Wednesday, February 23. 2011
| by Robin Lardie - Staff Writer & Photographer
A sold out crowd at the new ACL Live venue downtown Austin welcomed Styx last Saturday night.
Let me first go on record as confirming what you may have previously heard about Austin's new flagship music venue: it's beautifully designed, every seat in the house boasts a great stage view. Add state of the art sound system and a doting staff and I'm confident ACL Live will quickly become your new favorite venue.
Hard to believe that Styx (Current lineup: Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Ricky Phillips- rumored to be an Austinite himself, Todd Sucherman and Lawrence Gowan) have been tearing up the stage since 1970.
Having had four consecutive multiplatinum releases in a row in their early career easily lent itself to a setlist I lovingly call "all killer, no filler". I was impressed by the level of enthusiasm and gusto brought by each member. With tight performances like Saturday night it's plain to see why renegades of all ages turn up to rock out with Styx.
To check out the schedule of upcoming ACL Live shows, visit their web site at http://www.acl-live.com/.
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Friday, February 4. 2011
Click here for the rest of the Tokyo Police Club pics. | by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
If it wasn't 12 degrees outside, the crowd at Austin's La Zona Rosa could have become confused and thought they were at a SXSW showcase with headliners Tokyo Police Club and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin making their visit to town early this year.
The crowd was definitely sparse compared to what it could have been had the weather stayed in the 70s for just one more day, but the frigid temps didn't stop the hard core, the bar was busy even without hot coffee, and the bands kept the crowd warm. | |
Sunday, November 7. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
My first taste of Suicidal Tendencies came in the early 80's when their cassettes started making the rounds in Austin and San Antonio's skatepunk scene. The bands name was taboo enough but songs like "Institutionalized" really struck a chord among the disenfranchised and I was among those disenfranchised.
This was an era when it first became vogue for families to let the medical system deal with their teens behavioral issues and a number of my friends had "disappeared" only to reappear after being institutionalized by their parents for drugs, alcohol, anger, depression, running away, or literally just for being different. Most came back more screwed up than before they left, some have never come back. Mike Muir and his song captured that vacant empty feeling exactly, and that is why it still sounds as fresh, new, and relevant, why his song still resonates with the kids today and why it still carries that same impact.
And that is why the stage in Waterloo Park was filled to overflowing with fans, young and old, there to watch Mike Muir and Suicidal Tendencies tear through a 30 year set list like they were still teenagers.
They didn't disappoint. With a half pipe loaded with skaters in view of the stage, Muir and crew burned their way through songs like "I Saw Your Mommy", "War Inside My Head", and of course "Institutionalized". Accompanied by an epic mosh pit, and dozens and dozens of stage divers they ended the set with stage full of friends and fans.
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Click here for the rest of the Suicidal Tendencies pics. |  |
Friday, October 29. 2010
Photos and review by Michael Hurcomb - Staff Photographer club.kingsnake.com
Black Crowes - Massey Hall
Back in the summer of 1990 I had a few things. A girlfriend, a car with a loud stereo and a newly acquired cassette of the Black Crowes debut "Shake Your Money Maker". Great debut loaded with 4 still popular songs that my girlfriend hated it especially if played loud. So I got rid of the girlfriend (for numerous reasons but the dislike for loud music was way up there), eventually the car died and cassettes faded away along with my interest in the Black Crowes.
Cut to 2010 (Twenty years later). The Black Crowes are in the midst of their Say "Good Night to the Bad Guys Tour" which will be followed by a lengthy hiatus. They've taken a hiatus before but it's on much better terms this time around. The Toronto show, along with a more dates on this tour are split into 2 sets. The 1st being billed as the "Acoustic Hor D’oeuvres" (60 minutes) followed by "an Electric Reception With The Black Crowes".
The band didn't waste anytime getting to the hits; leading off the acoustic set with "Jealous Again". Much to my surprise this worked really well when stripped down and the crowd loved it. Only minutes before most of the seats were empty but when the lights dimmed and the music kicked in the audience swarmed in, beers in hand and filling the aisles to dance. Guitarist Luther Dickinson held the majority of the spotlight (in both sets) with his impressive guitar skills and jam band style extended solos. Rich Robinson showcased his musicianship and guitar collection as well as taking the occasional turn singing lead. Chris (the former Mr. Kate Hudson) shared a story of how easily these old hippies can cross the U.S. Canadian border, showcased his vocal skills and shook his tambourine like a money maker. The band are obviously at a point in their career where they're enjoying their revival, their catalog and their future. I got the feeling that most fans enjoyed the more energetic electric set but I enjoyed the more intimate acoustic set. If I had to pick one song / performance to hear again it would be their cover of Aretha Frankin's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." Really quite beautiful. Maybe it won't take me 20 years to catch up on the Black Crowes again.
