeGoat performed at a festival called Cornerstone Fest in Bushnell Illinois, and there were like 9 thousand Christians there. Do you know how many cops? ZERO that’s right ZERO. This guy could have been courteous and walked over to the guy and asked him to step back and he would get the pick for him. But no he had to practically tackle him like a freakin football player and then not give the guy the pick after doing it. This guy really needs to take a chill pill. If a person it that type of position does not know how to read people then they should not be in that position. If he had the skill he would have seen what was going on and maybe, just maybe he would have been a little nicer to the older gentleman, because he would have understood why he was on that side of the cattle wall. He was not lunging at the players on stage. Anyone with half a grain could have seen that but no not this clueless guy. It was just down right pitiful.
Let me elaborate just a bit. Back in 1992 my band ScapeGoat performed at a festival called Cornerstone Fest in Bushnell Illinois, and there were like 9 thousand Christians there. Do you know how many cops? ZERO that’s right ZERO. This guy could have been courteous and walked over to the guy and asked him to step back and he would get the pick for him. But no he had to practically tackle him like a freakin football player and then not give the guy the pick after doing it. This guy really needs to take a chill pill. If a person it that type of position does not know how to read people then they should not be in that position. If he had the skill he would have seen what was going on and maybe, just maybe he would have been a little nicer to the older gentleman, because he would have understood why he was on that side of the cattle wall. He was not lunging at the players on stage. Anyone with half a grain could have seen that but no not this clueless guy. It was just down right pitiful.
Anyway
that’s the review for Friday august 12th 2016
Reverend
Black Jack McBride.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Metal Review 07/29-30/2016
Local metal review for 07/29-31/2016
Friday July 29th
Some of you know I own a
small business, and this comes with its advantages and disadvantages, that’s for
sure. The advantages are I don’t have some goofy over rated want to be hovering
over my shoulder watching my every move. Disadvantages are the companies that don’t
like to pay for services rendered. Anyway my point here is, if I don’t get paid
by these clowns I don’t have the money to get out and support the local scene
by doing what the dust bowl metal show does.
Anyway we did get out on
this weekend not as much as I wanted because of the lack of gas in the vehicle.
Friday night I grabbed my dust bowl metal show princes and we headed out to Joe’s
Grotto to pick up the tickets for DIME FEST that my band 2 IN THE CHEST has to
sell. It is a 50/50 split I definitely don’t think this is fair at all. But it
is what it is. Tickets only cost about 15 cents each to make if that. On bulk
orders you save even more. Custom ones cost a bit more but again it is what it
is.
So anyway Sammy and I arrived
to be greeted at the door with Kim from 13th FLOOR ENTERTAINMENT.
She
lets us in right away. I did not know but this was an all ages event and little
Sammy was stoked to be able to see some metal bands. We showed up a bit late
for the locals but we did not even plan on staying anyway because as I mentioned,
we went there to pick up tickets and that’s it.
So we get in and there
is a band, from what I was told, was added to the tour at the last minute. They
were a band called FINAL DRIVE
never heard of them before. I believe they are
from St. Louis Missouri. These guys were really tight they know their tunes.
I
was talking to the drummer after the show and he told me they have been off
tour for a while and they are a bit rusty as this was their first show in a
while. Well you definitely couldn’t tell because they were really good audibly
and visually, they performed as a professional band big time.
Sammy had to go
to the bathroom so she was not getting into them as much as I was. They have
some great music there is no doubt and the delivery of that music was
fantastic. No to much in the way of original but very, very good none the less.
These guys get \m/ \m 1 and 2/3 metal horns. Because they are freaking pro.
Next up was the
headliner for this show. We were getting ready to head out but Kim said that I should
really stay to see these guys. From the sister state of California ALL HAIL THE YETI
was the name of this band and I am glad we did.
Sammy was blown away with
these guys. She absolutely loved them. Both the guitar player and bass player sung
backups and more. They both had great voices that added to this amazing line up
of awesome musicians.
People really need to get out to these events! A great
deal of these bands from here in Arizona, and around the US are really very,
very good. This band was top notch. Sammy could not stop moving her feet and
banging her head. She really loved these guys. I have no choice but to give these
guys the full 2 metal horns. \m/ \m/ if
the dust bowl metal show princes can’t stop moving her feet then that’s a
double Horner.
