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Mitski at Cat’s Cradle 4/16
Category: Concert Review
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I first heard of As I Lay Dying back in 2005 when they released their second album, Shadows of Security. I was 6 when I heard that album and from that point on, I have loved them. With that being said, I have been waiting 14 years to see this band and I finally got to see them play for the first time! Now, I know people have different opinions regarding Tim Lambesis, but I support the band. Enough said.
Frost Koffin kicked off the show with a bang and let me tell you, they did not have to go THAT HARD. When you first listen to them, they sound like a rock band, but the riffs they play in their songs (especially in Bare Bones) make them heavy and groovy. The vocalist’s outfit was on point with his cowboy hat, too. I was not expecting to like this band as much as I did, but they damn jammed. Kevin says that they sound like Lynyrd Skynyrd if they were a slam band. Courtney says that if I Am had a country singer, it would be Frost Koffin.
Up next was Currents and I have seen them a handful of times. And just like the previous times I have seen them, they crushed it! Their energy on stage and interaction with the crowd is insane! Brian’s vocals were great! The lows that he did in “Into Despair” were clear and heavy. Currents will never disappoint me. If you haven’t seen/heard them yet, well… you’re missing out.
The second to last band was Phinehas and this was my first time seeing them. I have heard of this band for a while now, but I never really listened to them before. They blew my mind during their set. The light show was impressive and the sound quality was clear. The energy that the band had on stage was crazy and you can tell that the crowd was feeding into their energy. There was a mosh pit the entire time and people were getting rowdy. This band has a lot of catchy breakdowns and I caught myself jamming out a little too hard to them at times.
And now the band that I have been waiting to see for 14 years: As I Lay Dying. They came out to “Meaning in Tragedy” and the crowd went off. No one in the Blind Tiger was standing still. People were moshing, jumping around, head banging, singing, dancing, and crowd surfing the entire time. I have heard that As I Lay Dying’s stage presence is really dominant and I saw that during the show. They really know how to work a crowd. Tim repeatedly thanked us for giving them a second chance and how grateful they are to be preforming for us. I was in the mosh pit almost the entire show. I knew all the songs that they played so you could say I was a happy metal head. I crowd surfed to “An Ocean Between Us” and I was singing the words back to them and Tim grabbed my hand and helped me onto the stage. I stage dove back to the crowd and went back into the pit. They also played some of their best hits such as “The Sound of Truth,” “The Darkest Nights,” and “Confined.” They played my favorite song, “Nothing Left,” but homegirl was going way too hard in the pit, and I had to go puke in the bathroom. So, I missed my favorite song. But you best believe I was singing the words while throwing up. I still had a good time, so no complaints here!
This is a show that I will never forget. I am so happy that I finally got to see one of the bands that got me into metal. This has to be one of the rowdiest shows that I have ever been to. I am looking forward to seeing what As I Lay Dying does next.
Have you seen As I Lay Dying? How was it?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
What’s up Butcher Crew!? Last month (January) I got to see the boys in Metallica for the second time! I went to both legs of the North American WorldWired tour. The first was back in 2017 in Atlanta, GA at SunTrust Park. The most recent time I saw them was in Raleigh, NC at the PNC Arena.
The two times that I’ve seen Metallica were very different. While seeing them in Atlanta, I was outside in GA (and you already know I was in the pit). Metallica brought along Voltbeat and Avenged Sevenfold for this leg. At this time, I had never seen Metallica, so me and my mom traveled down to Atlanta to check ’em out! Their stage performance was incredible and their energy was unmatched. They played their most popular songs (Sad But True, One, Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, and Master of Puppets, etc.), and being that close to the band yelling the words to their songs back to them is something I will never forget. Also, during the Atlanta show, Robert (Bass player) complimented my mom’s cowboy hat. You already know we had to bring some crazy NC redneck style to Georgia. I still remember this show like it was yesterday, and being in the pit for Metallica is something I will always cherish. To top it all off, right after Metallica, I had to book it back to Raleigh to go to orientation at NC State. The grind never stops.
ATLANTA, GA.
The most recent time I saw Metallica, it was a little bit different. It was in Raleigh at the PNC Arena, literally 10 minutes from where I live. So, this show was indoors and I had Club Seating. My parents and I went, and this was our Christmas gift to ourselves. Unlike the show in Atlanta, there were no other bands with Metallica, but there was a comedian. It was a weird match up but it was entertaining. Seeing Metallica was different this time. One of the main reasons was that I had a seat and I wasn’t in the pit. Instead of headbanging, moshing, and jumping around, I sat, stood, and sang the songs (though I did sling some hair during the DJ’s set). This was a much more casual way of seeing Metallica and it was a fun time just playing air guitar with my dad and pointing at each other when we were singing the songs. Just like before, Metallica never disappoints. They were set up “In the Round,” which basically means the stage is in the center of the arena and the crowd surrounds them. Lars’ drum kit would rotate so each side of the arena appeared to be front and center. They had fire, big screens, and all other kinds of technological advances during this show. Their energy was great, again, and they put on another great show. They played their best-known hits, but also some songs that I was really surprised that they played (Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Creeping Death, and Fuel). They were very interactive with the crowd and let me tell you, there were a lot of people there. Metallica set a new record for how many people were at the PNC Arena that night.
