Seen It Live: Bamboozle 08 (cont.)

When I was seeing where I left off yesterday, I realized that I forgot to mention the picture at the bottom of the page was taken by a member of Ludo [Tim Convoy] during their set at Bamboozle. Andrew Volpe, the lead singer, can be seen in the corner.

>>Back to the reviews. Since the crowd was so big by the time my friend & I got there, we could barely see Secondhand Serenade. My friend also wanted to see another band that I wasn't familiar with, A Rocket To The Moon, who was performing at another stage at the same time. We enjoyed "Vulnerable" as we walked towards the band I'd never heard of. It was earlier in the day, and there wasn't that big of a crowd yet, so we got close & listened. For me, the most memorable of their songs was "Fear of Flying". I don't know why, but it stuck in my head. After their set, i bought their Summer 07 EP, got a poster, and met their band manager. [ He's awesome, by the way. ] It's acoustic, and it's really good. More songs off that EP include "Baby, We're Invincible", "I Think About You Everyday", and "Mistakes We Haven't Made". If you're into an acoustic sound, I suggest you look them up :]

>>Cute Is What We Aim For performed right after on yet another stage. It was bigger, as was the crowd, and it was hard to hear them. We could barely make out their familiar songs like "Curse Of Curves." We only stayed for a short amount of time, then we walked around for a while.

>>During our walk, we passed the Victory Records stand, where we received free samples & what not. We got a bunch of other packages, too. In one was GET HEARD volume 8, a compilation of various songs by artists who want to, well, get heard. The first song is called "No Control" by Pepper. It starts out with an almost reggae vibe, but then combines it with a rock sound. It's a really good song, and if you're interested check them out.
>>The 2nd track is "Bob & Bonnie" by Houston Calls, which reminds me of "The Space Between" by Valencia; a song I'm extremely fond of. If you know that song, you'll notice the similarities. Houston Calls has an upbeat sound that's almost pop-punk and completely enjoyable. Intrigued? Look 'em up :]. All of the songs are really good, and each band has a Myspace :]

I'll add more reviews laterrrr :]

Seen It Live: Bamboozle - 5/3/08

>> So last month a friend & I went to the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey. I don't have a lot of time right now, so I'll just cover the best performances I saw starting with Ludo, even though they performed later in the day. I'd just started finding their music, and when I heard they'd be there I was psyched. They were at a smaller stage, so I was able to get up close & personal during their set. They played songs like their hit "Love Me Dead", "Lake Pontchartrain", and "Drunken Lament" off their newest CD You're Awful, I Love You. I actually bought that cd after their performance, and had them all sign it. I talked to them for about half an hour, and they're really awesome to be around. They're down to earth & we have the same sense of humor. [Oh, and Andrew, the lead singer, gives really good hugs :) ] They're amazing musically and they don't take themselves too seriously, which only adds to the appeal. Check out their site: www.ludorock.com :]

>>I also got to see Metro Station there, too. They were at a bigger stage, but I still got up pretty close. They performed songs like "Shake It", "Kelsey", and "Disco". For those of you who only know "Shake It" because it's getting crazy radio play, I highly suggest you check out some of their other stuff as well because they have a good rhythm. They got the audience into their performance as much as possible, and they were really enjoyable to watch. Honestly, they're better live.

*>>Unfortunately, that's all I have time to say right now, but I'll finish up the Bamboozle reviews eventually. :]

Seen It Live: Honda Civic Tour '07

I guess before I should start with the updates, I should probably mention who I've seen live, & who among them are worth seeing.

>>On 6/5/07, I went to the Honda Civic Tour at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater & saw Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is..., +44, Cobra Starship, and Paul Wall.

>>Cobra Starship performed first, and at the time I wasn't really familiar with their music. Halfway during their first song I realized how amazing they were, so I bought their CD & fell in love! :] They're amazing, live & in studio. Their first CD When The City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets & their most recent Viva La Cobra are both very, very good: definitely worth the purchase.

>>Paul Wall, the "odd man out" genre-wise, was impressive. He had a good stage presence. His CD Get Money, Stay True was great, escecially for all those rap fans out there. He is one of my favorite rappers, large in part because I really enjoyed his live performance.

>>The Academy Is... was also incredible. I love their CD Almost Here. I haven't been able to get my hands on their newer one yet.

>>+44, including Mark & Travis of Blink-182, was one of my favorite bands to begin with. Seeing them live made me love them even more. They played some of my favorites, like "When Your Heart Stops Beating" & "Make You Smile". They really got the crowd into the performance. There was a lot of energy.

>>Fall Out Boy was the last to play because they were headlining the tour. I'd heard beforehand that they were horrible live, so I was pleasantly surprised when they started playing because they were amazing. They had lots of lighting effects & stunts, thanks to Pete Wentz. At one point, he threw his instrument into the water surrounding the stage, and later had someone get it & gave it to a fan. As the concert ended, Pete jumped off the stage into the water where his bass had just been retrieved.

>>Overall all of the performances were amazing, and I suggest you look up these bands if you're into alternative, pop-punk, or rap (Paul Wall would be the exclusive rapper here).

Let's Do This.

Hey Guys :] I'm Kate, and music is my life. I love to write as well, so I figured, why not do something that involves both? So here it is. I decided to make this blog to keep you updated with your favorite musicians, and to introduce you to a whole bunch of new ones. There are so many great bands out there, why not give them some recognition? If I find a band I like, I'll tell you who they are and why they're amazing. Sound good? I hope so :] If you have any specific questions, let me know & I'll do my best to find the answers. Or, if you find a band worth talking about, tell me & I'll check them out. Thanks so much, and let's hope this works :]

*REViSED* - 7/15/08