Category: Concert Reviews

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Concert Reviews

Miranda Lambert Kicks Off Revolution Tour

New York City’s Terminal 5 was packed to capacity Wednesday night for the start of CMT’s ninth annual CMT on Tour, this year featuring Miranda Lambert, Eric Church and Josh Kelley. New Yorkers put on their cowboy boots and hats for the three-hour show and proved that the city that never sleeps has some very ardent country fans. Hats, beer cups and even one girl’s cowboy boot were raised in the air multiple times throughout the evening.

David Nail and Lady Antebellum were spotted in the crowd, as was Josh’s wife, actress Katherine Heigl, who danced along to most of Miranda’s set. On the heels of their Beacon Theater performance, Lady A and David opted to spend an extra night in New York to catch the show before flying to St. Louis to continue their current headlining tour.

The first day of the tour, Miranda confessed she missed sound check and instead spent the night in Nashville to celebrate fiancé Blake Shelton’s induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

For the complete review, visit The Boot.

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Band of the Week Concert Reviews

Band of the Week: The Boxer Rebellion

Currently on their first American headlining tour, The Boxer Rebellion have been impressing audiences with their atmospheric rock. With soaring guitar interludes, foot-thumping percussion and frontman Nathan Nicholson’s emotion-fueled vocals, the band captivated all in attendance during their show Saturday at The Bell House.

Performing just over an hour, the UK-based band showcased tracks off their albums, Exits and Union as well as debuted new material from their upcoming 2011 release. The first unsigned band in history to break into the Billboard Top 200 Charts with a digital only release, you can expect to hear much more from The Boxer Rebellion soon.

Currently featured in the film, “Going the Distance” with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, Nicholson and guitarist Todd Howe confessed in an interview before their set that a lot more women have been showing up to their gigs, not that they mind.

“It’s good to be back in New York…in Brooklyn I should say. I don’t want any people to get pissed off,” Nicholson told the crowd after playing “Evacuate.”

With vocals that bring to mind U2’s Bono and arena friendly musical accompaniment, it’s easy to picture The Boxer Rebellion in a stadium setting. Hard to believe they remain unsigned, their American tour promises to be a success. Both lead guitarist Howe and Nicholson command the stage while bassist Adam Harrison and drummer Piers Hewitt flush out the sound. Throughout their set, the band transitioned from slower ballads to more rock centric numbers effortlessly. In fact, on some tracks each member could be found pounding away on some form of percussion.

Tracks like “Semi-Automatic” slowed down their set with solid instrumental interludes while others, like “Soviets” were a welcomed surprise. Switching gears from electric to acoustic guitar, Nicholson told the crowd that the song is “a kind of country song if there were such a song in our repertoire.”

While the girls were most excited to hear tracks from “Going the Distance” performed, the band managed to please all in attendance. Whether it was the females nearing close to the stage or the men back towards the soundboard nodding along, The Boxer Rebellion satisfied during their gig in Brooklyn. Lucky fans who stayed until the very end of their set enjoyed dancing and singing along with Nicholson when he jumped off the stage for last song of the night, “Watermelon.”

For more on The Boxer Rebellion, be sure to visit them on MySpace and watch a video of Saturday’s show here. Stay tuned for my exclusive interview and concert footage.

Related Links:
• Artist of the Week: Joy Ike
• Artist of the Week: Amy Regan
• Band of the Week: Titus Andronicus
• Artist of the Week: Elvis Presley
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Concert Reviews

Lights Resolve Host Van Listening Party After Maxwell’s Show

One of the hardest working indie bands I’ve come across, Lights Resolve has spent the past four years incessantly touring and building their fan base. Whether on the road or online, they continue to form relationships with fans and Sunday night was their way of thanking fans for that support.

For nearly 40 minutes, Lights Resolve diehards piled into their van and listened to their soon to be released debut full length. Parked outside of Maxwell’s, it was the first time they heard the record in its entirety.

“Whenever you guys want to leave, you can. We’re not holding you,” Reich joked.

By the tenth and final track most were still there, often singing along to the songs they heard earlier that night.

For the complete review, visit Hoboken Patch.

Related Links:
• Q&A; with Lights Resolve
• Rolling Stone Names Lights Resolve Band to Watch
• Lights Resolve Win Opening Slot On Rock Band Live Tour
• Lights Resolve Tear Up the East Coast
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Concert Reviews

Asbury Fever Showcase Jersey Pride in Hoboken

New Jersey’s Asbury Fever entertained an energetic crowd at the 84th annual Hoboken Italian Festival Friday. On a stage set up in Frank Sinatra Park, the 10-piece band performed over 20 hits, including Jersey staples made famous by acts like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, among others.

Complete with saxophone, trombone, trumpet, guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussion, the group was reminiscent to Springsteen’s powerful E Street Band. With strong vocals by lead singer Brad Hobicorn, Asbury Fever had Hobokenites singing and clapping along.

For the complete review, visit Hoboken Patch.

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Concert Reviews

Bob DiPiero, Jamey Johnson Tell Tales Behind Hits in New York

“How y’all doin? Welcome to Nashville,” Bob DiPiero joked before introducing fellow celebrated songwriters Jamey Johnson, Buddy Cannon and Kendell Marvel at the CMA Songwriter Series at Joe’s Pub in New York City Wednesday night.

Now in its sixth year, the CMA series brings country to the city every few months, recruiting some of Nashville’s finest songwriters to the Big Apple to tell the stories behind their biggest hits. “This is our country hillbilly outpost up here in Manhattan,” continued Bob, whose laundry list of country hits include Tim McGraw’s ‘Southern Voice,’ George Strait’s ‘Blue Clear Sky’ and Vince Gill’s ‘Worlds Apart.’

