Day One is DONE. The WKNC team had you covered djing live downtown, capturing photos and videos, and I’m continuing the coverage for you here. To recap the night, H.C. McEntire and Real Estate kicked off the night prior to the crazy show that The Flaming Lips put on for us with tons, I mean TONS of confetti in City Plaza. I’m talking I was pulling confetti out of my being until I got home and showered. This morning I still woke up with confetti in my apartment; I think it’s going to follow me for a while.
The fans went wild last night; someone tried to steal my shoe (off of my foot) since it had gotten attached to a prop that had been thrown into the crowd, I had gotten a piece of my ear plug lodged so deeply into my ear canal authorities couldn’t assist me, and someone outside of King’s was trying to show me some “VERY legal marijuana” of which I politely declined. What a crowd!
After TFL I hopped over to King’s and caught Erica Eso from Brooklyn, made my way to The Basement to chill in the nice air conditioned space and snap a few shots of Skeletonwitch before catching some of Sleep. After that I trekked back to King’s/Neptunes and caught Kilbourne’s set and a smidge of HOLYCHILD before crawling back to my apartment for some good Zzz’s.
Hey guys, its that time of year again- the weekend of Hopscotch Music Festival. For us indie teens/young twentysomethings here at WKNC, its an exciting time to see our favorite artists live and close by. Or if you aren’t lucky enough to score tickets, it is most likely covered on someone’s snapchat story in blurry video segments where the artist is not clearly discernible.
As afterhours music director, I am pretty stoked about this years lineup so without further ado, here are the Top 5 Picks for electronic music this year u cant afford 2 miss <3
1. Negative Gemini: Saturday @ 12:30am @ Neptunes
2. Gudiya: Thursday @ 8:30pm @ Neptunes
3. Alex Brown: Saturday @ 9:30pm @ The Wicked Witch
4. Breathers: Friday @ 10:30pm @ The Basement
5. Thoom: Saturday @ 11:30pm @ Neptunes
But its not all fun and games at Hopscotch..You may assume that I, as a music director, am invincible, however, while coming to this festival I may or may not have left my car in drive and had it roll into a collision with another parked car as I walked away. Other than that, 10/10 experience here in downtown Ralz.
Hopscotch is today and I’ve cuffed my pants so tight my ankles drain white and scream for blood. While all of you, well, simpletons are chomping at the bit to see virtual pop stars like Thundercat, Grizzly Bear, or Belle & Sebastian, my refined palette is only reserved for the bands which I can’t name in this blog post because they’re listed too small on the poster for me to actually read. It exudes an extremely suave combination of aloofness and emotional unavailability that I could only dream of wielding. I’m left to give myself the benefit of the doubt and assume that the majority year’s lineup consists of only the sexiest amalgam of industrial noise bandcamp artists, new-emo soundcloud rappers, and Pinegrove; my shirt is practically begging to be tucked into my high-waisted baby blue jeans. With this said, it is with a heavy heart that I must report that an extensive list of artists, submitted by myself, has been wholly rejected by the festival. The list, might I add, was carefully curated in the same basement and by the same group of people who discovered Mac Demarco when he only had 2000 followers on Spotify, a fact which begs the question of whether or not Hopscotch is purposefully alienating the long-suffering indie community. That’s what we’re here to find out. In this list I will run through each of my seven chosen artists to play at Hopscotch 2018, each of whom was robbed of their chance at stardom Of course, since I am a fantastic essayist and therefore will make my argument with enough impartiality to let my readers draw their own conclusions. It’s just my silly opinion, but if you don’t agree there’s a good chance you’re just a jealous normie.
7- Joyce Manor
Joyce Manor’s combination of raw garage with tightly packed emo covers all extrema of the alternative rock spectrum. Their music is as catchy as it is universal and I can’t think of a single friend of mine that wouldn’t either mosh or drunkenly slosh around to it; and if you’re not like any friends of mine I can’t imagine why I would care about your opinion. Additionally, the band is able to fully cover the full spectrum of human emotions that I have ever felt. This typically bounces between being the excruciating reality of being heartbroken and thinking about the excruciating reality of being heartbroken, but I promise there’s much more nuance to it.
