Bank Atlantic Center, Sunrise, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

After Aerosmith canceled the last leg of their 2009 tour (including a date in South Florida) and Joe Perry mentioned finding a replacement for front man Steven Tyler earlier this year, it was unclear when and if the “bad boys from Boston” would ever take the stage in our area again. Last night, that question was answered in a big way as Tyler, Perry, and the rest of Aerosmith took the stage at the BankAtlantic Center to prove that after nearly 40 years of making music together they still know how to go out and bring the house down. As fans filtered into the arena, it was clear that no one seemed worried about Steven Tyler’s health, his status in the band, or his new gig judging a certain TV show. People were there for one reason and one reason only: to see the greatest American rock band of all time. Nothing else seemed to matter.

As the quintet exploded through their set, the chemistry between bandmates was undeniable. And when it came time for Steven to take a back seat while each of the guys took their turn in the spotlight, he seemed happy to do so; egging on the crowd as drummer Joey Kramer blistered through a mind-blowing solo, backing up Joe Perry on harmonica as he tore up a Guitar Hero-like duel with his animated self and as he slinked through the Jimi Hendrix tune “Red House”, and playfully referring to bassist Tom Hamilton as “Mr. Sweet Emotion”. And when it came time for the demonstrative vocalist to do his thing, he definitely did his thing. Each time he would sashay to the end of the stage, every person in the building seemed to inch forward just to get a little closer. The nearly two-hour set was made up of tracks spanning their career including: “Love In An Elevator”, “Sweet Emotion”, “Last Child”, “Pink”, “Livin’ On The Edge”, “Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”, “Dream On”, “Walk This Way”, and the Beatles hit “Come Together”.

Before Aerosmith took the stage, Sammy Hagar and the Wabos got the party started. The 45-minute set was made up of tunes from all facets of his career and lots of plugs for his successful Cabo Wabo tequila brand, including shots for some lucky fans.
Hagar made it clear that his job was to warm the crowd up and it was a job well done. He even took the time to poke a little fun at local musician and Land Shark founder Jimmy Buffett when he was handed a bottle of the lager instead of his own Cabo brand.

Last night, South Florida fans were lucky enough to witness two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on the same stage. From the party that Sammy Hagar and the Wabos threw to get things going to the last signature scream from Steven Tyler, concert goers witnessed something spectacular. With that amount of talent and history on one stage, South Floridians did not need to turn on a TV to find an American idol.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

Sammy Hagar & The Wabos

Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

For the second time this year, South Florida played host to a Beatle. On Thursday night, Ringo Starr brought his eleventh All Starr Band to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood. Accompanying Starr onstage was a group of musicians who had made their own marks on music history; Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Edgar Winter (White Trash), Rick Derringer (The McCoys), Wally Palmer (The Romantics), and Gary Wright (Spooky Tooth).

When the house lights went down and the music started, the reaction from the crowd was a bit underwhelming. That is, until the man of the hour joined the All Starrs onstage to kick things off with “It Don’t Come Easy” and the Carl Perkins tune “Honey Don’t”. The more he danced awkwardly around the stage the more the die hard fans in the crowd loved it. But it wasn’t until halfway through “Choose Love” that he retreated to what he knows best, his drum kit. Seated above the rest of the band, Ringo Starr took a back seat while his band mates took center stage. Up first was Rick Derringer to play the song (that for one week charted higher than the Beatles hit “Yesterday”) “Hang On Sloopy”. Following Derringer was Edgar Winter who blasted through the 1973 hit “Free Ride”. I know you know it “come on and take a free ride (free ride)”. No?

Up next was Wally Palmer who got folks on their feet with “an updated version of “Talking In Your Sleep”, Gary Wright who performed a song that he wrote while he was in India with George Harrison, “Dream Weaver”, and Richard Page with his hit “Kyrie”. As the music continued, each musician took their turn playing front man in a well orchestrated rotation. Every now and again, Starr would perform songs from his recent release Y Not (which he thanked “the nine of you who bought it.”) and classics that people wanted to hear. Other set highlights included “What I Like About You” (Palmer), “Frankenstein” (Winter), “Broken Wings” (Page), “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” (Derringer), “Peace Dream” (Starr), and “Back Off Boogaloo” (Starr). But it was when concert goers heard the famous first line of “Yellow Submarine” that the mostly contained crowd showed a bit of life. “In the town where I was born/lived a man who sailed the sea”.

