Heyrocco

Heyrocco

Waiting On Cool

Heyrocco, an alternative rock band from South Carolina recently released their new EP "Waiting On Cool" via Dine Alone Records and everyone here at Crowdsurf loved it. Produced by Brendan Benson of The Ranconteurs this guitar driven album reminds us all of a band we can't quite place. While sounding familiar and bringing us back to a different musical era, the album also feels modern giving it a unique sound that you'll want to check out. We had the chance to talk with Nate Merli and get an inside look at how "Waiting On Cool" was created.

"The album was recorded in three different places," Nate told us. "Starting with Venice Beach being written with Admiral Collier at The Godfather Pete G's house circa March 2015," he joked, "Months later Yeah, Always Something New, and Build It Up were recorded in Nashville with Brendan Benson on Division Street whilst wearing cowboy hats. From there we came home to Charleston, tracked Perfect World and Slice of Life with Wolfgang Zimmerman, had him doctor the whole thing up and ... Boom, sucka - dropped."

When talking about the recording process Nate told us it was, "No different that any other. Some of it was very tedious, some of it just happened just like that," he said snapping his fingers.  "Venice Beach took a while to finish. Slice of Life took the longest to write as it took me a while to figure out what I needed to say to this one girl. I still think the song needs a good bridge, but that's just me."

Heyrocco has an LP titled "Teenage Movie Soundtrack" which they released in June of 2015 which you definitely go check out.

Catch them on tour in a city near you this summer.

Heyrocco Tour Dates:

  • 6/3 Cubby Bear – Chicago, IL
  • 6/9 Pour House – Charleston, SC
  • 6/16 Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
  • 6/30 – Tidballs – Bowling Green, KY
  • 7/2 HiWatt – Nashville, TN
  • 7/27 Mercury Lounge - NYC 
  • 7/29 Alphaville – Brooklyn, NY 
  • 7/30 Mr. Smalls – Pittsburgh, PA 

Crisis A.D and All That Remains 5/23 Portland, ME

Written By: Shelby Whitehouse

On May 23rd I went out to Port City Music Hall to do some photo for Cover One Eye, Crisis A.D, and All That Remains. The night didn't go entirely as planned, due to some difficulties with PR needless to say we entered the venue much later than planned. This setback caused us to miss out on C1E (sorry dudes!) but we heard they put on a hell of a show. Once we did get in though, I headed straight to the front to meter lights and get set up for our good friends in Crisis A.D. 

Crisis started the night off with a huge bang. Their vocalist Darren never ceases to amaze with his kick in the teeth vocals that really help make their sound stand among the rest. However there is no Crisis A.D without brothers Topaz and Keanu, bass and guitar respectively, as well as Drummer Jake and other guitarist Brandon to round out their whole sound. These guys are a blast to photo, full of energy and plenty of nifty dance moves. If you've ever spent time with these guys you know that they can be total goofballs and some of that shows through when they play to the cameras during their set. I'm glad we were able to get in and catch it. Crisis A.D is a show I'd hate to miss. Keep an eye of for big things coming with these dudes soon!

Once that was said and done we finished out the night jamming some All That Remains. It was my first time seeing these guys, but it's certainly not my last. Their HUGE sound and awesome stage presence made for a really great time, and the crowd absolutely loved them. Their entire look and feel was really fun to photograph, and they played to the camera like champs. Next time these guys are time town, be sure not to miss it!

Overall, a great night at Port City. 

Why You Should Go To Local Shows

If you have ever been to our office, you would know that the floor is littered with old ticket stubs, drink wristbands, and parking passes from venues all around New England. We have seen shows in cities like Portland, Providence, Worcester, and of course Boston; all from shows with major headlining acts on national tours who, only for a few, hours make that city their home. But we have also seen shows in smaller towns like Manchester, Revere, Nashua, and Derry at smaller, but no less important, local shows.

What if we told you that some of our best memories are not from the shows with larger headlining acts, but from smaller local shows? The New England scene is slowly coming back and Crowdsurf Central is happy to be at the center of it.

Since our small beginning just over one year ago we have been to countless shows and done a dozen or so interviews with nationally touring acts. What many seem to forget is that every single one of those bands all started in the same place. No band becomes famous overnight. In fact, a large majority of bands never seem the fame they seek. Bands like Broadside, Reel Big Fish, Hawthorne Heights, and Hit the Lights, all of whom we have interviewed, all started by playing small local shows where sometimes the only people who show up were members of the other bands on the bill.