6- Yellow Days
It’s 2018, which means the era of festishing VHS aestheticism and swampy Goodwill shirts well out of the indie discourse by now; we are a much more civilized people who wear goodwill shirts with random japanese characters on them now. But I’m a sucker for throwbacks. Yellow Days is obviously as close to an indie prodigy that could exist, with a reputation for tight-ass song writing paired with a voice somehow as weathered as Ray Charles. This is all well and good, however, my real fascination comes in the form of escapism: his soft palette aesthetics remind me of a simpler time. Ah, Yellow Days, let me fall into your canopy of acid-washed love songs and have me pretend I’m in 2016. Let me pretend I can still like Mac Demarco.
5- Death Grips
Though the decision not to include the Sacramento trio from this year’s festival is of no surprise, I doubt the general public is ready to face the animalistic demons present in each of us, it doesn’t make it any less abborhent. To exclude Death Grips is to exclude an act which confronts every person with the demon that lives inside of them. I don’t think Hopscotch refused to book them because they didn’t think they would sonically fit on the card, that is impossible. The grooves are infectious, the lyrics are universal, the songs are catchy, albeit under the guise of an extremely harsh noise wall. Anybody who says they don’t like Death Grips is refusing to be honest with themselves, refusing to let loose and understand the absolutely foul realities of human nature. Hopscotch is afraid.
4- Pinkshinyultrablast
I have long been a proponent of shoegaze. The intersection of semi-obscure British sad music and a culture which prides itself in not dancing is right up my alley. While the latter is not as present in Pinkshinyultrablast, the thick walls of guitars have been replaced with synths and chorus heavy snares, the extremely lush instrumentation is so damp that it is often impossible to figure out how to move your body to it. This is perfect. I, as an insanely well-rounded individual, have been too busy reading or listening to the new Snail Mail album on repeat to learn how to properly dance. It’s not my fault! As a side note, the band hails from Russia so I’m banking on being able to listen to them instead of actually reading about the human rights atrocities committed over there.
3- Corbin (Spooky black)
With Corbin’s 2017 release, MOURN, I felt that my extremely underrepresented demographic of sad, 20 year old white guy was finally recognized. Much in the same way Joyce Manor covered my entire range of human emotions, Corbin dove deep into my heart which has been twisted over and over again by mean girls. They always go for the Chads, huh Corbin? The only reason why he has far outranked Joyce Manor on this list is because of the danceability of much of Joyce Manor’s music. As i have mentioned prior, I’m much too busy being smart and well-rounded to learn how to dance, and so Corbin’s absolutely flaccid reverb trap hi-hats create a watching experience that doesn’t pressure me to move. Even if I do decide that dancing is the way to go while I’m wailing the chorus to ICE BOY, my awkward movements will seem only natural among Corbin’s other fans of people who surely can’t dance, and the barren washed-out instrumentals would make even Milli Vanilli look uncomfortable while trying to shake to it.
2- Lil peep
Rest in peep
1- Alex G
While many will point to Mac Demarco (I think this is the fifth time I’ve mentioned him in this blog post, time to flagellate myself for each one) as the 2010s most influential alternative rocker, I stand here today to martyr myself in the name of (Sandy) Alex G. I know I will get a lot of hate for this, I’m prepared to take it, and I’m prepared to rise above it. Alex G is 2018’s Christ incarnate, and I would have loved nothing more than to bow before him at Hopscotch. DSU is my scripture, and the waves that it and his other releases have made in the lo-fi scene are unescapable. The mumbled lyrics over mumbled guitar with occasionally mumbled drums has given me the courage to pursue my own musical career. DIY has never been more sexy, which is wonderful for the $15 dollars I’m willing to spend on the entirety of my musical equipment. If only Alex was playing this year, I could thank him or all he has done for indie kind, and thank him for molding me into the free-thinking definitely not a softboy that I am today.
