On Saturday, October 28th, Rittz fans waited in anticipation under a full moon outside Brick By Brick, eager for the show to start. Being one of the smaller venues in San Diego, Brick By Brick is the perfect place to get up close and personal with your favorite artist. With new music from his MellowLOvation album, Rittz commanded the stage and took advantage of the smaller venue. He personally engaged with his audience from beginning to end. With his unique flow, lightning speed bars, acapella rhymes and comedic banter between songs, Rittz is a solid entertainer.
Opening up for the Southern rapper was local San Diego rapper, Switch. He was followed by special guests Noble Poets and Jehry Robinson. Each artist warmed up the crowd with a surprisingly intimate encounter in their own way. Noble Poets came down onto the floor to perform. Vocalist, Caleb May, belted out powerful, melodic notes in the center of the room - while Rapper, Jevon Barnes AKA Drty, delivered impressive, rapid fire verses face to face with the audience. They were literally so close you could touch them.
Jehry Robinson opened up singing an emotional acoustic set accompanied by Caleb May from Noble Poets on guitar. After a couple songs, Robinson jumped up, producing a fast-paced fusion of hip-hop, reggae and pop that got the crowd moving. Both note-worthy openers gave the audience an intriguing performance to remember.
Finally, the room filled up in anticipation for the main event, “It’s Rittz, Bitch!” With a dynamic introduction by DJ Chris Crisis, Rittz appeared on stage through a cloud of smoke. He flashes a heavily studded CNT chain to proudly promote his own record label. Rittz checks the crowd's pulse and immediately brings the energy. His sound is smooth, flawless and incredibly fast. I like how he plays with contrast - moody, mellow tracks complimented by his staccato rap. To prove his mastery of juxtaposition, “In My Zone” started to play. Every tough guy in the room belted out the lyrics, “I’ve got sunshine in my pocket.” Rittz layered on the rap and crushed it.
In addition to his other talents, Rittz is funny, charismatic and real. He interacted with his fans and made sure everyone had a good time. While he introduced the party anthem, “Crown Royal,” the 40 year old rapper transparently admitted that his drink of choice is much lighter in color these days. One has to wonder, what was in the cup? Was it vodka? Was it water? Who knows. Who cares? He gave the people what they wanted - a live performance they won’t forget!
When you think of the most influential bands of all time in terms of musicality, showmanship, and a desire to create the greatest live show ever seen. There is an argument to be made that no band has done this better than KISS. Four New Yorkers who decided to put on white face makeup, stylize it with their own personal flare, dress up in the shiniest attire any stage has seen, wear platform boots, and still rally the crowd to rock out as hard as they can. In today’s age this doesn’t sound too crazy, but in the 70s KISS were trend setters. And for 50 years they have proven that they are the hottest band in the world with a top notch stage show that few can compare. Selling out the 17,500 seat Hollywood Bowl, KISS was bringing their blistering hot stage show to the good people of Los Angeles one last time with their End of the Road World Tour. From kids as young as five, to the oldest KISS fans, the Bowl was a sea of fans dressed up with their face painted in their favorite members makeup look. We were all here for one last chance to see the hottest band in the world.
As a huge KISS banner hung across the front of the stage, Led Zeppelin’s classic “Rock and Roll” played over the speakers. This was the familiar alarm that fans have grown to know that the band is hitting the stage in a few moments. As the banner fell, the band started off the night with “Detroit Rock City,” and all 17,500 fans were up on their feet singing and dancing ready to lose themselves in the show we were about to see. Yet the stage was barren, until we realized all four members of KISS were descending from the ceiling of the Hollywood Bowl, each on their own separate platform while fireworks and pyro ignited around them. This just made us all go even crazier in our seats as no band is starting off their shows this way.
