Category: Concert Review

I went to Epicenter this past weekend and it was… eventful.

This was a highly anticipated festival because it was replacing the Carolina Rebellion. I saw multiple comments on social media saying to “bring back the Rebellion” and that the “Rebellion would never have these issues.” Now, it is important to understand that Epicenter is not and will never be the Carolina Rebellion. Having a negative mindset about the new festival and having high expectations for it will inevitably end with disappointment.

Inside of the festival on Friday was great! The first band that I saw was Ded and they jammed! They started the day off right with their energy and they announced that they will be coming out with new music soon! The next band I saw was Vein, and their set was intense. The pit was crazy and some guys brought in pillows and literally had a pillow fight in the pit. The singer for Vein was getting in the crowd and bringing Hardcore to Epicenter.

I then met up with some of my friends from my hometown and we went and saw Beartooth and Skillet. We were in the back hanging out, saving our energy for that night. We saw Knocked Loose, and I think they were my favorite performance of the weekend. They were very interactive with the crowd and were always in our faces. Then I went and saw Evanescence and all I can say is WOW that girl can sing. Finally seeing Evanescence was really fun because they were a band that I would listen to when I was a little rocker.

My friend Ellie and I waited at the stage Rob Zombie was going to play at because he is one of Ellie’s favorite artists. So, we made sure we were going to get a good spot for Zombie! While waiting for Rob to come on, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) was playing on the other main stage. We could see and hear his performance on the jumbo screens above the stage. He did a good job of interacting with the crowd. He also got a lot of lighters thrown at him when he asked for one. He didn’t catch a single one! Once Rob Zombie went on, the entire crowd exploded. Everyone was moshing and crowd surfing during his entire set.

Then, Ellie and I went to see Korn. Ellie has also never seen Korn and I was excited that she finally got to see them! Like always, Korn crushed it. They played all of their hits and I started a mosh pit near the sound booth. I am proud of that.

Everything inside the festival was great! The food was good; expensive, but good. The bands all started and ended on time, and their sound and light show was impressive! But it was what happened outside of the gate that, to me, was horribly planned. On the first day, there was only one entrance and one exit to the parking lot (rather, parking field). This was a problem the entire day. Some people were stuck in traffic for hours trying to get into the festival. Many were turned away because they ran out of parking, or they were stuck in traffic and missed the bands they wanted to see. We were staying 30 minutes away from the festival and we were stuck in the parking lot for 3 hours (only moving one car-length). No one was directing traffic and a lot of people were getting impatient.

The parking situation and traffic issues that occurred on Friday were (somewhat) resolved on Saturday when entering the festival. They had added entrances! The first band to come on was Alien Weaponry and they set the mood for the day. The next band of interest was Wage War and as always, they killed it! Probably the best performance of the day because they had the crowd wound up! Everyone was moshing, crowd surfing, and singing along with the band. They were assigned one of the smaller stages, but judging from the size of the crowd, they should have been on a larger one. Black Label Society was on a larger stage, and they were steamrolling into their third song when an announcement appeared on the screens that we must evacuate the grounds and head back to our cars because of a tornado warning. The band quit playing, mid-song, and the entire crowd herded toward the exit. Once back in the cars and waiting out the storm for hours, the rest of the festival was canceled (there was damage to the venue). I did not get to see the two bands that I have been looking forward to all weekend: Tool and Judas Priest. Trying to get out of the parking field was tough because, first, part of it was flooded due to the storms that rolled through and, secondly, everyone was leaving all at once.  

Sunday was the one day that everything was great! Parking was quick and easy, and the weather stayed sunny for us to mosh in! The band of the day was Architects, and boy did they put on a show! Their stage presence was fantastic and their light show was great! There was a bunch of crowd surfing for this band. Bring Me the Horizon was of interest, next, they always put on a great live show. Interaction between the singer and the crowd was insane! Everyone was trying to crowd surf and give the singer a high five. Foo Fighters closed out the night and everyone was singing, dancing, and crowd surfing along with the band.

