|
LFTF : LIVE FROM THE FRONT
 |
|
BLINDSIDE
THE MARQUEE HEATRE • 5 POINTS • JAX
It takes a
certain type of personality to become
a rock star and to stay a rock star.
 One of Sweden’s hottest bands breaks away to the states to give
America a taste of their Swedish aggressive rock music. Blindside had
been on a 6-week tour with Linkin Park to promote their latest album
‘Silence’. After playing in the stadiums for the big crowds the guys
decided to get closer to their fans in a club tour of their own.
The guys had been here in the states since last July and although they
missed home, they said America was their home away from home. They
took time to see a few sites and enjoyed the tour with Linkin Park.
Their favorite city was San Francisco, partly because they have a lot
of friends there who make their stay enjoyable.
The four members, Simon, Christian, Tomas and Marcus, were indeed
exhausted on their last week in America but delivered an outstanding
performance at Jacksonville’s Marquee Theater this May. With three
opening bands, Jacksonville’s very own Order By Chaos being one of
them, the crowd was pumped up and ready for the ride. And amazingly,
Blindside rocked the set with the utmost amount of energy, exhausting
the true-to-heart fans that arrived. Forgetting they were in a small
venue, Blindside wailed on the crowd with their heavy guitar riffs,
throbbing bass, thunderous drums and most of all the venomous pitches
of the lead vocals. The band was absolutely unforgettable and left the
crowd wanting more. They performed as though there were thousands
watching, instead of the mere dozens that came.
It’s great to be out on the road,
traveling with some of your greatest friends.
We’ve seen a lot of the
country that most people who live here don’t get to see
Perhaps the reason they are such an incredible live show is because
they are true musicians. Loving music and wanting to be a rock star is
what separates the good from the bad in the music industry. And
growing up in Stockholm is what drove them together. They all love
music and were inspired by bands like ‘Rage Against the Machine’. To
play in a rock band was very anti-Swedish, so the guys found their
motivation to share their music with the world.
Nine years ago they were a garage band playing in the streets of
Stockholm, Sweden. Today they are one of the hottest bands in the
world, and don’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. With only six
days left on the tour the guys were quite anxious to get home to
Sweden for their month of vacation. After that it’s back to the
studio.
|
COVENANT
THE MASQUERADE • YBOR CITY • TAMPA FL
 The hot Florida sun showed us no mercy as we stood outside the
Covenant tour bus, waiting to speak to the band about a possible photo
shoot. Frontman Eskil Simonson appeared in the doorway with warm
greetings for all, and spoke with us for a few minutes agreeing to
meet at the venue around nine to take pictures. With that
accomplished, we ventured into ybor city to look around. We then
headed back to the hotel to change, meet up with friends, and grab
some dinner, so we could be there when the venue opened at 7:00. After
standing in line (not too long this time) we quickly moved to the
front of the club to get a good spot. Opening act Melotron came on
somewhere around 8:50, and gave the Tampa audience a taste of their
energetic brand of synth-pop. The lighting and stage accents were
minimal with only the Melotron banner hanging on the wall behind them.
Lead frontman Andy Krueger danced and struted his way across the stage
never missing a beat, while flanked on either side of him were
keyboardist's Edgar Slatnow and Kay Hildebrandt. Interestingly enough,
all the songs were sung in German, even though they do have some that
are in English. What was even more interesting, was how much Andy's
stage demeanor resembled that of Depeche Mode's frontman Dave Gahan.
It was downright frightening. You could tell where these German lads
drew their influences from. None the less, they put on a great show
playing favorites such as "Bruder, Gib Mir Alles, Folge Mir Ins Licht,
and Wohin (Willst Du Gehen), that really got the Tampa audience moving
and primed for Covenant. While the rest of us had been grooving to
Melotron's set, Max had been backstage to get our pictures of Covenant
for the magazine, but fortunately he got to enjoy a good portion of
the show.
