Widely regarded as one of the top 10 hard rock/metal bands in the 2000’s, System of a Down has not released an album since 2005 and only performed intermittently since 2011. Any opportunity to see SOAD live should always be considered special and indeed this night turned out to exceed expectations. On their second stop of a short four city west coast Fall tour, SOAD triumphantly returned to Fresno for the first time since 2005 and delivered a memorable performance to a loud enthusiastic capacity crowd at Save-Mart Center. The big takeaway throughout the 27-song set was that SOAD’s material stands the test of time. The four Armenian-Americans from L.A. have created such as unique and deep catalog of songs, infusing metal, funk, alternative, psychedelic and even folk, that the tracks sound as fresh as they did in their heyday.
Armed with passion and an arsenal of amazing songs, there was no need for SOAD to utilize a fancy stage show. The stage was simply amps, drum riser, and a few platforms to allow lead singer Serj Tankian and animated bassist Shavo Odadjian to utilize on occasion. A large rotating light platform providing pulsating strobes and standard lighting effects. The sound quality was noticeably impressive – guitars were dominant, but you could also hear the funky bass, John Dolmayan’s crisp cymbal strikes, and the vocals for both Serj and Daron Malakian (guitar/vocals) were spot on.
There was another special treat in store for concert goes. Last year the band, well known for their political activism, was inspired to record their first songs in 16 years in response to the Nagorno-Karabakh war, a conflict creating a humanitarian crisis in their ancestral homeland of Armenia. Proceeds from the songs “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoids” supported the Armenia Fund for humanitarian needs of displaced families from the war. Both these new songs were included in the set. It was amazing to hear two fresh SOAD tunes live!
Other highlights of the show included 12,000 fans waving their hands together in unison during the dark and foreboding “Lost in Hollywood” - inspired by the song’s prominent albeit sarcastic line to “put your hands in the air like you just don’t care”. The show closed with a trio of massive hits “Aerials”, “Toxicity” and “Sugar”, as the entire crowd passionately sang along. System of a Down gave appreciative Fresno music fans a memorable journey back to their triple platinum glory days and, although it’s now 2021, - this band proved that their music stands the test of time.
Rock on and be well!
Greg Vitalich
I can’t really put into words how excited I was when I got told that the We Came As Romans tour was approved for me to cover. I hadn’t seen WCAR since prior to Kyle Pavone’s passing and it was more a sentimental moment for me. The other bands on the ticket were also some solid acts that I was also very ecstatic to see.
First up was Hollow Front. Of the bands there, I was not as familiar with them, so I really wasn’t sure what I was in for. As the lights go black and music starts playing in the background, Hollow Front runs out on stage. They open with a song called “Affected” and whoa, I was immediately blown away. The 7-song set was intense breakdowns and banger tunes. Right after their performance, I looked them up and saved some songs to my Spotify library. Was super impressed by them.
Following their lead was Dayseeker. This was a performance that I was really looking forward to because in the last year, I have been getting really into them – to the point where I knew almost every song. The 7-song set was opened by “Embers Glow”, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start. The Moment Rory Rodriguez started singing the words to “Crooked Soul”, I knew we were getting to the hits. Following that song, they played “Burial Plot” and “Drunk” and I sat their singing every word with the crowd. They came to the end of their set and Rory tells us the story of him having his daughter and then 2 months later his dad passed away. They begin to play “Sleeptalk” and the crowd bursts into unison singing every word. It was a wonderful performance.
The Devil Wears Prada takes the stage soon after and this was a band that I haven’t seen since maybe Warped Tour In 2010 and it was just because I was walking by. I remember giving them the stank face as I walked by because it was super brutal. That really was my only memory of ever seeing TDWP and I was excited to see them again based on their most recent ZII EP that came out. They played some of the hits like “Chemical”, “Forlorn”, and “Sacrifice”. And then they surprised us all by ending the set with “Hey John, What's Your Name Again?” and the crowd went wild. Overall, a solid performance.
