Zilla's Concert Experiences: RBO Edition

[Zilla2112]

ZZ Top
with The Sheepdogs

Artpark
August 27, 2013

Got Me Under Pressure
Waitin' for the Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Pincushion
I Gotsta Get Paid
Flyin' High
Heartache in Blue
Certified Blues
Foxy Lady
My Head's in Mississippi
Chartreuse
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs
Tube Snake Boogie
La Grange / Sloppy Drunk Jam
Tush
Jailhouse Rock





















The Tuesday in the Park series at Artpark ended with a bang as I saw ZZ Top graze the stage! As with the other Artpark shows, I went with my dad and Zac, who had just gotten back from a trip and was luckily able to make the concert. After finding parking and walking to the venue, we got some nice standing room to the right of the stage. We waited here, listening to classic rock songs over the PA until the opening band took the stage. It is also interesting to note that my dad's very first concert was ZZ Top.

The sole opening act for this show was The Sheepdogs, and they did a very good job! Hailing from Canada, The Sheepdogs rocked the stage with some bluesy rock and roll. Nothing truly stood out about their stage presence, but their musicianship was tight as they played tunes that reflected the hard rock of the 70's.

However, a major problem that occurred during the set came not from the band itself, but from the mosquitoes that covered the venue. Being right on the Niagara River, Artpark attracts some mosquitoes regardless. Because it was a hot and humid summer day in the middle of August, the mosquitoes were out much more than usual. It was really bad during The Sheepdogs' set, though it luckily got better as the night progressed and the mosquitoes were drawn to the stage lights.

After The Sheepdogs finished, we waited for ZZ Top to take the stage. To start their show, ZZ Top made a cinematic appearance; literally! Before ZZ Top took the stage, two screens onstage displayed an opening movie, complete with opening titles, a film rating of "ZZ", and opening credits. I thought this was a solid homage to the music videos that exploded ZZ Top's musical career. The trio of ZZ Top then took the stage, opening with "Got Me Under Pressure." Video clips would continue throughout the show, creating a multimedia experience.

Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard looked and sounded completely awesome. Gibbons and Hill sported their trademark beards, hats, vests, and (hopefully cheap) sunglasses. Meanwhile, Frank Beard sat behind a badass drum-kit, complete with ZZ Top skulls on his bass drums. Their performances were tight, rocking, and perfectly played. Though some could argue that their stage presence was lacking, I thought their performance style perfectly complimented their music. Their visual style came from their looks, videos, and of course, their fuzzy guitars, which certainly made an appearance.

The material ZZ Top played was very representative of their career. Though they played their most well-known Eliminator hits like "Sharp Dressed Man", "Legs", "Gimme All Your Lovin'", and "Got Me Under Pressure", the rest of ZZ Top's set included songs closer to their blues rock roots. I was very pleased to hear "Waiting for the Bus" followed directly by "Jesus Just Left Chicago", as well as other classics like "La Grange" and "Tush". Their newer material off of La Futura, consisting of songs such as "I Gotsta Get Paid" and "Flyin' High", also sounded great and proved that ZZ Top can still create music that is worthy to stand alongside their earlier catalogue. Covers from ZZ Top included Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady", a fitting tribute from Billy Gibbons who played with Hendrix during his prime. Their cover of Elvis Presley's classic "Jailhouse Rock" was played as the final encore.

ZZ Top is definitely a great live act and the perfect way to end my summer of concerts. I'd definitely love to see them again the next time they play a show around here. Though the summer came to a close with this concert, I would have a handful of excellent concerts I attended during the school year with Alexis. And of course, the next year's Artpark series would have another fantastic lineup.