 Covenant took the stage around 11:00 to a delighted and enthusiastic
crowd. This was their second tour of the U.S. and like last time, they
were in fine form. Eskil's smooth vocal's glided effortlessly over the
pounding beats and synth lines provided by keyboardist's Clas and
Joakim. The band started things off with the first track from their
new album "Northern Light" entitled "Monochrome." They maneuvered
their way through many other tracks from this CD including "Call The
Ships To Port, Bullet, We Stand Alone, and We Want Revolution.
Blending these with songs from their breakthrough CD "United States Of
Mind,"("Like Tears In Rain, Dead Stars, One World One Sky") and some
older material they could have easily played for two hours.
Unfortunately they only managed around an hour and 20 minutes
including encores. Regardless, Covenant proved to be a powerhouse on
stage, with Joakim taking up a second mike along side Eskil to help
pump up the crowd. The lighting was really spectacular as well, with
beautiful blue lights that bathed the band in an eerie glow. The only
thing missing was the large screen that provided a stunning visual
display that was present on their last U.S. tour. This however, was
only a minor flaw in an otherwise amazing show. I briefly got to speak
to Eskil again and Clas after the show, but Joakim was nowhere to be
found. The original aftershow party was moved to the Castle, (and once
again because of being
worn out I skipped going ) and I found out later, that both bands
showed up there and partied with everyone till the wee hours of the
morning. Oh well, maybe next time I will learn to actually go to the
afterparty.
- Craig Harvey |
|
|
BOZO PORNO CIRCUS
w/ X-SISTER Z
@ JACK RABBITS
X-Sister Z took the stage at Jack Rabbits before the circus did. It
sounded like the same set as their last show but it was played a whole
lot better. Their drummer Jack was in a white knights uniform during
the beginning of the set and Synthia took a PBR down in a beer bong
right before the last song. Bill and Synthias’ presence on stage was
better than normal; same with the rest of the band.
Then it was time for the fetish industrial show of Bozo Porno Circus.
I enjoyed the show a lot except for the fact that BPC reminded me of
Genitorturers. The music was a different industrial set from the
Genitorturers’ unique sound. They played a good long set that I
enjoyed except for a few songs.
To sum the show up, X-Sister Z did a normal good, which is very good
and Bozo Porno Circus is the next Genitorturers pretty much.
-Kent Donohoe
|
The Dismemberment Plan
with Engine Down and Cex
The Social, Orlando, FL - July 12
Florida fans of The Dismemberment Plan bid the group farewell at a
frantically energetic show that proved The Plan may be breaking up,
but they're sure as hell not slowing down.
For some reason the show, which was supposed to take place at the
Firestone, was relocated to the Social, where another band was already
scheduled to go on later that evening. This led to brisk sets and even
brisker set changes for the two openers Cex and Engine Down.
Cex, a Baltimore-based MC, inflicted his bold style of performing on
the mostly unsuspecting indie crowd, who were taken aback to see a
tall, lanky white guy clad only in small blue shorts running towards
them. In between songs, which were performed over laptop beats, Cex
spoke nonchalantly to audience members and commented on the club
setup. Be it organizing his own call and response or thoroughly
embarrassing the individual who quipped "Play some Pet Shop Boys," Cex
managed to extract good energy from the crowd, despite the fact that
he was the first act to go on. Due to the time constraints, his set
was a mere five songs. If Cex is ever coming to a club near you, don’t
miss it; there’s something to be said for this talented MC and his
brand of audience participation.
After Cex came Engine Down, whose set was one of the best-executed
I’ve ever seen in a smaller band. Engine Down got an enthusiastic
response from the audience, who enjoyed their passionate stage
presence and well-tuned musical delivery. Slight pauses between songs
and the level of guitar work both show that Engine Down is well on
their way to some well-deserved attention.
After Engine Down’s set, members of The Dismemberment Plan began to
set up their equipment. Judging from the expressions on their faces,
it’s no wonder the group is ready to disassemble. As an audience
member, I was somewhat concerned that the dour look on Travis
Morrison’s face was going to perhaps translate to their live
performance, and that it would appear the group was only going through
the motions.
