Sunday, August 31. 2008
The Ugly Beats - more photos
photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer
Paul Collin's Beat - more photos
photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
Wild Weekend Power Pop Festival
http://www.myspace.com/wildweekendaustin
Friday, August 29th, 2008
Saturday, August 30th, 2008
The Mohawk(Austin, Texas)
Beerland(Austin, Texas)
It was a small but dedicated crowd that packed the plaza that is the outdoor stage of the Mohawk to see the first Wild Weekend Power Pop Festival. Starting out with day shows over at Beerland and moving to the Mohawk for the headliners, old and new punk-poppers gathered to see new bands like Austin's Ugly Beats, old bands like Paul Collin's Beat, and bands doing reunion gigs like The Pointed Sticks and 20/20.
I was able to fade the heat for one night and join in the fun, stopping by to catch the Friday night gigs at The Mohawk making it in time to catch The Ugly Beats from beginning to end. A great Austin band, the go-go boots, twangy Beatle-esque sound, and fading summer light gave the venue the aura of a late 60's beach party. It was dark by the time Nikki Corvette and her band hit the stage, continuing the go-go boots and 60's theme.
I stole upstairs to the patio to try to find Paul Collins and I ended up finding him nursing a beer and a nasty case of laryngitis. Nodding to my questions I tried to toss him yes and no softballs, but it was frustrating for both of us so in the end I wished him a good set, and headed back downstairs to catch the set by The Pointed Sticks.
Reforming after 30 years, these guys drew a big crowd from both their hometown in Vancouver B.C. as well as from around the states. It seemed everyone in the audience knew their music except for me, but I don't think anyone noticed. The crowd was so into the set, many of them ended up onstage for the bands last song.
I stuck around to catch Paul's set as well, but all the traveling and the laryngitis made his voice froggy to the point that it was painful for me to listen too. After the 6th song or so I decided it was time to go and as I headed off up the street I could hear him blasting his way through his catalog.
The Pointed Sticks At The Mohawk - more photos - photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer
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Saturday, August 30. 2008
 Ok... I liked this disc - right up until they tried to go mainstream with the vocals. All the tracks where they try to go mainstream suck. All the tracks that don't go mainstream go crunch in a big way and are worth buying.
Tracks I liked include "Gematria" and "Sulfer". "Psychosocial" has a real grind to it to start but then really wimps out. "Dead Memories" is just wrong. Sounds like Breaking Benjamin. Not that I don't like Breaking Benjamin, it's just that it doesn't sound like Slipknot.
This is definitely a disc to cherry pick your downloads.
Thursday, August 28. 2008
Tom Petty at the Verizon Wireless - more photos
photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
Tom Petty and The Hearbreakers
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida
http://www.tompetty.com
Tom Petty Concert Photos
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater(Selma, Texas)
Also: Steve Winwood
An interesting thing happened at the Seether concert the other night. Between sets they were playing songs over the P.A. and the played a 20 year old Tom Petty song. Everyone in the audience, the pit, the working crew, virtually everyone started singing along. It was amazing as most of the audience hadn't even been born when the song was recorded and yet everyone knew the words.
I started following Tom Petty when I caught his "interview" in the movie F.M. and went out to buy his first L.P. I missed him when he played at The Paramount that same year and never had a further opportunity but bought most of the LP's he released through the 80's and 90's. Now 30 odd years later I finally caught up with Tom and his band The Heartbreakers at the Verizon Wireless in Selma, and watching his show live was like watching the greatest hits of everything that came between. I found it impossible not to sing along with many of the songs, as did most of the audience. The highlight for me was "Listen To Her Heart" from that first album, which was always my favorite song.
Now if I can just get him to tour with Big Mountain Fudgecake.
Continue reading "Concert Review: Tom Petty at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Selma, Tx."
Tuesday, August 26. 2008
Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest - more photos
photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
Judas Priest
Hometown: Birmingham, United Kingdom
http://www.judaspriest.com
Judas Priest Concert Photos
Sunday, August 24th, 2008
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater(Selma, Texas)
Also: Heaven and Hell, Motörhead , Testament
"Don't worry honey. It will only take a couple minutes"...
Those words would come to haunt me.
I knew I was cutting it close but I had no choice. My flight was scheduled to land in Austin at 5:09pm, Motörhead was scheduled to hit the stage at the Verizon in Selma at 6:30 straight up. I had, by schedule, 81 minutes to make it to the venue where I was to be whisked to the stage via golf cart just in time to see Lemmy step on stage. It would be close but it could be done.
