Indie musicians on the rise

I have two music columns I write for Examiner.com. Once covers music in Orlando and the other one covers music from everywhere else. Recently, I posted two interviews, one for each column.

The first article was an interview with I did Orlando singer/songwriter Billy Wright. Billy is such a sweetheart and a rising star on the Orlando music scene. After plugging away for years as a member of other bands and as a studio musician, three years ago he struck out under his name with his own music.

He has one CD out currently, “Sunrise” and has been working on getting another one released. His music has a nice pop/rock/soul vibe.

You can read the interview here:

Moving Forward with Orlando singer/songwriter Billy Wright

The other interview was with Tallahassee singer/songwriter David Lareau of David Lareau and the Copperpots. Hew had some really interesting things to say about the music business and about his music.

His Americana music has a great vibe to it.

You can read the interview here:

Interview: Indie musician David Lareau on selling chickens to vegetarians

Check them out and let me know what you think.

SMB Project

I have also done profiles on the members of the SMB Project. You can read their profiles here:

Stephen Belcamino
Joshua Kaplan
Angie Boshart

I also reviewed Chapter 1 of their CD:

Gazing at the World Through Binocular Eyes

Ratham Stone

Have you checked out my Examiner.com profile series about Orlando musicians? One of the first bands I profiled members of is Orlando band Ratham Stone. You can read their individual profiles here:

In tune with Daniel "DPak" Pacchioni
In tune with Andrew Maffettone
In tune with Adam Lipinski
In tune with Joe Hodgin
In tune with Andrew Lipinski

I have also reviewed two of their CD's Hearing Colours and Enough to Last.



Who do you want to see profiled?

A Cover Story CD release show

I missed seeing Camarae and Modern Day Escape unfortunately, but I did arrive in time to catch some of In Passing’s set, as well as full sets by In Violent Times and Amely – all really good bands. But it was A Cover Story’s night - the release show for their debut CD “Watch The Cities.”

A Cover Story is a fun band to see live, they always seem to have something different to show the audience, whether it’s changing the way a song is performed or just the between songs banter and antics. For this show they pulled out all the stops.

The band took the stage to billowing fog and screaming fans, opening with “Broken Promises” from the new CD. The second song “Till Death Do Us Part,” which is also on the CD, Jon described as a song about “a special kind of love.”

They slowed things down a bit with the first ever live performance of “Actually, It’s Completely My Business,” with Shauna from Shut Up And Dance joining them onstage for the duet.

Jon asked for low lights and fog (should have seen him fog machine impression!) for an a cappella start to the CD’s title track “Watch The Cities.”

For the last song “Regrets (Take 2)” they were joined by other musicians from the audience for the finale of the song and the evening.

You can listen to the bands music here:
http://www.myspace.com/acoverstory

you can see more pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157619593438835/

FMF 09 Day 4

Yes, I am finally getting around to day 4's post!

I arrived early downtown for the last day of the festival and saw at least part of the sets for 27 bands. There were some really good bands playing, and some not so good, or at least not to my liking. It was a day full of bands with exclamation marks in their names and bands with music and comedy (?) on the agenda.

I started my day at The Social to see Orlando’s Mel Martinez. It was early so there wasn’t much of a crowd yet, but the pop/rock duo was very entertaining with good music and joking between songs. Their set included “18” from Martinez’s recently released debut EP “The Door Is Open.”

Then I was off to the Wall Street main stage to see Chris Via. With songs like "Pretty Girl" and "Dream Girl" his cheery, sing along bubblegum pop is designed to make teenage girls squeal, and the few that were in attendance did just that.

Next up was Shut Up and Dance on the other Wall Street stage. The six piece Orlando band combines pop with fast-paced club beats and had a big crowd show up to enjoy their set.

After their set, I headed back to The Social to see 10 West. The six member Jacksonville band played a classic styled solid rock set, heavy on guitars and jamming, like any respectable Southern Rock band would.

The BackBooth was next on my agenda for Florida’s Pathway To Providence. The early crowd was enjoying the five piece band’s punk tinged modern rock sound, including “I Am The Tower” from their CD “Hello World.”

I caught part of the sets of a few more bands then headed off to The Social for a much anticipated show by A Cover Story. I had seen them play before (the first time being FMF 08, so I knew it would be a good show. With a 4 PM time slot, the guys had been out every day during the festival urging people to come watch their set and it paid off with a very good sized crowd. They played several songs from their soon to be released CD including the title track “Watch The Cities”.