On Friday, August 24th, the Raleigh music venue, Imurj hosted a “Local Artist Spotlight” show which featured three up-and-coming artists who were personally selected by Imurj. The lineup was as follows:
1. Stranded Bandits (opener)
2. Darren and the Buttered Toast
3. Mosquito Washington and the Bloodsuckers (headliner)
I listed the artists in their performance order but I will be describing their sets based on which I enjoyed the most (my favorite act being the last one).
Although Mosquito Washington was the headliner, I was least impressed by them. This band, comprised of 5 classic metal old-heads had little impact on the crowd. For the first few songs audience members– many of whom were very clearly not traditional metal heads– excitedly began head-banging and participated in a center-stage push-pit. Eventually, however, the crowd dissipated as riff-after-repetitive-riff drawled on. Now, don’t get me wrong, the members of Mosquito Washington are vastly talented men who clearly have a solid taste in music, but it is safe to say that their time is long over. Each song could have easily been an Alice Cooper or Black Sabbath cover, which may have been preferable to their lesser-known originals. It was nostalgic to hear such classic song structures, but maybe they weren’t suitable for this event. The vast majority of the crowd were in their early 20s and if they weren’t attending as part of the entourage of other performers, they were mere frequent customers of the bar and probably not diehard hair-metal fans. Overall, I feel as though Mosquito Washington could have had a better draw at a tribute show or by marketing themselves as a cover band. Kudos to the members for carrying on the spirit of the 70s and 80s, and such a pity that it was lost on the ears of the crowd.
Up next was Stranded Bandits, a 4-piece rock group that is relatively new to the Raleigh scene, but for those invested in its culture it won’t be long until their name becomes familiar. The band isn’t visually cohesive, unlike the other two artists on this lineup, but the sound each member produces mix to form an incredibly exciting set of songs.
They opened with a tune called, ‘Debauchery,’ which was steeped in classic rock elements and used riffs that the Foo Fighters themselves could have written. The crowd, at this point mostly made up of family and friends of Darren and the Buttered Toast, received the music warmly, with one audience member shouting out, “these guys rock!” Up next was a song called, ‘On the Run–’ I was very lucky that they announced the title of every song they played– and it featured main vocals and a solo by their drummer, Douglas (DJ) Schilens. The solo directly mimicked the performance style of Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, particularly his Moby Dick solo in which Bonham transitioned between using sticks and his hands to play drums. Schilens used this same technique, although his solo wasn’t 15+ minutes long. In fact, Stranded Bandits seems to have a knack for showcasing their individual skills. Matt Barton, the lead guitarist of the group, was featured on an instrumental track entitled, ‘Beach Bum Blues.’ Furthermore, the group continually pays homage to their classic rock heroes, with Barton next honoring Jimi Hendrix by attempting to play guitar with his teeth. Although this was a courageous feat of showmanship, it may have fallen flat for the juvenile band– or maybe only the rock god himself, Hendrix, can successfully pull that trick off. Either way, Barton’s suave stylings outside of that moment proved to be well-suited to their music and he never made another mistake.
At the end of ‘On the Run,’ and truthfully between every song that was performed, Stranded Bandits’ bare-footed bassist, Arjun Sheth, kept up a strong, constant bassline and ensured that never did a moment pass when the audience wasn’t engaged by music. They swiftly transitioned into a Hendrix cover of the song, ‘Purple Haze.’ At this moment it was their frontman– Isaac McDaniel’s– time to shine. The frontman, though youthful, carries an air of unadulterated self-confidence when performing– I saw a clear connection to Steven Tyler. McDaniel never stopped moving, both on and off-stage, and even initiated dance circles during the following set. During their Hendrix song he threw himself to the ground, vivaciously slamming his fists against the ground, wholly consumed by the music.
This group is definitely one to keep an eye and ear on. The vibrancy of these young men won over the crowd and began the show with an explosion of sound. A few dissonant sections arose where it seemed as though the band members were drifting apart from one another, but unless you were listening critically, it would have been impossible to tell. Even so, I was informed that this was their very first real gig and that up until this point they had only done open mic events. These guys play with more finesse and flair than some veterans to the scene and I can safely say that I was beyond thoroughly impressed by Stranded Bandits.
