Throughout my concert attending career, I have seen no band more than Third Eye Blind. Their Orlando gig headlining the Mix Christmas show last week marked the 11th time I've caught Stephen Jenkins and company. As always, they put on a great show.
It's been a solid year for 3eb. The San Francisco based pop-alternative group released their 5th studio album earlier this year, entitled Dopamine. The record has received solid reviews and has been praised by fans who have long awaited new material from the band. I reviewed back to back Third Eye shows back in June just after the album came out. It was nice to see 3EB again after being more familiar with the material.
The show opened with Dopamine starter - 'Everything Is Easy.' In fact, Dopamine ended up being the most represented album on the night. Jenkins performed 5 tunes off the new record. (6 if you count the Beyonce cover of 'Mine' that is featured as a secret track on the album)
While this was technically a Christmas show put on by the local mix radio station, Jenkins acknowledged that Third Eye is probably the least Christmas-y band the station could have invited. He explained they have no holiday tunes, but would opt to play a cover that could be interpreted as a Christmas song. They then performed a Bon Iver cover, appropriately named..... 'Blood Bank.'
My personal favorite tune on the night was crowd favorite - 'Motorcycle Drive By.' I've now seen 11 Third Eye Blind shows through the years, and this is the only one that has been played live at every concert. The tune features a build-up and crowd sing-a-long second to none, showing off well the atmosphere of a Third Eye show.
The singles from Third Eye's career are always well received as well. You can't beat 'Jumper' and 'Semi-Charmed Life' to close the set. As the guys finished up, Jenkins remarked that although they've sold out House of Blues Orlando many times, he couldn't recall ever seeing it more packed. This was good to hear, reassuring that the Third Eye fan base is still strong, and that we should expecting many more shows for years to come.
Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars
*No videos could be found from Orlando. Above is a new tune off Dopamine, recorded in Vegas.
SETLIST:
1. Everything is Easy
2. Wounded
3. Dopamine
4. Never Let You Go
5. Back to Zero
6. Motorcycle Drive By
7. Rites of Passage
8. Mine (Beyonce cover)
9. Losing A Whole Year
10. Blood Bank (Bon Iver cover)
11. How's It Going to Be
12. Jumper
Encore:
13. Something In You
14. Semi-Charmed Life
2 Guitarist - Taylor Goldsmith further expanded Dawes' capabilities with Duane Betts
So as you may have just read about on The Only Music Blog, I recently had the pleasure of interviewingTaylor Goldsmith of Dawes. Goldsmith, the lead
singer and guitarist for the folk rock band, provided a great interview
following his sold out show in Atlanta last weekend. You can read the full
interview here.
Normally I would have combined both the interview and show
review in one posting, but a concert of the caliber that Dawes put together
deserved its own article. This was my 5th time seeing Dawes live,
and I don’t believe they have ever sounded better.
Dawes sold out the 1,100 capacity Variety Playhouse in
their first Atlanta performance since headlining the Buckhead Theatre back in spring
of 2013. Dawes took the stage just after 10pm, following an opening set by Hiss
Golden Messenger.
Dawes resides in Los Angeles, and released their 4th
album earlier this year – entitled All Your Favorite Bands. The album had been
critically acclaimed, and the group displayed it well on the evening. First
single ‘Things Happen,’ started the show. I don’t think lead singer Goldmith’s
vocals have ever sounded better than on this opening track.
This folk-rock band has always had a certain king of iconic
sound and structure to their songs. It’s not atypical for Dawes tunes to have a
long musical break in between the second chorus and the bridge. New tunes ‘I
Can’t Think About It Now’ and ‘Now That It’s Too Late Maria’ display this
songwriting well.The live performance
really shows off how musically gifted all members of the band are.
Dawes was a four-piece group through their first three
albums, but added a second guitarist for this tour. Duane Betts, son of famous Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts, adds some great guitar overplay and solos to the already musically sound
discography. Goldsmith has seemed to integrate Betts very well into the sets. It
seems like Dawes have more capabilities as a 5-piece. You have two members on
guitar solos now, rather than just Goldsmith. The musical arrangements and show
in itself can be much longer now.
