PostApocolypticAngryPopPunk

I received a call to check out several bands down at The Lucky Lounge (http://www.theluckylounge.com/) on 5th St in Austin, Tx.

The Lucky Lounge is a shotgun type of set up. When you enter the club street side you are in a very small lounge. Tonight it was the pre staging area for band equipment due to the number of bands performing. Once you step in from the entry way you are looking down a long hallway and see the stage at the opposite end of the club. As you walk down the hallway the bathrooms are to the right and the stairs to go up to the VIP are on your left.




Once you walked down the hallway the club itself opens into a slightly wider version of the hallway. Hi-top tables along the wall to your left the bar on the right and a raised viewing area above the bar, against the right wall.

This particular event was an all ages show and the venue had a very decent crowd. The crowd was definitively mixed from the under age to the older parents of those, and all ages in between. Everyone was smiling talking and enjoying the music. Down in front of the stage though, that is where the fun was.

Although I was running a little late I still caught the last 3 songs of the first band up, Gold Steps  (https://www.facebook.com/Goldstepsatx/). Fronted by female vocals, this band unquestionable had that Pop-Punk sound. It was fun, energetic and the crowd was enjoying it. Although there was no stage diving or mosh pit happening, Gold Steps had the attention of everyone, including myself. Gold Steps hails from Austin, Tx and most definitely is a good band to check out if you get a chance. With that comfortable sound that seems familiar, Gold Steps will have no problem with pulling a crowd soon enough.

Next up was Forever Starts Today (http://www.foreverstartstoday.net/). I love their name and if you are familiar with lots of the Scream-O, Pop-Punk bands you can appreciate this name as being pretty kick ass. The nice thing is that FST has the talent and sound to back up the name. FST is fronted be female vocals. This young woman was very energetic and had the crowd wound up by the second song. The crowd was jumping along and following the lead singers every breath and word. FST was some pretty powerful stuff. With a brief, emotional moment from the lead singer dedicating the show to a recently passed fan, it seemed very evident this young front woman can control a crowd.

This next band is/was the reason I love going out to check out live music in Austin. Something new and exciting. A band or a performance that provides you that "Holy Shit!" moment. Chernobyl, The Secret (http://chernobylthesecret.bigcartel.com/). The whole performance, from start to finish was just pure bad ass. The lead singer was just energy. Living the music, being the music, performing the music, energy. The audience new it and felt it. That pent up rage just exploding throughout the crowd. Chernobyl the Secret was just adrenaline fueled mayhem and everyone was in on it. The photos here and what the band have are just lucky shots between me getting pummeled and trying to save my camera. Didn't matter though, I loved Chernobyl the Secret  just as much as the crowd did.

Drown The Coward (https://www.facebook.com/DrownTheCoward/) mounted the stage next and just kept the crowd going. Their sound wasn't as dark as the previous band, but Drown the Coward was just as hard hitting. Drown the Coward had another front man who was a beast with the vocals. The performance was just the perfect amount of creative rage and energy to keep the crowd pulsing around and forming another circle pit in the small space.

From Temple, Texas came Isonomist (https://www.facebook.com/isonomist/). Supporting their recently released CD, these guys were just a little different sound of crazy then the previous two bands. Isonomist was very technical and had what seemed to be a tuned down sound. The front man towered over the crowd with command and the band roared through their set. Realizing how good this set was made me wonder how much more the crowd could take. Isonomist just plowed through their set and with the vocals and guitars, and just pounded the shit out of the crowd... it was accepted with sweaty, smiling faces.

And then there was the king, Call Me King (http://wearecmk.com/). The final band of the evening. Hailing all the was from Austin. They proudly announced to the crowd this was the last home show as they were about to hit the road on tour. Well, if I thought everyone was wore out, Call Me King fueled the crowd with their announcement and then lit the match. Everybody was jumping on command of the lead singer.

With the most surprising vocal harmonies of the evening, I hope this part of this Call Me King's performance didn't escape the notice of the young crowd. Call Me King was the most electric performance of the evening. It was the fill between fun and energetic, and fast and crazy. Call Me King was in the right spot to end the evening.