Thankfully, this did not happen. The Plan kicked off their set with
"Do the Standing Still," an ode to scenster dancing (or complete lack
thereof). Around me, the pit of the Social ignited, not in moshing,
but instead, gleeful dancing. From the first song onward it was clear
that regardless of whatever tensions may exist between band members,
the Plan’s amazing sound and absolutely stunning live performance has
managed to stay the same.
After the first song, Morrison and the band took requests from the
audience, most of whom were so hell-bent on hearing their favorite
songs that they shouted over others until Morrison declared that hands
should be raised. After each request was made, one could hear people
in the crowd gleefully exclaim "Oh that was going to be mine!"
Except for a few old songs that the band said they didn’t know
anymore, the set was a great mix from many Dismemberment Plan albums.
From older stuff like "Soon to Be Ex-Quaker" to "Superpowers," The
Dismemberment Plan played with such energy that it was impossible to
be sad that they were breaking up because you were too busy dancing
and grinning. The Plan is a versatile band full of talented musicians
and this is apparent in their live performances. Be it switching off
instruments for "The City, " the bass break-down in "The Dismemberment
Plan Gets Rich" or the beautifully spastic drums of "Girl O’Clock,"
it’s obvious that the band is so amazing because of the combination of
musicians.
When Morrison announced that he was taking his last request, he called
for the audience to ask for "The Ice of Boston." As is tradition,
knowing audience members (myself included) clambered onto the stage to
dance and sing with the band. From that perspective, where some fans
stayed for the duration of the set, you could see the blissed-out
expressions of the crowd. After "The Ice of Boston" the Plan sang
"Happy Birthday" to an audience member and then launched into "What Do
You Want Me to Say?" which shook the stage with energy. Also as is
tradition, Morrison began his medley of covers, starting with set
staple "Back that Azz Up" and moving onto various other songs. Fans of
hot boy-on-boy action were very pleased when Cex ran onstage, kissed
Morrison, and participated in a duet of "Such Great Heights," a Postal
Service song, before Morrison jumped on Cex’s back and continued to
sing. It was at this point that Morrison’s face shone the brightest,
but his bandmates, who kept their game faces on, appeared less than
thrilled. That’s how it ended, in more ways than one.
-Whitney Weiss
|
 The Cramps
05/04/03
House of Blues-Orlando
by Will
I bought my first Cramps album in 1984 on the advice of a
friend. It’s fair to say I was hooked after the first spin. I had
never heard anything like it before; the music was rockabilly on
acid. The band themselves coined the term “psycobilly” for some of
their earliest fliers. The songs were about things like old sci-fi
movies, zombies, lust, sex, fast cars, liquor and drugs, and the
like. For reasons unknown, this really struck a chord with me. The
band was, and is fronted by self-described soul mates Lux Interior on
vocals and Poison Ivy on guitar. Lux is one of God’s originals, part
alien, part Elvis, and part old southern black minister. Ivy is known
for, among other things, playing shows in what is essentially her
underwear, she is very alluring in a really sleazy way and graces the
cover of most of their albums. To cap off her image, her musical
talent is truly amazing. Attending some of their live performances
throughout the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s are some of my best memories.
The shows defy adequate description but when they were over much wine
had been consumed on stage and Lux was always down to a skimpy vinyl
G-string and a pair of women's pumps. They were the personification
of rock’n’roll decadence. That's why I decided to drive down to
Orlando to see them when their show in Jacksonville was canceled, to
relive some of the carefree moments of my younger days.
The crowd was sparse at first and the opening acts Fantasy, and
then the Gore Gore Girls did little to stir things up. After the
Girls had finished their set the room began to fill up. Although
there were too many “Eddies from Rocky Horror” to count, for the most
part the crowd was varied in appearance and age. Then the lights went
down and as the curtain opened an earsplitting native drumbeat began.
