Thursday, August 19. 2010
 | by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
The last tickets to this show sold just as I was picking up my photo pass, so for his live DVD Matisyahu can officially say "filmed before a sold out audience".
It was a close run thing too, because all that video equipment just invited a torrential rainstorm and just a mere 10 minutes north of the venue there was an absolute deluge. Call it luck or divine intervention, but nary a drop made it to Stubb's and in the end the army of videographers were able to put an awesome set down on film(?).
Although the humidity was near 100% and the temperatures were hovering in the 90's Matisyahu performed onstage in suit and a long head scarf, both part of his orthodox faith, and both were soaked by the end of the second song. Though he and his band played on seemingly oblivious to the heat and feeding off the energy of the crowd, I was not so lucky and had to replenish my fluids with many bottles of water passed to me by the security crew.
Matisyahu is one of those artists that is better live than in the studio. Something about his energy is tough to capture in a room filled with egg crate foam rather than fans. I look forward to seeing and hearing how both the CD and DVD turn out. If you can't make it to the show this tour, the DVD will be a close second.
Click here for the rest of the Matisyahu pics.
Click for Nathen Maxwell and The Original Bunny Gang pics |  |
Thursday, August 5. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
Without a cloud in the sky and a heat index still hovering in the triple digits, the crowd was slow to gather last night for the Crowded House show at Stubb's BarBQ and it's outdoor amphitheater, but eventually it filled in by the time the band reached the stage.
Veteran's of Austin's notoriously hot and dusty ACL fest, Crowded House put that experience to use as they worked their way through a 2 hour set in the sweltering summer temperatures, covering songs from throughout their vast catalog.
Drawing on a fan base that stretched all the way back to founding members Neil and Tim Finn's Split Enz days in the early 80s, the audience was distinctly older though some younger attendees were there, perhaps drawn by the band's ACL appearances. If so it was a perfect opportunity to catch them in a much more intimate venue and really the best way to appreciate the finely crafted songwriting of these New Zealanders.
Sadly, Paul Hesters contributions on percussion were greatly missed, although Matt Sherrod's outstanding musicianship went a long way towards filling in the gap.
Click here for the rest of the Crowded House pics.
Click for Lawrence Arabia pics |  |  |
Tuesday, July 20. 2010
 | by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
When I first saw the Silversun Pickups in 2006 it was after midnight, during Austin's SXSW festival at a notorious dive on Red River called Spiro's. If you included me and the bartender there were only 6 of us. On that tiny stage, lit with Christmas lights, the Silversun Pickups tore through their set oblivious to the handful of people in the audience, focused only on their music. Even then their songs were a richly embedded mass, building, swirling, swarming and droning like a hive of bees warming in the morning sun.
Jump forward to last night and the venue and audience size may have changed, but the Pickups have stayed true and their sold out show at Stubb's BarBQ was played with every bit of focus and energy.
No, they are not the most exciting stage band, no gimmicks like flamethrowers, rotating drum kits or lasers, but their lighting and stage presentation match their music and impart an ethereal aura to the band and the music which draw you in. With a Pumpkins meet Blue Cheer sound the Silversun Pickups music is dense, warm, and builds in intensity, with just enough pop hooks to crossover and reach the masses. Great band, great show.
Click here for the rest of the Silversun Pickups pics.
Click for Against Me! and Henry Clay People pics |  |
Friday, July 16. 2010
Photos and review by Michael Hurcomb - Staff Photographer club.kingsnake.com
Take a hot & muggy summer Toronto night, a thunderstorm warning, an absolutely packed venue and The Dead Weather and you have a perfect storm. An anxious crowd became deafeningly loud when Alison Mosshart strutted onto the stage grabbed the mic and the band kicked into "60 Feet Tall". Alison is a force onstage; writing, bending, screaming, strutting & sweating with everything she has. The only distraction is Jack White, the other force of The Dead Weather; whose remarkable presence behind a drum kit, behind a mic or behind the wail of his guitar challenges Alison as the leader of the band. I genuinely feel sorry for Dean Fertita (Guitar) and Jack Lawrence (bass) because I feel like people forget to notice them and their contributions to the band which are overshadowed by Alison and Jack White.
After "60 Feet Tall" the band moved into Hang You From The Heavens follow by the Them (Van Morrison was their singer) cover of "You Just Can't Win" with Jack White taking lead vocals and finishing the song behind the kit. Now I'm not sure if it was me but it really seemed like The Dead Weather were fighting to find their groove tonight. They sounded great, Jack was ferocious behind the kit and Alison sounded great but they just weren't quite in sync. The few times I thought it came together was when the Jacks switched it up, putting Mr. White behind the mic and guitar and Mr. Lawrence behind the kit. There is something so right about Jack White singing and playing guitar. His raunchy voice and screaming leads add an sonic element to make the Dead Weather groove (and I'm a big White Stripes and Raconteurs fan). And hearing Alison and Jack singing together is even better and their chemistry is fantastic.
