Shouldn’t seeing the same band twice in two years at the same venue yield similar results? I was really impressed last year with the energy and composition that Аркона (Arkona) brought while touring with fellow folk metal band Heidevolk, so it was safe to assume that another year of development now supporting symphonic metal band Epica could be even better, right?
Category: Concert
C-C-Combo Breaker: First Media Plug
I’m breaking format. Martin Leung, the Video Game Pianist, posted a demo reel and seven seconds in I saw this:
Concert Review: NOFX (2016)
NOFX haven’t been in town for years. Some bands are always on tour and will reliably be in town every year at around the same time. (Metal band Korpiklaani even performed on the same date for two consecutive years.) Not being able to see a band for years can lead to a certain sense of longing and inflating anticipation, especially after hearing their live material. Do they suck live?
Concert Review: Shonen Knife (2016)
Concerts can be a gamble. While it’s fun to see the city, getting to some venues can be difficult and there’s a lot of waiting around that can leave you drained, especially if you have to wake up at a decent hour the next morning. Some bands like Van Halen have a terrific early catalogue and are terrible live, yet others like Blondie, X, and especially Willie Nelson might be better now than when they started. Where does Shonen Knife fit in?
Concert Review: Pennywise (2016)
One infatuation I had in high school was MTV2. They’d show energetic rock music videos with creative editing techniques that fascinated me enough to venture out of my shell and attend the real life equivalents. Some bands needed to hide behind fast-paced editing or close-ups. Pennywise didn’t have the most energetic live performance of the year, though the rowdy Friday night bar scene reminded me of those visceral music videos of the early 2000s, by bands like A Perfect Circle, Linkin Park, and System of a Down.
Concert Review: Wednesday 13 (2nd 2016 show)
I don’t like the idea of bands, or things in general, growing on you with exposure. That means you’ve accepted their flaws and it’s also not going with your gut. The first two times I’d seen horror punk (band) Wednesday 13, something was missing. Well, they found it.
Concert Review: VG Pianist, MC Frontalot, Bit Brigade (PAX, 2016)
Videogame expo PAX hosted two nights of concerts over Labor Day weekend. The Friday night line-up consisted of opener Martin Leung the Video Game Pianist, nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot, and headlining the evening was Minibosses-tribute band Bit Brigade. I skipped the Saturday night line-up of Triforce Quartet, 1UPs, and Super Guitar Bros., although with more planning, rest, and effort, I probably could have enjoyed it as much as Friday’s festivities.
Concert Review: Anti-Flag (acoustic, 2016)
Since there is never anything truly free in this world, the question was whether hearing a free acoustic concert by punk rock band Anti-Flag at Showbox SoDo would be worth the time and energy costs of attending a political rally.