Nothing More Concert Review
May 26, 2023
The Castle Theatre
Bloomington, Illinois
Nothing More is an American rock band that formed in San Antonio, Texas in 2003. The band consists of Jonny Hawkins (lead vocals), Mark Vollelunga (guitar, backing vocals), Daniel Oliver (bass, backing vocals), and Ben Anderson (drums). They are known for their high-energy performances and socially conscious lyrics. Nothing More sold out The Castle Theatre again on this Friday night show. They are touring in support of their sixth studio album, “SPIRITS” release in October 14, 2022. The album is accompanied by a graphic novel, SPIRITS, VOL. 1. It is described: ‘This powerfully human epic follows the lives of four individuals from 1952 to modern day, and examines how the unexpected manifestation of their spirit selves alter and shape their destinies toward a greater purpose.’ All the song titles are capitalized which may have meaning that the titles are being shouted. I am not sure of all the details behind the meaning of the album. I am sure that the songs are rocking. The show was sold out. The crowd was from all over the country. My friend came in from Jacksonville, Florida. This was one of the last shows for Nothing More in the United States of this tour. Nothing More touring Europe in Summer 2023.
Nothing More
The opening band, Catch Your Breath is from Austin, Texas and they are a blend of alt-rock and metal. Their latest single, “Dial Tone” is a great song about losing touch with someone. Their merch was the best designed out of the bands there. They met with fans after their set.
The second artist to perform was Zero 9:36. He was here in 2021 opening for Pop Evil. The stage name of Matthew Cullen whose music is in the rap rock genre. His hit song “Adrenaline” was like an anthem for the Covid Pandemic.
The lyrics,
“All my life I’ve drowned in adrenaline
Now my blood runs slow like a sedative
I wake up past noon and they settled in
Lord, please help me up, I don’t wanna lay down
So help me get the fuck back up”
Zero 9:36 had an incredibly long set for an opener and the crowd loved his entire set. His single, “The End” has a definite Linkin Park vibe. Zero 9:36 is getting bigger and bigger and fills in the rap rock genre that needs more artists.
Zero 9:36
Finally, Nothing More took the stage with a backdrop that has the artwork from “SPIRITS”, a winged skeleton with the Nothing More logo as the skull holding a sword. Singer, Jonny Hawkins entered shirtless and shoeless with make up painted on his body. They started the night with the song “SPIRITS” and then went into their hard hitting hit “Do You Really Want It?”
The full setlist:
1. SPIRITS
2. Do Your Really Want It?
3. Tired of Winning
4. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVES MEANS
5. Best Times
6. Jenny
7. Let’em Burn
8. Go To War
9. TURN IT UP (Stand In The Fire)
10. Don’t Stop
11. I’ll Be Okay
12. Fade In/Fade Out
13. This Is The Time (Ballast)
For those not familiar with the songs by Nothing More, I am moved by “Jenny” a statement about loved ones of a person suffering from addiction. The frustration and desperation about “Jenny” is conveyed perfectly in the lyrics of this song. Their song-writing has the passion and poetry that make perfect songs.
Their stellar hit “This Is The Time (Ballast)” was saved for last. No encore for the show because the band chooses to have their meet and greet after the show instead of beforehand. Several people purchased the meet and greet which are not available for every show. I cannot wait for you to experience Nothing More live where you are. Their passion is evident in every song of the concert.
Find out when you can catch them live at their website: Nothing More
Highly Suspect with Dead Poets Society Concert Review
February 28, 2023
The Castle Theatre
Bloomington, Illinois
Highly Suspect returned to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois on Tuesday, February 28th. They sold out The Castle Theatre again. The band was here in 2017 and sold out that show as well. We know from research that listening to live music increases endorphins and serotonin. Tuesday is as good a night as any to get those good brain chemicals at a live show. Live music is probably as good if not better for boosting your mood. The winter is dragging on in central Illinois. Most of the locals had work the next day but are old pros at going to bed late and getting up early.
Opening for Highly Suspect was Boston rock band, Dead Poet Society. The band formed while band members were attending Berklee College. The band consists of vocalist, Jack Underkofler, guitarist, Jack Collins, drummer Will Goodroad, and bassist Dylan Brenner. You may have heard their song “CoDA.” on Spotify’s Dirty Rock playlist. The band was unassuming with a simple, four-piece stage set up. No certain style in their clothing as they wore generic jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies. The music was all over the place. Each live song sounded different from the song before it. There were punk undertones with a Deftones feel and then some math rock breakdowns. The crowd really enjoyed their set. For fans of cleopatrick, Franz Ferninand, and just creative rock. You can learn more about Dead Poet Society on their website: wearedps.com
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
DEAD POET SOCIETY
Grammy winners, Highly Suspect, is touring in support of their fourth studio album, The Midnight Demon Club. The album was released on September 9, 2022. While some critics say the album is not as strong as their previous albums. I think that The Midnight Demon Club is one of their best albums. Some of the songs are more electronic but still rooted in great guitar riffs and poetic lyrics. The single, “Natural Born Killer”, reached number one on U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. The video is a statement on pharmaceuticals with an avant guarde harbinger of death with ice cream cones of drugs to help people cope with their life traumas.