After their set I was able to approach a friend of the band’s– Anya Johnson– who was kind enough to share her photos of their performance with me. Below are a couple of the pictures she took for Stranded Bandits.
Although the rockers in Stranded Bandits fulfilled their purpose of beginning the show with energy, it was their following act that really blew the crowd away. Darren and the Buttered Toast, as advertised on their website, are a group that draw on influences from “…the soul of R&B, Jazz, Rock, Gospel, and other musical traditions…with a focus on a positive vibe to lift the spirit and move the feet.” Without a doubt they achieved their goal. This group, having been active since 2013, had an extremely well-done set. Despite the fact that much of their music was improvised it flowed so well that it was as if they had practiced every note beforehand. Of course the skeleton of the songs were pre-written and practiced, but the meat of their performance comes from the vitality of their members. I have good things to say about all of them.
Darren Curtis (lead vocalist/guitar)
The charismatic frontman of Darren and the Buttered Toast kept his eyes ever-scanning the crowd, flashing a row of glittering teeth to anyone who matched his gaze. Curtis started off with the energy high and never let it fall. He spent the whole dancing in-front of his microphone and behind his guitar, tantalizing jazz lines seducing the audience’s eardrums. Curtis’ lyrics, especially during ‘Mr. Bass Man’ told a story set to music, and were easy to follow for the duration of the set. A true showman in every sense of the word.
Isaac Capers (backing vocals/drums)
Although Capers wasn’t showcased in the same way that Stranded Bandits had done with Schilens, there was no doubt that Capers is deeply talented. Instinctively I want to call him robotic, because to my knowledge he never missed a single beat all night, however, he was too fluid to be considered robotic. No, Capers is a definitively human drummer, and his heart guided the music he created. In pairing with Anthony Dyal, the two kept the audience dancing so frivolously that we were quite literally begging for more. Darren and the Buttered Toast performed two encores.
Delante’ Randolph (backing vocals/saxophone)
Let me start by saying that I was wholeheartedly floored by the talent that drips from this man’s fingertips. Saxophonists are notoriously creative musicians, and Randolph was no different. In coalition with Curtis– the two musicians bounced off one another effortlessly–, he created a sonic landscape fit for anyone to dance around in. Switching between a classic sax– I’d like to assume it’s an alto– and an electric sax allowed him to variate his sound in numerous ways. The electric, which looked like the biggest Juul I’ve ever seen, was hooked up to a pedal board which even furthered his ability to manipulate the music. This was something I had never seen before and it was phenomenal. Every note, every solo, every run was immaculately conceived and blessed our ears similarly. Furthermore, he was incredibly nice to talk to after the set and provided me with all the band’s contact info for future listening. Definitely an incredibly friendly man.
Anthony Dyal (bassist)
This man is the true backbone of Darren and the Buttered Toast. The funk and finesse he brought to the stage got the crowd off their feet, onto the dancefloor, and into each other’s’ arms. A steady rocker, which was exemplified during his mini solo, Dyal is a master of his entire instrument. Incredible bass lines, incredible tone, the absolute cherry on the top of this buttered toast-erpiece.
Overall, Imurj did an excellent job of picking a line-up with a wide variety of genre-influences to pander to the interests of every show-goer. Every performance had its appeal and provided an excellent evening of rock n roll. I’m very excited to see where each of these groups go and how they musically progress.
If they’re ever playing in the area again, you can bet I’ll be there for another showcase of talent– I hope to see you all there.
Marissa Jerden and Nick Weaver bring you another edition of “Eye on the Triangle,” live every Tuesday at 6 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM/HD1 Raleigh, wknc.org/listen, and available as a downloadable podcast.