By going to these local shows we have created amazing friendships with many of the talented musicians in our area. They love what we do as much as we love what they do, and we do all we can to help support them. You need to remember that the bands sometimes have pre-sale tickets they need to get rid of or risk the displeasure of paying to play. You need to remember that merch isn’t free and that the band paid out-of-pocket for those shirts and must sell a certain number to break even. You need to remember that they also work jobs during the day and that most of what they make gets put into the band; whether it be equipment, show costs, or merch.

In February Real Friends announced a special headlining tour where all tickets would cost $5.00.

"We are stoked to announce "The $5 Tour." We will be playing small places that aren't traditional settings for shows. Some of the venues are skateparks, retail stores, restaurants, record stores, and even batting cages. All ticket prices will be $5. We owe everything to you. It's time to give back with not only a unique show experience, but an affordable ticket price as well. This will be fun for everyone involved. Being in a band is about having fun and there should be no rules. This will really highlight that. Tickets are VERY limited. Most of the shows have less than 150 total tickets available."

Real Friends knew the important role their local scene played in their rise to fame and wanted to give back. The tour was filled with energetic shows that created memories that will last a lifetime.  

So the next time that you get an invite to a local on show on Facebook remember that all bands have to start somewhere.

Pure Noise Tour 2016 - Boston

Written By: Shelby Whitehouse

This past Sunday (May 15th, 2016) I had the pleasure of shooting interviews and photos with Hit the Lights, Seaway, Can't Swim, and Casey Bolles. We started the night off working things out with bands, who were really gracious fitting us into our schedules. All three of our interviews were fun as can be, and we learned a lot of really cool things about each artist and band. Now, my department is just to film these interviews, so my participation was limited. However, once we were done, it was one to my department: shooting the show. 

We opened the evening with Casey Bolles who put on a quirky, spurratic, but very well composed show that was a pleasure to photograph. Though we weren't able to schedule an interview with Casey, we were still excited. The music filled the venue well for being a young, solo artist. Casey had a good stage presence that was easy to work off of, and I'd definitely enjoy working on one of his shows again.

Next up we had Can't Swim, and these guys blew me away. As a concert goer who has seen Can't Swim a couple times, I must say that this date was their best performance I've seen by far. They had so much fun energy to play off of while taking photos. Their stage presence as a band has improved 2000x over, and I can't wait to work with them again. Also, on a side note; these guys are a riot to hang out with. Their interview was so much fun to film, and they were so gracious even when we had minor difficulties. Super nice guys!

Then it was time for Seaway. I'd seen Seaway a few times before, but WHOA. These guys have tightened their sound, and if you've been sitting back on them, SIT UP NOW. Their stage presence was that of a headlining band, and the fervor you felt while they performed was fantastic. Some of my favorite shots of the night came from Seaway's set. Again, I'd love to work with them sometime soon also. We interviewed members of Seaway after their much beloved basketball game, and though it wasn't easy they were troopers. 

Lastly, of course we had Hit the Lights. We had a chance to sit down and interview frontman Nick before the show, and it was hilarious. What a fun interview, and the few minutes of time to just hang out after was even better. Once their set started that night, I was ready to go. I was exhausted. They came on, and instantly their set filled the whole Brighton Music Hall with electricity. I was dancing while shooting, wide awake, and feeling like it was 2008 again. The stage presence and Hit the Lights ability to play to their fans AND a camera was amazing. We had the best time. OF COURSE, I'd love to shoot for these guys, anytime.

Overall, the Boston stop of the Pure Noise Tour was fantastic. All of the people we met and spent time with were truly great, and I'm so excited to share the material we got with you all! So, go check out the interviews! Look below for a small sampling of photos, and find the rest under "photos" on our page! Feel free to share them around! Thanks, all.

Bad Case of Big Mouth

Bad Case of Big Mouth is a five-piece easycore band from New Jersey, they released their debut full-length  Straight Up Bad Luck in 2014. Inspired by bands like Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember, Blink-182, and New Found Glory the band incorporates a heavy sound while maintaining a pop-punk vibe. 

"We had all been in different bands around New Jersey," Tyler told us, "Tony, James, and a coule former members recruited John and I to co-front the band. We later found Justin when we posted on Facebook that we needed a bassist. We liked him so much that we bumped him up to guitar."