Highly Suspect squeezed onto the stage at The Castle Theatre. Their backdrop was Highly Suspect in dripping paint and an awesome artwork to go along with The Midnight Demon Club song list. Unfortunately a lot of the artwork was covered by the light bars behind the band. Regardless, we were there to listen to the music and get our fix of Serotonin.
The band took the stage on time and wore unique t-shirts and jeans and some MCID gear. Vocalist, Johnny Stevens, was wearing a Selena t-shirt. They started the night with Bath Salts. Their setlist consisted of old and new songs. The fans knew every new song off of The Midnight Demon Club. The album is so catchy. If you listen to it, next thing you know you’re singing the lyrics,
“I-I hate myself
But I’m loving this
Yeah, I could never fix my shit
But I’m so good at judging it”
Rich Meyer took over the vocals when performing the song “Arizona” acoustically. His voice is amazing. The song sounded so sad that you wanted to hold your lighter in the air and just feel the song. During “Claudeland”, Johnny lit up a cigarette so we knew it was the final song.
The full setlist:
Bath Salts
Mom
Bloodfeather
23
Canals
Ice Cold
Natural Born Killer
Midnight Demon Club
Arizona
Serotonia
Human
Lost
For Billy
Lydia
Claudeland
—————–
encore
Look Alive, Stay Alive
Pink Lullabye
In many ways, Highly Suspect is one of the true bands who are pushing the envelope of rock in a place of their own. They are not doing what everyone else is or trying to get more views or go viral. They are artists lyricizing our fears, pointing out what’s f*cked up, and feeling the heartache of lost loved ones. Their live show never disappoints and you should see them if you can.
You can find out more about Highly Suspect on their website: HighlySuspect.net
Trinity of Terror Part III Concert Review
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria, Illinois
Thursday, November 11, 2022
TRINITY OF TERROR
Trinity of Terror Part III made its way to Peoria, Illinois. Peoria is keeping rock alive with the rock shows. Trinity of Terror consists of Motionless In White, Black Veil Brides and Ice Nine Kills. Each band has been around for more than fifteen years but are still considered new bands in the mind of older rock fans. I think of them fondly as Vans Warped Tour bands. Motionless In White was one of the first bands we covered in 2013. They were on tour with Asking Alexandria, Crown The Empire and Upon a Burning Body. That was an exceptional show for our very first show review.
I have seen Motionless In White twelve times. I like MIW but I did not purposely seek them out for every show. They have been touring so much where I would see them at Vans Warped Tour or opening for other bands. Their maturation into amazing entertainers makes me so happy to see the band’s growth and new fans at every show. Black Veil Brides has Andy Black at the helm who has forayed into acting with the movie American Satan and the spinoff series, Paradise City. He is one-half of the power couple with Lilith Czar, formerly known as Juliet Simms. Black Veil Brides became popular with their song “Knives and Pens”. It is a song about choice between destructive behavior or constructive behavior. Ice Nine Kills has attained tremendous success with their themed albums, The Silver Scream and The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood. Spencer Charnas and the band has been inspired by horror films and their passion has gone into these albums and the lyrics and show is very entertaining.