[Zilla2112]

Five Finger Death Punch and Escape the Fate
with Miss May I and Gemini Syndrome

Rapids Theater
October 9, 2013

Five Finger Death Punch:
Under and Over It
Burn It Down
The Way of the Fist
Hard to See
Lift Me Up
Bad Company
Burn MF
Drum Solo
No One Gets Left Behind
Remember Everything
Battle Born
Never Enough
Coming Down
Mama Said Knock You Out
Far from Home
The Bleeding

Escape the Fate:
Choose Your Fate
Ungrateful
Issues
You're Insane
Gorgeous Nightmare
Until We Die
This War is Ours (The Guillotine II)

Miss May I:
Day by Day
Ballad of a Broken Man
Forgive and Forget
Relentless Chaos
Masses of a Dying Breed
Our Kings
Hey Mister








This was a very fun, yet exhausting night! I got tickets for my girlfriend Alexis and I to see Five Finger Death Punch and Escape the Fate play at the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls. The venue was very close to Niagara University and it was essentially a refurbished theater, much like the Town Ballroom. However, the venue was mostly level without balconies, which would become a problem later on.

The first two bands were Gemini Syndrome and Miss May I, who were admittedly pretty forgettable. They certainly weren't bad, but I don't remember a single thing about their performances other than they were pretty typical metalcore fare. After these two bands finished and after some waiting time, Escape the Fate took the stage, opening with their typical intro of "Choose Your Fate". They then played a very short set of six songs, considering that they were an opening band.

Performance-wise, Escape the Fate was great. Since the first time I saw them, guitarists Monte and Michael Money had left the band and bassist Max Green had rejoined. Meanwhile TJ Bell moved from bass to rhythm guitar while Kevin Gruft was hired as the new lead guitarist. Gruft was definitely a fitting replacement: his playing certainly matched that of Monte Money. Craig Mabbitt's vocals sounded pretty good too, while Robert Ortiz played his drum parts with great precision.

The problem was that the audience was not very excited for the Escape the Fate portion of the concert. We were relatively close to the stage, but there were no mosh pits and very few enthused fans. Alexis was disappointed, as she wanted a more exciting environment like the times she saw them in the past. After "This War is Ours" (and with no "Wall of Death"), the Escape the Fate portion of the concert came to a quick close, and we definitely wanted more. Once ETF was done, Five Finger Death Punch got set up, complete with risers and massive brass knuckles with "5FDP" on them.

Once Five Finger Death Punch began, however, the environment changed from the calm of the rest of the show to absolute chaos. All these huge people came up and started pushing and shoving everyone. It wasn't just a controlled mosh pit in front of the stage: the entire venue was a mess of bodies smashing into each other. Even though I had a good view of the stage during the other acts, it was "hard to see" any of the band members since everyone was pushing and jumping around. Alexis liked this at first, but she got tired by the third song and we both agreed to leave our spot and head to the back of the theater. We couldn't see from there either, but at least we could stand and enjoy the concert without being pushed around.

It's a shame, because Five Finger Death Punch was actually pretty good. Though their material is very same-y and their albums are rather mediocre, they put on a good show, performing their metal anthems with consistent quality. Ivan Moody knew how to get the crowd going (probably too well), though I felt that he went too far with the banter between songs. Particularly, he criticized the security staff of the venue, and that's definitely not a good thing to do.

Material-wise, Five Finger Death Punch played most of their well-known songs, including songs from their newest album series, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell. They also played some acoustic material as well. I thought this was a good contrast from their heavy material that made the concert interesting: however, many in the crowd did not agree, as they preferred to hear the distorted guitars and pounding drums.

Alexis and I left the concert during their acoustic set, probably during "Battle Born", as we were totally exhausted. We sadly missed their encore of "The Bleeding", but we did get to see most of their best material. It's just a shame that the crowd was so rowdy: it's definitely the worst crowd I have ever been in at a concert. Not only was there the constant pushing and shoving, but there were many assholes in the crowd as well. I would definitely like to see Five Finger Death Punch in a better venue with a better crowd. The Town Ballroom, with its several levels of standing, would be a much better venue, as I could have a good view of the band and avoid the frantic crowds. This was also my last concert of 2013, and though it was underwhelming, 2014 would bring a number of excellent concerts.