While I really do love the new album and enjoyed hearing all
the new tunes live, some of the best songs on the night were from Dawes earlier
material. The bands first single, ‘When My Time Comes,’ is one of my favorite
songs to hear live. The chorus gets everyone in the crowd jumping and singing
along. Taylor is even known for swinging the microphone around and letting the
crowd sing the final chorus on their own. It always proves to be a set
highlight.
Dawes played for just under two hours on the night, and
appropriately ended with current single ‘All Your Favorite Bands.’ This
sing-a-long ballad has a great message, with a chorus ending in the wish for a
friends favorite bands to always stay together. That line evoked loud ovations
from the Atlanta crowd. The fans even ended the night taking the chorus a
capella one more time after Taylor finished his vocals.
Another great show by Dawes, just matching the expectation
level we’ve come to expect. I sure hope the ‘1 album per year’ philosophy that
Taylor mentioned becomes reality.
Taylor Goldsmith, lead singer of Dawes, talks Festivals, Venues and even New Album
Last weekend, some friends and I travelled up to Atlanta for a Dawes concert. We've made the 7 hour drive to the ATL for Dawes before, and the trip was once again worth it. The folk rock band put on an epic performance for a sold out crowd at the Variety Playhouse. While all 5 members of the group are extremely musically gifted, the fuel of the band is lead singer and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith.
By lucky chance after the show, I ran into Goldsmith. The lyricist was heading back onto the tour bus about an hour after the venue had cleared out. He was happy to talk to a few fans though and it turned into an impromptu interview, offering some interesting insight into the band.
Here is an abbreviated and not officially quoted version of the interview:
ML: That was a great show! We drove up from Tampa for this and it was completely worth it!
TG (Taylor Goldsmith): No way! Thanks for doing that. I appreciate you guys making the drive up here.
ML: No problem. We did the same thing back in 2013 for the Buckhead show. We don't mind, although it'd be nice to see you guys get to Tampa.
TG: Yeah we need to get back to Florida. It's tough to work those stops into a tour schedule logistically. But I'm glad you guys were able to see us here. We're going to be back in Atlanta in April for Sweetwater Fest...I'm not supposed to announce that yet since the lineup hasn't been released, but you guys should come back for it.
ML: Wow, maybe we will. Any other festival plans for 2016?
TG: Not sure yet. To be honest, I don't love playing festivals. Sure, the money is great, but we only get to play an hour long set and are performing for an audience that's only semi-engaged. I much prefer playing a club gig like we did tonight.
ML: I agree with you there. I prefer the club shows.
TG: Plus I think we're going to head back to the studio in the spring and try to put out a new album for 2016. I'd really like to get into the routine of putting out one album per year.
ML: That would be great. I really love the new album.
TG: Thanks. We'll see where 2016 goes.
ML: So the first time I saw you guys play a full set was at Gasparilla Music Fest in Tampa in 2013. I was hooked after that set. Any chance you'll be back at that festival?
TG: Which show was that again? (laughs)
ML: It's on the river in Tampa. Haha probably was in March of 2013.
TG: Oh yeah. People ask me all the time about certain shows and I can never remember specifics (more laughs). But I do remember that show because Ozomatli was there. But no, we won't be there in 2016.
ML: Well no problem. Thanks again for a great show.
TG: May all you favorite bands stay together. (Just kidding, he didn't say that last line....but it would have been appropriately awesome if he did)
The thing about music festivals is that they're unpredictable. You can discover new bands, watch collaborations that you never thought possible, be entertained by both headliners and small font bands, see surprise performers, maybe have the chance to meet bands, and also see more sets in three days then you usually would in 3 months. This unpredictability factor, did NOT work in my favor at beginning of Voodoo Music Fest.