Click here to check out the rest of The Black Crowes photos by Michael Hurcomb Staff Photographer
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Monday, October 25. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
Although at times it seemed the sky might be ready to burst forth with torrents of rain, in fact they ended up providing just a colorful canvas of blues, grays, purples, reds and oranges for the very first Freak Show Festival put on by a new production company here in Austin, 3 Way Events.
It was a good thing too because seeing your first major show wiped out by a weather event can make a guy think twice about having another one.
Spread over a couple parking lots on 7th street the festival grounds were a large piece of barren old asphalt that was hard on the feet, but provided an almost perfect location. Right off 6th street, with plenty of parking, and a stunning Austin downtown skyline with the Frost tower providing a spectacular backdrop to the large portable stage and light kit. The festival grounds also provided plenty of space for the circus and sideshow tents and as each act started on a different stage, there was plenty of room for the crowd to comfortably shift around to watch the action.
With infamous side show master Jim Rose providing the freaks, (yes Mr. Lifto was there) the show had a main stage for the bands, a big top for the freaks, acrobats, clowns, and jugglers, a pole stage where a bevy of beauties kept the troops entertained and drew a constant crowd, as well as sideshow and "Museum of the Weird" displays, it would be difficult not to find something entertaining to do, even without the music. | 
Click here for more Blue Flames pics. | Click here for more Koffin Kats pics. | The freak show and it's acts made for a great way to fill the time during set changeovers, and it was kinda funny watching the crowd shift around like a pack of "Homer Simpson" clones going from donut shop to donut shop.
But the bands proved to be the icing on the cake. Fusing the horror and circus freak theme with the psychobilly sounds of bands like Reverend Horton Heat, the Horrorpops, Koffin Kats and more, the music just seemed to meld with the whole event.
Opening up the musical part of the show Austin based The Blue Flames did yeoman-like work filling in for a missing opener last minute, though I doubt the ladies appreciate being referred to as "yeomen". They played their way through a sharp solid set that kept the early arrivals interested, which is difficult in a festival situation, especially if your a last minute replacement. But they sounded great and put on a good show, and even spent time taking pictures with fans after their set.
The second band on the bill, the Detroit based trioThe Koffin Kats, laid down a strong psychobilly setlist accompanied with a little standup bass aerobics. It was hard to tell whether more smoke was coming from the machines or the band, as they burned through a blistering performance. This was a great band and it was good to see them on a large stage where they had some room to maneuver. I doubt you would get the same impact in say Beerland. I look forward to a return tour, hopefully very soon. | Ok, I am always a sucker for a hot chick with a guitar, especially one that plays really really wellbut Sarah Blackwood, guitarist and frontwoman for the third band Toronto based The Creepshow, absolutely blew me away. I mean I know there was a band on stage with her somewhere, I could hear them, but I found it very difficult to point my camera at her bandmates because she was just so engaging through the lens. Her live performance was electric and she seemed to have almost an aura surrounding her.
I ran into her before her set and didn't know who she was, but she is just a tiny waif, a wispy thing that barely looks like she could hoist a guitar, much less yield one like a machine gun, and that probably works to her advantage on a number of levels. This was the surprise best set of the evening for me, and that's' saying an awful lot because every band on this bill was solid.
With the big white standup bass providing the color contrast, The Horrorpops were the forth, and next to last, band on the Freak Show Festival bill and they crashed through a long list of crowd favorites, the city lights behind them providing a colorful backdrop.
If it seemed they brought their own audience with them, the Horrorpop's have long been a staple on the Red River club scene and have paid their dues establishing a core audience here in Austin. It was noticeable, because the crowd response was huge with just about everyone it seemed singing along to every song. | Click here for more Creepshow pics. | Click here for more Horrorpops pics. | Attendance at the festival had seemed to start off a bit slow but by by the end of the night a good 3500-4000 people were packed against the main stage for the Reverend Horton Heat's closing set, the crowd awash with psychobilly hairdoos and tattoos. Old punks, young rockers, circus freaks, the crowd seemed to run a wide spectrum.
Having seen the Reverend perform in Austin innumerable times since the late 70's, it was difficult to shoot his set without singing along ("I want my $400 bucks!") and he is such a pro after all this time the songs sounded like they were coming straight off his albums.
I was hoping that there would be a chill in the air so that he would put on his red jacket for the set, but it was still in the seventies by the time he made it onstage and he was dressed in his usual black. Still with the Frost Tower in the background, the smoke and lights made for an interesting shoot, and a great way to round out the night.