# Artist Record Label 1 SAYMAN Flashback [EP] Polyptych 2 A.A.L (AGAINST ALL LOGIC) 2012-2017 Other People 3 ROSS FROM FRIENDS Family Portrait Brainfeeder 4 ALISON WONDERLAND Awake Astralwerks 5 LSDXOXO Body Mods [EP] Self-Released 6 TELEPORT X In Dreams [EP] Polyptych 7 WHAT SO NOT Not All The Beautiful Things Counter 8 DJ KOZE Knock Knock Pampa 9 TIMMIES “Disapointed” [Single] Unclaimed 10 PEGGY GOU Once [EP] Ninja Tune
August may be gone, but hearing some August 2018 releases and personal favorites can bring the memories back for months to come! In this article, you’ll find five songs released this August that caught my attention, as well as five more that were songs I listened to religiously throughout the month and highly recommend to everyone. Let’s jump right in!
TheFatRat has been a long time favorite of mine in terms of electronic music, so it was great to hear some of his new music and find something I really enjoyed. This song is named perfectly, due to the mixture of strong and dreamy chords and its mysterious sound.
This is another dreamy song that features the beautiful piano talents of Yvette Young. This is definitely an introspective, relaxing song that I make sure to listen to whenever I’m walking around campus. If you like this song, you might want to check out Young’s math rock band called Covet.
The first time I heard this song, I was blown away by how different it was from anything I’ve ever heard. It makes me so happy when I find songs that are the most unique of the unique, and this was an amazing find. It’s a fun song that you can’t help but bob your head to and once again, I have to give mad respect for the perfect song title.
Enjoyable and interesting, this song was another unique find. Usually, when I find a song I really like, I’ll immediately start dancing, moving my head, tapping my foot, but for some reason this song just made me stop and listen. There’s a lot of layers to listen to, so it makes for a fun listen when you’re just trying to enjoy the music and ignore everything else around you.
From the new album, The Now Now, Hollywood is a party song you’ll never want to leave out of any fun get together. It’s electronic, funky and packed with great raps from Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle and suave vocals from 2D. I can already tell this song will be one of my all-time favorites.
I’ve really enjoyed Big Data’s music, so when I discovered this collaboration I was thrilled. It’s such a unique song, in a good way, but you can still pick out Big Data’s signature sound. NoMBe has a soft voice that works very well with the lyrics, offering a beautiful contrast to the beats of the music.
For me, this is the ultimate feel good song, despite the somewhat depressing lyrics. I guess it’s the twisted concept of celebrating your hopelessness. Or you can just ignore the lyrics and enjoy the song’s upbeat nature and catchy vocals. I always feel like I’m in a much better mood after listening to this song.
This is the kind of music you listen to when you just want to get away from your everyday life and pretend you’re rich, famous and in a photoshoot. You’re on the way to your 8:30am class with bags under your eyes and a double shot of espresso in your coffee, but you’re stomping across the Brickyard like it’s your own personal runway. Seriously though, this song is really unique and will allow for a little confidence boost if you’re up for it.
I’ve listened to Saro’s music before and I really believe he’s an underrated artist. His sound is so specific and beautiful and he has a way of making his voice become a part of the music. It intertwines, instead of complementing, which I know sounds slightly confusing. When you listen, hopefully you’ll get what I mean. Or I could just be crazy and have no idea what I’m talking about. Either way, I strongly encourage that you to take a look at his work.
I accept 3 things in our short-live music festival relationship. You can’t help you have been born to be 6’ 5”. You have the right to enjoy music— just as much as I do. And you’re definitely blocking my view to my favorite artist.
Now, I am not a short woman. I’m a happy 5’7”, often tower over my friends even at this height, and appreciate my size. But all of that goes out of the window at any music festival I’ve ever attended, as soon as I’m missing the entire Japanese Breakfast set inside Neptune’s because there is a lumbering human flesh pillar blocking every possible angle at which I could view the stage. At this point, I wish I had your height.
Sigh.
I’m not the only one. It’s not an isolated event. I recently watched ⅓ of a Beach House concert staring directly into the back of a string bean man, before leaving in frustration. I have friends and colleagues that arrive at shows sometimes hours before just so they can get some sort of visibility of the stage.