[Zilla2112]

Protest the Hero
with The Safety Fire, Intervals, Battlecross, and Night Verses

The Waiting Room
March 1, 2014

Protest the Hero:
Hair-Trigger
Underbite
Sequoia Throne
Clarity
A Life Embossed
Bury the Hatchet
Mist
Sex Tapes
The Dissentience
Blindfolds Aside
Bloodmeat
C'est la Vie

Battlecross:
Force Fed Lies
My Vaccine
Beast
Ghost Alive
Never Coming Back
Flesh & Bone
Get Over It
Kaleb
Push Pull Destroy

The Safety Fire:
Red Hatchet
Mouth of Swords
Huge Hammers
Beware the Leopard (Jagwar)
The Ghosts That Wait for Spring
Glass Crush

Intervals:
Alchemy
Ephemeral
The Escape
Mata Hari
Automaton

Night Verses:
Time Erases Time
Celestial Fires
Antidepressants
I've Lost My Way Back Down



My first concert of 2014 was a really good one! For this show, I went with my girlfriend Alexis and my best friend Zac, who is a bigger Protest the Hero fan than I am. I also used this concert experience for a paper in my Rock Music class: I will put that portion of the paper below.

After getting food for Zac, picking him up, and picking up Alexis from her college, we arrived at the Waiting Room at a very good time. The venue was relatively empty, so we had no trouble finding a good spot near the front of the stage. After a short period of time, Night Verses was the first band to take the stage. I'd say they were the least memorable band of the night, playing mostly metalcore songs with a mix of harsh and clean vocals. They were good though: I couldn't say anything bad about their performance, and they were certainly energetic in regards to their stage performance. The second band was Intervals, who had a more djent influenced sound among the likes of Periphery. They too mixed heavier parts with lighter sections and clean choruses.

The third band, The Safety Fire, may have been my favorite of the openers. Beginning with the Chemical Plant Zone music from Sonic 2 (which Alexis absolutely loved), the band went into some technical riffing, implementing weird time signatures and complicated parts. The vocalist, Sean McWeeney, had a unique scream but also sang as well. It wasn't until later in the set when I realized that he was the guest vocalist on Between the Buried and Me's "Prequel to the Sequel", a song which I adore. Indeed, one of the songs The Safety Fire performed, "Beware the Leopard (Jagwar)", included pre-recorded vocals from BTBAM's Tommy Rogers.

The fourth and final opening act was Battlecross, and extreme metal band who blended thrash and death metal into a destructive combination. Unlike the other bands at this concert who implemented progressive elements and clean/melodic vocals, Battlecross avoided these elements, using exclusively screams and growls with traditional structures. Though I thought they got old relatively quick, their drummer was incredibly talented, playing blastbeats and fast double kick with ease.

While I was waiting for Protest the Hero to take the stage, the band actually appeared on stage during sound check. One person brought up a vinyl version of Volition to the stage and he managed to get it signed by a few of the members. I thought this was really kind of the band to do something like that for a fan.

Finally, Protest the Hero took the stage with fanfare as the John Williams Jurassic Park theme played over the PA system. They played a well-rounded set that included all of their studio albums rather evenly, though they were promoting Volition. Performance-wise, they were not as exciting as the opening acts (as vocalist Rody Walker admitted), but they made up for it with their spectacular instrumental performances.

For the rest of this concert description, I will post the contents of my school paper, which I believe describes the event better than I can recall it now. It focuses a lot on musical style, though I couldn't recall specific moments in the songs since they all blended together. After the show, I picked up Volition on CD and went home. This was definitely a fun concert, and though I went to many better shows, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here are the contents of my paper relating to Protest the Hero:

"For my first concert, I saw Protest the Hero at the Waiting Room on Saturday, March 1st, 2014. There were four opening bands at this show: The Safety Fire, Intervals, Battlecross, and Night Verses. The Waiting Room is a very intimate venue that is essentially one large room. In the front, there is a space for merchandise tables as well as a medium-sized bar. The stage is in the back of the venue, in which there is a relatively small elevated platform. Despite the small size, there was a fair amount of room for the performers to move around, and of course, the music was incredibly loud. I managed to get very close to the stage, which gave me an optimal view of the performers.

Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band that is currently touring in support of their newest crowd-funded album, Volition (2013). The band currently consists of vocalist Rody Walker, guitarists Tim Millar and Luke Hoskin, bassist Cam McLellan, and drummer Mike Ieradi. Stylistically, Protest the Hero combines progressive rock and heavy metal in a way that differs from their contemporaries. Their songs are very technical, incorporating challenging guitar and bass riffs along with unusual time signatures. In this regard, Protest the Hero was certainly inspired by progressive bands such as King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Dream Theater. However, unlike these bands, Protest the Hero stays away from lengthy compositions, with their average song length being around four to five minutes.

Their metal influences are also prevalent in their music as well, inspired by bands such as Metallica, Pantera, and Sepultura. Elements such as downtuned guitars, double bass drumming, and screaming vocals are used frequently in their music, displaying an influence from thrash and other types of extreme metal. Protest the Hero also takes influences from punk rock, particularly in their use of fast tempos, politically charged lyrics, and social commentary. Their use of technical instrumental parts and irregular time signatures, however, provides a stark contrast from the relative musical simplicity of punk rock.

Walker's clean vocals take influence from a variety of vocalists, including Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, and Freddie Mercury. Like these vocalists, Walker has a higher vocal range and a powerful vocal presence. Walker can also hit some particularly high notes with his falsetto. Unlike these vocalists, Walker can also scream in the style of various metalcore and death metal bands. The combination of these vocal characteristics ensured that Walker's performance was enthralling and interesting to everyone at the venue. Though vocalists tend to sound weaker live than they do in the studio due to the fragile nature of the vocal cords, Walker's performance with Protest the Hero contained no glaring errors. Walker himself admitted that he was not able to hit all of the high notes during the show, though I personally believe that he put on a great performance.

Protest the Hero's performance style was very informal and intimate, as the band played their music with few theatrics. Even before their set began, some of the members were on stage tuning up and they signed a fan's vinyl record. When they were playing, the members of Protest the Hero simply played their music, with only Rody Walker engaging the audience while the other members were lightly headbanging. The fans did not seem to mind, however, as they thoroughly enjoyed the band's music as the fans were headbanging, singing along, and forming mosh pits. Walker even pointed out between songs how the younger, opening bands were outperforming him, and in terms of energy and movement, he was right. Yet, considering the virtuosity it takes to play such intricate material, it is completely understandable that Protest the Hero cannot put on a theatrical stage show without hindering their technical abilities."

[Zilla2112]

St. Vincent
with Noveller

Asbury Hall (Babeville)
April 12, 2014

Rattlesnake
Digital Witness
Cruel
Birth in Reverse
Regret
Laughing With a Mouth of Blood
I Prefer Your Love
Pieta
Every Tear Disappears
Surgeon
Cheerleader
Prince Johnny
Year of the Tiger
Marrow
Huey Newton
Bring Me Your Loves
Northern Lights
Krokodil
Strange Mercy
Your Lips Are Red




















For my second concert of 2014, I saw St. Vincent perform at Asbury Hall, and it was definitely a fantastic show! Like the Protest the Hero concert, I wrote about this event for my concert report for my Rock Music class and have included that section of the essay below.

I attended this St. Vincent show with my wonderful girlfriend Alexis and my dad, who drove us to the venue. Located in the heart of Buffalo, Asbury Hall (known as Babeville) was a church sanctuary that was purchased and reconfigured into a concert venue. It's a very beautiful building with spires that are visible from several blocks away. While waiting in line to enter the venue, I encountered my friends Jeremy, Collin, and Tom outside. Jeremy and Collin both had tickets to the show, but Tom drove them there hoping to purchase a ticket. However, the show had sold out just a couple of days before the event, so Tom was sadly unable to attend the concert. Luckily, he at least had a car and could drive home as opposed to having to wait outside.

The five of us soon entered the venue, and it was absolutely stunning inside. The stained glass windows looked absolutely beautiful as light poured through them. All of the church pews had been removed, turning the vast space of the church into standing room. The balconies, however, had seating available, allowing for multiple ways to experience the concert. We ultimately decided to remain on the floor, which worked very well for this concert. And of course, it couldn't have been more fitting to see St. Vincent in an actual church!

