Saturday, November 3. 2007
For those not local to the Midwest, Milwaukee’s Summerfest may be something you have never heard of. 2007 was the 40th year of this great 10 day festival. While there are actually 12 major stages (11 of them are free with fest admission) there are also pop-up stages. We passed several tent like areas with local talent getting in their few seconds in the lime light. With everyone from B.B. King to Hellyeah, the selection should have something for everyone. A kid friendly area, bingo booth, shopping plaza, the beach and the food. Good golly did I mention the food yet? The glorious roasted corn, the local ethnic restaurants. I adore the food. I strayed from my strict diet on day two and totally scarfed myself some sauerbraten from Mader’s, the premier German restaurant. I didn’t hit up the corn and failed to search out the cannolis. But the bittersweet sauerbraten and warm German potato salad was heaven sent.
Summerfest is a family affair, but while there are kid friendly areas, remember there is also a LOT of beer. This is after all Milwaukee. Where Laverne and Shirley are from. Where Miller was created. This is the land of Beer.
While we were there only 2 days we saw some really great shows, both local and national acts. On July 3 we checked out a band called Major Tom. The little glam girl that hides deep down in me was REALLY happy to see this act. They were a good old fashioned booty shaking glam band. I did kind of regret that we didn’t get there in time to see the full set of the all girl band “Cat Fight.� Showing up at the end of their set, the did a cover of “Kiss Me Deadly� that was better than the original.
Back to Major Tom. Mixing in covers of Beatles, Zepplin and KISS into their set of originals, the ran the spectrum of classic rock sounds. Original song “Chandeliers� had a little Seattle sound mixed into the glam and the backing vocals took on an almost tortured tone. Major Tom makes for a good time fun band. We ducked out shortly after the show. This is the date that holds the attendance record each year because of the insane firework display. We beat tail home for a relaxing evening.
Now we move ahead to July 6. Last year Brian and I shared our anniversary night with everyone and this year will be the same. Working for Club ks, this year we celebrated our anniversary in true rock n roll style. We are officially spoiled now on our anniversary and I cant wait to see who we celebrate with next year.
Continue reading "Concert Review - Summerfest 2007, Milwaukee WI"
Thursday, November 1. 2007
Four stages, 25 bands, 90+ degrees, a ranch in the middle of Nowhere, WI. This is Hedgpeth day two!
While I have heard of some of these bands, and heard others, we were there primarily to cover Primus. Everything else was a bonus. Rules for most every concert you attend are photos for the first three songs, which also meant I got to listen to the first three songs. Then it was off and running to another stage. The only band we completely listened to was Primus and that is only because they honestly really and truly SUCK! Thankfully for us, the media got to hide in a nice air conditioned room and download their photos and catch up on notes. This was a HUGE help from all the running. Sorry for the short band reviews, but we were always on the run! Remember moshing in allowed areas only. :)
Off to the races!
Continue reading "Concert Reviews: Hedgpeth Music Festival Day Two, Part One"
Wednesday, October 31. 2007
No Conviction
Invitro
Otep
Static X
The Rave
One of the coolest things about this job is watching the progression of bands. The first time we met No Conviction, it was at the Side Bar of The Rave for a smaller local show. This time around, they invited us to see them on the big stage. Opening for several larger acts, No Conviction had some big shoes to fill. Locally based, they needed to reach out to people who may have never heard of them. Also they were under pressure from shooting a video of the evening.
They filled the big boots well. This time they sounded much better. For some reason they lucked on the mix lotto. There was a more thrash feel rather than the totally insane hard core of last show giving them an almost softer sound. With a limited set (a mere 6 songs) they tore through their 20 minute set at full steam ahead. Playing highlights for me were the songs "Sin is In" and "No Control." They closed with perennial favorite, the Superjoint cover, "Fuck Your Enemy."
Invitro was up next and for some reason I had a problem concentrating on their first song. These boys are creative, I'll give them that! What can I say about a band that comes on stage with lab coats and aluminum foil helmets with laser beams coming from their heads? They did put on a decent show, once I was able to focus more on the music and the head pieces came off. A combination of light industrial with a pop/punk feel and a fast set. There were some great guitar riffs that were extremely catchy. Overall what I would term a "bouncy" set.