Even though Ringo Starr is not the best vocalist (by a long shot), he was fun. Throughout the show, he continuously danced around, played air guitar next to Rick Derringer, and cracked jokes (often about himself). It was night of peace and love and music (well that’s what Ringo said anyways), and fans were taken on a mini tour of musical history spanning decades. And it just so happened that the professor of this lesson was a man who is best known for being an insect.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

The Fillmore Miami Beach, Miami, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

Over the past few years, Courtney Love has certainly had her fair share of public blunders, outbursts, and breakdowns. The most recent was the well-publicized train wreck of a performance Sunday night in Washington, D.C. That said, concertgoers weren’t really sure what to expect from Love as she and her band, Hole, stopped in Miami Friday night to play the Fillmore.
When Courtney Love took the stage, the crowd in Miami seemed ready for whatever the grunge goddess was going to throw at them. As she donned her Rickenbacker and stomped out her cigarette, three words escaped out her mouth: “So, shall we?”.
With one leg up (literally), Love and the re-invented Hole catapulted into “Pretty On The Inside”, The Rolling Stones 1968 tune, “Sympathy For The Devil”, and the current single “Skinny Little Bitch”.

The more the slick-tongued rocker teased the crowd with invites to her “real nice Miami Beach penthouse”, the more fans became wrapped around her finger. Although she would take time to make some off color comments or chat with lead guitarist Micko Larkin, the music never really seemed to stop (which seemed to be a characteristic of the D.C show).

Before surrendering her guitar to perform “Letter To God”, “Pacific Coast Highway”, and the Leonard Cohen song, (“not ‘Hallelujah’”) “Take This Longing”, Love and her guys plowed through one of Hole’s biggest hits, “Violet” off the platinum selling album, Live Through This. Other set highlights included, “Asking For It”, “Someone Else’s Bed”, “Celebrity Skin” and “Doll Parts”. The six song encore included “Malibu” and another Stones cover “Play With Fire”.
The show was closed with Love and Larkin and a couple of acoustic guitars for stripped down versions of “Thirteen”, originally by Big Star, and the painfully honest “Never Go Hungry”.

At 45, Courtney Love is still hanging on. She’s still going out every night and putting on shows. She seems to go out and do the best she can on any given day. Whether or not it ends in catastrophe or not is something completely separate. She’s certainly not a perfect musician (as was shown during Friday’s show when chords and lyrics were missed here and there) and she certainly has not been portrayed as a perfect human being. But she’s still going out there and fighting, and she’s going to fight until the end.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

The Fillmore Miami Beach, Miami, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

50 Cent has been around for a minute. And he’s been through hell (try being shot a few times) and back and has continued to tell his story along the way. But when all is said and done, he has always risen to the top and been a “motherf***in’ P.I.M.P”.

Tuesday night, 50 took over the Fillmore in Miami and proved that he’s not going anywhere. No matter how many bets he makes with Kanye.

After waiting what seemed to be an eternity, the house lights went down to reveal a silhouette. It was the man of the hour. As soon as the bass kicked in, the building immediately started to shake. Literally. And when the big white veil dropped, the hip hop joyride began with 50 doing the driving. Although fans needed no direction, each command to “put your hands up!” yielded swarms of hands reaching for a piece of the rapper. It didn’t take long before that piece was delivered to one lucky fan in the crowd in the form of the blue leather jacket the man himself was wearing during “So Disrespectful”.

He went on to spit and slur his way through the 8 Mile Soundtrack hit “Wanksta” and “I Get Money” before bringing out a band (yes, a band) for several hits including the smash “Ayo Technology” and the slow jam “Follow My Lead”.  When 50 Cent donned a signature “pimp” hat everyone knew what was coming next. As soon as the tell tale first few beats of “P.I.M.P” were heard, the eruption from the hundreds in the audience could be heard in 50’s hometown of South Jamaica, Queens.

Doesn’t it make you wanna start singing? “I don’t know what heard about me”. No? Anyway.

It wasn’t until well into the set that 50 Cent took a minute to gather himself.  As he slinked to the stairs onstage to take a seat he proclaimed, “I wanna take a minute to notify everyone that this is the motherf***in’ good part!”. And in an instant he was up as he plowed into “Hate It Or Love It”.

For me, there was a bit of an awkward moment when the rapper used a mic stand for “Ryder Music”. It seemed as though 50 felt a little forced in trying to find things to do with both hands. Well if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Keep that mic firmly planted in your left hand; it was fine there.

Other set highlights included “Magic Stick”, “Candy Shop”, “Hold Me Down”, “Disco Inferno” and his bang up club anthem “In Da Club”.

