Has Warped Tour hit the awkward stage?

by Cassie Roberts, FromTheCrowd.com contributor

Warped Tour 15 was something I thought was going to be amazing. I was prepared and had been warned. It was going to be hot, hot, hot. Bring in water, be ready for those tweens and be ready for great bands and people watching.

I was ready, maybe too ready. As Warped Tour 15 was not everything it could have been. We all know that Warped Tour isnt the hard core show that it used to be. it has evolved to survive and has changed with the times and the music. Some people are stuck in the past and are angry that the hard core rock scene is gone and emo has taken over. But… look at the crowd. Who else is going to turn out at 12pm when it is 110?

Even with all of the change, and being accepting of it, I do have to say that Warped Tour seemed awkward. Perhaps it was just frustration that the bands I wanted to see were playing at the same time, or within 10 minutes of each other on opposite ends of the parking lot. It could also have been that the headliners seemed to phone in their performance.

Its not to say it was bad, just awkward. Hopefully, like most teenagers, Warped Tour will blooosom out of these stage.

Phoenix Concert Review: Nine Inch Nails Owns the Cricket Pavilion Stage May 15 2009

by Cassie Roberts, www.FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

Some shows, have a lot of hype, from fans, from the media and well from just a lot of great PR, however, after the show begins, you realize its all just hype. Occasionally, this is due in no part to the actual band performing, but in some cases, the crowd itself, or some other outside factor like the weather. In some cases the bar, has simply been set too high.

Here in Arizona, we already have two things going against us, the weather (anytime after March) and the crowds (which aren’t exactly known for being the most supportive, in the I’m going to stand the entire show type of way). Even the most seasoned performer can fail to deliver with these two roadblocks, you just never know until the set has begun.

There was a lot of hype with the NIN|JA tour, after all it is the first tour in 9 years with them sharing a stage… so I have to admit I was concerned, but with my ticket in hand, with faith in Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction, I had a good feeling about tonight and I was right!

I do have to give props to Street Sweeper Social Club. I had read and heard some great things and they provided a set that was unlike anything I was expecting. I feel privilege to be there on the ground floor with them on this tour. Sure, I’m talking about Tom Morello and Boots Riley, two legendary performers in their own genre, but would they mix? The answer to that is an overwhelming YES!

Jane’s Addiction also delivered a strong set and was able to get the crowd motivated and on their feet, however, the night belonged to Nine Inch Nails.

All of the elements were in place for one of those once in a life time performances. Sure it was hot, but there was an amazing energy in the crowd, that was matched by NIN on stage. The sounds, the lighting, the crowd and the music all collided to create the perfect enviorment for NIN as to deliver, perhaps the one of the best performances I have ever witnessed. The set was moving, the stage and lighting were unprecedented and the crowd was eating out of the palm of their hands.

To steal a tweet from Tom Morello (http://twitter.com/tmorello) @tmorello shared: “It is near impossible to make a musical moment in a 15,000 seat venue “haunting” but NIN “Hurt” is that and more. Just stunning. Unreal.” Keep in mind who this statement is coming from.

If you missed this show, you may never forgive yourself, however, you still have time to catch them on tour for the rest of the summer near by. It’s time for a road trip!

Drink Up Buttercups Concert Review at Santos Party House – New York, NY

Buttercups and Horseshit

By Nathaniel Dobson, www.FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

Stage set. Wires have formed a medusa like choke hold of the stage, as at least four maracas are strewn about the floor. A Yamaha synthesizer rests calmly atop a perfect silver trashcan, which remains aware that by the end of the show, his brother will remain a rape victim to sound. A fog machine has lined the roof with a thick pot like haze and masks a heart shaped disco ball which eventually would bathe the crowd in green sprinkles of light. The chatter of the audience can be heard over the DJs spins of what would normally be heard at a candy kid rave. My hopes are up.