The opening act for this show was Noveller, a solo guitarist who used pedals and effects to create lush soundscapes. When I first read about her music being described as ambient, noise, and drone, I was afraid that I would be in another Tony Conrad situation. However, actually hearing her music live was really cool. There was a decent amount of variety to her material, and it was very interesting to see Noveller create such beautiful, calming guitar music with no accompaniment. I do wish the crowd was less rowdy and rude: many people were bored and were talking and shouting throughout her performance, making it difficult to focus on her music. All in all, Noveller was a solid opener who fit well with St. Vincent.

After a long wait, St. Vincent and her band finally took the stage, opening with the rocking "Rattlesnake" off of her new self-titled LP. Annie Clark had a very unique look, sporting her new messy gray hair as well as a unique black and red dress. Annie was front and center, while the drums and keyboards were to the side, much like her earlier performance at the Town Ballroom.

All of the vocal and instrumental performances were astounding! Annie Clark is a wonderful guitar talent, as she not only could replicate the guitar parts on her albums, but she added extra guitar solos and jams that sounded amazing. Vocally, Annie was stunning as well, hitting all of the notes in pitch and with clarity. The band members backing Annie were all great as well: Toko Yasuda played a number of instruments, including the minimoog, bass, rhythm guitar, and even the theremin. Daniel Mintseris was perfect at replicating the synth sounds present on the albums, while drummer Matt Johnson created unique drum patterns that went beyond St. Vincent's recordings.

The material St. Vincent played was all excellent. Many of the selections came from the self-titled St. Vincent album, as she was touring in support of it. However, Annie also played a number of tunes from Strange Mercy and made sure to represent Actor and Marry Me. She also played the frantic and abrasive "Krokodil" again, moving chaotically around the stage and delivering a harsh vocal performance. An unreleased song, known as "Pieta" was also played at this show.

It is very interesting the note St. Vincent's talent in regards to stage performance as well as musical ability. Unlike some other performers, who did not focus on putting on an interesting visual experience, St. Vincent included choreography to several of her songs. "Birth in Reverse" was the best example with choreographed arm movements and dance steps, while "Regret" featured a break in which the band all tilted their heads back, creating a mysterious and unique live experience. Also present was a riser behind Annie, which she sometimes stood and laid on during the show for dramatic effect.

Every song St. Vincent performed was fantastic, but other specific highlights for me included Annie's solo performance of "Strange Mercy" and the show closer, "Your Lips are Red." The variety of songs, moods, textures made this St. Vincent concert a very unique experience that I will never forget. After the show ended, I made sure to finish my St. Vincent collection by purchasing Marry Me and Strange Mercy. The weather had gotten pretty rainy as we left the venue, and my friends Jeremy and Collin were without a ride as Tom left earlier. Thankfully, everyone was able to get home safely.

Though I had already seen St. Vincent two years prior, this performance was very different from the other one. Whether it was the change in venue, the addition of many new songs, the reimagining of earlier material, or the new choreography, St. Vincent topped her amazing previous performance at the Town Ballroom. Though it might be a couple more years until she comes back, I am definitely excited to see St. Vincent live again. I will conclude this concert experience with this portion of my rock music class essay, which focuses more on musical elements and influences:

"For the second concert, I saw St. Vincent at Asbury Hall on Saturday, April 12th, 2014. Ambient musician Noveller was the sole opener. Asbury Hall, also known as Babeville, is a church sanctuary that has been converted into a multipurpose venue. The stage is in the back of the sanctuary, and the rest of the space is used for standing room. There is also seating available in the pew balconies, though I chose to stand in the middle of the floor. While not as intimate as the nearby Waiting Room, Asbury Hall is still a wonderful place to see a concert, complete with beautiful architecture and stained glass windows. And of course, it could not be more fitting to see an artist named St. Vincent within the confines of a church.

