Day Three of BeachLife Ranch may have been just a little shorter due to the headliner taking the stage at 7:30 (by local ordinance), but it certainly wasn’t short on talent. There were southern rock legends, part-time actors/singers, vocalist beyond compare, Neotraditional country performers, Grammy winners, and guitar slingers.

Early in the day, The Marshall Tucker Band took the Highlands stage. Lead singer and original MTB band member, Doug Gray was definitely enjoying himself and invited the entire audience to visit him at his home for a drink. Of course, they would have to go to South Carolina to do so. The band has hits that seem to be a part of our collective DNA. “Heard It a Love Song”, “Can’t You See”, and “Fire on the Mountain”, led to audience sing-a-longs. But beyond the recognizable tunes, there were guitar duels and center stage flute solos that showed the musicianship behind this trailblazing southern rock band.

Next on the Lowlands stage was British-born, Yola. This currently orange-haired singer-songwriter has been nominated for Grammy Awards in the Americana category and has won major awards in the U.K. She is a total force on stage with a voice of incredible range. Speaking of range, that was Yola playing "the Godmother of rock and roll", Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the biopic, Elvis.

Later on the Lowlands stage was Parmalee. This four-piece country band hails from, you guessed it, Parmalee, North Carolina. The band features two brothers and two close friend and have known each other for years and it shows on stage. But even though they are country through and through, lead singer Matt Thomas, leaned into the beach part of BeachLife Ranch with a colorful unbuttoned flowered shirt that stylishly moved with the breeze coming off the ocean close by. Parmalee put on a great set and got the audience ready for what was to come next.

Which was Chris Issak. Issak does it all. Singer. Songwriter. Guitarist. And yes, actor. He put everything to use during his set on the Highlands stage. He came out resplendent in a light blue rockabilly outfit immediately let the audience know that his voice is a gift to all. By the time he got to his mega-hit, “Wicked Game”, it was hard to believe that he could show his range even more. But then he and the band went acoustic to cover Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely.” Absolutely incredible. But Issak isn’t just a musician. He’s a showman. And as the day headed to what people refer to as “Golden Hour”, Issak came out in his famous mirror suit. I doubt anyone would have minded if he kept going, but there were still two more performances to go.

Along with the sunset on the beach came Midland on the Lowlands stage. The main members are lead vocalist/guitarist Mark Wystrach (who also acts, kind of a theme this day), guitarist Jess Carson, and bassist Cameron Duddy. These guys all sing, and the harmonies are reminiscent of California Laurel Canyon days, but with a lot more fun thrown in.

It’s good to be Brad Paisley. When the Day Three headliner took the Highlands stage, anyone in the audience could tell that not only would Brad make sure they would have a good time, but he would also make sure HE would have a good time. In his roughly 90-minute set he played hits, took selfies with an audience member’s camera (as well as searched through her photos), he gave his Telecaster to a young girl in the audience (perhaps creating a future Taylor Swift), he let a couple get engaged to the audiences wild applause while he performed a guitar serenade, and had his very own Brad Paisley mascot come out on stage. He moved around enough to sing at four different microphones stationed across the stage. Oh yeah, he also ripped through blistering guitar solos showing the prowess that has gotten him accolades throughout his career. At times it felt like this was Brad Paisley’s world and we were just living in it. One thing’s for sure: For about an hour and a half at BeachLife Ranch, it was true. And the audience wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Hot Tub Johnnie's favorite holiday is Halloween, over the last 23 years, Hunnypot has thrown some epic Halloween gatherings, and this year's no exception. This show is our 499th recorded podcast/party, officially our second-to-last Hunnypot Live experience so in the spirit of the original Film/TV Music Industry Mixer we've teamed up with the president and vice-president of the Guild of Music Supervisors, Lindsay Wolfington and Heather Guibert. Live performances by Angela Sheik, Lisa Danaë, and Can1Live. AUDIO & PHOTOS coming soon. #WhereMusicLoversGoToPlay

LINDSAY WOLFINGTON

Passionate about music and what it brings to the moving picture, Lindsay has been working in Music Supervision for over 20 years. She is known for her work on One Tree Hill, where she featured over 1700 songs from breaking artists to iconic names like Led Zeppelin and U2, and more recently for her work on the Netflix sensations To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever. 