Starting the night was openers, Atreyu. The stage was filled with fog. Behind the band stood a thirty by forty foot LED screen and in front of the drum kit sat a smaller LED screen. In big, bold red letters Atreyu filled the screen during their set. Atreyu is a metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California that formed in 1998. The name comes from a character in The Neverending Story. Atreyu consists of founding member, vocalist and drummer, Brandon Saller, founding member, guitarist, Dan Jacobs, rhythm guitarist, Travis Miguel, bassist Marc “Porter” McKnight, and drummer, Kyle Rosa. Brandon has moved from behind the drum kit to the front as lead vocalist. Their latest album Baptize (Spinefarm Records) was released on June 4, 2021. You may have heard their radio hit, “Warrior” that features Travis Barker. They performed songs “The Time is Now” and sung a couple of lines of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston. That cover lent to the fun the band was having. They decided not to perform the entire song. The band primed the crowd for the Trinity. For more on Atreyu, go to their website: Atreyu Official
TRINITY OF TERROR Atreyu
TRINITY OF TERROR Atreyu
The Trinity of Terror change their lineup every evening so you never know who is going to be on stage next. Tonight it was Motionless in White. Motionless in White band consists of vocalist, Chris Motionless (Cerulli), lead guitarist, Ryan Sitkowski, rhythm guitarist, Ricky Horror (Olson), bassist, Justin Morrow, and drummer, Vinny Mauro. The stage was empty and the screen behind the stage lit up with “MOTIONLESS IN WHITE IS COMING ONLINE…” and “INITIATING BANGOVER SEQUENCE…”. A skeleton microphone holder with arms and a skull that could swing around sat in the front of the stage. The band took the stage with fog rolling in. The band members wore their signature black clothes with black and white makeup on their faces. They started the evening with “Disguise”. Behind them the LED screen displayed their name. Ryan Sitkowski was wearing a Hannibal Lecter inspired mask. The band had two female performers come out and use grinders to send sparks flying across the stage. The screen behind them incorporated imagery using their lyrics and also videos. During their performance of the single “Werewolf” images from the video went across the screen. That song video has nods to Michael Jackson with their jackets, dance choreography, and a sampling of “Somebody’s Watching Me” the Rockwell song that features Michael Jackson. the video is highly entertaining. You can watch it here.
Motionless In White full setlist:
Disguise
Sign of Life
Slaughterhouse
Werewolf
Voices
Cyberhex
Masterpiece
Dead as Fuck
Another Life
Somebody Told Me
Eternally Yours
During their performance of “Voices” the crowd sent up their LGBTQIA flags and Chris Motionless put them on display on the microphone stands. The lyrics “I know the man is everything but kind” flash across the screen and rainbow lighting lit up the stage. Chris has said on Twitter that many of the ‘lyrics were inspired by his personal conversations with people in the LGBT community’. During “Dead as Fuck”, the female performers came out as zombies and one of the zombies was on stilts and passed out candy to the crowd. Motionless in White also performed their cover of “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers. While I am not a fan of many cover songs, but I really liked this song live. Chris Motionless’ vocal abilities have gotten better over the years and he really shined tonight. He asked us if we knew what a bangover was. Well, its the equivalent of a hangover but due to headbanging. Motionless in White‘s live performance was exceedingly entertaining.
TRINITY OF TERROR Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Chris Motionless of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Ryan Sitkowski of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Chris Motionless of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Ricky Olson of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Justin Morrow of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Vinny Morrow of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Chris Motionless of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Vinny Morrow of Motionless In White
TRINITY OF TERROR Motionless In White
Black Veil Brides was the next band to grace the stage. Black Veil Brides consists of vocalist, Andy Black (Biersack), lead guitarist, Jake Pitts, rhythm guitarist, Jinxx, drummer, Christian Coma (CC) and bassist, and bassist, Lonny Eagleton. The band wore black. Andy Black came out in a suit with a vest and jacket and no shirt. The band’s signature BVB imagery has changed a little to be more rigid with straight lines for the B’s. Although the older BVB was still present on the drum kit also. The background imagery on the LED screens somewhat paled in comparison to the other bands. Usually, I would say that Andy Black is the best vocalist perhaps tonight there was something off with the sound and he did not sound as good as he usually does. Maybe he can remove his suit jacket and put on the priest’s collar like in their video for “Scarlett Cross”. He thanked us all for ‘spending our hard earned money to come see a rock show’. Overall the performance was good musically but I was disappointed by the entertainment of the stage show.
TRINITY OF TERROR Andy Black of Black Veil Brides
TRINITY OF TERROR Black Veil Brides
TRINITY OF TERROR Andy Black of Black Veil Brides
TRINITY OF TERROR Black Veil Brides
TRINITY OF TERROR Black Veil Brides
The closers of the night were Ice Nine Kills. Many of the fans in the front row had the signature I and X covering their eyes. The band has generated a small cult following that loves horror movies and their music. Ice Nine Kills consists of vocalist, Spencer Charnas, lead guitarist, Dan Sugarman, bassist, Joe Occhiuti, rhythm guitarist, Ricky Armelino, and drummer, Patrick Galante. On the transition screen, Ice Nine Kills put up a phone number to text for a fan to win a ‘Killer Merch Bundle’. The band took the dark, foggy stage in black suits with bow ties. The microphone stand had a horror skeleton with a lit up red eye and Jason and Freddy masks on each side. Some members were wearing horror masks. Spencer came out carrying a shovel in a mask. The LED screen in the background had movie marquee imagery with the names of the songs displayed. A male performer and a female performer came out during the set and were featured in scene like a dismembering, or a stabbing shower silouhette. During “Wurst Vacation”, Spencer donned an apron and a meat cleaver and proceeded to dismember the male performer with body parts flying around the stage. The screen lit up with circus tents and a circus marquee during “IT Is The End” and of course red balloons were let loose into the crowd. Spencer wore a clown mask. For their most popular song, “A Grave Mistake” there was imagery of the broken circular window and rain and a crow in flames. The vocal ability of Spencer Charnas is highlighted during this ballad. The fans were highly entertained. The show given by Ice Nine Kills has been increased from a couple of costumes to an Alice Cooper level of showmanship.