And at long last, the performance that we have all been waiting for, We Came as Romans. Lots of emotions leafing up to this point and I was ready. Out the gate, they played “To Plant A Seed” and I was living. They played the To Plant A Seed album in full with other songs sprinkled in the mix and it was the last time they would ever play any of those songs live after this tour. It was bittersweet but I truly understood where they were coming from. In between songs, they played video of them explaining why the record was so important to them. They played so many songs that I grew up listening to and it was an amazing experience. They ended the set with “An Ever-Growing Wonder” and then ensued the encore. The crowd chants and chants then, we see the lights go dim, and the monitors go on. A tribute to Kyle starts showing while “Promise Me” plays in the background. It was a beautiful thing. Towards the end of the song, the rest of the band comes out on stage and it’s like they are playing with Kyle again with his vocals coming through he speakers. The song ends and Dave Stephens talks to us about the experience of losing Kyle. It was truly a great message and summed up very well, get help if you need it. They close out the show with “Cold Like War” and “Darkbloom”.
I can say this was one of the best concert experiences I have ever experienced to date. Can’t wait to see all these amazing bands again one day.
4 out of 5 toothpaste users recommend Hunnypot Live for a balanced breakfast.
Hunnypot Live #448 tipped the scales.
Nicole Sanzio returned to update everyone on INDIGI Music happenings and her own new solo piano record!
The roar in the wild, Rora Wilde, belted out ballads and bangers. Fairhazel, thrilled with subdued, meaningful pop music.
Hot Tub Johnnie kept the hits flowing all night and in to the after party.
As the Owner of InDigi Music and Executive Producer, Nicole Sanzio has helped their Artists, Writers and Composers get music placed music in Film, TV & Video.
Her accomplishments as an independent contractor has made her a sought-after expert within the fast-changing industries of licensing/publishing. Her music placements read like a “what’s hot” list in Film & TV programming, among them: MGM’s RESPECT (Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson), Universal Pictures “Despicable Me 2” and “Fast & Furious” (4, 5 and 6), STX Films “Hustlers”, Better Things (FX), All American (CW), Ginny & Georgia (Netflix), Last Chance U (Netflix), Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” and “Shameless”, Empire (Fox), NBC Olympic Games, NBC “Today Show” and “Meet The Press”, NCIS (CBS), The Hype (HBO Max), In The Dark (CW), Batwoman (CW), etc. Her company has also secured a hefty list of other music placements on AMC, CBS, NBC, TLC, PBS, USA Network, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, MTV, Animal Planet, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.
Rora Wilde is a pop r&b singer/songwriter Los Angeles, CA. Originally from The Rio Grande Valley, she began singing at the young age of 6 and fell in love with music. She studied cello in school, and taught herself piano and guitar.
At 13, she discovered songwriting and has been performing live ever since. The singer played any stage she could get her hands on; coffee shops, bars, clubs, theaters, etc.
At 18, Rora moved to Austin and continued to play live shows and further developed her sound. The singer explored different genres like alternative rock, synth pop, indie folk and even country-chasing a sound that truly represents her as an artist.
Today, Wilde's powerhouse vocals soar over her new Pop/R&B sounds with moody & introspective lyrics.
Fairhazel is the moniker of 23 year old British/South African singer songwriter Hugh Macdonald. Born in Brighton but raised in London, Cape Town and Paris, Hugh left Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2018 returning to London to work with Communion Music under the name Fairhazel, releasing his first single 7x7 in February to great critical acclaim. Roisin O’Connor of The Independent described it as having "tender, whispering vocals that recall the likes of Villagers, Ben Howard and Sufjan Stevens”. ?
Inspired by artists France Gall, Harry Nilsson and Andy Shauf among others, Fairhazel has established himself as a musical storyteller blurring the lines between fiction and true stories. ?