Lindsay’s recent work includes Theater Camp (Searchlight), XO Kitty (Netflix), Virgin River (Netflix), Sullivan’s Crossing (CTV), Monster High 2 (Nickelodeon), The Venery of Samantha Bird (Starz), as well as upcoming films Recipe for Love, I Wish You All the Best, and Time Cut. She recently finished Warrior Nun (Netflix), Amber Brown (Apple TV+), Love at First Sight (Netflix), Love in Taipei (Lionsgate), Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between (Netflix), Monster High (Nickelodeon), and The Thing About Pam (NBC). Her previous work includes Fear Street (Netflix), Atypical (Netflix), Drama Club (Nickelodeon), Hulu’s horror anthology Into the Dark, the Christmas rom-com Same Time, Next Christmas (ABC), The Village (NBC), Shadowhunters (FreeForm), and The Royals for E! (Lionsgate). Lindsay also took care of Music Clearance for Fuller House. 

She has won 3 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, and has been nominated 8 times for her work on these films as well as The Royals and The Sing Off. In 2013, Lindsay won the Sunset Sessions Award for "Best Music Supervision in a Reality TV Show."

Lindsay is a graduate of Brown University and currently teaches Music Supervision to graduate students at USC’s Thornton School of Music. 

INSTAGRAM 

HEATHER GUIBERT (CO-HOSTS)

Upon choosing to forego a career in engineering to pursue her dream of working in music, Heather fled the Florida sunshine for the bright lights of Hollywood. A graduate of the University of Southern California's Music Industry program, Heather spent nine years as part of the team of Music Supervisors at Neophonic, Inc., where she had the pleasure to work on such diverse television projects as Glee (Fox), CSI: Miami (CBS), American Horror Story (FX), The Americans (FX), United States of Tara (Showtime) and films including Eat Pray Love (Sony Pictures) and The Normal Heart (HBO). Since embarking out on her own, Heather has music-supervised television shows such as Witches of East End (Lifetime), Stitchers (Freeform), Rosewood (Fox), and the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, Veep.

The three-time Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nominee is a proud member of the Television Academy, Women in Film, and the current Vice-President for the Guild of Music Supervisors. She also teaches the Music Supervision course at Loyola Marymount University. 

INSTAGRAM 

ANGELA SHIEK

Dubbed "a fierce musical force of nature" by BMI Indie Spotlight, Angela Sheik's work as an indie pop artist has led to features and interviews on international platforms including NPR, PRI, and Voice of the Nation. Her work is recognized by national and regional awards including a nomination for the 2022 Hollywood Music and Media Awards (HMMA's) and the 2nd Annual BOSS International Loop Championship. She has been twice voted Artist of the Year by Philadelphia's regional "WSTW Homey Awards" and was awarded Philadelphia Songwriter Contest winner before moving to the West Coast.

Captivating listeners throughout the US and Europe with her live performances, Angela has opened for national acts including Meshell N'Degeocello, Joseph Arthur, Julia Holter, and Midge Ure. Music blogs have praised her work including Pancakes & Whiskey, Vents Magazine, and a nomination for "Album Of The Year"  by Indie Music Digest.

On-screen, Angela's work can be heard in films, ads, documentaries, and TV shows including Toyota and ADIDAS ad campaigns, feature films on Amazon and Netflix, and streaming series such as "Face's Music Party" (Nickelodeon), "All American" (CW), and Showtime's "Shameless" to name a few.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Angela regularly travels to the East Coast. She is now focused on her third full-length studio project, sibling, an 8-song study of personality traits and platonic relationships. 

WEBSITE  SPOTIFY  INSTAGRAM  

LISA DANAË

Hailing from California, Filipino-American artist Lisa Danaë has long been a powerhouse vocalist in the music industry. Lisa’s journey began as a young girl when she found solace in pop industry powerhouses Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. As she grew as an artist, Lisa’s goal became to spread her story of growth and empowerment through the same powerful pop hooks and unfeigned, timeless lyrics that she grew up listening to. Her ability to pay tribute to the late 90’s/Y2K pop movement while still honoring her musical tenor in R&B birthed her transition and curation of “dark pop” where she takes deep sound to balance and challenge the uplifting lyricism and vocal tenor to create and addictive genre blend.

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Spotify 

CAN1LIVE

Hunter George (Can1live) is a Los Angeles-based Artist and Music Producer, and founder of the entertainment brand Can1live. He was recently inducted into the Recording Academy’s ‘Grammy Next’ Alumni Class of 2018.

His album 'Routines.exe' is a 21-track instrumental adventure 3 years in the making with heavy influences of Retro Wave, 80’s Synth, Vaporwave, Hip-Hop, Pop, & Video Game Chiptune influence. It was recorded at East West Studio A , and The Studio formerly known as “The Pass”. With tracks featuring instrumentalists Josh Gahris & Christian Anderson.