The band has a strong presence on social media, most notably their Facebook group Bad Case of Big Mouth's Taco Squad. "We've made this group for the sole purpose of interacting with everyone who is team BCoBM!" the description reads. "We wanted to develop a way to keep in touch with you all on more of a personal level while giving you all a place to meet new friends, discuss music, fall in love, and eat pizza/tacos." The group currently has over 9,000 members and is a great place to get lost in conversation with other fans.  "It's not all just about BCoBM," Tyler told us, "We have friendly discussions, talk about our daily lives, and help promote of local bands and shows While the Taco Squad is silly and has a lighthearted theme, we've found out that it's created new friendships among our listeners and has given a lot of people something to a part of."

Not too long ago John had hinted at new BCoBM music in the group and we have confirmed that a new EP is on the way. "We are releasing a five-song EP later this year," we were told. "It's going to be titled 'Break It To Build It.' The name sort-of sums up what we've had to go through over the past year or so. We are building ourselves up and are hoping to shine brighter than ever before."

The band is slated to play EZ East Fest June 25th in Staten Island, NY with Abandoned By Bears, The Lost Boys, Until We Get Caught, and a handful of other bands.  "We love Staten Island, so that has us pumped," Tyler told us. "We are friends with a lot of the bands playing so it will be awesome to see them again and hang after the show. For the bands we haven't seen yet we're [still] super excited to check them out and build relationships." You can get your tickets for EZ East Fest here.

However, before June rolls around BCoBM is slated to play the May 21st date of the Guardians of Easycore tour, and have a headlining show at Gamechanger World in Howell, NJ on June 4th.  Keep an eye out for an East Coast tour in August!

The Used - 15 Year Anniversary Tour

The Used were in town at the House of Blues for two nights of pure nostalgia on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7. 

The first night, Friday, saw a line that stretched the length of Lansdowne Street behind Fenway Park where fans excitedly stood in anticipation of what they were about to experience. This joy, however, was slightly dampened when a sudden downpour soaked the line which had just begun to enter the venue. Though slightly wet, the crowd was still excited for what was to come.  The Used took the stage by storm and performed their self-titled album in full, much to the excitement of the crowd. When everything had died down, many exited House of Blues into a downpour much heavier than the one that soaked them beforehand. Stating that they would be at the next night's show, many made plans to meet up with people they had only just met that night.

Saturday night arrived with much excitement and much better weather. Much like the previous night, the line seemingly stretched on forever, up Lansdowne, beyond Cask 'n Flagon and onto Brookline Avenue. The crowd chatted away as they waited to be granted admission to the venue they had occupied less than 24 hours ago. Little did they know that a line was forming on the other side of Fenway Park for another concert, this one by X-Ambassadors who would be playing a show that night for a select crowd in the ballpark, and the next night for a sold-out crowd at House of Blues. Like the previous night, The Used took the stage by storm and performed "In Love and Death" in full and the crowd loved every second of it.

When everything was said and done the crowd exited House of Blues to a dazzling fireworks display at Fenway Park that lit up the street and surround area; a fitting end to a perfect two nights. The pictures below are some of our favorites from Saturday.

Transit Method

Transit Method is a grunge/progressive/heavy rock band from Austin, Texas.  Their second EP, "Roach," is being released May 27th via Basement Avatar Records, a small outlet also located in Austin. We had the chance to talk with the band about their upcoming EP and what they experienced while taking part in the documentary, "If You Don't Love It, Change It." 

Brothers Matt and Mike LoCoco started Transit Method in New Jersey in 2010. "We've been playing music together since we were just kids so it was pretty natural for us to get a band together after we finished school," Matt told us. "I had been playing with our first bassist Matt Ficarelli for two years, and Mike was good friends with Chris Clark who had played in a previous band in high school. We brought us all together and that was the first lineup." 

After releasing their first full length album, "Spun Into The Fabric," in 2011 the band relocated to Austin, Texas where they released their 2013 EP, "Spectrum," and second full length, "Celebrate Mutations," in 2014. "An alumni reccomended Austin to me," Mike told us. "He said if I like music, partying, and good people I would love it there. Matt heard similar buzz and we decided that rehersing in our parent's basement couldn't continue. The other two members could not move with Matt and I but supported the decision and we arrived at our new home in January 2012." 

Shortly after that they brought in their new bassist Danny Cruz Borja, Jr., and the rest is history. "A mutual friend out ours sent me an email one day out of the blue asking me if I would be interested in playing with Transit Method It took only one listen of Celebrate Mutations for me to say yes," he told us. 

When the band started recording their new EP, "Roach," it was the first time they recorded entirely analog. "We were referred to Gary Calhoun James at Bell Tree Studios in Austin," Mike said. "James had recorded some notable bands we really admire. It only took a weekend to do the two songs and it ended up really exceeding our expectations!"