I’m sadly too young to have seen KISS in their younger days, but getting the opportunity to see them now, I feel they have not lost a step in their performance. Each member of the band is still whole heartedly dedicated to their onstage persona and the performance they are giving the crowd. Guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley has not stopped embodying the Star Child personality that he dawned all those decades ago. The man still struts around the stage waving his libido for all to see, and the crowd continues to eat it up. Bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons is a towering demon on stage, with his batwings, and the ability to heighten their stage show to a whole new level. Not only has this man written some iconic basslines and songs, but he continues to breath fire over the front row audience and soar high above the crowd spewing blood during “God of Thunder.” Fellow guitarist Tommy Thayer has really made The Spaceman persona his own over the last two decades. During his guitar solo he fires off multiple rockets from the headstock of his guitar, taking out flying saucers that have descended onto the KISS stage and saving the crowd from alien abduction. Drummer Eric Singer honors all qualities of The Catman not just behind the drum kit but stepping front and center to give his beautiful rendition of KISS’s biggest hit “Beth.” All four members are still performing at the top of their game after all these years.
With a KISS show you do not just get four insanely talented musicians, as the band wants to not just provide some of the best music of all time, they want to entertain you. With the backline of the stage framed with nearly 30 stage lights, pyro techniques firing behind and in front of the lights, fireworks firing from around the stage, KISS was making sure this was an unforgettable experience. One of the more unique moments of the show was when Paul Stanley jumped on a zip line and soared through the crowd to a mini B-Stage smack dab in the middle of the venue. He wanted to be closer to the back of the crowd, and make sure everyone is having a good time. While Paul was on this mini stage, the band performed the classics “Love Gun,” “I Was Made For Loving You,” and “Black Diamond” before he ziplined back to the main stage. Other classics that graced our ears were “Shout it Out Loud,” “Deuce,” “ Heaven’s On Fire,” “I Love It Loud,” “Cold Gin,” “Lick It Up,” “Calling Dr. Love,” “Psycho Circus,” “1000,000 Years,” and coming back for a three song encore with “Beth,” “Do You Love Me,” and ending with the seminal rock anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite.” With the latter two songs, KISS branded beach balls were being bounced around the entire amphitheatre. As well as Confetti, streamers, and pyro were firing off throughout the final moments of the concert. As the last notes rang out, the Hollywood Bowl ignited a firework show that light up the sky while KISS’s “God Gave Rock and Roll to You II” played over the speakers.
After 50 years, the band has decided it’s time to call it quits. But they are going to give the people one last epic tour and cement themselves as one of the greatest live acts ever. Starting the End of the Road World Tour on January 13th, 2019. This tour has been going on for four years, has had 13 legs, and performed to over 253 crowds of screaming fans so far. Culminating with two final performances to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York. Every fan was sent home happy after seeing this show and yet we were still a bit sad knowing that this is the last time KISS will be playing to a Los Angeles crowd, allegedly. You want the best. We got the best. The hottest band in the World!
Alice Cooper’s genre of music used to be labeled “Shock Rock.” Five decades into his career, there’s nothing really shocking anymore. Except what a great show Alice puts on. The man and the band are consummate professionals. It was 17 songs played and performed to perfection.
Every sneer. Every snarl. Every swing of the baton or stab of the sword are performed with the utmost theatrical movement. Every raised makeup enhanced eyebrow adds an extra element to each word in the song. The performance was part of an additional three shows added in October to the Alice Cooper/Rob Zombie tour and was dubbed the Halloween Hootenanny. While there was nothing overtly Halloween themed about it, some audience members did come in costume, and hey, this is an Alice Cooper show that already features multiple costume changes, monsters on stage, snakes, strait jackets, and a beheading by guillotine, so really what more needed to be added?
A welcome return to the overall tour was guitarist Nita Strauss. She adds an extra level of musicianship and showpersonship to an already spot-on band. Also killing it on guitar are Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen. The rhythm section featured Chuck Garric on bass and Glen Sobel on drums. This is a super-tight band that does justice to all of Alice Cooper’s hits and looks like they are having a hell of a time doing it. A special shout out to the Marie Antoinette-like character leading Alice to his beheading. That was Sheryl Cooper, Alice’s wife.
Alice’s tour has now ended. Nita’s on the road supporting Mammoth WVH. But since the name of his newest album is Road, look for Alice Cooper to be out there sometime soon, doing what he does better than anyone else in the business.
