Tag Archives: otherwise concert review

Seether Concert Review

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Seether Concert Review

May 22, 2015 Limelight Eventplex Peoria IL.

Gene Simmons is quoted as once saying that Rock is Dead.  Apparently those in Central Illinois didn’t get that memo as they packed themselves 1,500 strong into the Limelight Eventplex for another sold out rock concert.  This time up Seether, Otherwise, and Peoria’s own Mindset Evolution who opened the show.

Mindset Evolution, who were the Rockstar UPROAR Festival Ernie Ball battle of the bands winner back in 2011 had the crowd involved from the moment they came on stage.  ME’s lead singer Rob Ulrich was high energy, 1000 mph, in your face for their full set.  This night marked the debut of new drummer Aaron Birdsall, who sounded like he had always been part of the band. Skylar Baer (guitar) and Josh Bodeen (bass) round out the quintet.  These guys have come a long way from their humble beginnings when they played in bars along peoria’s downtown to now opening for bands like Seether and Breaking Benjamin to playing in front of thousands at festivals like UPROAR and 2012’s Warped Tour.  Mindset Evolution released their first full length album Brave, Bold and Broken in 2013 and if you haven’t picked it up yet I highly suggest doing so.

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Click to view Mindset Evolution Photo Gallery

 

 

Otherwise did an excellent job of taking over where Mindset Evolution left off.  They brought high energy from the moment the lights went down for their set to begin until the time they walked off the stage.  Adrian Patrick (lead vocals) sounded fantastic as he belted out song after song on Otherwise’s setlist which included the hits “Soldiers”, “I Don’t Apologize”, and their latest hit “Coming For The Throne”. Otherwise also consists of Corky Gainsford on drum, Tony “The Beast” Carboney on bass and Andrew Pugh on rhythm guitar, who despite being under the weather never showed any signs of it at all.  Overall, Otherwise did a great job and i would recommend seeing them if they are ever in a town near you.They are definitely worth the price of admission.

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Click to view Otherwise Photo Gallery

 

 

Next up was the headliner, Seether.  There’s a reason people were wrapped halfway around the Limelight Eventplex to see this hard hitting post grunge rock/metal band.  Seether, who hails from Pretoria, South Africa,has been rocking the stage since their debut album Disclaimer in 2002, definitely didn’t disappoint. Shawn Morgan’s vocal range is amazing. He can deliver whether it be hard hitting up-tempo songs like “Same Damn Life” and “Words As A Weapon” but can also pull it back like he did for the melodic and slower paced songs like “Broken” and “Driven Under”.  From the moment they hit the stage the crowd was in a frenzy, jumping up and down and singing along to ever song they performed.  Seether opened the night with the song “Gasoline” and played other hits which included “Needles”, “Rise Above This”, “Country Song”, and “Nobody Praying For Me”.  The highlight of the night was when they broke into the song “Remedy”.  There wasn’t a voice that wasn’t screaming along, feet that weren’t jumping up and down, or heads that weren’t moving back and forth as John Humphrey banged away on the drums, Shawn Morgan and Bryan Wickman wailed away on guitars, and the energetic Dale Stewart on played bass guitar.

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Click to view Seether Photo Gallery

Overall this was a excellent show.  It may have been one of the best lineups from beginning to end that has performed at the Limelight Eventplex since it opened its doors in 2014.

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Otherwise Concert Review with Righteous Vendetta

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Otherwise Concert Review with Righteous Vendetta, Victor Raul and The Untouchables, 3 Days From Dying, and From Ash To Ruin

Otherwise

Otherwise

Otherwise are touring in support of their latest album Peace At All Costs.  The hard rockers from Las Vegas are on the road again.  Best Rock List caught their show at Mojoes in Joliet, Illinois.  Mojoes patrons love their hard rock and metal music.  The fans turned out for the rockers with a show bill including Righteous Vendetta, another hard rocking band from Cody, Wyoming.  The other opening bands were all local bands.

From Ash To Ruin

From Ash To Ruin

From Ash To Ruin is a local band from Ottawa, Illinois.  They are hard rockers with a metal edge.  The three-piece outfit seemed to be a mismatched group.  The vocalist guitarist looked like a college student.  The drummer looked like a high schooler.  And the bassist looked like she belonged in a punk band from the 80s.  The band had a decent set.

 

3 Days From Dying

3 Days From Dying

Another local band from Chicago took the stage next.  3 Days From Dying are straight metal and their style is similar to Killswitch Engage.  Their performance was solid and the fans were banging their heads to the show.  The crowd really needed that metal infusion into the show.

Victor Raul and The Untouchables

Victor Raul and The Untouchables

Victor Raul and The Untouchables performed next.  Their style is described as Acoustic, Rock, and Hip Hop.  They performed a Rock/Hip-Hop melody including Get Low by Lil Jon and Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot.  They have a unique style.