The guys took part in the music documentary, "If You Don't Love It, Change It," where Kenny Lewis and Randy Jenereaux venture off onto a nationwide tour where they shoot 50 music videos all across America.  "Being involved in this documentary definitely injected some ambition into the band," Mike told us. "Kenny is younger than us and had his aim set high for great things, it was really inspiring. The project was an extreme undertaking for he and Randy, and we knew this project was special." Transit Method recorded their music video for "Artificial Genesis" with Randy and Kenny. "These guys motivated us to be creative and think outside the box," Mike continued. "The song is fairly lengthy and linear, so we wanted the song's evolution to come out through various settings, costume changes, and overall weirdness. We had a long 12-hour shoot in the rain, hopping around to several locations in Austin, and ended up shooting late night green screen shots in our house. In those late night hours, Danny wore the cigarette-smoking chicken head, which in my opinion was the cherry on top."

Basement Avatar Records, which is releasing the band's EP, originally served to release the music of founder Xander Rapstine's band, Proud Peasant, but is slowly evolving to becoming bigger than that. "We're helping each other though promotion and exposure," Mike said, "And we're looking forward to seeing the label's growth!."

The band is currently on tour in the south but has plans for when they finish. "We're gearing up to write another full length record," Mike stated. "We already have four new songs that we are playing on this tour, and we're got at least 20 new ideas demoed. We'll finish up writing the new record this summer and will hopefully hit the studio this fall. We will probably do another video wit the "Roach" director Justin Wilson and a larger tour will follow."

Be sure to pick up "Roach" when it releases on May 27th. 

Artificial Genesis - Transit Method

Boys Like Girls Announce 10-Year Anniversary Tour

In honor of the 10 year anniversary of their self-titled debut, BOYSLIKEGIRLS will be performing the album live in its entirety in these select cities:

8/05 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
8/06 - New York, NY @ Playstation Theater
8/07 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
8/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
8/11 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
8/12 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre

VIP/pre-sale tickets available tomorrow, Tuesday 5/10, at 12PM EST.
General tickets available Friday, 5/13, at 12PM local time.
Tickets will be available at www.boyslikegirls.com.

Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus denies Tom DeLonge’s claim

The Blink 182 drama continues. Mark Hoppus has denied Tom DeLonge's claim of the two speaking following the release of Blink's new song, "Bored to Death."

"I haven't even spoken to Tom in a year and a half," he told Kevin Klein Live. "[Making music with DeLonge again] is so far down the road to even be a possibility."

He added that DeLonge's Facebook statement "came as a surprise," but that he will "never say never to anything."

If you missed DeLonge's statement, read it here.

Tom DeLonge releases statement on Blink 182.

Following the release of the latest single and tour announcement by Blink 182, former Blink 182 member Tom DeLonge released a statement on his personal Facebook in which he claimed to still be a member of the band.

Hi everybody-
I understand all the craziness out there in Internet-land, it is an odd time for fans of the Blink-182 legacy, I know- It's odd for me, too. 
Well, I met with Mark yesterday, and Travis the week before.... I actually talk to Travis almost every day, now. 
The answer is this: 
We DO have a future together if we want it, but for now we are busy doing separate things. I am directing a movie this summer, releasing a couple more albums of music and digging deeper into my Sekret Machines Project with the US DOD.
I know people are comparing the Angels and Airwaves Chasing Shadows EP to the new Blink-182 music, and that is a failed task. We are different people after different things. For one, I think having a song-writer that came in on the Blink album (Feldy- 5 Seconds of Summer, Good Charlotte) was something they felt was necessary, and that in itself may be an indicator of some of our current artistic differences that are difficult to overcome. At the time, I was recording the song NEW WORLD (on the DEMOS album titled after my own name) and that was my personal opinion of where we could possibly take Blink for the next album. But we are at different places in our minds, careers and goals, I get it. 
But that said, I obviously want them to make the music they wish. I have always been thankful for them in my life, but I am a forward thinking artist, and sometimes that leads me down a different path- That is why I have done other projects like: Box Car Racer, Angels and Airwaves- LOVE 1 & 2, AND The Dream Walker etc... 
I look forward to my upcoming adventures, and a hell of a lot more...
....Maybe even a bit of Blink-182 if we can build back that "special something" that was once there.

Blink 182 Announce Summer Tour

In celebration of their first new album in four years, Blink 182 have announced a summer tour with A Day To Remember, The All-American Rejects, and All Time Low.

07/22 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena *
07/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint *
07/26 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center *
07/28 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena *
07/29 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion *
07/30 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center *
07/31 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion *
08/02 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood *
08/03 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Arena *
08/05 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre *
08/06 – Tampa, FL @ Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre *
08/08 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater *
08/09 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center *
08/10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center *
08/12 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion #
08/13 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach #
08/14 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center #
08/16 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater #
08/19 – Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center #
08/21 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre #
08/23 – Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheatre #
08/24 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #
08/25 – Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain #
08/27 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Pavilion #
08/28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion #
08/30 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theater #
09/02 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theater #
09/03 – Bangor, ME @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion #
09/04 – Saratoga, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center #
09/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *
09/09 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater *
09/10 – Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center *
09/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater *
09/13 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center *
09/15 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena *
09/16 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena *
09/17 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
09/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Abbotsford Centre *
09/20 – Portland, OR @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheater *
09/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Amphitheatre #
09/24 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion #
09/25 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater #
09/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater #
09/29 – Irvine, CA @ Meadows Amphitheater #
10/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum #

* = w/ A Day to Remember and The All-American Rejects
# = w/ A Day to Remember and All Time Low

Listen to their new single, "Bored to Death," below:

A Weekend With Friday Night Lites

Written and submitted by Shelby Whitehouse.

IMG_6827-Edit.jpg

This past weekend of April 15th and 16th, Maine pop punkers Friday Night Lites did a two-night stint with Rhode Island locals Trophy Wives. The first night kicked off in Derry, NH with the last show ending in Worcester, MA. I had the pleasure of road tripping around for the weekend with Friday Night Lites, and let me tell you; there’s never a dull moment with these guys. What is Friday Night Lites? This sunny, upbeat, positive band comes from Southern  Maine. A group of busy guys, who have a collective mission to get their fans to "Lite 'N Up"! Lyrically they are catchy, and melodically they're tighter than most would expect to hear from a local group. So, needless to say spending the weekend with this 5 part group was as fun as busy as I could ever have needed.

Arriving in Derry, NH was pleasant, and after no time we were all together. The first two to greet me were guitarists Nate, and Matt (fondly and more preferably known as Stik). These two were followed closely behind by local band Crisis A.D’s Keanu, our merch guy for the weekend. These three lead me to the van where we found Vocalist Joey, as well as bassist Jesse relaxing before a long night of music. Last to arrive to the van to catch up was Friday Night Lites' newest member, their drummer Derek.

Having known the guys for a while, there was no need for an ice breaker as we reunited and started preparing for the night ahead. Merch was unloaded, equipment was brought in, and dance parties were had as I snapped away with the camera. Once everyone was settled inside, the crew disbanded a bit to support other bands, catch up with friends, greet fans, and freshen up before performing.  

Finally, it was time for the guys to perform. I snapped on my 50mm 1.8 lens, and took my place side stage as FNL launched into their power packed set. People jammed, sang the words, and there was even some creative “hardcore dancing” happening in the crowd. Joey soared above the stage pulling out all the stops complete with ninja moves and punk rock jumps. Their set included crowd favorites, and singles such as “Bases Loaded” and “Face the World”, as well as “I’m a Sandra Bullock Kinda Guy”. Guitarist and Bassist, Nate and Jesse, we’re on their game with encouraging the crowd to yell the lyrics along with them. Guitarist “Stik” was focused and concise, bringing out that bright and sunny vibe everybody loves from the band’s sound. Also, you could never tell that this outing was only new drummer Derek’s third show with the group, as he seemingly never missed a beat and kept the crew on time throughout the set. Passion rose higher and higher in every members face’s as they finished off their set with their newest upcoming single “We’ve Got Something for Ya.” The room felt electric down to the last note. Exhausted, the guys left the stage to head back to their posts around the room. Their set had gone down without a hitch.

After finishing up watching anticipated Rhode Island Trophy Wives the band loaded up and headed out to the home of Crowdsurf Central’s Seth Dallaire in Haverhill, MA. Once in Haverhill, Mcdonald’s happened. Eight individual drive-thru orders later, we we’re pretty sure the people at McDonalds hated us. We scooted to Seth’s house, ate, talked the night over, and eventually sprawled out throughout the house to rest.