As I've written about many times, British folk-rocker Frank Turner is one of my favorites. I've seen him multiple times this year, most recently at his epic Fillmoreshow in San Francisco just one month prior. But I still always look forward to seeing Frank the next time, and must admit that was the main reason that drove me to Voodoo. Frank was set to play a solo show on the acoustic stage Friday afternoon before his main evening slot with Sleeping Souls. Unfortunately, Turner was hit with some nasty food poisoning the night prior, canceling both of his sets.
The cancellation was probably the low point for me in Concert Season 2015. I didn't even want to be at the festival anymore, but figured I had to get my moneys worth. So the show went on, and I must admit improved drastically throughout the weekend. As you'll read below, I saw some amazing sets, and also...how can you not have a great time being in New Orleans for Halloween weekend?! The festival has a great backdrop and obviously plentiful options for post-festival fun.
The Top 5 Sets of Voodoo Music Fest:
5. Modest Mouse
The one consolation prize of the Frank Turner cancellation was that it
cleared up my schedule in order to see Modest Mouse on Friday evening. The
legendary indie-rock band attracted a large crowd to the main stage, although
it looked like most may have just been waiting for future headliner Florence
& the Machine.
Modest Mouse gave the crowd a solid 75 minutes of songs
spanning their entire catalogue. They opened with ‘The World at Large,’ showing
off the large band. Throughout the set, they touched all their greatest hits – 'Dashboard,' 'Missed the Boat,' and 'Float On.' Lead singer Isaac Brock sounded great great singing all
of them.
The new material from Modest Mouse is very solid as well.
They released their first album in 8 years back in June – Strangers to Ourselves. Their two
lead singles – ‘Lampshades on Fire’ and ‘A Ground Walks, With Time in the Box' have to be two of
the most unique and catchy singles I’ve heard all year. I’d see these guys
again for sure.
4. Joywave
In between rain storms on Saturday afternoon, the alt-rock fans in attendance were treated to a great set by Joywave. The Only Music Blog has crossed paths with these guys before, reviewing their opening gig for The Kooks over the summer. As was similar in that show, front man Daniel Armbruster carried the group with his unique vocals and hilarious personality on stage.
Armbruster sarcastically joked about the group recently winning an award for best album released by any band in the Rochester, NY area in 2015. He seemed comically awkward on stage, but is for sure an entertainer. Joywave has received great radio play this summer through singles 'Now' and 'Somebody New.' Their 2015 release How Do You Feel Now? is probably in my top 15 for the year.
The set highlight came at the conclusion of their performance. In the middle of 'Tongues,' their most popular song, the bass cut out and the crowd stood around looking puzzled. Joywave then abruptly started playing 'Destruction,' a loud synth-infused tune with a great whistling rhythm. This had everyone jumping. Armbruster even shouted his signature 'THIS IS THE GREATEST SONG EVER WRITTEN!' before beginning the vocals. Funny guy and good music. 3. The Struts (acoustic set)
Setup near the entrance to the festival was a 30x60 tent
with a small acoustic stage, sponsored by Toyota. Throughout the weekend,
smaller font bands played 20-30 minute sets. For me personally, this worked out
great as a second opportunity to see The Struts.
The Struts are a young glamor-rock-alternative band from
England. Their lead single ‘Could Have Been Me’ is receiving solid radio play
on alternative stations, and the backing EP is just as strong. These guys
definitely had the most packed acoustic set, which benefitted from attracting
extra spectators to get out of the pouring Saturday afternoon rain.
Lead singer Luke Spiller sat front and center, accompanied
by his three band mates with acoustic guitars. While working out some minor
sound issues, Luke asked the crowd if they would like to hear a cover? They
then jumped into ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger,’ my personal favorite song, from
their idols, Oasis. Spiller sang it beautifully and received some help from the
sing-a-long friendly crowd.
The Struts went on to play 5 additional acoustic songs. This
included a new song not even featured on the album – ‘She Makes Me Feel Like.’
