Crash and Danger CD Release Party

I saw Crash Landon and Aaron Danger open up for Slick Rick a couple months ago and it was great to see them again at the Blue Turtle in Hilltop. I was happy to get my hip hop fix in because I'm never sure where to go see this stuff. Seeing music of any genre performed gets me hyped because everyone is doing what they love. There's so much positive energy in the room that it becomes contagious. Crash and Danger definitely have that contagious energy.

An added bonus for the night was being able to see Drew Skills and Steve B rock the mic again. Twitter has become really interesting tool for seeking out and talking to independent artists. Without it, I would have missed out on a really awesome recording session the following week at the Green Room with Drew Skills and Steve B. That was a completely new experience for me and I hope to go back and document it better.

Here are some photos from the Blue Turtle.

Here's one real quick video showing off the verbalism of Mike Mo

Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun: Hard Working Musicians

Today on the blog I have a video interview with Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun. They just released Wildfire, a full length album filled with shit that will make you move. I was able to sit down with the band before the show and ask them about why they work so hard and how much it means to them when fans enjoy their music. I have so much respect any artist that works hard and puts themselves out there like TTMTTS. Part of my goal with this blog is to show music fans exactly why they should continue to support independent art.

This is the first time I have interviewed a band and I hope to do more in the future. If you are a band and would like to tell me why making music is important to you, give me a shout in the comments below.

La Dispute and Defeater and so much music love.

Last week I traveled with my good friend and fellow photographer, Audie, to the Canal Club in Richmond to see Defeater and La Dispute. It was my first hardcore show in quite a while because it's not a genre I normally keep up with.

It was my first time at the Canal Club and I want to go back often. It has a very historic feel to it. If you've never been before, you feel like you're going to a secret location. The space is pretty big looking to hold a couple hundred people tightly. The speaker stacks flank the stage looking large and menacing, no fancy ceiling fly mount JBL rigs here. Don't get my wrong, they still sound great.

The show was a nonstop melt your face rock out force. The breakout act of the night for me was Native http://native.bandcamp.com/. They came on and really commanded the stage with their custom stage lights that flooded them in a bright white light in time with the guitar swells. The screaming that normally goes with hardcore music was set against really complex guitar harmonies which I was not expecting. You should really check them out.

I didn't get that many great photos because I was too busy bouncing around the crowd and enjoying the music. Bringing the camera to my eye was hard because I just wanted to thrash about. There were also 4 or 5 other photographers there, so I'm confident that the night was well documented. I love meeting other photographers at shows because each person has such a unique view on the same event. Check out http://www.jennharringtonphotography.com and http://www.brandonhambright.com two regulars in the RVA music scene.

When I did shoot, I tried to focus on the kids. Their energy was the real show. Each chorus would be met with a surge of people rushing the stage to contribute their part into the microphone. These kids know the music, they love the lyrics, and they believe in the message of the song. It's such a great thing to see happen, and I suspect that's why these bands perform and work their ass off night after night.

Dance! Monkey! Dance! Fantastic Planet Rock and a Review of the new JewMo Hilltop

Fantastic Planet is VA's best non stop party machines! My first FanPLan show was at the old Jewish Mother at the oceanfront. It was wild, I had never heard such strong DJs locally. Normally I have to scour the internet for mixtapes to get my fix of hard rocking beat matching and b sides, so it was a comfort to just sit back and let them perform. They also threw the best New Years party at the NorVa to ring in 2011.

Flufftronix brought an incredible sound to the area. Hailing from Philadelphia, we got a special treat in Hampton Roads. I am still hesitant to really embrace dubstep and the wubwubwubwub dirty crunch, but when his version of Legend of Zelda came on, I lost my mind. I rushed the stage with camera and wife in tow screaming HYRULE! at the top of my lungs.

This was my first show at the new Jewish Mother Hilltop and it is no joke, they redid everything. It used to be a sad sad building, but now is wonderfully done up to handle any show of any size. I'm really excited to see a wide range of music there. The sound system is banging and the lights can create any mood they need. There's a cool outdoor patio now, with a lovely view of the K-mart parking lot. There's multiple bars with a raised platform of booths and tables for people who just want to chill. I will miss the old JewMo simply for the memories, but I am glad that they built a new home because "Home is Where the Shows Are."

Titus Andronicus - Small Venues and Big Performances

I watched Titus Andronicus live on YouTube only one week prior to seeing them live in person. Their webcasted performance at Cochella was more than enough to get my hyped. I feel really fortunate to be able to see them at such an intimate venue as the Jewish Mother Backstage.

My very first concert was 311 at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater on their Blue album tour. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to finally give some context to the disembodied sounds on my Walkman. Seeing musicians perform became a slight obsession to me at a young age. However my tastes became even harder to satiate as I started to go to smaller clubs and venues in college. Then one day it was all over when I saw a basement show guided only by a hand drawn hipster map. The smaller venues are so much better for me. I just cannot go to an outdoor amphitheater to watch a projection screen while I sit on a grassy knoll. It's just not me.

The opening act was a quirky and energetic band from Williamsburg called Digging up Virgins , you can download their latest EP here http://diggingupvirgins.bandcamp.com/ . They have a garagey and punky vibe. I'm hoping they will come down to the Southside more.

Dinowalrus was up next as Titus Andronicus's main support for their tour and they played a great show. They made a joke about being from Colonial Williamsburg, New York, which went over my head as I wondered why I had never heard of such a place.