TRINITY OF TERROR Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Ricky Armellino of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Ricky Armellino of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Patrick Galante of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Joe Occhiuti of Ice Nine Kills
TRINITY OF TERROR Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills
Catch Trinity of Terror Part III if you can. Find all the dates on the website:
GHOST Mastodon Spiritbox Concert Review
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria, Illinois
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
GHOST
The Imperatour continues and sold out Peoria Civic Center. Grammy award winner GHOST continues their success. Their song “Mary On A Cross” is finding new fans due to their TikTok sensationalism after being featured in a Stranger Things mash up. Some people are shocked that the song is so blasphemous. “Mary On A Cross” is a release from a seven inch EP with only two songs on it. That EP, Seven Inches of Satanic Panic was released September 13, 2019. Their fifth studio album Impera is a concept album inspired by the book The Rule of Empires: Those Who Built Them, Those Who Endured Them, and Why They Always Fall by Timothy Parsons. Tobias Forge who is the man behind the Papa Emeritus IV and Cardinal Copa explains that the album is a creation on Empires and why they fall. He emphasizes that the album is fiction and entertainment. Do not criticize Forge as he is just a rock artist and not a religious or a political leader. Instead we should listen to what he is talking about of his interpretation of Empires and their greed and their downfalls being cyclical in nature.
Spiritbox is from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The band was started by Courtney LaPlante vocalist and Mike Stringer guitarist, husband and wife. Many fans were looking forward to seeing Spiritbox live for the first time. Vocalist, Courtney LaPlante has an amazing clean singing and also great growling. Her vocal skills are rare. There are many vocalists who can do both singing and growling but not many sound as good as LaPlante. Her clean singing is ethereal and beautiful. Spiritbox debut album Eternal Blue was released September 17, 2021.
The band took the stage with everyone clad in black. Courtney LaPlante wore a black dress and fishnet tights and platform boots. She walked around the stage with authority. They sounded great during their set that consisted of the songs “Circle With Me”, “Hurt You”, “Yellow Jacket”, “Holy Roller”, “Rotoscope” and “Hysteria”. The fans hope for a headlining tour so they can hear all their fantastic songs live. See where they are performing next on their website: Spiritbox.com
Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox
Mike Stringer of Spiritbox
Josh Gilbert with Spiritbox
Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox
Zev Rose of Spiritbox
Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox
Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox
Mike Stringer of Spiritbox
Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox
The Grammy award winning metal band Mastodon has been around since 2000. The band consists of bassist Troy Sanders, lead guitarist Brent Hinds, rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor. Sanders, Hinds and Dailor all take turns at vocalist while Kelliher sings back-up. Their style is definitely progressive metal and we consider them a metal jam band. They have been featured in video games and Dailor, Hinds, and Kelliher were in Game of Thrones as wildlings and later Hinds and Kelliher appear as wights. Their track “White Walker” was on the Games of Thronessoundtrack. Mastodon‘s eight studio album, Hushed and Grimwas released on October 29, 2021. Their stage had two large horizontal led screens with images of octopi, wolves, zombies, moroccan temples, pyschedelic totems. Mastodon was exiting the tour this night and we were lucky to see them.
Mastodon
Troy Sanders of Mastodon
Brent Hinds of Mastodon
Troy Sanders of Mastodon
Brent Hinds of Mastodon
Bill Kelliher of Mastodon
Brent Hinds and Troy Sanders of Mastodon
Brann Dailor of Mastodon
Troy Sanders of Mastodon
GHOST stage had a gray Kabuki Drop that revealed the band on a huge stage with large backdrop of stained glass featuring Papa Emeritus IV. The drum riser was high in the center with stairs surrounding it. The nameless Ghouls were positioned on platforms behind the drum kit and to the side of the stage. The nameless Ghouls were wearing gas masks and black uniforms with fringed shoulders and boots.
GHOST‘s fans are ranged in age from eight years old to fans in their sixties and possibly older. They dressed in black t-shirt and jeans, dresses, costumes ranging nuns, Papas, and even a dominatrix. Fans came in from miles around to see the show.