                Reading other reviews of Drink Up Buttercup, a Philly band that’s barely even a year old, one would think that Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, and Jesus H. Christ himself had formed some sort of super group to tour the indie circuit. Well, they’re pretty damn close. Having celebrated the release of their new vinyl single “Mr.. Pie Eyes,” available digitally on iTunes, the night before, vocalist and guitarist James Harvey had gotten little to no sleep in the past 48 hours. However, from watching their performance tonight, no one could tell the difference.

                Any trained musician can perfectly play out a finely tuned musical number on stage, and a good chunk of them could write music that people could tag as “New” and “Daring”, but what separates Drink Up from the masses of avant-garde, E major 7 chord slamming, indie bands out there is their energy. To say these boys don’t make good music would be a balls out lie, but when music as catchy and bizarre as theirs is topped by their live performance, it truly says something of their live performance. The noise, the sound, the yelling and slamming that occurred onstage, it was extremely reminiscent of At the Drive-In during its hay day, had Omar Rodriguez not been so stoned he didn’t know his guitar was out of tune. This erratic foursome maintain a destructive force for thirty minutes straight that keeps you on your toes and begging for more, all the while churning out great music. And in a time where everybody seems to think simply making music louder and faster is better, this is a much needed change.

                Honestly, this band is not for everyone. Their eclectic blend of Beatles-esque pop and gypsy avant-garde takes a few listenings to appreciate the eccentricities, at least in its recorded form. The boys of Drink Up have no urge to end up on the same charts as Fall Out Boy and Christina Aguilera, and God bless them for it. As long as they keep up what they’re doing, you will want to keep an eye on them, even if you’re not anywhere near the east coast. Drink up is going places, having already played at SXSW this year, and could very easily end up manhandling the upcoming festival season. If you’re looking for a band to say, “I knew them before they got big,” here’s your chance. To end this off, I would like to state how priceless it was to see drummer Mike Cammarata nearly have to walk off the stage to end the last song of the set. I hope you understand, we in the audience would’ve gladly waited for you to go on as long as you pleased.

                As a post script note, Psychedelic Horseshit, (yes, that was the following bands name) just because we expect a five minute noise solo from shoe gazing, please for the love of God try to add something new every bit. Nobody wants to hear the same guitar chord on delay and extreme distortion for two minutes. And to the headlining acts, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, I greatly apologize for not being able to show my support, my sorry ass got stuck with an 8 o clock class in the morning.

Remianing tour Dates:

4/28 – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA  (w/ Dr Dog)

4/29 – Mr Smalls – Pittsburgh, PA (w/ Dr Dog)

5/8 – Cameo – Brooklyn, NY

5/13 – Pianos – New York, NY (w/ Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers)

5/15 – Southpaw – Brooklyn, NY (w/ Skeletonbreath)

5/16 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel – Washington, DC

Drink Up Buttercup Instrumentation:

Farzad Houshiarnejad: keys, wolf-howler, melodica, bass, vox, smashcan
Ben Money: bass, keys, melodica, mannequin head, percussion, vox, smashcan
Mike Cammarata: drums with water, lemon, and sugar packets
James Harvey: vox, guitar, sawed-off-seagull, walki, opera sounds

Mastodon Concert Review 04.16.2009

By Melanie Nelson, www.FromTheCrowd.com Concert Columnist

 

After a venue change from Martini Ranch to the Marquee Theatre, Mastodon was set to headline an evening of progressive/experimental metal with Kylesa and Intronaut opening. This genre was definitely a new one for me, but I was heading in with several preconceived notions of what I would be facing.

We did arrive and walk into an exclusively black-shirt clad, male dominated room. Every individual somehow arranged themselves to stand perfectly still in two foot intervals – all respectively listening to Via Vengeance. Via Vengeance was loud, exceptionally loud when you consider that he’s a band of one. This individual remarkably covered drums, guitar and vocals all on his own.

During the set change, I took the opportunity to peruse the crowd. There was a surprising range of ages and types: many parents were attending to stand guard over their high schooler and friends, there was the expected beer drinking twenty-something crowd and a large portion of thirty to forty year olds. I suspect (this is supported by many logo t-shirts) that several of the latter began as Pink Floyd fans and simply updated their genre.