Alice Cooper Halloween Hootenanny Set List
1. Lock Me Up
2. Welcome to the Show
3. No More Mr. Nice Guy
4. I’m Eighteen
5. Under My Wheels
6. Billion Dollar Babies
7. Hey Stoopid
8. Lost in America
9. Snakebite
10. Feed My Frankenstein
11. Poison
12. Black Widow Jam
13. Ballad of Dwight Fry
14. Killer
15. I Love the Dead
16. Elected
The Hollywood & N9ne Tour 2023 featuring Hollywood Undead and Tech N9ne along with special guest King ISO made a stop at Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, CA on Thursday night October 26 and played a killer show to a capacity crowd.
This month-long tour kicked off October 16 in St Louis and runs through November 19 ending in Nashville and is jam packed with rap and rock from start to finish with King ISO kicking off the show.
King ISO hit the stage to an already packed house and blasted out some unrelenting rhymes as he moved across the stage. The crowd sang along to every song, and it wasn’t long before ISO had removed his shirt exposing his well-toned upper body and six-pack abs and it was obvious the ladies in attendance didn’t mind the view. A short but powerful set had the crowd in full on party mode as they eagerly awaited the next performer.
Up next hitting the stage about 8:30pm was the amazing Tech N9ne along with his live band and they kicked off their party with “Stamina” into “Unfair” and immediately the house was jumping along with each song. Tech N9ne blasted through a good 25 songs during his 75 min onstage and Riverside was rapping and rockin.
At one point early on Tech N9ne brought some youngsters onstage to dance and sing along and he also brough out his clown mask for a few songs mid-set. The stage had video screens on each side of the stage and many of N9ne’s videos played as he rapped out the lyrics.
He kept the talking in between songs to a bare minimum and focused on the live show with crowd favorites such as “Come Gangsta”, “Caribou Lou”, “Erbody but Me” and many more. King ISO came out to duet on the killer song “Face Off” and the two traded off verses in almost a dueling fashion and this was obviously a highlight of the performance. Tech N9ne ended the set with the banger “Red Kingdom”.
Rap/Rock Kings Hollywood Undead took the stage at 10:00pm and finished off the night with 60 minutes of orchestrated chaos with the fans rocking out with fists in the air the entire time. These guys rock the stage like nobody’s business as J-Dog, Funny Man, Johnny 3 Tears, Charlie Scene and Danny all traded off vocals as well as instruments the entire time onstage – its difficult to keep track of who is doing what but it works and is entertaining as hell.
They started the show with “CHAOS” off their 2022 release Hotel Kalifornia and then into “California Dreaming”. The madness never stopped and the band played a killer rendition of “Enter Sandman” then into “Du Hast” which elevated the craziness level of the crowd and then ended the night with “Undead”.
A KILLER 1-2-3 punch with King ISO, Tech N9ne and Hollywood Undead – a show not to be missed.
Hot Tub Johnnie's favorite holiday is Halloween, over the last 23 years, Hunnypot has thrown some epic Halloween gatherings, and this year's no exception. This show is our 499th recorded podcast/party, officially our second-to-last Hunnypot Live experience so in the spirit of the original Film/TV Music Industry Mixer we've teamed up with the president and vice-president of the Guild of Music Supervisors, Lindsay Wolfington and Heather Guibert. Live performances by Angela Sheik, Lisa Danaë, and Can1Live. AUDIO & PHOTOS coming soon. #WhereMusicLoversGoToPlay
Passionate about music and what it brings to the moving picture, Lindsay has been working in Music Supervision for over 20 years. She is known for her work on One Tree Hill, where she featured over 1700 songs from breaking artists to iconic names like Led Zeppelin and U2, and more recently for her work on the Netflix sensations To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
Lindsay’s recent work includes Theater Camp (Searchlight), XO Kitty (Netflix), Virgin River (Netflix), Sullivan’s Crossing (CTV), Monster High 2 (Nickelodeon), The Venery of Samantha Bird (Starz), as well as upcoming films Recipe for Love, I Wish You All the Best, and Time Cut. She recently finished Warrior Nun (Netflix), Amber Brown (Apple TV+), Love at First Sight (Netflix), Love in Taipei (Lionsgate), Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between (Netflix), Monster High (Nickelodeon), and The Thing About Pam (NBC). Her previous work includes Fear Street (Netflix), Atypical (
She has won 3 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, and has been nominated 8 times for her work on these films as well as The Royals and The Sing Off. In 2013, Lindsay won the Sunset Sessions Award for "Best Music Supervision in a Reality TV Show."