Tobias Forge had seemless costume changes wearing a general uniform that corresponded to the name Ghouls attire. His costumes also included some bat wings, Papal vestments and then a sequined suit jacket. The theatrical stage performance included concussive blasts. A Frankenstein Papa that had to be brought back to life. During “Mummy Dust”, gold confetti was blasted into the crowd. When Tobias Forge is in the sequined suit jacket he reminded of The Joker and if the stage lights had not been in his eyes, he might have done a dance down the stairs. There was also flames blasted and colored confetti. During the final song, a curtain of sparks ended the show. The show had so many entertaining elements it was hard to say what was my favorite. Hopefully, you will be able to make it to a show to see what you love yourself.
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
GHOST
You can be featured on their website with your art by using the #IMPERAUnholyVestments
Find out when the next tour happens on Ghost’s Website
Greta Van Fleet with Rival Sons and The Velveteers Concert Review
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria, Illinois
Monday July 25th, 2022
Greta Van Fleet
The Dreams in Gold Tour finally made its way to Peoria, Illinois after being delayed by Covid. The Peoria Civic Center show was sold out. I accurately predicted that Greta Van Fleet would be selling out arenas when they came to Peoria in 2017 and sold out the Limelight for Nutcracker. Read my review and see how much they have changed here: Nutcracker 2017. Greta Van Fleet has had a meteoric rise over the past five years. The band comes from Frankenmuth, Michigan and now have begun touring all over the world. You may have heard them on the radio and been interested because they sould like Led Zeppelin. Or your friends may have told you about them and you started listening and love them. Their newest album is The Battle at Garden’s Gate and is out now.
The Dreams in Gold Tour is joined by The Velveteers and Rival Sons. The Velveteers were the first openers. The band is a three piece rock band from Boulder, Colorado. They are in the space between hard rock and punk. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist Demi Demitro, drummer Baby Pottersmith and drummer, keyboardist, Jonny Fig. The Velveteers debut album, Nightmare Daydream, was released October 8, 2021. Their live show instantly grabbed the attention of the fans. Their dual drum kit was sitting close to the front of the stage. The energy was frenetic from the start. Baby Pottersmith took their drum into the crowd and the crowd helped them hold it while they did not miss a beat. Find out more on their website: The Velveteers
Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig of The Velveteers
Demi Demitro of The Velveteers
Baby Pottersmith of The Velveteers
Jonny Fig of The Velveteers
Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig of The Velveteers
Demi Demitro of The Velveteers
Jonny Fig of The Velveteers
Baby Pottersmith of The Velveteers
Baby Pottersmith of The Velveteers
Baby Pottersmith of The Velveteers
Rival Sons tooks the stage next. They are a Grammy nominated rock band from Long Beach, California. The band consists of vocalist Jay Buchanan, guitarist Scott Holiday, bassist Dave Beste, and drummer Michael Miley. Rivals Sons were impressive performers. They impressed the crowd with their blues rock sound. Their setlist included “Electric Man”, “Do Your Worst”, and “Nobody Wants to Die”. During their set, they took time to dedicate an acoustic version of “Shooting Stars” to Ukraine. You can see where they are next on their website: Rival Sons
Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons
Scott Holiday of Rival Sons
Todd Ögren of Rival Sons
Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons
Scott Holiday of Rival Sons
Dave Beste and Michael Miley of Rival Sons
Greta Van Fleet sold out Peoria Civic Center with a capacity of twelve thousand. The band consists of brothers, vocalist Josh Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and guitarist Jake Kiszka and drummer Danny Wagner. Sam and Jake are twins. I know critics of Greta Van Fleet will say that they are not the best technical artists. The band has a huge following of fans of all ages. I met people who were seventy and then many young girls who were right in the front row. They are not passing fans of the band. They actually knew all the songs. The fashion for the fans consisted of a lot of velvet and see through. The outfits ran the gamut of hippie fashion to punk to just plain black t-shirt and jeans.
What impresses me about Greta Van Fleet is their draw of fans to rock music. Many of the fans would never listen Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, or Jethro Tull but they may now to hear the comparisons. The band has matured in sound and presence in leaps and bounds over the past few years. According to their Spotify artist profile, “Expectations may run high, but Greta Van Fleet is indifferent to opinion. The band doesn’t have to say a certain thing or act a certain way to convince anyone of their capacity. All they have to do is play.”
The stage was all white with keyboards on risers and the drum kit on a riser also. The band took the stage barefoot as that is how they like to perform. Josh wore a gold jumpsuit with a gauzy royal looking gold floor length jacket. He has gold accents on his the tops of his cheeks. Sam wore a suit jacket with a left wing and no shirt. Jake wore an embroidered suit jacket and no shirt. Danny Wagner was almost unrecognizable as he had dark eye make-up looking every bit of a glam rock star. He also had a gold and black tank top. On the stage, behind the band were space age looking lighted rings.