Hunter George is the Executive Director of the Guild Of Music Supervisors since 2014, has also worked under many top composers and executives in Music for media, Including Composer Christopher Lennertz, and Music supervisors John Houlihan, Jonathan McHugh, & Thomas Golubi?. His latest credits include Music Coordination on the series 'Training Day' by Bruckheimer TV for Warner Brothers Television & Segment Producer of the upcoming documentary Cosplay Universe.

He spent his early days as a Producer & DJ for many Hip-Hop acts in Northern Nevada & Northern California. There he toured alongside Murs, Del The Funky Homosapien, Heiroglyphics, Grouch & Eligh, Styles Of Beyond, & Bassnectar. He has competed in 6 beat battles competitions, winning 4 titles alongside his Co-Producer Idol Hands as well as placing 2nd. He is graduate of the Los Angeles Recording School and previously an applied music major for piano, for which he has played over 28 years.

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Spotify  AppleMusic

The Teragram Ballroom on October 18th was a sold-out show filled with soothing music that would make you feel as if you’re a kid again. There was a very wholesome energy in the crowd as well. Everyone was ready as the first band of the night hit the stage. That band being Babehoven, an indie rock band with poetic music with whimsical melodies.  The kind of music that you’d listen to on a rainy day or over a campfire. I feel like country music fans would appreciate it as well.  In regards to their music, I’d have to say one of my favorite songs by them is Bad Week.

I really appreciated all the acoustic guitar parts too. The lead singer Maya Bon was wearing a pink outfit with what appeared to be a butterfly on it and honestly in my opinion it really matched the energy of their band, in its own unique way. I also really loved the sense of community that you could feel with them and Slow Pulp. They had Slow Pulp come to the stage with a cake and candles to surprise Maya for her birthday and it was a beautiful moment. You could tell they really cared about each other and their joy was carried throughout the space.

I feel honored in a way that we were able to be part of such an intimate moment. Their music and Slow Pulp’s fits so well together that I can see why they're on a lineup with each other. When Slow Pulp hit the stage, I felt like I was listening to a band that I had been listening to forever despite only finding out about them recently.

They make you feel at home practically instantly and have music that is both relatable and will make you feel various emotions. I have felt both happy and sad but in a good way listening to their songs. Slugs is one of their songs that especially hit me emotionally and I’ve been finding myself listening to it multiple times on repeat. I recommend listening to it if you love love songs. Their song High is another favorite of mine. I loved how the lead singer interacted with the audience as well, such as the moment when she put her mic out towards the crowd, creating a memorable moment that everyone was bound to keep in their memory. She always had a smile on her face, so you could tell how much performing meant to her and it was refreshing to see. Her movements and her smile combined were fun to photograph and given the chance, I’d definitely love to catch Slow Pulp again.

Slow Pulp also had Babehoven come on stage to join them for a song as well and they sang beautifully together, both bands just matched each other so well in ways that I haven’t seen in a lineup before. It was awesome seeing how happy they made all of their fans too. I’m glad I got to experience their first show on tour and I’m sure in the future Slow Pulp is going to sell out many more shows and Babehoven is going to make waves as well.

In an era where I feel like the production value of live shows has skyrocketed to truly unbelievable heights in some cases, there’s a certain beauty in the no-frills approach of 3 mates from Australia playing hard, playing fast, and playing loud with the backdrop of, “GET F*CKED” behind them.

On their 6th stop on the other side of the world, Australia’s cheekiest punk export, The Chats, brought their electrifying sound and irreverent charm to the Boston crowd with the energy of a bar fight (in a good way) – leaving the crowd not only in awe but more importantly, in stitches. From the first note of "Nambored", it was clear from the get-go that the boys had come to the Citizen’s House of Blues for a good time, and they were determined to make sure everyone in the audience did too. Keeping crowd interaction to a minimum, leaving only mere moments to catch your breath in between songs, they let the music speak for itself and it did just that.

From the moment they walked out on stage, frontman Eamon Sandwith, guitarist Josh Hardy, and drummer Matthew Boggis were absolute forces of nature up on that stage. Fast riffs, gritty vocals, and unwavering energy throughout the entire set was a sight to behold that felt like we were all at a backyard jam session, albeit one with a massive sound system and mosh pits that would put even the most intense hardcore shows to shame. The group's devil-may-care attitude had the jam-packed venue in a chokehold the entire setlist, one that covered every era of their iconic DIY sound.

The band's setlist was a perfect mix of their raucous hits and some deeper cuts. Songs like "Identity Theft", "Numb Skull", and "Pub Feed" had the entire venue bouncing in unison. The crowd-surfing was relentless, and the atmosphere was one of pure, unadulterated joy that I couldn’t help but join alongside when my favorite song of theirs, "Drunk n Disorderly", came roaring over the speakers that had all the magic of hearing your favorite song live that you’d hope it would.

