This made for my third straight week going to the Curtain Club in Dallas, and it was no doubt going to be a great show this night.

To set it up, there once was a band by the name of Advent. I heard of them shortly after I was introduced to the local music scene. They were pretty big as far as local acts go, and while I did buy their album, I never made it out to a show before they called it quits.

Well, tonight Advent was returning to the stage and their Deep Ellum home for a one-time only reunion show. Making it even better was the fact that several great bands had been tapped to open for them, beginning with one I had not heard of before this,the Denton based, Idler.

They busted into the first song of their 30-minute long set, “Vendetta”, which immediately utilized the bands most unique feature; their two vocalists. Both Micah and Katie sang the majority of the song, often harmonizing with each other, adding a beautiful texture to what was an explosive rock song. They switched that dynamic up a bit with their next song, “Go for Broke”, which was more co-sung. Micah stood at the front of the stage while he sang the verses, then would switch spots with Katie, who had been hanging back by the drum riser, as she approached the crowd to sing the chorus, “Go for broke and see there’s nothing left to do…” The followed it with “Let Me In”, and then another newer song, which I believe was the one that Katie left the stage for. She could certainly hold her own up there, but I thought it cool that one song painted them in a more “typical” rock band spotlight, and guitarists, Jeff and Mykey, bassist, Nick, drummer, Eric and Micah really threw down during it. “Lose Control” was a real standout from their set, and was another duet of sorts, only it found Katie taking over lead vocal duties. “This next song’s called Pitchfork.” Micah said, leading them into the tune, before doing one last non-album track, titled “Cigarette”. They weren’t quite done, though, and had one surprise/trick up their sleeves. It’s no big surprise when bands do cover songs, however, there are some songs you never expect to hear a band cover. Idler was doing one of those songs, and it was the iconic Kenny Logins track, “Danger Zone”. Nick, Mykey, Jeff and Eric added a lot of grit to it, making it much heavier than the original version from the 80’s, catapulting it to more of a hard rock style. The dueling voices switched it up even further, and it was sung in the same format as their second song this night. It was quite a shocker at first hearing them do that, but there’s no doubt that they have made that song into their very own, placing a very distinctive mark on it, and it was a hell of a way to end the show.

To be the first band, and also one I had never really heard, I was thoroughly impressed by Idler. Their stage presence was on par with the other two current local acts that would follow them, and was quite fierce. Again, I love the two voices, which are really what separates Idler from most other bands, with Micah solidifying the fact that they are a harder rock outfit, while Katie gives it a more serene vibe. And even when one wasn’t adding any vocals to a song, they still rocked out to it, moving around and thrashing around slightly to the drumbeats, still being a part of it all, instead of simply standing there, waiting for their next line. I don’t want to exclude or count out the instrumentalists of the band, though, who were what made the show. Nick, Jeff and Mykey were constantly moving around the stage, shredding on their respective instruments, which really brought things to life.

They made me into a fan for sure, and I look forward to seeing them again. Speaking of which, they have a couple shows lined up at the moment. One will be on March 2nd at O’Sheas in Husrt, Texas, while the other is March 23rd at Andy’s in Denton. And if you go to those shows, you’ll be able to pick up a copy of their debut EP.

They proved to be an excellent start to the night, much better than what I was expecting, but things were about to get a lot better…

The Circle was the second band up, and personally, I was most excited about seeing them this night.

Their first song is becoming one of my favorite Circle jams, and it’s a good way to thrust the audience right into the onslaught of heavy, intense hard rock that is to come. And believe me, their shows get intense. After that opening number, frontman, Don Mills, expressed his excitement of being on this bill. “…Advent was one of my favorite bands…” he said, reminiscing about days gone by, in which he said he used to see them quite a bit, and was thrilled to finally get the opportunity to do a show with them. It had only been a month since I last them, but there were some big differences/improvements between then and now, namely the transitions from song to song. See, as Don wrapped up his thoughts, guitarists, Craig Nelson and Alan Sauls, as well as bassist, Kenneth Henrichs , played some light notes, leading into “Beggars Can’t be Choosers”. A newer song of theirs came next, which Don mentioned the title of, and if I heard him correctly it was “Wanted”. Once the group finished it, Don led a toast with the audience, toasting to local music. “…Local music is by far the greatest music that no one’s ever heard…” he said, which is all too true. The perfect segues continued, as they built up to “406”, which begins with some sweet guitar riffage. “Can I get an amen?!” bellowed Don, while that was going on. The crowd (at least some of them) obliged, shouting, “Amen!”. That’s one of their heaviest songs, with Don showing off a little more primal side of his voice, with some serious borderline screaming going on at times, but that’s also what makes a highlight of the show in my opinion. Marc Berry launched them into their next song, “I Am”, with some steady paced beats on the drums. They ran through another sweet new song, before getting to the oh so impressive, “Skeptical”, during which Kenneth added some backing vocals, which helped make the song. “What are you doing here? You look lost! You’re not from around here are you?!…” Don roared on the chorus of “My Trip to the Desert Sucked”, before they got to “Somewhere”, which ends with some killer notes courtesy of Craig. Their 39-minute long set was drawing to a close, but Don wasn’t going to let it end without giving a shout out to Keith Higgs, of WK Productions, who had put this entire show together. Topic of conversation then turned to their single, which dominated the charts on 97.1 The Eagle for six straight weeks, at which point it had to be retired from their voting competition. “…This is your song…” said Don, speaking to all the fans. That of course gave it away, as they tore into “Sleep On It”, the best song in their arsenal, and it’s worthy of being their first official single.

This was the best Circle show I’ve seen, and I’d be willing to bet the best one they’ve done to date. Those transitions may seem like a subtle difference, but they made a colossal difference in their show and the overall professionalism they radiated. Even though they never bled one song right into the next, it still helped and made them appear very on point… Not that they weren’t before this.

