Arts & Entertainment Connexions

TheLiveLine.com – where fans and artists go to shoot the sh** (used with permission from Alternative Revolt Magazine)

One of the hardest working guys I know not only promotes several record companies and a number of artists but he also works for a very cool business, TheLiveLine.com. This company allows fans to call a number and listen to a recorded message left by an actual famous artist of their choice to see what the latest thing going on in their lives is. Not only that, but a fan can also receive a text by the artist of what they’re into or what they’re about to get into. To make it sweeter, sometimes the artist will answer the phone and talk to you if they’re super cool and not super busy. Want to know who some of these artists are? Scott Ian (Anthrax), Dez Fafara (DevilDriver), Burton C Bell (Fear Factory), Maria Brink (In This Moment), and many more.

Not only do they have an amazingly simple and effective idea for promoting businesses, their idea behind fan-to-artist mobile phone interaction is cool and unique which will probably be as important as society has made Twitter. Their press release sounds mighty inviting: “The website allows our talent to create AudioBlogs, and anyone can call them at a number we assign them for FREE. This itself is cool to be able to hear their actual voice, and interact with fans. Fans can even leave voice messages for the Artists, and you never know, the artist may just answer the phone and start talking to you! Every time an artist updates their AudioBlog, a text alert goes out.

Try it for yourself, and give Maria Brink a call for FREE: (877) 306-2742. Who is Maria Brink? The delicious singer of “In This Moment” who also was featured in Playboy.

TheLiveLine.com has an updated version which will go live very soon and you don’t want to miss out on this huge ordeal. You can see a glimpse now at http://www.theliveline.com

What interested me equally was a section they have called “Purgatory.” This is a cool concept where unknown artists get a chance to score a spot with the big boys on the site. Basically, an unknown artist tries to gain 1,000 fans. Until they do they stay in “purgatory” but once they get that number of fans they achieve a spot with the already-knowns. So, to get a bit more understanding here is an interview with someone who knows all about TheLiveLine.com, Scott Holmen.

THE INTERVIEW

Daniel/AR: The idea behind theliveline.com is very cool. It’s been tested for a couple years if my information is correct. What prompted the idea and how did it get moving so fast and successfully?

Scott/TheLiveLine: We were aware that the technology was available but mostly being applied to retail marketing. We approached our parent company with the idea of using their existing technology and applying it to the entertainment industry.

Daniel/AR: Tell me a typical scenario how a fan could benefit from joining.

Scott/TheLiveLine: In addition to getting updates from Artists IN THE ARTISTS’ OWN VOICE, fans on TheLiveLine have access to exclusive contests, promotions, alerts and access to our “Talent Family”.

Daniel/AR: What is the cost to join?

Scott/TheLiveLine: It is absolutely FREE to be a fan or an artist on TheLiveLine.

Daniel/AR: Tell me a typical scenario of how a business could benefit from this. Let’s say the name of the business was Envy Anna Jones or Eggshell White Castle.

Scott/TheLiveLine: The businesses that are coming alongside TheLiveLine see the value of several components that we produce. A business is able to access fans, via their mobile device, which is the most immediate and relevant way to reach their targeted demographic today. We are able to serve highly targeted text, voice and web communications on behalf of these businesses.

Daniel/AR: How would you compare this to Twitter which is what I thought of initially?

Scott/TheLiveLine: We are different than twitter in that we have incorporated an Audio component in TheLiveLine. On twitter, you can’t be too sure who is tweeting on behalf of an artist. Frequently, an administrator is generating the tweets. With TheLiveLine, you are HEARING your favorite artists voice SECONDS after they record their AudioBlog and are provided with a way to engage in 2-way communication with them.

Daniel/AR: When theliveline.com is complete what are all the great things one can expect from visiting it and being a member?

Scott/TheLiveLine: As we continue to build out TheLiveLine we expect to facilitate event based mobile experiences where we are at shows allowing fans to engage with the artists via picture 2 screen text to screen, voting, and providing mobile deals on merch, concessions, etc.
We will be able to provide fans and brands with highly relevant information that they will want based on some of the information that they request. For example, a metal fan will request and get information around metal music, metal merch, metal events, etc.