After that I did a lot of wandering around catching bits and pieces here and there such as Jacksonville’s Captain Kid flooding the audience with t-shirts during their set, to Yellowman sound checking to reggae beats, to the peppy pop of Fort Lauderdale's Jacob Jeffries Band, to the eight piece Orlando band Shady People and their Southern Surf Rock with a Reggae beat, to the spacey experimental rock from Florida's Leone, to the costumed five piece band The Schmeltz rock pop comedy with songs “Soccer Mom” and “The Spocker,” to the high-energy of Gainesville’s T13C!, Including “I Am a Robot,” to Raging Geisha, a five piece Miami band and their fusion of pop and hip hop, to the punk, funk sounds of Orlando’s Union Made and their circus atmosphere complete with costumes and dancers.

Then I was off to be Gargameled. I’ve never been Gargameled before; it was quite interesting and kinda fun.

After that it was time to head Back to Wall Street to see Clayton Senne. I’d only ever seen him perform solo, so I was looking forward to his full band show. His pop infused soul music always draws a good crowd. I really liked his songs “Mercy” and “Walk Out The Door,” and as always he is very entertaining between songs (and he performs in his socks).

I wandered back to The Social to see the modern rock of Gainesville’s Colourslide. While they were playing, the guys from A Cover Story were loading back in; they said they’d been asked to play again. Hmmmm the next set was supposed to be a “secret (OK not so secret)” show by Between The Trees. Well maybe they weren’t playing after all, but no, there they were as well. (If I was really smart I might have been adding 2 and 2 here, but not yet.) A Cover Story took the stage and did two songs, lots of fun, always good to see them play. Then Between The Tress came onstage along with the head of Bonded Records, who announced that A Cover Story had won a recording deal with them. (I guess that’s one way to make sure the band is there when you make such an announcement – trouble was most of the band was out loading their gear back into their cars.) The lead singer (Jon C.) was inside waiting to see Between The Trees play, the look on his face was priceless!

It always amazes me how many talented indie bands there are in Orlando, let alone everywhere else, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to hear at least bits of so many during FMF, I always come away with a big list of bands to explore further. The downside is the bands I miss seeing during the festival because there are just so many good bands playing at the same time and blocks of time with not a lot to see.

Also, I am amazed at how many My Space pages are all decked out with all kinds of crap and at the same time contain little or no actual information about the bands (this from a writer doing research standpoint).

Here’s a link to the photos from Day 4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618391667620/

FMF 09 Day 3

Day 3

I was looking forward to this day’s line-up; there were some really great bands scheduled, and a few I hadn’t seen before that I’d wanted to check out. The only downside was there were some blocks of time that I wanted to see several bands that were playing at the same time, so I knew I’d have to miss some terrific performances.

First, I headed to The Social to see Jacksonville’s Shawn Fisher and the Jukebox Gypsies again. I enjoyed this set just as much as the one the day before. They have this song called “The Boat,” well you really have to see them do this song live.

Then it was off to the Wall Street main stage for Exit The Ride, for their second performance of the festival. (I had to miss their set at the BackBooth Wednesday night because the place was just too packed.) The four-piece Orlando band played an impressive set of guitar driven rock injected with a classic sound, including “Some Kind Of Angel.”

After that I was off to The BackBooth to see One Less Reason. I was enthralled by their soulful, melodic, bluesy rock, and Cris Brown’s vocals were amazing, definitely a band to see again.

I got back to Wall Street in time to catch some of Status Green’s set on the main stage. The New Jersey band had drawn a good sized crowd for their set of up-tempo pop rock songs including “Diana.”

I hopped into Tanqueray’s to listen to part of David Anthony’s acoustic set. I really enjoyed his soft, sweet, melodic songs.

Then it was back to The BackBooth to see XOXO, a last minute addition to the festival line up. The Orlando bands punk tinged modern rock set included “Whiskey Town” and “A Song for the Reminiscent.” The band members are very entertaining between songs; check out their mom impression for a few laughs.