Before the show I had heard that tickets weren’t selling well. Was the show sold out? Absolutely not. Not even close. But the fans that did make their way to Miami Beach should not have left disappointed. 50 Cent is a damn fine showman. He gave listeners what they wanted to hear and seemed to appreciate everyone who bought a ticket to his show. When he wasn’t throwing random accessories into the crowd, he was wooing the screaming fans with his charismatic personality and his flawless smile.

Now c’mon everybody, “Go shorty/It’s your birthday”. Anybody?

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

The Fillmore Miami Beach, Miami, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

More and more, synthesizers and sampling are becoming more common in popular music. However, there are few acts that can stand on their own with these elements making up the majority of their sound. Over the past three years, Boston based Passion Pit has proven that their brand of electronic pop is just as infectious as the current wave of heartthrob-driven rock bands.

Gracing a South Florida stage for the second time in a matter of months (the first time being Ultra music festival), Passion Pit played to a sold-out crowd at the Fillmore Miami Beach and solidified themselves as a force to be reckoned with in this (sometimes) predictable musical age.

By the time the house lights went down and the quintet took the stage, fans were ready to sing and dance the night away with front man Michael Angelakos. With the stage looking more like a computer science lab, the set was kicked off with “I’ve Got Your Number” off the 2008 release Chunk of Change. The more Angelakos danced and ran around, the more the hundreds of fans moved with him. It was almost as if they were having a conversation with each other, and only they knew the language.

As they moved forward, Angelakos, Ian Hultquist, Ayad Al Adhamy, Jeff Apruzzese, and Nate Donmoyer continuously wowed listeners and gave Miami everything they had. Excitement was already high, but when Passion Pit plowed through crowd favorites “Better Things” and “The Reeling”, the crowd couldn’t help but scream the words along with the vocalist.

Other set highlights included “Make Light”, “Swimming In The Flood”, “To Kingdom Come”, and “Moth’s Wings”.
The night started off with sets from the New York City based electronic trio, Brahms, and the Toronto based indie-rock act Tokyo Police Club. Both acts brought the house down with their unique styles and made sure that everyone was pumped for Passion Pit.

The rise of Passion Pit over the last few years has resulted in a headlining tour with several sold out stops along the way. Their music is fun while their lyrics come from an honest and somewhat innocent place. While listening to them, one can’t help but move and vibe along as their electric sounds take your senses hostage. I wonder what the ultimate electro-pop icons, Depeche Mode, would think?

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

Toyko Police Club

Brahms

]]> http://www.rhythmscene.com/2010/06/passion-pit-tokyo-police-club-and-brahms/feed/ 0 http://www.rhythmscene.com/2010/05/bamboozle-2010/ http://www.rhythmscene.com/2010/05/bamboozle-2010/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 04:41:19 +0000 admin http://www.rhythmscene.com/?p=2146

Photos from Bamboozle 2010



Coconut Creek Casino, Coconut Creek, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

Only a handful of musicians’ careers have had the staying power to last through multiple decades. With a career spanning over 30 years, Joan Jett has continued to kick ass and take names and Saturday’s performance at the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino was one big ass whoopin’.

Well before showtime, fans lining up overflowed into the parking lot in hopes of getting in early to find the perfect spot to witness Joan Jett and The Blackhearts tear it up. The majority of the (mostly female) crowd was decked out in black and leather and there were even some vintage Jett concert T’s floating around.

When the woman (and men) of the hour took the stage, the crowd erupted into an all out frenzy. Without so much as a word from the front woman, the quintet burst into “Change The World” and a little ditty originally by the Runaways called “Cherry Bomb” (heard of it?). With each “Hello daddy, hello mom/I’m your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!” it seemed as though concertgoers would overpower the rockers. But the louder the crowd got, Jett and company made sure to get even louder. They went on to plow through tunes that spanned nearly the entirety of Jett’s career like, “Do You Wanna Touch Me”, “Bad Reputation”, “The French Song”, and “Fake Friends”.

Other set highlights included “Naked”, “Androgynous”, “You Drive Me Wild”, “School Days”, and “Fetish”.

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts emerged after a short break to end the show with the 2006 hit “A.C.D.C.” and the 1968 Sly And The Family Stone hit “Everyday People”.

Joan Jett has been a continuous driving force in the music industry for three decades and is showing no signs of slowing down. Whether she’s performing with The Blackhearts or fostering new talent at her own Blackheart Records, Jett will continue to be the ever fearless rock icon we have all come to love her for.

You know, growing up my mother always told me that I could be anything I wanted to be. She always told me that I could do all the same things the boys did, and that I could probably do it better. After seeing Joan Jett and The Blackhearts perform on Saturday night, I think I have finally decided on what it is I want to be. I wanna be a rock star. Just like Joan Jett.

