The first Gotham Rocks’ initial showcase was in the Summer of 2008, and in 2011, it appears nothing can halt this Rock N’ Roll express. LocalBozo was on hand to celebrate their third birthday at New York City’s Irving Plaza. The stacked lineup featured some of the most talented local modern rock acts going today. The sold out crowd piled into the building with horns raised and a wet appetite for rocking out.

The anniversary celebration started out with a bang as Jessica Pimentel, lead singer for the metal band Alekhines Gun introduced the first act with her trademark death growl. Openers, Woods of Arden stormed the stage with the type of intensity that a lead off must have in order to gain the crowd’s attention. They are the definition of a modern rock band, in the best sense of the word. The Staten Island quintet played each song with catchy hooks and solid breakdowns.

Another major highlight for us came in the form of the Gothic rock stylings of Charetta. Charetta, is lead by female vocalist Angelina DelCarmen. This NYC based band has rock elements similar to artists like Breaking Benjamin and Warlock (Also female-fronted). The band gained our attention during their introduction as the lights went out, and the other band members brought out a wooden casket holding DelCarmen. It was a bad ass move reflective of the showmanship that rock seems to be missing these days. Their lyrics speak of tough but relatable topics like anger and redemption, evidenced by the awesome song, “Bullied.” The event also marked the release of their new album, “A Nation Distracted.”

It was nearly the witching hour when southern-metal rockers, Killcode took the stage. Their fan base took over the front of the stage, who all donned shirts and patches with the band’s logo on it. Lead by singer, Tom Morrissey this NYC five piece has been in the rock game for years touring with other bands and selling countless albums. But after seeing Killcode last night at Gotham Rocks we only want to see these guys headlining. The boozy anthem, “6 AM AGAIN” was for us, the stand out song of their set. New York rockers are quite fortunate to have a southern style metal band right here on our home turf.

Between acts our crew walked through Irving Plaza meeting fans of Gotham Rocks, and the bands performing. We were thrilled to see a great mix of rock fans, all co-existing at the same time. It was a show where metal heads hung out with pop-punk fans, and everyone got along. This was a perfect example of how the good people at Gotham Rocks and production partner, Horns Up Rocks are keeping Rock N’ Roll alive and well in New York City.

-Jayson Rubin