A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
September 6, 2017

An outstanding dual billing of Queens of the Stone Age and power duo Royal Blood put on a night of rock and roll fit for royalty on Wednesday night. Mother nature may have brought rain to the first stop on the “Villains World Tour” at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre but the two bands themselves brought out the real thunder and lightning.  Night one’s show was sold out and despite the weather outdoors, eager fans had no issues lining up early wrapping around Westchester Avenue, ensuring themselves prime real estate on the showroom floor among the 1,800 concert goers. Beautiful architecture within the theater was complimented by projections of the brilliant ‘Villains’ album art on one side of the room.  With very little space between the guardrail and the low stage fans in the front, most rows were treated to an extremely intimate experience.

After the two opening cuts from their latest album “How Did We Get So Dark?,” the two broke out into the feverish and dirty “Come On Over” from their self-titled, major label debut. With his drum set on a platform, Thatcher’s ferociously flailing arms were visible for all to see and as the only other member on stage, Kerr took full advantage of the free space and frenetically  danced about in between verses and choruses.  “I Only Lie When I Love You” warmed up the remainder of the crowd and a every body in the room was moving as the build up at the song’s end took off into the sludgy track “Little Monster,”  a similar favorite from the band’s first record. No signs of slowing down as they tore right into ground shaking performances of catchy cuts “Hook, Line & Sinker” and “Figure It Out.”  Royal Blood left their mark on New York crowd with “Ten Tonne Skeleton,” a song heavier than it’s title describes, and the furious “Out of the Black,” which saw Kerr smashing on Thatcher’s cymbals and exemplifying how incredibly tight the two play together.

Most bands would opt to do something like this on tape over the PA and jump in at the main riff, but every layer including the abstract vocals were played live, a true dedication to authenticity and a perfect display of musicianship and talent. Once that build up hit the main riff, the entire room erupted and a full fledged funkfest of rhythm and grooves ensued, courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age. Theodore’s thunderous beats pounded you in the chest as you confused the thud of your heart with beating of the drums but nothing mattered because the music was in full control. “Turnin’ on the Screw” and “My God is the Sun” continued to push the body rocking into overdrive before slowing the tempo down just a bit to the more headbanging and foot tapping vibes of the gritty “Domesticated Animals.” A short reprieve before bringing it right back with “Like Clockwork’s” monstrously groovy “Smooth Sailing” reignited the raucous crowd.  The band covered seven of the nine tracks off of their latest album, including the live debut of “Un-reborn Again” and while Homme made an apology for playing so much new material, the live crowd didn’t seem to mind at all.

Other notable plays include “Leg of Lamb,” a song that hasn’t seen stage time in over five years and crowd favorites “No One Knows” and the cowbell laden “Little Sister.”  Queens of the Stone Age wrapped up an epic ninety minute set with a vicious and destructive play through of  “Song for the Dead” which literally rattled the foundation of the theater.

It was a night of celebration not only being the first night of the tour but Homme made sure to let the crowd know it was Dean Fertita’s birthday as well. Despite the lack of cake and singing “Happy Birthday” it may have been one of the best parties ever. Royal Blood was a powerhouse that left the crowd in awe of the sound they produced and did an incredible job amping up the audience. Queens of the Stone Age absolutely destroyed and flaunted their effortless classiness, coolness and otherworldly talents. The two bands, perfect compliments to each other on tour, continue their trek across the world leaving sore, danced out muscles and elated fans in their wake only to return to New York City on October 24th for what is sure to be a behemoth of a rager at Madison Square Garden

  - Jon Asher

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Gramercy Theatre, New York, NY
August 25, 2017

Summer won’t go away without a fight and even though the calendar has changed to September, Atlanta based rockers Whores. made New York City submit to their brutal brand of sonic distortion on a recent Friday night at the Gramercy Theatre.  The weekend show was unique from the get go as two of the three band members made their way to stage just fine while singer and guitarist Christian Lembach was forced to do so with the aid of crutches. Before the sold out sludgefest got under way, curious concert goers were told by Lembach that at the prior night’s show that he “ate shit” but did not want to let down his fans, band members or anyone involved with the tour.

Despite being planted on a metal folding chair and having his knee adorned with an appropriate “Fragile” sticker, Lembach’s inability to move on stage for the tour’s final show did not take away from the band’s stage presence in the slightest. After an ovation from the crowd as a thank you for his dedication and class the trio started to shred and decimate.