Otherwise

Righteous Vendetta

Righteous Vendetta took the stage at Mojoes for the first time however they had fans in attendance.  Their set was hard rocking and high energy from start to finish.  The crowd that had not seen them perform before instantly became fans.  They performed songs off their latest EP Defiance as well as a few older songs including This Pain.  Righteous Vendetta’s roots are in metal and their performance included synchronized head banging of all the guitarists and strong metal vocals from Ryan Hayes.  Click to view our interview with Ryan here. 

While waiting for the Las Vegas rockers, holiday music was played, including The Dreidel Song by Eric Cartman of South Park.  The red velvet scalloped backdrop looked very luxurious.  Otherwise played all their hits including their new single Darker Side of The Moon.  They told people people to be proud of who they are and led into I Don’t Apologize.  No Otherwise show would be complete without Soldiers and vocalist Adrian Patrick took time to thank the veterans in the audience.  He also encouraged the audience to do the same regardless of political affiliation.   The Patrick brothers were a dichotomous duo of hair.  Vocalist Adrian Patrick is bald with a shaved head while his guitarist brother, Ryan Patrick, has a long, curly mane of hair that rivals Levi Benton of Miss May I.  (Best Rock List’s rockers with the Best Hair List is coming.)

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Click to view Otherwise Photo Gallery

If you want to have a great fan experience, Otherwise will set you up.  They have a raffle for a lucky fan to get on stage while the band performs a song.  The winner that night and her man got to be right up front and snap selfies during the show and sing.  Despite the late hour of the show on a school night, the band was asked to perform an encore.  They closed the evening with Die For You.  Rock is alive and well with these rockers keeping it alive.

 

3 Days From Dying’s Facebook page. 
From Ash To Ruin’s Facebook page.
Victor Raul and The Untouchables’ Facebook page.

View all the photos of the opening bands here.

Nonpoint and Otherwise Concert Review and Photos

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Nonpoint and Otherwise Concert Review and Photos

Nonpoint
Otherwise

The show was on a late summer evening in 2013.  The weather was balmy and pleasant.  I saw Nonpoint and Otherwise at the historic Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois.  This venue is very small and has a nice stage with an intimate feel.  Local bands Clippoint and Polarity opened.  The final opener was Primer 55, a solid metal band from Atlanta, Georgia.

Otherwise is a hard rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada.  Their song, “I Don’t Apologize (1000 Pictures)” is a great song about getting cheated on.  They lyrics:

I’d rather be blind than to see your eyes,  I’d rather be deaf than to hear your lies

I’d rather be broke than to sell my soul, I gave you my all but you’ll never know

No I’m not going to  hurt anymore, I’ve already walked through that door

The catchy hook and the timeless subject of infidelity makes it a sure hit.  Watch the video here:

The band had family that had traveled from Chicago in the audience and dedicated fans who knew every single word to every song.  Ryan Patrick, the guitarist came up to one of those fans and acknowledged her immediately.  Then he came right up to me and gave me a hug.  That is what I love about the small venue.  You can really connect with the artist so closely.   Vassilios “V” Metropoulis, the bassist, of Otherwise did a lot of work for the band including sound check, carrying equipment, selling merchandise and posing for pictures.

 

Otherwise
Adrian Patrick
Otherwise
Ryan Patrick
Otherwise
Andrew Pugh
Otherwise
Badass Adrian Patrick

Nonpoint is a metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Puerto Rican roots.  They have played huge venues like Download Festival but small venues like The Castle Theatre as well. The vocalist, Elias Soriano, had locs down to his waist and was wearing an old Snoop Dog shirt.  Robb Rivera, the drummer, has his stuffed “Animal” from the Muppets keeping his kit company.

Elias Soriano’s voice is hypnotic and the rhythm makes you want to bang your head all night.   Nonpoint played all their hits including “Bullet With a Name On It”, “Left for You”, “I Said It”, and their cover “In The Air Tonight”.  One of their biggest fans was V Metropoulis from Otherwise.  He got in the middle of the pit and got it moving.  Security started moving up to control him and then they realized he was from Otherwise.  He was fine and I am glad to say there were no injuries in that pit.

Elias Soriano’s wife and sweet daughter with protective ear gear was in the crowd.  She was watching her daddy work. That is so nice that he is able to bring his family to be together on the road.

Nonpoint
Nonpoint

 

Adam Woloszyn
Adam Woloszyn
Elias Soriano
Elias Soriano

 

Dave Lizzio
Dave Lizzio

 

Elias Soriano
Elias Soriano

 

 

 

I am always amazed at the graciousness of these rock stars and their true relationship with their fan base.  They understand that we are all fans and love to rock!

Nonpoint
Ryan Patrick, Suzie Soule, & Corky Gainford

 

Nonpoint
V Metropoulis, Andrew Pugh, Suzie Soule, & Adrian Patrick

 

 

Nonpoint
Rasheed Thomas, Suzie Soule, & Adam Woloszyn

Additional photos are viewable on Instagram here 

 

Resources: http://www.azlyrics.com, www.Wikipedia.org accessed 9/11/2013