“They make fun of rednecks. What about ‘Jersey Shore’? You’ve gotta be kidding me. No wonder Bruce Springsteen wants to get the hell out of there in every song he sings. Makes me embarrassed for being Italian, and I’m Italian! Good God in heaven. This is as far from New Jersey as you can get. This is down in Apalachicola,” Bob said before he introduced ‘Southern Voice.’

For the complete review, visit The Boot and be sure to catch Jamey Johnson tonight on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

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Concert Reviews

Swingadelic Offers Big Band Classics in Frank Sinatra Park

Swingadelic, Hoboken’s legendary swing band, has become a staple in town.

Formed in 1998, the band frequently performs at Maxwell’s and venues throughout the tri-state area. The 12-piece entertained Hobokenites during a recent two-hour set at Frank Sinatra Park. Complete with classic jazz standards by Ray Charles, Count Basie and Duke Pearson as well as many originals, Swingadelic had the crowd dancing and tapping their feet along during the entire performance.

For the complete review, visit Hoboken Patch.

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Concert Reviews

Backyard Brunch Concert Satisfies Listeners Appetites

Photo Credit: Raki Lavon

Last Saturday, My My My and Kelli Scarr performed in Williamsburg for a special edition of Backyard Brunch Sessions. Founded and hosted by David Chaitt, every few weekends in the summer he invites friends and music industry enthusiasts to his apartment in Brooklyn for homemade breakfast and an unplugged set of music.

Since the beginning of the summer, Chaitt has been running a contest through Sonicbids for bands all over the country to submit their music for a chance to perform in his backyard. Indie rock outfit My My My were one of two bands selected and traveled from Chicago to play August 21. Their unplugged set featured two guitars and Casio accompaniment that won the hearts of the audience.

Rotating vocals between Russell Baylin and Sarah Snow, the band impressed with spot-on harmonies and emotion-filled lyrics. While powerful choruses in songs like “Swoon” captured the audience’s attention, it was last track, “War Party” that struck a chord. A tale about navigating the world through a mid-life crisis, Baylin’s raspy, impassioned vocals brought the song to life.

Singer-songwriter Kelli Scarr performed next and quickly quieted the crowd with her delicate vocals and soft guitar finger picking. While she’s known best for touring and singing with Moby, the release of her debut album promises more notoriety. Ballads like “Anything” showcased Scarr’s beautiful vocals while light horn accompaniment accentuated the track.

Performing the day after her album release party for Piece, she warned the crowd “I’m hurting a little today. So, let’s all hurt together in this bright light. This next song is called “Break Up,” speaking of hurting. This is when you gotta hand it to someone because they’re fucking stupid.”

With edgier guitar and more aggressive vocals, she got her point across. 

“I want to do a quiet one, but I feel like airplanes keep flying,” Scarr said. Ironically, during last song, the soft “Baby Boom,” two planes flew overhead. Never showcasing any distraction, Scarr continued with light guitar and breathtaking vocals.

To listen to the recording of Scarr’s set, complete with airplanes flying overhead, click here. Stay tuned for video footage of My My My and Kelli Scarr’s performance in the upcoming weeks.

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Concert Reviews

Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers and Matt Hires Satisfy Fans at Maxwell’s

Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers took the stage shortly after 9:30 Tuesday night while Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” blasted from the speakers.

“Welcome to Bulletproof Heart night everybody,” frontman Stephen Kellogg told the crowd to screams after the band performed first track, “Scorpio,” off their debut album, Bulletproof Heart.

Their 90-minute set included every song off the album played in order as well as newer material during their encore. Many of the tracks were performed live for the first time and at times the band stopped to regroup.

“This is why we’re doing this at Maxwell’s and not at Madison Square Garden,” Kellogg joked midway through “You’ve Changed” after forgetting the lyrics. The second song of the night, the audience didn’t seem to mind.

For my complete review visit Hoboken Patch.

For more on Matt Hires, read my interview with him here.

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Concert Reviews

Cristina Fontanelli Closes 100th Year Celebration at St. Ann’s Feast

Performing Italian classics, Sinatra hits and Andrew Lloyd Webber favorites to an enthusiastic crowd, award-winning international recording artist Cristina Fontanelli closed the 100th anniversary of St. Ann’s Feast Monday night. The classically trained opera singer and former Hobokenite explained just how much the city means to her.

“I’ve been to some of the most exotic places on the planet,” said Fontanelli, who was the first classically trained female singer to sing in Uganda and Kenya. “But,” she added, “here I am at St. Ann’s 100th festival. I’ve been to so many places, but let me tell you something: There’s no place like home.”

For my complete review and interview with Cristina, visit Hoboken Patch.

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Concert Reviews

Dawes Impress at First New Jersey Gig

California-based folk rockers Dawes performed to a packed room of enthusiastic concertgoers for a little more than an hour at Maxwell’s Friday night. While crowd favorite “When My Time Comes” felt like a spiritual experience with fans screaming the lyrics word for word with their fists in the air, the remainder of their hour-long set was nothing short of energetic with minute long musical jams throughout.

With four part harmonies and solid musical features, Dawes’ set impressed. Their first performance in the Garden State, frontman Taylor Goldsmith seemed eager to come back.

“If this is our first show in New Jersey, I’d say we’re off to a pretty good start,” he said midway through their set. “Here’s to the first of many.”

For my complete review, visit Hoboken Patch.