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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:03:45 GMT -5
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:04:36 GMT -5
The Police
with Elvis Costello
First Niagara Center (HSBC Arena at the time)
May 3, 2008
The Police:
Bring on the Night
Demolition Man
Synchronicity II
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head/When The World Is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Hole in My Life
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Message in a Bottle
Invisible Sun
Can't Stand Losing You/Reggatta de Blanc
Roxanne
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next to You
This is the first concert I've ever been to, and for a first concert, it was amazing. Sadly, I can't remember all that much of it. I went with my step-dad and step-brother to HSBC Arena to see the show. It started with Elvis Costello, who did a really good job. We went up to get some snacks during part of his set, so we chilled while he played. I remember him playing "Radio, Radio", but that's about it.
After Elvis Costello was done, The Police then performed. They were incredible. Stewart Copeland is one of my favorite rock drummers, and he was amazing as always. Sting sounded great too, even after all of those years, and Andy Summers was solid as well.
Their set covered most of their hits, including "Message in a Bottle", "Synchronicity II", "Roxanne", "Walking on the Moon", "Every Breath You Take", and many others. I specifically remember the red lights that went on during "Roxanne", as well as the South Park guitar strap that Andy Summers was wearing.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:05:36 GMT -5
Queensryche
with D a v e Constantino Band
(and a band who won't be named)
(not to be confused with "Wave Constantino Band")
Molson Canal Concert Series
July 31, 2009
Queensryche:
Neue Regel
The Whisper
Screaming In Digital
The Killing Words
Walk In The Shadows
Sliver
The Killer
Man Down!
A Dead Man's Words
Home Again
Best I Can
The Thin Line
Silent Lucidity
Jet City Woman
Empire
Take Hold Of The Flame
This show counts as the first metal show I ever went to, and it was a good show indeed. The funny thing is, Zacoftheaxes attended this show too, even though I didn't know him at the time.
After eating a nice dinner, my dad and I went to the concert site. I remember the first opening band was really bad: so bad that it kinda made me sick. Thankfully, it didn't last too long.
After that, D a v e Constantino, formerly of Talas with bassist Billy Sheehan, took the stage. He did a really solid job and was very entertaining the entire time. His backing band was really good too, as they played both new songs and old Talas stuff.
Once D a v e Constantino was done, we had to wait through this advertisement for a wrestling match. We weren't the only ones bored by it: the rest of the crowd didn't like this either, though granted, that type of stuff is what keeps the concerts free.
Finally, Queensryche took the stage. They performed very well: Geoff Tate still had it after all of those years. Scott Rockenfield was also very tight, proving that he is a very solid drummer.
The band performed a set consisting of stuff from three albums: their newest at the time, American Soldier, the 80's Rage For Order, and their greatly successful Empire. However, they didn't play a single song from Operation: Mindcrime, which is arguably their best album. Geoff himself said that he didn't get tired of playing the same songs every night, so why wouldn't he change it up and play a Mindcrime song? Oh well, it was free, so there's nothing to really complain about.
Seeing Queensryche was a really great experience, and they did a great job the second time as well.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:06:38 GMT -5
Metallica
with Lamb of God and Volbeat
First Niagara Center (HSBC Arena at the time)
November 10, 2009
Metallica:
The Ecstasy of Gold
That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Creeping Death
No Remorse
One
Broken, Beat & Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Turn The Page
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master of Puppets
Damage Inc.
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
Blitzkrieg
Phantom Lord
Seek & Destroy
Lamb of God:
The Passing
In Your Words
Set to Fail
Walk With Me In Hell
Now You've Got Something To Die For
Ruin
Dead Seeds
Laid to Rest
Redneck
Black Label
Volbeat:
The Human Instrument
Sad Man's Tongue
Hallelujah Goat
A Moment Forever
Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza
Angelfuck
Still Counting
This was a concert I had been waiting for quite some time. My mom bought tickets as soon as they came out, which gave me some of the best seats around: right in the front row of HSBC Arena, just above the pit. As a giant Metallica fan back in the day, I was excited about this one, and luckily, we had a day off of school the day after the concert.