St. Vincent is the stage name of Annie Clark, an indie rock musician who was touring in support of her newest album, St. Vincent (2014). St. Vincent herself was at the center of the show, but she was also joined by a backing band consisting of Toko Yasuda on bass and synthesizer, Daniel Mintseris on synthesizer and keyboards, and Matt Johnson on drums. St. Vincent's indie rock style draws from a variety of backgrounds, from the baroque pop/psychedelic rock of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, to the progressive pop of Kate Bush, as well as noise rock from groups like Sonic Youth and Big Black. Some songs, like “I Prefer Your Love” and “Prince Johnny”, exemplify her softer style that is more reminiscent of Kate Bush, while the aggressive “Krokodil” and the end of “Huey Newton” showcase Annie's fuzzy and distorted guitar playing in the style of noise rock.

St. Vincent's earlier material, particularly her first two albums Marry Me (2007) and Actor (2009), involves a more baroque pop style, implementing orchestral sounds such as violin, cello, woodwinds, and choirs. Such instrumentation is reminiscent of the rich arrangements used by The Beach Boys in Pet Sounds (1966) as well as The Beatles in albums such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) and Abbey Road (1969). Though St. Vincent only played a few songs from her first two albums, similar arrangements can also be heard on later songs like “Cruel” and “I Prefer Your Love”. In addition, much of her songwriting echoes the work of The Beatles, particularly as she continues the use of catchy melodies and choruses alongside her sonic experimentation.

The use of electronic instruments is also a common element of St. Vincent's music. Much like how Kate Bush used 1980's innovations in albums such as Hounds of Love (1985), St. Vincent uses a variety of modern music technologies to create her own unique sound. “Rattlesnake”, the show opener, is a clear example of this as it begins with an unusual synthesized beat. Most of her other songs involve some sort of electronic instrumentation to some degree. To recreate these sounds live, keyboardist Daniel Mintseris had a very large setup consisting of several synthesizers and even a laptop. For some songs, Toko Yasuda also played the synthesizer.

Even more prominent than her use of lush arrangements and electronic sounds is St. Vincent's unique guitar playing. Most of the songs featured St. Vincent on guitar, whether she played rhythm parts while she sang or stunned the audience with impressive lead guitar solos. Though St. Vincent used some clean tones, particularly in her unaccompanied version of “Strange Mercy”, she is most known for her use of distorted, fuzzy guitar tones and strange effects. Such use of guitar feedback and noise are a continuation of the experimentation pioneered by Jimi Hendrix in his guitar playing. Despite St. Vincent being a current artist, she pays homage to the origins of rock and roll by including pentatonic and blues scales, particularly in the riffs of “Year of the Tiger” and “Huey Newton”.

Vocally, St. Vincent has a styling that is reminiscent of the vocals of Kate Bush. She can sing very softly and delicately, but can also have a strong vocal presence when she hits certain high notes and passages, “Cruel” being an example. Other songs, like “Digital Witness” and “Bring Me Your Loves”, involve a more upbeat and fun vocal style that Annie Clark aptly provides. For this concert, Clark delivered a fantastic vocal performance, hitting every note with clarity and perfect pitch. The one clear exception to her clean vocal style is the chaotic “Krokodil”, in which Clark purposefully implemented a shouting style to reflect the crazed, drug inspired content of the lyrics.

In contrast to Protest the Hero, who were very informal in their performance style, St. Vincent's performance involved unique outfits, a stepped platform, and rehearsed choreography. Annie Clark currently has a messy, gray hairstyle and wore a unique black and red dress, as opposed to just wearing jeans and a t-shirt like many rock bands do. For certain songs, like “Birth in Reverse” and “Regret”, St. Vincent and her band engaged in choreographed dance moves during specific sections. The back of the stage also featured a large stepped platform that St. Vincent used during certain songs. Though the material is clearly written and heavily practiced, some improvisation appeared to be present as well, considering there were some extended guitar solos from Clark and even use of instruments such as the theremin."

[Zilla2112]

Escape the Fate and Pop Evil
with Avatar, Glamour of the Kill, and Melia

Water Street Music Hall
May 8, 2014

Escape the Fate:
Choose Your Fate
Ungrateful
You're Insane
Issues
Gorgeous Nightmare
One for the Money
Fire It Up
This War is Ours (The Guillotine II)









This was definitely a fun and fascinating concert! Though I initially planned to attend this concert with Alexis and my dad, my dad decided to see Uptown Groove with his girlfriend Pam instead. My dad still drove us to and from Rochester, and we managed to bring my friend Rachel along as well.