Waking up the next day, we woke with a plan to head into downtown Haverhill where Seth showed us some great spots for promotional work. My goal for the morning with the guys was just to get some solid photos that could be used for their media needs. I got way more than I bargained for. Instead I got five men in desperate need of coffee and food, one excessively sleepy merch guy, and I was super exhausted myself. We all lazied around getting ready. Joey, Derek, Seth, and Nate took their time getting ready by watching Star Wars to start their day (a group favorite, by far). By the time we hit the city, it was nearly noon. We stopped for breakfast as a family at a little café, and then embarked on one of the busiest days of shooting I’ve ever encountered. We hit 10+ different stops in the city to try to capture who these guys really are. We were under bridges, against walls, on the waterfront, hanging out on stoops, just walking around. I got every emotion in the spectrum on camera that day, and had the most fun doing it.

These guys all live in different places, so aside from weekly practices, there’s not a lot of time to hang out as a whole. So, they had a great time just being guys, being friends, and enjoying the sunny day all while we worked. I got all the shots I could’ve ever needed, and so many fun candids that really prove that Friday Night Lites is like family. If you’ve never met them, you’d probably think at least one is related to their other, these guys are like brothers. Each member brings an aspect to the group, and it’s part of who they are as Friday Night Lites on stage as well.

After shooting was done, it was time to get ready for NeonFest that night. Joey, Jesse, Nate, Stik, and Derek all were sure they had their proper gear, water, outfits and everything they’d need in the coming hours before we all sat to rest before departing Haverhill, MA. An hour nap, some donuts with Keanu, and a couple skateboard tricks later, the group was ready to hit the road to Worcester, MA. The drive was quick, and loading in for the night was even quicker. The show came and went as a blur, with all types of local talent taking the stage. This was a variety show of types for sure. Trophy Wives jumped, jammed, and threw down following a vivid performance from Lions Lions. Then, it was our turn.

Friday Night Lites took the stage to a pretty intimate crowd that evening. Though it wasn’t the biggest show to date, each member played with more vigor and intensity than I’ve ever seen in them before. Something about such a relaxed night lit a fire in these guys that clearly proves they’re out for big things. The whole set was really a big blur for everyone involved, getting fiercer and louder as it went on. Joey, Jesse, Nate, Stik, and Derek left the stage that night exhausted, and itching to play a show bigger than any one before it to leave this night behind.

Run down from a busy weekend, we made our way back to Haverhill where we said our goodbyes. We’d all be together again the following weekend for battle of the bands, with more shenanigans to come. This left me to crash in Haverhill for the evening, sifting through photos, and gearing up for all the big things to come. I don’t know what Friday Night Lites has in store for me next, but I do know that whatever it is I’m ready. These guys are doing HUGE things, and it’s a pleasure to be along for the ride.

Keep your eye out for Friday Night Lites in Farmington, ME at the Battle of the Bands 4/23/16, and for more photos to come VIA Crowdsurf Central & smwPHOTO.

Gin War

Gin War is a four-piece punk band out of Long Beach Island, NJ and joined Man Overboard's East Coast swing of their "Farewell for Now" tour. We had the chance to talk with them before their show in Worcester last week.

  • Brandon: Guitar/vox
  • Mike: Bass
  • Kyle: Guitar
  • Jeremy: Drums

How did the band form?

  • Kyle: Brandon and I used to play in a band together, once that band broke up, we started a new thing and snagged Planko

How does it feel to be on Man Overboard's farewell tour?

  • Mike: We are stoked on it. We are all fans of their music and what they've done for the music scene around our area is awesome. We're glad we get to say goodbye (for now) with them.

You're also playing a farewell show with Transit, what's the reaction to it been like?

  • Brandon: Pretty much the same; we're ecstatic. Transit is another band we all really like and getting to play one of their last shows is going to be surreal.

You put out and EP last November, what's the reaction to it been like?

  • Kyle: The reaction has been great! All of our old friends and fans really dig it and it seems like we are picking up some new fans as well.

Are there plans for new music?

  • Kyle: Definitely! We have a lot of new material written. No hard details yet, but it will likely be a full-length some time soon.

What's your writing process like?

  • Mike: Kyle and Brandon piece together some skeletons of the songs and then we all get together and add different parts, and after we mess around for a bit we get the final product.

What was it like recording your music video for "Trip?"

  • Brandon: I made it on my phone in the van while we were on tour.

Any plan on coming back to Mass?

  • Kyle: Nothing booked at the moment, but we have a lot of good friends that live up here so we will be back sooner rather than later.

Favorite cartoon now and as a kid?