My dad and I drove to HSBC Arena after a tasty dinner at Arby's, and once we got there and to our seats, Volbeat started relatively quickly. They were a really good band with some really heavy yet catchy songs. I found it pretty interesting that they covered both "Raining Blood" and a Johnny Cash song too.
After Volbeat was Lamb of God, and they did a great job too. Every song sounded great, and it was pretty funny when their vocalist, Randy Blythe, told everybody to flip him off. Headbanging to songs like "Laid to Rest" was fun too.
Once Lamb of God was done, Metallica was to go on stage. Somebody from a local radio station came on stage and started a chant of "Metallica!" with little syncopation. This would have been okay if the band didn't take about 15 more minutes to go on stage. The guy who did the chant got criticized by a local football player the day after, which was pretty funny.
Finally, Metallica took the stage, starting with the epic intro of "The Ecstasy of Gold" playing over the loudspeaker. Metallica started the show with "That Was Just Your Life", and played a variety of stuff from Death Magnetic as well as their classics.
The band sounded pretty good too. They didn't play perfectly, as there were some mistakes, but most of them were small and not very noticeable unless you played the performances back. Regardless, Metallica put on a great show, as James, Kirk, and Rob moved around the stage. Lars' drumkit rotated as well, as the stage was a 360 degree one.
There were some cool effects as well: not only were there Death Magnetic coffins above the stage, but the pyrotechnics were great as well. Another cool thing happened was during the encore, "Seek and Destroy", where giant black balls (lulz) fell from the ceiling.
Overall, the show was a great one. I would have loved to hear more tracks from ...And Justice For All, but oh well. Even though I'm not as big of a Metallica fan now as I was back then, I'd love to see the band again the next time they come to Buffalo.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:07:36 GMT -5
Fear Factory and All That Remains
with Thy Will Be Done and Silent Civilian
Town Ballroom
June 12, 2010
Fear Factory:
Mechanize
Shock
Edgecrusher
Smasher/Devourer
Acres of Skin
Linchpin
Powershifter
Fear Campaign
Martyr
Demanufacture
Self Bias Resistor
Replica
All That Remains (not exact, but probably similar):
Six
Become the Catalyst
Before The Damned
The Air That I Breathe
Undone
Not Alone
Indictment
Chiron
For We Are Many
This Calling
This Darkened Heart
Forever
The Weak Willed
Two Weeks
There's actually a very long story behind this concert: I actually wasn't planning on going to this show until a series of events made me change my previous plans. I had first bought tickets to see Between the Buried and Me, along with Baroness and Valient Thorr, open for Mastodon in Rochester. I was really excited to see BTBAM, as they were practically my favorite band at the time along with Dream Theater. However, on the day of the concert, my mom got a phone call saying that the show was postponed to the next day because one of Mastodon's guitarists was sick. The next day, we found out the show was postponed for a month because of the guitarist's illness, and as time went by we saw that BTBAM wasn't on the final bill, so we got our money back and got tickets to the Fear Factory/All That Remains show. I knew both bands at the time, so I decided it would be a good show, and it exceeded my expectations.
My dad and I, after eating some tasty subs at Quiznos, went down to the Town Ballroom. It's a really cool venue, with several layers and a good view of everything from everywhere. We were able to get a spot just above the main floor, which was perfect for this show.
The first band to come on stage was Thy Will Be Done. They were a pretty good opening band: the drumming was tight, and they were pretty heavy. After that was Silent Civilian: they were even better, having a more melodic sound with their vocalist's clean vocals. Both bands were solid and helped set the atmosphere for the show.
Between acts, generally there was some metal being played. However, I found it odd that just before Fear Factory came on, Huey Lewis and the News' "The Power of Love" was playing over the loudspeaker. Not really fitting for a metal concert.
Finally, Fear Factory came on the stage, and they were freakin' amazing. The band was tight as ever: Gene Hoglan proved that he was one of the best drummers around, Byron Stroud added to the awesome rhythm section, Dino Cazares' guitar playing was heavy and ripping, and Burton C. Bell did a good job with his vocals. His clean vocals didn't sound as good as they do on the albums, but it wasn't too noticeable during the concert.