After a nice hour long drive, the three of us were dropped off at the Water Street Music Hall, a venue which I had been to only once before when I saw Clutch and Hellyeah. It's essentially a large room with a stage in the back, and though there is a platform, I think nobody used it for this show.

As we arrived, the first opener, Melia, was just finishing her set. Though we didn't get to see her much, she is a very talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Western New York. I believe she opened at the Whiskey Reverb show I attended as well, though I didn't get to see her then. After Melia finished, we got pretty close to the stage since there was a relatively small crowd for this concert.

The first band to take the stage was not Avatar, despite their logo being on the bass drum, but rather Glamour of the Kill, who Alexis and I saw open for Escape the Fate the first time we saw them. They were solid this time around, playing some new songs alongside the material we heard. There were no moments as great as the "Love Gun" cover, but there was nothing bad either. There was also an attempt at the "Wall of Death", but it was rather underwhelming as practically nothing happened.

After Glamour of the Kill was Avatar, and they were my favorite surprise of the night! Unlike the other bands, who dressed rather casually, the members of Avatar were all dressed up as if they were in a circus sideshow. The vocalist, Johannes Eckerström, dressed as a clown, reminiscent of acts such as KISS, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, and the like. I'd say that they were like Sgt. Pepper's from Hell! They all had a fantastic stage presence: for example, the vocalist engaged the crowd with his scepter, meanwhile the drummer gazed into the audience with his creepy, white-eyed stare.

Musically, Avatar was very solid as well. Coming from Gothenburg, Sweden, Avatar had a more groove focused variation on the Gothenburg melodic death metal sound. Songs like "Hail the Apocalypse" and "Let it Burn" were played perfectly and had crushing riffs that the entire crowd could get into.

We were all pretty tired after the excitement that was Avatar's portion of the show, but Escape the Fate was up afterward, leaving Pop Evil for last. Opening with their typical intro of "Choose Your Fate" going into "Ungrateful", Escape the Fate played a set that was very similar to what they played in Niagara Falls. However, there were several differences. Instead of Max Green playing bass, Glamour of the Kill vocalist and bassist Wavey Richmond filled in for this event. Though it was initially for personal/family issues, we eventually found out that Max had left the band again, only to join Falling in Reverse.

There were several other interesting variations in Escape the Fate's set. During the middle of the show, the band members teased classics like "Wild Side" and "Sweet Child 'o Mine" as vocalist Craig Mabbitt purchased drinks for a few people in the crowd. In addition, not only was the crowd more lively (yet, still tolerable) than the Niagara Falls show, but there was an actual "Wall of Death" during "This War is Ours". All three of us joined in, and it was interesting to say the least. Rachel got a bad cut in her mouth and Alexis lost her glasses and got hit in the head, so I was pretty worried initially. However, I found Alexis's glasses, she felt alright, and Rachel actually was happy that she got injured during a metal show.

Once the band finished, Craig went to the bar to buy some drinks, and though I sadly couldn't get a picture with him or talk with him, it was awesome to see him so close. The three of us were very exhausted by this point, and we really weren't as excited for Pop Evil to play as the other bands. I called my dad to come and pick us up, though we did get to see a decent amount of Pop Evil's set. Unlike Escape the Fate, who are more post-hardcore/metalcore, Pop Evil was more in the genre of mainstream rock, particularly how they remind me of Nickelback. (pun intended) They were solid: they played a few heavier songs as well as some ballads, though they personally didn't excite me too much. Granted, it was nice to cool down after the last two bands that were so great and energetic. My dad and Pam picked us up shortly after, and we all went back home. This was such an amazing concert, and I was so happy to go with my darling, Alexis! Having Rachel with us was awesome as well. Though I sadly won't be able to see any of the summer concerts with my amazing Alexis, we'll certainly see many more concerts together during the fall, winter, and spring.

[Zilla2112]

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