Atmosphere’s been making waves in the independent hip-hop scene since as long as I can remember. I only caught onto Slug and Ant in 2002 with God Loves Ugly, but they had already been active as a duo since 1997. Recently, they just released their newest album Whenever and hit the road in early 2020 to promote it on their The Wherever Tour – North America. Atmosphere's been selling out shows of this tour in cities like Seattle, Vancouver, and Chicago, so I knew I had to catch their sold-out Los Angeles show at The Novo.
When I rolled up, The Lioness was already on stage warming up the room with her witty and insightful music. I grabbed a drink and walked this incredible venue, ending up on The Novo’s second floor patio. It's a killer spot to enjoy a drink or catch a smoke in between sets, and I took some time prior to Atmosphere taking the stage to chat with fans during the brief intermission. I soon noticed people start to make their way back into the venue as anticipation grew for the main act, and headed back in as I too was excited for this one to begin. I took my position in the photo pit as this was show was ready to get underway.
As lights dimmed, Ant and a supporting DJ made their way behind the boards and laptops. Shortly after, donned in a hoody, gloves, glasses, and a peacoat, Slug burst onto the stage with a red solo cup in hand. The crowd erupted and fans could tell this show was going to be special. Over the next two-hours, Atmosphere killed a ridiculously long set that made up for the shorter one played the day before at One Love Cali Reggae Festival in Long Beach. They played a decent amount of material off of Whenever, but they still gave the crowd what they wanted with some of the nostalgic classic jams that spanned their near 25-year career in hip-hop. Expectedly, it was “Fuck You Lucy” that was probably the most nostalgic moment of the night.
After 2+ decades of creating and performing music as Atmosphere, Slug and Ant haven’t slowed down a bit. As a matter of fact, they’ve gotten better with time as witnessed at The Novo on Saturday night. Armed with an impeccable work ethic and incredible raw talent, Atmosphere took what used to be a merely a teenage hobby and turned it into a successful career that has withstood the test of time. They're considered one the most hardworking, high-quality hip-hop acts on the planet and their live performances are a 'must-see' for any hip-hop aficionado. I would highly recommend checking out Atmosphere when they roll through your town, and would circle the date now as it's a show you just can't miss.
Tonight, GosT was in town and performing live at the Echo in Los Angeles. He is currently on the road supporting his most recent full-length album, Valediction, which came out this past October. The album is a mix of 80s synth, guitar, gothic vocals, and heavy blast-beats. The current tour started in Denver, CO on January 28th and will continue on through mid February ending in Atlanta, GA. Lucky for us, it was LA's turn tonight!
It was an early set this evening as doors opened at 6, and GosT took the stage promptly by 7:45. As soon as he took the dimly lit stage, you could feel the crowd light up with energy. GosT took the stage in all black and had his face done up in corpse paint. A white masked bass player also accompanied him on stage. Everyone watched and moved to the music, which really had an 80’s feel to it. It was nice and loud with some heavy beats that shook the stage and had the fans dancing and moving the entire evening. GosT's sound was a throwback for sure but really resonated with fans in attendance.
Some highlights from the evening included tracks such as "Relentless Passing," "Bloody Roses," "The Call of The Faithful," "She Lives in Red Light," "Ligature Marks," and "Genesee Avenue." GosT unleashed a truly a powerful set that left the audience in awe and was clear to all in attendance that he came prepared to rip the soul out of the Echo (and his fans) on Saturday evening. Once the set was over, he made his way to the merch table where he was greeted with a huge line of fans waiting to capture a glimpse of the man. This was a perfect way for the crowd to meet the man behind the music. Overall, GosT's show was just what the doctor ordered on Saturday night and gave fans of all ages a memorable show taht won't soon be forgotten.
We hope to have him back in LA again soon! See pictures from tonight's event below.