  • Kyle: Spongebob
  • Brandon: Doug/Rick & Morty
  • Mike: Scooby Doo
  • Jeremy: Ed, Edd, & Eddie

Favorite candy bar?

  • Kyle: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
  • Brandon: 100 Grand
  • Mike: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
  • Jeremy: Crunch Bar.

Favorite fast food while on tour?

  • Mike: We frequent Taco Bell while on tour, but if we are down South, Cookout is the place to be.

You can listen to Gin War's EP by clicking here.

The Story So Far Banned From Venue

Yesterday it was reported that The Story So Far frontman Parker Cannon kicked a girl off stage (video below). 

The venue, Toronto Mod Club has since released a statement:

"On behalf of the venue we are appalled by the actions of the singer and do not condone these actions by anyone," Mod Club general manager Jorge Dias said in a statement given to Billboard. "There was no report of injuries and the venue will not allow the band to play the venue again for their actions. I have never imagined and never seen anything like that at the venue in 14 years in operation. That was a very cowardly act.


 

Girl Taking a Selfie Literally Kicked Off Stage

By now you've all heard about what happened at The Story So Far's show in Toronto last night. 

In the footage Parker Cannon and his band The Story So Far are mid-song Sunday night when the woman pulls herself up and begins taking the picture, apparently unaware of Cannon behind her.

It’s not the first time Cannon has kicked a photo-taking fan who scrambled on stage. 

Watch the video below:

Springsteen CANCELS NC Show Over "Bathroom Law"

Huge news from The Boss. Bruce Springsteen has cancelled Sunday's show in Greensboro, NC because of the so called "Bathroom Law" that the state recently passed. 

A number of companies have come out against the law but Springsteen is the first high profile musician to cancel a show in the state. And he did it only two days before the show was to take place.

In his words:

 I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.
 

Pierce The Veil Tour

Pierce The Veil have announced leg one of their world tour in support of their new album Misadventures which comes out May 13. Dates and venues below.

JUNE
 5   House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
 7   Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
 8   Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS
10  House of Blues, Chicago, IL
11  St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
12  House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
14  Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
15  Irving Plaza, New York, NY
17  Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
18  The Norva, Norfolk, VA
19  Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
21  House of Blues, Houston, TX
22  House of Blues, Dallas, TX
24  Nile Theatre, Mesa, AZ
25  Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA
26  Mayan Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

Maple Hill

Maple Hill, an alternative/pop-punk band from Ithaca, NY released their debut album "Headspace" back in February and are now fighting for a spot on the Ernie Ball Stage during a stop on Vans Warped Tour. 

Kristian (guitar/vox) and St. John (drums) have been playing together for nearly 10 years but have never done something as serious as this. While looking for guitarists for their last band they discovered Max and Joel and were unable to choose between the two. After trying to fit them both in, St. John tells us, the realized they had become an entirely different band. They decided to re-brand themselves and haven't looked back since. 

The name Maple Hill comes from an area of Ithaca where Kristian lives. "We spent a lot of time bonding and chilling there, growing together, and we felt that those experiences really built us into the people and musicians we are today," says bassist Joel Beckwith.  

Much like Boston, Ithaca is a giant college town with a vibrant culture that revolves heavily around music and art. "Alternative and punk music aren't a popular genre," the band told us. "There really isn't a local scene for bands like ours, though we're trying to help it make a comeback. Being in a college town like Ithaca is cool because you're surrounded by so many young people, mostly college students, who play a large role in social media and young culture," they continued. "It's also great to be able to play for students from both Ithaca College and Cornell University."

The band is currently trying to earn a spot on the Ernie Ball Stage at the Syracuse date of Vans Warped Tour. "It's been going well so far," drummer St. John told us. "We've been plugging the competition on all of our social media outlets, telling our family and friends about it, basically everything we can do to get the word out; at this point in the competition it's just about online activity on our page. That's always an interesting battle because it's based on internet popularity instead of music quality. We're looking forward to the stage of the competition where our music will be judged by the Warped contest panel consisting of Kevin Lyman and Chad Gilbert. We're probably going to be running some sort of giveaway this month or next to get more people sharing." 

Maple Hill put out their debut album in February and have seen some great feedback. "We're currently working with a PR company that has connected us with some awesome music blogs/magazines to do features, interviews, and album reviews," said Joel. "We have also seen some internet responses from people all across the world! It's a great feeling to know that our music has reached that far."