Although everything was great while inside the festival, what occurred outside of the festival is what has me second guessing if I will ever return to Epicenter. Parking was poorly planned out, for one. The logistical nightmare of being out in the middle of nowhere lends itself to chaos when 90,000 people descend. But the thing that bothers me, and many others, the most is that the majority of us spent over $200 to attend Epicenter. Then they had a $20 sale on Saturday passes. A week before the festival, tickets were only $1. To me, this is disrespectful to the people who paid a lot of money to attend and support the festival.

I question if Epicenter will be worth going to next year because after this experience, I won’t be getting tickets early; and if there is a chance that I do go, it will only be for a day.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

Okay, y’all should already know that anytime Whitechapel comes to North Carolina, I’m going to go see them. I was really looking forward to this show because the lineup was STACKED. The North Carolina date was the last date of the tour and you already know that NC brought the energy.

I got to the Ramkat before doors because I bought VIP tickets to meet Whitechapel. I have never met Whitechapel before so this was exciting for me! The meet and greet was supposed to start at 3:30, but it didn’t start until 4:15, 15 minutes before doors opened. When I was in line to get my Whitechapel poster signed, I was thinking about how I was going to tell Whitechapel that I am The Saw and how much of a fan I am without sounding like a fangirl. They appreciated my support for the band and Phil Bozeman (vocalist) also said, “Go Wolfpack.” I also got a picture with the band, so I now have proof that I met my favorite band.  

There were some opening bands that came on and they set the tone for the whole night. One of the bands that opened up for this show was Primordial Tides from Greensboro. I have seen them a couple of times and each time I see them, they get better and better. After the opening bands, Fallujah came on. I have never seen Fallujah before and I was really impressed! They sounded great and there was a good crowd for their set. I started listening to this band more after the show and I really like their sound. They are a very technical band and I’m glad I got to see them.

Spite came out and completely dominated the crowd. Spite’s singer, Darius, is one of the best front men I have ever seen. He was in the crowd’s face the entire time and he was running around the stage the entire time. Right when he came running on stage and yelling at the crowd, people automatically started moving and getting rowdy. The band sounded really good and Darius can hit his highs and lows perfectly. Probably one of my favorite vocalists right now.

The next band to come on was Revocation. They have that old school thrash, death metal sound and the crowd really loved this band. People started moshing and headbanging during their entire set! They set the tone for the next two bands to come!

Dying Fetus came on next, and we both know how much I love Dying Fetus. I am still mind blown by how technical, fast, and brutal this band is with only three people in the band. Right when they hit the stage, the crowd went crazy. There were certain times when no one was standing still and everyone was in the pit. I don’t know why but almost every guy in that building took off their shirt when Dying Fetus came on. They played some of my favorite songs such as Fixated on Devastation, Panic Amongst the Herd, and Subjected to a Beating. I moshed a lot for them, but for the most part, I stood there in awe.

Whitechapel headlined the show and they came out with their song When a Demon Defiles a Witch. They played a handful of songs off their new album, The Valley, and during that 5-song stretch is when the crowd went absolutely insane. No one was standing still when they started playing Brimstone and Black Bear. I was moshing and yelling the words to every song and I eventually pushed my way up to the barricade. Phil is also a great front man, he was hovering over the crowd and interacting with us the entire time. He also has some of the best vocals live, too. When they played Brimstone, I was shocked, impressed, and in awe when Phil hit that low note, it was beautiful. Whitechapel also played Mark of the Blade, Elitist Ones, Let Me Burn, and The Saw is the Law. 

Overall, this was one of the best shows that I have been to this year. The set up and tear down was quick and easy, and the sound of every band was clear! The light show for this show was also really cool. The venue impressed me as well. The Ramkat is very spacious and there is a lot of room for people. There is also a balcony (with its own bar) that people could pay extra to sit up there. I will most definitely be back at this venue.

Did you go to the Chaos and Carnage tour? What did you think?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW  

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

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.