All right, admit it. When you hear someone mention Night Ranger, the first thing that pops into your mind is “Sister Christian.” Rightfully so, as that ballad was the most successful and lasting song of their career, peaking at #5 on the Billboard charts way back in 1983. Indeed, their defining song for sure, but I’m here to tell you they have much more up their sleeve. Their first three albums all reached Platinum status solidifying their might in the crowded 80’s hard rock scene. This tour’s moniker is the Dawn Patrol and Midnight Madness Double Album Tour, where the band is celebrating these albums and playing them in their entirety back to back. I must say, the prospects of hearing these classics played as I first heard them back in the day had me looking forward to a great show.
When the house lights at The Grove dimmed, the jam-packed crowd all rose in unison, and the band began pounding out an extended intro to their anthem “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.” When the upbeat rocker finally kicked in, goodnight. Was it possible to be completely blown away after 30 seconds? Night Ranger was in full-force and quickly made it clear we were in for one bad-ass show.
Jack Blades (lead vocals, bass guitar), jumping around like a spry 25-year-old nailed down the bottom end while throwing vocals that rivaled the original recordings! He was flanked by the guitar legend Brad Gillis to his left, and Orange County’s own Keri Kelli on his right, who were trying to out-do each other all night long. It bears to mention that in my opinion, Brad Gillis is one of the most overlooked and unappreciated guitarists in rock history. The playing, the enthusiasm, the energy, all off the scale! Rounding out this cohesive and talented unit was Eric Levy holding down the signature keyboard sound, and of course, Kelly Keagy on drums, lending his vocals on the hits “Sing Me Away” and, “Sister Christian.”
In between the two albums, the band played an acoustic version of “High Enough” from the Damn Yankees and “Four in the Morning,” from their 1998 release, Seven. Blades also treated us occasionally, with some cool stories about the band from back in the day. For example, how shocked they were to be on the road touring in their early days and learning their record company had gone broke. Or, when their debut album Dawn Patrol was initially released, the first 10,000 copies didn’t have their full name on the album cover! One of my favorite moments of the show was during the song “Night Ranger,” the band (minus Levy) all made their way to Keagy’s drum set and took part in the drum solo. Four guys all pounding away all at the same time. Those poor drums. What a spectacle you don’t see all that often.
What I found priceless was having the opportunity to attend a show with my lovely wife Paula, along with some great friends that, in a way, transported us back in time. During those formidable years, Night Ranger was a big part of the soundtrack of our lives and definitely a time that my wife and I won't forget. Truly special moment for us to say the least.
You too can experience the spectacle that is Night Ranger, who must be seen to appreciate. They are on tour across the U.S. now through the summer, proving to everyone that you can indeed Still Rock in America. Again, I cannot emphasize more what a slam-dunk good time this group is. You’ll find yourself dancing, rocking and smiling all the way home!
Rodney Bingenhimer stated “We may not ever have another David Bowie or Marc Bolan but we've got GYASI which is a step in the right direction.” and Paste has described this act as “an enigma to say the least, a glorious mixture of David Bowie and Marc Bolan with the slightest modern twist”. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, it’s GYASI, who's been giving glam rock a comeback! With singles like “Kiss Kiss” and “Nightcrawl”, I’m surprised they haven’t gotten more recognition!
The hidden gem of what is “Tongue Tied” is not only a sexy cinematic video full of color but a fresh breath of air. The shots in this music video are amazing and so is the performance of Brynn Route. GYASI really plays with the video angles and his lyrics in this video. This one is one of my favorite tunes and thanks to the Prince of Pop, GYASI may just breakthrough!
Written by Elsie Hernandez
California Rocker and frequent Hunnypot Guest, Donna Balancia, did a great write up of Rodney Bingenheimer's guest appearance on Hunnypot Live #434.
Rodney Bingenheimer told some stories and spun some discs as the special guest on Hunnypot Live broadcast from The Mint in Los Angeles on Monday night. Bingenheimer, who has a Sunday show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius XM, spent time with Hot Tub Johnnie, co-host Jeff Gray and the crew. “I met Rodney when he came to The Mint to see one of the artists,” said Hunnypot Live host Hot Tub Johnnie. “I said ‘We’d like to have you on the show, and that’s how we got him.”With his colorful stories, Bingenheimer is a legend, having driven around David Bowie, hung out with Elvis and Sinatra and hosted Iggy Pop at his legendary English Disco in LA.