Lindsay is a graduate of Brown University and currently teaches Music Supervision to graduate students at USC’s Thornton School of Music.
Upon choosing to forego a career in engineering to pursue her dream of working in music, Heather fled the Florida sunshine for the bright lights of Hollywood. A graduate of the University of Southern California's Music Industry program, Heather spent nine years as part of the team of Music Supervisors at Neophonic, Inc., where she had the pleasure to work on such diverse television projects as Glee (Fox), CSI: Miami (CBS), American Horror Story (FX), The Americans (FX), United States of Tara (Showtime) and films including Eat Pray Love (Sony Pictures) and The Normal Heart (HBO). Since embarking out on her own, Heather has music-supervised television shows such as Witches of East End (Lifetime), Stitchers (Freeform), Rosewood (Fox), and the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, Veep.
The three-time Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nominee is a proud member of the Television Academy, Women in Film, and the current Vice-President for the Guild of Music Supervisors. She also teaches the Music Supervision course at Loyola Marymount University.
Dubbed "a fierce musical force of nature" by BMI Indie Spotlight, Angela Sheik's work as an indie pop artist has led to features and interviews on international platforms including NPR, PRI, and Voice of the Nation. Her work is recognized by national and regional awards including a nomination for the 2022 Hollywood Music and Media Awards (HMMA's) and the 2nd Annual BOSS International Loop Championship. She has been twice voted Artist of the Year by Philadelphia's regional "WSTW Homey Awards" and was awarded Philadelphia Songwriter Contest winner before moving to the West Coast.
Captivating listeners throughout the US and Europe with her live performances, Angela has opened for national acts including Meshell N'Degeocello, Joseph Arthur, Julia Holter, and Midge Ure. Music blogs have praised her work including Pancakes & Whiskey, Vents Magazine, and a nomination for "Album Of The Year" by Indie Music Digest.
On-screen, Angela's work can be heard in films, ads, documentaries, and TV shows including Toyota and ADIDAS ad campaigns, feature films on Amazon and Netflix, and streaming series such as "Face's Music Party" (Nickelodeon), "All American" (CW), and Showtime's "Shameless" to name a few.
Currently based in Los Angeles, Angela regularly travels to the East Coast. She is now focused on her third full-length studio project, sibling, an 8-song study of personality traits and platonic relationships.
Hailing from California, Filipino-American artist Lisa Danaë has long been a powerhouse vocalist in the music industry. Lisa’s journey began as a young girl when she found solace in pop industry powerhouses Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. As she grew as an artist, Lisa’s goal became to spread her story of growth and empowerment through the same powerful pop hooks and unfeigned, timeless lyrics that she grew up listening to. Her ability to pay tribute to the late 90’s/Y2K pop movement while still honoring her musical tenor in R&B birthed her transition and curation of “dark pop” where she takes deep sound to balance and challenge the uplifting lyricism and vocal tenor to create and addictive genre blend.
Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Spotify
Hunter George (Can1live) is a Los Angeles-based Artist and Music Producer, and founder of the entertainment brand Can1live. He was recently inducted into the Recording Academy’s ‘Grammy Next’ Alumni Class of 2018.
His album 'Routines.exe' is a 21-track instrumental adventure 3 years in the making with heavy influences of Retro Wave, 80’s Synth, Vaporwave, Hip-Hop, Pop, & Video Game Chiptune influence. It was recorded at East West Studio A , and The Studio formerly known as “The Pass”. With tracks featuring instrumentalists Josh Gahris & Christian Anderson.