The Chats' performance was tight, and it was evident that they've honed their craft through years of touring. The chemistry between the band members was palpable, and their synergy on stage was undeniable. Their high-octane energy throughout the lengthy set of new and old material was everything I’d want a punk show to be and proves that they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their unique blend of humor, captivating punk sound that you can’t help but bob your head to, and unapologetic authenticity culminated in a show well worth the price of admission. If you ever have the chance to see the boys live, don’t think twice, cause The Chats are going to give you a night of unforgettable mayhem.

One of the best feelings as a fan is seeing a band grow, blow up, and reach amazing heights while being on the ride with them. Though I haven’t been with Shinedown since the very beginning, it still amazes me to see how far they have come since I first saw them in 2017. It was one of my first shows at the then newly built House of Blues, Anaheim. I knew a couple songs from the band, but that night they cemented me as a fan. Six years later and Shinedown has released blockbuster albums that have allowed them to headline Amphitheatres and arenas. This October, Shinedown came back to the FivePoint Amphitheatre for the third time in their career, bringing with them Papa Roach and Spiritbox on the Revolutions Live tour. This was the perfect concert at the end of FivePoint’s season, and I couldn’t wait for the music to start.

Speaking of watching bands grow and blow up, one of the most recent bands in the metal community to do just that has to be Spiritbox. The first time I heard “Holy Roller,” like many, my mind just exploded from what I was hearing. The energy of the song, the melodic melodies of the verses, and the ferocious screams captivated me. And they released hit and hit, and I knew I needed to see them bring this energy to the stage. Opening with a new song “Jaded,” vocalist Courtney LaPlante seduced the audience with her clean singing, but it was her roars that set the venue on fire and fueled the mosh pit. Guitarist Mike Stringer layers playing perfectly, letting LaPlante’s vocals shine, and filling in his moments with bounce riffs that you can’t resist but headbang to. Bassist Josh Gilbert and drummer Zev Rosenberg have their bassline and double kicks in perfect sync that let you feel the weight of these songs. With songs like “Hurt You,” “Yellowjacket,” “Rotoscope,” “The Void,” “Circle With Me,” and ending with “Holy Roller” the fans made sure to show up early and get the mosh pit flowing. Though they were the opener, Spiritbox’s music got the mosh pit moving with more ferocity than any other band this night.

Papa Roach is another band that I have been with since the beginning. Like many, my first experience was hearing and seeing the music video for “Last Resort” on MTV’s TRL. I begged my grandma for the album that this song came off, and she bought me it. I had to play this album on loop for months as I was enamored with it. This was now my third time seeing Papa Roach, and hearing their songs live will always bring me back to listening to that album in my room when I was a teenager. Not only can this band write some of the best songs in the rock community, but their live show is filled with nothing but energy. Vocalist Jacoby Shaddix is the ideal front man. He ooze’s charisma, has a smile that will make anyone fall in love with him, still sounds like he did on record, and is not afraid to get up front and personal with his fans. During “…To Be Loved,” he jumped into the crowd and walked to the middle of the venue letting every fan he passed sing with him. Even jumping back into the crowd at another point to hug a disabled fan who managed to make his way close to the stage. The man is grateful for everything he has due to his fans, and he gives that love all back to us. But Papa Roach is more than a one-person band, and they are rounded off by top tier musicians. Guitarist Jerry Horton has created some of the most memorable riffs of their generation, while bassist Tobin Esperance and drummer Tony Palermo hold down the rhythm section that let that fans go wild. Papa Roach played a 13 song set consisting of songs like “Between Angels and Insects,” “Kill the Noise,” “Getting Away With Murder,” “Cut the Lin,” “Firestarter,” “Leave a Light On,” “Scars,” “No Apologies,” “Born for Greatness,” “Help,” and ending with “Last Resort.” Though they were direct support on this tour, Papa Roach gave the fans a show that would have satisfied any headlining show they could have performed.