Photos by Kate Dingle

With a handful of releases under their belts and a slew of tours supporting big acts like John Mayer, One Republic, and Switchfoot, it’s no wonder that the quartet of Nothing Rhymes With Orange has become one of the top acts in South Florida. Their latest release, The Happiness Struggle, is filled with tales of hope and rising up. From the title track “The Happiness Struggle” to tunes like “Freights Are On Their Way” and “Headlines and Deadlines” their British influences are still front and center while some of the more “organic” American influences begin to shine through. Guitarist Rich so kindly answered a few questions before preparing to hit the road in the pursuit of happiness.

Rhythm Scene: What was the idea behind the album title The Happiness Struggle?

Nothing Rhymes With Orange: The Happiness Struggle is about a person or persons on that long, winding, and often treacherous road. Always looking for that peace of mind and that light at the end of the tunnel. While ultimate happiness often seems improbable and/or elusive, there always seems to be a glimmer of hope that rests in the heart and soul of the individual seeking that happiness.

RS: What is your favorite song on the album?

NRWO: It’s tough to say. I like a few. Some I like playing more live than listening too. Freights Are On Their Way for example, I can sit and listen to that song and love it, but when we play it live, I’m quite miserable. Some songs just don’t come across the way you expect them too live. Headlines and Deadlines, Offers, In So Far – are probably my favorite.

RS: Who are your greatest musical influences and how did they affect The Happiness Struggle?

NRWO: Well there are lots of influences. We usually reference bands that have influenced us growing up (Oasis, Smiths, The Church, Echo And The Bunnymen) just turns out most are British. There have been so many other artists that we have discovered over the years, but with this album I think our American influences have come out more. Petty, Springsteen, Dylan, Ryan Adams, etc… So there’s a lot of stripped down songwriting going on. Simplicity is best, lots of layers, an organic feel. We tried to get away from using a lot of effects as well. I think there are still some British undertones throughout. I don’t think that will ever go away. We’ve been so heavily influenced by British music, so I’m guessing that will be there forever.

RS: Is it difficult not having every member of the group live in the same area?

NRWO: Yeah, kinda. Depending how often you want to play. For me I always need to be playing, so it is a bit frustrating. Carl and I have been writing for a long time, so at least we have that. When we’re not on the road it works out. We work on new material, and when it’s time to go back out, we phone up the other guys and we’re off. I think there are a lot of bands that work that way. It’s not my first choice, but I think it happens more than people think.

RS: How are you planning to reach listeners with this new album?

NRWO: Radio, Live, Podcasts, Computers, Telegram, Email, Car, Plane, Submarine, Scooter and whatever other means possible.

RS: What’s on your iPod?

NRWO: This would take up lots of space… lets just say everything from Neil diamond to arctic monkeys

RS: Is there anything else you’d like to add or say to your fans or new listeners?

NRWO: Just… Check out the new album, The Happiness Struggle and catch the live show… that’s about it.

For more information on Nothing Rhymes With Orange visit: www.nrwo.net or http://www.myspace.com/nrwo

The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater, Miami, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

Friday night, folks of all ages gathered at the Fillmore in Miami Beach for an evening of psychedelic indie pop rock with of Montreal and James Husband.

With the promise from opening act James Husband (aka of Montreal’s James Huggins) that of Montreal would be back to “melt your faces off”, the 40-minute break between acts seemed like an eternity.

When the house lights went down, concert goers were greeted by a ringmaster of sorts wearing a tiger mask. After a few moments of hyping up from the tiger man, the Athens, Ga.-based headliners took over Miami. Dressed in skirts, short shorts, and blue tights (courtesy of front man Kevin Barnes), the guys (and one girl) were caked in more makeup than a drug store cosmetics department carries. The quintet started things off with “For Our Elegant Caste” (complete with children dancing around the stage dressed in white and masks) and “Mingusings”.

As the performance progressed, so did the antics of Barnes and company. Sexually driven lyrics (”We can do it softcore if you want/But you should know I take it both ways”) were strewn throughout the entire performance as well as stories about struggle and acceptance. The tune “Beware Our Nubile Miscreants” was accompanied by a Carrie Prejean-eque animation that included her face being replaced with a skull. And a mock therapy group was staged for “And I’ve Seen A Bloody Shadow”. Other set highlights included “Cato As A Pun”, “Suffer For Fashion” and crowd favorite “She’s A Rejector”. The rockers ended the show covering “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5.