Otep was up next and with this being the set I was looking forward to, I was somewhat disappointed. There were no vocals for the first two songs, and when they finally were able to be heard, they were not that great. Since the show was at The Rave, I'll blame it on the mix. Otep Shamaya is one of the few kick ass women vocalists out there, and I was really disappointed that her vocals didn't come across as great live as they do on CD. But she was pretty damn hot on stage. More than just a pretty face, she gave her views on politics and life, which at times excited the crowd and other times brought them down. I do give her credit for her beliefs and even more credit for sharing them openly. Although personally, when watching a concert, my mind isn't in the mood for politics. I just want to have a good time and not have to think. But did I mention she still looked damn good?
Finally was Static X. This is a band I swore I didn't like and wasn't familiar with. Apparently I was wrong on both accounts. I was shocked at the number of songs I knew, but even more I was shocked at how much I not only liked the show, but their music. Opening with their new song "Cannibal," they tore through their almost 2 hour set. I won't even attempt to give them a genre beyond their self described "Evil Disco." This band had amazing energy and sounded almost flawless. For those in the Milwaukee area, you know what this means for The Rave. I was incredibly impressed with their energy level. For a band that ain't really spring chickens anymore to tear through that many songs and stay on stage for as long as they did really is truly impressive. Crowd faves were "Push It" and "I'm with Stupid" although they also played "Destroy," "Dirthouse," and "The Enemy." And I still want to know what Wayne puts in his hair.
The true bonus to this show was the fact that we were allowed to photograph for the ENTIRE set. We learned exactly how many pics it takes to fill a 4 gig memory card. It was an amazing show, and we would like to thank No Conviction for the invitation!
Thursday, October 18. 2007
Wrath
El Diablo
2-West
Heartbreakers Gentlemen's Club, West Allis, WI
June 23, 2007
Wrath is a good old fashioned thrash band. You might remember I reviewed them last fall. I go a long way back in life with these guys, and I still rate them as one of the premier thrash bands in the Midwest. Some of their hair is shorter. They have a few years on them, but they still sound amazing. The new vocalist (well it's been almost a year; I spose I can stop calling him new) John is really finding his spot in the band. The nerves are gone. His vocals merge the newer metal sounds with the glorious old skool thrash I grew up on and still adore to this day. Oh yeah, and another slappy bass boy. Love it. There is just something so very different in the sound between the fingers and the pick. The sound is so much more pure with the fingers. From the clean solo work on “Closed Doors� and “Nothing Yet� to the blast beat on classic song “Panic Control,� this is a band that still to this day stays true to their roots and their sound. They shot a live video of show and you can expect to see it on their myspace page. Plus ya just gotta love when the bands give us props from the stage. Thankfully, John did remember ALL the words this time to “Ace of Spades.� It is good being the queen.
El Diablo is a Chicago 5 piece band that turns samples and keyboards into a slightly hardcore sound. A little angrier than the other bands, with a slight hard core edge. OHHH guess what, another bassist who eschews the picks. LOVE IT! They have a very evil disco feel. The segues between songs are smooth, and flawless transitions make the show move at an insane pace. I really liked the angry vocals much more than the soft ones. N, their vocalist, was a trooper; with a freshly broken arm and a pocket full of vics, he hung in there for the full set. Their set was insanely short, even though they had a full set of songs. Short sweet and to the point. And their Journey cover of “Small Town Girl� made the song far cooler than the Sopranos did. “Idiot,� with its warning to men to watch for the gold-diggers, and “Evil American� were highlights.
With a slightly abbreviated set due to the entire night being slightly behind schedule because of the late arrival of the sound guy, 2-west still had a fabulous outing. Eric, the vocalist, was in prime form to lead the way with their personal salute to sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Tonight “Decay� is dedicated to Dime. They debuted the new song “Scorned.� And all was fun and games until someone left the back door to the club open. 2-West is apparently just WAY too heavy for the sleepy city of West Allis. The show had to shut down early, much to the dismay of the crowd and 2-West. But the West Allis Police cannot be swayed.