Laters

Upon A Burning Body - Mayhem Fest 2014

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2014 rolled through Dallas, Texas. There were just a couple of acts proud to be rocking the home state crowd. I will talk about one of the others later, but for now...

Upon A Burning Body (http://www.facebook.com/uponaburningbody) [a.k.a. - UABB]! The last time I saw these guys from San Antonio, they were tearing shit up on a stage for South By South West [SXSW], in Austin, TX about 3 yrs ago. My how things have changed and remained the same. A little bit older, maybe a bit more hardened by the road, but doing it like NO ONE ELSE on the Mayhem Stages.

If the music doesn't make you think twice about UABB or take notice as they first hit the stage, it would be the unmistakable style. Balls, pride, and confidence to drop the music as hard as they do, looking as good as they do. And best of all, I don't think anyone, in any band, could do it as good in the Texas heat. Fuck all the fakers. 

Although lead singer Danny does a masterful job of controlling the crowd, it is without a doubt, the bands energy as a whole, that whips the crowd into a frenzy. C'mon, it is seriously the most unbelievable sight and sound when you have a hardcore metal band like UABB, do some corny ass shit - like sing the state song in 'Texas Blood Money' - and the crowd is not just singing along, but moving as one giant, thrashing organism. That is some cool ass shit to experience! 

I feel blessed and lucky enough to have spent a few minutes with singer Danny and guitarist Ruben before they went onstage. Although the interview was fun (and I think it was a good moment for them to step away from themselves before going onstage), the live performance of UABB is something altogether stellar to behold.

Ruben's final words that wrapped our interview, are some words I love and think will stick in the heart of every Texan, metal fan, and UABB fan out there. - "As long as they got our back, we got theirs!" -

Here is a link to the audio interview, enjoy it and the photos! (https://soundcloud.com/livemusicinaustin/ruben-danny-uabb)

I almost left it

The 'Take it or Leave It' tour rolled through San Antonio with a stop at The White Rabbit. Angel Skye wanted to go for her 17th birthday and see Sleeping With Sirens, so off we went to S.A.

So let's talk about The White Rabbit (http://sawhiterabbit.com). Seems that I am always hearing about metal shows going through S.A. and hitting the Rabbit, so I was actually pretty stoked to be going and check this place out. It is a totally inconspicuous place on a corner, just off of the hub bub of down town. The whole venue is comprised of 3 parts. The actual stage, which is situated at the narrow end of a split level, pretty large size, rectangle shape room with the bar opposite the stage. Then there are two outside areas on either side of the room. There are some picnic tables to sit at, but that seating is pretty limited. Hell, if you are gonna be at this type of show with screamo/punk music, you shouldn't be sitting anyway! I did take note, and pointed it out to Angel, that one side area seemed to have all of the parents herded off to a corner. Pretty fucking hilarious, seeing them sitting around, seemingly in a daze.

The issue that titles this blog is a play on the name of the tour and the hideous sound problem that was plaguing the mics for the bands. I do not want to crucify the sound man and venue or blame the bands, but it was monstrously fucking shitty. Angelina advised me that she has been at another show at The White Rabbit previously (same style of music) and there was a similar mic problem. SO...I refuse to point and blame, but seriously, as many shows that I hear about going through S.A. and stopping at the Rabbit, you would think they would have a better quality sound system, sound board, and sound man.

The mic issues had almost a 15 minute delay for one band while they tried to get the mics on. Another band had the lead singer struggling to keep his mic on by constantly fiddling with the cord while he was singing. Worse than that, the headliners (Sleeping With Sirens) lead singer, Kellen Quinn, launched in to their performance with pretty much no sound out of his mic for the first 2 songs. They only thing that saved the beginning of that performance was that every girl in the audience new EVERY SINGLE WORD to the songs and they were all singing at the top of their lungs. HAHAHA, didn't need a mic, the die hard, hardcore fans made the performance. The mic issue got fixed on the third song, but by then I was out the door to go sit in a corner.