After that I was off to Wall Street again to see SoulSwitch on the main stage, yet another impressive band. Their heavy metal music was as melodic as it was explosive; just listen to “Possession,”

Next I was off to The Social to see Jimmy Gnecco (from Ours) in a somewhat solo acoustic set, at times during his set he was joined by various members of Plain Jane Automobile. Gnecco's songs are well suited to an acoustic setting, his intense vocals reigned supreme throughout, at times haunting and dark but always stirring.

The transition to Plain Jane Automobile’s set was immediate since there gear was already up there to accompany Jimmy Gnecco (who stayed onstage for a good portion of their set). The Orlando band played new songs as well as old favorites like “Tear Yourself To Bits” and “Blue Jeans.” During “Whisper To Me” lead singer Duke Crider jumped off the stage and sang from the pit with the fans. They closed their set with Gnecco joining them for an Ours song “Wait.”

Closing out The Social for the night was Orlando’s Big 10-4, the place is always packed for a Big 10-4 show, and this night was no exception. The band played songs from “Testing The Atmosphere” as well as their recently released EP “Magazines and Movie Screens” with the crowd singing along to every song. The band's live performance tends to take on a "feeding frenzy" atmosphere with the band feeding off the crowds energy and giving it back tenfold, it just circles around and around to a frenzied state, no one wanting it to end.


Here's a link to my Flickr page of the photos from Day 3:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618303074171/

Day 2

Day 2 did not start off well, it was raining, making the walk between venues that much more fun and no pictures of the poor bands playing out in the rain (luckily for them the stage was covered at least).

First band of the day was Atlanta’s Well Reds. Unfortunately they were on the outdoor stage, so I didn’t take pictures; I did enjoy the music though. They closed their set with their song “Ecclesiastes.”

Of course since it was raining, some of the set times got messed up, so I had a lot of misses going on trying to see one band but getting another, or hitting between bands. The next band I got to see was another Atlanta band, Rise Of Science at The Social. Their alternative prog rock sound was distinct, often switching from frenetic to somber throughout their songs.

The rain finally let up as The James Boyd Band hit the Wall Street main stage. They put on a terrific show – really rocked the place. They have some great original songs including “End Of Me” and “You’re My Everything.” They closed out their set with a totally rocked up version of “Dust In The Wind.”

After their set, Central Florida’s My Getaway hit the other Wall Street stage; another good show. They closed their set with their song “Satellites.”

I headed up to Annie’s to catch some of Robbie Hazen’s solo acoustic set. He has some very good songs, including “Special Place.”

I trudged back down to Wall Street to see Atlanta’s State Of Man. Their hard edged rock has a pop flavor and inspirational lyrics, with themes of unity and overcoming obstacles. They opened their set with “Be Still My Heart” and “In This Place,” the title track to their new album.

I went to Central Station Rock Bar to catch Willtown, but the sets were running behind so I headed back up to Wall Street, and was glad I did. Alabama’s Hightide Blues was just taking the main stage. Very impressive band, and not just to me, the audience grew larger with each song they played. Just take a listen to their songs “Katie Can You Hear Me” or “Dreaming Alone.”

I stayed at Wall Street to catch some of InPassing’s set on the other Wall Street stage. The Orlando based band played a high energy set of pop/rock songs.

Then it was time to head back to Central Station to catch Willtown’s set. The band always puts on a good show, and this one was no exception. The only drawback was it was at Central Station with a tiny stage and not the best sound, but the band made the best of it. There was a keyboard player for this show, who was relegated to a spot in front of the stage as there just isn’t that much room for an active band to play. The set included one of my favorite songs of theirs “California.”

I did more wandering around and found myself back at Central station for Fishhawk’s set. The three piece band from Atlanta has a very creative style with a blend of alternative and electro musical styles, but it works for them.

Then it was back to Wall Street to see the rest of Shawn Fisher and The Jukebox Gypsies set. The five piece band from Jacksonville really drew in a crowd with their high energy pop/rock set. I must have liked them because I went to see them play again on Day 3.

After that on the Wall Street main stage, Between The Trees had a special acoustic show. They were filling in for the canceled headliner (Asher Roth – if anyone cares – I didn’t!) It was a good show, a great warm-up to their “secret” show the next night at The Social.