At his Los Angeles studio, he works on creating all aspects of his music himself from songwriting, arrangement, production, playing and engineering. Although Fairhazel is a solo venture, a band often accompanies him (Louis Giannamore, Alexander Naim Noorani, Karim Saber, Elliot Deubel, Matt Zajac, @yourfriendjuniper, Nate Daviau) at shows and he has opened for Agnes Obel, Banfi and Astræa. Recently he played Whispering Bob Harris's Under the Apple Tree, and featured twice on the lineup of the Counting Crows Underwater Sunshine Festival. His debut album, I'm a Friend of Fairhazel came out in January 2020, and his follow-up, I Sold My Soul For Fairhazel is out now.
Emoni Mathews returned as our guest host. She told her story of competing against hundreds of other players in music industry children's games to win big CEO prizes.
Litvar played tug of war with our hearts with emotional "indie" rock/pop numbers.
Zeus Rebel Waters brought his own team (Kent Grant, Lil Bimmy, Kendo & Keefo (feat Uno Escobar), Yerrty G, Moter Mouth, Zay$tacks, Scumlife Shotty, The Indigo Kid, SlymBoi Rakks, Montega Rebel) to compete in a Squid Game battle royale that resulted in all winners.
Bringing with her a distinguished reputation in the music industry, Emoni serves as the Co- Founder and President of Music Supervision and Creative Licensing for Blaze Unlimited, A creative Music Agency.
Zeus is an American Hip hop artist/songwriter/performer with a unique musical identity. Zeus builds his fanbase, called “The Rebels”, 1 fan at a time. Zeus got in to music early by singing and dancing in youth talent shows. In middle school Zeus formed the rap group P.O.G (Pimped Out Gangsters). The group tasted success by winning talent shows and touring on their hit single “Wobble”. Formerly and casually known as Rukapuff, his first solo single, “Angry”, immediately went in to full rotation on Q95.5(Radio one) in St Louis.
Zeus signed with Mack 10's Hoo Bangin Records. Mack 10 promoted a Rukapuff track, “Like this” featuring Nate Dogg. The song was used in TV commercials, NFL football games movies like Waist Deep, and various TV shows including The Sopranos.
In addition to recording and touring under his O.G. name, Zeus has his own indie record label, Born Ready Records, a clothing line called the Rebel Waters Collection, a film company called Trinity Films, and helps run a non for profit organization for young inner city youth called Rock the Community. Zeus Rebel Waters has arrived.
When I thought things couldn’t get better after the Beartooth show, I was graced with the opportunity to shoot a band that I not only very much enjoy but have been listening to since I was in second grade – not even joking. Korn was a monumental catalyst for my jump into rock and nu-metal. Korn & Staind were both bands I grew up listening to and the moment I found out I was approved to shoot, I called my mom and told her the big news. It was truly a full circle moment for me, and I could not wait to for the day to come.
On the day of the show, I woke up and could barely focus on work, but I just knew it was going to be a killer night. Fast forward 8 hours and I am picking up my press pass for the show while waiting for the house photographer to come escort me to the photo lounge. Staind is about to go on, so we grab our things and head to the sound board area. It was my first time ever shooting from this far, so I got me a 600mm lens that did the trick! See the photos below!
While getting my gear ready, Staind took the stage, and the crowd goes wild. Out the gate they come in heavy. Aaron Lewis was super calm and collected on stage. It was a different vibe compared the words he was singing and screaming but I appreciated it. One of the things I didn’t realize when I was watching them perform was how much they screamed in their songs. I guess it just never dawned on me that they were a super heavy band. Of course, I was stoked to hear all of the hits like “It’s Been Awhile”, “So Far Away”, “Mudshovel”, and “Outside”. I felt like I was in my mom’s old jeep as a child jamming again. Mad respect to them being able to keep their sound so crisp all these years. Solid performance all around.