-DONNA BALANCIA.
Bingenheimer came to Hollywood at 16, did some acting, in particular as the double for Davey Jones in a Monkees episode but came to music fame iwth his column in Go magazine and then the record companies with radio promotion. At KROQ, where Bingenheimer was the hottest DJ since 1976, he did everything from hosting incoming calls to picking the hottest young artists and new music. There’s even a documentary on Bingenheimer, called “Mayor of The Sunset Strip,” by the late George Hickenlooper. Bingenheimer opened the Hunnypot Live show with tunes by Gyasi and The Velvet Starlings and said Gyasi was one of the youngsters influenced by Bowie. He also played The Dollyrots and Clem Burke’s band, The Tearaways. The success of the English Disco led him to his KROQ career. It was a place where the upcoming bands of the day would DJ and some would perform. Bingenheimer recalled when Elvis introduced him to Frank Sinatra.
“We went to Las Vegas, I took Screaming Lord Sutch to Las Vegas to see Elvis Presley at the International Hotel,” he said. “There was a party afterwards, and Nancy Sinatra was there, she opened the show with Elvis and she was at the party upstars at the international. And Elvis said ‘I want you to meet Frank Sinatra.'” Another time, he recalled, he went to Orange County with Queen to see The Runaways in Fullerton High School. “We arrive at the High School, Roger Taylor, Brian May and myself,” he recalled. “We get out of my old Cadillac, walk up to the school grounds. The principal stops us said ‘You can’t come on the school property,’ I said ‘I’m with Queen,’ the principal said ‘I don’t care if you’re with the king, you can’t come on property.'” As far as studio guests, The Specials could have used a lesson in talking on the radio instead of nodding their heads, and Duran Duran brought the people. “We had a whole parking lot full of girls,” he said. He said the best show he ever saw was Bowie as Ziggy Stardust at The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. He said he’s still a fan of The Beatles and The Beach Boys, he discovered Van Halen and Cold Play and he loves the new alternative and punk bands, but, Bingenheimer says, “I’ll play The Ronettes, Leslie Gore and Nancy Sinatra.”
On Wednesday night in Dallas, fans came together for an intimate show with The Almost and their special guests in the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues. This show was to feature their 2007 release Southern Weather in its entirety. To give context, the Cambridge room is a smaller venue on the second floor of the House of Blues. I’ve always liked this room because you get to be up close and personal with the bands and that intimacy was key for fans primed and ready for a rocking night. Add in the fact that this was the last show of the If I Believed You Tour and we were all off to the races!
To get things kicked off, a local band from College Station, Odd Folks, jumped on stage to get the show started. Getting their start in 2015, Odd Folks have been working on making their impact in the scene and think this was a great show for them to get noticed. Opening with their song “Friends”, you could really tell the crowd was enjoying it. Odd Folks was the perfect band to open up this show.
Next up was the one-piece act, Riley Matthew Anglen (better known as “ROWDY”). He's also the current bassist for The Almost. Rowdy took his performance in another direction that night as he pulled out his acoustic guitar and started playing some country songs he wrote with Aaron Gillespie in the middle of a desert. My favorite song he played was “Hang It On”. It was a beautiful performance and complete change of pace for the show. I never thought I would be so into hearing some country tunes in the middle of a rock concert, but these were special. Well done!
Following Rowdy were Alabama natives, Ghost Atlas, a band that has a huge talent for making emotion come alive through their songs. I think I was most impressed with the talent of Jesse Cash, who is also guitar and vocals for the band ERRA of Sumerian Records. Jesse has a way of hitting notes that seem impossible to hit while screaming. Ghost Atlas started as a side project for Jesse and it has blossomed into a phenomenal band. The song I think I liked the most was their closer, “Sacred Organs”. It was a burst of pure rock grit and they really crushed it. I plan to see them next time they come through Dallas.