Next post Day 3

Pictures from Day 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618112192851/

Pictures from Day 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618112475377/

FMF 09 Day 1

The 8^th annual Florida Music Festival and Conference is history. This year it ran 4 days with so many good bands to see, and a few not so good. Their scheduling still challenges me, I hate to have to pick and choose, a block of two hours with no one that I knew I’d want to see, and then 11 PM rolls around and there are four bands I want to catch. Add to that the normal scheduling hiccups, an afternoon of rain and see what the schedule turns into by the end of the night.

Day 1

Just looking at this days schedule was grueling as I could see I wanted to be several places at the same time. The BackBooth had a terrific line-up of bands for The KikiRock Leukemia Foundation Benefit, while at the same time The Social had The Florida Grammy Showcase, and then of course there were four other places with an impressive list of bands slated throughout the evening.

I headed off to the BackBooth to catch Everyday I, the BackBooth already had a good crowd building for the evening. I hadn’t seen them before; I really liked their hard, heavy melodic rock.

Then it was off to The Social to see how the Grammy Showcases were coming along. I got there in time to catch Selena Serrano’s two songs. (Each performer was only allowed to do two songs.)Her songs have a nice blend of R&B and pop with a bit of an island vibe going on.

Since there was still time before Megaphone hit the Wall Street stage, I headed back to the BackBooth to see who was playing. The place was packed, I couldn’t get anywhere near the stage to see who was playing let alone get any pictures. While I was disappointed in being able to see more of the bands scheduled there, I was glad for the huge crowd, hopefully the leukemia foundation did well.

Finally it was time for Megaphone on the Wall Street stage. I hadn’t seen them live for awhile so I was looking forward to their show. Their hard-hitting guitar rock always hits the spot. Their set included a song from their upcoming CD as well as old favorites “Drama Queen” and “Not Your Enemy.”

After that I hit Tanquerays and caught some of Kaleigh Baker’s set. She had Nathan Anderson (of JunkieRush) accompanying her on sax, a great touch. She has a nice bluesy, soulful voice. I really enjoyed her originals and she did a terrific job on an old Coasters song.

I headed back to Wall Street to see the Thomas Nicholas Band. I was curious to see how “that actor dude” did with his band. He put on a really good show. I really liked “Without Warning.” He has this merch case with its own lights and everything all neatly showcased, all bands need one of those.

The last band of the night for me was The Fling at Tanquerays. Their music is a blend of rock, soul, and blues with a modern rockabilly feel.

Next post Day 2

Derek Stroker – Take a Picture, Make a Promise

Produced and mastered by Derek Stroker
Engineered by Chris Short and Alex Amoretti
Mixed by Chris Short and Derek Stroker
Recorded and mixed at Big Shot Studios, Maitland, FL

Derek Stroker's debut full-length release, Take a Picture, Make a Promise is well worth more than a cursory listen. The top-notch production is a masterful infusion of blues, jazz, soul, and rock with poignant lyrics and stunning musical arrangements.

“Lose Control,” “Green Eyes,” and “Reality” are jam laden songs that bring to mind sunny Sunday afternoon music festivals; the listener can almost smell the BBQ on the grill and feel the sun on their face. In “Reality” the organ, piano, and guitar are interwoven in a sweeping musical dance. The next three songs prominently focus on the piano, “Struggle” also features a wailing, mournful guitar, while “Interlude” is a short, dramatic instrumental leading into the touching “Goodbye.” “Naturally Together,” “Story,” and “Stay With Me” return to the more up-tempo beats that started off the CD. The last listed song “Realize” has added depth with the addition of strings. Two minutes after “Realize” ends there is a bonus hidden acoustic track, “One.”

The impressive musical arrangements are enhanced by Stroker’s inspiring lyrics and impassioned vocals. The Nashville based singer/songwriter mines his innermost thoughts and feelings for his songs, it’s up to the listener whether it’s a pep talk for himself or serving as inspiration for everyone. In “Goodbye” he sings “you can hold your head up high / you can overcome this / you can start over again” and in “One” he sings “One does not have to understand how love works to feel it.”

The combination of professional production, skillful mastering, and talented song crafting on Take a Picture, Make a Promise makes this CD a worthwhile addition to any CD collection.

His new CD, Rise and Shine is also now available check out his My Space page for details:
http://www.myspace.com/derekstroker

Big Ten Four CD release show

As usual the Big 10-4 show at The Social last Friday was a lot of fun; they never fail to put on a great show.