Next up, the main act, Korn. I purposely didn’t look up the setlist for this show just so I was surprised by the songs they were about to play. I had heard whims of them playing “Trash”, which is my favorite song by them, and I was getting super amped waiting for it. The curtain hanging up in front of the whole stage had the Korn logo planted and they were teasing the crowd. The moment the curtain drops, they open with “Insane” and we were off to the races. I was in awe. I had never seen Korn live before and I really had a hard time focusing on taking photos. Based on the setlist from the night I read that there were songs they never really played all that often which was cool to be part of. They performed songs from all over their discography. Jonathan Davis was still recovering from having Covid and had a breathing machine and throne on stage with him. At times he was sitting down singing because he didn’t have the energy. Such a trooper.
“Falling Away From Me”, “Shoots and Ladders”, “Coming Undone”, and “Freak on a Leash” were all played during the main set. As we all know, Korn wasn’t going to leave the stage without an encore and boy did they give us one. When they came back on stage, they played a mashup of “It’s On”, “Trash”, and “Did My Time” and let me tell you, to hear “Trash” live was pure bliss. They played a few more and closed with their first track from the self-titled album, Blind. The crowd went absolutely wild.
Overall, it was one hell of a show. If you can, catch them before the tour ends because it was a night to remember for sure!
If you’re called a troublemaker, it’s usually not a complementary term. Unless you’re a fan of the band Vintage Trouble. Then if you’re a Troublemaker, (Capital T), you know you’re part of something special.
Vintage Trouble has been called the best-kept secret in music. So the Thursday, September 16th show at the 1,200-seat Ford Theatre tucked in the Hollywood Hills seemed fitting. It almost felt like a secret concert just for a bunch of raucous Troublemakers. But at the same time it felt like the venue couldn’t contain the energy of this retro rhythm and blues powerhouse. It’s far too easy to call them a raw, retro band. They may be blues based, but they know how to the take their music to different places. After a decade together, they have this thing of theirs down and they are still willing to push it in new directions.
Vintage Trouble is fronted by the charismatic, energetic, and magnetic Ty Taylor. His is a strong, soulful voice that can either move you to tears or bring you to leaping to your feet. When the man says jump, you jump. Your eyes can’t help but follow him. There he is on one side of the stage. There he is on the other. Wait a minute, now he’s using his extra long mic-cord to jump rope? Of course he is.
Taylor’s never been afraid to interact with the audience and on this night he even brought one of his young relatives up on stage with him. Vintage Trouble is a Los Angeles-based band and this being their first home show since the pandemic began, they were obviously energized by the home crowd. At certain points in the evening, it felt a like a spiritual revival in more ways than one.
On lead guitar is Nalle Colt, a former Swedish skateboarder who now masters the fretboard. He’s a soulful player who can reach down and make a Gibson Les Paul howl when he needs to.
The rhythm section is muscular and active. Bass guitar is Rick Barrio Dill, tall, multi-talented and a presence on stage who also contributes backing vocals as do the others in the band. On drums is Richard Danielson. The man doesn’t play the drums. His physical style makes it seem like he’s working his kit, sometimes even standing for extra force and emphasis. It’s all part of the visual style that makes Vintage Trouble so interesting.
The look and the sound have been augmented over the years with keyboardist and backup singer, Brian London. Also singing backup was Tawny Dolley. She’s another physical presence on stage and her interplay with Taylor brings out the best in both. When you have all six members of Vintage Trouble moving and grooving with the entire audience in thrall, it’s a sight to behold.
VT slowed down for a mini set of two songs, “Lo and Behold” and “Never Mine” off their acoustic album, The Swing House Sessions. But immediately after that was Nalle Colt’s slide guitar signaling the start of “Run Like the River” and it was time for Taylor to get the audience on their feet again.
While it was an evening featuring a range of music from their four albums plus the debut of pandemic-penned new song, “Outside-In”, the bulk of the set came from their first album, The Bomb Shelter Sessions. Once Vintage Trouble got to their encore, “Blues Hand Me Down”, the combination of the band and The Troublemakers could have easily made Hollywood Hills residents wondering what was causing the ground to shake that evening.