The performance they put on is something else, and Don emits an overwhelming stage presence that is bound to draw you in, regardless of if you like their genre of music or not. This may still be a newer lineup for the band, but they are quickly ironing out what few wrinkles they have left, and tightening up in every conceivable way. So, if you haven’t heard of the Circle yet or seen a show, go fix that, because they are one of the best bands currently in D/FW.

They’ll be doing a VERY rare acoustic show this Saturday, February 23rd, at the Liquid Lounge in Dallas. Also, on Thursday, March 14th, they’ll be performing at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas. It’s the semi-final round for the Hard Rock Rising Competition and they’ll need as many fans as possible to come out and support them. They only have that one song (their single) released at the moment, and you can purchase it in iTUNES. But, to ease your wait while they work on an EP, they have some live cuts available for FREE download on their REVERBNATION PAGE.

The Circle seemed hard to top, but if any band could do it, it would be the next one, Serosia.

The curtain opened to reveal frontman, Lucas D’Agata, standing at the center of the stage, head bowed and hands behind his back. It was oddly calm for the group, as guitarist, Joseph Kuban, and bassist, Derek Troxell, stood on either side of him, also making no movement. But that peacefulness wouldn’t last long…

Joseph lit into his guitar, with he and Derek alternating riffs, as they fired up “Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars”. Once Anthony D’Agata came in on the drums, Lucas broke the tranquil demeanor he had, going wild as he proceeded to thrash around the stage. Yeah, that was more like what everyone expects out of Serosia. The pushed on with their 38-minute long set, and rounded things right into their next, “The Room”, which was one of the most extreme of their set, with Lucas screaming a large portion of the lyrics. While I’m not usually keen on stuff like that, Lucas makes it sound good, plus it fits well with the music. After a quick pause to introduce themselves and thank everyone for coming out, Lucas stated that they were going to play some songs from their new album, “Variables”, beginning with “Friendly Fire”. Anthony quickly launched them into the beast of a track, and they didn’t get much chance to catch their breath upon finishing it. “Let’s keep this motherfucker going!” shouted Lucas. “I am concealed. I am in no way…” he sang, which prompted the fans to erupt with cheers, realizing it was one of everyone’s favorites, “Criminal”. They were far from being done with their newer stuff, and had saved one of their strongest songs, “Superposition”, for right now. It fit better in the middle of the set, instead of being the closer like at the previous show of theirs that I saw. Here it helped continue the epic flow they had created, further exciting the audience, some of whom had started a mosh pit, and towards the end Lucas got some crowd participation, having everyone shout out the line, “I feel a war!…” a few times. It has only been about five months since they released their latest EP, but Serosia is one of those bands that’s always working on new material. Proving that was a song that they unveiled this night, called “Reduced to Memory”, and I dare say it was one of the best tunes I’ve heard these guys do, which is saying a lot. The mood was lightened a bit with “The Architect”, and I say “lightened” in the sense that it is not as heavy as some of their other material, which made “Sway” a good follow up for it. At times it’s a balls to the wall rock song, but it’s filled with some softer moments, like when Lucas softly croons, “…You have the power to fly but you fail to try…”. That brought them to their final song of the night, which Lucas mentioned came from their “Perspective And Balance” EP, which, along with their other records, could be bought over at their merch table after the show. The song was “Ventriloquist”, which is similar enough to their opening song that it made the two seem like bookends, and made for a fitting end to what had been an astounding set.

I’ve seen Serosia a few times now, and personally, this was the best shows I’ve seen them do. As far as performances go, you’d be hard pressed to find a band in North Texas that can one up them, let alone even hold their own against them. Hell, you could probably broaden that view to include most national acts and it would still stand true.

They put it all out there, giving 110%, and that’s obvious if you see one of their shows. You can’t even say that one is a more fierce performer than the others, as Joseph, Derek, Anthony and Lucas all bring an equal amount of energy to the show, meaning all of them are entertaining to watch.

Between their store on REVERBNATION and of course ITUNES, you can purchase all the music the band has released. And while they don’t have any shows on the books at the moment, keep an eye on their Facebook Page, because they’ll no doubt have something coming up in the near future.

That made for a fine night of current local music, but know it was time to get a little nostalgic and watch Advent. And for me, experience a Advent show for both the first and last time.

Before they started their set, vocalist, Brandan Narrell, welcomed everyone to the show. “…We’re still five fat guys who like to rock…” he said, before they tore into the first song of their epic set. Their first song sounded pretty, though it was a non-album track, so I’m clueless to what it was. Actually, the same goes for the next couple of songs. It probably shouldn’t have, but it kind of surprised me that they didn’t get right into the material from their album. But now that I think about, there are only eight songs on their record, which would explain needing more songs to fill the time. Like I said, I had never seen them before, and if I had, I would have known to expect this. After another one, Brandan kind of summed up the bands career by saying they set out to make a dent. “…And this…” he said, referring to all the people who had gathered there to see them, “…Proves we broke the windshield…”. That led them to a slightly slower song, which I think was titled “Bringing Me Down”. To be a softer song in comparison to their other stuff, they pulled it off well, and it sounded outstanding. It became apparent early that their set was going to be filled with some crude banter, so if anyone was easily offended, you were at the wrong show. For example, after that song, Brandan said something like, “The girls of Texas have the biggest tits and the tight slits, and the guys have the biggest dicks…” With that, they did a song called “Gone Again”, which led them to a very unexpected cover song. This hard rock outfit had picked a Phil Collins classic, and proceeded to perform “In the Air Tonight”. Guitarists, Josh Sanders and Derek Sanders, and bassist, Vernon Greer, made it much more gritty than the original version, putting their own spin on it, but it still maintained the same vibe as the original. I was honestly surprised Brandan could pull off more of a falsetto tone, but he did, and rather well at that. They joked afterwards that they had written that song, getting a laugh out of everybody, and after talking a little more, Brandan worked their next song title into his speech. Now they were getting to the really good stuff, with the first track of their “The Lines of Healing” album, “Better Than OK”. I had been enjoying the show thus far, but it was with that song where I really felt it take off and when I got dragged into it. The drummer, “Sonic”, did a short solo before their next song, which got a unique intro. “…As you get older,” said Brandon, “You’ll find that if it’s a pussy or an asshole, it’s always caving in.” Josh and Vernon both gave him a look like, “What the hell?” He just shrugged, as “Sonic” got “Caving In” going. “Silenced” followed it, and then another song which I assume was an original, “What I See”. They had another cover song in the chamber, though, “Policy of Truth”, which was another that they left their mark on. “We wrote that one the first day we got together…” Brandan said when they finished, and couldn’t help but laugh while he said it. “…We just got in there and were like, “This will make a good song.”, speaking of the Depeche Mode tune. He continued by stating how proud he and everyone else in the band was to be from Dallas. He again thanked everyone for coming out and supporting the bands. He then let everyone know that because of this, people continuing to support the local bands, he knew that legends like “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott of Pantera, and Drowning Pool’s original vocalist, Dave Williams, would live forever, because they could never be forgotten. They got back to business with “Everything You Know”, which combined the best of both a ballad and a rock song, sounding like the former on the verses, before getting heavier on the choruses. With “Choices”, Vernon got add some backing vocals, or rather screams, which worked perfectly with Brandans’ smoother voice, giving the song a little dose of piss and vinegar. Upon finishing it, they were told their time was almost up, resulting in them ending their 64-minute long set with “Faceless”.