The rest of the band walked on stage with trademark disinterested
scowls on their faces and began an hour or so set that drew heavily
from their most recent release, FIENDS OF DOPE ISLAND. This CD will
not disappoint Cramps fans and has a few standout songs that were
performed during the set. Among them are BIG BLACK WITCHCRAFT ROCK,
and an interesting cover of Jerry Reed’s OOWEE BABY. They didn’t
neglect their older material though, and played such time tested
favorites as, DAMES BOOZE CHAINS AND BOOTS, DOMINO, TV SET, MULE
SKINNER BLUES, PSYCHOTIC REATION, and a few other classics.
As well as Lux and Poison, this tours lineup includes 10-year
Cramps veteran Harry Drumdini on drums and newcomer Chopper Franklin
(The Mau Maus and Mr. Badwrench) on bass. They still have the look;
Lux and Poison are seemingly ageless and they have always had a simple
and straightforward stage set-up with their only props being a bottle,
or more, of red wine and a small Cramps logo on the bass drum. They
still have the sound, which is unique and bone rattling. Yet
something was missing. Gone were Lux’s constant wind sprints. Gone
was the extended physical crowd interaction. Gone were the stage
divers; a mosh pit did break out almost immediately but seemed tame by
comparison to others I’ve seen and was well supervised by H.O.B.
security. Most disappointing of all, gone was Lux’s trademark
stripping down on stage to the aforementioned G-string and pumps.
During the final number, SURFIN’ BIRD, Lux did briefly stick his hands
and the microphone down his pants and climb on the speaker stacks, but
if you are familiar with past Cramps performances, like at the Milk
Bar in ‘92, these seemed like token gestures at best.
After the show, when H.O.B. staffers efficiently herded us out of
the club, I felt a little let down. On the way to the car, Max
(MOVEMENT publisher) said to me, “Well, I've finally seen the
Cramps.” “What did you think?” I asked. “It seemed a bit tame”, was
his reply. I ventured the theory that maybe they were just getting
old, I mean Lux must be pushing 50. Yet on stage Lux and the band
didn’t look tired, they just seemed somehow restrained. At some point
in the conversation Max said something to effect of, “maybe it was the
venue” (H.O.B. is smack in the middle of Downtown Disney). This made
some sense. All through the performance Lux made many references to
“Mickey and Minnie Rat,” and “Walt Dismal.” Perhaps the Disney folks
had had some hand in their sedate performance by warning the band of
stern consequences for any undue deviant behavior. This is entirely
possible. Pleasure Island not withstanding, this was, after all, Walt
Disney World. This made me remember something that happened while we
were waiting in line to pick up our tickets. In front of us was your
typical punk rock kid, head to toe leather and studs, eyeliner, and a
Testor’s model glue hairstyle that defied gravity. After he got his
ticket he was milling around in front waiting for the doors to open.
Within a couple of minutes a thirty-something couple approached him
with their preschool aged son. They asked if they their child could
stand next to him for a photo. The punk rocker seemed surprised, but
was very polite and agreed to pose for the picture. Apparently, a
punk rocker at Disney is such a novelty that when they do appear, far
from being shocked, the tourist views them as part and parcel of the
Disney experience. Much like the many life-sized cartoon characters
that caper about the grounds. The whole place is like some sort of
twisted alternate universe where the pursuit of happiness and
independent thought are just an illusion. Your entertainment and
vices are all provided for you in the same controlled location, and
dark forces are at work pulling the strings… just below the surface.
The show was still very much worth the price of the ticket and I
hope I have the opportunity to see them again in a less structured
environment sometime in the near future. In the meantime, I’ll have
to be content with the fact that they’re still putting out new
material and it’s still good. |
|
 |
the Faint
by Whitney Weiss
The Faint
w/ Les Savy Fav
and Schneider TM
The Faint returned to Jacksonville May 3 with an amazing video setup
and a remix album under their belt, a sign that the Omaha-based band
is finally going to get the attention they so rightly deserve.
