Lifehouse at Jobing.com Arena 04.28.2010

Lifehouse performed at Jobing.com Arena April 28, 2010

Photos by Stephanie Baldwin:

VH1 Best Cruise Ever Lifehouse Thursday Performance

Lifehouse performed on the Lido Deck on Thursday on the Vh1 Best Cruise Ever.

Photos by Stephanie Baldwin:

Artists of the Month: Cavo

Cavo will be opening in support of Daughtry April 28th at Jobing.com Arena.

Get your tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00442CD64A9CDB?brand=jobingarena

Cavo, after nearly nine years together, had a good shot of getting where they are today: releasing their major-label debut album, Bright Nights * Dark Days, last summer on Reprise Records. With songs like the propulsive first single “Champagne,” the uplifting power ballad “Let It Go,” the blistering “Cry Wolf,” and the strutting “Blame,” the album is a passionately played collection of hard-hitting rock and roll with keenly felt lyrics about life, love, and the acceptance that comes with realizing that all we can do is to try and be the best person we can for those we love. “I think it’s amazing when a songwriter can open up a piece of themselves and let the whole world see it,” says Walker, who writes Cavo’s lyrics. “It may not be beautiful, in fact it may be really ugly, but great art comes from an honest place. It has to. And that’s what we try to do with our songs.”
 
The current line-up of Cavo — which also features Chris Hobbs on guitar, Chad La Roy on drums, and Brian Smith on bass — solidified after Smith came on board in 2006, but the original nucleus formed when Walker hooked up with Hobbs and La Roy in March 2001. Walker had wanted to front a rock band ever since seeing Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder onstage for the first time. “I had sung since I was kid,” Walker says, “but seeing him made me realize that writing songs and singing with a rock band were what I had to do. And I knew immediately that Chris and Chad were doing something special. We all shared the same passion for it. Chris is someone I consider to be a musical soul-mate; he’s very artistic and has a great sense of how the end result should sound. Chad is just pure energy; his playing is like a shot of adrenaline. They’re the kind of guys who, even if they weren’t signed to a label, would still be playing music together, and that’s how I felt.”
 
That commitment to music got Walker, Hobbs, and La Roy through some rough times ahead — the group endured numerous production setbacks, a former member’s alcohol addiction, and the end of another member’s marriage, all of which is chronicled on Cavo’s aptly titled independent album, The Painful Art of Letting Go, which they self-released in 2006. “We’ve had some major losses and some major gains throughout this process, but it has only made us stronger as a band and as friends,” La Roy says. After Letting Go was released in September, Cavo were ready to hit the road. The only problem was they didn’t have a bass player. Walker knew Brian Smith from the St. Louis scene and asked him to join. “Brian coming onboard literally changed everything for Cavo,” Walker says. “When he started playing with us, everything was different. It was more intense. His technical ability gave Chris the opportunity to start indulging his creative side, which in turn shaped the sound on our new album.”
 
In January 2007, Cavo wrote their first song as a four-piece — the ringing, tribal-sounding “Useless,” which Walker feels encapsulates everything about their musical direction. “It was clearly different than anything on our previous album. It was more aggressive, probably because of Brian. He plays parts, not just notes, and that made the music more aggressive. So I had to step up my game and become a more aggressive singer to match where the music was headed.” Soon they had two more songs, “Champagne” and “Cry Wolf,” both of which made it onto an EP that got the attention of the program director at St. Louis radio station The Point, which put “Champagne” into rotation. A few live showcases in the summer of 2008 later and Cavo signed on the dotted line with Reprise Records last October. “Signing with Reprise meant everything to us,” La Roy says. “It’s a chance for the world to hear and feel our music, and an opportunity that many people can only dream about.”
 
Record producer David Bendeth, who has worked with Breaking Benjamin, Paramore, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, among others, caught Cavo at their showcase in New York City and told the band he wanted to help them make a great album that could stand the test of time. “He basically said that he wanted to record with us whether we signed a deal or not, and his passion for our music was really inspiring,” Walker says. “In the studio, he spent the time to make the songs the best they could be. He cared about the final product and it shows.”  Adds La Roy: “I had a feeling this record was going to be something unbelievable and epic, but when I heard the final tracks, I was speechless.”
 
In addition to Cavo’s own songs, Bright Nights * Dark Days features an additional track, the powerfully emotional “Ghost,” co-written by Nixons singer/guitarist Zac Maloy, who has also worked with David Cook and Chris Daughtry, and the Norwegian songwriting team Espionage. “I was a Nixons fanatic,” Walker says, “so I had to get my geek moment out of the way when I first met Zac.”
 