During the performance, pyrotechnics of fire and cannons went off during the show. The pyro must have made them hot because Sam lost the suit jacket about halfway through and performed shirtless. There were light boards that made rainbows during their set. They played and improvised their songs. Jake Kiszka did that trick of playing behind his head. One song the band was jamming for over twenty minutes. Jake was playing guitar non-stop, Sam was on keys and Danny keeping the beat with Josh interspersing short vocals.
If you can make it to one of their shows, it is a must see this year. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for rock music and Greta Van Fleet.
CLICK TO VIEW COMPLETE GRETA VAN FLEET PHOTO GALLERY
Black Dirt Music Festival 2022 Day 2 with Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness, The Record Company, Nikki Lane, and Backyard Tire Fire
July 23
Downtown Bloomington, Illinois
Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The second day of Black Dirt Music Festival was threatened by thunderstorms and tornadoes. What else would you expect from Central Illinois. At least the storms stayed to the north and helped cool down the festival grounds. The night started right with Backyard Tire Fire.
Backyard Tire Fire is the band started by Edward David Anderson and Tim Kramp in Asheville, North Carolina. They are currently located in Central Illinois. The band had been on hiatus since 2011 and started back up performing in the area in 2021. Edward David Anderson has a solo project also. Backyard Tire Fire had been a favorite live band many of my friends. And I had yet to see them live. They are a band that you can see Backyard Tire Fire love what they do. Backyard Tire Fire is blazing rock.
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Backyard Tire Fire at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Nikki Lane is a country artist who hails from Nashville. Her style is considered Outlaw Country. Self-dubbed the Highway Queen and her third album of the same name was released February 17, 2017. Her second album was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. She also co-wrote “Breaking Up Slowly” and performed on Lana Del Ray’s Album Chemtrails over the Country Club.
Nikki Lane was recently in Spain during the heatwave and had a travel horror story where she had to travel 54 hours and got her jewelry and money baggage stolen. Sounds like the beginning of a new song. Nikki Lane’s music sounds like old country. Her songs cover all the topics of cheating, stealing, and drinking. Her upcoming album Denim & Diamonds out September 23rd has been produced by Josh Homme.
Nikki Lane at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Nikki Lane at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Nikki Lane at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Nikki Lane at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Nikki Lane at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Nikki Lane at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
My new favorite live band is The Record Company. The Record Company is a Grammy-nominated rock band that comes from Los Angeles. The singer, Chris Vos, said he grew up not that far away from Bloomington. His Allis Chalmers hat might be some indication that he grew up in a black dirt farmland area.
The energy of the band is one of joyful rocking. Chris Vos asked us if we were having fun because he was. It was evident that the whole band was enjoying themselves. The closest sound that I think of when listening to The Record Company is The Black Keys. They have a blues rock sound that is just good to listen to. They played a cover of “Hound Dog” and reminded us that it was written by Big Mama Thornton who has yet to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
Their completed setlist:
Baby I’m Broken
How High
I’m Getting Better (And I’m Feeling It Right Now)
Turn Me Loose
Rita Mae Young
On The Move
In The Mood for You
Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton cover)
Off The Ground
Life to Fix
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The Record Company at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness is the latest band for Andrew McMahon. He founded the bands Something Corporate and also Jack’s Mannequin. Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness has a definite pop sound. His piano is front and center and stickers from all over. Prominently placed in the center of the piano is a sticker for his project Dear Jack Foundation . After recovering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia thanks to a bone marrow transplant from his sister, he and his wife decided to give support to adults and young adults with this disease.
Andrew McMahon went into his former bands for his headlining setlist. And he was a huge Tom Petty fan and decided to cover “American Girl”. He said he saw Mike Campbell the night before and wanted to pay homage. He moves from in front of piano all over and even jumps off the top of the piano. He bravely decided to go into the crowd on a llama pool float. He went all over and made it back to the stage unscathed all while singing.
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Year three of Black Dirt Music Festival was bigger than ever and we cannot wait until next year.
Black Dirt Music Festival 2022 Day 1 with Kaleo, Houndmouth, Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs, and Leah Blevins
July 22
Downtown Bloomington, Illinois
Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The best outdoor music festival is one in your small town. Black Dirt Music Festival has returned for third year. The bands being brought to the stage have gotten huge.
Friday night started hot with temperatures starting at 88 with a heat index of 97. The humidity was not as bad as some days during July in the Midwest. What we say in Illinois is if you don’t like the weather, just wait, it will change. The festival is an eclectic mix of Rock, Folk and Americana.
Leah Blevins started the night off. Leah is from Kentucky and her music is definitely rooted in Country She has a classic beauty and great voice. Her band was the perfect compliment to her style. Most of the fans stayed in the shade which was plentiful in the back.
Leah Blevins at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Leah Blevins at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Leah Blevins at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Leah Blevins at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
The next band on the lineup was Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs. Mike Campbell is a member of The Heartbreakers and co-wrote many of their hits with Tom Petty. Mike had been performing only in Los Angeles with The Dirty Knobs but finally decided to go on tour after the death of Tom Petty. We got to hear “Runnin’ Down A Dream” first. When Mike first walked out on the stage, he was having some small, technical difficulties. He was not happy with the sound for the first few songs. After getting dialed in, the band sounded great performing their songs and also Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers songs. Before performing the song with the expletive, Mike wanted to warn the crowd that there was a bad word for the kids but they’ll have to learn some day “F*ck Tht Guy”. During the set, they performed a stripped down, melancholy verson of “Refugee” Of course, the breakdown was still very rocking because it just has to be played that way. Mike Campbell lamented that 40 years ago, there was a lot of reasons for writing that song with Tom Petty and still to this day, it is relevant and dedicated to those people who needed it. The crowd got to see the band just jam and rock out for their final song. It was great seeing such talent at Black Dirt Music Festival. Many of the other artists at the festival were humbled to share the stage with Mike Campbell.
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth were favorites and had been at The Castle Theatre numerous times before. So many people told me that was their favorite band of the evening and that is who they were there to see. Houndmouth is from New Albany, Indiana. The band has been steady on the scene with performances at SXSW Festival, Bonnarroo and Lollapalooza. Their style is definitely Americana with roots in Rock. They have had some lineup changes but remain a band. They performed “Las Vegas”, “Honey Slider” “Darlin’” and of course, “Sedona” Houndmouth is one of those bands who you could dance all night to their songs and just feel them. Well, they had to make room for the Friday headliner, Kaleo.
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Houndmouth at Black Dirt Music Festival 2022
Kaleo is a an Icelandic blues rock band. Their hits include “Way Down We Go” which has been certified as double platinum in the United States, “All The Pretty Girls” and “Rock ‘n’ Roller”, “No Good” and “ Break My Baby”. The band consists of Jökull Júlíusson aka JJ, drummer Davíð Antonsson, bassist Daníel Kristjánsson, lead guitarist Rubin Pollock and harmoncist Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson. Kaleo released their third studio album, Surface Sounds, on April 23, 2021. JJ has an amazing voice with a huge range. The band sounded great. You know when you want to go see your favorite band live and then you hear them and maybe they do not sound as good live as their album. That is not the case with Kaleo. They sounded better than their album. The harmoncist, Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson, had great energy bounding around the stage and playing with passion that is rarely seen with a harmoncist. The fans were there to rock out and Kaleo helped them achieve their goals.
The HU Concert Review with The Haunt
Saturday, May 7, 2022
The Castle Theatre
Bloomington, Illinois
The HU at The Castle Theatre
Music is truly the universal language. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote it in 1835. Andrew Wood sang it in 1990. We got to live a little piece of it tonight at The Castle Theatre in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Mongolian metal band The HU sold out The Castle Theatre. The venue has a capacity of eight hundred. The HU wants to spread positive energy through its music.
The band sings in Mongolian, plays traditional Mongolian instruments and uses the technique Mongolian throat singing. The instruments in addition to drums, guitar and bass are the Morin khuur or horsehead fiddle is a beautiful instrument that may have been in existence for over 40,000 years. It is a symbol of peace and happiness. The other instruments are the Tovshuur, considered a Mongolian Lute and tumuur hhuur, the mouth harp, and the tsuur, the flute. Throat singing is practiced by the nomadic tribes of the Altai Mountains to imitate wind and water. The HU’s album is named The Gereg. The Gereg allowed Mongolian people to travel in the 13th century all over the world with diplomatic passage so they wanted their band to do the same and spread their positive energy.
Coachella curated a video to introduce us to The HU. This was in advance of their Coachella set on April 15, 2022. You can see their beautiful country here.
Openers, The Haunt, are from Fort Lauderdale Florida and consists of siblings Anastasia, vocalist, and Maxamillion, guitarist, Haunt joined by Nat Smallish on bass and Nick Lewert on drums. The band had high energy with strong, solid alternative rock performance. They dressed like a punk band in black eyeliner, leather, fishnet tights, and metal necklaces. Anastasia kept things interesting by doing backbends while singing and jumping rope with the mic cord.
The Haunt songs seemed to touch on breaking up. They have a new full length album coming out next week.
Their complete setlist:
Morally
Ultra Light
Love You Better
Constant/St James
Brag About
Why Are You So Cold
Hook, Line & Sinker
FML
Make Me King
I’m Not Yours
During their last song, Anastasia had to stop the show because a fan in the front had passed out. She alerted security that the person needed help. The person eventually got up and walked out but scared all of us during the opening act. Great to see that The Haunt was paying attention enough to have security intervene.