Thanks to 3 Way Events and JingerSnaps photography for the hook-up. It was a great first show and I look forward to the next one!
|  |  | | click here for more Reverend Horton Heat photos. |
Monday, September 27. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
If it seemed like a gigantic party in Dallas Texas Friday night, part of the reason was the opening of the Texas State Fair, the other was the opening of the second leg of the American Carnage tour in the Superpages.com amphitheater next door.
With thrash metal gods Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax playing to a solid crowd, the tour kicked off with lots of sound and fury, helped by a flight of fighter jets making a low pass over the fair. Probably a good way to open Megadeth and Slayer, who last toured the U.S. together nineteen years ago on the "Clash of the Titans" tour.
I spent the weekend with the tour at the personal invite of Slayer's Kerry King, and had a huge time hanging out with the bands, talking with thrash metal legends, and seeing the underside of how such a huge spectacle works.
New York based Anthrax started off the festivities, though not without a few sound problems that were quickly resolved. Talking with Scott Ian the next night he attributed it to a feedback issue, and it didn't recur for the rest of the set or the next night in San Antonio. This Anthrax tour saw the return of Joey Belladonna as frontman who sang with the band last in 1992, taking over vocal duties again this year first at the Sonisphere Festival in Poland.
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Click here for more Anthrax pics. | Click here for more Megadeth pics.  | Chatting with Anthrax founder Scott Ian he said that Sonisphere was great and he can't wait to tour Europe again. I also got the lowdown on how the band came up with the name Anthrax and he confirmed that when they came up with it they hadn't even heard of Gang Of Four's song of the same name, and it was purely coincidence.
While waiting for Kerry to return from an interview I almost ran into Dave Mustaine and Megadeth backstage, literally, as he and the band returned for dinner and we both tried to go through the same stage door going different directions. Not that Dave and band are hard to miss with those golden locks leading the way but I was taken aback and kind of stunned into silence right there by his unexpected appearance and couldn't really think of anything to say that wouldn't leave me looking like a fawning teenager. That seems to happen when I connect with Kerry, as I had a similar doorway experience with Marilyn Manson a few years back.
Also fresh from Sonisphere, Megadeth is reprising its role on this rerun of the "Clash of the Titans" tour by playing their entire Rust In Peace album cover to cover. Released 20 years ago the album broke Billboard's Top 25 albums and spawned the songs "Hanger 18" and "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due". Rejoined by original bassist Dave Ellefson, Mustaine and crew tore through the album with a few extra songs for good measure. Megadeth fans at either show would have been pleased. |
While I enjoyed both the Anthrax and Megadeth sets, I had really come to see Slayer, and though they were co-headliners Slayer ended each show. Riding the "Titans" theme they played the entire Seasons In The Abyss album as well as crowd favorites "Angel of Death", "South of Heaven", and "World Painted Blood", the title track of their latest disc.
Abyss is one of the few Slayer discs not in my collection, and thus not played over and over ad nauseum so it was good to hear some "new" old Slayer live, songs I'd mostly never seen performed before. Still I would have been lost without Tom's blood curdling scream in "Angel of Death" so I was glad they didn't limit their set.
Both the Friday set list in Dallas and Saturday set in San Antonio were the same, so it was interesting to compare and contrast the two. From a sound perspective I think that the Saturday show in San Antonio was just a hair tighter and cleaner, but if there was any difference in the performance it was marginal. From a photographers standpoint my Saturday shots were much better than my Friday pictures, something that I will attribute to the way they had the smoke generators firing across the footlights in Dallas.
The Dallas gig ended with Dave Lombardo coming out from behind his kit and tossing his drumsticks to the audience.
|   | Click here for more Slayer pics.  | Kerry followed suit with handfuls of guitar picks, before offering a final Jaeger shot to the audience, and slamming one himself.
Back stage after the set in Dallas I only had a brief couple of minutes to congratulate Kerry on the set before I had to hit the road. He and I had talked several times throughout the day, but with the tour opening it was a busy day for him, interviews, meet & greets and the like. I did get to talk to him for 30 minutes or so before his set, long enough to draw down a Jaeger, catch up on his day, talk and talk snakes a bit. It was really Saturday I was looking forward too.
On Saturday I brought a couple kids with me, high school thrashers who spend their nights trying to pick their way through "Reign in Blood". For me Kerry is just another snake guy, a friend no doubt,and one with an interesting job I wouldn't have for anything, but to these kids he is a god, a legend. It was worth all the effort to see their faces when Kerry walked into the dressing room, followed by Scott Ian and Frank Bello of Anthrax. After the kids got over being awestruck Kerry asked them bout the bands they were listening too and what they were playing with genuine interest, which was really cool. After the photos and autographs Kerry, Scott, Frank and I talked for almost an hour about music, the tour, and Sonisphere until they came to pack up the room.