Daniel/AR: Your “purgatory” is a very cool idea. To what extent will theliveline.com go to make sure these artists get known?

Scott/TheLiveLine: We are huge proponents of the “up & comers”. We have already used our resources to book shows for some of these smaller bands. We truly believe that as Artists see a company in this “Dog Eat Dog” world that you so accurately describe come along side of them and help them with publicity, brand building, management, and bringing them into our network within the entertainment business they will reciprocate by providing TheLiveLine with new content, traffic and otherwise reciprocating. Scratching each others backs if you will.

Daniel/AR: Anything else you’d like to have everyone know?

Scott/TheLiveLine: We would love fan feedback on our TheLiveLine. We would love to know other bands that you would like to connect with through TheLiveLine. This site is meant to cater to the fans so I would hope that they would be generous in letting us know what they want. We will do everything we can to make this site the ultimate site for engaging with artists and gathering information about entertainment.

Daniel/AR: Even though this isn’t an artist interview I’ll throw you a famous question curve ball just the same. If theliveline.com dominated all businesses and could change the way people paid for services what would the change be, would Bill Gates care at all and would it affect the afterlife in any way?

Wow. That is a big question!

1. Ultimately , payment for services would be made by brands that see the tremendous return on getting targeted, relevant information in front of fans on TheLiveLine. This way, fans are only present with information/advertising that they would want to see and advertisers see a high rate of return on their advertising dollars because of this.

2. I hope that Bill Gates would care. If TheLiveLine is “dominating all businesses” we would likely come up on his radar in a meaningful way.

3. As to the afterlife, one can only hope that energy put forth in this life affects the afterlife but I am hardly in a position to speak to these mysteries with any definitive conviction. For now I’ll just trust that if we “do good then good will follow us”.

Daniel/AR: Thank you very much for talking a bit about this amazing concept. Being one for the major and not-so-major artists together in one place is worth telling people about. I wish you all the best.

Daniel C. Morrison aka: The Hit Man

When Nashville Pussy, Green Jelly and Psychostick came to town I was fortunate enough to be invited to review the show. In fact, I have been invited to review several shows such as – Rockin Mayhem Festival, Rock on the Range, Vans Warped Tour, and more. This is all thanks to the fact that my articles have allowed me to also be the Head Journalist of Alternative Revolt Magazine, . I will be sharing those reviews and articles on bands here on the Arts and Entertainment Connexions. Now that I’m super busy I might not get them here weekly but if that’s the case you will see a bunch posted on a particular day. So now, on the review!

Review of the Parental Advisory Tour – a theatrical show you should not miss
Starring:
Psychostick
The Fabulous Miss Wendy
Green Jelly
Nashville Pussy

There’s something weird going on in the music scene nowadays. Our first issue was dedicated to female-fronted bands but it seems that females are more and more involved in bands nowadays. Maybe I’ve been a recluse from being so f*&@ing poor but I thank God that I’m able to review shows, interview bands and get to know them somewhat personally. Sharing that with a reader base is just that much better! Therefore, I am going to tell you my two cents worth of the Parental Advisory Tour where both males and females rocked the stage. No, not just rocked but murdered the atmosphere with explosive entertainment. From melting-your-face guitar leads to laugh-out-loud comedy, an unusual theatrical type performance and down and dirty rock I am upset that the crowd wasn’t bigger. Truly, what excuse did people have for missing this phenomenal night?

Let’s start things off right by telling you that Expo 5 in Louisville, KY is an awesome place to check out music. It’s not as well known as Phoenix Hill Tavern or Headliners but it’s bigger than both, at least it certainly looked that way. And a big place like that was needed with talent by the hilarious, metal crunching Psychostick, the angel with horns The Fabulous Miss Wendy who actually joined the stage to perform alongside the crappiest band ever, Green Jelly, and the rock steady, show stopping Nashville Pussy. I even took a peek in the other stage of this venue to check out a local metal band, Screwface that got the metal munching job done!