As the lights went out, and two 40ft tall LCD screens lit up with the Planet Zero logo, Shinedown arose from beneath the stage. Four spotlights hit each member of the stage as they took in the screams and cheers from the fans, before breaking off to blast into the first song “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom).” This was my fifth time seeing Shinedown, but this show honestly felt like the band had evolved into an even bigger version of themselves. With a thrust going right into the audience, an elevated stage that allowed for lights and pyrotechnics to shoot out from the floor, ceiling lights that were on robotic arms to change the dynamic of the stage, and a flying piano that would descend from the roof throughout the show. It was a spectacle for the eyes. But if you strip away all the theatrics and just leave the band, you would still be in for an amazing show as all four members of the band are entertaining musicians in their own right. Vocalist Brent Smith has a powerful voice, with just a touch of twang that is candy to the ears. Guitarist Zach Myers runs around the stage making sure to play to every single person in the crowd, while still making it back to the mic to provide backing vocals. Eric Bass is a multitalented instrumentalist. Not just laying down solid bass lines but filling in on acoustic guitar and piano when needed. While Barry Kerch lets the dreads fly everywhere as he wails away on his kit. These four men teamed up have created some of the best modern rock songs in the last couple decades. Giving the crowd a nearly two hour set that included “Dead Don’t Die,” “I’ll Follow You,” “State of My Head,” “Devil,” “Unity,” “45,” “Enemies,” ‘A Symptom of Being Human,” “Planet Zero,” ‘Second Chance,” a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” with Zack handling vocal duties, “Simple Man,” “Monsters,” and ending with the high energy driven “Cut the Cord.” Shinedown left the audience panting trying to catch their breath, and still we begged for more.

FivePoint Amphitheatre has been an amazing venue where I have been fortunate to see many amazing shows at. Sadly, with their 2023 season coming to an end, there is a chance this venue won’t be back next year as their lease has expired. I, along with millions of others, hope that the Irvine company can come to an agreement to keep a music venue in Irvine, as this is one of the best venues in Southern California. However, if this venue does get taken down, to end my experience with FivePoints, I could not have asked for a better show than Shinedown, Papa Roach, and Spiritbox. The quality of the music, the amazing showmanship of the bands, and how much the crowd came together to sing with every song every band played. This was a night none of us will forget any time soon. 

October 12th at The Belasco was an enchanting evening filled with the kind of music that makes you feel as if you’re in a fairytale. The Belasco itself is the kind of venue that feels like mixing a circus with Alice in Wonderland. The night started off with Angelica Garcia coming onto the stage and fans cheering her on. Her movements on stage had a dream-like feeling to them that would captivate anyone watching and music with hyper energy. I really liked the giant psychedelic images she had of her moving on stage while she was performing. For me, her music isn’t personally my taste but I can see why people like it and how passionate she was about it. She’s a fantastic dancer and performer. When she got off stage, they started decorating it for the headliner of the night Blonde Redhead, and the place got even more fantasy-like. The decorations already had me excited for the next artist. So when Blonde Redhead hit the stage, it was a moment everyone was waiting for. 

As a photographer, the lighting for Blonde Redhead was a challenge to work with but as a viewer, it felt like being transported into a surreal dream. Although I liked the challenge because it allowed me to think up more creative ways of editing my photos of the night and I wanted to make them dream-like to match the feeling I felt that night. I started listening to Blonde Redhead because of their song "For the Damaged Coda", which was featured in Rick and Morty, which is one of my favorite shows. This just goes to show you that Blonde Redhead appeals to people of all ages. They have a unique sound that can be heard even in their new album Sit Down for Dinner. In a way, their music is a bit spooky and melodically haunting in a way that gets stuck in your head. 

I also really loved their wardrobe choices, especially the shoes and their movements on stage, it helped me get more interesting shots. The sparkly dress was definitely a sight to see in the dark and showed just how much star power was in every movement. I’m glad Blonde Redhead is returning to performing and I’m sure they have lots more going forward to show all of their fans.

Press Release Below:

Collie Buddz graced us with his 4^th studio album Take It Easy, and this is classic Collie.  While you can see and hear the growth, every Collie fan will love this album.  This album is a true reggae album which also blends in dancehall and a little hip-hop, which shows off his growth and creative powers.  The majority of this 12-track album was produced by Collie himself along with J Vibe, but we also get Bobby Konders and Fatbabs producing tracks.  And I love that Collie uses his band not only on tour but in the studio as well- Jason "J-Vibe" Farmer – keyboard, Shawn "Mista Roots" Mitchell – bass, Ronny Gutierrez – guitar, Noah Cronin – drums. This album is filled with irresistible rhythms, some great lyrics by Collie and Collies smooth chill flow.  “I fell blessed to be able to continue my musical journey.  I poured my heart and soul into this project, and I’m thrilled to finally share it. I especially love how the album came together consisting of multiple writing and recording camps around the world with some of my favorite people.  “Take It Easy” is a celebration of life, love, and the power of music to unite us all.  I hope it brings joy and positive vibes to everyone who listens,” Collie Buddz recently said.  What I have always loved about Collie’s lyrics is, from the outside looking in, from a higher level, it seems like many of his songs are all about weed, smoking and so on.  But when you actually listen to what he is saying, the message he has, it is so much more, thought-provoking and meaningful.  A casual listener will be like, oh these are real fun songs, but a true fan knows the importance of the message.