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Wednesday, September 1. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
I have been lucky enough to kind of document the resurrection of The Meat Puppets in various formats, stills, videos and words, over the last several years, and its been a great experience. Sometimes it's shows I planned on, sometimes it was last minute, and sometimes they seem to pop up out of nowhere. I had no idea they were the opening act until I actually saw the production schedule stapled to the wall at Stubb's.
Their set opening for Ween was probably their cleanest and strongest yet since moving to Austin, and it was great to see Shandon Sahm, son of legendary Texas musician Doug Sahm, on the drums. It certainly shows that the Puppet's have been accepted into the local music scene, which can sometimes be tough.
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Click here for the rest of the Meat Puppet pics. |  |
Thursday, August 19. 2010
 | by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
The last tickets to this show sold just as I was picking up my photo pass, so for his live DVD Matisyahu can officially say "filmed before a sold out audience".
It was a close run thing too, because all that video equipment just invited a torrential rainstorm and just a mere 10 minutes north of the venue there was an absolute deluge. Call it luck or divine intervention, but nary a drop made it to Stubb's and in the end the army of videographers were able to put an awesome set down on film(?).
Although the humidity was near 100% and the temperatures were hovering in the 90's Matisyahu performed onstage in suit and a long head scarf, both part of his orthodox faith, and both were soaked by the end of the second song. Though he and his band played on seemingly oblivious to the heat and feeding off the energy of the crowd, I was not so lucky and had to replenish my fluids with many bottles of water passed to me by the security crew.
Matisyahu is one of those artists that is better live than in the studio. Something about his energy is tough to capture in a room filled with egg crate foam rather than fans. I look forward to seeing and hearing how both the CD and DVD turn out. If you can't make it to the show this tour, the DVD will be a close second.
Click here for the rest of the Matisyahu pics.
Click for Nathen Maxwell and The Original Bunny Gang pics |  |
Thursday, August 5. 2010
by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
Without a cloud in the sky and a heat index still hovering in the triple digits, the crowd was slow to gather last night for the Crowded House show at Stubb's BarBQ and it's outdoor amphitheater, but eventually it filled in by the time the band reached the stage.
Veteran's of Austin's notoriously hot and dusty ACL fest, Crowded House put that experience to use as they worked their way through a 2 hour set in the sweltering summer temperatures, covering songs from throughout their vast catalog.
Drawing on a fan base that stretched all the way back to founding members Neil and Tim Finn's Split Enz days in the early 80s, the audience was distinctly older though some younger attendees were there, perhaps drawn by the band's ACL appearances. If so it was a perfect opportunity to catch them in a much more intimate venue and really the best way to appreciate the finely crafted songwriting of these New Zealanders.
Sadly, Paul Hesters contributions on percussion were greatly missed, although Matt Sherrod's outstanding musicianship went a long way towards filling in the gap.
Click here for the rest of the Crowded House pics.
Click for Lawrence Arabia pics |  |  |
Tuesday, July 20. 2010
 | by Jeff Barringer - Staff Writer & Photographer
When I first saw the Silversun Pickups in 2006 it was after midnight, during Austin's SXSW festival at a notorious dive on Red River called Spiro's. If you included me and the bartender there were only 6 of us. On that tiny stage, lit with Christmas lights, the Silversun Pickups tore through their set oblivious to the handful of people in the audience, focused only on their music. Even then their songs were a richly embedded mass, building, swirling, swarming and droning like a hive of bees warming in the morning sun.
Jump forward to last night and the venue and audience size may have changed, but the Pickups have stayed true and their sold out show at Stubb's BarBQ was played with every bit of focus and energy.
No, they are not the most exciting stage band, no gimmicks like flamethrowers, rotating drum kits or lasers, but their lighting and stage presentation match their music and impart an ethereal aura to the band and the music which draw you in. With a Pumpkins meet Blue Cheer sound the Silversun Pickups music is dense, warm, and builds in intensity, with just enough pop hooks to crossover and reach the masses. Great band, great show.
Click here for the rest of the Silversun Pickups pics.