It was hard to pick out my favorite act. Psychostick began the festival with a hilarious sound check that wasn’t even part of the act. Then, front man, Rawrb, goes into an awesome selection of metal comedy with facial animations and band participation to go right along with the songs. Songs like “Two Ton Paper Weight,” about Josh’s old, run down Mercury and their newest hit, “This Is Not a Song, It’s A Sandwich” and their dedicated-to-all-beer-related things song, “Beer” was a world of awesome and laughs. Even drum bashing, Alex, made a funny, yet serious comment that sums them up nicely, “We like to write about the non-fiction stuff.” I score this performance an A.

Next, I was taken by surprise by a trio I had no idea existed, The Fabulous Miss Wendy. I won’t go into how badly I would’ve loved to date lead singer/guitarist Wendy but I will go into how she flat out shredded her guitar masterfully. With a solid voice, stage presence, showoff antics and shockingly fluid lead guitar skills she certainly shot electricity out of her axe through every song. Then, bad ass chic drummer, Chelsea Bangs (yep, that’s her name) destroys the drums that made her seem like a ten foot monster instead of the 5′5 or shorter cute girl with a warm smile. Let me tell you also that bass player, Brian Beckman, must be one lucky guy. Not just to perform with a pair of women who are gorgeous and talented but to be privy to some hopping, rocking music. He held his own too with the bass but Wendy just grinded out her guitar all over the place leaving little room for him to rock to full potential. I give their performance an A+

After the way-too-short 4 song set of The Fabulous Miss Wendy was over I witnessed a seamless blend into the strangest act I’ve ever seen to date when Green Jelly took the stage. In fact, Wendy, Brian and Chelsea were part of the band. It was like a carnival act and even though Green Jelly likes to be known as “the suckiest band ever” they really aren’t. It was a treat to see these musical veterans give a show. I was witness to the mighty Cow God, several different Sesame Street, cereal, and other characters and a crowd that went ballistic.
They introduced each song with props and an announcer. Most songs had a singer in a bad ass costume and the best part was that they pulled audience members on stage to wear the masks and just rock out with them. To me, my favorite was the Three Little Pigs. But it’s hard to pick out which they did best because it was like a real theatrical show. How in the world could this concert get any better? The sad part was that their spot in the limelight was too short. I’m not sure how different this concert was compared to others since I’ve never been to one. However, if you ever get a chance to see this maniacal band play then do it! You probably won’t see anything like it again so don’t wait around for them to disband again. I heard some people say that Green Jelly wasn’t as good as they’ve done before so my review gives them an A while other audience members I talked to would have probably scored it somewhere in the B range.

To end the night with an appropriate bang Nashville Pussy got on stage and, yes, rocked the house down! While not as comical or strange as the other bands they had fun, sang about fun and good times and the crowd responded in an identical fashion.
Blaine did his thing on vocals with a punchy rhythm and downright rock ‘n roll look. The people loved him! Karen Cuda fired away her bass and, at times, literally used it as a gun prop to fire off her impressive skills. The crowd went wild when she licked the entire neck of the bass while she played to one of the songs. Jeremy rocked on the drums and it was sad to see that he was so far in the background. But he gets props for keeping up with the wild action. But I think Rutger slayed the performance with her guitar playing skills. Her leads smoked, her body writhed and she allowed rock to become her entire body. This chic is rock and I wonder suddenly if Wendy from The Fabulous Miss Wendy took a close look at her somewhere else for she writhed and rocked with the same passion and adrenaline. Definitely, another A+ performance.

Between acts I did get to hop over to the other stage and check out a Louisville metal band called Screwface. Even Preston, the artist that designed their debut album cover, was present. These guys had a humble attitude and then turned around and blazed the scene. While I prefer my metal to have some singing in it they did a good job of screaming like the others. Their music, although metal, had sometimes a rock feel which was interesting as they blended the vocals with it. Their guitarist, one of Louisville’s music promoters, had some pretty sweet leads and I think I’ll keep my eye on this band to see what else they can do. It was hard to get a true feel for them since the sound equipment was messing up and the volume balance was a little off. Not their fault of course. When it did work they certainly came together well. For them I would score this performance a B-.