Tuesday, September 25. 2007
Sometimes I think I'm getting old. I love going to these all day shows, but lately, it's more of a love-hate relationship.
For example, I love seeing ten bands. I hate that it takes all day.
I love shows with more than one stage, because if you don’t like one thing, there's always something else to listen to. I hate when there are so many bands on the bill they only get to play for 15 minutes, which isn't enough time to form an opinion of new-to-you music.
And there's no love to balance this part out: I hate getting up early.
The day of the show, we had to get up and leave early, because Goatwhore was first on the bill. I was interviewing Ben, and wanted to see their set and get a feel for their live show. 11 am is early for us to be out and awake most days, but we managed to drag our butts in there to a fairly empty house. Apparently 11 am is rough for others, as well.
Goatwhore puts on a very clean, fast-paced set with the single most animated death metal vocalist on the planet. Ben runs around the stage like a crazy man. Often classed as black metal, I'd say they have an original death metal sound. They were totally unaffected by the horrendous sound quality at the Rave, and sounded CD-perfect. They closed their set with “Alchemy,� as some of the younger crowd just started making their way in.
This Is Hell wrapped up their time on SOTU in Milwaukee. I think they mainline Red Bull. Like a bunch of bouncy jackrabbits, they jumped around the stage. The vocals at times were a bit forced, but they had a new punk/hardcore feel. I know that there were backing vocals, but couldn’t hear them at all; the main vocals washed out everything on stage. I liked what I heard, but although it was a little rough around the edges. I've heard local stuff mixed better.
Heavy Heavy Low Low seemed very popular with those so young I could have given birth to them. A bit of the new metal core sound -- I just can't seem to find a groove with them. I think it is the vocals that totally put me off. They were also insane in their energy level and seemed to be playing their hearts out. For that I give them major kudos, even though they really aren't my cup of cocoa.
The Acacia Strain had a classic death metal sound with new metal core vocals. I love that dark and dirty death metal sound. Their vocals are the only thing holding me back from really loving them. I don’t play, so I rely on the vocals. A little more reserved on stage.
The Devil Wears Prada had an almost anthemic quality to their sound. Made me feel like marching. Very old school synchronized playing as well as a very-fast paced set. With only a short time on stage, I wonder really how much caffeine these early bands crank in to put so much energy into their sets. The keyboardist added a nice depth to their sound - something a little different to set them apart.
The Number 12 Looks Like You is another metal core band, however, they set themselves apart from the rest with two vocalists, one high and one low. I really can't grasp the whole metal core movement, and since I was sweating my behind off, I took this opportunity to move to a less populated room, and pop in and grab a song at both 40 oz Fist and 9MM Solutions sets. I also hit a little bit of fresh air.
Continue reading "Concert Review: Sounds of the Underground 2007"
Wednesday, August 29. 2007
13 Pills at the Milwaukee Original Music Battle of the Bands - more photos... photo by brian rampacek- staff photographer | by Cindy Steinle
club kingsnake staff
13 Pills
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wi.
http://www.13pills.com
13 Pills Concert Photos
Thursday, July 19th, 2007
Milwaukee Original Music Battle of the Bands (Milwaukee, Wi.)
This was supposed to be a stage of the Milwaukee Original Music Battle of the Bands. Grand prize for the winning act is a coveted Summerfest slot. One band changed their date, then the replacement band canceled. In an earlier review I'd mentioned that I wanted to see a longer 13 Pills set, and with the competing band backing out, I got just that. Sure, I would have liked to review a few bands here for you, but hell, I'll review the one that showed. Life is too hard for local bands in the Milwaukee market to back out of dates at the last minute.
The mix at the BBC isn't what I'm getting used to at Heartbreaker's. Vocals and drums were a smidge low compared to the guitars and bass.
13 Pills at the Milwaukee Original Music Battle of the Bands - more photos... photo by brian rampacek- staff photographer |
Turns out I missed something in the first 13 Pills show, and I'm ashamed to admit it, because it's my one non-vocal weak spot: Mr. Cooper rocks on bass. Picks are for pussies. It definitely came through in this performance. The bass on every song was something to die for.