Giving Ghost Atlas a run for their money were the coastal boys in All Get Out. Formed by Nathan Hussey (Vocals/Guitar) and Kyle Samuel (Guitar), these guys came out without skipping a beat and picked up where Ghost Atlas left off the previous set. Never seeing All Get Out before, I knew was in for a treat as they had the coveted 2nd spot right before The Almost. Unconventionally, they opened up with their most streamed track on Spotify, “The Season” and it definitely got the crowd’s attention. Song after song, All Get Out was not letting up until they got to their final song, “ATX”. It’s like they slowed it all the way down just to go the hardest they could at the end. Great performance all around.
After a number of great bands had performed, The Almost was finally ready to take the stage. Their singer and guitarist Aaron Gillespie, also the drummer in the band Underoath, had a stage presence to him that exuded so much confidence which made for great photos. They all came out rocking the stage with the song “Summer Weather” and the crowd was there for it. The Clearwater, Florida rock band was so in sync and giving it their all on this final performance of the If I Believed You Tour. They played more of the hits from Southern Weather like “Drive There Now”, “I Mostly Copy Other People”, and “Say This Sooner” to name a few.
The night was phenomenal in every sense and I enjoyed every second of it. At one point the band members, besides Aaron, said thank you to the crowd for a great night and tour then exited the stage. Aaron stayed on stage and grabbed his acoustic guitar. He said he doesn’t understand the point of going off stage to come back on, so he just went straight into the encore, playing two songs, “Dirty and Left Out” and “Amazing Because It Is”. Everyone could feel the energy in the Cambridge room during those two songs and it was awesome to see the entire crowd singing along. Aaron ended it on a soft note thanking everyone for coming out to see them on this tour run. What a show!
The House of Blues Anaheim was the setting for one of the most anticipated concerts in recent memory. Currently, on their 2020 Verdict American Tour, the mighty Queensryche finally hit Southern California. Supporting them on this go-around is John 5 and Eve to Adam. This lineup had created a buzz for weeks leading up to the show, and frankly, the anticipation was killing me. This night was sure to be a butt-kicker.
Opening the festivities was New York's own, Eve to Adam. These guys stormed the stage and powered through a quick but impressive set. When you get limited time on stage, you don't waste it and these guys definitely got that memo. They put forth a tight group of tunes that damn near flattened the bill of my cap! Tons of energy and volume on stage to accompany their straightforward relentless brand of metal, Eve to Adam didn't mess around. They came to make an impression and did so in fine fashion.
Next on the card, was the insanely talented John 5. This guy has multiple solo albums to his credit and is also well known for his stints with powerhouses Rob Halford, Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, and currently the lead guitarist with Rob Zombie. It's easy to see that he brought with him to the stage a reputation as big as his show, uncorking one of the most engaging sets I've ever seen. Visually and sonically off the charts, the band played a selection of tunes which teased industrial metal, country music, and of course, straight up in your face rock and roll. Even a box of rocks could appreciate this talent.
In addition to the ridiculous guitar work, we were treated to ghosts and ghouls, glow-in-the-dark teeth, face paint, and a giant bobble-head mascot of sorts moshed onto the stage which fired off a massive confetti-bomb into the crowd. This put an exclamation point on the show but then reengaged to finish with a great medley of memorable rock riffs. Worth the price of admission alone, these medleys are crowdpleasers in every sense of the word. Now, I've seen him personally numerous times in the past with Rob Zombie, but in this setting where he can spread out and be himself, there's nothing else like it. John 5 is undoubtedly one of the true guitar virtuosos of all time and routinely puts on a show like no other. You'll stand mesmerized and satisfied at the end of a John 5 show, guaranteed.
With the crowd buzzing about the spectacle just seen, it was time for the reason we were all there. Queensryche. I distinctly recall when I heard their initial release in 1983 and was utterly floored. I can safely say this release was all I listened to for weeks on end and remember thinking this Seattle band is going to take the rock world by storm with their Iron Maiden-esque sound paired with a dash of dungeons and dragons mixed in. An interestingly cerebral approach for the time, as many bands breaking onto the scene were focused on parties, girls, and beer. Their next two albums still today rank among my all-time favorites, and I was very excited to see many songs from that era included on the set-list.
Right out of the chute, they pounded us with the classics "Prophecy" and "Operation Mindcrime" and it was apparent these guys were on point. From the outset, Todd La Torre (vocals) again proved he can more than take care of the classics live. He handily took ownership of the older stuff live and completely crushed crushed classics such as "Walk In The Shadows", "Resistance", "Take Hold Of The Flame" and "No Sanctuary". I couldn't be more pleased with this set-list, and with the inclusion of new songs like "Bent" and "Dark Reverie" that landed right in my wheelhouse. Just plain awesome. As the night progressed, "Silent Lucidity" and "Jet City Woman" had the packed crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. When the band broke into "Screaming in Digital" and "Queen of the Ryche," it was all over. You would have thought the roof was coming down. The superb set-list indeed had something for everyone.
Having seen Queensryche many times over the decades, this show stands out. They embraced all eras of the band and provided a mix of tunes that not only brought back many memories for me but created some new ones as well. Queensryche is currently tearing up the U.S. right now, so drop what you're doing, look them up and see them immediately. You will witness a professional-grade night of metal that you'll not soon forget.
Apparently the "Shadow" doesn't know. Hunnypot Live had an less confusing and more rocking night than an Iowa Caucus. Hot Tub Johnnie unanimously was elected to start the party music. The Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney Bingenheimer, joined us in a campaign to tell us about his illustrious entertainment career and cool people stories (spoiler, everybody famous knows Rodney). Caroline probably can't vote but she sings pop songs perfect for budding adult citizens. Garrett Holbrook hit with high polling hard rock music. Batfarm canvased with nocturnal rock notes from the stage. Flipp dropped in for a state of their union before they had to catch a plane and let a little brother on stage for backup and Hot Tub turned in a closing dance set for the ages. Streamed and Master by Ryan Taalbi (Media Liberated), Photos: J. Gray / R. Taalbi
02/03/2020
If you don’t know who Rodney Bingenheimer is then you’ve been missing out on some of the most memorable moments in music history. Mr. Rodney Bingenheimer has been one of the most influential and legendary DJs in Southern California. He created a name for himself when he unintentionally helped pioneer some of the most successful and iconic bands, and it all started back in 1976 when he joined the KROQ. Back in his days with KROQ, Rodney would host “Rodney on the Roq.”, Where he would play "new artists", creating a wave on new trending bands such as Blondie, The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Joan Jett, No Doubt, Nirvana and Coldplay, to name a few.
Since the start of his career, he has been dubbed as "the prince of pop" and has held that title for over 20 years. He was even the subject of a documentary, titled “The Mayor of the Sunset Strip”. His colleague, Jed the Fish quoted Rodney as “Key to the history of Orange County Music” It is an honor to have Mr. Bingenheimer with us, and we will forever treasure this moment in Hunnypot history. Cheers, to the one and only Mr. Rodney Bingenhimer.
CAROLINE is a breath of fresh air. Her soaring vocals, relatable songwriting, and inspiring image are what today's teens need.
CAROLINE is a teen pop singer based in Los Angeles with Southern roots in North Carolina. She sends a message of hope and inclusivity with her original music. Listening to CAROLINE or engaging with her
on social media will brighten your day, just like talking to your best friend. She started performing at 3, writing lyrics at 8, and songwriting at 12.
CAROLINE is fascinated by all types of music- from the fast cadences of hip-hop, the emotion of rock-n-roll, the ability of a simple pop song to make you smile, the drama of Broadway show tunes, and the storytelling elements of country music.
CAROLINE hopes to help other young girls struggling like she has and make sure that they know they are not alone. Being a teenager these days is challenging- teenagers are juggling social pressures, demanding respect and a voice, and trying to find and express their authentic selves.
CAROLINE is the voice of this generation.
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Garrett Holbrook is a multi-talented vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and live performer. His love for rock and metal stemmed from growing up in Olympia, Washington on the heels of the Seattle Grunge scene. In his own words: “As a child, I heard Van Halen’s [self-titled] debut album and Judas Priest's ‘Metal Works’ and my life changed forever.” He picked up the guitar at eight years old and hasn’t looked back. He immersed himself in music; learning and excelling on a variety of instruments, including becoming an accomplished Lap Steel Guitarist. He moved to California to study Rock Vocals and Guitar at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. Holbrook’s vocal styles cover the musical spectrum from Metal to Americana Edge, but his first love is Rock .Following his intensive music studies at MI, he was introduced to Music Producer/Bassist, Fabrizio Grossi (Dave Navarro, Alice Cooper, Supersonic Blues Machine, Steve Vai). This introduction led to a month-long songwriting/recording collaboration with various recording artists including Steve Lukather (Guitarist; Toto) and Kenny Aronoff (Drummer, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars). Holbrook contributed six new recordings; and the relationship with Grossi spawned yet another exciting career opportunity for this emerging talent.
In 2018, he was invited to join the all-star rock band “Drop the Needle” (DTN) as Lead Vocalist. DTN‘s line-up includes Producer/Bassist Fabrizio Grossi, Drummer Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction); Lead Guitarist Rafael Moreira (Pink, Paul Stanley; American Idol, The Voice); and Keyboardist/MD Alex Alessandroni, Jr. (Christina Aguilera, Pink). Garrett’s power vocals and nationwide performances with DTN have placed him on the radar of local music producers, collaborating recording artists, Film/TV music supervisors, commercial jingle producers, and professional session musicians.
Holbrook’s performance style is reminiscent of Classic Rock and Nu Metal vocalists such as Steven Tyler and Jonathan Davis; creating a present-day rock sound that attracts fans from all musical genres. Garrett is currently rehearsing his new solo band, and writing/recording a new album.
Alexx Calise and Dennis Morehouse were exposed to music from a very young age. They’ve been feeling the effects ever since.
Comprised of Calise, an introspective lyricist and “harmony machine”, and Morehouse, a masterful arranger and sound manipulator, Batfarm is a two-piece alternative rock band whose sound can be best described as “darkedelic”. The multi-instrumentalists keep it small not only for efficiency’s sake, but also to keep creating the music they want without added personalities.
Though the two were from complete opposite ends of the country, they met in LA through a mutual friend. Realizing immediately that there was chemistry between them, the two began seeing each other. They initially tried to keep their romantic relationship separate, but collaborating on music was inevitable.
A few years into dating, Dennis was asked to write some music for an indie movie. He approached Alexx to help with the song, and they immediately found that they had amazing musical chemistry as well. Shortly after, they started working on music for licensing together. What they found was that they weren’t just developing songs; they were developing a sound that could really be something.
However, a myriad of things began to happen over the course of the next few years, which forced the project to be put on an indefinite hold. Alexx’s song “Cry” took off thanks to a placement in a major TV show, forcing her to really concentrate on her solo career, and her brother also passed away suddenly. Dennis started touring heavily and pursuing other musical ventures in the interim as well. The pair inevitably started to grow apart, and decided to end their romantic relationship.
The story does not have a tragic ending however, as the pair decided to reconnect and record some covers just for fun about a year later, after the emotional dust had settled. Realizing that there was something still there musically, they decided to finally take those songs they wrote all those years ago, and perform them live…And so, Batfarm began.
Ultimately, Calise and Morehouse thought they were just chapters in each other’s books, but they actually found that they were still part of each other’s stories. They were merely playing the wrong characters. Music has always been the constant and the bond for this powerful duo, and you can see their love for each other and their undeniable chemistry on stage and in person. The two even share joint custody of their cat, Mittens, who is often the subject of their promotional posters and videos.
Currently, Batfarm is recording their first EP with longtime friend, Charlie Waymire, who actually gets the band’s quirky humor, genre defying sound, perfectionism, and demand for greatness.
Combining Alexx’s grunge and blues influences with rich, choral soundscapes and Dennis’s love of industrial, funk, and psychedelic music, Batfarm creates a sound that is like everything and nothing at once.