“One of great things about being signed to a major label is that it allows our band so many amazing opportunities,” Walker continues. “It was also validation — like somebody telling you that what you’ve been focusing on your whole life wasn’t a waste of time. People would ask me, ‘How long are you going to keep playing in this band; when are you going to quit this hobby?’ Being in a band isn’t a hobby, it’s really hard work. But when it works, and you’re out there playing music with your best friends, it’s the best job ever.”

Learn more: http://www.cavomusic.com/

Pick(s) of the Week: Vh1 Best Cruise Ever or Authority Zero

See:  3 Doors Down, Lifehouse, Shinedown, Finger Eleven, Carolina Liar, Secondhand Serenade, Safetysuit and many many more.

We all need a vacation right?

The cruise sets sail from Tampa April 15 to the 19 and there are still spots available!  www.Vh1BestCruiseEver.com We’ll be there and will share experience with you, but why not join in on the fun?

Stuck in town?  Don’t miss this show: Authority Zero w/ Voo Doo Glow Skulls, 2 Tone Lizard Kings, VeraGroove, The Heartless, The Bend Marquee Theatre, Tempe All Ages

It’s Official! We’re going on the Vh1 Best Cruise Ever and you should too!

We’re booked and ready to go and so should you! 

VH1 Best Cruise Ever,  will be the first-ever official VH1 entertainment cruise sets sail in just a few weeks but cabins are still available!   This music festival at sea, hosted by 3 Doors Down, also features Lifehouse and Shinedown, sets sail from Tampa, Florida to Grand Cayman April 15-19, 2010 on the Carnival Inspiration. 

In addition to 3 Doors Down (who if you missed the 2009 Tempe Music Festival put on an AMAZING show), Lifehouse and Shinedown, the VH1 Best Cruise Ever will also include performances by special guests Finger Eleven and VH1′s “You Oughta Know” artists Carolina Liar and SAFETYSUIT and several other artists.

There’s also a tons of other events taking place on the cruise.  Check out the schedule for yourself!  We’ll be sure to give you an update on all of the performances held on this festival style cruise, but why wait to hear it from us, when you can see it all for yourself!Cabins for VH1 Best Cruise Ever are currently on sale and start at $799 per person based on double occupancy plus taxes and fees. For more information, go to www.vh1bestcruiseever.com

Daughtry’s Leave This Town Arena Tour Rolls On In 2010

Daughtry’s Leave This Town Arena Tour Rolls On In 2010

Tour Hits Jobing.com Arena April 29!  Tickets on sale tomorrow!

Following the success of its nationally televised New Year’s Eve performance in Times Square, Daughtry reveals plans for the second leg of its U.S. arena tour, which is scheduled to begin March 18 in Baltimore, Maryland and will continue into the summer.

Lifehouse to Release Fifth Studio Set ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ December 8th

Lifehouse announces the release of their fifth studio album Smoke & Mirrors on Geffen Records December 8th. First single “Halfway Gone,” co-written by Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade, Kevin Rudolf (“Let It Rock”) and producer Jude Cole (Rocco Deluca, Beth Orton, MoZella), has already been serviced to radio and is available on all digital outlets today!

With Smoke & Mirrors; lead singer/guitarist Wade, drummer Ricky Woolstenhulme Jr., bassist Bryce Soderberg, producer Cole, and live guitarist Ben Carey have created a set that combines their live sound with great record making.

Smoke & Mirrors showcases two sides of Lifehouse – songs like “Smoke & Mirrors,” “Wrecking Ball” and “Had Enough” (with guest vocals by Chris Daughtry) have a raw and stage driven feel to them capturing the live, rock side of the band; a sound they had perfected after 10 years of solid touring. While tracks like “All In,” “Here Tomorrow Gone Today” and the first single “Halfway Gone” are songs sure to be heard on radio for years to come.

Lifehouse’s multi-platinum 2000 debut, No Name Face, produced “Hanging by a Moment,” a #1 alternative hit which crossed over to become Top 40′s Most Played Song of 2001, while 2002′s Stanley Climbfall solidified the band as a touring force. Their 2005 self-titled platinum effort yielded “You and Me,” a giant hit ballad (Wade, Cole) that set a record by spending more than 60 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. 2007′s Who We Are, also produced by the Smoke & Mirrors team, included the hits “First Time,” “Whatever It Takes” and “Broken,” which combined sold over 3 million digital downloads. To date Lifehouse has sold over 5 million albums.

www.lifehousemusic.com

Lifehouse “Who We Are” Tour 10.22.2007

By D. Marcher, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

As many of you did not know, judging by the size of the crowd, Lifehouse performed at the Marquee Theater on October 22^nd.  Even though the Marquee was only filled to about half capacity, Lifehouse performed as though they were entertaining an arena full of their biggest fans.  Unfortunately the same can not be said for their opening acts, luckily, the fans realized that there was light, in this case Lifehouse, at the end of the tunnel.