Chatting with the crowd, it was clearly a night for Mastodon fans. Rick and Cindy W. have been Mastodon fans for 5 years. Leviathon easily stuck out as their favorite album, but Rick was also well informed on their latest album, Crack the Skye.  To ensure the vision/story/message of this album was relayed, Rick forewarned me to expect the entire album played cover to cover. The band would then return for a second set of some of their older hits. Mastodon’s new album appears to have some mixed reviews with their departure from a usual style; Rick mentioned having to listen to it a few times to fully appreciate it. This wouldn’t be the first time I heard this from the crowd.

Mixed in the fanbase of such Mastodon knowledgeable people as Rick were people like Gary S. and his friend Mero K., who had simply been dragged to the concert by a friend and were only hoping for a good show.

Intronaut began their set checks and the drummer and guitarist had some truly impressive practice riffs, demonstrating promise for a great show. In fact, drummer Danny received a large deal of applause before the show had even started. Once Intronaut did get underway, their music had the expected hoarse howling vocals of a metal band but their skilled ability with their instruments was well demonstrated and included some interesting lyrical moments. The more I considered their one particular song, the more I realized that the musical interlude woven into it really did resemble the soundtrack from the movie Labyrinth. I can’t imagine David Bowie’s thoughts on that one.

One of my main thoughts during Intronaut’s set was that for a supposed metal concert, this was a remarkably still crowd. Where was the head banging, the mosh pit, the crowd surfing?  Did my toes really have nothing to fear?

When Kylese took the stage next, their vocalists were determined to add to the metal atmosphere with the head banging and swinging hair, which made for a much more active band to watch compared to Intronaut’s interesting but physically stiff performance. 
The challenge with Kylese is that it really was just ear bleeding noise. While the drummers (two!) were perfectly synchronized and had a rhythm, it was just methodical noise with timed yowling from vocalists Phillip and Laura. Overall I really did prefer Intronaut’s instrumental intricasies.
While I can’t say that I enjoyed the music at this point, it did offer me an opportunity to watch the formation of a mosh pit. With honorable mention of Intronaut’s single Australopithicus, I give you:

 

The Evolution of Mosh

·         A large crowd begins creepily head bobbing in unison

·         Participating group inches forward together

·         Shoulders are added into head bobbing motion

·         Hand and arm slowly raise with “rock on” symbol

·         Legs begin to shake in time with head bob

·         A small hop is added

 

Now this hop appeared to be the signal to the surrounding crowd to clear out a large circle to make room for the beginnings of the mosh pit. Sadly, I lacked the ability to interpret this signal. The perils of shortness almost continued, but thankfully this mosh area only numbered three. Everyone seemed hopeful for future crowd participation though.

 

Mastodon fans were everywhere at the end of Kylese’s performance.  Folks such as Matt G. had smartly decided to wait outside or arrive late in the evening to save their ears.  Again, Matt was a longterm Mastodon fan who still listed Leviathon as his favorite album.  He had no particular expections out of the set beyond wanting to hear some “crazy ass” drumming and guitar riffs. 

 

It was a very different crowd when you reentered the stage area.  Twice as many people had come out of the woodwork and were much more energised, chanting the band’s name and randomly cheering for Mastodon’s perforance to begin.  Even with the huge crowd, the Marquis’s sloping floor ensured a great view for everyone, including those of us guarding their toes at the back.

 

For all the Leviathon fans, they were indeed going to have to wait.  The first set was the entire Crack the Skye album played cover to cover.  A huge screen was onhand to help illustrate the band’s story of an out of body celestial journey with images of the cosmos intersperced with movie clips and stills.  

 

Mastodon fans should have absolutely no complaints over getting their full ticket value because Brent, Bill, Troy and Brann played for two hours.  This wasn’t a lazy, ballad ridden two hours either.  These four men were getting full body workouts with the crazy ass drumming and guitar riffs I was told to expect.  The crowd’s energy stayed with them the entire time through until their ending set of three songs from previous albums.  It was a great performance – compared to Kylese’s noise, this was music.  It was loud, it made the whole floor and room vibrate, but these men knew how to play and perform.  And if your skin wasn’t numb from all the vibrations and your ears weren’t ringing even with your earplugs as you left after that long evening of performances, you were probably one of the very few.