Hunter George is the Executive Director of the Guild Of Music Supervisors since 2014, has also worked under many top composers and executives in Music for media, Including Composer Christopher Lennertz, and Music supervisors John Houlihan, Jonathan McHugh, & Thomas Golubi?. His latest credits include Music Coordination on the series 'Training Day' by Bruckheimer TV for Warner Brothers Television & Segment Producer of the upcoming documentary Cosplay Universe.
He spent his early days as a Producer & DJ for many Hip-Hop acts in Northern Nevada & Northern California. There he toured alongside Murs, Del The Funky Homosapien, Heiroglyphics, Grouch & Eligh, Styles Of Beyond, & Bassnectar. He has competed in 6 beat battles competitions, winning 4 titles alongside his Co-Producer Idol Hands as well as placing 2nd. He is graduate of the Los Angeles Recording School and previously an applied music major for piano, for which he has played over 28 years.
Day Three of BeachLife Ranch may have been just a little shorter due to the headliner taking the stage at 7:30 (by local ordinance), but it certainly wasn’t short on talent. There were southern rock legends, part-time actors/singers, vocalist beyond compare, Neotraditional country performers, Grammy winners, and guitar slingers.
Early in the day, The Marshall Tucker Band took the Highlands stage. Lead singer and original MTB band member, Doug Gray was definitely enjoying himself and invited the entire audience to visit him at his home for a drink. Of course, they would have to go to South Carolina to do so. The band has hits that seem to be a part of our collective DNA. “Heard It a Love Song”, “Can’t You See”, and “Fire on the Mountain”, led to audience sing-a-longs. But beyond the recognizable tunes, there were guitar duels and center stage flute solos that showed the musicianship behind this trailblazing southern rock band.
Next on the Lowlands stage was British-born, Yola. This currently orange-haired singer-songwriter has been nominated for Grammy Awards in the Americana category and has won major awards in the U.K. She is a total force on stage with a voice of incredible range. Speaking of range, that was Yola playing "the Godmother of rock and roll", Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the biopic, Elvis.
Later on the Lowlands stage was Parmalee. This four-piece country band hails from, you guessed it, Parmalee, North Carolina. The band features two brothers and two close friend and have known each other for years and it shows on stage. But even though they are country through and through, lead singer Matt Thomas, leaned into the beach part of BeachLife Ranch with a colorful unbuttoned flowered shirt that stylishly moved with the breeze coming off the ocean close by. Parmalee put on a great set and got the audience ready for what was to come next.
Which was Chris Issak. Issak does it all. Singer. Songwriter. Guitarist. And yes, actor. He put everything to use during his set on the Highlands stage. He came out resplendent in a light blue rockabilly outfit immediately let the audience know that his voice is a gift to all. By the time he got to his mega-hit, “Wicked Game”, it was hard to believe that he could show his range even more. But then he and the band went acoustic to cover Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely.” Absolutely incredible. But Issak isn’t just a musician. He’s a showman. And as the day headed to what people refer to as “Golden Hour”, Issak came out in his famous mirror suit. I doubt anyone would have minded if he kept going, but there were still two more performances to go.
Along with the sunset on the beach came Midland on the Lowlands stage. The main members are lead vocalist/guitarist Mark Wystrach (who also acts, kind of a theme this day), guitarist Jess Carson, and bassist Cameron Duddy. These guys all sing, and the harmonies are reminiscent of California Laurel Canyon days, but with a lot more fun thrown in.
It’s good to be Brad Paisley. When the Day Three headliner took the Highlands stage, anyone in the audience could tell that not only would Brad make sure they would have a good time, but he would also make sure HE would have a good time. In his roughly 90-minute set he played hits, took selfies with an audience member’s camera (as well as searched through her photos), he gave his Telecaster to a young girl in the audience (perhaps creating a future Taylor Swift), he let a couple get engaged to the audiences wild applause while he performed a guitar serenade, and had his very own Brad Paisley mascot come out on stage. He moved around enough to sing at four different microphones stationed across the stage. Oh yeah, he also ripped through blistering guitar solos showing the prowess that has gotten him accolades throughout his career. At times it felt like this was Brad Paisley’s world and we were just living in it. One thing’s for sure: For about an hour and a half at BeachLife Ranch, it was true. And the audience wouldn’t have had it any other way.