If everything went drop dead perfect.
In preparation for the race I had ditched my checked bag with a friend so I was traveling light. I had swapped seats on the flight to get closer to the front, in front of all the cranky kids on their way back from Orlando. I even stowed my carryon bag over the first row so I could grab it and run. But our flight was late, 20 minutes to take off, landing 6 minutes off schedule on the tarmac in Austin, and then we had to wait for another jet to taxi out before we pulled up to the gate. Bolting out the door with my bag, I practically sprinted through the airport, and just caught my shuttle to the off-site parking lot before it pulled out.
I was close. I could still make it.
Continue reading "Concert Review: Judas Priest at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Selma, Tx."
Friday, August 15. 2008
by clint gilders - clubkingsnake staff
The Molson Amphitheatre. Toronto, Ontario.
August 13, 2008
Testament took the stage to a fairly empty Amphitheatre at the sooooo un-metal hour of 5:30. Their short set had some old favourites, but it was the new material from the latest The Formation of Damnation that really impressed me. "More Than Meets The Eye" and "The Formation of Damnation" are really good songs. Also impressive was lead guitarist Alex Skolnick. Skolnick, who performs with a Jazz Trio on the side shreds effortlessly. As I walked to my seat after my time in the photo pit I overheard several people remark on his playing. The whole band looked as though they were having a blast on stage while still staying metal and flipping the horns at the appropriate times. Lead vocalist Chuck Billy remarked that the Toronto crowd was the best yet. Whether it was standard stage banter or true we'll never know, but those in attendance were definitely into the show.
"We are Motorhead and we play Rock 'n Roll". The incomparable, inimatable, unstoppable Lemmy Kilmister's catch-phrase begin's Motorhead's assault on Toronto metal fans. Judging by the vast array of Motorhead shirts seen on bodies streaming into the Amphitheatre most of the early birds didn't need to be told who was destroying their eardrums. And when I say destroy, I mean it. Their set was among the most sonically devastating I have had the pleasure of hearing. With Mikkey Dee's kick drums reverberating through my chest cavity and threatening to stop my heart, and Lemmy's deliciously distorted Rickenbacker bass the trio (with Phil Campbell on Guitar) tore through a 30 minutes set which featured "Killed By Death", "Overkill" and of course "Ace of Spades". After the set I was compelled to head to the Motorhead merch booth and buy myself a "Everything Louder Than Everything Else" T-Shirt. They had lived up to that seemingly impossible boast.
Continue reading "Concert Review: The Metal Masters at The Molson Amphitheatre. Toronto, Ontario, Canada."
Thursday, August 14. 2008
Shawn Morgan of Seether - more photos
photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
Seether
Hometown: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
http://www.seether.com
Seether Concert Photos
Friday, August 8th, 2008
Stubb's BarBQ(Austin, Texas)
Also: Safety Suit, Red
Shaun Morgan's guitar fretboard has "Kill Me Now" written on it in aluminum colored ink.
Every once in a while the lights would reflect off it and catch my eye.
It was a quirk of irony that the very next day I was to shoot the Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott tribute at Ozzfest. One artist very much alive, gunned down onstage, the other so angst filled he seemingly invites the same fate.
I have been a fan of Seether's post-grunge sound ever since I caught them on The Tonight show during their first U.S. tour. I went out the next day and bought their first major label release, Disclaimer, and was astounded. The heavy raspy sound of "Gasoline" and the other tracks were thick with hooks and left me buzzing. I must have left it in my disc player for a full month. I bought every disc released since then.
Shawn Morgan of Seether - more photos
photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer |
Along the way I have followed Seether's career with more than a passing interest as it has risen and fallen. First there was the incredible success of the single "Broken" with Amy Lee of Evanescence that rocketed them to prominence. For a brief time Shaun Morgan and the band seem to be on top of the world. Then Shaun Morgan's life seemed to unwind.
There was the incredibly public breakup with Amy Lee. It didn't help that it spawned her songs "Call Me When Your Sober" and "Lithium" taking Morgan to task publicly. In 2006 guitarist Pat Callahan left after 4 years with the band, and soon after Shaun entered rehab for cocaine and alcohol addiction. In between Shaun had problems with his label over naming the albums and profanity in his lyrics. He also had other problems with his health, at one point doubling over onstage. Finally last fall, with a new album ready for release, Shaun's brother jumped out of a Radisson window in South Dakota while on tour with the band as a roadie.
