Concert Reviews
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Living Colour ~
Sept. 26, 2009 ~ Berbati’s Pan, Portland, OR
Living Colour defined themselves in the late‘80s as a unique band with lyrical content that covered religion, politics and the fight for social equality. Their songwriting style varied, as they possessed many different musical influences combining metal, funk, jazz, soul and pop.
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Counting Crows ~
September 6, 2009 ~ CMAC ~ Canandaigua, NY
Adam Duritz, lead vocalist for the Counting Crows, had
a crazy idea to put together a tour where all the bands
on the bill would play together — a mélange of everybody’s
songs infused in one continuous set.
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Sevendust ~
August 9, 2009 ~ Bonzai Fest ~ Rochester, NY
On Aug. 9, fists were flying in the air at warped speed
as Sevendust paraded around the stage, unleashing their
metal onslaught at the Bonzai music festival in Rochester,
N.Y.
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Silversun Pickups ~
Oct. 15, 2009 Sound Academy ~ Toronto, ON
I'm not unique in the sense that it was the song “Lazy
Eye” that drew me toward Silversun Pickups. That song received
a load of radio airplay in 2007 and 2008 and it also ended
up being featured in both: Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock
Band 2, providing even more exposure.
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Queensryche ~
July 31, 2009 ~ Lockport, N.Y.
Lately it seems like I’m seeing a lot of bands that I
haven’t seen in 20 years — Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Def
Leppard and now Queensryche. All of these bands reached
their peak of popularity in the late 1980s.
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Sugar Ray ~
July 11, 2009 ~ Niagara Falls at the Hard Rock
The ‘90s band Sugar Ray has been on a
five-year hiatus but is back like members never missed a
beat. Mark McGrath is one of the most charismatic front
men I’ve seen in a long time. He commanded the stage, refusing
to let the party die.
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The Chesterfield Kings ~
Lilac Festival ~ Rochester, N.Y. May 17, 2009
What better way to bring the annual Lilac
Festival in Rochester, N.Y. to a finale than with a performance
by the masters of garage rock, The Chesterfield Kings. They
are known worldwide for their psychedelic sounds
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The Presidents of the United States of America ~
April 29, 2009 Lee’s Place ~ Toronto, Canada
Tuesday April 21st was a crazy night in Toronto. Kings
Of Leon were playing a sold out show at the Air Canada Centre
(a very well deserved step-up for them from their previous
two shows at the Koolhaus, one in November 2008 and one
in June 2007)
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Flogging Molly ~
March 11, 2009 ~ Water Street Music Hall ~ Rochester, NY
It’s never too early to start celebrating
St. Patrick’s Day, especially when the reason is Flogging
Molly — a band that mixes old-world Celtic with punk. They
brought their Green 17 tour to Rochester, N.Y. on March
11 and 12. Both shows sold out quickly
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Sevendust ~
April 7, 2009 ~ Main St. Armory ~ Rochester, NY
Sevendust was in Rochester as part of
the Black Label Bash — featuring Zakk Wylde’s Black Label
Society. Sevendust was the third band and they were ready
to rock. They have become regular visitors to the Rochester
area and have thus built a very loyal following.
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Ben Folds ~
February 17, 2009 ~ Koolhaus ~ Toronto, Canada
Not too long before Ben Folds released
his latest album, Way to Normal, he and his band recorded
a bunch of ad-hoc songs and leaked them onto the internet,
in effect creating a fake version of Way to Normal.
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Arkells ~
February 6, 2009 ~ The Horseshoe - Toronto, Canada
It's happening. Anyone in Southern Ontario
who has ever become a fan of the Arkells knew it would happen,
eventually. The Arkells have grown up, and now they're leaving
us (even if only temporarily.)
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Jessie Dee ~
January 30, 2009 ~ Dinosaur Bar B Que ~ Rochester, N.Y.
Jesse Dee was electrifying in his debut
at the Dinosaur Bar B Que — a small juke-joint kind of place
with a make-shift dance floor. The soulster from Boston
had no problem keeping the bar packed as young and old moved
and grooved to the vintage soul
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ill Scarlett ~
December 19, 2008 ~ The Opera House ~ Toronto, Canada
So fast forward about two years: I've
seen illScarlett perform many times over, and even though
not all the shows stand out in my mind, there are a few
that were extremely memorable for me. Last year, illScarlett
performed twice in the same night
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Ani Difranco ~
November 14, 2008 ~ Landmark Theatre ~ Syracuse, N.Y.
I have seen Ani in all kinds of venues,
from clubs with 50 people to auditoriums packed with 2,000
screaming fans. What keeps me coming back is the unexpected.