Saturday July 30th
This day was a bit of a disappointment
until I made my way to the BAER’S DEN in Tempe Az. The first stop was Club Red
there was supposed to be a huge free show well from what I was told a tour bus
broke down, a guitar player in one of the bands lost part of his finger at his
day job. Another band lost a drummer because he quit right before the tour
started. And another was on tour and did a show in their home state. When they
found out what happened to all the other bands they just stayed home.
So by the time I got
there the first of 2 bands had already performed and the headliner was loading
in. DREAMING AWAKE
a metal band with a black singer is always a good start, as you
do not see too many in the scene.
This guy was good; he
had great crowd appeal for sure.
The bass player had a great set of pipes and
was trading off vocals with the main singer. Not much on the stage presents
department but he did alright. It started
off really good but something puzzled me… The drummer did not know the songs
very well. This begs the question 1. They don’t practice enough or 2. He is a
sit in drummer. In any case, when the songs did get going, because there was a
few flub ups getting them started correctly, he nailed them very well. From what I
heard this is a very good drummer and knows his kit for sure.
The guitar player and
singer were the focal points in this line up until the bass player started
singing then all eyes were on him. As I said he has a great set of pipes. The music
was not really fresh it’s been done by 100s of other bands but the delivery of
their music was good and the songs were catchy for sure.
Other than the screw
ups on the starts of the songs and maybe timing issues on the ends of them, this
band has something really good going for them. I was entertained for sure. So DREAMING AWAKE gets 1 and 1/3 metal horns
\m/ \ great job guys, I really want to see another show from you. If you are in
the Tucson area and have not seen them yet, you need to make it a point to do
that. They are very good.
Well off to the BAER’S DEN when I arrived at this event talk about a freakin warm welcome every band
was right there to show the dust bowl metal show some full on metal love. Because
of the first stop at club red I missed the first couple bands and that was a
bummer. BUTTONFACE MEATCLEAVER AMPUTATION
was the ones I missed. I have seen BUTTONFACE a couple times, so I know they kick ass. I’m going to have to make it
a point to get to MEATCLEAVER AMPUTATION soon.
The band that was
loading on stage was one have seen before and they do not need an introduction
but here it is anyway. DIRT OVER LIME
these guys have some killer music, very
catchy and in your face pure freakin metal baby. They all have the stage
presents needed to pull off a killer live show. I do want to mention that the
venue is not a very big one, in fact it’s a freakin dive bar type. But damn if
the sound wasn’t amazing all night thanks to the killer sound guy from CLUB RED PAUL BENSON also the Vocalist of UNHOLY MONARCH
it was hot humid night and because the bar was so small Adam the bass
player was standing pretty much right next to where I was sitting. And when he
started rolling that head of long ass hair in a windmill motion it was quite pleasant
lol it was like an air conditioner was blowing full blast. Thanks Adam for the
air. Lol the guitar player and drummer OMG these guys are incredible. When you
can hear every note delivered the way it was meant to be delivered its pure
awesomeness. The singer was a crazy man like always. Love that guy. Great job
DIRT OVER LIME 2 metal horns for you guys on this show. \m/ \m/
Next up was a band I
have never seen live I spin their music all the time on the Radio show so it
was a breath of fresh air hearing some of the music that is spun on the show.
DEAD SWARM
these guys got the freakin hooks music is damn catchy. Lots of
groove to it. Great snarling low end growls that are very powerful for sure. Was
nothing but pleased to see and hear this amazing band. The presents was there
as well but we had one drunk Indian there that was showing everyone some metal
love. And he was in the way of the band half the time so I did not get to see
much of the drummer but this kid gots the chops fo sho. A beast on the skins
would be putting it lightly. Love this band.
DEAD SWARM you get 2 full horns on
this show. \m/ \m/
Next up was a band that
I just seen a couple short weeks ago. AVARICE
these guys OMG they are one fun
metal band. The music is spot on and the comical relief they deliver within
their music is very entertaining. I really like these guys. Great stage
presents and great delivery of the music. Again I have to commend the sound
man. Everything was spot on. When they toss around the inflatable turd you can’t
help but join in the festivities. They do this for the fart song. I really do
love these guys. Fun fun fun. Well this closes out the evening and what a great
time we had. The fans and bands were all phenomenal. Thank you all for your
love and dedication the metal scene. AVARICE gets 2 full metal horns for this
performance. \m/ \m/
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