In an era where I feel like the production value of live shows has skyrocketed to truly unbelievable heights in some cases, there’s a certain beauty in the no-frills approach of 3 mates from Australia playing hard, playing fast, and playing loud with the backdrop of, “GET F*CKED” behind them.
On their 6th stop on the other side of the world, Australia’s cheekiest punk export, The Chats, brought their electrifying sound and irreverent charm to the Boston crowd with the energy of a bar fight (in a good way) – leaving the crowd not only in awe but more importantly, in stitches. From the first note of "Nambored", it was clear from the get-go that the boys had come to the Citizen’s House of Blues for a good time, and they were determined to make sure everyone in the audience did too. Keeping crowd interaction to a minimum, leaving only mere moments to catch your breath in between songs, they let the music speak for itself and it did just that.
From the moment they walked out on stage, frontman Eamon Sandwith, guitarist Josh Hardy, and drummer Matthew Boggis were absolute forces of nature up on that stage. Fast riffs, gritty vocals, and unwavering energy throughout the entire set was a sight to behold that felt like we were all at a backyard jam session, albeit one with a massive sound system and mosh pits that would put even the most intense hardcore shows to shame. The group's devil-may-care attitude had the jam-packed venue in a chokehold the entire setlist, one that covered every era of their iconic DIY sound.
The band's setlist was a perfect mix of their raucous hits and some deeper cuts. Songs like "Identity Theft", "Numb Skull", and "Pub Feed" had the entire venue bouncing in unison. The crowd-surfing was relentless, and the atmosphere was one of pure, unadulterated joy that I couldn’t help but join alongside when my favorite song of theirs, "Drunk n Disorderly", came roaring over the speakers that had all the magic of hearing your favorite song live that you’d hope it would.
The Chats' performance was tight, and it was evident that they've honed their craft through years of touring. The chemistry between the band members was palpable, and their synergy on stage was undeniable. Their high-octane energy throughout the lengthy set of new and old material was everything I’d want a punk show to be and proves that they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their unique blend of humor, captivating punk sound that you can’t help but bob your head to, and unapologetic authenticity culminated in a show well worth the price of admission. If you ever have the chance to see the boys live, don’t think twice, cause The Chats are going to give you a night of unforgettable mayhem.
The Teragram Ballroom on October 18th was a sold-out show filled with soothing music that would make you feel as if you’re a kid again. There was a very wholesome energy in the crowd as well. Everyone was ready as the first band of the night hit the stage. That band being Babehoven, an indie rock band with poetic music with whimsical melodies. The kind of music that you’d listen to on a rainy day or over a campfire. I feel like country music fans would appreciate it as well. In regards to their music, I’d have to say one of my favorite songs by them is Bad Week.
I really appreciated all the acoustic guitar parts too. The lead singer Maya Bon was wearing a pink outfit with what appeared to be a butterfly on it and honestly in my opinion it really matched the energy of their band, in its own unique way. I also really loved the sense of community that you could feel with them and Slow Pulp. They had Slow Pulp come to the stage with a cake and candles to surprise Maya for her birthday and it was a beautiful moment. You could tell they really cared about each other and their joy was carried throughout the space.
I feel honored in a way that we were able to be part of such an intimate moment. Their music and Slow Pulp’s fits so well together that I can see why they're on a lineup with each other. When Slow Pulp hit the stage, I felt like I was listening to a band that I had been listening to forever despite only finding out about them recently.
