Thrice Conquers The Stage At Emos With Drug Church & mewithoutYou

by Tracy Fuller | Feb 24, 2020

Emos,Thrice,Drug Church,15 Th Anniversary,Th Anniversary — Thrice Conquers The Stage At Emos With Drug Church & Mewithoutyou 57

Words & Stills : Jake Rabin

Touring in celebration of the 15^th Anniversary of their incredible fourth studio-album Vheissu. Thrice was on the docket tonight at Emo’s, along with tour mates mewithoutYou, Drug Church, and Holy Fawn. Released in October 2005, Vheissu helped launch Thrice even further into the mainstream realm, peaking at Number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. This album’s sound is a slight departure from the band’s previous work, which was more rooted in post-hardcore and punk. By contrast, Vheissu felt more experimental and artistic, pushing the band’s instrumentation and sound forward. Upon its release, Vheissu received wide critical acclaim. They have even been called Thrice’s best record (I personally think Artist in the Ambulance is hands down their best record, but I digress…) The energy at Emo’s leading up to Thrice’s set felt electric, the swelling crowd all clearly present for one reason…

Opening the night were Holy Fawn, a 4-piece combining elements of electronic, doom, rock and post-hardcore (with a little heady acid to boot). Full disclosure – I never heard of this band prior to this show. My mind was completely blown, and I instantaneously became a fan. Their mix of beautiful, airy synth parts with crunchy guitars and an incredibly powerful screamer made for a unique sound and performance. If you haven’t listened to this band yet, their most recent release is “Death Spells” and it is 61 minutes of post-hardcore experimental amazingness. I really can’t emphasize enough how good this band is.

How Did Drug Church Stack On Austin Crowd At Emos

Up next were Drug Church, a 5-piece alternative punk/hardcore band out of Albany, New York. This was a band I had a little more familiarity with. I certainly was excited to finally get a chance to see them live. Problem was, there is a huge cultural difference. Namely, in the way live music is consumed in Austin versus the rest of the world, and this can either completely make the show, or break it.

Simply put: Austin audiences are spoiled and expect to be entertained. They will sit (or stand) in the crowd, arms crossed, silently watching. Even if and when they are having a great time. Maybe they will clap at the end of a song. Maybe they won’t. Maybe they’ll scream on command like you ask, but probably they won’t. This is just what it is; with so many amazing musical options in this city every single night, many Austin music consumers have become jaded, easily taking for granted the talent that comes through this city to perform.

As an Austin musician, you get used to this. Quickly, actually. As a touring band coming through this city, especially a punk(ish) band, I can certainly empathize with that band’s struggle to read and react to an Austin audience. And this was unfortunately what befell Drug Church: a band playing high-energy, made-to-mosh bangers to a largely motionless crowd. This was clearly a confusing audience to the band, and I can understand why. Regardless, Drug Church powered through and ended their set strong, making way for the legendary mewithoutYou.

mewithoutYou Shows The Fans What Hardcore Is About

Led by vocalist Aaron Weiss, mewithoutYou took the stage and immediately plunged into their heady, post-hardcore set. Opening song “Julia (or, ‘Holy to the LORD’ on the Bells of Horses)” quickly set the pace for the rest of their show, and the band sounded as tight and strong as ever. Playing tracks from all across their discography. The die-hard fans came out in full force, screaming back every lyric and air drumming the iconic parts. After 11 songs, the band thanked the audience and exited the stage. Next up: the real reason we were all here…

Thrice Takes Emos By Storm

The moment that Thrice front man Dustin Kensrue took the stage, all of Emo’s erupted. As if the pent up energy saved during the first performers could now finally be excised into the music universe. There is a reason that Vheissu opens up with the track “Image of the Invisible,” (the song is absolute fire, and is one of Thrice’s strongest and most objectively well-written pieces of music). This is exactly why they opened the set that way too.

From the moment that the immediately-recognizable Morse Code section begins the track. The entire crowd became activated, and the energy and intensity did not stop once. (fun fact: the Morse Code at the beginning of the song spells out the albums’ title. Thanks, Wikipedia!) Screaming or moshing or simply staring in awe, the Emo’s audience was enraptured, and the energy was palpable. The nearly sold-out venue was packed with a crowd as diverse as Thrice’s songs. Filled with fans of all ages were crammed tightly into the pit, swaying and jumping and screaming and loving every moment of it. The band performed a total of 18 songs. Finishing out their incredible set with “Words in the Water” off 2011’s “Major / Minor” album.

