Category Archives: Best Rock List

September Mourning Concert Review

Posted on by

September Mourning Concert Review
with Nico and Elisium
Vintage Villains, Danville, Ilinois

                                

Vintage Villains is unlike any comic book store that I have ever been in.  They have the obscure figures and I was immediately taken back to my childhood when entering the store.  Thundercats, Strawberry Shortcake   Next door to the store, there is a room with some old video games like Asteroids, Ms. Pacman and Mortal Kombat.

The evening started with young Nico who is a stellar guitarist in the style of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.  Nico does not really have a stage show yet.  When the music is good, it takes precedence over the stage presence.  I am sure that he will gain a repertoire as he gains more experience.

Nico

Nico

 

Next up on the stage was Elisium, a three-piece metal band from Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Their style is their own yet is rooted deeply in thrash metal.  They covered “The Safety Dance” and it was well received by the crowd.  Their song “A.G.V.” really rocked the crowd.  The bassist, Kirb Compton, is the most animated bassist anyone has witnessed playing. Usually a bassist will stand in the background just playing.  Kirb Compton was spinning and moving the entire show.  They ended their set with a phenomenal cover of “Sober” by Tool.  I have never heard a better cover of a song.

AA

Click to view Elisium Photo Gallery

Elisium’s Facebook    Elisium’s Instagram    Elisium’s Twitter 

Goth rockers September Mourning took the stage under black lights.  In the middle of the stage stood a black robed figure.  The rest of the band appeared to be like crows or ravens.  When the figure in the center removed their robe, the vocalist, September emerged looking like a dark angel.  September Mourning is a multi-faceted group with forthcoming comic books and a story-line incorporating reaping of people and second chances.   When you go to their show, you go to a reaping and have your soul collected.  The band recently recorded a cover of, “Stand By Me” and had to perform it twice due to sound issues during the first performance.  Their music was dark and melodic.  September Mourning’s stage presence captivated the crowd.  Everyone watched with rapt attention.  September Mourning is currently on tour in the United States and will be at Rock On The Range and Download Festival in England.

September Mourning

September Mourning

September Mourning

September Mourning

September Mourning

September Mourning

 

Follow September Mourning here:

September Mourning’s Facebook

September Mourning’s Instagram   

September Mourning’s Twitter 

Elisium Concert Photos

Posted on by

                                

Elisium Concert Photos
~Vintage Villains in Danville, Illinois

Elisium

Nate Compton of Elisium

Elisium

Elisium

Elisium

Elisium

Elisium

Nate Compton of Elisium

Elisium

Kirb Compton of Elisium

Elisium

Nate Compton of Elisium

Elisium

Nate Compton and Junior of Elisium

Elisium

Kirb Compton of Elisium  “Low As F*ck”

I Prevail Concert Review Heart vs Mind Tour

Posted on by

I Prevail Concert Review
The Heart vs Mind Tour with Too Close To Touch and Chasing Safety

                                

Sometimes when you go to a show, you like one of the openers and not the other one. Other times, the opener will sound nothing like the genre that you are there to see. For this show, the opening bands sound was extremely cohesive with the headliner. All the bands were similar so you were instantly fan of all three bands.

Too Close To Touch is a post-hardcore band from Lexington, Kentucky. The vocalist, Keaton Pierce, has a diverse vocal range. Where bands with such talent usually have two singers, Too Close To Touch, has just one. Their song “Perfect World” is about the fantasy we all have of reconciliation when there is a breakup. We all dream that the one who walked away will come crawling back to us.

AA

Click to view Too Close To Touch Photo Gallery

 

 

 

Chasing Safety had a high energy set. Their vocalist, Johnny Galivan, was slinging the microphone like an 80’s rocker. He must have driven his mom crazy when he was little with all the energy he had. He was doing cartwheels and taking phones from members of the crowd. The band sounds similar to Of Mice & Men and Crown The Empire.

AA

Click to view Chasing Safety Photo Gallery

 

I Prevail has exploded onto the hard rock scene with their cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”. The I Prevail version is really a bold undertaking and the arrangement with the screaming vocals is pure genius. It hardly sounds like the original and that is why metal fans like it so much. The band has two vocalists, Brian Burkheiser, clean vocals and Eric Vanlerberghe, unclean vocals.