The Haunt
The Haunt
The Haunt
The Haunt
The Haunt
The Haunt
The HU was mesmerizing. The throat singing is almost meditative. I felt like it was similar to chakra chanting. The outcome was the same. The song Tatar Warrior was one of those songs where you just become entranced. I felt the cathartic release of movement and breathing. Although most of the movement was headbanging. The fans were an eclectic mix of locals and people who traveled from all over the area. There were many Mongolian American fans who drove to support the band.
Even though very few members of the audience understood the words that were being said, they related to the music being played. They felt the power and the message. It was something that you have never seen before. A positive message in the form of art that we love the most, rock.
The HU is spreading their positive message all over North America, Japan, Australia and back to North America. Find out where you can see them on their website: The HU
The full setlist for this evening:
Shihi Hutu
Shoog Shoog
The Gereg
Chinggis Kaan
Shireg Shireg
Uchirtai Gurav
Bii Biyley
Hohchu Zairan
Tatar Warrior
Black Thunder
Yuve Yuve
Wolf Totem
This is Mongol
—————-
encore
Sad But True (Metallica cover)
Buckcherry Concert Review with Blacktop Mojo and Sumo Cyco
Sunday, May 1, 2022
The Castle Theatre
Bloomington, Illinois
Buckcherry at The Castle Theatre
Buckcherry made their return to The Castle Theatre in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The band is on their HellboundTour which goes across the country and then caps off in New Zealand and Australia. It is truly crazy that Buckcherry has been around for twenty-three years. Their ninth album, Hellbound, was released June 25, 2021. The band’s current lineup consists of Josh Todd, vocalist, Stevie D., guitarist, Kelly LeMieux, bassist, Francis Ruiz, Drummer, and Billy Rowe, guitarist.
Support for this tour comes in the form of Sumo Cyco, a rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The band was formed in 2011 and has three albums. The band is considered punk-metal and fits well with Buckcherry. The vocalist, Skye Sweetnam, has a strong rock voice as well as a growl. The band gave a solid rock performance and got the crowd in the mood.
Skye Sweetnam of Sumo Cyco
Sumo Cyco
Sumo Cyco
Sumo Cyco
Blacktop Mojo is the second band to support Buckcherry on the Hellbound tour. Blacktop Mojo is one of my favorite bands. Their eponymous fourth album was released on August 13, 2021. I consider it one of the best albums of 2021. Blacktop Mojo is described as Texas Grunge. They have some Southern Rock sounds as well as Grunge sounds. On this latest album, the song Stratus Melancholia sounds like an Alice in Chains song. You should try to make every effort to see this band live.
The band was in great form tonight and they won over the crowd with their Texas Grunge.
Their setlist consisted of:
All Mine Now
Strike Me
Do It For The Money
Bed Tundy
Latex
Tush, ZZ Top cover
Lay It On
Wicked Woman
Any Way The Wind Blows
Blacktop Mojo
Blacktop Mojo
Blacktop Mojo
Blacktop Mojo
Blacktop Mojo
Blacktop Mojo
You can find all good things about Blacktop Mojo on their website: Blacktop Mojo
Buckcherry is one the hardest working bands out there. They are gracious, friendly, and know how to rock. They are the epitome of a modern rock band. The proof that Rock is not dead. Perhaps what is really dead is the band that shows up late, high, and cannot remember their songs and are only in it for the sex, drugs, and money. Those bands are still out there trying to ride the wave of fortune from thirty years ago. Evolve or die.
Buckcherry fans come from all walks of life. There were doctors, families, grocery store workers, tow truck drivers, and everyone in-between in the crowd. They started with the high energy song “5 4 3 2 1” that really gets the crowd in a mood. Josh’s voice was a little hard to hear for the first two songs. Perhaps because those are new songs, the mix needed some tweaking. As the night went on, there was no problem with the sound.
The setlist consisted of “Lit Up”, “Sorry” and new songs “So Hott”, “Gun” and the weirdest sing-along song, “Crazy Bitch”. It is a sight to see your grandma singing along to “Crazy Bitch” but there are always several at a show that sing it at the top of their lungs. Really, it doesn’t matter who it is. Everyone sings alongs to “Crazy Bitch” when it comes on. The song is 4 X Platinum certified. It is hard rock’s equivalent of “Sweet Caroline”!!
Their complete setlist:
5 4 3 2 1
So Hott
Ridin’
Out of Line
Lit Up
Hellbound
Porno Star
The Way
Too Drunk
Sorry
Gluttony
Gun
Crazy Bitch
————-
encore
Say Fuck It
The band always delivers a great show. You can catch them on the Hellbound Tour near you. See all their dates on their website: Buckcherry Website
