A Night to Remember...

This weekend was an opportunity of a lifetime!  Since joining up with the Pop Deflators crew, I haven’t had a whole lot of things to report outside of the usual news.  This has now changed!

Lead Singer Michael from Red

This show very quickly became one of the greatest concerts I have ever had the pleasure of going to.  The Chameleon Club, in Lancaster PA, hosted the Kill Th3 Machin3 tour that Red has been on over the last several months.  On the tour with them was Brian “Head” Welsh.  The opening act featured Echoes The Fall from Phoenix, AZ, and Icon for Hire from my home state of IL.  Quite honestly, I never knew something that cool could come out of Decatur.

"Head" Welsh

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the sonic onslaught that came my way last night, allow me to explain. Echoes The Fall is EXTREMELY similar to 12 Stones in the way that they sound.  Even the lead singers vocal style was on par in comparison.  If you like 12 Stones then you should definitely check out Echoes The Fall.

Icon For Hire

Icon for Hire was the next act on to the stage, and despite some technical difficulties in their part of the show, they came out to be really cool.  If I had to compare the bands sound to anyone, I would say they most resemble the sound and style of Paramore, but with a little bit more of an edge to their music.

Brian "Head" Welsh

Moving on to Brian “Head” Welsh… all I can say it that I was blown away!  I grew up listening to Korn, when Head was a part of it, and nothing about his style has changed.  What has changed is that Head has made a radical decision/transformation in his life after accepting Christ.  He has already made a solo album, and published multiple books. His best seller is Save Me From Myself, and is available in bookstores, and of course Amazon.

Head’s part of the show was absolutely awesome, but what’s cooler than that was that we (the Pop Deflators) were able to meet Head and his drummer for an interview outside the club.  You can watch for the video to be posted on the Pop Deflators Facebook page soon.

RED

Then there was the headliner, Red. I almost feel like the opportunity to see them was an act of redemption of sorts for me. Last year, they were in Reading PA for the Winter Jam Tour.  I missed my chance to see Red due to the fact that the arena was filled to capacity. Keeping with fire code, security had to force everyone waiting in line out of the venue.  At any rate, Red performed and rocked the house as expected. They played songs from all three of their albums, and even threw in a drum solo (loved it)!

Lead guitarist Anthony and drummer Joe

The fun didn’t end there either. Earlier in the show, the Pop Deflators had an exclusive interview with Anthony, the guitar player from Red.  That interview will also be posted on the Deflator Facebook page soon.

That’s all for now kids! Until then, keep rockin!

P.S. I took all of the photos used in this blog post!

Won't You Be My Neighboor(hoods)?

So much to talk about, so little time.  This week we have news about Dave Grohl, Vans Warped Tour, Underoath, Weezer, The Devil Wears Prada, the much anticipated album review of Blink 182's Neighborhoods, and of course a good dose of deflation toward pop music.

They say celebrities die in threes, and as the week unfolded this could be found to be true.  Almost anyone who knows how to read has heard about Steve Jobs, but did you know that former Weezer bassist, Mikey Walsh, also passed away on October 8th?  Walsh played with the band from 1998 - 2001.  The band has commented on their Twitter page regarding the loss.

Jackson - Black or White?

As long as we are talking about deaths... can I take a minute to reflect on Michael Jackson?  Oh wait, it's my blog, you have to listen to me... HA!  Leaving all speculation regarding his reputation outside of the music industry (i.e. various legal battles and love children that may or may not exist) he did contribute quite a bit to modern music.  My problem is this, when his death happened a year ago, the entire media world was stuck on him.  Other major news events were happening, but all you heard about was the "King of Pop".  Is it right to overshadow the rest of the world because one man dies?  Especially one who is quite possibly trying to become a woman?  I mean look at the photo... I guess it really DOESN'T matter if he's black or white!

In the quick headlines of the week...

Dave Grohl rocking out!

Dave Grohl recently filled in on drums for Cage The Elephant.  The group is currently on tour with the Foo Fighters, but suffered a the loss of their drummer, who was sent to the emergency room for a burst appendix on October 11th.