Listeners witnessed a Michael Alig club kid-esque dance party complete with animal costumes and Druid aliens dancing around.

Going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the group that is not from Canada. What I got, and what most of the others in attendance should’ve gotten was a mind-blowing piece of performance rock art. Are these guys the most talented bunch? No. But what they are is a group of artists devoted to storytelling in a way that stimulates the senses. And I’m sure that many people felt stimulated.

Of Montreal’s resident jack of all trades, James Huggins, kicked things off with his recording project James Husband. Promising a “very long night of music”, the set was kicked off with the happy go lucky tune “Window”. From the beginning, it was apparent that Huggins was having issues with his acoustic guitar. “This is a ghost I’ve met before. I think Jackie Gleason is in my guitar”. After switching out instruments, he went on to treat listeners to a cover of the Buffalo Springfield classic “Out Of My Mind”.

Even though some would say the performance was a bit sleepy, the set did have its high points. With musical roots in the 60s and 70s, the 30-minute warm-up act was filled with thoughtful lyrics, head bopping melodies, and even some bellowing organs reminiscent of a Sunday church service.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

James Husband

]]> http://www.rhythmscene.com/2010/04/of-montreal-and-james-husband/feed/ 0 http://www.rhythmscene.com/2010/04/a-day-to-remember-august-burns-red-and-silverstein/ http://www.rhythmscene.com/2010/04/a-day-to-remember-august-burns-red-and-silverstein/#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 22:29:21 +0000 admin http://www.rhythmscene.com/?p=1803 March 31, 2010

Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Written by Breanna Rose

On Wednesday, March 31st, ‘Toursick’ came to Fort Lauderdale, selling out Club Revolution the first week tickets had gone on sale. The tour consisted of bands such as Veara, Enter Shikari, Silverstein, August Burns Red, and, headlining band, A Day To Remember. Fort Lauderdale was the first stop on Toursick as well, which made it that much more of an ordeal to the people of South Florida.

The first band to kick off the night was Veara, a pop-punk band from Augusta, GA. Being the first band to perform, the crowd was just warming up throughout Veara’s set for the rest of the night. One unique thing about Veara was that their drummer was a chick. Being the only girl of all the touring bands, she played the drums, too! Sick?! I thought so, too. After Veara, a post-hardcore band from England, Enter Shikari, came on to perform. This was the first time I was introduced to Enter Shikari, and I must say I was impressed with their performance.

Their upbeat movements and rhythms really drew me in throughout their whole set. I hope to be seeing them touring through South Florida again soon!

The third act of the night was another post-hardcore band, but with a completely different sound. Silverstein, having been involved in the music scene longer than any of the other bands on Toursick itself, played a pretty decent set. Touring for the first time in awhile, Silverstein brought back a few classics such as ‘My Heroine’ and ‘Smile In Your Sleep’. While listening to them, I couldn’t help but notice that they mostly played songs from their newest album, ‘Shipwreck In the Sand’ rather than from their previous albums. To tell you the truth, I would have preferred to hear the classics! I’m sure I’m not the only on that thought this, either.

After Silverstein, a metalcore band called August Burns Red came on. The band started with their most well known song, ‘Back Burner’. Their set was completely insane to say the least. Crowd surfers galore! As in 6 or 7 people surfing the crowd at one time, per song even! As their set went on, I began to notice the crowd liven up and really connect with the band itself.

My favorite part about this band is that most of their songs are made up of complete breakdowns, which calls for movement of the crowd, naturally. Along with being an attractive group of young men, it was the funniest thing seeing the guitarist and bassist both wearing sandals on stage, as if trying to match the ‘Florida Lifestyle’. Ending with ‘Composure’, the crowd went wild, including a circle pit encompassing the crowd in it’s entirety.

After an excruciating wait, the most anticipated band of the night, A Day To Remember finally came onstage and started out with their signature song, ‘The Downfall of Us All’. Every person in the room was off of their feet at this point! ADTR (being from Ocala, FL) stated “South Florida accepted us even before our hometown did!” The crowd went wild, obviously. After supposedly “ending” with the song ‘I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made of?’ ADTR came back with a never before played acoustic song, ‘If It Means A Lot To You’, with special guest singer, Sierra Kusterbeck, from the local Port St. Lucie band, Versa Emerge.

Ending with one of my personal favorites, ‘A Plot To Bomb The Panhandle’, ADTR absolutely hit it out of the ballpark on this one. Needless to say, this tour is the start of something America hasn’t seen since, well, ACDC… Mark my words, they’re taking over the world.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall