| Sherwood at Jammin Java |
[Apr. 18th, 2010|07:29 pm] |
March 15, 2010. All photos copyright Lindsay Berreth and Avoidthescene.com.
   
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| Upcoming Shows and Events (Feb/March) |
[Mar. 3rd, 2010|12:39 pm] |
Hey everyone we have some awesome events ocming up and I want to see everyone coming out to support the scene.
Feb 20th is the MusicBox benefot for Haiti at the Qdoba in Silver Spring. Additional info is on the website.
Also be sure to check out the following shows:
2/16 New Found Glory at Recher Theatre in Towson
2/23 Flogging Molly at Rams Head Live in Baltimore
3/1 Muse at Patriot Center in Fairfax
3/3 The Baby Grand at Sonar in Baltimore
3/9 My Children My Bride at Sonar in Baltimore
3/10 Jarrod Gorbel at Jammin Java in Vienna
3/15 Sherwood at Jammin Java in Vienna
3/16 Alkaline Trio at Recher Theatre in Towson
3/28 Army of Me at Jammin Java in Vienna |
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| Street Team Message |
[Jan. 8th, 2010|07:38 am] |
We need EVERYONE to make a pick up sometime this week! We have Victory Records samplers (A Day to Remember), flyers for the Take Action Tour with We The Kings and Mayday Parade and flyers and posters for upcoming shows including Alkaline Trio, Motion City Soundtrack, Set Your Goals, New Found Glory and Saves The Day. Please reply to this email and let me know when you can pick up materials from Silver Spring. We need to get these out in Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery County ASAP.
Thanks!!
reply to Cindy@musicboxrocks.com |
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| PacSun Tour |
[Dec. 24th, 2009|08:25 am] |
The PacSun tour came to the 9:30 Club on December 4. I honestly only went to see Eye Alaska, but the tour ended up having a really diverse group of bands.
Eye Alaska played first. They're influenced by hip-hip and r&b and it shows. Lots of heavy bass lines and overall groovy, danceable music. They released their first full-length this summer, "Genesis Underground", via Fearless Records. They're pretty different compared to a lot of what's out there right now in "the scene", and they put on a great show.
Next up was InnerParty System. They are known for their light show. It was neat, but difficult to try and take photos! They had a pretty big fan base at the show. I had never heard of them before. They played sort of an electronica type of music. They actually played samples during the set. It wasn't really my type of music, but they seemed to have a lot of fans.
P.O.S. played next. I'll admit, I do not listen to rap music, so he sounded the same as every other rapper to me. But, he did put on a good show. He actually took his mic and went into the crowd. They formed a circle around him for a few songs. There seemed to be a lot of fans there for him as well. I don't quite see how P.O.S. fit into this tour, but he certainly made it a diverse line-up.
Saosin headlined the show. Again, not a huge fan of "screamo" or hardcore music, but they put on a good show. I had a little trouble hearing the vocals, but the guitarists really moved around a lot and kept the show interesting.
Overall, the PacSun tour had a good group of bands. I would highly recommend checking out Eye Alaska. I just think they are unique in this day of neon bands. Saosin seems to have a pretty loyal fanbase, even after the lead singer change a few years back. They can always be counted on to put on a good show.
   
Photos by Lindsay Berreth. See more at avoidthescene.com |
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| Mayday Parade at the Canal Club |
[Dec. 18th, 2009|05:51 pm] |
Mayday Parade played The Canal Club in Richmond, Va. on December 1. The Dangerous Summer played first. I think the opening acts were plagued by poor lighting and not just from a photographer's stance. It was just plain dark! Either way, TDS played a good set of songs from their most recent release"Reach For the Sun". Frontman AJ Perdomo had just recovered from emergency surgery, but he seemed no worse for wear.
Next up was There For Tomorrow. Again, plagued by poor lighting. But they put on a really fun set that never seemed to slow down. They are supporting their most recent release, "A Little Faster".
Headliners Mayday Parade took the stage next. They sounded great and had a ton of energy and movement, considering the stage was so small. They blasted through fan favorites "Jersey", "Black Cat" and others from "A Lesson In Romantics". They also slowed it down a little and played "Miserable At Best". A bunch of new tracks off of their latest release "Anywhere But Here" were also sprinkled in. I was pleasantly surprised that they played their cover song off of Pop Goes Punk 2, "When I Grow Up".
Overall, the tour had a good mix of bands that gelled well together. If you have a chance, catch Mayday Parade.
     Photos by Lindsay Berreth. See more photos at http://www.avoidthescene.com |
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| Family Force 5 and Valencia at 9:30 Club |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|10:11 am] |
Family Force 5 and Valencia put on a great show in D.C. on Nov. 20. I'll admit, I mostly went to the show to see Valencia, but I was blown away by the live experience of Family Force 5.
After openers Young and Divine, Valencia played one of their first shows in many months. They have been hard at work writing their upcoming release. I think these guys do better in smaller clubs. Their live show is so full of energy that in a place the size of 9:30 Club, I felt like they were a little disconnected from the rabid fans that showed up. Of course, to me, their live show is always amazing. The sound was great, the vocals were great and so was the set list. Valencia played a good mix of songs from their latest record "We All Need A Reason to Believe", and a few classics from "This Could Be A Possibility". Overall, I think Valencia is one of the few bands out there truly doing this for the right reasons. They are the epitome of DIY.
Headliners Family Force 5 were next. I'd walked past their set once at Warped Tour and thought, 'Wow, that looks like fun', but I had never seen a full set up close. They really started out rocking and literally never slowed down. Their mix of rock and synthy-dance pop was energetic and infectious. The audience never stopped dancing. They closed out their set with two new Christmas songs that were just as rocking as the songs from their two full lengths. Consider me a new fan.
   
Photos by Lindsay Berreth
See more photos at http://www.avoidthescene.com |
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| The All-American Rejects, Taking Back Sunday and Anberlin |
[Nov. 26th, 2009|06:26 pm] |
I saw The All-American Rejects, Taking Back Sunday and Anberlin at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. on Nov. 16. I don't go to arena shows very often, but this one was pretty good.
Anberlin started things off. They are a real rock band. I've seen them a few times before, and they just straight up rock live. There are no gimmicks, no neon clothes and no autotune. I'm sort of feel nostalgic everytime I see them because two members of the now-defunct Acceptance are playing with them. Lead singer Stephen Christian sounded great live and really moved around. The band played a mix of songs from their older record "Never Take Friendship Personal", and some tracks from "Cities" and their latest, "New Surrender. They also played a New Order cover and dedicated it to the troops at Walter Reid Army Medical Center. All three bands in the line-up visited the troops earlier in the day. Anberlin are dedicated to humanitarian efforts and this was another great example.
Next up was The All-American Rejects. It's been a few years since I've seen them play, so I was excited. Their live show is definitely different than it used to be. It could because of their mainstream success, but lead singer Tyson Ritter was obviously the center of the show. He came out covered in glitter from his face down to his naked torso. He stood under a neon light which made for an interesting time getting photos. Guitarists Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty, and drummer Christ Gaylor almost felt like background musicians. While Ritter moved and writhed around the stage, switching from bass to microphone, the rest of the band rocked out on the sides of the stage.
Musically, AAR sounded great. Vocally, Ritter sounded good, but deviated from the lyrics a little bit. He sang a little bit disorganized and messy in certain parts, but it enhanced the live experience. At one point, during "Mona Lisa", he got off the stage and started walking up the stairs in the seated section. Girls went wild and rushed down towards him, taking photos and touching him.
AAR played all of their hits, including "Swing, Swing", "Last Song" and "Move Along". They played a good mix of tracks from their self-titled album, "Move Along", and "When the World Comes Down". They ended with "Give You Hell".
Taking Back Sunday played last as the alternating co-headliner. They are another no-gimmick band in my opinion. The Long Island-based band started out with "Cute With An 'E'" and blasted through more songs from their four full-lengths, including their latest, "Louder Now". Lead singer Adam Lazzara swung his mic, which seems to be his signature move over the years. He moved around the stage, sometimes wrapping the mic around his neck. Guitarists Matthew Fazzi and Eddie Reyes, drummer Mark O'Connell, and bassist Matt Rubano provided great sound to make TBS' set energetic and fun.
Overall, I thought this was a good line-up of true rock bands that have been doing this awhile. They don't need autotune, neon or dance beats to put on a great show.
  
See more photos at Avoidthescene. |
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| The Return of the Solid Gold Dancers |
[Oct. 17th, 2009|12:15 pm] |
Everytime Family Force 5 comes to town its a good time!! I love these guys, their crew, their fans and their music!! Here are some videos from the show at Rams Head the other night. The sound quality isn't great but the dancers are in fine form. Check out FF5 at www.myspace.com/familyforce5 . They will be back in our area in November at the 930 Club.
 
Joe's pics from the show are online at http://www.flickr.com/jnoyesphotography
Here is one of my favs:
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