Tempe Music Festival Saturday Concert Review 04.04.2009

by Melanie Nelson, www.FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

I made it through the gate in time for Mute Math on Saturday at the Tempe Music Festival.  Their very electronic style rock was a welcome addition to a healthy dinner of Ben and Jerry’s and cherry Diet Dr. Pepper.   It was still relatively early Saturday evening, but a healthy crowd had already gathered and were in already dancing and partying. 
Today was the day of superfans.  I had an opportunity to meet very devoted dad, Larry Norton.  Larry’s son Wyatt had been a huge fan of the All American Rejects, for five years and was here to hopefully get a poster signed.  Once the band had completed their Tempe Music Fest TV interview and signed the sofa for charity, they began heading past our area back to their bus.  While their wrangler was keeping everyone back stating “no signing”, Tyson did stop for Larry to sign Wyatt’s poster.  As he stated, ‘You can’t resist a dad getting something for his son’.  Wyatt got even luckier later with dad getting his pass signed by 3 Doors Down.
Tom Morello: The NightWatchman was up after Mute Math and while I’m not a Guitar Hero player, I can see why he reached guitar god status.  His songs (I’m thinking particularly of “Shake my Shit”) had everyone dancing, beach bouncing in the crowd and even those sitting at tables were coming up with creative shoulder bobbing.  As an extra treat, it really did seem as if Tom was on stage much longer than the listed one hour.   His cover (uncensored) of “This Land is My Land” on the acoustic guitar was also one of many memorable moments.
The crowd had swelled to a massive sea of people by the time All American Rejects took the stage.  Starting off with some familiar crowd favorites ‘Dirty Little Secret’, they had everyone singing along in one of the best singing crowd moments I’ve ever heard.  Instead of the vague mumbling that precedes and follows the choruses everyone knows, this was clearly a group of fans who all knew their stuff perfectly.  The new waving lighter of the ages, a lit cell phone, was apparent in everyone’s hands in beat to the music and Tyson had the crowd eating out of his hands with his magic trick (though apparently it’s the only one he knows).
Between the bands that evening, winning High School and College garage bands were invited to play and both were excellent and talented additions that easily kept the crowd engaged.  Congratulations to both SRP prize winners.
By the time 10:30 rolled around, the event was a blend of the hard core 3 Doors Down fans, the hard core partiers, the hard core posers and the simply exhausted.  The latter group was determined to hold out as long as we all could as everyone huddled together for warmth and to keep one another upright.  Now IF I had any energy left, 3 Doors Down would have been a great band to stay to the very end for, but after a hugely long day we had to call it quits after their first six songs.  From that six though, I can say that lead singer, Brad Arnold has a voice that translates as brilliantly clear as if you were listening and rocking out at home.
All in all, a great event – I was exhausted, full of Mentos and ice cream, had several new songs to seek out and download at home and fully intend on returning to the Tempe Town Music Fest next year where I’ll definitely be springing for that VIP ticket.

Tempe Music Festival – Friday Concert Review 04.03.2009

by Melanie Nelson, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

I was definitely looking forward to this year’s Tempe Town Music Fest. Having never attended before, I fully intended on enjoying all the bands and making the most of the people watching available (and it was extensive). So was the extreme variety in dress code. I have to admit the attending an outdoor lawn concert dressed in a three inch skirt, tube tops and stilettos never occurred to me, but at least she didn’t have clothing to flap annoyingly in the breeze.

The high winds on .Friday did little to deter the multiple vendors. We’d arrived early enough to enjoy checking out the grounds as well as prime restroom locations. The Mentos folks were out in numbers forcing fresh breath upon everyone they met (I’m a renegade and stuck with my preferred fruit flavor). For all of those seeking out free shwag, they were certainly in luck with Dr. Pepper, College Times, Ben & Jerry’s, Barefoot Wine, Scion and many others on hand with their assortment of giveaways and tastings. I’d had a terrible Hitchcock flashback moment until I realized that the birds hurtling towards the earth were actually free T-shirts for the crowd.