The set was made up of songs from Horehound and Sea Of Cowards with a cover of "New Pony" by Bob Dylan thrown in towards the end. The majority of the material is strong but their singles "Die by the Drop" and "Treat Me Like Your Mother" stand out as their strongest and most crowd engaging material. You couldn't hear the last note of the show because the sold out crowd inside the now hot and muggy Sound Academy were screaming for more. With the frequency of their Toronto visits it should take too long.
Click here to check out the rest of The Dead Weather photos by Michael Hurcomb Staff Photographer
Wednesday, July 14. 2010
Photos and review by Michael Hurcomb - Staff Photographer club.kingsnake.com
I'm Canadian, Male and a Musician. So I should be a Rush fan right? Somehow it never happened. I heard their music growing up, knew that my brother's friends liked them and that they were supposed to be one of the best bands ever, but I just couldn't turn the corner as a fan. But a few things happened during the last decade that led me to appreciate their talent and legacy. The first thing was seeing them live at "Sars Stock" in Toronto. Before they went on it just seemed like a mediocre festival in the heat but they really brought an energy to the crowd that had been missing all day. The musical friends I attended the festival with were equally impressed with the band members' astounding playing abilities. The second thing was teaching guitar professionally for many years. With the aftermath of Sars Stock and the eventual influence of Guitar Hero/Rock Band every kid suddenly wanted to know how to play Rush so I dug into their catalog and learned their hits and really liked how complicated yet simple their songs were….even if I couldn't get used to Geddy's voice. The final moment that convinced me to believe was seeing the amazing show they put on last night in Toronto.
First of all - BEST OPENING VIDEO EVER! Great to see a band with a sense of humour. And what a crowd--absolutely packed with fanatical fans of all ages (both men and women contrary to what you'd think a Rush fan would be.) At times I couldn't hear the band for the crowd! RUSH burst onto the stage to "The Spirit of Radio" and quickly segued into "Time Stand Still" and "Presto." Their performances were all note perfect but the show didn't suffer as they made every effort to connect with their hometown crowd. The stage set was suited to the Time Machine theme with the backline, video graphics and drum kit designed to look like retro machinery. And unlike some bands that are well on in their careers (I'm looking at you U2 and the Rolling Stones) they didn't make the stage the star. Everything was there to merely complement the band and music. Rush knows that the fans are there to hear them play and see how well they do it. The highlight of the night for the fans was during the 2nd set (Geddy told the crowd that the band is about a 1,000 years old and they needed a break) when Rush played their classic album, Moving Pictures front to back. Later in the set the crowd were treated to a fantastic drum solo by the incomparable Neil Peart after which they played Closer To The Heart followed by both parts of 2112. Probably the biggest crowd reaction came when they played YYZ (refers to the Toronto airport code).
Something that struck me, and maybe I pick up on this as a musician, were the smiles and eye contact that the guys share with each other throughout the night. They've been together for over 30 years and you can see that these guys genuinely love each other and love playing together, rather than only doing it for the money (ahem….Eagles). A friend loaned me a copy of the recently released DVD "Rush, Beyond The Lighted Stage" and it's worth a watch for any music fan. It's filled with old footage, a great bonus disc and an all-star roster of Rush influenced musicians.
Click here to check out the rest of the Rush photos by Michael Hurcomb Staff Photographer
Wednesday, June 9. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer | Fronted by James Murphy, DJ, and co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records, the collective known as LCD Soundsystem has lit up the UK charts for the past couple years with hit songs like "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" and "Drunk Girl" . Attracting a solid following in Austin, the band showed up in the drizzling rain to pack Stubb's amphitheater last night for a sold out set. Luckily the rain had cleared by the time the band went on, and with rented mirror balls (the bands own giant ball wouldn't fit through the stage doors) and smoke machines they turned Stubb's into a massive disco for the night.
The crowd might have been wet but they weren't disappointed as the band riffed it's way through a tight set, with Murphy looking more like an everyman getting ready to target weekend yard work rather than a rock star and creative genius. With slashing guitar work by David Scott Stone adding an edge to the pounding beats of Pat Mahoney and Matt Thornley on drums, and the synth work by Nancy Whang and Gavin Russom, the band has a distinct sound live that's like a younger fresher Talking Heads and their music is easily as addictive. Great show, definitely worth seeing.
