WHERE ARTISTS AND FANS BAND TOGETHER.
Guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have embarked on a joint tour. The evening was stacked with two solo sets to showcase their individual talents following a collab set to close out the night.
It truly was an honor to see Satriani and Vai do what they do best. Check out photos from the night below and peep the tour dates to find a stop near you.
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Ohio boys, MGK and Trippie Redd dropped a collaboration album, genre:sadboy, at the end of March and celebrated with a free show for their fans. On April 4th, fans lined up around the block for the show at The Bluestone in Columbus, Ohio. The energy was incredible as the two performed songs from the new album and incorporated some of their solo work as well.
Check out photos from the show below and listen to genre:sadboy streaming everywhere now.
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There’s always something special about a hometown show. Artists spend years going to shows growing up, one day dreaming of making it on the stage. After years of seeing shows at Newport Music Hall, Mitch Rowland got to take that exact stage on March 19th with his band, performing HIS debut album. Truly a dream come true.
Harris Harper opened up the show with a soft and harmonious set. Harris on the acoustic guitar and her brother, CJ Harper, on the keyboard, the two truly captivated the audience.
Once it was time for Mitch to take the stage, the crowd started buzzing with anticipation. There were hoots and hollers…and even a few barks (IYKYK). Mitch was joined by a full band including his wife, Sarah Jones, on the drums.
Mitch and the band played his debut album Come June in it’s entirety, bringing it to life with a full and dynamic sound. Rowland’s vocals were rich and authentic while the band’s energy was in it as though they had written the music themselves.
Throughout the show, Rowland shared his gratitude for the support from fans and the full circle moment of playing back in Columbus, Ohio. More than halfway through the set, Rowland expressed that neearing the end was always hard because he didn’t want the show to end but…he does only have one album.
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“GO PUT A SMILE ON SOMEBODY’S FACE, GO TELL SOMEBODY THEY’VE GOT A PLACE IN THIS WORLD, GO TELL SOMEBODY YOU WANNA BE FRIENDS WITH THEM.” -The Mantra of The Friends, by Sammy Rae & The Friends
With the atmosphere in the live music world that concert goers have built up, especially to a year like 2024, they’re not just expecting a night full of stunning talent, knockout surprises and “party rocking,” in the fine words of LMFAO. Many lovers of music in today’s society also cling to a community that an artist is able to create from scratch. They itch for a place they can call a safe space, possibly even searching for what feels like another home to them. Listeners want to feel like they belong, they’re being heard (or even being distracted) of their hardships in life for a few hours, to celebrate perseverance on this Earth together, and when they do, they feel an utmost connection to the artist that granted them that gift. Has any artist in your lifetime ever done that for you?
February 12, 2024, I headed for Providence, RI to experience my first ever Sammy Rae & the Friends gig, opened by the wonderfully talented Julia Pratt, and from start to finish, the entire night felt like an initiation into a new world. In fact, like a new family. Like a gigantic slumber party for theater kids, it was so exciting to watch this group of music lovers dance with strangers to each side of them, have plenty of interactive moments with the group, and see a couple in love kissing in every which way I looked. The emphasis that Sammy and the Friends made on this event being a space of belonging made me wonder back to the days in decades past if this is possibly how attendees felt when they experienced their first Grateful Dead show. Was this what people meant when they would say they felt like anything could happen at a Dead show and everything would be alright because of the people they had around them? At it’s core, that’s what it for sure felt like. The magnetism of love in that room could not be matched.
On top of the incomparable passion of the atmosphere, this band has also got some of the most unbelievable fun and talent an act could bring to a stage. Their passion to collaborate as artists shines bright in their performance, through their sets, costumes, teamwork and connections to each other across the board, or I suppose in this instance, the venue. Sammy Rae’s voice is just as wonderful live as it is on their tracks, as if made by silk. Her jazzy but funky, yet also bluesy voice is mesmerizing and will hold you at a stand still more than once throughout the show. Along with her efforts to make the energy of the production loving, electric and safe, she is an absolute showstopper, only to be complimented greatly by her family of musicians behind her.
Check out my photo gallery from Sammy Rae & the Friends here, and make sure to listen to their newest singles ‘Thieves’ and ‘Coming Home Song’ before their debut album drops this year.
Norwegian Alt-Rockers, The Vices, took over Cincinnati’s MOTR Pub before they headed down south for SXSW. Their show was SO electric, the sound tech was truly blown away…and that man has seen MANY shows in his career. Check out photos from the night below…
After releasing her latest album, The Prize, Hannah Wicklund embarked on a headlining tour. Cincinnati had the pleasure of seeing Wicklund close out the tour on March 9th at Top Cats with The Feel. Check out our photos from the show and go listen to The Prize. It is hands down one of the best albums of 2024.