In Passing was the first band up, I didn’t get to see much of their show, but what I heard was pretty good. (I was hanging near the merch table waiting to get my hands on the new Big 10-4 CD as soon as it was unpacked.) The area in front of the stage was rapidly filling up, everyone wanting to stake out a spot early for the headliner’s set, so it was pretty full for Bryan Malpass and his solo acoustic set. I’ve seen Bryan before, he always does really well. I enjoyed his set so much I picked up his CD that night as well.



Bryan Malpass My Space

http://www.myspace.com/bryanmalpass1

Bryan Malpass Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157611136339493/

Then it was time for what everyone was waiting for, Big 10-4. They opened the show with “Flipside” a song from their new CD, Magazines & Movie Screens.



They also played several songs from Testing The Atmosphere including “Crazy,” “Walking Disaster,” and “Irony Is Thick.”

Also in the set were “We’ve Been Here” and “Good Girl” from the new CD, the new songs were just as popular as the old favorites.

The band always puts on a high-energy show with the audience happily singing, gesturing, and celebrating along with the band. Audience participation is traditional, OK more like expected at a Big 10-4 show, and if you’ve never experienced one, you need to make it a priority. And pick up a CD beforehand so you’ll be prepared.

Big Ten Four My Space:
http://www.myspace.com/BigTenFour

Big Ten Four photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157611136666445/

July issue Southeast Performer Magazine

The July issue of Southeast Performer magazine is out. There are 2 CD reviews and 2 live reviews that I wrote in this issue.

Florida Music Festival review:
Florida Music Festival is a veritable banquet of live music: three days, 15 stages and 250 bands. The hardest part is deciding which band to see. Opening night kicked off at BackBooth with Clock Hands Strangle......


John Frank / Matt Mackelcan / Clayton Senne
The Social
Orlando, FL
May 10, 2008
The Social was rapidly filling up as Orlando-based singer/songwriter Clayton Senne hit the stage. As soon as the solo keyboardist started playing, the audience abandoned all thoughts of anything else as they stood in rapt attention seemingly afraid to miss even a single song.....

To read the rest of my live reviews (and others) go here:
http://www.performermag.com/sep.livereviews.0807.php


Mary O. Harrison
Factory Of Days
Factory Of Days is the debut solo release from Atlanta-based singer/songwriter Mary O. Harrison, formerly of Charm School. Musically, the CD features an artful arrangement of many instruments..........

Sean O’Bryan Smith
Tapestry
For decades, Nashville’s Sean O’Bryan Smith has been a highly sought after musician for stage and session work, and with the release ..............

To read the rest of those CD reviews (and others) go here:
http://www.performermag.com/sep.recordedreviews.0807.php

And for those of you in the Southeast you can pick up print copies at many locations. Contact the magazine for outlets in your area.

The Fixx

If you’ve never seen The Fixx live you are really missing out on a great show. While their recorded music is top-notch it is in the live show where the band truly shines. Cy Curnin is very animated onstage; just watching his spirited gestures and antics is more than worth the price of admission. Add to that Jaime West-Orem’s intense guitar solos, Rupert Greenall’s keyboard action, and the steadfast rhythms courtesy of Adam Woods on drums and newly returned Dan Brown on bass and you have a combination that can’t be beat.

It must be a daunting task to pick a set list from their huge catalogue of songs, but someone does a wonderful job. There always seems to be just the right combination of the big hits, new songs and some old gems rarely heard live. The set list from the Orlando show had of course “Red Skies” and “Saved By Zero,” but also included new songs “Everyone Believes In Something” and “Life Goes On,” and gems of the past “The Flow” and “Question.”

You get very spoiled by Velvet Sessions shows; they are more intimate, like a concert in your living room rather than a big show. There is usually great interaction with the band onstage and afterwards, most band members come out to “hang out” after the show, meet the fans, and have a few drinks at the bar.

Check out what's new with The Fixx at their My Space page:
[url]http://www.myspace.com/thefixx[url]

More pictures on my Flickr page.

Caught the Junior Doctor CD release show at BackBooth June 7th with A Cover Story, My Complex Island, and Karrigan, really good show! With that line up the all ages show was packed with screaming teenage girls.