Okay, now back to the music.

Lions Lions (https://www.facebook.com/LionsLionsMA?fref=ts) was the first band up and on stage. These guys are from Boston and definitely put on the 'A' game. With not as much gutturals as other bands I have heard in this genre, it was pretty much straight singing with some pretty crunching sound to back up those vocals. Speaking of back up vocals, I have to give a shout out to my new friend Jon, the bass player for Lions Lions. Here is this dude on stage with this gnarly looking beard, playing the bass, and makes you instantly think "Oh shit! That dude eats nails and spits bullets." HELL NO! (and the band and his friends will bust his balls for this) He opens his mouth and the most surprising, sweet voice comes out. Completely rivaling the lead singer, it just blew my fucking mind. I laughed from shock and told Angel, "Dang! Who would've ever thought a great voice would come outta that dude?!"  Overall, this was a great band to open the show. The music was very tight, it was energetic, and most of all the band looked as if they were having a lot of fun onstage...and THAT my friends, will make YOU have a great time at a Lions Lions performance!

DANGERKIDS (http://wearedangerkids.com) were the next up and yet another surprise. The drummer was a chick. Another 'Holy Shit!' kinda moment. Sorry, I am not sexist, I think it is awesome, but all of you know damn well that the music industry, this style of music, and that instrument is dominated by dudes! I thought it was pretty cool as I even addressed that question of chicks in the music scene with Chris Shelley from At The Skylines in a video interview I did (http://youtu.be/PXQMiVwZTdM). ANYWAY, gender aside, here was another performance that was top notch. I don't think any of the three bands that came on before SWS deserve to be called opening acts. DANGERKIDS absolutely took it to that next level, launching into song after song that had the audience in a frenzied mosh pit. Yet again here is another band that smiled and laughed the whole time they were onstage. Just great fun to watch and hear!


Conditions

(https://www.facebook.com/conditionsband) was a big surprise for Angelina Skye. She told me that she had sen them previously hear at The White Rabbit. Her complaint was that they seemed to have so much going on onstage, it gave her a headache. That was then, this is now. I understand what she said, there was no headache this time. They are technically pretty fucking amazing. They are super tight with their sound and performance and they seem to do things with the music and go places that some of the other bands in this genre don't do (I can name only one other band that is out there on the road right now also). Angelina was so blown away by the performance this time that she begged me to go get the CD for her when they got off stage. "Dad please! Dad! DAD! Please please please please? Dad dad dad dad please please please? DAD!" and then she was pissed when I didn't get the guys in the band to sign it, WTH!? So go see them, see them on a tour with multiple bands like this and you will get more than your moneys worth!

Sleeping With Sirens ( ) also know as Kellen Quinn's backing group of musicians or "OH MY GOD IT'S KELLEN QUINN AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jusus Christ! You would think that The Beatles and Elvis had a love child  thirty years late with all of the screaming, shrieking, creaming girls. WOW! A N Y W A Y, Sleeping With Sirens hit the stage and brought some pizazz and stage show with them. Moving beyond the issues I spoke of earlier, there is no doubt the charisma this band carries in their lead singer. I have seen, been at, and listened to hundreds of bands over a few decades and I think this took the cake for audience participation. It seemed that EVERY voice in the place, sang every lyric, to every song. What was even more impressive than that to me is hearing the band play and keep it together so well for the entire set. That was a lot of fun to experience and definitely worth the price of admission.

Part of doing this blog, is for the love of music. To tell you how much fun it was to be in the audience for any particular band. The other part of this is the memories I build, and the lasting memory of having a wonderful evening with my daughter, doing something that she wanted to do, will be forever in my heart, mind and soul. So to these four bands I will owe a lifetime of "Thank You's" for a wonderful 17th birthday with my daughter.

And if Lions Lions, DANGERKIDS, Conditions, or Sleeping With Sirens actually read this, I hope what I have said means a little something to you.

Laters