The ominous grumbling, rumbling, thick as a tar pit tone of Casey Maxwell’s bass shook the showroom and all of the bodies in it when “Playing Poor” opened the show.  From their 2016 first full length studio release “Gold,” the track powerfully punished and pummeled the audience early on. As a three piece band, when two members are restricted to seats, a performance can suffer but Maxwell’s perpetual kinetic output left you wondering if he was a human or a whirlwind of a hair and denim that was fueled by the vibrations of his own bass. Digging a bit deeper, the band went back to their first EP and pulled “Fake Life” out of the bag- a well-defined, hook filled song with a main riff that’s hard not to bang a head and a raise a horn for. Undeniable momentum continued to mount as drummer Donnie Adkinson delivered the thunder behind the kit for “Participation Trophy.” Practically exploding on his throne, booms of the bass drum, snaps of the snare and crashes of the cymbals had the power of Adkinson’s entire body behind them.

By the fourth song of the night, “I Am Not a Goal-Oriented Person,” it felt like the ferocious, vicious vibes were going to make the theater’s walls crumble as the band and their fans stomped it into fine layers of dust.  ”Bloody Like the Day You Were Born,” “I Am an Amateur at Everything,” and “Tell Me Something Scientific” were the last three bombs in the ballistic barrage that was the Whores.’ set.  For just under an hour, Whores. launched what felt like eight pipe bombs filled with mud and shrapnel that left no attendee unscathed and unrocked. Post set, the sweat in air, messy hair across the crowd, and slightly disoriented look among the mass made the band’s namesake feel entirely appropriate. They got rocked real good. If this was the band at less than one hundred percent capacity, the world needs to keep an eye on its fault lines when Lembach gets back on his feet.

  - Jon Asher

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
House of Vans, Brooklyn, NY
July 12, 2017

Summer time at the shore is an anxiously anticipated experience- even if the trek out to New Jersey isn’t always easy from the concrete paradise that is Manhattan.  Fortunately, live music manages to energize and motivate us and the promise of a performance from Crobot would do just the trick.  The band would take over a crowded house last Tuesday night in a rejuvenated Asbury Park, with the Jersey Shore bar The Saint acting as the latest stop for the Pennsylvania based groove metal masters on their 22 city jaunt.  Singer and front man Brandon Yeagley along with bandmates- guitarist Chris Bishop, Wilson bassist James Lascu and drummer Dan Ryan- performed cohesively, with a showcase that was as tight as ever, accompanied by the eternally good vibes emitted by the animated and eccentric Yeagley and crew.

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY
July 21, 2017

Following a blistering opening set at The Apollo Theater in support of Guns N Roses on Monday night, The Kills shook Brooklyn to its core from within the walls of Williamsburg‘s newest venue, Brooklyn Steel on Friday.  The duo’s headlining set was their latest stoop on their world tour in celebration of their fifteenth anniversary and eager fans braved the brutal heat and humidity by forming a line that wrapped around the venue to ensure prime spots right in front of the stage, on the standing room floor. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince were just as dynamic and charismatic as ever as they delivered over an hour of their trademark lo-fi, indie rock jams. Leaving none of their five albums untouched, fans were treated to an epic setlist that provided the perfect soundtrack to a steamy but memorable evening.

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
House of Vans, Brooklyn, NY
July 12, 2017

In New York City, nothing goes together quite like summertime and punk music. Last Wednesday night was no exception as Brooklyn got burned a little a bit by the heat, humidity and a scorcher of a show with Downtown Boys, Sheer Mag, and Royal Headache at Bushwick’s House of Vans. Lines formed down Franklin Street early on in the night as eager die-hard fans rushed to pack the spacious, industrial venue. The evening’s punk rock dance party launched at roughly 8pm with Downtown Boys opening both the show and the dance floor with their infectious grooves.

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Rose Bar at The Gramercy Park Hotel, New York, NY
January 17, 2017

A hazy, wet and cold Tuesday night in Manhattan got heated up and electrified with a performance by indie rockers, Streets of Laredo inside of The Gramercy Park Hotel.  The posh Rose Bar would play host to the seven piece band for an intimate set in front of a fireplace setting and a room full of devout fans. The unique decor and presentation of the room could not have been more appropriate and fitting for the band’s distinct sound and personality.  Relatively new faces on the music scene, Streets of Laredo is coming off of their sophomore release “Wild,” a follow up to their debut album “Volume I & II.”  