I have a feeling that these guys are going to head into the studio and make an
epic record, with this being the lead single. It was very cool getting to see
them in such a small tent right now. They’re gonna get bigger.
2. Florence and the Machine
There's no denying that Florence is one of the biggest bands in the world today. She headlined Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and even GLASTONBURY in 2015. She already has plans to headline both Hangout Fest and Firefly in 2016. The opportunity to see Florence with only 40,000 other people is probably considered one of her smaller gigs these days.
I was lucky to catch a full concert by Florence back in June, reviewed here, from the Merriweather Post Pavilion. This time, it was a bigger crowd and a festival atmosphere, headlining the main stage and playing against EDM supergroup 'Jack U.'
The backing band took the stage first, all dressed in NOLA-themed 'Voodoo' Halloween costumes.
Florence followed, dressed in a pink pants suit and wearing black and white skeleton makeup. The British singer songwriter played well into the outfit, seeming almost possessed at times as she opened with 'What the Water Gave Me.'
Two of her biggest hits followed with 'Ship to Wreck' and 'Shake It Out.' The Voodoo crowd was loving it as Florence boasted the most energetic set of the day at times, while also being able to slow things down and show off her powerful vocals on slower numbers. The setlist followed a similar look to her other headlining gigs this summer, highlighted by the always enjoyable 'Rabbit Heart' and greatest hit 'Dog Days Are Over.'
Overall, Florence did not quite match the same level of energy as the Merriweather show, but she came pretty close. I'd say she was in the crowd at 3-4 different times throughout the set, and even ran down to the sound booth in just a bra at one point, after encouraging the entire crowd to strip down with her. The 14-song set was complete in under 90 minutes, feeling a bit quick for a headliner. But I can't really say anything too negative...she's definitely a professional headliner. 1. The Struts
Yes, yes…The Struts are appearing on this list twice. But
they completely deserve it. I got myself a spot on the rail for their Saturday
afternoon set and it was an absolutely epic experience. Luke Spiller came out
soaking up the applause like Kanye would. They stretched 8 songs into the best
hour long set of the weekend.
‘Could Have Been Me’ was played second and was the only song
that the majority of the crowd knew. Regardless though, the crowd seemed to get
more and more into it as the set progressed. Spiller displayed some powerful
vocals and one of a kind on-stage charisma. It’s easy to see why so many
compare him to Freddie Mercury. The Struts in general even have a Queen sound
to them.
Best songs were ‘Kiss This,’ ‘Put Your Money on Me,’ and
‘Where Did She Go?,’ which had everyone jumping as the set closer. Spiller did
a great job of keeping the audience entertained and even getting them involved.
During ‘Let's MAke This Happen tonight’ he hopped down from the stage and over the barrier into the
crowd. He then split the crowd in two for some competitive crowd participation.
It was fun to be there and unlike anything else I’ve seen from a band this
year.
As I mentioned above, these guys are primed to blow up soon.
Once they put out their debut album, I expect a much bigger tour and higher
positions on future festival lineups. Heck, their energy at Voodoo made me
think they could have headlined that very night! Spiller said it best as the
fans were applauding at the end of their set – “Remember the name! We are The
Struts!” These guys are officially ones to watch.
In conclusion, despite the Frank Turner cancellation, Voodoo still impressed. It's definitely a smaller festival size-wise, but a big enough name to draw national headliners. I'm happy to say that I experiences two new festivals in 2015 with Voodoo and Shaky Knees. I would definitely consider a return to Voodoo in the future, especially for the chance to get back to the great city of New Orleans. All eyes are on Next Big Thing as the final festival (1-day) event of the year!
By the way....although it's not listed here, overall weekend highlight may have been running into Stephen Jenkins of Third Eye Blind at a NOLA bar on Saturday night. Absolutely epic getting to meet one of the best frontmen of the past 10 years!
Favorite local band Mercy McCoy is taking a big step in their young musical career tonight. The roots-rock group, led by Stefan Scheuermann, is releasing their first full length album, entitled Brighter in the Dark.