Opening the show was Brooklyn based Holy Ghost! who put on a good set on a cramped stage, but it was hard for them to spark much enthusiasm from the crowd in the intermittent showers.
Click here to check out the rest of the LCD Soundsystem pics.
Click here to check out the Holy Ghost! pics.
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Wednesday, May 26. 2010
 | by Rhonda Meredith - Contributing Writer & Photographer
In 1997, the last episode of “Married With Children” aired, the Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Dow Jones closed over 7,000 and Fuel’s original drummer Jody Abbott left the band. Since that time, Fuel was a band in its evolution infancy.
In 2006, the last episode of “That 70s Show” aired, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, the Dow Jones closed over 11,000 and Fuel’s original singer Brett Scallions left the band.
Now in 2010, Fuel is re-fueled to ignite a new generation of fans and satisfy the original “Fuelies” that have been waiting patiently for their beloved Brett Scallions to return as the frontman. Scallions has now created a lineup that will bring Fuel to a successful new beginning.
| “The lineup I put together for Fuel is not meant to replace or diminish what any of the original members created. Just the opposite, it is to give our fans a live destination, and to keep the Fuel name alive for a new generation to discover," says Scallions.
In addition to Scallions (vocals), rounding out the lineup is Brad Stewart (from Shinedown on bass), Ken Schalk (from Candiria on drums) and Yogi (from Buckcherry/Wallflowers on guitar).
Fuel recently made a tour stop at Scout Bar Houston and performed to a packed crowd. It was good to see that nothing in the performance had diminished over time. Scallions was right on with the vocals and the new lineup seemed like they had been playing songs like "Shimmer", "Bad Day" and "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" for a very long time as they had the same rocking quality now as they did then. Read more about Fuel’s new tour on their website, Myspace or Facebook!
Check out photos from the concert HERE. |  |
Thursday, May 20. 2010
         
 | by Rhonda Meredith - Contributing Writer & Photographer
Houston rock band DEV ELECTRIC opened the show for Fuel at Scout Bar Houston last week. The members of DEV ELECTRIC used to be in Glass Intrepid. For twelve years, they were a Houston favorite and performed at Buzzfest, Warped Tour and opened for numerous national acts like Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin and Three Doors Down for example.
But now, with a new name and equipped with their extensive knowledge of what it takes to be successful, DEV ELECTRIC is poised to take Houston over with their impressive new venture. They are bursting back on the scene armed with a new cd loaded with songs that are familiar as well as catchy. This is sure to make diehard Glass Intrepid fans happy and easily win over new fans at each and every show. Without a doubt, it was awesome performance of pure rock and roll energy.
DEV ELECTRIC is Bryan Scott (vocals), Kyle LeBlanc (bass), Raf Rivera (guitar), and Stu Legge (drums). The band has signed with Silver Tongue Management (John Gomez/John Moyer of Disturbed) out of Austin, TX.
If you missed DEV ELECTRIC at Scout Bar, Fitzgeralds or House of Blues, save the date for Warehouse Live, RocBar or even June 12th where they will be back at Scout Bar Houston opening for The Veer Union!
Keep up with the show dates and band information on Myspace and/or Facebook.
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Sunday, May 16. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer | Rock lobster anyone?
For those lucky enough to be in the sold out crowd gathered at Austin intimate La Zona Rosa that and many other B-52s hits were on the menu, though with enough of their later material that it couldn't be referred too as 80s night.
It was a distinctly older crowd that packed the venue, though many seemed to have brought kids as small groups of teens and pre-teens could be seen in the audience. Everyone had fun, even though it was crowded and hot, and I found it difficult to not sing along with the band, as did many others. In fact as I headed out for the night I trailed a couple women who wandered off to their car singing "Roam". It's always fun to see a big act in a small club, rather than something like the Erwin Center, I wish it would happen more often. For a look at the set list click here.
Austin power pop fav's The Ugly Beats put on a strong opening set that fit well. It's good to see them on a larger stage.
Click here to check out the rest of the B-52 pics.
Click here to check out the Ugly Beats pics.
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Friday, May 14. 2010
 | by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
Illinois natives Chevelle pulled into Austin's Stubb's BarBQ Wednesday night to a venue packed with fans ready to hear the crunchy bass lines and brooding lyrics that characterize their music. With a darkly lit stage the band rumbled its way through a set heavy in hits like a 69 with with headers, pipes and glass packs. Chevelle is touring the states through the end of August so now would be a good time to catch them.
Openers Nico Vega put on a spectacular opening set followed by After Midnight Project. Nico Vega has established a large local following with their shows at SXSW and other events.
Click here for the rest of the Chevelle pics.
Click here for Nico Vega pics
Click here for After Midnight Project pics
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