My Complex Island opened the show. I wasn’t really looking forward to their set since their FMF show really didn’t impress me much, but this time around they were much better. The band’s punk influenced high-energy rock made it appear cramped on the stage, but they made it work.


http://www.myspace.com/mycomplexisland

I went primarily to see A Cover Story since I had liked their show at FMF – a band well worth seeing live - very high energy power pop, catchy lyrics, great interaction between the band members and the audience. I really like Jonathan Carrillo’s voice, just listen to “She’s Only Sixteen” and “Watch The Cities.” The crowd of screaming teenagers went wild for their cover of “Umbrella.” I can’t wait to get a copy of their CD.


http://www.myspace.com/acoverstory

Karrigan was up next, their indie pop songs alternated lead vocals between Austin O'Laughlin and Chase Williams. I’m not too familiar with their music but the gaggle of screaming girls were.


http://www.myspace.com/karriganrocks

Junior Doctor closed out the night, with their set of high-energy power pop. They played several songs from their new CD “Take The Pain” as well as a cover of the Genesis song “Invisible Touch.” At one point during the show guitarist Thomas J. DeSiena threw himself out into the crowd and body surfed back to the stage.


http://www.myspace.com/jrdrmusic

Follow my Flickr link to see the rest of the photos from that night.

Florida Music Festival Day 3

Finally getting to posting about the last day.

Karrigan
(Pop/Rock)
Since it was early Saturday, it was a really sparse crowd for the Karrigan show at Wall Street Plaza, but the area in front of the stage was full of die hard fans wearing the bands t-shirts.

http://www.myspace.com/karriganrocks

A Cover Story

(Power pop/Rock)
Another band I was very impressed by, so much so that I recently went to another show of theirs. They always look like they are having a great time on stage, and interact constantly with the crowd (and their shows always seem to have a crowd!).

http://www.myspace.com/acoverstory

My Complex Island
(Rock/Punk)
I really wasn’t impressed with them at FMF but I recently caught them again and they were much better. They power through a set with a ton of energy and really seem to be having fun up there.

http://www.myspace.com/mycomplexisland

Woodale

(Pop/Rock)
Woodale plays some really good piano based pop/rock. I had wanted to see them live for awhile and was glad to finally get the chance. I look forward to catching another show of theirs.

http://www.myspace.com/woodale

Derek Stroker
(Blues/Rock)
I had heard about Derek earlier in the day so I made a point to check out his show. Great show! Some really good songs and terrific jazz flavored blues jams, and of course the place was packed for his show. I recently received a copy of his CD “Take A Picture, Make A Promise” and have been enjoying listening to it.

http://www.myspace.com/derekstroker


Dagnese

(Rock/Pop)
I have seen Chris D’Agnese several times as a solo or duo acoustic act, but FMF was the first time I had seen him performing as part of a four piece band. He had two showcases this year, one the night before at Café Annie and then this show at The City Arts Factory. Both were really good shows.

http://www.myspace.com/chrisdagnese

Thomas Wynn and the Believers

(Southern Rock)
There’s nothing like the hard-hitting dual guitars common to good Southern rock and Thomas Wynn is carrying on well in the family tradition. The band is currently recording a CD; I can’t wait to hear it. Watching his band’s terrific performance was a great way to end the festival.

http://www.myspace.com/thomaswynnandthebelievers

This was just a sampling of the great bands playing this year at FMF. Make sure you check my link to my Flickr page for lots more pictures from all the shows.

As always look for some good music among the many indie bands out there - so much good music to choose from.

Florida Music Festival Day 2

Day 2


I ran around like a crazy person trying to see all the bands I wanted to see.


Chris Burns


(Rock/Pop/Blues/Acoustic)
I’ve seen Chris live before, and knew it would be a fun set. He’s a solo acoustic performer and puts on a very entertaining show, with his animated playing and use of live loops. He played several songs from his CD “CB Radio.” His song (hopefully on the next CD) “Dirty Jim” is a rousing ditty about a boss we all love to hate.

Willtown
(Rock/Southern Rock)
The Southern fried rock of Willtown was new to me, but yet another I certainly want to see again. I picked up a copy of their CD at the show and have been enjoying it ever since.

No Circus


(Rock/Blues)
This band was probably the most impressive of the bands I saw. James Killgallon’s powerful vocals and guitar mastery were an awesome combination; the other musicians in the audience stood in awe of his performance.