HoneyHoney, kicked the show off with their unique folk take on rock, perhaps their sound is best describe by their MySpace, calling it backyard rhythm.  The duo, comprised of Suzanne Santo, the singer and violinist and Ben Jaffe, rhythm guitar and bass drum, charmed the small audience.  Santo, while small in stature wowed the audience with her strong vocals.  She looked sweet and innocent; however, this was all dispelled when she began singing a playful song dedicated to all of the couples in attendance.  While their music was heavily based upon prose, it was lighthearted and fun, something that is often not found in the music of today.  As the crowd slowly trickled in, everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy the performance, which was actually their last with the Lifehouse tour

Unfortunately, the same can not be said for the next band, Midway State a quartet from Toronto, that just joined the tour the day before.  With that said, perhaps it is this lack of experience on the stage, which made this performance so disappointing.  Midway State provided easy pop rock melodies that seemed to fall upon deaf ears, as they were unable to capture that audience with their performance.  The crowd, which was now about quarter capacity, freely walked around in and out of the theater, with little interest in the performance.

For the fans that had come for Lifehouse, this was just not their type of music and I would say a poor selection for the tour to compliment Lifehouse.  Perhaps it was best said by Amber, 18 from Phoenix, “I didn’t leave because I wanted to save my spot (in the crowd) for Lifehouse, otherwise I would have.”  Amber, was not alone in her sentiment, Mike, 30 of Goodyear, said “I would have come later, had I known.”    Midway States’ lead singer was full of dramatic movements and obvious angst, but it seemed self absorbed.  To be honest, I would have been just as happy to have listened to elevator music, while waiting for Lifehouse, and those in the audience that were listening to their mp3 players, must have felt the same way.

Finally, Lifehouse, the trio comprised of Jason Wade, Rick Woolstenhulme, Bryce Soderberg, came on stage to the delight of all of those in attendance.  Jason Wade erupted into “Make Me Over”, followed by “Spin” and the crowd couldn’t have been happier.  The audience ate up the high energy level that Lifehouse emitted.  You could instantly tell that this crowd was in for a great evening of music.  Not letting the size of the crowd place a damper on the evening, couples danced together freely, almost as if this is the way the audience should have been.  The boys of Lifehouse made full use of the large stage, Bryce, the bassist, even leaped onto the speakers to the surprise of the crowd.  There were plenty of other surprises too, such as Bryce taking on lead vocals for a cover of  Badfingers’, “No Matter What”.  Jason Wade’s vocals were as impeccable as ever as he commanded the stage, leading the crowd through seven songs from “Who We Are”, the latest Lifehouse release.  Jason and company, of course, also played fan favorites such as their mega hit, “Hanging by a Moment” and even dedicated “You and Me” to all of the fans in attendance.  Overall, Lifehouse managed to salvage a somewhat disappointing night of music, into one of my favorite concerts this year.

Lifehouse Concert Review 10.22.2007

By K. Mac, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

Performing at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre Monday night was Lifehouse, the band that entered the mainstream with their breakout single “Hanging by a Moment.” Surprisingly, the venue was not filled to capacity, but that did not stop Lifehouse from putting on an amazing show. If anything the lower number of attendees added to the intimate atmosphere of the show.

Lead vocalist, Jason Wade led the set perfectly, bringing the crowd with him on a journey through a variety of songs, emotions and tempos. His passion for the material was tangible, even from the back of the venue it was possible to feel the emotions in each song. Adding to the atmosphere were the lighting effects of the show. There was one moment that is still crystal clear in my mind, and that was when the instruments died out, he was backlit by soft blue light and his crystal clear voice sang the chorus of “Spin.”

As well as playing their own material, Lifehouse covered Badfinger’s “No Matter What,” which had the crowd singing along enthusiastically.  Jason interacted throughout the evening with the audience, including an anecdote about the drummer, Rick Woolstenhulme, growing up in Gilbert.  Jason and explained that Rick had worked at a popular pizza joint, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.  These interactions only enhanced the connection between the band and crowd.  Rick also made his hometown proud with an impressive drum solos during “Broken” and the encore.

Lifehouse’s performance was in no way lacking, even if concert attendance may have been.  The experience was incredible, and it felt as if it were attending a private concert. The members of Lifehouse engaged the crowd, and let everyone present feel the emotion that went into creating their music and lyrics. If you get the chance to see them in concert, take it. You will not be disappointed.

Set List:

• “Make Me Over”
• “Spin”
• “Am I Ever”
• “Interlude-Quasi”
• “Simon”
• “Hanging by a Moment”
• “Somebody Else”
• “Mesmerized”
• “No Matter What” – Badfinger Cover
• “The Joke”
• “Better Luck”
• “Whatever it Takes”
• “You and Me”
• “First Time”   

  Encore:

• “Disarray”
• “Broken”