Peter Eichar and Brad Sweet did it again. Following a year off in 2020, Same Same But Different returned for their third installment of their beachside music festival. They delivered a weekend jam-packed with camping, great food, yoga/meditation, art, a diverse range of music, and most importantly - good vibes. I had the pleasure of visiting SSBD in 2019 for their second year and I was super stoked to see how these guys could up the ante (see my review of Same Same But Different 2019 here). While that was indeed a great time, let’s just say the third time was the charm.
One of the underrated aspects of these camping festivals is, ironically, the camping. This festival provides four different campgrounds to choose from with two of them directly on the beach. In addition, the vibes at SSBD are A1. Everyone I met was upbeat and down to have a good time. Throughout the campsite, I came across sporadic tent-hopping parties and random games between groups of camps. I expected to do some more exploring in the campgrounds than I did, but this year the But Stage and Coconut Club had other plans for me.
Kicking each day off at 11 AM, these two side stages set the early tones of the festival. The But Stage was nestled inland and away from the beach under some trees near the food trucks and vendor village. The stage was low to the ground and the venue felt very intimate, reminding me of those backyard shows I used to go to in high school. Headlined by bands like Aviator Stash and One Hot Planet, this was the spot to listen to raw live music. If guitars, saxophones, and drums are your thing, this is where you wanted to be.
Down by the water on the sand, a very different scene was developing. The Coconut Club featured a DJ booth, dance floor, and bars situated right on the water. Imagine spring break in Lake Havasu with a dash of Vegas day club. That’s the Coconut Club. Until about an hour and half before sunset, DJ acts such as Donald Glaude and Vindata fueled the life of the party with bass lines as attendees laid out in the shade, enjoyed drinks at the bar, relaxed on floaties in the water, or partied with the DJs on the sand.
Around sunset each day, the two smaller stages wound down. Folks from the But Stage and the Coconut Club made their way over to the two main stages, the Same Stage and Different Stage. Attendees trickled out the water and out of their tents for the night festivities. I’m sure this was done by design, but you could feel the divergent vibes from the two starter stages start to complement each other as the crowd mixed into one large party.
A cool feature of SSBD is the way they run their main stages. Set up as a two stage alternating tandem, only one stage was active at a time and the sets ping-ponged back and forth throughout the night. I love this because each stage got a reset in between sets but the party was always still intact, moving from one side of the beach to the other. I even saw a creative group of festival attendees who put a motor on a couch so they could relocate back and forth between the two main stages with ease. STS9, LSDream, Clozee, and Big Gigantic are some of the few names who held down the two main stages deep into the wee hours of the night.
In addition to great music and the ongoing party, this festival also boasted a plethora of different amenities and activities that were well thought out and added so much value for attendees. Located near the main stages, you could find charging stations, lockers, a variety of art installations, and VIP areas. From body painting to deep tissue massages, freelance services were also available. The food was great too, with festival cuisine ranging from authentic Asian food and Indian food to the classics like burgers and pizza. The vendor village was a dope place to pick up festival essentials or quirky outfits. It’s a very dope, well-rounded burgeoning festival that is quickly picking up steam. Year over year the frills and overall size of the festival have grown, but not nearly as much as it’s rapidly expanding following. This is one of those festivals you need to keep an eye out for. I just visited www.ssbdfest.com and they’ve already got a countdown to next one. See you all at Same Same But Different 4 on September 9-11, 2022.
KISS exploded onto the stage at Five Points Amphitheatre in Irvine on Thursday Night, their first show after both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had publicly shared that they both had tested positive for Covid-19. You would think that the band would take it easy and do a shorter set, or skip some of the standard tricks, but what has kept KISS… Alive for over 40 years is their dedication and professionalism. They leave it all on the stage every night. In 1975 the band put out KISS Alive! as a response to fans who said that their studio albums didn’t capture the energy of their live performance. That album exploded and almost 4 decades later the core of that remains true. A KISS show is more than just the music, it’s full throttle entertainment experience that thrills whether it’s your first time seeing them or the 100th.