It’s a good song, but didn’t offer the right note to end on, and left me wondering if they really would come back, since it was already well after one in the morning.

Some people did clear out, but they missed out, as the curtain was soon drawn apart again, with Brandan saying they didn’t get back together for this show to short their fans. Once again he thanked everyone. “You all could have gone down the street to see Sum 41…” he said. Derek, Josh, Vernon and “Sonic” then broke into a few second clip of a Sum 41 tune, which was pretty humorous. Now they got to the song every single person there had been wanting to hear, and that was “Back Down”. That offered a more appropriate end to their show, but they weren’t done yet. They invited anyone they had every shared the stage with up on stage, and two notable people were there. One was J.R. Munoz of the band Overscene, the other was accomplished singer/songwriter, Christian Sly. “This isn’t enough people. I don’t care who you are, just get up here!” said Brandan, prompting many fans to storm the stage. “…C’mon, we need to get this tighter than a nuns pussy…” he said, which they eventually did. The stage was packed, so much so that each of the guys had just enough room to take a few steps. Closing out this 12-minute encore was what I guess was another cover song, and it sounded pretty good, especially with Christian and J.R. adding their talents to it.

That was a pretty cool end to their set, seeing this fairly iconic Dallas band surrounded by their fans as they left the stage for what was in all likelihood the last time ever.

I know I never saw them back in their heyday, but I think they were every bit as good this night as they were in their prime. The Sander’s brothers were great, especially Josh, who I’m familiar with from his current band, The Commotion. I think he cut loose more here, simply because Advent’s music is easier to rock out to. And for “five fat guys” as Brandan put it (which isn’t an accurate statement), who have been out of the game for awhile, they more than held their own against all the other bands on the bill.

This was really a great night, and I’m glad I finally, after almost seven years, got to see an Advent show.  It was worth the wait.

It’s always risky when a band, especially a well established band, welcomes a new member into the fold, particularly a new singer.

Not to say the other members in any band aren’t integral parts of it, but a singer has the ability to completely change a bands sound. Because of that, I’m usually a little worried when any band changes vocalists, because there’s always that chance that it could turn me (and other fans) off of the music.

It’s something the Dallas Metal band Drowning Pool knows all too well, though, having been through a couple vocalists since the death of the bands original singer, Dave Williams. They recently found the latest addition to Drowning Pool, after former singer, Ryan McCombs, left the band late last year.

This night marked their first hometown show with Jasen Moreno in the lineup. As usual, they were performing at Trees, and I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say this would probably be one of the biggest hometown shows the band had done.

Several acts were opening, including one I didn’t even know was on the bill. I’m not sure who they were, though they were not from Texas, and I’m relieved I only saw the last minute of their set.

They were very Metal, which is a good fit for this bill, but with the excess screaming that I heard, they were too Metal for my taste.

The Fort Worth based, No Scope was on after them.

I had seen them a little over a year ago, when they also opened for Drowning Pool, and didn’t much care for them then.

That held true this second go around, mainly because I just don’t dig their singer’s voice. It’s more of a borderline scream (again, that’s just not what I’m into), but even when he does sing, he doesn’t have a very strong voice.

On the other hand, they do put on a good live show, and it was better than what I remembered it being. And whereas the last time I couldn’t wait for them to get off stage, I did at least find some enjoyment in the performance this night. It probably didn’t hurt that they didn’t even get a 30-minute set, though.

They have a few records that you can purchase in iTunes, and for more information on the band, check out their FACEBOOK PAGE.

There was one local act after them, and it was Serosia.

I had missed their CD release show a couple months ago, so I was pretty excited to finally get another chance to see them.

As the curtain opened on them, guitarist, Derek Troxell, was hitting the back of the guitar’s neck, creating a killer sound. Soon, drummer, Anthony D’Agata, ripped into their first song with some hefty beats, while Joseph Kuban proceeding to attack his bass and Derek started thrashing about. The song was one from their new “Variables” EP, “Friendly Fire”. It was an explosive way to start the show, and they didn’t let up, following it very closely with “Criminal”. “I am concealed…” sang/shouted singer, Lucas D’Agata, upon starting the song. They did another tune after it, and afterwards Lucas announced they were now going to play some stuff from their new EP. “…We recorded it up in New Jersey with some guy named Cristian Machado…” he said, adding, “If any of you know that guy. Oh yeah, he’s in Ill Nino.” That got a roar from the mass of people, most of whom seemed more excited about seeing Ill Nino then Drowning Pool this night. “This song’s called The Architect.” Lucas finished. It’s one of the bands slower songs, in the sense that he sings on the entire song, but he brought out his signature brutal scream for parts of their next song, “Sway”. Sadly, they only got a 24-minute long set, and at this point, they just had one more to go. “I feel a war… A war’s going to start tonight.” Lucas said to the crowd, who seemed unsure of what he was talking about. The Serosia fans knew, though, and it was the song I had been most looking forward to hearing from them. “I feel a war, fast approaching like a storm…” he sang, while his band mates tore into “Superposition”. Lucas tired to get some audience participation towards the end, asking everyone to join him and shout, “I FEEL A WAR!”, though not enough people did to really make it audible. After a few times of that he resumed command and finished out the song by flailing around while producing some violent screams.

Honestly, even though I’ve only seen Serosia a few times, I’ve seen much better shows from them than this one was. Lucas’s voice was off. It was worst on the first song, and while it did improve steadily throughout, it never hit its full potential. But what they were lacking in sound was more than made up for by their performance.

Very few bands in the Dallas are (or probably the world for that matter) bring it like Serosia does, where everything is left on the stage. And even them on a bad night is about then ten times better than what most bands could ever hope to do. Really. It’s the raw energy and passion they all put into it, and more often than not, it’s hard to figure out who to watch, because they are all very intense performers.

They have a show coming up on December 31st, if anyone wants to ring in the new year with them. It will be at the Boiler Room in Dallas. And to listen to/purchase their music, go to either ITUNES or their REVERBNATION STORE. A few of their records are on iTunes (including their newest one), but the latter has their earlier stuff.

So, I mentioned everyone was pretty pumped for Ill Nino, and I overheard countless conversations by people talking about they couldn’t wait for them to take the stage.

I wasn’t one of those people, though. I knew the band was pretty hardcore Metal, and while I may like Serosia and Drowning Pool, what I listened to of Ill Nino seemed to push my tolerance for the genre. But I was just going to have to suffer through it.

Now not being a fan, I obviously don’t know the band’s music, but I think I may have pieced part of the show together. And if correct, they opened their 45-minute set with “If You Still Hate Me”. I hated the screaming Cristian Machado did on this and every other song, and the music was much heavier than I care for, but even with all that, I found something odd happening. I was enjoying it. All that aside, they were excellent performers and just that one aspect was more than enough to keep my eyes glued to the stage. They continued with “This is War”, and upon finishing it, Cristian thanked everyone for coming out. “…We’re just a little Latino Metal band from New Jersey…” he said, seeming to sincerely mean that, though I think that bands history and achievements speaks to the contrary. They did a couple more songs which I didn’t know, and before starting the second of those two, Cristian got a Texas flag from somewhere and draped it over his back, proclaiming how glad they were to be back in Texas. It was also that song that had an acoustic guitar part, and a roadie of the bands brought what appeared to be a mic stand out on stage, though it had a acoustic guitar secured to the top of it, which one of their guitarists proceeded to play for a few lines. I can honestly say I had never seen anything like that before, and it was pretty cool. They got back to some really heavy material with their next tune, which I think was “I Am Loco”, and was my favorite of theirs. “Does anyone here have our new record, Epidemia?” Cristian asked before they started the next song. Some people seemed to, though it was awfully silent. “…This one’s called The Depression”, he said, starting the lead track from their most current record. One of the most interesting things about Ill Nino to me was the fact that they used two drummers. The mere idea of that seemed like overkill to me, but then I heard it. Oddly enough, both full drum kits meshed well, and I believe it was the secondary drummer, Daniel Couto, who even delivered some of the beats by slapping the cymbals and drums with his hands. Anyway, at this point in the show, drummer, Dave Chavarri, tore off on a short solo. It was just the right length, long enough it showed off the skills he posses, but short enough it never got boring, and shortly after finishing it, they fired up their next one, which might have been “How Can I Live”. “Alibi of Tyrants” followed it, which sounded like one of the heaviest, most aggressive things they had done thus far, and then came yet another song from 2001’s “Revolution Revolución”, “What Comes Around”. That album seemed to be the main focus of the night, and before doing one of the earlier songs from it, Cristian asked if it’d be okay if they took everyone back to 2001. “…Eleven years later and you are all still coming out to shows and singing along to these songs…” he said, sounding humbled by the peoples dedication. It’s also worth noting a later conversation he had with the audience, saying back in his day people “had the balls” to go into a record store and walk out with an album, not pirate the music, which is so easy these days. He went on to encourage everyone to keep buying music, one way or another, to keep them and other bands, like Deftones, alive. There time was almost up after that one, having just enough time for one more, and I think it was “Liar” that concluded their set.

I said I thought I’d have to “suffer through” their set, but that was proved very wrong.

There’s no doubt about it, Ill Nino is a beast live, and their performance was impeccable. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like nor can I appreciate their style of music, but some things transcend music and can appeal to everyone, and that was what happened with their show. And looking at it in both my unbiased and personal opinion, they were the best band of the night.

They have a few show dates scheduled, and to see where and when, check out their OFFICIAL WEBSITE. And to purchase their albums, go HERE.

It was getting close to the moment I had been waiting for, and I figured I’d either really like this new incarnation of Drowning Pool or really hate them. And at 12:08, after their intro song played, the curtain opened and it was time to find out.

Guitarist, CJ Pierce, bassist, Stevie Benton, and drummer, Mike Luce, were at the ready, and as they tore into their opening song, “Step Up”, Jasen Moreno removed his microphone from the stand, and they were off. It got the excitement going, with its untamed, aggressive sound, and to follow it up, they had a classic and the title track of their 2001 album, “Sinner”. The crowd went crazy upon realizing what song it was, and sang along to almost every word. “…You look at me but you don’t see, understand I’m a sinner. Don’t corner me, don’t lecture me. Raise your hands, you’re a sinner…”.  Most of their set this night was comprised of songs from that release, but they of course had to add in some other stuff, such as one more song from the “Desensitized” album, “Think”. It didn’t do much for me, but I grew more interested with the next one, as Mike started them into “Let The Sin Begin”. It was after all the song that got me interested in the band in the first place. It became apparent with it, though, that I was not digging Jason’s voice, which was a mix of a growl and a scream. I thought (and hoped) it was just those first few songs, but here you had my favorite Drowning Pool song. A song that they opened with when I first saw them a little over a year and a half ago and it had me instantly enthralled. A song that I loved so much it caused me to go to a store and buy their most current record (2010’s “Drowning Pool”). A song that both previous times I had seen them sent me into a state of euphoria. Yet now, I felt nothing. It was just another song. Oh boy, that couldn’t be a good sign for how I was going to enjoy the remainder of their set. Pretty much the same thing could be said about their next song, “Children Of The Gun”, which lacked the edge it did, and afterwards, the sirens from the sample track revved up, beginning their anthem for the people who keep this country safe, “Soldiers”. The talk was kept to a minimum during their set, but after that song, Jasen said they had some members of the service at the show this night, and asked everyone to make some noise for them so they’d know how much we appreciate what they do for us. “…Do y’all want to hear a new song?” he asked after that, which the fans seemed eager to hear. I found it to be so-so, again, because of the vocals. It was still Drowning Pool, though, and in terms of the music it’s about what you’d expect from them (in the best way possible). It kind of surprised me that, that was only one of two new songs they did (I guess they’re keeping the bulk of it under wraps until their new record is out). But that meant they could do a lot of what people wanted to hear, like “Pity”. I will say this, Jasen’s voice is most comparable to Dave Williams voice than any other singer the band has had since, so he was able to pull of those classic hits quite well, but it still didn’t engage me. So far this night there had seldom been a break, with at least one of the musicians playing an instrument to bridge the songs together, and that held true at this point, as Mike went into a short drum solo. As he neared the end of it, CJ proceeded to lace a few soft guitar notes over it, sounding just enough like a certain song of theirs. It was a cool prelude to lead them into “37 Stitches”. And near the end of it, before the final chorus, CJ ripped into an amazing guitar solo where he really rocked out. Mike again brought them into the next song, one of the singles from the “Full Circle” record, “Enemy”, before hitting a string of classics. “Follow” was one of them, while Mike next got them going on “Told You So”, which was one of many songs that showed off how tight they are, with Jasen and Mike alternating on who sang certain words of the chorus. For example, one shouted “SHUT UP!” then the other would, and it went back and forth. Jasen made a statement before their next tune, encouraging everyone to pay close attention to the lyrics. “…It’s probably the truest rock song you will ever hear…” he said. I think he was referring to the line, “…I don’t care about anyone else but me… I don’t care about anyone or anything…” from “Tear Away”, and he was sort of right about that. They then broke out another new one, and the first single from their forthcoming album, “Saturday Night”. It is a stellar rock song and I am fond of its mantra (chorus), “…I’m gonna live my life like it’s Saturday night. I’m gonna live my life, sleep when I am dead and buried…” I suspected that was a sign their set was nearing its end, and that seemed even more likely with yet another single, “Feel Like I Do”. Then came the part everyone had been waiting for. Mike began pounding out some beats, and eventually CJ and Stevie added the guitar and bass into the mix. Jasen walked back and forth across the edge of the stage, holding the microphone out towards the crowd, who were shouting, “Let the bodies hit the floor!…” over and over again. I believe it was Mike who started singing “Bodies”, of course whispering the first couple of lines before letting out a scream on the third one. That staple song ended their 75-minute long set, and once it was done, before leaving the stage, they took time to shake some hands of some of the people down front and threw out some picks to the people. I think that’s pretty cool, because not every band makes their appreciation of theirs fans so obvious.

In regards to the show, it was not what I was hoping for. I had listened to that single (“Saturday Night”) and liked it. But be warned Drowning Pool fans, Jasen’s voice does not sound remotely the same in the live setting as the recording(s) would lead you to believe.

No one this night seemed to have an issue with that, and I imagine most Drowning Pool fans won’t. His voice is somewhat of a mix between Dave Williams and Jason Jones’ voices, so if you’re a longtime fan of the band, you’ll probably like it. But for me, it was too big a departure from Ryan McCombs vocal style.

I just don’t think he has that good of a voice, and I guess because of it, I won’t feel like I have to see Drowning Pool the next time they stop by Trees (or any other Dallas area venue).

At least I saw two amazing Drowning Pool shows when Ryan McCombs was a part of the band, and I’ll just have to be satisfied with that.

However, this is still a Drowning Pool concert, and they all (yes, Jasen included) go all out. It’s as intense a performance as you could ever see, and even that one aspect makes it well worth seeing a show.

As for now, they have one last date scheduled, on December 21st at The Midland Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. And to buy all their music, go HERE.

The below photos are courtesy of James Villa Photography. All rights belong exclusively to him.

Drowning Pool

Ill Nino

The House of Blues is not the venue you think of when you want to see local Dallas area bands. Sure, they occasionally get some to open shows in their smaller Cambridge Room, and even the main stage, though those are very rare. But tonight they were hosting a showcase dubbed, “Dallas Rocks!”, which had assembled four great local acts to perform on the main stage inside the venue. Making it better, all the bands were giving out free tickets to their fans who wanted to attend, so aside from the fee for parking, this thing was absolutely free. Though if I had, had to, I would have been more than happy to shell out $10 to $15 for a show like this.

Kicking off the show was Krash Rover, who took the stage just a minute before their scheduled start time of 8:30. Most of the lights were off, making it hard to see the band, as they huddled around the drum riser. Soon, lead guitarist, Ashton Quincey, started into “SAS”, as he made his way up to the front of stage right. So, too, did the other members, as Brandon Goforth tossed his bass around, slapping the strings in perfect synch to the drum beats Zach Fuentes was pounding out. I had been worried about all the bands this night, because the House of Blues is a sizeable venue, and I wondered if any of them would have the presence and energy to fill it. Hell, the last international touring band I saw here I didn’t think had the energy to completely fill up this room. It quickly became apparent, though, that these guys would have no problem with that, nor would any of the other bands for that matter. They followed it with one of their newer tunes, “Feel Good On the Inside”, and then slowed things down for a few moments with “Release Me”, as vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Kris Newman, lightly crooned, “It’s getting cold in my cell. I’m rising just to leave this taste of hell. It’s so consuming, can you help me leave this place?…” He wasn’t the only one singing, though, as you could hear several of their fans singing back at him. “Do y’all want to hear a song about my ex-girlfriend?” he asked when that song was done. Really, that could probably go for at least a few of their songs, but one of their best is “She Gets Around”. They blazed through the song, and then had another brand new one to unleash on the crowd, which Kris asked everyone if that was okay. “No, no, no…” he said, not at all getting the rise from the fans he desired, as only a handful of people either applauded or shouted. But before he could even ask everyone to do it again, the crowd made a lot more news. Kris and Zach got this one started, and it was a sensational song. Probably one of the heaviest things they’ve done, which Kris acknowledged when they finished, saying that while that song was heavier, the next was “…not so much…” Then added, “…The girls seem to like it, though.” The girls aren’t the only ones who like it, as “Nobody Knows” is one of my favorites from Krash Rover. I liked the first half of the song as well, which begins slower, and during it Kris moved his guitar behind him, adopting more of a true frontman persona, as he swayed back and forth with the mic stand, which added a lot to the show in my opinion. They kept the upbeat rock vibe going with “In My Mind”, and afterwards asked a great question, “Does anyone want to play some Russian roulette?” People seemed interested to, as they started what may well be their best song, “Russian Roulette (Part II)”. I dare say the song is a masterpiece, and I love the chorus, “It’s so hard to hold on, but I can’t do this on my own. I need you within me, bring life into my empty soul…”. Upon finishing that one, Kris handed his guitar off to someone, who soon enough brought a new one out to him. “I want to thank my business associate, Mr. Claus.” he said. “No, that really is his last name.” He was careful not to hold his guitar where the audience could see the front of it, as he asked Zach to set a beat and fro the fans to clap to it. They did just that, and the chants of, “TEXAS!” soon started. When they finally ripped into “I’m From Texas”, you then finally saw Kris’s guitar, which had a Texas state flag design on it, though looked a little more hip, like it was more by a street/graffiti artist. As they neared the end, Zack broke into a brief drum solo, and then they brought their 41 minute set to a close.

This was the best Krash Rover show I’ve seen yet. Each individual member owned it, and did a great job of roaming about the stage, making sure that there was no wasted space. There’s no doubt about it, they are fantastic at what they do, and they just continue to get better. They have no shows on tap at the moment, but you can purchase their self-titled record on iTunes.

Next up was Fantasma, who got their 44 minute long set started with one of five new songs they had prepared… Yes, five. Once again, the stage was dark, as vocalist, DJ, plugged as mic stand, and all the little LED lights that adorn it began to glow. Bassist, Daniel Castaneda, played his bass in a rather interesting way for most of this song (and then periodically throughout the night), and as he worked his way to the front of the stage, he occasionally bent down on one knee, resting the bass on said knee, and slapped out the beats. I know that can’t be purely original, but still, I’ve never seen someone play a bass in that manner, and it looked pretty cool. The song was very good, to boot. Something to the effect of, “…Why does God not believe in me, or is it because I don’t believe in Him?…” It was at least along those lines, but the way DJ sang it, it sounded a little more profound than what I put. “This next song’s called Dancers and White Lines” he announced, as the sample track for the song started, and Michael Kudlicki began to beat away at his drum kit. That song is one of the best examples of their “space rock” sound, and it seemed to get the vast majority of the crowd intrigued in what they were doing. Things were taking down just a hair with “Panda”, but quickly picked back up as the desolate ending of that songs sample track soon gave way to the next one, “My Little Centerfold”. Guitarist, Duston Daulton, stood at the ready, as the track played out, featuring a pre-recording of the first line, which is something like, “At least one would make his day, when I asked her to stay. That town was miles away…” and was soft enough it sounded pretty distant. As soon as that ended, he started shredding away on his guitar, as the song officially got underway. They next went into a block of new material, first with still fairly new, “Fire and Blood”. The intro for that one is great, as I’ve said before, it has almost a tropical feel to it, due largely in part to the shaker that is used, before it turns into a full-blown rock song. The next one was new as well, though wasn’t one of theirs. “Some of you might know this one.” said DJ, as the song started. “I had a way then losing it all on my own I had a heart then but the queen has been overthrown…” he sang, as I heard a handful of people immediately start talking about how much they love this song, which was “Lights” by Ellie Goulding. Honestly, I’d never even heard of her until Dan informed me they had decided to cover this song for this show, and after listening to it, I must say, I like the original version. However, there’s was just as good, or perhaps even better, since they had put the ol’ Fantasma flare on it, making it into more of a rock song, though still had a heavy electronic vibe to it. Towards the end of it, DJ finally put the extra drums that were assembled in front of the drum riser to use, as he started to play them, in near perfect synch with what Mike was doing. They let loose one more brand new song, which saw DJ again adding a little extra percussion towards the end, and Duston also did a sweet little guitar solo on this one. They had one last newer one left in store for the crowd, and that one was “Frozen Faultlines”. Perhaps the best part of this one was on one of the final choruses, as Dan raised his bass up and held it as if it were a gun, plucking the strings at precisely the same moment as the drumbeats. That was repeated a few times, and looked very badass. They got back to some stuff from their debut album, “Stories of Earth Women”, with “Colors Run Red”, which is the typical closer, and as DJ softly sang the final line, I thought their time was probably up… Turns out, they had one last one left, and out of the handful of times I’ve seen them, it was the song they’ve always opened with, “Ra”. DJ went back to his little drum set, with I believe a snare, a tom and something else, and he and Mike got the song going, which would conclude their set.