The band seemed relaxed, playing as if it nothing could come more naturally for them. "Closure" is still a such a unique song for the band, mixing so many styles. Soft vocals, tender guitar, and then a force that comes from around the corner -- a ballad with balls. "Company That You Keep" is angry and hostile, wiith a catchy riff that runs the course of the song. The sometimes-haunted vocals "Medicated Flow" were a favorite of mine, and they closed out a damn fine set with crowd favorite "Nebraska." The show was basically a night with friends and some music. An intimate crowd, as the club king himself, B made it a point to circle the crowd and say howdy to everyone there. There is such an intimate feeling at club shows that I just love, I wish all shows could be this small. Then again, bands couldn't tour like that. Small club, close to the artists, no security blocking the way. That's something short of perfection.
13 Pills at the Milwaukee Original Music Battle of the Bands - more photos... photo by brian rampacek- staff photographer |
Their CD lived up to their live performance: Impressive production, great cover art, and a clean, crisp and very professional sound. You can pick up a CD at their shows, or contact them through their myspace page for your very own copy.
By the way, they did win the round. It was a TOTAL blowout. While they didn't win the contest in the long run, they did get their own slot at Summerfest.
Thursday, July 26. 2007
photo by brian rampacek - staff photographer | by cindy steinle
club kingsnake staff
Once the Sun
9mm Solution
Lockjaw
June 1, 2007
Heartbreakers Gentlemen's Club, West Allis, WI
There was a romantic quality to Once the Sun’s set. Both vocalist Matt Halleman and keyboardist/vocalist Anna Bohn had such a great on stage presence and chemistry they seemed perfectly in sync. The stage was almost too small for this 6-piece act. They were heavy enough to be cool, yet there was a very mainstream quality to their songs. The balance between Anna's innocent and pure sounding vocals and Matt's gravely rock tones was such a nice yin/yang mix. Keyboards added something a little different to their sound. I did like the ballad “These Tears� and I also really enjoyed the closing sound “Inevitable.�
photo by brian rampacek - staff photographer |
It’s amazing what the change of a member can do for a band. 9MM Solution recently replaced their drummer and the change is phenomenal. Every aspect of the band was affected. From energy levels to overall sound and performance, the change in drummer was an immense improvement. From the slap bass to Hobbes running the stage like a possessed mad man, this was a new and improved 9mm. Closing with one of my faves, “Visualize to Terrorize,� their set was dead on.
photo by brian rampacek - staff photographer | Lockjaw is a band that shows you the darkest aspects of eroticism. And by darkest aspects I mean dark, dirty and filthy sex. With a slow grinding industrial sound, Lockjaw is our Manson. This is a place where being called a whore is truly a compliment. With his undulating moves, Medavon exudes the evil sexiness that all parents warned their children about, the boys you definitely do not want to take home to momma. Their new CD 11:11 is about to drop and they preformed “Spoiled� tonight. Through the haze of the fog machines and purple lights, they put an incredible amount of effort to not only their performance, but also their music.
From the near innocence of Once the Sun to the anger of 9mm and closing with Lockjaw, this was a night of paradoxes. An excellent combination of acts.
Wednesday, July 25. 2007
Bobzilla and Tom Maxwell of Hellyeah - more photos... photo by brian rampacek - staff photographer | by cindy steinle
club kingsnake staff
Recently I got the opportunity to sit down and kinda interview Vinnie Paul and Tom Maxwell from Hellyeah. Well not really interview them, but to join in on a telephone press conference. There were several people from different press outlets, and one of them was little ol me. I was honored to be included in this.
The two guitar attack of Hellyeah works really well in Tom Maxwell's opinion. "Greg and I have known each other for a while and we are cut from the same page. We compliment each other well. We sometimes just sit in the back of the bus and play."
Hellyeah isn't the normal Family Values type of fair with their southern feel to their music. Connections between Vinnie Paul and Jonathon Davis helped make the tour happen. "Hellyeah is a band that needs to get out to the masses. Its a great opportunity for us to get familiar with bands and their fans that may not know us." Vinnie Paul states.