Despite being the band's debut album, Mercy McCoy can already flaunt a pretty impressive resume. The 5-piece band has been featured as a 'Daily Discovery' in American Songwriter Magazine, and received a Top 5 finish in the 2015 Durango Sole Performer Competition. Most impressively, the band opened up for The Only Music Blog favorites Twenty One Pilots back in 2013. You may even remember their brief write up in this very blog just under two years ago, on the day of their EP release and eve of opening up for Bronze Radio Return. You can read that full review here.
This 10-track record by Mercy McCoy can best be summarized in the Americana genre, but I must admit that it hits multiple categories. Album opener 'Born to Try' is explosive and much more on the pop side. Early highlight 'Brighter in the Dark' is classic folk-rock. I even felt a bluegrass influence with the second track, 'Our Lies Came True,' reminding me most of Old Crow Medicine Show's 'Sweet Amarillo.'
Throughout the album, Scheuermann does a great job with the songwriting. The vibe is always upbeat, despite featuring some deeper lyrics. Scheurmann multiple times references uncertainty of the future, best displayed with 'Staying Young' and 'Fall in Line.' Overall though, the subject of the unknown next steps is trumped by pop hooks and the light hearted feel of young love.
The romance of the album is featured best on 'Be My Spark.' This folk number has strong visuals, correlating nicely to the title track and theme of the album - Brighter in the Dark.
The album's strongest track may be 'Spent On You,' which also claims the longest song at 5:49. This slow rolling chiller reminds me most of an old Wallflowers tune, with Scheuermann carrying the song on vocals. It also features a pleasant guitar interlude, very reminiscent of something Dawes would produce. For the record, Mercy McCoy has always reminded me of one of my favorites in Dawes. Any fan of this album should immediately give Dawes a listen as well.
In total, the 10 songs provided by Mercy McCoy give you a well rounded album showing off all the genres the band is capable of hitting. Mercy McCoy will host their album release party on Friday, November 20th at the intimate Hideaway Cafe in downtown St. Pete. The band is supported by members of Paint the Town Red and Boxcar Hollow. The show starts at 8pm.
ALBUM RATING: 3 Stars
Essential Tracks: 'Born To Try,' 'Brighter in the Dark,' 'Fall in Line,' 'Spent on You.'
While in California a few weeks back, I ended up extending my trip and visited San Francisco to see the great Frank Turner. Frank is one of my absolute favorites. He's been no stranger to The Only Music Blog this year, receiving high praise for a Jacksonville gig earlier this year, and solid placement in the Shaky Knees Music Festpower rankings.
Frank was on a US tour supporting his newly released 6th studio album - Positive Songs for Negative People. The album is classic Frank, finding a pleasant combination between punk rock and acoustic folk. The theme of the album seems to be getting over a relationship, and keeping an optimistic outlook while recovering. It's very uplifting at times and is towards the top of the list for my favorite albums of the year.
Aside from Frank, one of the other reasons that brought me to this show was the venue. The Fillmore is a legendary room, almost always found at the top of lists for best indoor venues in the US. I was very impressed. The many chandeliers suspended from the ceiling gave the room an iconic look.
Prior to Frank taking the stage were two fellow British acts in 'Skinny Lister' and 'Beans on Toast.' Both were entertaining, and filled the void until Turner took the stage with his backing band 'The Sleeping Souls.' Frank opened with his lead single from the new album, appropriately titled 'Get Better.' This was just the start of a ferocious opening, that included 'If Ever I Stray,' 'Losing Days,' and 'Long Live the Queen' to get the crowd singing early.
One of the most impressive things about Turner is his speed and energy on stage. The guy barely ever takes a breath. He fit 29 songs into his two hour set at the Fillmore. I never once saw him take a drink of water, and his longest break between songs may have been 30 seconds tops. They guy is just an absolute machine, working the full size of the stage, and singing with great effort.