It's unfathomable to me how he is able to continue performing. A lesser man(me) would have withdrawn from public life rather than battle the demons in front of an audience. In some way I suppose it's providing some kind of cathartic release. At least I hope it is. It must be sheer torture to have to perform "Broken" night after night. I can't imagine the incredible weight that rests on Shaun Morgan's soul but I can hear it in his music. And I could see it on his guitar, every once in a while, when the flash of ink caught my eye.
Seether at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos - photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer
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Tuesday, August 12. 2008
Kerry King - Dimebag Tribute at Ozzfest - more photos
King Diamond - Dimebag Tribute at Ozzfest - more photos
| One of the big events of Saturday's Ozzfest was a 4 song performance of song tributes to "Dimebag" Darell Abbott, the former Pantera/Damage Plan guitarist gunned down onstage by a whacked out fan at a club in Ohio in 2004. Each song was performed by a different all-star tribute group, many artists making special provisions to appear.
I was able to positively identify all of the artists involved except the drummer on songs 1 & 2 who I suspect was Vinnie Paul Abbott, but I can't prove it with a picture (it was tough to see the drummer from the pit). I also can't prove Lars was there with a picture either. Below is the song list and the roster of each supergroup that performed:
Song 1 - Mouth For War - Pantera
Jamey Jasta - Hatebreed
Bob Zilla - Hellyeah/Damageplan/Nothinface
Tom Maxwell - Hellyeah/Nothingface
Nick Bowcott - Grim Reaper
Vinnie Paul Abbott - Pantera/Damageplan/Hell Yeah
Song 2 - A New Level - Pantera
Scott Ian - Anthrax
Max Cavallera - Soulfly/Sepultura/Cavellera Conspiracy
Nick Bowcott - Grim Reaper
King Diamond
unknown - drums (Vinnie Paul?)
Song 3 - Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Scott Ian - Anthrax
Jerry Cantrell - Alice In Chains
Mike Inez - Alice In Chains
Pearl Aday - Neverland Express
Lars Ulrich - Metallica
Song 4 - Fucking Hostile - Pantera
Kerry King - Slayer
Vinnie Paul Abbott - Pantera/Damageplan/Hell Yeah
Mike Inez - Alice In Chains
Chad Gray - Mudvayne/Hell Yeah
I am glad I got the opportunity to shoot this as it will be nearly impossible to get all these artists on the same stage again.
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Wish Your Were Here at Ozzfest 8/9/08 - more photos
 | A New Level at Ozzfest 8/9/06 - more photos
 | Mouth For War at Ozzfest 8/9/06 - more photos
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Nick Bowcott
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Max Cavallera
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Scott Ian
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Jerry Cantrell
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Mike Inez
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Pearl Aday
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 |
Monday, August 11. 2008
Rob Halford and I at NXNE 2007
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My first REAL concert experience was Judas Priest live at the CNE Grandstand in Toronto during the summer of 1986. I was dumbstruck at the scale of the spectacle I witnessed that night, and few concerts since then have even come close to matching my memory of "Priest". In the years since, my love of their music has never waivered but I somehow haven't managed to see them in all their live glory. One large consolation was that I did cover the Rob Halford interview at 2007's NXNE. An experience that reignited the fire driving me to see Judas Priest again.
This terrible oversight will change on August 13th when the Metal Masters Tour steamrolls Toronto. Yeah there's Priest headlining, and you've also got Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath fronted by Ronnie James Dio), add to that Motorhead, and (comparatively young upstarts) Testament and I start to get all stupid. This will be Metal 101 taught by Rob Halford, Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio and, Lemmy Kilmister. I'll be there at the very least as a fan with some really good seats. Fingers crossed that I might also be asked to shoot the show.
August 24th will also see our Jeff Barringer in Selma (San Antonio), Texas when the Metal Masters bring their tour come boot camp to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
Remaining Tour Dates Below:
12th Centre Bell, Montreal, QUE
13th Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON
15th Mohegan Sun, Hartford, Connecticut
16th Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
18th DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
19th First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Chicago, IL
21st Zoo Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, OK
22nd Superpages.com Amphitheatre, Dallas, TX
23rd Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
24th Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, San Antonio, TX
26th El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, TX
27th Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM
28th Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
30th Glen Helen Pavilion, San Bernardino, CA
31st Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
Sunday, August 10. 2008
 The Hold Steady
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
www.theholdsteady.com
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Parish (Austin, TX)
Opener: The Loved Ones
“…and we are all . . . The Hold Steady!�
That’s how it ends. And good Lord, what a show. But let’s rewind the clock a few hours and figure out how we got there.