We jump right into track 1, “Take It Easy,” the perfect song to start this album off with.  A sweet, lazy afternoon rhythm, a song to sit back and chill. It is a song that reminds us that Collie wants us to sit back and enjoy life, chill out and stop worrying about the things we can’t control.  This tune is a bubbly song with a classic keyboard-centric riff which shows off Collie’s fluid and light vocals.  “High Grade (International Herb)” is track 2, and hits us with a nice reggae riddim with nicely place synthed horns, a well produced song.  This is, of course, a song about smoking the high grade.  Hit that high grade and feel no pain. “The smoke a fill mi brain, Oh Lord God mi no feel no pain, I took a draw this morning yeah of the high grade.”  Collie used the classic song written by Joseph Hill of Culture as the root of the song. The next song takes me back to some early Collie (and in a real good way), “Brighter Days” has that sweet upbeat rhythm we are so used to, and the flow form Collie is so nice in this joint. This song about staying focused, don’t listen to the negative, and just live the life you live.  This is a song to put on repeat and just fall into the lyrics. Nice use of a hip-hp drum line with some traditional dub breaks. Track 4 is “You Around” and is a lovers rock song, don’t stress Collie will always be around.  I love the drums and beat in this, in fact all the music in this is so fresh and upbeat, this just puts a smile on my face.  Can’t stop my head from grooving to this. Some great lyrics and vocals from Collie, especially when he takes it up a notch in the chorus. 

Collie keeps with the love songs with “Close To You.”  This is a hip-hop/reggae blend, but tighter than “Brighter Days.”  This is another one that hits, the drum again, the bass with Shawn Mitchell, this is one to really groove to.  Nice slow dance with your girl, dipping on that bass.  Collie is more chill with his voice, a nice easy smooth flow. “I’m on my way girl just hold tight, I’ma deal with it so right and ya know, Disturb your neighbor dem the whole night when she say, “hold me close to you,” You know I will.” With each song I keep thinking, damn this is the one, but they keep getting better and better.  Track 6 is “No Bush Weed” featuring B-Real, a good 90’s hip-hop flow, upbeat song, I love the bass line in this.  Collie’s vocals pop on this, changing up his tempo and range, I love the mix.  B-Real comes in hard with a great flow over the beat.  These two should do more together, they really compliment each others styles and flows.  This is a great collaboration and we follow it up with another one, Jamaican dancehall legend Bounty Killer joins Collie on “Twisted Agent.”  A song about the corrupt system, “Don’t get it twisted, police dem not yuh friend (Neva), Dem only working for di twisted agenda.”  Maybe the best lyrics by Collie on this album, he really hits it hard and perfect on this.  Bounty Killer comes in and absolutely kills it.  Lyrics are so strong and his flow is a little less extreme than we are used to, but he flows so well with the rhythm and the supernatural electric organ.  Track 8 is “Mr. Wicked” a song with a great bass line and string work.  We are taken back to some classic reggae vibes with a beautiful skank of the guitar and we have a nice Cali reggae vibes as well.  Another song with such strong lyrics and a nice sound from Collie’s vocals. 

“Trap Set” featuring Demarco is track 9, comes in with a rock feel with the guitar work from Ronny Gutierrez, and I love his solo at the end.  Nice bass line in this and a great verse from Demarco.  They have worked together in the past and I really love the way they work together.  The way Collie mixes up the mood and style of each song, all based in reggae but bringing in different styles and textures. Track 10 is “Money Up” and another collaboration, this time featuring Keznamdi.  This is a fun party song with a Uk Afrobeats sound, “Champagne champagne, Have a pool full a liqor and di gal dem a jump in mi nuh ramping, A general season so money up money up get ya money up.” I really love the flow from Keznamdi, he attacks his lyrics and keeps the party going with a singjay and hip-hop rap flow.  Next up is “Collision” featuring rapper Danny Towers.  I really love this track, has a nice Afrobeats sound to it.  It may seem odd to have Danny and Collie on an Afrobeats song, but Danny Towers kills this but when Collie comes in, this song just goes to another level.  Collie changes tempo and flow.  So nice!  We finish off this fantastic album with “Hold Firm,” from his previously release Cali Vibes Riddim.  The perfect song to finish this album off, a song that is what Collie is all about, what he is always stressing in his songs. “One life to live an so mi live it like ah holiday, nuh cares, no stress, no worries, throw that all away, we all have ups and downs pon di day to day, so when I rise, tell myself do sum good today, a lot of people out deh dem juss lost ah seed, dem ah do wah mek dem happy, kno seh dats di key, dem nuh care bout yuh, dem nuh care bout mi, but mi kno seh life’s so sweet.” We start off with a nice chill reggae rhythm with “Take It Easy” and this just bookends the album with another nice chill reggae feel.