How Did Thrice And Support Talent Fare Up?

Overall, Thrice does not disappoint. Period. This was my 5^th or 6^th time seeing them live over the last 16 years or so, and I’m just as impressed now as I was as a teenager. Musicality, instrumentation, song quality, performance. They are solid in every way. Thrice mastered their own sound and uniquely carved out their own space within a growing, homogenizing scene. The fact they now can celebrate a 15th Anniversary by touring this record to sold-out crowds all over the country is a huge testament to just how important and impactful this band is, and will continue to be.

The Used Captivates The Crowd At Mohawk With Alluring Clean Vocals

by Tracy Fuller | Feb 21, 2020

The Used Rocked The Crowd At Mohawk With Their Clean Vocals & Dirty Screams

The Used,Crowd At Mohawk,Clean Vocals,Dirty Screams,

Words/Stills : Jake Rabin

Fine.

I’ll just cop to it.

In 2004, my MySpace username was I Caught Fire, chosen from my favorite track on The Used’s then-just-related sophomore album In Love and Death. That record, along with their debut self-titled LP The Used, cemented what would become a life-long fandom for me with The Used.

Like millions of other kids in high school in the early aughts, I remember first hearing The Taste of Ink on the radio, and how sonically different it was from anything else I had ever heard before. Clean vocals working in tandem with guttural screams was starting to become a more popularized sonic aesthetic, where all of a sudden being super emo and sad is also be cool and tough. But where The Used really stood apart was in the arena of song writing, which partially explains the band’s rapid ingratiation into the mainstream scene despite screaming vocals or double-bass drumming.

The first time I ever heard screaming on the radio was The Used, and I know I’m not the only one to which that applies. And why is that the case? Simply put: The Taste of Ink completely dominated the radio when it was released because, from a totally objective point of view, it’s an absolutely incredible and powerful song and I’ll fight you if you think otherwise. The band masterfully combined elements from metal, rock, hardcore, pop, and punk to create a sound and energy uniquely their own at a time where much of what you heard on the radio sounded exactly the same. The kids were not alright; they were tired of the dick jokes and silliness and redundancy associated with many of the scene’s most popular bands at the time. Enter: The Used.

To say this band changed the entire trajectory of heavy music and its cultural influence is a vapid understatement (heard of soundcloud rap?) So when I found out The Used were booking a 2020 tour of small(ish) venues in support of their to-be-released album Heartwork (due out 4/24/2020), I cried a little (a lot), reapplied my eyeliner, and got my camera ready.

Opening on this tour were Dragged Under, from Seattle, Washington, supporting their January 17^th release of debut LP “The World Is in Your Way.” I actually stumbled across this band just after their LP was released, and immediately became a fan. Combining elements of hardcore and pop-punk, Dragged Under are one of many up-and-coming bands that owe much of their sound (and the popularity of said sound) to bands like The Used. A mix of clean vocals with dirty screams, airy choruses with pummeling breakdowns, “genre” really seems to matter less and less these days, so long as the songs are damn good. And that is precisely something The Used have banked on ever since their inception, so it made sense having Dragged Under open for the tour (full disclosure: I overheard a conversation before their set that The Used’s guitarist is also Dragged Under’s manager). Nevertheless, Dragged Under played a fantastic set and got the sold-out crowd at Mohawk more than ready.

After a 30-minute changeover, the stage lights finally went black. “Small, simple, safe, price…” The crowd erupts! The opening spoken word piece from The Used’s track “I’m a Fake” instantly recognized by every single attending person in the audience. All of a sudden the entire crowd at Mohawk is chanting along, vibrating and swaying in wait for that one iconic final line, when the rest of the band begins and the crowd can finally melt and ooze into a chaotic moshing bliss: “love is not like anything, especially a fucking knife!”

Just thinking about The Used’s set gives me chills. Performing songs all across their discography, the band sounded energized and powerful. Frontman Bert McCracken was at his absolute best, effortlessly nailing vocal parts that would cripple other vocalists. The band sounded huge too, obviously excited to be performing on a smaller, more intimate scale, especially with such a rapturous crowd screaming back all the lyrics. The sold-out 900-cap Mohawk crowd was a diverse mix of kids with large, black Xs on their hands, and people that could’ve easily been those kids’ parents. Lots of hair dye and studded belts, but also North Face and Sperry’s. These may seem like trivial points, perhaps even reductive, but the underlying reality of these observations is that The Used are a band that has, since its inception, created a space where everyone feels welcome and included. You don’t have to be this way or that way to be a fan; You don’t have to be a certain age; you don’t have to wear that thing, or buy those things, to listen to this band.