A sold out crowd invaded the intimate confines of The Parish in Austin, TX, ready for a night of The Hold Steady’s fun, rowdy brand of rock. Morale in the city had been low with Austin approaching a record number of 100-degree days, but spirits immediately rose in the air-conditioned room. The cold beers helped a bit, too.
The show began with a set by pop punk group The Loved Ones. While they didn’t have the sing-a-long notoriety of the headliners, they provided an entertaining warm up. My favorite moment wasn’t exactly a song, per se, but rather their segue into the first song. “Paper Planes� by M.I.A. was playing on the overhead speakers, and the band began to drum to the gunshots in the chorus. The music then faded and they seamlessly moved into their first song. Cool stuff. Another great moment was Franz and Tad from The Hold Steady joining the band on stage for the last song, “Louisiana.� But really, the crowd was just biding their time until The Hold Steady.
And just like that, there they were, belting right into “Constructive Summer,� which blended into “Hot Soft Light� and “Chips Ahoy.� There was little between-song banter from the group, as they wasted no time picking nuggets from their four-album catalogue, including many from the recently released Stay Positive. I marveled at the crowd’s ability to jump and sing along to even the new tracks. But then, these songs make you sing along, with Craig Finn providing the raucous lead, half-yelling and half-singing into the microphone.
The Hold Steady are in their element in a live setting. They’re clearly having fun on stage, and they didn’t hold back Wednesday night. Songs like these make it hard for certain writers to refrain from ripping his notepad in half and jumping around like a half-drunk fanboy.
The night continued with songs like “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night,� “Banging Camp,� and a touching rendition of “Lord, I’m Discouraged,� providing one of the few breathers throughout the night.
The set ended on a high note with the back-to-back songs of “Stay Positive� and “Slapped Actress.� But the crowd, the bloodthirsty jackals they were, wanted more. Lucky for them, Craig and company clearly didn’t want to go home yet, either. Beaming, the lead singer yelled to the crowd, “There is so much joy in what we do up here. We’re The Hold Steady, and we fucking love you!�
The band treated Austin to two encores, including an oh-so-perfect duo of “Positive Jam� and “Killer Parties� to close out the second encore. As the final song wound down, Craig raised his arms and sang to the crowd, “If she says we partied, then I’m pretty sure we partied. I remember we departed from our bodies. And we woke up in Austin, Texas, and we are all . . . The Hold Steady!�
And so we’ve come full circle. I couldn’t have enjoyed this show any more. The band, the crowd, the energy of the room…this went beyond a simple rock show: this was a communal experience. We are all The Hold Steady.
James Hetfield of Metallica at Ozzfest - more photos
 | Ozzfest 2008 landed in Pizza Hut Park just north of Dallas on Saturday and the venues nickname of "the oven" proved true as the near sold out crowd baked in the heat to check out bands like Witchcraft, Drowning Pool, and Rigor Mortis along with major headliners like Metallica, Serj Tankian, and of course Ozzy Osbourne. Though Ozzy's set wasn't the headliner slot, he proved to be a tough act to follow with a blistering Zakk Wylde 30 minute guitar solo and closing with a fireworks display high above the arena. That's not to say that Metallica were slouches with the pyro during their set.
Other highlights of the day have to include the Dimebag tributes that drew special guest perfomers like Kerry King of Slayer, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez of Alice In Chains, Max Cavallera of Sepultura, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, and King Diamond, along with many others. Jonathan Davis of Korn tried to class up the show a bit by dressing himself and his band in suits, and Serj Tankian followed that by equipping his band with top hats for their set. Both of those sets seemed to leave the audience a bit confused and disoriented, but Ozzy's set quickly brought everyone back to a more traditional metal theme.
Thanks to Ozzy & Sharon, Metallica, Kerry King and all the bands at Ozzfest, as well as the crew at MSOPR and AEG for inviting us out. It may have been a hot show but it was a HOT show and I am definitely looking forward to Ozzfest 2009 wherever it ends up.