The band played a variety of stuff from Demanufacture, Obsolete, and their other earlier albums as well as some songs from their newest album, Mechanize. The band played all of their songs well, and even added some cool stuff, such as these fucking awesome harmonics during what would be the record scratching during "Edgecrusher".
Once Fear Factory finished their set, All That Remains took the stage. They, just like Fear Factory, did a great job and put on a good show. All of the instrumentalists were very talented and tight with their playing. Phil Labonte's vocals were solid as well.
ATR played a bunch of songs from their catalogue, with tons of stuff from The Fall of Ideals and Overcome in their setlist. They actually played a new song which would later be released on For We Are Many, though I don't remember exactly what song it was.
This show was my first experience at the Town Ballroom, which is a great venue. I would also see Dream Theater play there, and hope to see some great shows there in the future.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:09:06 GMT -5
Dream Theater
with Z02
Town Ballroom
July 5, 2010
Dream Theater:
A Nightmare To Remember
Constant Motion
A Rite Of Passage
Home
Hollow Years
The Mirror
Lie
Wither
Panic Attack
As I Am
Pull Me Under / Metropolis Pt. 1
The Count of Tuscany
I actually wanted to get tickets to Dream Theater's show in Toronto opening for Iron Maiden. However, on the day the tickets went on sale, the only spots my mom could find were one in the way back, so I decided that it wasn't worth the money and the trip across the border. Thankfully, Dream Theater announced that they were playing a show at the Town Ballroom, so I immediately got tickets and was psyched as hell to go see my favorite band at the time.
After my dad and I went to the Town Ballroom, the first act on stage was Z02, the only opening band. Even though they didn't have a light show, they sounded really good, playing good ol' rock and roll. All of the members played really well. The most exciting part of their set, however, was when Mike Portnoy got on stage and played Tom Sawyer with the singer/guitarist and bassist of Z02. It was awesome indeed, and it made Z02 seem a lot more legitimate considering Portnoy played with them.
After Z02 was done and after an interlude, Dream Theater finally took the stage. As soon as I heard the intro for "A Nightmare to Remember", I knew it would be a night I would never forget. Everybody was at the top of their game: John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, and John Myung were all perfect in their playing, further proving that they are indeed gods. James LaBrie's singing was pretty good too: it's obviously not as good as it is on the albums, but I didn't notice any serious problems.
Mike Portnoy was so awesome, he's worthy of an entire paragraph. His drumkit was just massive, and he switched from one side to the other throughout the show. His playing was perfect the entire show, but what was more incredible was the crazy stuff he did while playing such tough stuff. He often threw his drumsticks around, and even when he dropped them, he would continue playing his parts with one hand while he picked up another from his stick bag, which was insane. Mike would also stand up during groovier sections that allowed him to do so, and he often pointed at the audience with his drum sticks, making faces as well.
Dream Theater's set consisted from a variety of stuff from practically all of their studio records (excluding When Dream and Day Unite and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence). Several songs from Black Clouds and Silver Linings were played, including "Wither" which wasn't on previous setlists I had seen. Hearing "The Mirror" and "Lie" played, two of my favorite songs off of my favorite Dream Theater album, was incredible, and the guitar/keyboard battle between Petrucci and Rudess during Pull Me Under/Metropolis Pt. 1 was just awesome.
Once minor annoyance was not from Dream Theater themselves, but from the policies of the Town Ballroom. While most venues allow cameras, this one doesn't. I was told to put my cellphone camera away during the show, which never happened during the Fear Factory/All That Remains concert. I'm pretty damn lucky to be able to find those videos above considering their policies on cameras. It's weird, because I remember that Mike Portnoy actually encouraged and collected bootlegs of Dream Theater shows too.