Titus Andronicus really put their game face on as they just floored me. The enthusiastic chanting and crowd sing alongs also let me know that they impressed everyone else as well. The songs on the new album are so infectious. Each tune makes you want to sway in time, put your fist in the air, and sing along. So freaking good.

Check out Sam McDonalds Daily Press blog post because he writes much better than I do, and talks about Titus Andronicus' ties to the Hampton Roads area.

Check out my buddy Audie's blog because he takes better photos than I do. Seriously, he's one talented dude. www.AudieSumaray.com

The Slackers - Ska and Punk still dancing away

Some of the earliest shows I went to in middle and high school were local punk and ska shows at The Boathouse. The Boathouse was a legendary venue of pure raw live music. It wans't very pretty and it wasn't the best sounding, but it was loud and mean. I really do miss it and I shed a tear every time I think about it.

So here I am a decade later still watching ska shows. The attendees stay the same age while I keep getting older. That's something really special, I hope everyone has a chance to experience music for themselves and get inspired. Looking around the crowd there are plenty of people with the underage "X" on their hands and thinking about how I hated those marks of shame. Enough nostalgia, onto the show itself.

Rude Zombie was a great opener, they definitely warmed up the crowd. They were the first to raise the energy level and never let it down. It's a huge band with a big sound, I wish I was able to capture more of it, but I was too busy enjoying the performance.

Here's a video of Rude Zombie from that night shot by another concert goer.

Next in the line up were local favorites Jackmove. They have been consistently holding it down in Hampton Roads for a while now. You can always count on them for a good time and great dancing. They are a genre bending band that play ska reggae funk punk and rock. Very very fun to see live.

And finally The Slackers are celebrating 20 years together! and bringing all kinds of class and sophistication to the ska experience. Everything about them says that these are professional entertainers who know what they are doing and love every second of it. They played to a packed house and were essentially held captive by the crowd. The stage at Jewish Mother backstage doesn't really allow for the talent to simply walk off. The Slackers took it to the next level by literally jumping off stage and playing their way out beyond the crowd. It was ridiculous.

Jimkata Live and In Your Face!

Jimkata rolled through Virginia Beach on 4/14/2011 and played at Doc Taylors. They are an awesome blend of electronica and rock with jam band influences. You can download their latest tracks of hotness, Ghosts and Killers, for FREESIES at http://www.jimkata.com/ .

The record is good, but you really have to see them live to appreciate just how good they are. I managed to capture 1/10 of the awesomeness in my videos. My goal with this blog is to promote my passion for music and share it with the rest of the world.

Just when you think these guys couldn't get any better, they cover Depeche Mode. So sit back and enjoi. I had a chance to sit and talk with the guys after the show. I learned just how hard musicians work when they take to the road. It's so important to me to support art and allow these guys to keep creating.

The Whigs w/ Company of Thieves @ Jewish Mother Backstage

I had seen The Whigs open for the Black Keys (Photos from that very show!) a few years ago at the NorVa and they were really fun. Now they are the main act supported by Company of Thieves. The show was great and the crowd was really into it. Most everyone who came knew the words and sang along. Those situations make for the best shows as the crowd feeds their energy to the artist who then turns it up to 11.

Company of Thieves really blew me away with how tight the performance was, they are a serious band not to be messed with. Incredible stage presence and I will definitely see them again sometime.

What I took away from this show is the power of an opening act. I found The Whigs when I went to see The Black Keys. I now happily know about Company of Thieves and will continue to follow them. I saw the MacGregor band open for The 2 Skinnee Js and followed them to a show in Baltimore, and they still hold it down as Wax and Herbal T on youtube. My current favorite touring band of all time, The Gay Blades, were on support for Sikamor Rooney.

I think it works in reverse as well, sometimes you can find a great band while supporting your local independents. Westbound opened for Gliss, came for the Westbound and stayed for the Gliss. So when I went to see Gliss when they came back to Norfolk, I met Stephen from Yesper and ended up filming a very impromptu accoustic session with him.

How many great bands have you discovered while they were supporting a larger band?

Slick Rick the Ruler Live @ Shaka's Virginia Beach

Hip hop shows are always a blast because there is a huge sense of community. There were 5

opening acts, each bigger and badder than the previous one.

It ranged from an old school block party feel with Ghetto Prince Productions to a a full band with Jay Pharaoh and the Manhattan Project. One really notable act was Spring Entertainment who killed it with 5 MCs, awesome beats, and a killer performance, all while passing the "good" mic around.

The living legend himself, Slick Rick, was a blast to see live. He came out dressed the part, completely covered in gold chains, diamonds, and the craziest watch I've ever seen. I can now rest easy after haveing seen Lodi Dodi performed live. Slick Rick and DJ Kaos were there to keep old school hip hop alive and welcoming new schoolers to join in. DJ Kaos played the deep cuts and I danced and sang right along. I might be 10 years to young to be truly nostalgic, but I can certainly appreciate it.

Check the photos out and the video of a little bit of Lodi Dodi.

EDIT: Not my video, but an awesome video of Spring Entertainment - 757 Holla What! (check that azn nerd up front)

Show Photos from Sunday

Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun rocked out to a sold out Taphouse in Ghent on Sunday 3/27/11. They are from Atlanta, GA but I hope they feel at home when they come to VA. The level of energy they bring just has to be seen in person. Next time get there early because they were turning people away at the door. Check out their Facebook and be on the lookout for their new album on May 7.

The Winter Sounds from Nashville, TN opened up and were also really good. What band doesn't mean business when there is a violin involved? Check out The Winter Sounds here.