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Ozzy Osbourne at Ozzfest 8/9/08 - more photos
 | Jonathan Davis at Ozzfest 8/9/06 - more photos
 | Serj Tankian at Ozzfest 8/9/06 - more photos
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Kingdom Of Sorrow
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Rigor Mortis
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Within Chaos
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Witchcraft
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Hellyeah
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 | 
Soilent Green
8/9/06 Ozzfest 2008 |
Saturday, August 2. 2008
Paul Collins and The Beat at SXSW 2007 - more photos
photo by Jaime Butler - Staff Photographer |
It may not be SXSW but many of the bands slated to appear at the upcoming Wild Weekend Power Pop Festival have appeared at SXSW and some of the bands are coming to Austin on August 29th and 30th from as far away as Spain to perform. From bands that pioneered the genre such as Paul Collin's Beat and 20/20 to the younger set that keep the sound alive today like The Ugly Beats and The Boss Martians, there will be lots of bands representing several eras of the genre. I remember owning The Beat and 20/20's debuts on vinyl back in the 80's and I saw The Beat open for The Jam at the Dillo circa 1980 or so.
For those not familiar withe genre called "Power Pop" imagine a sound that combines the sticky sweetness of a Beatles pop melody with the harder driving edge of The Ramones and you have it. From Wikipedia:
Power pop (or powerpop) is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are usually kept to a minimum, and blues elements are largely downplayed.
We are hoping to get invited to cover the show so stay tuned.
Here is the schedule for the Wild Weekend Power Pop Festival: Thursday, August 28th
Official Festival Pre-Party at Beerland:
DJ Sue (Fuzz Club)
DJ Mike Hooker (Ready Steady Go!)
DJ Novelas (Albuquerque, NM)
Treehouse Radio DJ's (Emily and Hydro)
Angel Von Ripper (ATX)
Plus very special guests!
$5 | Friday, August 29th
Night Show at Mohawk (All Ages):
Paul Collins' Beat
Pointed Sticks
Nikki Corvette
Ugly Beats
Black & Whites
Electric Shadows
$25
Day Show at Beerland (21+):
Grand Champeen
Power Chords
Prima Donna
The Pleasure Kills
The Red Hearts
FREE! | Saturday, August 30th
Night Show at Mohawk (All Ages):
The Boys
20/20
Boss Martians
Tranzmitors
Cute Lepers
Gentleman Jesse And His Men
Baby Shakes
$25
Day Show at Beerland (21+):
Poor People
Luxury Sweets
Greatest Hits
Beach Patrol
Avenue Rose
FREE! |
For more information on how to attend Austin's Wild Weekend Power Pop Festival or to buy advance tickets check out their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/wildweekendaustin
Friday, August 1. 2008
Vaden Todd Lewis of The Toadies - more photos
photo by Clint Gilders - Staff Photographer |
Aside from the 100 odd bands coming to Austin for this years ACL Fest, there is plenty to see, hear, and do without braving the dust bowl that will be Zilker Park in September, and hopefully by the time we get to October the incredible heat that this years summer has wrought will have begun to wane.
The Toadies will be doing a 2 night gig over at Stubb's to celebrate the release of a new studio album on September 3rd and 4th. La Zona Rosa will host the legendary band Squeeze from the U.K., along with Fastball on September 5th.
September 12th brings Mogwai over to Stubb's and on the 14th John Hiatt and Joan Osborne will be out at The Backyard. Back to Stubb's on the 16th we have the Eagles Of Death Metal and The Hives and then Nightwish performs over at La Zona Rosa on the 17th followed by Amos Lee on the 18th.
If you make the drive to Selma you can catch Carlos Santana on the 19th at the Verizon. Dark Star Orchestra will be over at Stubb's on September 20th, followed the next night by Ani DiFranco and then Stereolab closes out the month at La Zona Rosa on the 24th.
October gets off to a rocking start with Clutch over at Stubb's on the 4th followed by The Presidents Of The United States Of America on the 8th. Bassnectar plays over at La Zona Rosa on the 10th, and Cat Power plays her make up show at Stubb's on the 11th. Widespread Panic does a 2 nighter out at The Backyard, also on the 10th and 11th. Back to Stubb's we have Bang Camaro on the 16th followed by Jason Mraz on the 24th.
All Time Low will be pulling into La Zona Rosa on the 25th and on the 26th you have a hard choice to make.
You can check out Alkaline Trio over at the Austin Music Hall, or you can head out to The Backyard for the venue's final show celebration headlined by Willie Nelson and some special guests. Knowing Willie those guest could range as widely as Snoop Dog to Bono so expect some real surprises.
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