Thursday's set list featured the standard Greatest Hits combined with a sprinkle of ‘newer’ songs such as “Say Yea” off 2009’s Sonic Boom along with 1998's “Psycho Circus”. Seeing Gene Simmons spit fire and drool blood is like mainlining nostalgia in the best way possible. You want to see Tommy Thayer shoot pyro out of his guitar and blowing up the stage - it’s spectacle and KISS never disappoints. Add in Paul Stanley flying overhead to dance out in the crowd for “I Was Made for Loving You” and knowing he was just laid up with Covid makes this feat even more amazing. Listening to Paul belt out that song reminded me of the KISS of 1979, grappling with the Disco era and the change in musical tastes. They adapted, changed, took the makeup off, put the makeup back on, changed lineups and 40 years later you are still guaranteed to get the greatest show on earth every time you attend a KISS show. The show came to a epic climax as the skies opened up dumping rain on the crowd as the band launched into their “Rock and Roll All Night” encore, and bolts of lighting followed shortly after the band left the stage. Clearly the God of Thunder’s job was done.
Before Covid kicked in the “End of the Road” tour was to end in July 2021, and the question of when would the tour really come to a conclusion has been up in the air. Their current tour is extended to July 2022 including a Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood to kick off 2022. See them for the first time, see them for the last, KISS is a bucket-list show for the ages and fails to disappoint!
Full – Set List:
Detroit Rock City
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
War Machine
Heaven's on Fire
I Love It Loud
Lick It Up
Calling Dr. Love
Say Yeah
Tears Are Falling
Cold Gin
Guitar Solo
Psycho Circus
Drum Solo
100,000 Years
God of Thunder
Love Gun – Paul sings from B Stage
I Was Made for Lovin' You – Paul sings from B Stage
Black Diamond
Encore:
Beth
Rock and Roll All Nite
Let’s get one thing straight right away, Pat Benatar’s voice is still great. When some force was tapping people with abilities, they gave this five-foot tall dynamo vocal cords that can still belt out her hits more than forty years after her debut. That’s right. Benatar’s debut album, In the Heat of the Night came out in 1979.
It’s also when she teamed up with Neil Giraldo who shares co-billing with her on tour. As he should. Giraldo has been her partner in Crimes of Passion, (Second album title pun), from the start of her successful career. And Giraldo’s role as guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer can’t be overstated (He’s also her husband.) The guitar sound in a Pat Benatar song is distinct. Each riff and each solo is designed to service the song and not just showcase Giraldo’s playing chops. Their recent concert at the City National Grove of Anaheim was most definitely the Pat and Neil show.
That being said, the fans were there to hear the hits. Hits that rely on Pat Benatar’s voice to deliver. And deliver she did. Opening with "All Fired Up", Benatar had the audience in her hands and on her side. More than once she mentioned how she missed this and needed this. Through hit after hit like "Invincible", "We Belong", "Hell is for Children", "You Better Run", "Love is a Battlefield", and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", it was clear that the audience felt exactly the same way.
The encore featured the song that Benatar said started it all, "Heartbreaker". But it had a twist that she and Giraldo have been doing for a while. They break into Johnny Cash’s "Ring of Fire". It’s an interesting take and they make it work. That’s exactly what a strong partnership and marriage can accomplish.
At one point during the show, Benatar brought up how old they were when they met. She also said how long it’s been since they met. She then got a laugh when she told the audience not to do the math. But with a voice as timeless as hers and a musical partnership as strong as theirs, age is just a number.
The fantastic Ariel Beesley agreed to let Sean Navejas film this piece during the soundcheck to her Hunnypot Live at The Mint debut. Needless to say Ariel and her band exceeded our expectations, we had a blast. Full show Audio and photos HERE
Ariel Beesley hammered us with bossed up anger pop filled with full time hooks and hot looks. - J. Gray(Spectrum)
HUNNYPOT APPROVED!