Casually taking the stage at 10pm, the New Zealand transplants were led by frontman Daniel Gibson followed by the rest of his sizable crew in tow.   On top of the array of instruments necessary at arm’s length, the seemingly insurmountable  challenge of also fitting seven musicians in the space quickly became a moot point as each member would effortlessly move around the sparsely open area throughout the performance, creating the illusion of a far larger platform than the one that the live crowd would swarm.  Without introduction, “Hammer & The Nail’s” powerful and beautiful vocal harmony, shared with Gibson and Sarahjane Gibson (married to drummer Dave Gibson), marked the beginning of the night and immediately infused the atmosphere with the group’s merry brand of folk rock.

Drawing largely from their latest album in the beginning of the set, the night carried on with the groovy synth driven “Remedies,” which was followed by an abrupt turn to lean more on their indie styling with “Trap For Young Players,” a fun, vintage, big band leaning track.  Despite the limited real estate Daniel Gibson and guitarist Cameron Deyell were bouncing, dancing, and rocking around without a care in the world to the upbeat and positively infectious tune. Momentum and good vibes continued with “Caught the Fire” and the eponymous track from the latest album “Wild,” Gibson then took a short break to introduce the rest of the band which consisted of Andrew McGovern on synth, Sean MacMahon on bass, and brother Dave Gibson on the drums.

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
December 15, 2016

The merry band of Canadian rockers in July Talk scorched the Bowery Ballroom on one of the most frigid nights in Manhattan this year. On the heels of the release of their sophomore album “Touch,” the uncannily unique five piece band provided their fans with a night full of polarizing vocals and addictive, dance inspiring rhythms. Minutes before 11pm, the quintet made their way to stage in nonchalant and unassuming fashion, walking through dark shadows. Looming behind the band, a banner hung adorned with hands, the cover art from their latest record release.

The band juxtaposed their low key stage entrance with an outright electric opening with “Touch” intro track, “Picturing Love.”  The new and undeniably catchy keyboard driven tune is a great snapshot of July Talk’s past, present, and penchant for seamlessly blending extremely different genres and and vocal stylings in a tasteful and disciplined style to create a truly distinct and dynamic sound. In what felt like an aural one-two punch, the band went right into the guttural blues rock laden “Summer Dress” from their self-titled debut album. The hard hitting groove paced by drummer Danny Miles physically moved concert goers from whimsical swaying into synchronized body rocking. Although they couldn’t be further from each other on the vocal spectrum, co-singers Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis share an obvious musical and emotional chemistry which exhibited itself in many facets from the duo’s beautifully haunting harmonies to their almost marionette-like dance interactions with each other.

The pair not only shone in interaction together though- Fay and Dreimanis also dominated the room with their individualistic charisma. She moved about stage, in between shining on the microphone, with equal parts elegance, grace, and quirkiness. Dreimanis meanwhile exuded emotion through animated facial expressions and gestures ranging from intense guitar strums to this distraught and menacing outreach toward his singing partner, which persisted throughout the night. The set continued on with the garage rock, lo-fi feel “Headsick” and rhythmic right turn with the heavier, lurching strums and melodies of “Gentleman.” New tracks like “Johnny + Mary” and “Now I Know” would then bring the tempo back up, reviving the dancing on stage and in the live crowd.

The band alternated between albums- more vintage and uptempo new cuts like “Beck + Call” and “Push + Pull” were nice changes of pace to the grunge and punk vibe of “Uninvited” and the Johnny Cash cadenced “I’ve Rationed Well.”  For over ninety minutes, the set was an absolute gift from July Talk, with 18 songs that nearly covered their entire catalog- an energetic and powerful ride that showcased the band’s musical growth in the short time they’ve been collaborating. Aside from their inarguable musicianship, July Talk is irrefutably authentic and organic. Not the type of chemistry and output that can be mimicked or manufactured.

- Jon Asher

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Rough Trade, Brooklyn, NY
November 21, 2016

The Monday before Thanksgiving is typically met with good vibes- even moreso when Brooklyn record shop Rough Trade welcomed in Minneapolis jazz trio The Bad Plus to Williamsburg.   Touring in support of their latest album- a compilation of fun cover songs called “It’s Hard,”  the standing room floor filled up rapidly as 9 o’ clock approached and the audience filtered through the storefront and into the main show room. As go with the flow as jazz tends to be, bassist Reid Anderson nonchalantly walked on stage followed by his band mates, pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer Dave King and without introduction they went right into their first couple of songs of the night and gave the crowd a good taste of what was to come for the remainder of the set.