RALEIGH, NC.
Metallica is by far the best band that I have seen live. No one can beat their live performances. I believe everyone should go see Metallica at least once in their life because even if you aren’t a metalhead, you know who Metallica is. And I KNOW you know their songs. We all played them on Guitar Hero, don’t lie to me.
And by seeing Metallica for the second time, I have now seen the Big Four (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer) each two or more times!
Have you seen Metallica? How was it?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
Categories
I saw Kamasi Washington!
If Barry B. Benson were to ask me “ya like jazz?”, my answer would be an enthusiastic, unabashed “hell yes”. I’ve loved jazz my entire life, and my favorite artist as of late has been Kamasi Washington. He’s arguably the most famous jazz musician that currently makes music on a regular basis, and his most recent album, Heaven & Earth, came out earlier this year. When I saw he was coming to the Ritz earlier this month, I jumped at the chance to buy a ticket, as I had missed him when he came last year. I had heard amazing things about his live shows, but even as a Kamasi superfan, I simply didn’t know what to expect. His studio work is phenomenal but is oftentimes so epic in nature (his 2015 three-hour magnum opus is literally called The Epic) that I was skeptical of how he would replicate that same energy live (about half of his songs feature full string arrangements and a 10 piece choir in addition to his normal band). In the end, to put it bluntly, I was blown away.
I arrived at the Ritz about an hour early and was stunned to see a nearly empty venue. This didn’t last long though, because by the time opening act Butcher Brown showed up (they were fantastic, by the way), it was a packed house. After an agonizing 15-minute wait after Butcher Brown finished (it seriously felt like years), Kamasi and his band, The West Coast Get Down, stepped out on stage to thunderous applause. After a brief introduction, they launched straight into a jam session built on “Hub-Tones”, a Freddie Hubbard cover from his latest album.
It cannot be understated how absolutely kick-ass every single musician on stage that night was. This is a group of musicians that have literally been playing together since they were three, and it showed. Everyone was in sync, and everyone looked like they were having so much fun. The first half of the set belonged to his band, with vocalist Patrice Quinn and bassist Miles Mosley being the standouts. This was particularly true during the second song, “Malcolm’s Theme”, where Mosley whipped out a bow in the middle of his upright bass solo (it might be the best I’ve ever heard), and Quinn delivered pitch perfect, powerful vocals. She is an amazing singer, has a great stage presence, and fits perfectly within Kamasi’s band.
But the musician that really brought the house down that night was his keyboardist, Brandon Coleman. Kamasi told a story early on in which he said that his bandmates eventually discovered that if you put Brandon on something, he instantly makes it better (hence his nickname, Hot Sauce). The third song they played was actually a cut off of Brandon’s excellent solo album Resistance, “Giant Feelings”. This man is a genius on keyboard, up there with legends like Herbie Hancock and Ahmad Jamal.
Aside from a drum battle between Tony Austin and Ronald Bruner mid-set, the rest of the night belonged to Kamasi. To witness him playing tenor sax live is a seriously spiritual experience. Watching him guide his band through his deeply personal, breathtaking, grandiose compositions like “Truth” and “The Space Travelers Lullaby” really makes you realize what a special talent he is. The night closed with his rendition of a Bruce Lee movie’s theme song (“Fists of Fury”), which ended in this glorious cascade of beautiful noise that… I can’t even put into words how good it was.
I didn’t go into the night thinking that it would be one of the best nights of my life, and yet I came out of that building so happy I wanted to scream. I ended up meeting Miles and Brandon, and took one of the coolest pictures I’ll ever take: me, standing next to my musical hero, with a signed copy of his masterpiece in my hand.
-DJ HEAD HUNTER
We all know that I go to shows ALL the time, and I usually go with my OG squad (what’s up Josh, Kevin, Ellie, Courtney, and Nate!?). I have a few classes with my apprentice, Kyle, and his best friend, Nico, and they are trying to get into metal. They have sat in during The Saw’s Butcher Shop: House of Horrors on Friday nights and they really got into the music. They both mainly listen to rap, but they see a lot of similarities between the two genres. They will ask me questions about the history of metal and the bands that I like. In passing, they said that they would love to go to a metal show. Well, November 3rdwas their lucky day, I took them to go see Emmure, Stick To Your Guns, Wage War, and Sanction.
First, I had to help them find the right attire to wear to a metal show. Anything black works. I also told them the etiquette at a metal show and what they should expect to see at the show. This show had a good combination of metalcore and hardcore, so Kyle and Nico would get to experience both push pits and crowdkilling. Right when Sanction came on, the energy was already at an all-time high. Kyle and Nico were headbanging and jamming out the entire time. They got in the pit when Wage War hit the stage, and let me tell you, they went off. They were running around in the circle pit, pushing each other, pushing me, and pushing other people. They also helped me crowdsurf and caught me when I was stage diving. They both really liked Stick To Your Guns and they were in the pit for them the entire time. Emmure brought the heat when they hit the stage. One minute it would be a push pit and then it would be hardcore dancing. They really liked Emmure because the singing that Frankie does is similar to rap.