They make you feel at home practically instantly and have music that is both relatable and will make you feel various emotions. I have felt both happy and sad but in a good way listening to their songs. Slugs is one of their songs that especially hit me emotionally and I’ve been finding myself listening to it multiple times on repeat. I recommend listening to it if you love love songs. Their song High is another favorite of mine. I loved how the lead singer interacted with the audience as well, such as the moment when she put her mic out towards the crowd, creating a memorable moment that everyone was bound to keep in their memory. She always had a smile on her face, so you could tell how much performing meant to her and it was refreshing to see. Her movements and her smile combined were fun to photograph and given the chance, I’d definitely love to catch Slow Pulp again.
Slow Pulp also had Babehoven come on stage to join them for a song as well and they sang beautifully together, both bands just matched each other so well in ways that I haven’t seen in a lineup before. It was awesome seeing how happy they made all of their fans too. I’m glad I got to experience their first show on tour and I’m sure in the future Slow Pulp is going to sell out many more shows and Babehoven is going to make waves as well.
One of the best feelings as a fan is seeing a band grow, blow up, and reach amazing heights while being on the ride with them. Though I haven’t been with Shinedown since the very beginning, it still amazes me to see how far they have come since I first saw them in 2017. It was one of my first shows at the then newly built House of Blues, Anaheim. I knew a couple songs from the band, but that night they cemented me as a fan. Six years later and Shinedown has released blockbuster albums that have allowed them to headline Amphitheatres and arenas. This October, Shinedown came back to the FivePoint Amphitheatre for the third time in their career, bringing with them Papa Roach and Spiritbox on the Revolutions Live tour. This was the perfect concert at the end of FivePoint’s season, and I couldn’t wait for the music to start.
Speaking of watching bands grow and blow up, one of the most recent bands in the metal community to do just that has to be Spiritbox. The first time I heard “Holy Roller,” like many, my mind just exploded from what I was hearing. The energy of the song, the melodic melodies of the verses, and the ferocious screams captivated me. And they released hit and hit, and I knew I needed to see them bring this energy to the stage. Opening with a new song “Jaded,” vocalist Courtney LaPlante seduced the audience with her clean singing, but it was her roars that set the venue on fire and fueled the mosh pit. Guitarist Mike Stringer layers playing perfectly, letting LaPlante’s vocals shine, and filling in his moments with bounce riffs that you can’t resist but headbang to. Bassist Josh Gilbert and drummer Zev Rosenberg have their bassline and double kicks in perfect sync that let you feel the weight of these songs. With songs like “Hurt You,” “Yellowjacket,” “Rotoscope,” “The Void,” “Circle With Me,” and ending with “Holy Roller” the fans made sure to show up early and get the mosh pit flowing. Though they were the opener, Spiritbox’s music got the mosh pit moving with more ferocity than any other band this night.
Papa Roach is another band that I have been with since the beginning. Like many, my first experience was hearing and seeing the music video for “Last Resort” on MTV’s TRL. I begged my grandma for the album that this song came off, and she bought me it. I had to play this album on loop for months as I was enamored with it. This was now my third time seeing Papa Roach, and hearing their songs live will always bring me back to listening to that album in my room when I was a teenager. Not only can this band write some of the best songs in the rock community, but their live show is filled with nothing but energy. Vocalist Jacoby Shaddix is the ideal front man. He ooze’s charisma, has a smile that will make anyone fall in love with him, still sounds like he did on record, and is not afraid to get up front and personal with his fans. During “…To Be Loved,” he jumped into the crowd and walked to the middle of the venue letting every fan he passed sing with him. Even jumping back into the crowd at another point to hug a disabled fan who managed to make his way close to the stage. The man is grateful for everything he has due to his fans, and he gives that love all back to us. But Papa Roach is more than a one-person band, and they are rounded off by top tier musicians. Guitarist Jerry Horton has created some of the most memorable riffs of their generation, while bassist Tobin Esperance and drummer Tony Palermo hold down the rhythm section that let that fans go wild. Papa Roach played a 13 song set consisting of songs like “Between Angels and Insects,” “Kill the Noise,” “Getting Away With Murder,” “Cut the Lin,” “Firestarter,” “Leave a Light On,” “Scars,” “No Apologies,” “Born for Greatness,” “Help,” and ending with “Last Resort.” Though they were direct support on this tour, Papa Roach gave the fans a show that would have satisfied any headlining show they could have performed.