But on to the music! This year’s Friday line up brought such groups as Cowboy Mouth, The Outlaws, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers and Kid Rock.

Friday’s official reviewing day started with Cowboy Mouth, a departure from their usual Saturday listing. The bands energy, especially that of lead singer and drummer Fred was great. He worked hard to get the crowds energy up, but the post work Friday crowd didn’t really build that night until about 8:00p.m. though it was reportedly higher than in previous years.

I had the benefit of sitting back and enjoying the music with some serious hard core fans behind me. Rhonda, Wendy and Mitch had specifically come for Kid Rock and Cowboy Mouth and were at home fans; this was their first live concert for Cowboy Mouth and they were happily trying to keep the noise and energy level of the crowd up on their own. It was a great set of songs, though I was personally fond of the cover of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall and Tell her You’re Sorry. Fred kindly also sang a Happy Birthday tribute to lead guitarist John along with the whole crowd (who may have feared not participating at this point).

As the wind in the evening picked up, there was surprisingly little concern over the swaying tons of suspended speakers. From our convenient location, we had a great view of them. Speaking of tickets, should you ever be pondering the relative value of a VIP ticket compared to the basic ticket, between covering food and drink costs, the ability to have a set of designated restrooms and the stage side viewing area totally make the extra cost entirely worth it.
The Outlaws were a pleasant surprise of songs that everyone has heard and enjoyed, but hadn’t quite realized who performed them.  Having been a band since the ‘60’s, their fan base had a very wide range of people.  John and Mike, a pair of twenty something fans sporting Outlaw tees were simply there to “hear some live shit”.  But huddling in the warmth of the charity Circle K, I found an interesting story with Barb Fisher.  Barb and her boyfriend were given a set of VIP tickets by Paul Henry.  Paul and her boyfriend Bill Morey had grown up together in Northern Florida and hung out playing music together in high school.  Bill even remembered when “Green Grass and High Tide” was written.  At the time though, Bill had to inform Paul that while he could certainly play music, he couldn’t sing worth a damn.  This may have been a last laugh type of moment. 
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers were on next to a crowd that had caught on to all the bands spirit and were happily waving their Mentos in time to the beat and I was tickled to see a member of The Outlaws hiding at the edge of the stage foot tapping along.  I did leave early at this point and missed Kid, but his fans were certainly pouring through the gates in a partying state of mind. Saturday should prove to be even bigger than Friday…

Foxboro Hot Tubs Reviews 05.29.2008

Stage Photo Credit: Chris Dugan (used with permission)

Two reviews for your reading pleasure!

Concert Review by Nathan Dobson, From The Crowd Contributor

Many people will say things of Green Day’s new, shall we call it style? They’ve been called posers, sell outs, and bandwagon jumpers. But last night’s show at the Brickhouse had nothing to do with the men behind American Idiot, or even the boys behind Dookie for that matter. Although The Foxboro Hot Tubs are technically Green Day in the most literal sense, this performance featured a whole other kind of beast.

The show could essentially be summed up in one phrase. Limitless Energy. Perhaps it was the fact that the audience was comprised ninety-percent of fans who were crazy enough to stand in the blazing sun for six plus hours (I myself being one of them), but front man Reverend Strychnine Twitch, also known as Billie Joe Armstrong to those of you less educated in non de plumes, held no qualms to get in the thick of it with the audience. Presenting the kind of alcohol fueled sin and debauchery that is rarely found in modern rock, Reverend Twitch left no member of the audience unloved. Where as most stars of their level would have cringed at the thought of fans getting close to them, Foxboro welcomed the love, turning half of the songs that night into an onstage dance party.