All in all I had one of the best times ever as one should with a unique lineup of songs, sounds and visuals that were so diverse. Lucky you, the reader, will get to witness a personal interview for each of the Parental Advisory Tour artists coming very soon. In the meantime check out their music at the following links:

http://www.myspace.com/psychostick

http://www.myspace.com/thefabulousmisswendy

http://www.myspace.com/greenjelly

http://www.nashvillepussy.com/home

Daniel C. Morrison
- aka The Hit Man

Ok all you arts and science enthusiasts, have I got a cool experience to share with you!
As you know, I like to promote artists of all genres. Well, in an effort to see what the city of
Louisville, KY, had in the way of artists I spent a Saturday scoping downtown and was able to visit the Louisville Science Center thanks to the freindly and intelligent Danielle Waller. I heard that they had local art there so I was on a mission to see exactly what it was. What I
actually experienced was one of the coolest places I’ve been and not just because of the immensely spectacular Titanic Exhibit.

This four-floor building held many surprises ranging from nearly 150 learning and activity stations to a four story IMAX Theatre. I’m talking about teaching laboratories, a fun way to learn about the human body with trivia game consoles, arcade style bacteria smashing and my favorite, the x-rays. Yes, people in positions doing everyday activites with a screen that shows an X-RAY of what happens while you do it, none of which made me queezy.

This largest hands-on science center in Kentucky also had an awesome variety of interactive ways to learn about industrial technology, building your own bike, skeleton weight lifting, a huge wall screen map that told you of different places around Kentucky, wildlife, a machine that showed you pictures of what you’ll look like every couple decades, a kids zone that made me wish I was 10 again, 3 or more different educational and breathtaking movies on their IMAX screen, info on chemistry, telecommunications, physics, manufacturing, oh I could go on and on. So I will.

Their exhibit, The World Around Us, combines natural and earth sciences to create a fantastic range of interactive and multimedia activities. Three awesome ecological galleries that cover the atmosphere, terrashpere and aquasphere will excite you if you’re an environment buff.

For history fans their Discovery Gallery has natural history collections that includes cool, interactive learning experiences with the mummy, polar bears and Gemini trainer.

The World We Create is a fascinating exhibit
that introduces you to a mixture of manufacturing, transportation, chemistry, architecture, physics, engineering and communication. You can actually indulge all your senses in this fun environment and also compute and design stuff. There’s even physical science exploration. True! Here you can build with blocks, conduct chemistry experiments, design a bike, delivering high-tech packages and more. No pyromania exhibits though, thankfully. This was a lot of fun!

Another amazing exhibit was The World Within Us. According to their site, it “lets you get to know the amazing body that’s yours for life. Learn more about how your body works through hands-on exhibits that will give you a new appreciation for the parts most people take for granted. How does your voice work? Just how large is a large intestine? You’ll never see your body in the same way again!” Well, they were right. In a salute to my mother, a nurse, I would soon head to this amazing exhibit where I’ll also see how healthy and unhealthy lifestyle choices affect my body, as if the reflection in the mirror wasn’t enough. And I sure wasn’t going to miss the recommended highlights, “Out of Control: Slide behind the wheel of an orange Volkswagen and experience the difference between driving sober and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Time Machine: This photo booth takes you into the future so you can see how you might look in 20, 30 or 40 years. Amazing Beginnings: In a reverent, awe-inspiring display, eight human embryos and fetuses show how you grew from two autonomous cells.”


Before I could get into more meat and potatoes of this fine facility I had to check out their intense Titanic exhibit.  If you have never seen this historic adventure you should head out to wherever it’s going next. Seeing this with my own eyes was simply awesome. Very educational, very breathtaking and it had cool, detailed touches to boot. Before entering we were told that the cases which held the artifacts were on an alarm system. I was also handed a mock boarding pass with the name of one of the passengers that actually rode on the Titanic. At the end of the exhibit I was to find the name in the list of survivors or the list of those who perished that tragic night. Sad to say, my guy and his family didn’t make it. I also have to mention that they had an actual large piece of a freshwater iceburg there as well. It was so cold. It was to let people get an idea of how cold the water was when the Titanic went down. In fact, the water was colder than that iceburg.