I Prevail’s album Heart vs Mind is out now. There are just seven songs on the album but every song is great. There are songs for post-hardcore fans and rock fans alike. They played the majority of their album and covered some “Break Stuff” as well. The fans were ready to bang their heads and participate in a little pit action. The crowd was not able to let them go after their set and asked for one more song. Their encore was an acoustic version of “My Heart I Surrender”.

AA

Click to view I Prevail Photo Gallery

The Word Alive and Chelsea Grin Concert Review

Posted on by

The Word Alive and Chelsea Grin Concert Review
The Real Sick Tour with Like Moths To Flames, Sylar and Under Paris
April 30, 2015

                                

The Word Alive and Chelsea Grin returned to The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois on The Real Sick Tour. This tour is hitting smaller venues all over the country. You can meet the guys in the bands up close and personal. The Word Alive has special VIP packages.

Five bands took the stage and gave the fans what they needed for the evening, a cathartic release for the middle of the week. Many fans had traveled from out of town to make it to the show.

Sylar is rock band from Queens, New York and they have a style that can be described as nu metal. Fans of The Word Alive, Deftones, and Islander will like Sylar.  The vocalist, Jayden Panesso, stood out wearing a white shirt and white gloves.  Sylar has quickly gained a following and loyal fans.

Sylar

Sylar

Like Moths To Flames performed next. Like Moths To Flames is a metalcore band from Columbus, Ohio. They have been reunited with vocalist, Chris Roetter, for a little over a year. Their live show is energetic and very solid.  Their songs, “Bury Your Pain” and “I Solemnly Swear” resonated with the crowd.

Like Moths To Flames

Like Moths To Flames

Like Moths To Flames

Like Moths To Flames

The Word Alive drew in the crowd. So many fans love the the newest album, Real, that was released June of 2014. I spoke to vocalist, Telle Smith, in an interview before the show. We discuss Real , Colby the Frenchie, and what kinds of gifts he likes to receive from the fans.

The Word Alive’s set included several songs off of Real. Telle challenged the crowd to sing along as well as the crowd did in Japan two weeks before to “Lighthouse”. The crowd met their challenge. They also performed “The Hounds of Anubis” off of their Deceiver album for those that like their heavier songs. The crowd also did very well on “Life Cycles”. Of course, “Life Cycles” is the mantra for TWA fans. If The Word Alive could only play one song at a show and it was “Life Cycles”, I think everyone would be okay just seeing it alone.

AA

Click to view The Word Alive Photo Gallery

The closer for the evening was Chelsea Grin. No doubt about it, Chelsea Grin is hardcore. The fans were ready to F.S.U.. Many of the fans that were there to see The Word Alive left to get home early on a school night. They made a mistake by leaving before Chelsea Grin’s set. There is nothing comparable to a live metal show where the energy is fierce. The act of banging your head, crowd surfing, or moshing in the pit gives you that carthartic release. They started the evening with “Playing with Fire” which got everyone in a good mood. Also included in the setlist were “My Damnation”, “Morte Ætérna”, and “Clockwork”

The vocalist, Alex Koehler, encourage the crowd when they needed it. Here is a moment when there was a battle between each side of the pit. It appears to be men versus women but believe me, it was both sexes competing.

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin pit battle

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin pit battle

AA

Click to view Chelsea Grin Photo Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Real Sick Tour continues. You should catch it if you can.

Sylar

Sylar

The Word Alive Concert Photos

Posted on by

                                

The Word Alive Concert Photos
~The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

Telle Smith of The Word Alive

The Word Alive

Luke Hollandd of The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

Tony Pizzuti and Luke Hollandd of The Word Alive

Chelsea Grin Concert Photos

Posted on by

                                

Chelsea Grin Concert Photos
~The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Stephen Rutishauser of Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

David Flinn and Jason Richardson of Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Alex Koehler of Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Alex Koehler of Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin

I Prevail Concert Photos

Posted on by

                                

I Prevail Concert Photos
~The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois

I Prevail

Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail

I Prevail

Brian Burkheiser of I Prevail

 

I Prevail

Steve Menoian of I Prevail

I Prevail

Dylan Bowman of I Prevail

I Prevail

I Prevail

I Prevail

Tony Camposeo of I Prevail

I Prevail

Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail

I Prevail

Brian Burkheiser of I Prevail

I Prevail

I Prevail

I Prevail

Frank Lillingham III of I Prevail