Continue reading "Interview: Hellyeah's Tom Maxwell and Vinnie Paul"
Friday, May 25. 2007
Rocket 55 at The Rave- more photos... photo by brian rampacek - staff photographer |
Emergenza is a worldwide music talent contest. The largest part of the contest is done on local levels, with actual audience vote. You can think of it as American Idol for rock music. When attending an Emergenza show, be prepared for incredibly short sets. Each band is only allotted 20 minutes from introduction to closing, and the timekeeper watches closely. There are also the elements for the bands to deal with. Bad mixes at some locations, equipment that isn’t theirs (Emergenza has bands use their equipment to speed the band switches), malfunctions. This is also probably one of those venues where being an early performer is probably a good bet.
We were invited by Conniption (previously reviewed as Wrath, but the name had to be changed due to legal issues), and when we finally made it to one of their shows, it happened to be their last on the festival. It's a shame since I still feel pretty much the same way as I did before about them.
Continue reading "Concert Review: Emergenza Battle, the Rave Milwaukee WI"
Thursday, May 17. 2007
Hwy 13 - Kenosha WI
Binky Tunny and the Farmland Chokehold - Milwaukee WI
Project 44 - Chicago IL
From just a short trip south of the home of Harley Davidson, Hwy 13 is just a good old-fashioned biker rock band. they describe themselves as “A bunch of old fuckers who just want to rock;" I think that explains it all. If you've never been to a summer festival in the Midwest, this type of music may just be lost on you. And that’s a shame. While not a genre that's going to generate a lot of income, these are bands that entire families enjoy. Think of George Thorogood meets David Allen Coe meets Lynard Skynard. That’s what biker rock is. And Hwy 13 fits the bill nicely. Playing everything from an original dedicated to the one woman who hasn’t let down vocalist Danno, his motorcycle, entitled “She’s The One,� to a kick ass cover of Judas Priest’s “Hell Bend for Leather�, Hwy 13 had one helluva time playing and made everyone else have a great time too. So what if they are just a bunch of “old fuckers.�
Ahhhh tables are turned Miss Tunny. The next band was Binky Tunny and the Farmland Chokehold. Binky is a music writer for Intense Ink, a monthly tattoo and music magazine in the Midwest. Now it’s her turn. Had Courtney Love never become a drug-addled freak, she may have grown up to be Binky. Part cheerleader, part guitarist, part punk, part rock, Binky is a person who has to have fun dusting, and it totally comes across when she is one stage. One of the most entertaining performers to just watch, and the music wasn’t half bad either. From a little bit of the intro of Pink Floyd’s “Machine� to an AMAZING cover of the Misfits’ “Attitude� (and this is the real Misfits with Glenn, not the dark match Misfits people hear now) that I still am proud to have heard, Binky Tunny and gang is a band to see. I must say my favorite tune of the night was her “Poe-Em� entitled “Flower.� I think I have a new theme song to my days.
I am a delicate flower
I must be handled with kid gloves.
I will require your right arm and full attention
Do not drop me, for I am wafer thin
To prevent bruising; avoid squeezing
Keep me lily white and happy
I am a fragile thing
Closing their set with a fabulous cover of Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral,� Binky shows the world that not only is she definitely ready to play with the boys, but she is damned good at it. And for the record, although female, Binky had no issues with playing in a strip club, hell, she brought the girls up on stage.
Project 44 made a long trip to play at Heartbreaker’s, coming up from Chicago. After hearing them, I think we may need to make a few trips down south. Industrial music with a sample machine and electric drums, they were the heaviest act of the night. Aggressive and heavy, it was music that almost made you want to punch the guy next to you in the face. I do think the stage was too small for the vocalist, but damn it was a heavy as hell show. “Fall Down� was amazing and had an almost Nine Inch Nails feel to it. I also really liked the song “Warpath.� They were what I was hoping them to be and more. I just liked the pure aggression and force that this music infused. I never really seek out industrial music, but almost every time I hear it, I am blown away. Project 44 did that.
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