I plead with you.
If you are a tall, white, CIS man, please take a moment to look around you. Notice if there’s a tiny peanut of a person with their face smashed into your sweaty back. Take the time to ask them if they’d like to step in front of you to see better. Please. For the love of music. At the very least, don’t give me or anyone else a disgusted look when we elbow past you to get a better look.
# Artist Record Label 1 MOSES SUMNEY Black in Deep Red, 2014 [EP] Jagjaguwar 2 ASTRONAUTS ETC Living In Symbol Company 3 MITSKI Be The Cowboy Dead Oceans 4 VIRGINIA WING Ecstatic Arrow Fire 5 VICKTOR TAIWO Joy Comes In Spirit Innovative Leisure 6 STILL CORNERS Slow Air Wrecking Light 7 BEACH HOUSE Seven (7) Sub Pop 8 JERRY PAPER “Grey Area” ft. Weyes Blood [Single] Stones Throw 9 NATALIE PRASS The Future And The Past ATO 10 TONY MOLINA Kill the Lights Slumberland 11 JAMIE ISAAC (04:30) Idler Marathon Artists 12 MIKAELA DAVIS Delivery Rounder/Concord 13 PARQUET COURTS Wide Awake! Rough Trade 14 HALEY BLAIS Let Yourself Go [EP] Self-Released 15 SOFT KILL Savior Profound Lore 16 TY SEGALL AND WHITE FENCE Joy Drag City 17 COURTNEY BARNETT Tell Me How You Really Feel Mom + Pop 18 SNAIL MAIL Lush Matador 19 A.P. SIMPSON Newly Almost Famous Self-Released 20 BILGE RAT Pal Bee Side Cassettes 21 CORNELIA MURR Lake Tear Of The Clouds Autumn Tone 22 BASEMENT REVOLVER Heavy Eyes Sonic Unyon 23 HANA VU How Many Times Have You Driven By [EP] Luminelle 24 DENTIST Night Swimming Cleopatra 25 LA LUZ Floating Features Hardly Art 26 ROCK A TEENS, THE Sixth House Merge 27 NEIGHBOR LADY Maybe Later Friendship Fever 28 OH SEES Smote Reverser Castle Face 29 DIRTY PROJECTORS Lamp Lit Prose Domino 30 OCEAN HOPE Rolling Days Hush Hush
Top Adds
# Artist Record Label 1 LUNG All The King’s Horses Sofaburn 2 OHMME Parts Joyful Noise 3 YO LA TENGO There’s A Riot Going On Matador 4 MASS GOTHIC I’ve Tortured You Long Enough Sub Pop 5 INTERPOL Marauder Matador 6 GRINGO STAR Back To The City Nevado 7 NOTHING Dance On The Blacktop Relapse 8 BEACH GOONS hoodratscumbags GRNDVW 9 MAN’S BODY Put Your Family In It Beautiful Workhorse 10 BRICK AND MORTAR Meta Meta Etc Self-Released
On WKNC, I started doing a local metal lunch segment on Mondays from noon-1pm. I call this segment, The Bone Cruncher, and I have been getting a lot of positive feedback on it!
I have been around local bands my entire life. I grew up with my two older brothers in bands and they would play at our house. When I was 8 years old, I was singing for them (but I was too young to be in the band, RIP me, lol). My cousin, Derrick, was in a metal band, Seventh Denial, for the longest time. My mom was the “band aunt” and we would set up their merch at shows for them. I remember them playing at Jester’s Pub and The Rock Shop. Then, Joey and Wes from Seventh Denial were in the metal band As Oceans. As I’ve said before, the first band I ever saw live was Oxygen Thieves. My parents were friends with the guitarists (Shawn and Mike Stengele). I would, later, see them again, blowing it out… at a church (that’s a great story, too!)!