Frank's work ethic on stage correlates perfectly to his schedule in real life. I recently read his autobiography, entitled The Road Beneath My Feet. Turner keeps a very busy life on the road, constantly touring across the globe. This was Frank's third run of US dates in 2015, and that's a year in which he also released a new album. It's clear why he's received multiple awards dubbing him 'the hardest working man in music.'
While 'The Sleeping Souls' took a break midway through the set, Frank continued to play a couple songs acoustically. This included 'Time Machine' (performed on Back to the Future Day) and 'Sunshine State,' which was originally written for someone from the Bay Area. This is just one of the ways Frank always tries to connect to the local audience.
I thought the best action of the night was the closing section of the set, where Frank performed two of his strongest songs. 'Mittens' is off PSFNP and tells the sad story of never feeling like his relationship with a certain someone was quite right, citing that they fit like mittens rather than gloves. The emotion displayed by Turner in this tune is second to none. I also must give praise to Frank's personal anthem with 'I Still Believe.'
After a brief break, Turner encored with 'Song for Josh,' a quiet and personal number that Frank wrote for a friend of his that took his life last year. It's chilling to hear live, and really elevates Frank as a songwriter. This led to three more songs on the night, including fan favorite 'Love Ire and Song.'
In conclusion, I believe this was the best Frank Turner show I've seen to date. I think this guy is at his best right now, and fans acknowledge it. I'm always impressed with the crowd at Frank shows, going crazy at the appropriate times but always being respectful when needed. It was an epic night at an even more epic venue.
CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars
SETLIST:
1. Get Better
2. If Ever I Stray
3. Losing Days
4. Long Live the Queen
5. Out of Breath
6. Sons of Liberty
7. Peggy Sang the Blues
8. Josephine
9. Polaroid Picture
10. I Am Disappeared
11. The Opening Act of Spring
Frank Solo:
12. The Ballad of Me and My Friends
13. Time Machine (First time live since 2012)
14. Sunshine State
Full Band:
15. The Way I Tend to Be
16. Photosynthesis
17. Plain Sailing Weather
18. Glory Hallelujah
19. Reasons Not to Be an Idiot
20. Mittens
21. Recovery
22. The Road
23. The Next Storm
24. I Still Believe
25. The Power of Love (Huey Lewis and the News cover)
ENCORE:
26. Song for Josh
27. Love Ire and Song
28. Try This at Home
29. Four Simple Words
Roots-rock group Bronze Radio Return recently made their return to Crowbar in Ybor. The six piece band first played the small club back in spring of 2013. You can read the full review here, which was one of the first written on The Only Music Blog. The 2013 show was not highly attended, but I enjoyed the rootsy sound of 'Bronze.'
The CT natives were back in support of a new album they have coming out, entitled 'Light Me Up.' (The full album was actually released just under one month ago) Unfortunately, these guys haven't found much more popularity in the two years between Tampa performances. The Crowbar crowd was small....so small in fact that tables and chairs had to be brought in to fill space on the depressingly sad floor. It was awkwardly quiet in between songs, not giving off the best impression.
Nevertheless though, the show had to go on. Lead singer Chris Henderson still tried to look comfortable and put on an enjoyable show. The good news is that the band actually sounded good. I believe they have improved over the past two years, and the sound quality at Crowbar was better than most I've seen in the past three years.
The band opened up with familiar favorites in 'Further On' and 'Mister Mister.' They did a good job throughout the evening of mixing older tunes with songs off the new album. The new material sounded much more on the pop side, especially for a rootsy group like Bronze. Look for the upcoming single to be 'Only Temporary.' It's an upbeat synth heavy single, reminiscent of a Maroon 5 tune. I think Henderson even sang like Adam Levine during it.
This new sound could bring new fans and popularity for the consistent band. It added some nice energy to the quick set. Overall, Bronze was done at Crowbar in just under an hour. They finished with best known tune in 'Shake Shake Shake,' sending the crowd home happy.