Click for Against Me! and Henry Clay People pics |  |
Friday, July 16. 2010
Photos and review by Michael Hurcomb - Staff Photographer club.kingsnake.com
Take a hot & muggy summer Toronto night, a thunderstorm warning, an absolutely packed venue and The Dead Weather and you have a perfect storm. An anxious crowd became deafeningly loud when Alison Mosshart strutted onto the stage grabbed the mic and the band kicked into "60 Feet Tall". Alison is a force onstage; writing, bending, screaming, strutting & sweating with everything she has. The only distraction is Jack White, the other force of The Dead Weather; whose remarkable presence behind a drum kit, behind a mic or behind the wail of his guitar challenges Alison as the leader of the band. I genuinely feel sorry for Dean Fertita (Guitar) and Jack Lawrence (bass) because I feel like people forget to notice them and their contributions to the band which are overshadowed by Alison and Jack White.
After "60 Feet Tall" the band moved into Hang You From The Heavens follow by the Them (Van Morrison was their singer) cover of "You Just Can't Win" with Jack White taking lead vocals and finishing the song behind the kit. Now I'm not sure if it was me but it really seemed like The Dead Weather were fighting to find their groove tonight. They sounded great, Jack was ferocious behind the kit and Alison sounded great but they just weren't quite in sync. The few times I thought it came together was when the Jacks switched it up, putting Mr. White behind the mic and guitar and Mr. Lawrence behind the kit. There is something so right about Jack White singing and playing guitar. His raunchy voice and screaming leads add an sonic element to make the Dead Weather groove (and I'm a big White Stripes and Raconteurs fan). And hearing Alison and Jack singing together is even better and their chemistry is fantastic.
The set was made up of songs from Horehound and Sea Of Cowards with a cover of "New Pony" by Bob Dylan thrown in towards the end. The majority of the material is strong but their singles "Die by the Drop" and "Treat Me Like Your Mother" stand out as their strongest and most crowd engaging material. You couldn't hear the last note of the show because the sold out crowd inside the now hot and muggy Sound Academy were screaming for more. With the frequency of their Toronto visits it should take too long.
Click here to check out the rest of The Dead Weather photos by Michael Hurcomb Staff Photographer
Wednesday, July 14. 2010
Photos and review by Michael Hurcomb - Staff Photographer club.kingsnake.com
I'm Canadian, Male and a Musician. So I should be a Rush fan right? Somehow it never happened. I heard their music growing up, knew that my brother's friends liked them and that they were supposed to be one of the best bands ever, but I just couldn't turn the corner as a fan. But a few things happened during the last decade that led me to appreciate their talent and legacy. The first thing was seeing them live at "Sars Stock" in Toronto. Before they went on it just seemed like a mediocre festival in the heat but they really brought an energy to the crowd that had been missing all day. The musical friends I attended the festival with were equally impressed with the band members' astounding playing abilities. The second thing was teaching guitar professionally for many years. With the aftermath of Sars Stock and the eventual influence of Guitar Hero/Rock Band every kid suddenly wanted to know how to play Rush so I dug into their catalog and learned their hits and really liked how complicated yet simple their songs were….even if I couldn't get used to Geddy's voice. The final moment that convinced me to believe was seeing the amazing show they put on last night in Toronto.
First of all - BEST OPENING VIDEO EVER! Great to see a band with a sense of humour. And what a crowd--absolutely packed with fanatical fans of all ages (both men and women contrary to what you'd think a Rush fan would be.) At times I couldn't hear the band for the crowd! RUSH burst onto the stage to "The Spirit of Radio" and quickly segued into "Time Stand Still" and "Presto." Their performances were all note perfect but the show didn't suffer as they made every effort to connect with their hometown crowd. The stage set was suited to the Time Machine theme with the backline, video graphics and drum kit designed to look like retro machinery. And unlike some bands that are well on in their careers (I'm looking at you U2 and the Rolling Stones) they didn't make the stage the star. Everything was there to merely complement the band and music. Rush knows that the fans are there to hear them play and see how well they do it. The highlight of the night for the fans was during the 2nd set (Geddy told the crowd that the band is about a 1,000 years old and they needed a break) when Rush played their classic album, Moving Pictures front to back. Later in the set the crowd were treated to a fantastic drum solo by the incomparable Neil Peart after which they played Closer To The Heart followed by both parts of 2112. Probably the biggest crowd reaction came when they played YYZ (refers to the Toronto airport code).
Something that struck me, and maybe I pick up on this as a musician, were the smiles and eye contact that the guys share with each other throughout the night. They've been together for over 30 years and you can see that these guys genuinely love each other and love playing together, rather than only doing it for the money (ahem….Eagles). A friend loaned me a copy of the recently released DVD "Rush, Beyond The Lighted Stage" and it's worth a watch for any music fan. It's filled with old footage, a great bonus disc and an all-star roster of Rush influenced musicians.
Click here to check out the rest of the Rush photos by Michael Hurcomb Staff Photographer
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