As I got older, and started going to shows, I would see local NC metal bands opening up for big name bands such as Miss May I, Volumes, Obituary, We Came As Romans, and Traitors, etc. Some people wouldn’t show up to the shows early because they didn’t want to see the local acts. If people did show up early, they wouldn’t jam to these bands. These local bands bust their asses and it seems like their hard work goes unnoticed. But, I want to tell all my boys in local bands something: Your hard work is not going unnoticed. I see you, I hear you, and most of all… I believe in you.
I have been going to a handful of local shows, here, recently, and man let me tell you, these shows are not dead. Seeing all the fans singing, jamming, moshing, and dancing to local bands is something that always puts a smile on my face. The dedication and brotherhood (regardless of gender) that is within the local scene is insane! How all the bands are so close to each other and want to see one another succeed is amazing. It’s like they are one big happy family. I have always wondered what it would be like to be a part of this brotherhood. And now I have a view to a kill!
Becoming The Saw and hosting The Saw’s Butcher Shop has really helped me get involved and close with a handful of local bands. But it wasn’t until I started doing the local lunch on Mondays from noon-1pm (The Bone Cruncher) that I got closer to my local scene of metal bands.
Once doing The Bone Cruncher, I have been getting tagged in posts, direct messages, and snapchats from guys in bands thanking me for playing their tracks, and supporting local metal, overall. I want to take this time to thank the bands. I am so happy that I have this platform to play local bands and give them more exposure to more listeners and potential fans. But, I should be thanking you guys. All I do is edit the songs, talk about the bands and the songs I will be playing, and simply press “play.” You guys, on the other hand, are busting your asses to make AMAZING music. All of the song writing, band practices, paying for equipment, studio time, and opening shows are a lot more difficult and complex than my job. You guys have no idea how thankful I am to have a small role in helping you all follow your dreams.
If it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be here. You guys are the reason that I do what I do. If it wasn’t for your hard work and dedication, I wouldn’t be on the radio. I would just be a typical college student. But you, you give me purpose and motivation. I should be thanking you guys for making great songs and I am honored to play them for the world to hear. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share your talent. To my NC local metal bands, y’all are my base, my support system, my cover. Thank you for supporting me on this journey and helping out in any way that you all can. Thank you for supporting my vision. Thank you for letting me support your vision. I do this for you, all of you.
I now want to personally thank some individuals that have been with me through it all:
East Viridian: Y’all were the first local band that I ever interviewed. Thank you for being just as excited as I was to interview you guys. Y’all were so much fun to hang out with and I hope that I can see and hang out with you all soon. A big shout out to Zac Byrd. Talking to you while tattooing a saw blade on me was something I will never forget.
R.j. Riggle & Jayson Mitchell from VALLEYS: You guys have literally been with me from the start. Thank you for supporting my vision and always being there when I need you. You two have made me very excited to be working with local bands. Thank you for being excited to work with me and giving me ideas to use as I go onward. You guys don’t know how thankful and happy it makes me that y’all have my back.
R.J. RIGGLE
JAYSON MITCHELL
Kevin La Chiana from Constellation Atlas: Bro, you are like one of my best friends. Thank you for supporting me through it all as well. Thank you for getting me in contact with all these local bands and helping me create new ideas to advertise both of my shows in The Saw’s Butcher Shop: The House of Horrors & The Bone Cruncher. Knowing that you see something huge within what I’m doing and helping me in any way through this journey has really meant a lot to me.
KEVIN LA CHIANA
Jarod Sowards from MESS: Jarod!!!!!! Thank you for being so humble and down to earth literally every time I see you. Your band kicks ass and I can’t wait to see y’all making it big. You have done so much for the local scene and your hard work is paying off. Thank you for taking me along for the ride. Anything you need, let me know. I got you 100%.
JAROD SOWARDS
Because of these guys, and all the other bands that have contacted me. You guys are the reason I do what I do. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. So, thank you for allowing me to help you guys in any way that I can. And always remember, The Saw has your back. You guys are my boys.
Your dedication and determination is not going unnoticed, I promise.
Remember that all bands (Metallica, Wage War, Whitechapel, Pantera, and Korn, etc.) all started as local bands. I am excited to see how far each and every one of you will go.