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A midweek concert with a 4:30pm door time didn’t stop rockers from coming out to see Avenged Sevenfold play Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Arena this past Wednesday. Boasting a stacked lineup of Sullivan King, Poppy, and A7X, the audience was in for a wild ride.
The lights turn off and the giant screen turns red. A narrated introduction begins to play, welcoming Cincinnati to the show, shouting out our own Joe Burrow, and introduces Sullivan King..
DJ and heavy metal musician, Sullivan King, kicked the night off in full force bringing with his infusion of electronic and rock. He worked the stage DJ’ing, singing, AND playing guitar. Add pyro and it was the FULL package.
Next up, Poppy graced the stage playing through her heavier hits. She even played her new collab with Bad Omens, ‘V.A.N.” the juxtaposition of her proper poise with her heavier sound makes for an intriguing show. Her and her band sounded great and the stage visuals were on par.
Now, let the nightmare begin!
At it since 1999, Avenged Sevenfold knows how to rock a f*ckin’ stage…and man, was this a big stage. The probably 7 foot stage included a bit of a cat walk and was surrounded on 3 sides with LED screens creating stunning illusions of burning houses and album artwork.
“Take a moment. You made it on a week day. These are your people. Take a moment. Let it all go.”
M.Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, and Johnny Christ commandeered the stage while Brooks Wackerman held down the beat in the back. The band journeyed through their discography, playing fan favorites and mixing in new hits. M. shadows stood at the end of the stage with his arms wide open as the crowd sang the words to ‘Nightmare’. A moment to never forget.
There are still a handful of dates left on this tour. Catch Avenged Sevenfold in a city near you and get tickets here.
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Game Over
Mattel
Afterlife
Hail to the King
We Love You
Shepherd of Fire
The Stage
Roman Sky
Blinded in Chains
Bat Country
Nobody
Nightmare
Unholy Confessions
Save Me
Cosmic
You know the scene in Almost Famous where William says to Penny, “I have to go home”? Penny looks at him dead in the eyes and responds, “You ARE home.”
That’s how it feels to be at a Mammoth WVH show. HOME.
Sure, it’s got the grittiness of a rock show but it’s more than that… it’s the familiarity and gratitude you feel when Wolf talks to the crowd. It’s the warm and fuzzies or the goosebumps you feel when the music hits just right. It’s sinking into the groove of your favorite guitar solo. It’s the not feeling so alone when you notice everyone around you is singing along too.
On February 27th, Mammoth WVH brought home to the Egyptian Room at Indiana’s Old National Centre. Opening up the show, Nita Strauss and her band turn up the heat showcasing many songs off of her latest album, The Call of the Void. Nita is an absolute force on stage and impresses with her guitar play. Shortly after the first 3 songs, Kasey Karlsen joins the band adding her powerhouse vocals to the mix.
Mammoth WVH is up next with the lineup of Wolfgang Van Halen, Garrett Whitlock, Jon Jourdan, and Ronnie Ficarro. Blessing us with a setlist highlighting songs from both albums, the band journeyed off the written path and jammed a bit. Both Like A Past Time and Optimist got their own heavier additions, showcasing the bands personality and inspirations.
On the other side of the spectrum, Wolf knows how to slow things down and does it well. When Mammoth WVH first started touring, the full band would perform ‘Distance’ but since then, things have changed. After a few stints where the band was short a member, Wolf tried performing it acoustically on his own - the way it was written. It seemed to work so well that he decided he’d perform it acoustically whenever they headlined a tour.
Fast forward to today, we’ve got Wolf headlining a tour that’s filling rooms wall to wall. The band left the stage and Wolf emerged from the fog with his acoustic guitar telling us this exact story…only to start playing ‘Wonderwall’ followed by a quick “just kidding.” What a jokester.
The sound of a full band is always something to enjoy however, hearing Wolf’s voice paired with just an acoustic guitar really drives the heart and emotion of ‘Distance,” well, home.
The band came back out and the energy skyrocketed right back up. After touring together and playing one off shows since 2021, Mammoth WVH is like a well oiled machine. The show is the perfect ebb and flow of tempo.
Mammoth WVH’s headlining tour has a few dates left this month then picks up again in May and July. See them now. See them later. Whatever you do, go home and see Mammoth WVH. View dates and get tickets here.
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Disturbed brought their “Take Back Your Life” tour to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on February 19th and turned up the heat! PLUSH and Falling In Reverse opened up the night and the crowd showed love to both artists. From the fans to the bands, the energy was electric.
Click the photos below to view and check out the rest of the tour dates!
I’ve spent New Years Eve many different ways but ringing in the new year with Foxy Shazam has to be the best way to do it. Check out photos from the NYE show at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio with support from Tweens…
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