We waited four years for this album, and it is well worth the wait. You can see the time and effort Collie put into this project.  Nothing rushed, nothing taken for granted.  The production is near perfect, the music so strong and the lyrics and message amazing.  Collie is telling us to not let life wear you down, stay positive, but also reminding us to watch out for the system and how it controls and entraps us. This is possibly Collies best work to date. Where does Collie go from here, how does he follow this up. I am not worried about that answer, Collie is so talented only still growing, learning and will stay on top.

One Love- Todd

In my formative years growing up, I mainly listened to what music other people played for me. What ever was on Disney Radio seemed to be my mom’s favorite stuff to play. As I got older and finally started discovering my own music taste, I would trade CDs with my friends. One collection of CDs that was lent to me was Three Days Grace’s albums Three Days Grace, One-X, and Life Starts Now. Listening to these three albums, I could not stop playing them on repeat. Somehow, after all these years, I have only been able to see them live once. This was baffling to me that I would keep missing every time they were in town. When Three Days Grace announced their latest tour with Chevelle and support from Loathe, I promised I would not miss them again. I devoted two hours in traffic to make sure I made it on time to the Hollywood Palladium, as I was not missing any band for this show.

Opening the night was a band called Loathe, who travelled all the way from Liverpool, England just to bring their controlled chaos of music to the people of Los Angeles. I call it controlled chaos as Loathe blends aspects of Metalcore, Nu Metal, Shoegaze, and jazz elements together. Mixing all these aspects into a pot created a unique sound that caught me off guard and blew me away. Playing music this chaotic, you need a front man that can help carry that energy, and that’s what you get in Kadeem France. From scream-singing at the audience, to letting beautiful melodic vocals come through, to breaking out James Brown-esque dance moves, Kadeem captivates the crowd. Erik Bickerstaffe is pulling double duty, bringing out the fuzziest of guitar tones, while lulling the crowd to be at ease with soothing keyboard grooves. Bassist Feisal El-Khazragi and drummer Sean Radcliffe were in perfect harmony crafting low end beats that let the crowd seamlessly switch from bopping in the crowd to raging in the mosh pit. Loathe had the shortest set of the night, but they made it count with songs like “Aggressive Evolution,” “New Faces in the Dark,” “Heavy Is the Head That Falls With the Weight of a Thousand Thoughts,” “Screaming,” “Is It Really You?,” and ending with “Gored.” Loathe should be on more people’s radar as they add so much unique flavor any metal fans playlist.

Up next is a band whose name I have always known, but if you asked me to name a song, I couldn’t to save my life. Yet, as they played their set, I came to realize I knew quite a lot of Chevelle songs. So much so that I was singing along for a few of them. I have friends who always talk very highly about Chevelle, but I never took the time to actively listen to them. Though, I personally feel that made seeing them live even more exciting and fun as I had no idea what to expect going in. Opening their set with the instrumental track “Verruckt,” singer and guitarist Pete Loeffler was wailing on his guitar, keeled over his guitar like a 70s punk rocker lost in the sauce of his own groove. As they moved into “An Island” and Pete started singing, he has a tenor vocal range that sounds like candy to the ears. His older brother Sam Loeffler is the timekeeper of the band, blasting away on the drum kit. Even having his drum set on a riser, Sam could be seen with the biggest smile of the night as he played. You could feel how much joy it brings him to perform for their fans. Throughout the set Pete would make his way around Sam’s drum kit to be able to perform next to and by his brothers side, and always making it back to the mic before his vocals come back in. Chevelle played a set consisting of songs like “Door to Door Cannibals,” “Self Destructor,” “Vitamin R (leading Us),” “Young Wicked,” “Joyride (Omen),” “Face to the Floor,” “The Clincher,” “Forfeit,” “Send the Pain Below,” “Comfortable Liar,” “The Red,” and ending with “Mars Simula” off their latest album NIRATIAS. Even though Chevelle was a pleasant surprise to me, it shows that I really need to listen to my friends more often when they recommend me music.