If you like the music and the message and want to see it performed live, you go to a show, and there, you will be welcomed and entertained. You will leave feeling happy and connected to a bigger community. It’s really quite simple. And now, you’re one of us, a fan protective of the art and community the band has created and maintained for years. This is what makes The Used such a powerful staple in the music scene. We love this band, and after such an incredible performance, it definitely feels like the band loves us, too.

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Legendary Kaki King Wows Empire Control Room In Austin

by Tracy Fuller | Feb 12, 2020

Words & Stills By Ursula Rogers

Something about humid weather and amazing music causes my imagination to soar. Fortunately, fans and I experienced that in droves Sunday evening at the Empire Control Room in Austin, Texas. Kaki King and her opening act, Atlas Maior, treated an audience of eager, loyal fans to a night of music, mystifying like the harvest moon. The night was full of provocative, engaging musical talents. Which began with Austin based group, Atlas Mair.

It’s comforting to witness the amount of homegrown talent Austin has at its fingertips. Atlas Maior, who began in 2009, opened the show and gave promise to the night. Sunday their ensemble included a double bass (upright bass), alto saxophone, and percussion (on drum kit), and an oud (a pear-shaped stringed, an instrument of Turkish origin).

The group’s name was inspired by the first World Atlas. That worldly name leaves its mark within their musical influence. There are hints of American jazz, Middle Eastern, Indian, and South American influences in their music. As someone who played a musical instrument for nearly 20 years, it warmed my heart.

I loved their passion and musicality. One of my favorite aspects of their performance whether in a solo or collectively was the phrasing. It kept me invested in the tapestry their music wove. I cannot wait to see how they will grow and flourish. Their clever use of the projector helped to accompany and elevate their music. The musicians blended well together. I can see them become larger actors on the world music stage. They set the tone for an originally unforgettable night of music.

Kaki King has been wowing audiences for nearly 20 years. It’s been awe-inspiring to see her growth in that time. Recent shows have had heavy use of projections. However, this show was stripped to its core. She mentioned she enjoys bare shows. I had only listened to Kaki King online and was enamored. I’m a fairly new fan. Before the show, I briefly spoke to a longtime fan of Kaki’s. What would normally be idle chit chat turned into a short fan appreciation conversation. The entire crowd was enthusiastic and loved her. Throughout the night I was wrapped in the fan equivalent of a warm, comfy blanket.

There is nothing like her live performances. She played a blend of new and old songs. Somehow days later I remain mesmerized. It’s clear the guitar is an extension of who she is. Her fingers moved effortlessly across the guitar with grace a prima ballerina would envy. The percussive elements elevated this guitar virtuoso. She simply left me spellbound.

Kaki King engaged the crowd with entertaining antidotes. In our brief time with Kaki not only did we hear the gorgeous melodic tunes of her guitar wafting into our ears. We heard a combination of the personal and poignant drifting into our hearts and souls. She was melodic, energetic and inspiring.

The whole night was riveting. These musicians care about their craft and are a gift to any fan of music, no matter the genre. Anytime you spend at a live performance with Atlas Maior or Kaki King will be time well spent.

Periphery HAIL STAN Tour Takes Emos Austin To New Heights

by Tracy Fuller | Feb 11, 2020

Periphery,Metal Scene,Arch Echo,Hail Stan,Plini ,

Review/Photos By Jake Rabin

The metal scene in Austin is doing something right because it was clear as soon as I was walking up to Emo’s that the evening’s show was going to be crazy. On the bill are Arch Echo, Plini, and the almighty Periphery. The list of adjectives to describe these bands and their corresponding “genre” can be limitless: instrumental, progressive, djent, metal, metalcore, rock, jazz-fusion, math metal, etc. But the one non-negotiable is that each of these bands put on an incredible set that easily kept the nearly sold-out Emo’s crowd hyped and energized the entire evening.

