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/
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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/
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/
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
FMF 09 Day 1
The 8th 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
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
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
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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/
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/
Sunday, July 13, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, June 27, 2008
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.
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.
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