After opener “Prehensile Dream,” came the evening’s first cover tune, Cyndi Lauper’s iconic “Time After Time,” a creative and innovative jazz arrangement which enamored the audience with its hook-filled chorus and sheer 80′s nostalgia. From that point on it was a groove laden journey bouncing back and forth fairly evenly between The Bad Plus original numbers and undeniably cool covers. Anderson took to the mic after the third song to introduce each member of the band and explained that if record release parties were still a thing, this is what that would be. He continued to charm the crowd throughout the night whenever he picked up the mic in between songs and engaged in witty banter with his band mates.

From time to time the overall chill vibe in the room would pick up to be a bit more feverish when King went to town on his drums. The distinctiveness of his technique was beyond awe inspiring.  Using foreign objects to alter the sound of his drum head along with a downright epic use of the tip of his drumsticks on his cymbals to create a somehow tolerable “nails on the chalkboard” sound, King was as inventive as he was talented. The intimacy and generally laid back vibe in the room created a real warm and inviting feeling inside Rough Trade, where the band would spend roughly two full hours performing divided by a brief intermission in the middle of the night. Among the uniquely awesome rebranded covers were versions of Barry Mannilow’s “Mandy,” “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and” The Robots” by Kraftwerk.  Each tune familiar, catchy and brilliantly tailored for jazz.

The Bad Plus is no stranger to covers as “It’s Hard” marks the second album comprised of covers by the trio. Having spent almost the entire month on tour, November 21st at Rough Trade marked the last stop on this leg of the tour for The Bad Plus until they pick back up in mid December, undeniably wooing audiences with unparalleled stage presence and just enough charisma to show themselves off as the coolest guys in the room.

- Jon Asher

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Terminal 5, New York, NY
October 23rd, 2016

The prospects of a school night did little to detract a crowd of New York City headbangers from gathering in the appropriately titled Hell’s Kitchen on Sunday evening. A particularly rowdy bunch welcomed the headliners in Gojira and support act TessaracT to the famed Terminal 5 stage during the latest stop along the 2016 ‘Magma Tour.’  Though this specific show would be the 25th and final one on the US leg, the two bands would subsequently return to Europe for a homecoming of sorts. Between both bands, the City faithful embraced and endured an onslaught of relentless riffs, unwieldy solos and thunderous double bass for nearly three action packed hours of rock.

The night went from zero to heavy at seemingly the very moment that TesseracT hit center stage. The English prog-rockers wasted no time in getting the room riled up and setting an example for how the night was to play out. Lead vocalist Daniel Thompkins bolted onto the stage with enough energy to ignite the air in the room as his bandmates each boasted some distinctive stage presence all while staying incomprehensibly tight as they weaved through each of their eight intricate and entrancing compositions. Dishing out a healthy and diverse selection from across their three albums, TesseracT opened with the aurally audacious “Phoenix” before ripping through tracks like “Concealing Fate,” “Part 3: The Impossible,” “Of Matter-Retrospect,” “Dystopia” and closing their power packed set with “Of Mind – Nocturne.”  Original to the core, TesseracT rocked the jam-packed venue in an opening set that left the crowd eager to be taken to the next level.

Deafening chants of “Go-jir-a” quickly surrounded the standing room only space, rendering the house music from the PA as simple background music. Just minutes after 10 o’ clock, video of a volcanic eruption began playing on the screen suspended behind center stage. Amid the cascading lava, Mario Duplantier appeared in front the screen, emerging from the fiery stream to make his way to his perfectly positioned drum kit. Duplantier got to work right away and started pounding out the intro to “Only Pain” before summoning the rest of the band- guitarist Christian Andreu took his position on stage right, bassist Jean-Michael Labadie stage left, and singer Joe Duplantier right in the center, with his brother’s drumkit hovering just behind him. Intensity was dominant from the get go with the set opener from their latest album but things really kicked into overdrive with the arrival of classic thrash track “The Heaviest Matter in the Universe.”

Under the disguise of the cool blue strobe lights, a heavy metal inferno was brewing at Gojira’s behest. Before getting into “Silvera,” another track from ‘Magma,’ Joe Duplantier took a few moments to express his gratitude to the fans, how much a of a crazy ride the US portion of their tour was, and how there was no better place to end it than New York City. Metal mayhem resumed as they got right back to the grueling grooves with “Stranded” and “Flying Whales” back to back. Every inch of the venue saw some foot stomping, head banging, or horns thrusting for the entirety of the band’s energy-laden set. A hypnotic, drum crescendo would give way to “Pray,” a more droning tune that bounces back and forth from slow and grungy to a literal frenzy of metal. Following a short reprieve from the stage, the band returned for a double encore which began with “Clone” from their first album ‘Terra Incognita’ and concluded with fierce melody driven “Oroborus” and incomparably groovy “Vacuity.” In all, the 17 song set was chock full of new ‘Magma’ material, covering six out of the ten songs on the record, on top of an array of cuts comprised each of the bands albums.