The Faint's last show in Jacksonville only attracted 60 or so people.
This time around, however, the Marquee was packed with music fans,
some of whom had made the drive from Tallahassee, Savannah, and
Gainesville.
Opening act Schneider TM's brand of electronic music had a lukewarm
reception from the crowd overall, though some individuals with a
penchant for such sounds were far more impressed . The highlight of
Schneider TM's set was a cover of The Smiths' "There is a Light That
Never Goes Out." For a more accurate representation of Schneider TM's
music, it is worth it to check out the upcoming American debut.
After Schneider TM, Les Savy Fav took the stage. They remained unfazed
by monitor woes, and the lead singer spent most of the set borrowing
items from concertgoers (glasses, wigs) and leaping around amongst the
audience. Les Savy Fav's stage energy was impressive, and the group
won the audience over with a combination of a solid sound and the lead
singer's enthusiasm and stage antics.
Even the most jaded scenester couldn't help but dance when the Faint
took the stage. The band's CDs are enough to inspire impromptu bedroom
dancing and move dance floors of people at local clubs, so the fact
that their material was absolutely explosive live ignited the dance
floor. Video screens showed footage fitting for each song, much of
which was as artistic and professional as larger (and richer) bands
such as Tool and Nine Inch Nails. The group debuted "Take Me To The
Hospital" and stuck to songs mostly from Blank-Wave Arcade and Danse
Macabre. The highlight of the evening was the performance of "Worked
Up So Sexual," when the audience gyrated under flashing lights and the
band played under screens flashing a variety of images of nipples.
After closing with "Agenda Suicide," The Faint were done 55 minutes
after taking the stage. The only complaint heard from concertgoers,
which I share, is that a longer set would have been much appreciated.
All in all, it was the best show Jacksonville had seen in ages.
-Whitney Weiss |
|
Melt Banana w/ the
Heatseekers and EMA
Jack Rabbit's - July 4th
What better way to celebrate America's birthday than going to a
noisecore show! Those who made it past the clusterfuck of cars on I-95
who wanted to see fireworks made it to Jack Rabbit's in time to see
EMA's performance, which mostly fizzled. The lead singer opted to play
the entire set, back facing the audience. One member of the audience
loudly shouted "Hey man, you can't do that, you're not Thom Yorke."
After EMA finished up, the Heatseekers, a band from Fort Lauderdale,
took the stage with their brand of speedy loud rock and roll. The
approach was pretty straightforward, and the audience responded much
better to the enthusiasm and energy the Heatseekers brought onstage
with them. In between songs and spurts of classic rock (the riff to
"American Woman" being a highlight of their set), the lead singer
barked enthusiastic encouragement to the crowd, and noted that wasn't
Jacksonville the land of NASCAR?
The NASCAR fans really got riled up when Melt Banana took the stage.
For some, it was the music---an explosive firecracker of thrashing
guitars, pummeled drums, and the loudest tortured wail ever produced
by a Japanese woman standing perhaps 5 feet tall. For others, it was
just the looks of the lead singer Yasuko O. Regardless, Melt Banana
managed to kick the ass of most Jack Rabbit's patrons during songs,
and charm them during breaks, when band members discussed, in English,
their tour so far and how many times before they'd played in
Jacksonville. Burly men awwed when Yasuko O pronounced "Jack Rabbit's"
then continued pummeling each other through the short but fulfilling
encore.
Melt Banana stole the show, as was expected, making for an explosive
4th of July concert in Jacksonville, worthy of terrible extended
metaphors regarding fireworks. Don't miss this band if they come
through town again; they don't so much overcome the J-Rock stigma as
they bash it over the head gleefully with a fully developed sound.
-Whitney Weiss |
|
LIVE FROM THE FRONT |
ARCHIVES
05.03 - 10.03 |
10.03 - 12.03 |
01.04 - 03.04 |
WMC
PHOTO-RETRO |
|