That was probably the most beautiful part of the entire show, that these performers, who had played music for crowds of over one hundred thousand people, could just as easily throw down in 500 maximum club. And through out the entire night, only one Green Day song was played, and that being the extremely deep cut track “Blood, Sex, and Booze.” I had personally expected to hear more Green Day material at the show, seeing as Stop Drop and Roll is only around 40 minutes long, but even without hearing a single mainstream Green Day song, the show was still fantastic. The Foxboro Hot Tubs songs are so well crafted, that even despite most people knowing none of the songs, the crowd was still singing along before the night was over.

I hate to sound as if I’m blindly worshiping Foxboro like some pre-pubescent fan boy, because their were a few minor problems to the show. One of course would have been the opening band, who didn’t even step onto the stage until nine o clock. I’m not sure if Girls With Guns usually puts on a performance like they did last night, but overall it felt as if they were purposely being bad to make Foxboro look better. Their singer was drunk beyond reason, and their sound tech had the kick drum so loud you could hear nothing else, but such is the way of things.

Overall, Foxboro puts on a show that should not be missed. While Green Day has become the arena rock juggernaut, the Foxboro Hot Tubs will remain the crazy after party that everyone really wants to be at.

 

Now, for Stephanie’s Review of the Foxboro Hot Tubs

Sometimes you find yourself in the right place at the right time, even if it takes 10 hours to get there. This was the journey for many, on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at the Brickhouse in Phoenix when they got into line at 12pm, for the 10:30pm performance of the Foxboro Hot Tubs.

The faithful had gathered to hear, Reverend Strychnine Twitch (Billie Joe Armstrong) and the rest of the Hot Tubs (Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool, Jason Freese, Kevin Preston and Jason White), lead them through a pilgrimage of 60’s garage band rock, reminiscent of Anthony & the Sophomores, The Monkeys, The Kinks and other greats of that era. The congregation, ranged in age from seven to 67, perhaps even older, but one thing was clear, it did not matter what age group you were in, everyone was prepared to rock and have the time of their life.

“Come closer to me” beckoned the Reverend, decked out in a 60’s era wardrobe of a sheepskin jacket, bleached hair and Jackie O white sunglasses, “Come closer, that’s what we’re all here for tonight”. The crowd exploded with screams in response, as they rushed the tiny stage. The band erupted into the title track of their release, “Stop Drop and Roll!!” which was followed by “Mother Mary” and “Alligator”.

For the next song, the Reverend requested to have people come on stage, a rare thing during any concert, however, a common theme through the entire evening. For some, this was a chance of a lifetime, as they interacted with the band, dancing and signing along. After the first massive rush of the crowd on stage, the Reverend paused between songs, “Hold On”, he said, “everyone that was up here didn’t get kicked out right?” The Reverend continued, “Raise your hand if you were just up here”. About 15 people raised there hand, once he was satisfied, he moved onto the next song.

The evening progressed with the Hot Tubs playing tunes from their latest release (Stop Drop and Roll) and even covered a song, as the Reverend put it “By a band we hate, The Network” (a speculated side project of Green Day).

There was a raw energy in the air that was almost palatable. Perhaps it was created when the Reverend grabbed a small boy from the audience and carried him on his shoulder around the stage while belting out a tune or the first time the Reverend dived into the crowd himself. While it may not be possible to pinpoint the exact moment it was created, everyone in attendance realized that this was one of those once in a lifetime experiences, that could never be recreated again.

Don’t be fooled, the Foxboro Hot Tubs, are not just another side project for the boys of Green Day, rather the Hot Tubs are their own persona, and I have a feeling, they are here to stay.

If you have the opportunity to see one of these shows, don’t be an ‘American Idiot’, get there 10 hours early and prepare to have the time of your life.

Presidents of the United States of America at Tempe Marketplace for Third Thursday

by Matt LaFever, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

The District at Tempe Marketplace was packed for Third Thursday, as thousands had shown up due to the free admission.  Nothing could contain my excitement for the Presidents of the United States of America and I wasn’t the only one who felt this way as it seemed like the bodies in he crowd were attracted on a sub-atomic level.