I’d say this was the second best show I’ve seen the band do. The stage show was great, with all of them moving around quite a bit, jumping up onto and subsequently off of the drum riser, etc. So, really, performance wise, this was the best show I’ve seen them do.

They have a show coming up on August 25th at The Rail Club in Fort Worth, and be sure to check out their album, “Stories of Earth Women”, in iTunes.

Ursa took the stage next. I stood further way from the stage during their set, and as they began, I couldn’t see a thing as the stage was pitch black. In fact, the only way I even knew they had started was from hearing Brian Sumler start lightly playing the drums. The other members gradually joined in, one at a time, as the first song of their set got going. I had seen them not even a month before, and it was a good set, but just moments into this one it was apparent this one had a much different, more impressive feel to it. The lights were best utilized during their set, giving the show a very theatrical element, and as they finished the song, it again went dark. One of the guitarists then started them into the next song, “Aim to Please”. There was a nice vibe to it, once again, due largely to the lighting, with the song culminating at the first chorus, “Over and over again. I’ll break your fall to absorb your pain. I have faith in you. You’ll try over and over again.” They kept things going with another new song, which guitarist, Dave Perez, said was about “making love”. Afterwards, vocalist, Michael Keeney, announced their next tune, “This Is Your Captain Speaking”. As they hit the pause towards the end, the place went dark, staying that way for a few moments before they tore back into the chorus. I’ll be honest, despite having had their album for awhile, I haven’t listened to it a whole lot, so I’m not too familiar with their songs, but I think they next did “Face Down”. They wound it straight into their next song, which I’m fairly certain was “Skin and Bones”. Then ended their 38 minute set with, I believe, “Apogee”.

It was a killer set they did, a watching it from afar, they looked like they were the most professional band of the night. Very put together and well executed. They don’t have any shows at the moment, but you should go check them out when they get something booked. You can also download their self-titled album for free by going HERE.

Each band had been excellent thus far, and had done a good job at upping the ante just a bit from the act before them. And doing the best job of that was the headliner, Serosia.

The last time I saw these guys they managed to finally make me into a fan with their intense live show, and that was a little over a year ago now, so I was looking very forward to seeing them again.

Guitarist, Derek Troxell, bassist, Joseph Kuban, and drummer, Anthony D’Agata, got on stage and started the first song in their 48 minute long set, “Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars”. Vocalist, Lucas D’Agata, then made his way to the front of the stage from stage left, screaming into the mic before he started singing the song. He was definitely the one to watch, as he ran and leapt around the stage, paying attention to all sections of the crowd, so it never felt like anyone was being neglected. Anthony kept right on going with the drums, bringing them right into one of their heavier songs, “The Room”. This was more along the lines of what they were like five years or so ago when I first heard of them, with Lucas doing almost nothing but screaming, which was why I disliked them at the time. They’ve changed and matured a lot since then, though, and when done in moderation like on this song, I can handle it. And if I remember correctly, that was the song that started the first mosh pit of the night, and a decent size one at that, though it dwindled to a handful of people quickly. When it was over, Lucas talked to the crowd briefly, I believe thanking everyone for coming out, which he did profusely throughout their set, and then said something like, “You all came here to hear some rock, right?!” That was the segue into their next song, one form their current release, “The Vehicle”, “Criminal”, as he began to sing, “I am concealed…”. This was a big show for the band, as it was their first back since they recorded their next album, and now it was time let their fans who were here have a taste of what they have done. If I heard correctly, the first song was titled “Friendly Fire”. It was along the lines of some of their other material, with some heavier parts where there were some brutal screams, though for the most part was some incredible singing. They did another new one, which, as far as I know was the live debut of each one, and then got back into their current material with “Rainstorm”. “Does anyone have our Perspective and Balance EP?” Lucas asked when the previous song was done. Some people shouted out, and he replied, “Cool. Well, we’re going to play a song off of it called Ours Alone.” Anthony started hammering away at his kit, making some thunderous beats, while Joseph and Derek shredded on their respective instruments. They slowed things down a little with another oldie, “Heal Me”, and for this one Derek added the screams to the song, which he did at various times during their set, and on a side note, I must say it sounded very good when both he and Lucas were shouting out the lyrics. They proceeded to crank out “The Eye of Providence”, and upon finishing it, slowed things down once more, this time with “Eleventh Dimension”. “This one’s for you, dad.” Lucas said, as he started to sing, “Situation’s coming over me. Consumed I see no light…” At one point he asked the fans to sing along with him, “…I want him to hear you…” he told everyone. They had one song left, and after again thanking everyone for coming to the show, they capped it off with “Ventriloquist”.

Every band was incredible this night, but there was good reason Serosia was the headliner, and that was because they were the most impressive act of the night. I don’t think anyone who saw this show start to finish could argue that. They are definitely one of the best acts in the area when it comes to a live performances. Lucas is an astounding frontman, putting on enough of a rock show all by himself. At one point he even left the stage and joined the crowd as best he could, seeing as they do have a partition to separate the audience from the band. Derek annihilated it on the guitar, Joseph owned his bass and Anthony was a machine behind the drums. This was really just a rock show in the purest form possible.

There are no upcoming dates that I can find, though I’m sure they will be playing around town soon enough, especially after they release this forthcoming record of theirs. In the meantime, you can purchase their albums, “The Vehicle” “Perspective and Balance” and “The Current State of Being” all from their store on their Reverbnation page.

This was one helluva a night, and whoever put it all together needs to be applauded. Also, hopefully things like this can become a little more frequent here at the House of Blues, ‘cause I can tell you right now, there is a slew of talent in the area that they can tap for it. So, here’s to hoping “Dallas Rocks!” becomes a regular event.

