Concert Review: The Make America Rock Again Tour at the State Theatre in Portland, ME

Saliva, Trapt, Saving Abel, Crazy Town, and Others
Sept 18, 2016
The State Theatre – Portland, ME
Reviewed by: Jeff Palmucci

The State Theatre is a bit outside of my travel range when going to a show. However, last Sunday it was the Make America Rock Again Tour. It wasn’t just one show, but at least four bands that I was psyched to see. I could amortize a 2 hour drive, each way, into a short thirty minutes. No problem!

Upon arrival at the State, I stopped by the merch booth to pick up an Alien Ant Farm shirt. The new album Always and Forever sports some awesome Rick and Morty-esque artwork, and I wanted to get a shirt for my son (we are both huge fans). [1]

Unfortunately, AAF had bus trouble and didn’t make it to the State that night. All my careful math went out the window. No problem. The first band I saw was Crazy Town, who was exceptionally good and brought everything back into balance.

This was the first time I saw these guys, but not the first time I’ve heard them. I guarantee everyone reading this has heard their most famous hit, Butterfly. These guys were incredibly animated on stage. Both vocalists worked well together to put on a great show.

Saving Abel was up next and was the first band that I trekked up there to see. Scotty Austin is doing a great job as the new lead, working the crowd and carrying the vocals. One of my favorites of theirs is the blusey The Sex is Good. Give it a listen.

Trapt was up next, which kind of surprised me. They have a pretty big following and appear to have top billing on the Rock Again posters. They are touring in support of their newly released album DNA, of which you can get a free sample on their website.

Saliva headlined for the night. I love these guys. One day driving to work, I pulled up to a stop signal with perhaps their most famous hit, Click Click Boom, turned way up on the stereo. I look over to my right and see these two kids in a van laughing their asses off at the 50 year old guy rocking out to rap-metal. I guess it was pretty funny, but I am just not ready to settle down and start listening to mellow classic rock yet. (no matter how much my wife would appreciate it)

The Make America Rock tour packed a lot of great music into one night. It was enough to get me off my ass and drive all the way to Portland. Check it out if you get a chance. Tour dates are on their site. My only regret is that I didn’t get the damn Alien Ant Farm shirt.

[1] What!!! You’ve never heard of Rick and Morty?! Stop reading this right now and go check it out. If you are reading this, you are a musical person, so you’ll like this one. Watch the episode and listen to the soundtrack at the end of the episode as Morty buries his own body and contemplates the loss of all he’s ever known. It’s kind of an adult cartoon.

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Concert Review: Billy Talent at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA

September 11, 2016
The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
Reviewed by: Jeff Palmucci

Billy Talent played the Sinclair last week, to a respectably crowded house for a Sunday night. These guys are another band that I fell into through Spotify. I’ve written about this before, but sometimes it’s just spooky how their recommender system can pick music out of the air they know I will like. (Had to give them a shout out, because this is what I do for my day job.) Read more

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Green Day Debut New Title Track “Revolution Radio”

The wait is over! Green Day have released the title track from their upcoming new studio album Revolution Radio. A lyric video for the song can be seen below.

Revolution Radio is available for pre-order now at www.greenday.com. Those who pre-order will receive an instant download of the first single, “Bang Bang” and “Revolution Radio.”

 

The band will also be heading out on a club tour kicking off on September 20th in St. Louis – good luck getting tickets! Tour dates are below:

 

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Interview: Ted Poley Talks “Beyond The Fade”

Ted Poley has been rocking professionally for more than 30 years and has always had a singular mission of entertaining his fans by giving 100% in every performance and recording he has ever put his name to.  

Whether it’s Prophet, Danger Danger, Bone Machine, Meoldica, or his solo material each album and tour showed Ted maturing as an artist.  With “Beyond The Fade” fans can expect that high level of melodic rock to continue and maybe even surpass their expectations. 

TWRY recently caught up with Ted to discuss the new record and all that is going on in his career in 2016.

Interviewed by: Roger Scales Read more

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Q&A With Jean “Boomer” Grenier – A Tribute To Peter Criss And KISS – Faith And Will Vol. 1

A Tribute To Peter Criss And KISS – Faith And Will Vol. 1 was released on April 4th in both digital downloads and physical CD formats.

New England rock legend Jean “Boomer” Grenier took some time recently to sit down with TWRY staff writer Roger Scales to find out more about this project.

Jean what prompted you and Vinny (Nault) to record this tribute album and why the emphasis on Peter Criss/KISS?