As the lights went out, and two 40ft tall LCD screens lit up with the Planet Zero logo, Shinedown arose from beneath the stage. Four spotlights hit each member of the stage as they took in the screams and cheers from the fans, before breaking off to blast into the first song “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom).” This was my fifth time seeing Shinedown, but this show honestly felt like the band had evolved into an even bigger version of themselves. With a thrust going right into the audience, an elevated stage that allowed for lights and pyrotechnics to shoot out from the floor, ceiling lights that were on robotic arms to change the dynamic of the stage, and a flying piano that would descend from the roof throughout the show. It was a spectacle for the eyes. But if you strip away all the theatrics and just leave the band, you would still be in for an amazing show as all four members of the band are entertaining musicians in their own right. Vocalist Brent Smith has a powerful voice, with just a touch of twang that is candy to the ears. Guitarist Zach Myers runs around the stage making sure to play to every single person in the crowd, while still making it back to the mic to provide backing vocals. Eric Bass is a multitalented instrumentalist. Not just laying down solid bass lines but filling in on acoustic guitar and piano when needed. While Barry Kerch lets the dreads fly everywhere as he wails away on his kit. These four men teamed up have created some of the best modern rock songs in the last couple decades. Giving the crowd a nearly two hour set that included “Dead Don’t Die,” “I’ll Follow You,” “State of My Head,” “Devil,” “Unity,” “45,” “Enemies,” ‘A Symptom of Being Human,” “Planet Zero,” ‘Second Chance,” a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” with Zack handling vocal duties, “Simple Man,” “Monsters,” and ending with the high energy driven “Cut the Cord.” Shinedown left the audience panting trying to catch their breath, and still we begged for more.
FivePoint Amphitheatre has been an amazing venue where I have been fortunate to see many amazing shows at. Sadly, with their 2023 season coming to an end, there is a chance this venue won’t be back next year as their lease has expired. I, along with millions of others, hope that the Irvine company can come to an agreement to keep a music venue in Irvine, as this is one of the best venues in Southern California. However, if this venue does get taken down, to end my experience with FivePoints, I could not have asked for a better show than Shinedown, Papa Roach, and Spiritbox. The quality of the music, the amazing showmanship of the bands, and how much the crowd came together to sing with every song every band played. This was a night none of us will forget any time soon.
October 12th at The Belasco was an enchanting evening filled with the kind of music that makes you feel as if you’re in a fairytale. The Belasco itself is the kind of venue that feels like mixing a circus with Alice in Wonderland. The night started off with Angelica Garcia coming onto the stage and fans cheering her on. Her movements on stage had a dream-like feeling to them that would captivate anyone watching and music with hyper energy. I really liked the giant psychedelic images she had of her moving on stage while she was performing. For me, her music isn’t personally my taste but I can see why people like it and how passionate she was about it. She’s a fantastic dancer and performer. When she got off stage, they started decorating it for the headliner of the night Blonde Redhead, and the place got even more fantasy-like. The decorations already had me excited for the next artist. So when Blonde Redhead hit the stage, it was a moment everyone was waiting for.
As a photographer, the lighting for Blonde Redhead was a challenge to work with but as a viewer, it felt like being transported into a surreal dream. Although I liked the challenge because it allowed me to think up more creative ways of editing my photos of the night and I wanted to make them dream-like to match the feeling I felt that night. I started listening to Blonde Redhead because of their song "For the Damaged Coda", which was featured in Rick and Morty, which is one of my favorite shows. This just goes to show you that Blonde Redhead appeals to people of all ages. They have a unique sound that can be heard even in their new album Sit Down for Dinner. In a way, their music is a bit spooky and melodically haunting in a way that gets stuck in your head.
I also really loved their wardrobe choices, especially the shoes and their movements on stage, it helped me get more interesting shots. The sparkly dress was definitely a sight to see in the dark and showed just how much star power was in every movement. I’m glad Blonde Redhead is returning to performing and I’m sure they have lots more going forward to show all of their fans.