You never know what you're going to get with her.
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Ryan Montbleau Band ~
Dec. 12, 2008 ~ High Fidelity ~ Rochester, N.Y.
So I started the night looking for Elvis
Presley; being that he was listed on the guest list? But,
as members of the Bleau Crew swiftly filled the club, I
became surrounded by twenty-something-year-olds drinking
themselves into a state of hippie oblivion.
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Matt Nathanson ~
Nov/Dec 2008 ~ Water Street Music Hall ~ Rochester, N.Y.
Matt and his band stand behind the stage
getting psyched for the show. I can see that they are ready.
The stage lights go out and the room erupts with screams
that are almost deafening. They take the stage and jump
right into "Bare," a song from his 2003 release
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Okkervil River ~
October 12, 2008 ~ The Phoenix ~ Toronto, Canada
Given that I included Okkervil River
in my top 10 concerts of 2007, it should be no surprise
that I was eager to see them again when the opportunity
arose. They passed through Toronto in April this year, opening
for The New Pornographers
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Sisters of Mercy ~
October 27, 2008 ~ The Town Ballroom ~ Buffalo, New York
"I'm lying on my back now, The stars
look all too near. Flowers on the razor wire, I know you're
here," sings Andrew Eldritch, surrounded by applause and
silhouetted in the wispy murk. Every Sisters of Mercy show
is performed in a haze from the fog machine set on full
blast.
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Joan Jett ~
August 22, 2008 ~ Niagara Falls, N.Y. ~ Seneca Niagara Casino
I had waited almost 25 years to see Joan
perform live. I got my chance at Seneca Niagara Casino,
with thousands of other fans at her free outdoor show. Hitting
the stage with a background music of the mighty Ramones'
"Blitzkrieg Bop,"
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I made an attempt to see Bedouin Soundclash upstairs
at the El Mocambo during NXNE, and even managed to get myself
close to the stage. But the place was packed beyond belief,
the air was thick with sweat, and some of the stage lights
weren't working.
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G. Love and Special Sauce ~
August 10, 2008 ~ High Falls Brewery ~ Rochester, N.Y.
A man, his guitar and a chair. That was all Garrett Dutton
III, also known as G. Love, needed to get the party started
in Rochester. He took his seat and opened the night with
the uplifting "Rainbow," a song that evokes living in the
now.
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Gavin Degraw ~
August 21, 2008 ~ NOLA's ~ Rochester, N.Y.
The crowd, which was made up of mostly
younger fans and was mostly female, were looking for a goodtime
and Gavin Degraw was ready to give it to them. He walked
slowly onto the stage and grabbed a guitar as girls shrieked
& jumped up and down.
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Puddle of Mudd ~
August 15, 2008 ~ Seneca Niagara Casino ~ Niagara Falls,
N.Y.
I admit, prior to this show my knowledge of Puddle of
Mudd was through their hit singles like "Blurry," "Control"
and "Psycho." I first observed the band as they walked towards
the stage. Lead vocalist Wes Scantlin stopped to high-five
three young boys
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Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi ~
July 11, 2008 ~ The High Falls Brewery ~ Rochester, NY
As another work week comes to an end,
you couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate; Derek Trucks
and Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival, the long-awaited performance
of the husband-and-wife blues duo.
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The Leah Randazzo Group ~
July 19, 2008 ~ The Blue Note ~ New York, NY
My first impression of Leah was that
of a clean and sober Amy Winehouse with a hint of Norah
Jones.
Many performers instantly remind you of what is familiar.
If they are good, it usually takes a week or two for that
sound to take on its own identity.
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Since it's inception in 1993, Kevin Lyman
has been the brain child behind this monstrous tour that
erupts every summer, featuring over 100 bands that range
from pop-punk rock to metalcore and post hardcore.
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It has been about one year since the release of Ryan
Shaw’s debut record This is Ryan Shaw. In 2007 Ryan
had a successful year, proven by numerous appearances on
television and a Grammy nomination. But mostly due to grinding
it out on the road.
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Ani DiFranco ~
March 1, 2008 - Rochester, N.Y.
All artists start out playing in clubs and we always
wish we could have seen our favorites “before they made
it big.” I feel fortunate to have been able to watch Ani
play a number of club shows and it was nice to watch her
progress.
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The Hush Sound ~
April 6, 2008 Rochester, N.Y.
This was part of the Honda Civic/ Panic at the Disco
tour. To be honest with you, for The Hush Sound I am a virgin,
literally, I just purchased their new disc, Goodbye Blues,
two days before the show. I gave it a spin about three times
through and I was instantly captivated
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