Their writing process is "inconsistent but collaborative" according to St. John. "Most of the time one of us will come up with a riff or even an entire skeleton for a song before we take it up to my bedroom to start demoing out. Then I'll usually work the song some more, writing drum parts/grooves, adding or removing entire sections, and improving the overall structure. Once we have the basic format for the song, the rest of the band will start to write their parts and share other ideas. Sometimes we will all write parts for each other. We have very open writing process where everyone is free to work on whatever parts that need it. 

The band did a week-long tour and played shows in several states across the northeast. They're planning for more touring this summer, as well as some exciting shows. "Like" them on Facebook to be the first to know when they announce a show.

Click here to help them win a spot at Warped Tour and click here to stream their album. 

 

 

Two O'Clock Courage

What would prompt a band to give their album away for free? That was the main question on our mind when we sat down with Two O'Clock Courage frontman James Davidson.

"Without getting into the band drama that everyone loves so much," he said, "We're giving it away for two reasons. Vaguely speaking, it became far too difficult to try and organize the release of this record on my own and manage the monetary side of it. Secondly, we finished the album almost two years ago and because of all this drama and the business side of it, the record sat in limbo and I hated it."

James joined TOCC after responding to a post on MySpace (yes, you read that right) stating that the band was in search of new singers. Growing up on plethora of bands like Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco and others who are all heading out on 10th anniversary tours, James saw himself as a music junkie. "I would scour the internet for bands no on had heard of," he told us, "I like to think I was an early passenger on most of those bands that are super successful now."

The album, Missalette, is set to drop on Friday and was funded entirely out of pocket by the band. "I hate crowdfunding," James told us, "I hate people asking for money on the internet. I work hard at making music and I make it on my own accord. I do it using my own money that I work for all day, and I work incredibly hard at the business of this band so this sort of felt like an investment more than an earning opportunity. Long story short, I just love the people that love this band and I couldn't stand asking them for money for something that I felt like they had already paid for with their support."

"All of us went to work and took the money out of our bank accounts and paid for it to get made," James continued. "We would work all day and then whoever had to record that day would drive two hours, waiting through rush hour traffic, and drive to the studio, track their parts, then hopefully make it home before 3AM so they could sleep before they had to work the next day. Funding this record out-of-pocket is a labor of love." The album was recorded at Apparition Sound in Thompson, CT with Chris Curran. I was mixed and mastered at Valencia Studios with Paul Leavitt.

The album comes out April 8th and the band plans on traveling up and down the West Coast and hope to make it back east for some shows in the future. Listen to "6:06 to Grand Central" and "Misericorde" below and be sure to pick up the album this Friday.

VISTA

VISTA is a new and up coming band from the New Jersey/New York area. Inspired by acts like Paramore and Set it Off they have a very unique sound that is unmatched in the scene right now.

Stemming from frontwoman Hope Vista's solo career, alternative rock band VISTA launched in January of 2016 with the addition of Wolf (drums) and Brian (guitar/backing vox). Hope started posting videos to YouTube in back in 2006 before her channel got deleted, causing her to start over in 2007. "I was so terrible," she said, "I got harassed in school for posting YouTube videos and as they started to gain in popularity it just got worse." Her main goal, she said, was to get herself out to as large of an audience as possible. "It worked in a way," she laughed, "but the videos were still terrible. I look back and completely cringe!"

The idea of forming a band, rather than just being a solo act, came together a long time ago, the band told us. In October of 2015 Wolf, Hope's touring drummer at the time, had already been talking about the idea for a while when it finally became serious. It was nearly decided before Hope released her final solo EP, "Prevail." She was feeling stuck but didn't know which direction to go in and tells us that she had been doing the same thing for so long that it felt like there was no place for her as a solo power-pop-punk female artist. "I never wanted to be a frontwoman," she said, "But I realized that this would be the biggest challenge that I wanted injected back in my career." Facing that fear head on was exactly what she needed.

Hope and Wolf are the primary song writers for VISTA. They both have separate strengths which allow them to work together perfectly. Wolf excels at writing instrumental parts while Hope's strength lies in lyrics and melody. The band wants to show their fans what hard work can do. "It truly pays off," they told us, "and we're taking a huge risk by trying to define and create our own genre, but that's what is good about it! Taking those risks, diving in head first, and trying to not fear the unknown."

 Their debut single "On the Brink," has been doing exceptionally well for an unannounced release and they are finishing tracking their upcoming EP, "Versus" this weekend (3/26-27). Their single is expected to be the lead track on the album. You can listen to a clip of their single below.

Photo by: Lauren Taylor

Photo by: Lauren Taylor