 The heat rose by nine degrees as I stepped further in the crowd, turning my overshirt into an oven. Whilst sipping at my Cola, the ambient chatter stopped. Tim Virgin from The Edge 103.9, the station that set this whole shindig up, walked up to the front to advertise the next Third Thursday event. After his spiel, but before the words his lips let loose, I knew that the Presidents of the United States of America were coming up next.

A hundred cheers erupted. Screaming like a schoolgirl, I forced myself through the crowd. “Just a bit closer.” I promised. PUSA let loose with a storm. As I felt the bass pounding through my pant legs, I finally experienced music Nirvana. They blasted forth with “Kitty”, a hard rock tune full of angst and kittens.  I loved every second of it, after this is a band I’ve loved since my childhood. In ’95 or ’96 I remember them kicking down ninja’s to their “Peaches” music video. The place surrounding me erupted in a cachophony of lyrics as the fans joined in for a sing-a-long.

Between songs Chris Ballew, the lead singer, joked about moving to Arizona to escape Daylight Savings Time. “You’re free from the mans control over time” he bellowed, to a thousand cheers and a few nervous chuckles. Before I knew what had happened the last song was playing, “We’re not going to make it”, they wailed. The irony didn’t end there, they finished the song with an additional verse from the intro to the “Mary Tyler Moore Show”, “We’re gonna make it after all”. The band thanked us, the station thanked us, and we all headed home wishing that those two hours had approached a black hole’s event horizon and existed infinitely.

Want to give us your review?  Comment below or email: contribute(at)fromthecrowd.com

Vayden at the Last Exit 03.14.2008

On March 14th Vayden performed at the local music venue Last Exit.  Taking the stage close to 11pm, it was apparent that the diverse crowd in the bar had gathered to see them.

The audience had a wide range of people in attendance, from the young preppy college student, to the aged hard core rocker.  At first, the mix of individuals did not seem to make sense, however, once Vayden was midway into their set, the attraction for all of these varying groups was apparent.  While labeled, as an alternative band, Vayden was able to provide unexpected musical depth and energy to their performance.

It wasn’t the same song, just arranged differently, over and over again,  that is often witnessed in today’s music.  Each song seemed to have a different personality, but fit perfectly into the set.

Lead vocalist, Curtis Casey delivered a sincere performance, full of all of the energy appropriate for each song while Bruce Weitz commands attention with his skillful drum playing.  All of the members of Vayden exude a unique energy from their music that the crowd automatically responds to.  If your looking for a unique rocking experience, check them out for yourself on March 22, at the Last Exit.

Set List:

Want to give us your review?  Comment below or email: contribute(at)fromthecrowd.com

Matt Costa Live at The Clubhouse 01.30.2008

By Steve Shugg, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

As I was driving up to the Clubhouse Music Venue on Jan 30^th, I wasn’t really sure exactly how the crowd was going to be. Was it going to be packed, or had the word not gotten out yet as to just how good a musician Matt Costa was? Well I was pleasantly surprised to find out that people in Phoenix not only know who he is, but brought their friends to what turned out to be a great show. The place was packed. It was very refreshing to see, especially since the last time that Matt Costa played in Tempe, the venue just was not that crowded, which was disappointing because he’s a great artist.

Costa is currently on tour with his new album, “Unfamiliar Faces”, and his latest single, “Mr. Pitiful”. The album is pretty good, but the single is just a lot of fun to listen to; Upbeat, catchy lyrics, just a song that you can really get into. When Matt busted out this tune live, although the album had only been out a few days, there were plenty of people that knew all the lyrics and were dancing and singing along.

It was also pretty cool to see that Costa brought with him his collection of older songs from the “Songs We Sing” album, his most popular. When he played songs like “Astair” and “Cold December”, the crowd couldn’t get enough. Neither could I, as “Songs We Sing” is one of the albums that not matter what mood I’m in, I can always put on that record and just listen. I’m looking forward to doing the same with “Unfamiliar Faces”.

Overall the show was fantastic, the crowd was really into it, and Matt seemed to have a great time on stage. And although he didn’t really interact with the crowd that much in between songs, it was still a great concert.

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