The exhibit walls had pictures of those on the massive boat and brief stories of others. The belongings in the cases had photos and stories of those whom they belonged to and there was even a pair of phones that had recordings of what eye witnesses who survived had described about the tragedy. Intense! There was a volunteer there as well who was stuffed full of information that the exhibit did not display. To me, it was icing on the cake. So, of course, I had to check out the four-story IMAX screening of James Cameron’s deep sea dive to explore the Titanic.

Inisde this 250 capacity theater it was difficult to find a seat but it was well worth it. The screen was in your face like a dog wanting a cookie. The way it added to the historic allure of the Titanic Exhibit was incredible. I could not imagine going there ever again without also partaking in an IMAX adventure. I even think only one kid cried. That’s impressive due to the number of families with children that were there.

This wonderful Titanic piece catered to my assistant, Stephanie in major ways. It is her favorite historical story so I let her write an article on the exhibit for you to read at the end of this article. Yes, I’m that kind.

After the movie was over I spent a lot of time in the health science section, “The World Within Us.” It was the most interactive learning experience I’ve ever witnessed (and that includes the game, Charades, and the kids game, Memory. Ha.) Huge displays in vibrant colors really grabbed my attention. Computers with Trivia about what you just saw were there as well to test your smarts factor. Devices that let you see pieces of bone construction via magnifiying glass, a machine that showed you what vision is like with several different diseases, a lot of different interactive ways to see your heart at work, and the list goes on and on. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the skeletal movements as I simulated weight lifting and enjoyed destroying bacteria via an arcade video game machine.

I witnessed the aging process of my associate, Stephanie, as she sat in front of this screen that took her picture and showed her what she would theoretically look like every 20 years until age 85. According to the machine she wouldn’t gain much weight, she would get glaucoma judging by how one of her eyes looked and that she would actually live to age 85. Theoretic flaws aside, this was unique entertainment. We also saw the KidZone where little ones could play and learn. I’ll just say that Ronald McDonald would be jealous. I also witnessed some cool nature and wildlife history of Kentucky and was in gemstone heaven in their surprisingly varied gift shop. Come on now, a gemstone vending machine? Yes! Fifty cents in, a handful of gemstones out. $2.00 later and we needed a bag for them. Those clever little vendors and that wonderful machine! Before you think I’m some dork I’ll have you know I’m a gemstone fanatic.

Finally, after so much fun, I found the only spot that had local artwork. It was hanging on the wall along the hall by the IMAX theater entrance. More than a dozen paintings decorated the wall all by the same artist, Margaret Oechsli, PHD . She uses a process called Photomicrography. As I understand it, it’s photography through a microscope. Her unique artwork includes different medicines with cool pieces such as “Dots Going For The Walk,” “Vagueness of Being” and “Almond Default” which all are priced at $1500. Amazing idea, her artwork! She crafts it very well. Sadly, that’s all they seemed to have in regards to local art. Well, it wasn’t really sad. the rest of the museum was just too cool for words.

I wish I could have stayed there longer. We spent over four hours there and didn’t even get to experience a good third of the place. Danielle Waller says that the ROBOTS exhibit starts in about two weeks, an exhibit based off the animated movie ROBOTS.  How cool is that? When I go back to write on it I will partake in the rest of the adventure that is the Louisville Science Center . Next time I will focus greatly on the exhibit. This article was to let you know about this entertaining complex. Maybe one day they’ll have a mime display. It would be more acceptable than a drunk driving display. Yikes! To see for yourself all the other things this place has to offer and its rich history visit the site at www.LouisvilleScience.org and when you visit, let them know that Daniel sent ya!

So to Danielle, Josh, Kelly and the rest of the staff, thank you for your hospitality, your energy, and passion. It was one of the coolest places I’ve been. I look forward to seeing you all again very soon!