Above: Serosia / Below: Ursa

Below: Fantasma

Above photos courtesy of James Villa Photography. All rights belong exclusively to him.

The pictures below are courtesy of Jessy Ann Huff Photography. All rights belong exclusively to her.

Below: Krash Rover

My hope was since the Curtain Club doesn’t always start bands at an exact time, that I’d walk in on Moving Atlas’s set and at least catch them doing “Elephant Gun”. But alas, it was not meant to be. And as I walked towards the door, people were leaving the club, flocking to the patio to converse and smoke. And sure enough, the door guy told me MA had just finished their set. But while I missed the show, I did finally get one of their EPs, “Red Shelter”. And if anyone could tell me where to get there “Elephant Gun” EP, or even hook me up with a copy, I would greatly appreciate it. And to kill time in between the band change, I was able to meet and chat with the mastermind of Whiskeyboy.us, Matt, who had contacted me the day before on Facebook about getting involved with the site to some degree, while also getting my blog out to a larger audience. In short about that, I’m excited about the opportunity.

Then, it was time for Serosia, and all I had to do was stomach my way through their set. That would not be an easy thing. I’m pretty sure it was February 2008 when I first saw/heard of these guys. Absolutely hated them. They were way to hardcore for my musical tastes, and their singer did nothing but scream. To make it worse, they played at several other shows I saw afterwards, and I probably saw them 3 to 5 times in just a few months. So yeah, I wasn’t looking too forward to this. Then, as they got into their first song, their singer did something he hadn’t done at those other shows I’d seen… He actually sang, and he has a pretty good voice at that. Some of their other material that they did, did involve some screaming, but it was at least at a level I could tolerate. And damn, they really put on a show, not just their vocalist, but their guitarist and bassist as well. They definitely had the energy and intensity. About midway through their set they took a little time out, as they were presented with their plaque to adorn the now dwindling space on the Wall of Fame, before getting back to the show and performing several more songs. During the bands closing tune, their singer climbed to top of the speakers, and spent a good portion of the song perched up there, looking down at the massive crowd. I expected him to jump off from it, but he instead just stayed crouched down up there, while singing the song. Then all of a sudden he leaped off the speakers, doing a spin in mid air, before landing in the sea of people, and was just barely caught by them, before eventually crowd surfing his way back to the stage. I’d say it was pretty cool, but that would be an understatement. They’ve definitely improved upon their sound since those shows I saw three years ago, and they killed it tonight. Managed to turn me from a total hater to a fan. I guess now I just need to get their “Perspective and Balance” EP… They’ll be back here at the Curtain on july 12th, opening for Fair to Midland at the bands CD release show.

Overscene was capping off the night, and I was looking forward to seeing them again, since the last show I’d seen was when they released their EP 8+ months ago. They began by rocking out the opening track from their latest EP, “Off the Wagon”. “You think this life is easy?” sang out vocalist, J.R. Munoz, as he gazed out at the fans, before he zeroed in on one person, then continued, “Live a day in my shoes…”, as he, J.R., glanced down at his own feet, before looking back at the guy. They followed it by going straight into “XOXO”, then “Stems”. Before starting that latter song, J.R. said something to the effect of, “I’m gonna need your help for this next one.” “Oooohhh. Oooooohhhhh.” he sang into the mic, then held it towards the crowd who mimicked what he had just done. A good bit of time seemed to past from the end of that song to the start of the next. Not sure what, if anything was going though, as I saw the lead guitarist for the band, Inside light, and chatted with him for a few minutes.  And when Overscene got back to cranking out the rock music, they did so with “Time to Shine”, followed by what I consider more of a love song, “Don’t Fly Away”. “…Don’t fly away from me, you’re the air I breathe. The only drug that I need…” goes part of the songs chorus. Michael Glass began the almost military sounding drum beat that opens the next song, “The Battle Within”, while J.R. gave a little insight to what it’s about, and afterwards, they did a newer tune. They took another lengthy little pause after that one, as they talked amongst themselves, and J.R. thanked everyone who was there. “…You’re the reason we do this.” he said, then added, “If you keep coming, we’ll keep coming.” Then he realized that what he said could be interpreted in a different way, and chuckled at it. They continued taking their time, and at one point J.R. said they had two more songs left, and a bit later said, “…I think we have two more songs for y’all…” Guitarist, Toby Bittenbender, had seemed ready to do the next song from the end of the last one, and as it seemed like they were maybe almost ready to start back up, he approached his mic. “I’d just like to take the time and thank each person here, individually.” His band mates laughed, but guitarist, Justin Berry, went along with it, randomly picking some guy near the stage and asked him his name. Then Justin went over to the main mic, “We’d like to thank…” he said, adding the mans name to the end of that sentence. That was it, they put the joking aside and started their cover of Garth Brook’s, “Thunder Rolls”. Near the tail end of the song Moving Atlas’s singer, Dunigan, appeared at the front of the stage, and J.R. handed him a mic, then pulled him up on stage to help finish out the song. I’m also glad they’re still doing that one. Sure, it’s on their EP, but most bands that I’ve heard of that have done cover songs on their CDs may play the thing once, at the release show, maybe another time, then it falls permanently out of the set list. They put a good spin on it, and really make the thing their own. And upon finishing that one, they wasted no time in beginning the final song of their 49 minute long set, “Each Time I Fall”. It’s a good thing that was their last song too, as Toby had been shredding on his guitar so much during the show, he broke one of the guitar strings during the final minutes of it. The bands next Dallas date is set for Saturday, July 23rd at Trees, and you best be there! It’ll be the benefit show for the kids of Jason Wheelington. Jason being the singer in a few local groups, like Supercell, and he recently lost his battle with cancer. And all the money raised from that show will go in a fund for his two children. Hit up Trees website for full details and mark your calendars!!

(If you’ve spent your time reading this, please take a few more seconds & go “Like” the fan page I’ve made on Facebook, by clicking HERE. I’m wanting to get an idea as to how many readers I actually have. Thanks!)