While the music itself is serious, they don’t take themselves too seriously, and it is their hope that the darkness of some of their own personal experiences will help others to find their own light.
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FLIPP is a Minneapolis-based band (1995) which attempted to revive the Glam-rock era of the early 1970's using its combination of tongue-in-cheek social commentary, self-deprecating wit, cartoonish stage costumes and bizarre, non-sensical electronics.
On Wednesday January 22nd, Sleeping With Sirens and their highly anticipated The Medicine Tour graced the House of Blues in Dallas with its presence and some heavy jams. It was definitely a show I had circled on my calendar for quite some time. Accompanying them were a host of high-octane bands including Set It Off, Belmont, and Point North. The anticipation was high for this show as this was the first America tour since the release of their latest album, How It Feels To Be Lost, and one I wouldn't soon forget.
First to hit the stage were Los Angeles natives, Point North. Hitting the scene in 2016, Point North has really made some waves in the music scene. With over 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, the potential they seem to have is huge and they came out swinging with their latest, “Never Coming Home”. From that point forward it was off to the races. Point North had a great energy on stage and kept the crowd engaged throughout their incredibly energetic set. Before playing their final song, they surprised everyone with a cover of “Hammer” by nothing,nowhere. Everyone (and I mean everyone) really seemed to really vibe to it. Point North ended their set with 2019 hit, “Gasoline”, and absolutely crushed it. These guys are bad-ass!
Next up we had Belmont. Without skipping a beat, the pop punk group took the stage and started playing crowd favorite, “By My Side”. The lead singer, Taz has a great way of using his voice to get that real punk vocal sound and it showed. The Chicago based band gave us a seven-song set that was phenomenal and ultimately delivered on all levels. Following in the footsteps of bands like The Story So Far, Tiny Moving Parts, and even Knuckle Puck, Belmont has made a dent in the industry and look like they're here to stay. To close out their set, Belmont delivered their final but most anticipated song of the evening, “Overstepping”. The crowd was over the top about it and was a great ending to their kick-ass performance.
Following Belmont, we had the good fortune of jamming with the dynamic trio known as Set It Off. Led by lead vocalist Cody Carson, Set It Off delivered a really fun set and had the crowd engaged throughout their performance. There wasn’t a second that Cody didn’t stop moving and jumping all over stage. These guys have been doing it since 2008 and continue to slay every time I see them. Set It Off started with “Lonely Dance” and so many voices were singing the words right along side the band. Song after song, the energy stayed consistent. Belmont played more hits like “Killer in the Mirror” and then closed with one of my favs, “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing”. A long way from their hometown of Tampa, Dallas was off the floor for them and definitely did not disappoint.
And last but certainly not least, the lights go out and Sleeping With Sirens runs out and kicks the show into hyper-drive. Stoked was an understatement for how I felt as we were jumping right into what would surely be an amazing set. They started off nice and heavy with “Leave It All Behind” and got the crowd off their feet in seconds. Kellin Quinn has always been someone I’ve enjoyed and so to see them so much more matured in their sound was super exciting. Sleeping With Sirens played some bangers off the new album but also left room for the classics. The moment “If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn” started playing, the House of Blues went ballistic. This with Sleeping With Sirens at their finest!
Kellin and their guitarist Nick Martin then decided to slow it down a bit in the middle of the set to play a fan favorite, “Iris” by none other than the Goo Goo Dolls. All I can say is WOW! They then then launched into “With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear” and I was literally blown away. There wasn’t a moment during those songs that everyone wasn’t singing. The rest of the band came back on stage and then encored with “Kick Me”. And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, Sleeping With Sirens closed out the set with 2011 classic, “If You Can’t Hang”. Just incredible.
Overall, Sleeping With Sirens put on one hell of a performance and was the show to be in Dallas that evening. If you get the chance to catch them on The Medicine Tour this year, you'll be in for one heck of a ride. These guys were spot on from their sets opener to the final encore and seem to be getting better with age. I would highly recommend this show!