Ambertone
(Rock)
I have seen Ambertone before and they always put on a good show, this show was just as good, and the packed crowd at Wall Street Plaza was certainly into it.

Robbie Carrico



(Southern Rock)
I don’t watch “American Idol” so I hadn’t heard of Robbie before, but I really enjoyed his set and look forward to many more of his shows. (I bet it was fun signing all those autographs with a broken hand!)

Plain Jane Automobile
(Rock)
I have seen The Janes many times live – they are never a disappointment. The Social was packed for their set, most of which I managed to miss unfortunately (dang those schedules).

John Frank
(Rock/Pop)
John Frank is another band I have seen many times before and always look forward to seeing any chance I can. I have really been enjoying his latest CD “The Spaces Between.”

Megaphone


(Hard Rock)
Megaphone is yet another band I try to see regularly. They vow to rock your socks off at every show and never fail to do so. Their recent CD “for cryin out loud” is frequently in my CD player.

Vonray
(Rock/Southern Rock)
The night’s headliner, Vonray had left the scene for awhile so I have only seen them once before, and they are certainly worth seeing every chance you can get, the rest of the crowd in attendance must have agreed as they were chanting for the band to take the stage. The guitarist in Megaphone, Paul Smith, is also the guitarist for Vonray so he got to pull double duty that night. Robbie Carrico joined them onstage for their song “Drifted Away.”

Florida Music Festival Day 1

The great part about Florida Music Festival is its 3 days, 250 bands, and 15 stages. The bad part is trying to see all (or most) of those 250 bands in 3 days on 15 different stages! A lot of the bands that I knew were good were all playing at the same time at different venues so picking and choosing was hard. The best part was stumbling across some really good bands that I didn't know about. Here is just a small sampling of the bands I saw:

Day 1

Blue Man Group rehearsal
Since I knew the Wall Street Plaza would be packed for their regular show I was thrilled to catch a front row view of their rehearsal - the only part missing was they weren't blue. All that percussion mixed with humor and spectacle was a treat. They are definitely a show worth catching!



Fairweather Friend
This was a band I hadn’t heard of before, but definitely one I want to see again. They are a local five piece indie pop/rock band with some really good songs.



http://www.myspace.com/fairweatherfriendonline

Afterglow Radio
Another band I hadn’t seen before, but will look for again. It’ll be good to see them on a bigger stage where they can really kick loose. Their high-energy rock set seemed a bit restrained on the confines of the small stage at Central Station Bar.



http://www.myspace.com/afterglowradio

Poverty Branch
I have seen these guys before and am never disappointed in their shows, even with some recent personnel changes they still sounded great and kicked butt on stage. The stage was actually moving along with the band as they brought down the house with their popular song “House Fire.”

http://www.myspace.com/povertybranch

Check em out! Next Day 2.

John Frank CD review show

John Frank / Matt Mackelcan / Clayton Senne

The Social
Orlando, FL
May 10, 2008


I headed off to The Social to see John Frank's CD release party. As usual there were a couple of opening bands, all very talented local singer/songwriters.



Clayton Senne started off his set with "Back To Me" an upbeat song with a big jazz vibe that also revealed his passionate vocals. His original songs "Mercy," "Walk Out The Door," "Cry," and "Wonderland" showed a blues, soul, and pop influence. He also included a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition."







Next was Matt Mackelcan and his band, with their Southern flavored indie rock, complete with heavy duty rock and roll guitar jams. They played several songs from his CD "No Turning Back" including "Waiting" and Drive." They also played a new song "So Far" with a kicking lead guitar solo from Chris Floyd.




Finally it was time for John Frank. This show was to promote his latest CD "The Spaces Between." He played several songs from the new CD "Undone," "All The Way To New Orleans" and "Colder." Which all sounded very good! They also played songs from his first CD "Anywhere But Here" including "This Town," "Jenna," "Victim Of The Heart" and "Never Surrender" all of which had everyone singing right along.



A talented bunch of singer/songwriters and a night full of good music!

Check out their My Space pages to hear their music:
http://www.myspace.com/musicbyclayton
http://www.myspace.com/mattmackelcan
http://www.myspace.com/johnfrankmusic

Check out more pictures here:
Clayton
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157604999953605/
Matt Mackelcan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157604996726210/
John Frank
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157605000152699/