TesseracT did an outstanding job of laying the ground work for the night with Gojira picking up and hurling the crowd the rest of the way up to the metal mountain peak. The auditory output from the tag team of bands could’ve satiated the hungriest of metal fiends. The ‘Magma Tour’ brought all the energy synonymous with its name and then some and will surely continue to do so as it makes its way overseas.

- Jon Asher

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Gramercy Theatre, New York, NY
October 12th, 2016

The Australian rock band Airbourne infected New York City on Wednesday night with the dose of metal it so sorely needed.  Touring in support of their September release “Breakin’ Outta Hell,” the band dropped into 23rd Street’s Gramercy Theatre with help from The Wild! as their support act. The venue’s show room floor went from tight to tighter as showtime drew near, leaving barely enough space to navigate though the sea of leather jackets, long hair and the assortment of spiked accessories.

Old western music blared from the PA system, filling the room with some festive noise as the house lights drew dim before The Wild! made their predictable explosion in front of the live crowd.  Launching onto the stage as if they were shot out of a cannon, the group’s unique blend of rockabilly, metal and blues was imprinted on the audience mere seconds after their intro as opener “Roadhouse” ignited into its scorching main riff.  Singer and lead guitarist Dylan Villain (great name!) then took his position at center stage  while being flanked by rhythm guitarist The Kid, bass player Boozus and drummer Reese Lightning who dutifully kept each song’s tempo firmly in sync.  Momentum continued to mount with the slightly groovier and bluesier new single “Ready to Roll,” followed by some thunderous tracks like “GxDxWxB,” “Banger,” “Deuces” and crowd favorite “Slow Burn.” The feverish combination of hard hitting riffs and solos from each of the songs led up to a really well placed dynamic change with the slower and more personal blues cut “What About You.”

What better way to bring it back to an unadulterated rock show than with a beer funnel race? The short interlude saw a square-off between bass and rhythm guitar with the frontman Villain making it clear that Boozus was the defending champion- and in the blink of an eye, he retained his title as The Kid was left chugging in the dust. The Wild! closed out their 45 minute rocket fueled set with “Party Til You’re Dead,” an apt description of the band’s vibe. The Wild! aren’t just musicians, they are all encompassing performers.

After a very brief break, the room grew rife with excitement and anticipation knowing Airbourne was about to take the stage. The raising of horns and merciless screaming ensued as the Terminator theme song played overhead and frontman Joel O’Keeffe ran onto stage literally kicking and screaming his way into “Ready to Rock.”  Aibourne’s blend of classic rock and hair metal amplified an excitable Gramercy audience quickly and was welcomed by the roomful of adoring fans.  With their frenzied screaming and vigorous headbanging, the audience somehow managed to top the band’s own energy peak as tracks like ” Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast” allowed the fans’ voices to override the group’s instruments, especially on the song’s catchy chorus.  Rhythm guitarist David Roads and bass player Justin Street were a constant blur most of the night- not only were their hands lighting fast, but the perpetual movement of both musicians bouncing and frenetically racing across the stage ensured that they were having just as much fun as the crowd. “Chewin’ the Fat” from 2010′s “No Guts. No Glory.” followed and saw another massive bout of crowd participation on vocals.  The fourth song of the night marked the first appearance of a track from the new album and “Rivalry’s” heavy, churning, drudging drum intro kept feet stomping and heads banging collectively.

With a short reprieve from the microphone, O’ Keeffe was given a few moments to enjoy a cold one in true rock star fashion, by taking a few sips and then repeatedly smashing the can against his head which created a SeaWorld type splash zone for concertgoers in the first couple of rows. After the short hydration break, another taste of the new album was showcased with the title track “Breakin’ Outta Hell.” Comprised of a ripping solo, Judas Priest-like riffs, and those distinct vocals, the new material felt familiar and fresh at the same time. The night wound down with fan favorites “No Way But The Hard Way” and “Stand Up for Rock N’ Roll” but the bandmates and their fans weren’t ready to part ways just yet. A few minutes away from the stage seemed unbearable for everyone there and before long Airbourne returned to the stage for an eagerly anticipated encore. An impressive hour long set was capped off with two of the band’s biggest songs “Live It Up” and “Running Wild.”  Between the crowd knowing the show was coming to an end and the band gearing up for a proper send off, those last ten minutes were packed full of more energy than the entirety of the rest of the night combined.

- Jon Asher