Arch Echo opened the night with a truly impressive instrumental performance. As a drummer, all the drummers on the evening’s bill are absolutely incredible, and Richie Martinez from Arch Echo was no exception. The rest of the band, made up by Joey Izzo, Adam Rafowitz, Adam Bentley, and Joe Calderone, were on fire as well, blistering through incredibly technical songs and structures with the ease of children at a playground. Arch Echo is clearly at the top of their game in terms of technical skill, and performing with bands such as Plini and Periphery is exactly where they should be.

Up next was Plini. I absolutely adore this band, and every time I see them perform, they put on an incredible show that for some reason always leaves me feeling….. happy. Perhaps it’s Plini’s constant smirk as he rips through guitar parts that should be rendering his hands useless, or the friendly back and forth between Plini and second guitarist Jake Lowe. (Or the fact that drummer Chris Allison is just an absolute monster behind the kit). The sheer technicality of Plini songs (and overall performance) is something to truly behold, but the fact that their faces all belie a sense of ease, of calm, of having fun, is both highly entertaining and (as a musician myself) a little infuriating! HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD?! I find myself getting lost down this rabbit hole before quickly realizing the first three songs are almost done and I better pick up my jaw up from the floor and start taking some photos. This band is….just too good.

Headlining the tour and closing out the evening is Periphery, absolute legends in the progressive metal scene, and the rock music scene more generally. Not many bands that include screaming vocals or heavily technical instrumentals are able to garner a following as large or rabid as Periphery’s, but whatever the secret sauce is, Periphery clearly has it.

Opening the set with the first track of their most recent record, “Periphery IV: HAIL STAN,” “Reptile” was the perfect song to immediately get the crowd excited and jumping. Vocalist Spencer Sotelo was on fire the second he took the stage, easily navigating his way through shining clean vocals and dirty as hell screams. Matt Halpern provided his signature muscle and precision behind the drums, while Misha Mansoor, Mark Holcomb, and Jake Bowen all traded laughs and smiles while expertly nailing their incredibly difficult parts.

Musicians on stage that are clearly having fun is a tried and true way to make sure the audience is having fun too, but when you factor in the undeniable technical skill and overall musicianship of each individual player, it becomes awe-inspiring. You don’t have to be a musician to be floored by Periphery’s musicianship; they make it look and sound all too easy, and really, really fun.

After about an hour set, the band exited the stage, leaving the crowd desperate for just one more piece of prog/djent/metalcore goodness. Periphery would oblige. Taking the stage one last time, the band closed the set with one of their most popular tracks, Lune, sending all of Emo’s into a jumping bundle of madness and screaming and singing and smiles. A thousand different kinds of people all collectively standing at the Periphery altar, their worries washing away, soaking up every ounce the band has to give.

Sleeping With Sirens Light Up The White Oak

by Tracy Fuller | Jan 27, 2020

Sleeping With Sirens Lights Up White Oak Music Hall

Sleeping With Sirens,White Oak Music Hall,White Oak Music,Oak Music Hall,White Oak, — Sleeping With Sirens Light Up The White Oak 185

Thursday, January 23^rd, Sleeping With Sirens lit up the White Oak Music Hall in Houston for a night of High-Octane Rock! The tension in the room erupted in excited screams as the house lights went down, and the band took the stage with their new hit Leave It All Behind. This is the first US headlining outing for Sleeping With Sirens since the release of 2019’s How It Feels To Be Lost, and as a result, they used most of their set to showcase new material.

This would be the first time that a lot of fans would be treated to songs like Never Enough, Another Nightmare, or even the titular How It Feels To Be Lost in the live setting. At one point they even introduced a group of new tracks, Medicine, Agree To Disagree and Break Me Down as some of the heaviest material they have ever written. What interested me most was seeing how this band handled their elevated status as headliners, and what this means for the modern heavy landscape.

Sleeping With Sirens has been an inescapable music force for the past decade and at times it feels like most of their exposure came from being linked to major festivals or supporting titans of the genre. Breaking out on their own this tour, it is a perfect snapshot to see how all of their material comes together. Masterfully they are able to go from the fist-pumping Post-Hardcore firestarters like Blood Lines, to slower more soulful moments such as Scene Five: With Ears To See and Eyes To Hear and their pitch-perfect sing-a-long cover of Goo Goo Doll’s Iris. Ultimately the band closed their set with encore performances of Kick Me and If You Can’t Hang, giving fans one last chance to mosh, sing, and lose their minds!