What happened was we started recording a couple KISS songs for fun in 2001 and only accomplished finishing two of them. They we’re “All American Man” and ‘Larger Than Life”.  Life kind of got in the way and it fell by the way side for over a decade. In 2014 my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and obviously shook our family up and my world. Vinny and I had decided to continue what we had started long ago, but this this time it was different. I suggested we finish it and do something positive with it. As time went on a few light bulbs went off and we decided to do it as a tribute CD. Some people had helped my mom and myself in 2015 and I thought this was a way to “pay it forward” and hopefully help someone or families dealing with the same devastating cancer issue our family was dealing with. Read more

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Getting to Know: Grizfolk

Getting to Know: Grizfolk
Interviewed by: Jinx

Roll call! State your name, your role in the band, and how long you’ve been playing your current instrument.
Fredrik: I’m Fredrik, I play the guitar. I started playing when I was 9.
Brendan: I’m Brendan, I play bass. I started a little later, at 14.
Sebastian: I’m Sebastian, I play the keys. I started when I was 4, maybe?
Bill: I’m Bill, I play the drums. I started playing when I was 9.
Adam: I’m Adam, I sing. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 8. I started trying to sing at the same age.

Two of you are from Sweden (Fredrik and Sebastian), one of you is from Florida (Adam), one of you is from Pennsylvania (Bill), and one of you is from California (Brendan). How in the world did you wind up together, and what was it about L.A. that led you to base your band there over some other major music scene?
Sebastian: At the time we met, we all lived in Los Angeles. So that’s where we met, and that’s where we started a band. We were all friends before, and we had played in different bands. Fredrik, Adam, and I sat in a studio and we wrote a couple songs and we started a new band called Grizfolk, and we brought in Brendan and Bill. Read more

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Concert Review: Steven Wilson at The Palladium in Worcester, MA

Steven Wilson
May 19, 2015
The Palladium – Worcester, MA

Reviewed by: B. Cross

Steven Wilson’s name has been legend among progressive rock aficionados for many years now, and his current tour in support of his latest concept work Hand. Cannot. Erase. drew quite a diverse crowd to the Palladium. Old-school proggers in Rush shirts stood side-by-side with longhairs sporting Emperor patch-laden battle vests. That’s how much Wilson’s music means to people, and when you hear it, you’ll understand. (I should also note that for once, I wasn’t the oldest guy in attendance. That’s always a nice change of pace.)

Wilson’s set was comprised of nearly all of Hand. Cannot. Erase., kicking off with an extended intro into “First Regret,” moving down the line in proper order. Highlights included the title track and “Perfect Life,” not to mention the powerful “Routine.” Of course, the show wasn’t just Hand. Cannot. Erase.; the performance was interspersed with a few older tracks from Wilson’s solo career as well as his lauded Porcupine Tree compositions. From eloquent soundscapes to hard-hitting riffs with enough crunch to rattle the floorboards, Wilson and his immensely talented backing band shone a new light on earlier works like “Harmony Korine” alongside new material such as “Ancestral.” The set list was so well crafted that even the older songs felt like they belonged with the new pieces, forging one melodic whole that was far more than the sum of its parts. Read more

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CD Review: Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebels & the Sunset Strip – Volume I

Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebels & the Sunset Strip
Volume I
Eonian Records
Reviewed by: Roger Scales

Let me start out by stating as your ace reporter “80’s Guy for The Modern Eye” at TheyWillRockYou.com that never has there been a box set more eagerly anticipated by yours truly than the Eonian Records 4 CD set “Rock N Roll Rebels & The Sunset Strip ” Volume 1. Read more

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Concert Review: Nightwish, Sabaton + Delain at the Palladium in Worcester, MA

Nightwish, Sabaton + Delain
April 11, 2015
The Palladium – Worcester, MA

Reviewed by: B. Cross

I knew Nightwish was a big draw, but I’d never seen a show as packed as this one. When we arrived, we were greeted with the longest waiting line I’d ever seen. It snaked around the entire block, then back into the parking lot, where it curled around itself again. I spent most of the time wondering just how in the seven hells everyone was going to fit inside the venue, let alone how long it would take to reach the door. Much to my surprise, we only waited in line for less than an hour. Kudos to the Palladium staff for getting everyone into the building quickly and safely. Read more

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CD Review: Wilderun / Sleep at the Edge of the Earth

Wilderun
Sleep at the Edge of the Earth
Reviewed by: B. Cross

Northeastern symphonic folk metallers Wilderun burst onto the scene with the release of their debut Olden Tales and Deathly Trails in 2012 (review here). After plenty of touring, songwriting, and life changes, the band raised funds via Kickstarter to record their next album, Sleep at the Edge of the Earth. (Full disclosure: I was a backer.) So how did it turn out? Read more

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