As we waited with bated breath for our headliners to come on, high school Matt’s excitement continued to grow. Years of singing in the car, screaming my voice out while stuck in traffic to these guys, and we were moments away. As the lights dimmed and a giant LCD wall screen illuminated with the name Three Days Grace, the crowd erupted with excitement. Opening with a new song “So Called Life” off their latest album Explosions, the crowd was already singing along. Proving that Three Days Grace can continue to create music that is beloved by their fans. Lead singer Matt Walst was feeding off the energy of the crowd. Throughout the show he was getting more animated with his stage presence as the crowd gave their all back to him. Hearing Barry Stock play some of the most iconic guitar lines of my formative years, I could sing along with them before the actual lyrics came in, put me into a bliss. Bassist Brad Walst snarled with intense bass face, while drummer Neil Sanderson pounded away on the kit high on his riser. Three Days Grace played songs from their entire discography, showing that the Adan Gontier years were not the bands only hay day. The crowd continued to let the mosh pit rage with songs like “Animal I have Become,” “I Am Machine,” “Home,” “The Good Life,” “Pain,” “The Mountain,” “Painkiller,” “World So Cold,” “Just Like You,” “Break,” “Lifetime,” “I Hate Everything About You,” “Never Too Late,” and bringing out special guest Kyle Konkiel of Bad Wolves for the final song “Riot.” The amount of love and admiration I have for this band could not be contained as I sang my voice ragged with each song.

As the fans walked out of the venue, you could see the sweat dripping from every person as we have all let go of our inhibitions and anxieties to let just let the music flow through us. I could see it on everyone’s face how much these bands music has meant to every one of us. Chevelle and Three Days Grace have both been going through for over two decades, and their music has touched so many of us, helping us through some of the hardest times in our lives. The least we could do is honor the bands by showing up every time they come to town, and I sincerely can not wait for the next time they come back through.

As someone who was born in 1998, I feel as though I know the Goo Goo Dolls are amongst a select few bands that are forever ingrained into my subconscious. Before the days of CarPlay, Bluetooth, and even aux cables, there was of course, the radio. As a child with severe A.D.D. growing up, the car rides were never silent. Whether it was on the way to school, heading to baseball practice, what have you, there always had to be music playing in the car – and "Iris" was one of the 'inescapables.'

And I just want to preface - I don’t mean that in a bad way by any means! I’m sure at the time, my mom turning the volume knob to the right came with a sigh from the backseat – but oh how times have changed. But as I walked by the security team back to my car, exchanged our, “goodnight,” and “you too,” I thought back to these radio moments. Those dramatic sighs and pleads to put Metallica back on, and what that young kid might say if he knew that not only has our opinion changed, but we just sang one of the greatest love songs in music history with 9,000 other people; and it was nothing short of electric.

At one of the first true instances of fall out here on the east coast with a slight chill in the air, and this being the last show of the year at the Bank NH Pavilion since the venue is outdoors, I really didn’t know how the performance would go. But then it hit me – the infamous Live in Buffalo: July 4th, 2004 (if you don’t know what that is, stop reading this, go watch it, and come back). In an instant, all potential worries about the performance came to a grinding halt as the lights went down, and the crowd erupted.

And let me just say…I mean, if you’re a Goo Goo Dolls fan, it’s truly everything you would want it to be. Not only were the visuals throughout the set duration on point, but the setlist touched on nearly every Goo Goo Dolls album they’ve released. Starting with "Broadway" off Dizzy up the Girl and hitting the classics like "Name", "Sympathy", "Come to Me", "Better Days", "Slide", and of course finishing the night off with "Iris", it was nothing short of amazing. And as someone who is a bit, “outside looking in” when it comes to the Goo Goo Dolls, it was so remarkable to not only hear Rzeznik’s amazing voice in-person for the first time, but to witness how these songs, some of which are over two decades old like "Iris", "Slide", etc. still resonate with fans on such a powerful level and sound so, so good live.

It was right from their walkout and the first few notes of Broadway though, where I knew right away that this was going to be something special. John Rzeznik’s stage presence from the offset was nothing short of magnetic. His charisma, his energy bouncing from stage left to stage right, and genuine interaction with the audience nurtured an overwhelming sense of intimacy to the whole performance – like we were all just friends sharing stories and moments through music. And he wasn’t alone up there either as Robbie Takac’s infectious energy came through in every bassline and his overall enthusiasm on the stage.

As I close in on my one year anniversary of starting my concert photography journey, and of all the shows I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to shoot this past summer at the Bank NH Pavilion, there’s something about this one that’s different.

In the end, the Goo Goo Dolls put on a show that was a testament to the music and devotion they carry for the fans that was unlike anything I’ve come across in a while. It was a night dedicated to nostalgia, unity, the bands history, and the love of music that I truly believe left an indelible mark on everyone in attendance, myself included. And as I drove home listening to Dizzy in its entirety, I found myself smiling at the feeling of singing along with 9,000 people to a song I grew up with (and even detested at times) – a feeling I won’t forget for a very, very long time.