Regardless, the show was one of the best I ever went to. Dream Theater closed the show with an encore, "The Count of Tuscany". It was so great hearing that song live as well, and was a great way to close the show. I'm so glad I got to see Dream Theater then, because a few months afterward, Mike Portnoy left the band. I hope Dream Theater comes to Buffalo again on their next tour. I'd have to compare Mike Portnoy and Mike Mangini if that were to happen.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:10:29 GMT -5
Kansas
with The Reign of Kindo
(and another band that won't be mentioned)
Molson Canal Concert Series
August 6, 2010
Kansas:
Magnum Opus
Musicatto
Belexes
Point Of Know Return
Miracles Out Of Nowhere
The Wall
Hold On
Dust In The Wind
Song for America
Mysteries and Mayhem
Child of Innocence
Icarus - Borne on the Wings of Steel
Portrait (He Knew)
Fight Fire With Fire
Carry On Wayward Son
This was a show in the 2010 Molson Canal Concert Series, the only one of the series I attended that summer. I had planned on seeing Rik Emmett as well, but I was unable to go to that one. Zacoftheaxes, who I planned to go to the show with, had the same problem, except switched: he got to see Rik Emmett but missed out on Kansas because of something that was probably unimportant in comparison.
Anyways, after some dinner I went to the concert site with my dad. We got there, and the first band that was playing there was really bad. It was incredibly cheesy, and the band had a dedicated tambourine player. We walked around for a bit, but my dad started to get sick just as The Reign of Kindo got on, so we missed out on their set because my dad needed to drive home. They were actually pretty good too, but oh well. My dad blames the sickness partially on that first shitty band.
After a trip home, my dad was feeling better and up to seeing Kansas. We got to stand in the reserved area, since my dad's boss was also there and had passes to get in. After a brief waiting period, Kansas took the stage.
The band sounded pretty good. Sure, the band had to play all their stuff a half step down, and Steve Walsh didn't sound anywhere near as he did in his heyday, but it was still a great show. Instrumentally, the band sounded great. Guitarist Rich Williams did a great job, even with his somewhat well known eyepatch that he wore for the whole show. It was also interesting that their violinist switched between violin and rhythm guitar during some of their songs,
The band played most, if not all of their hits and notable songs. Hearing great tunes like "Point Of Know Return", "Dust in the Wind", and "Icarus - Borne on the Wings of Steel" was awesome. The band closed the show with, of course, "Carry On Wayward Son", which was a great song to end on.
And that was the show. Sorry I don't remember too much: I'm normally better with these concert descriptions, but I just don't remember anything too specific with this one.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:11:42 GMT -5
Ball Cheeze Psychotics
Mark Studios
August 22, 2010
This was a really fun show. It was more of an album release party than anything, but it was indeed enjoyable. It was at my dad's workplace, Mark Studios, and he set up much of the equipment for the band. I remember discussing the Rock Band 3 setlist with him before the band played, and we both hated most of it. I also brought Zacoftheaxes there too, and I know he enjoyed his time. There was also a ton of good food there too: mainly hot dogs with some other goodies.
Ball Cheeze Psychotics are a really fun band too, with songs such as "Blackout Drinker" and "Crazy Kitty Lady" which I'm sure were played there. They played a bunch of stuff of their new "four part trilogy", Rock, Paper, Scissors. They also did a bunch of covers too, including "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Creep" which was awesome to hear. The band members, Chris Humel, Dan Bess, and Julio Morales, are all great guys too. My dad's actually really close friends Dan, and has worked with him on several occasions.
After the show was done, the band actually let Zac and I play some stuff on their instruments. It was EPIC! Julio tried to play guitar with us, but he didn't know the songs we were playing, so it was just a bass/drums combo for much of it. Regardless, it was awesome anyways.
This was a fun time I won't forget. I'd really like to go to one of these again if I could.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:13:18 GMT -5
I'm gonna make some posts to get to the second page so it doesn't lag immensely.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:14:42 GMT -5
Getting ready for that second page.
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:15:26 GMT -5
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:15:44 GMT -5
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:15:59 GMT -5
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:16:24 GMT -5
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Post by Zilla2112 on Nov 4, 2011 16:16:41 GMT -5
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