The Devil Wears Prada has entered the multimedia realm with the reNlease of their new mobile game entitled Zombie Slay.  The idea came from their E.P, called Zombie. The app can be purchased for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch at the Apple App Store.

Vans Warped Tour has also published the tour dates for the 2012 tour. Check them out here.

Underoath, who played a show with Come Back Kid, and The Chariot on October 13th at the Chameleon Club, recently released the video for their song Driftwood. You can view the video below.

Lastly, simply because I don't care about the band, and I don't see how this is possible, My Chemical Romance may have leaked information about a new album coming out in 2012.  I would love to know how they are going to record a new project without a drummer.  I realize that studio musicians are available, but shouldn't you be focusing on finding a drummer whose not a thief first?

Now the moment you've all been waiting for.... The Blink 182 review!

Plainly said, I am ADDICTED to this album! Neighborhoods has not left my CD player since I bought the record.  When I first laid ears on it, I was skeptical, but it grew on me and now I can't stop.  As a drummer, I have always counted Travis Barker as one of my main influences, but I was not prepared for the audio onslaught that he gave me in this album.  Barker came out of the box in a big way for this latest record!  That is not to discount anything that Tom and Mark have done either, the entire record is a fantastic fusion of the old and new.  They set out to make a record that has pieces of everything they've done in it, and they succeeded.  Borrowing from the influences of Boxcar Racer, Plus 44, Angels & Airwaves, and their own older style, the album is a cornucopia of the members history as musicians. Tracks such as Up All Night, Ghost on the Dance Floor, and Hearts All Gone will be stuck in your head for days on end.  If you have ever been a fan of Blink 182, you NEED to pick up this album!  As always, you can find it at any major chain, Amazon, and iTunes.

Underoath Video:

Aliens, Angels, and an Apple

This week we talk about Steve Jobs, Evanescence, Alien Ant Farm, Angels & Airwaves, and preview some upcoming concert in the Philly area.

This week is a big one for the news! Almost everyone is talking about Steve Jobs passing, and the impact that it will have on the future of Apple and technology in general.  I too regret that he's passed on, but I have to be honest and say that I sort of saw it coming.  The last picture I saw of the former CEO, he did not look well at all.  None-the-less, it didn't take away the shock factor of hearing that he's passed.  Facebook statuses and Twitter tweets are exploding with well-wishers and statements about him.  Video links and stories can be found just about anywhere on the web, including Alternative Press.  They have posted musicians reactions to Jobs passing.  You can view those reactions from artists such as Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and more by clicking here.

The world of music is always changing and evolving.  One of the biggest trends right now is "older" bands coming back out of the woodwork and producing new albums.  Evanescence and Alien Ant Farm can now be added to that list. Alien Ant Farm is set to release their new album in 2012, but details are sparse as of right now.  On to Evanescence...

Evanescence

Granted, Evanescence hasn't really been absent that long, but in my opinion they have.  When the first released Fallen, their break out album, featuring great singles like "Bring Me To Life", "My Immortal", and others, they set a tone that I don't feel has been matched in any of their other efforts.  Open the Door featured a darker sound, but wasn't quite up to the caliber that their debut was.  Evanescence is currently back in the studio working on an upcoming self-titled album.  The first single from the record has been released and it getting some serious air time on local radio. "What You Want" can be heard and downloaded on YouTube and iTunes.  Singer and front-woman, Amy Lee, says that the band has a much more mature sound; one that they've always sought after.  Personally, I have heard the new single, and I am still not impressed...keep trying guys.

Speaking of new albums, Angels & Airwaves is set to come out with a new one called, LOVE Part Two.  The album releases in November, and will be the last record that drummer, Atom Willard, will play on.  The band’s publicists are calling the split “amicable”.  If you are anything like me, you have no idea what amicable means, so feel free to look it up at dictionary.com.

Looking to the future, Thrice will be coming to the Philly area on October 13th.  The band is currently on tour promoting their latest album, Major/Minor.  I did a review of the album about 3 posts back, if you are curious.  Also, fear not Blink fans, the review of Neighborhoods is coming soon!

Angels & Airwaves

Until then...