After the show, we all three got Emmure shirts that say, “Emmrure is a cult” with a guy getting an icepick lobotomy. They both wear their shirts all the time. After the show, they both couldn’t stop talking about the experience and how much they enjoyed it. They loved the community within the metal scene and how we all look out for each other and even though we do not know each other personally, we are all a big family. They both got the impression of acceptance and community when the show started. By going to this show, listening to the music, and hanging out with me, they have a new look on the metal community. They used to think of metalheads as the stereotypical image that most people think. But after personally being immersed into the community, their entire viewpoint of the scene changed. They are slowly listening to more metal and are going to more shows with me.
What show should I bring them to next?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of seeing the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. My parents and I took a road trip to Bristow, Virginia for the show. It was perfect timing because Hurricane Florence just hit and I was not trying to be at home without power. So instead of hating life during a hurricane, we went to Virginia to listen to the creator of metal and love life!
Stone Sour opened up for Ozzy and they were really good! This was my second time seeing Stone Sour (I saw them at the Carolina Rebellion 2018). Their lead singer, Corey Taylor, is also the lead singer for Slipknot. And man is he a great front man. He is a singing fool too! He sounded so good live and the band put on a great stage show. Corey Taylor and Stone Sour never disappoint.
This was my first time ever seeing Ozzy! I was super excited because as a big metalhead, seeing Ozzy, live, is on your bucket list. He had Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society playing guitar for him and let me tell you, that man can play the hell out of a guitar. He was running around the entire time and at one point he was walking through the crowd and went up the stairs of the stadium during War Pigs and was playing a guitar solo behind his damn back. He is the best guitarist out there go ahead and try to fight me on this. I dare you.
Even at age 69, Ozzy still has the energy! He came out running and clapping his hands. He is the blueprint of what a great front man is. Although, when he was talking to us, I had no idea what the hell he was saying, you can hear him sing clearly! He still has the vocals I can tell you that! He still sounds the same and his stage show was insane! He had a huge cross behind him with two large screens that would have different designs and effects depending on the song. With Ozzy making us clap our hands, running around, and spraying water on the crowd (which kinda scared me because he would spray himself and I lowkey thought he was going to drown because he kept tumbling back after he did it), you had Zakk over there running around doing solos, and the rest of the band: Blasko (Bass), Tommy Clufetos (Drums) and Adam Wakeman (Keyboards; guitar) were all jamming out! It was a great show to see!
Ozzy played all of his hits such as War Pigs, Mama I’m Coming Home, Crazy Train, Paranoid, and No More Tears. I was surprised that I literally knew every Ozzy/Black Sabbath song that he played! During the show, one of the security guards gave me the setlist. I repeat, YA GIRL GOT THE SETLIST TO OZZY OSBOURNE’S SHOW!!!!! Jamming out at shows gets you things, I’m telling you.
I am so happy that I got to see Ozzy, he created heavy metal and none of the bands that we have today would be here if it wasn’t for him. So, thank you, Ozzy for being a cool ass dude and being the Godfather of heavy metal.
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
Hi guys, DJ Carnage here (instrumental post-rock and post-metal show!). The other day I got the opportunity (courtesy of WKNC, of course) to see This Will Destroy You at Motorco this past Tuesday night, and I wanted to share my experience:
This Will Destroy You was one of the first post-rock bands I ever started listening to, so when WKNC provided me with the opportunity to attend this show, I sprung on it. Upon arrival, I was easily able to get to the front of the stage (I’m super short, so people let me go in front of them) which made for a great experience of the show.
They started with “Melted Jubilee”, the first song off of Part One of their new album, New Others (which, by the way, is absolutely fantastic, give it a listen if you have the time). The song set the ambient atmosphere that was maintained throughout the rest of the show, which consisted of a perfect new-to-old song ratio. Not to mention, their stage presentation is intriguing… projectors displayed swaying trees and other nature-esque images onto the stage. It was great to close my eyes and drift away to their atmospheric guitar tones and heavy use of dynamics. Before I knew it, the show was over, but not without an encore in which they played “The Mighty Rio Grande” and “The World Is Our _____”, two of their most famous songs.
After the show, I got to speak with Andrew, the bassist of the band. We only spoke briefly, but he kindly agreed to record a liner for WKNC, which I hope you all will be hearing soon.
All in all, This Will Destroy You was far from disappointing, and I highly recommend that anyone who listens to post-rock make the effort to see them live.
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.
Real Estate
The Flaming Lips
Skeleton Witch
Sleep
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.
signin off,
vitamin E
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.
Thanks for reading, and remember;
Punk’s not dead, its on 88.1 WKNC.
-DJ Beowvlf