– Daniel C. Morrison
aka the Hit Man for Arts and Entertainment Connexions
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DanielsDoorstep.com

A Walk Through The RMS Titanic Exhibit at The Louisville Science Center
Written By: Stephanie Pacey

Titanic’s story is still heard even from the dark, abysmal silence of the bottom of The Atlantic. It has been almost ninety-eight years since that fateful night that the White Star ocean liner set sail on it’s first and last journey to its watery grave. Today, the luxury ship sits over 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface as a massive tomb for over 1,500 souls and millions of memories.

The Louisville Science Center’s exhibit on this tragic loss is beyond what you would call “informative”. Unlike most historical walks through time, not only do you learn about things you wouldn’t possibly know, you actually enjoy learning little known facts about Titanic, and are able to recall them later on. They incorporate every way of learning that is known in society into one massive place. Everyone knows the story of Titanic, even today’s middle school students know a little about the ill-fated, maiden voyage of the largest and most luxurious ocean liner ever made at the time. Whether they learned about it in school or watched the movie, they know the basics. What the exhibit in the Science Center had to offer was above and beyond.

At the beginning of the exhibit, you are told by one of the many workers donning lab coats that the artifacts actually come from excavations of the wreckage, and because of their delicate condition, they are encased in glass that will sound an alarm if it is touched. You are also told to look out for “major butt”, who ends up being a passenger from Louisville named Major Archibald Butt. So in finding the amusement of this tragically, yet humorously named man, you remember the name later on at the end of the exhibit. They give you a faux boarding pass with a name of a passenger on it, why they are travelling, who they are travelling with, and what they do for a living.

As you walk through, there are framed pictures and facts along the walls, and encased artifacts such as: American currency, bank notes, dinnerware, pots and pans, hair brushes, toothpaste containers, Gillette razor blade wrapper, a champagne bottle with liquid still in it, a marriage certificate, the list goes on and on. There is also a part in which you see a menu of what types of food was served to each class rank. There is also a fun fact stating that one ticket for first class would be around 100,000 dollars today. The most aristocratic passenger was John Jacob Astor who was a businessman in New York. Mr. Joseph Bruce Ismay was the owner of Titanic and was on the ship when it hit the iceberg. He was also the man behind how fast the ship was going and how many lifeboats were on the ship on its maiden voyage. He survived by getting on collapsable lifeboat C. Mr. Thomas Andrews was the ship’s builder, and spent his last hours telling people to get on the lifeboats and to put on a lifejacket. Sadly, he did not survive.
Near the end of the exhibit you come to an actual freshwater iceberg that you touch to feel how cold the water would have been for the 1,500+ souls that didn’t manage to get on a lifeboat because there weren’t enough to rescue everyone on board. You also get to see some AuGratin dishes found stacked neatly in the rows they were in when the ship sank. At the end, you walk to a wall that has the classes, and a list of who survived and who perished. You are to take your boarding pass and try to locate the name on it to see what happened to them that cold night on April 14th, 1912. You could also go to their IMAX Theater and see “Ghosts of the Abyss”, a short film by James Cameron, the director of Titanic starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. It takes you on an exploration of Titanic’s wreckage and stars Bill Paxton who is a guest on the quest. There is also two special guests called : Jake and Elwood, two ROV “bots” on the boat that become part of the family.

I knew a great deal about Titanic when I went to see this amazing exhibit, and I can say with confidence that it was the best learning experience about the ship and its passengers I have ever witnessed. There is nowhere else I can think of that related so much in a few hours as the Louisville Science Center did. They make learning a lot more fun and easy than, say, reading a book, or an article (just kidding..) I would love to go back to see their next exhibit on Robots that starts March 20th.

You probably already know that I’m not talking about the reason you buy Nyquil or Theraflu when I mention Cold. These are the guys with numerous hits including one of my favorite songs ever, Just Got Wicked. Actually, they just got wicked Thursday night when they headlined an intense show that featured local boys Trust Divided, with a pair of rising acts known as Day of Fire and Edison, and the human lightning bolts known as Nonpoint. So how did the latest Cold lineup fair to my ears?

Scooter, the singer/guitarist upheld his end of the deal with smooth vocals I’ve always enjoyed to the intense delivery of his messages. Zach slammed away on his guitar complementing Jeremy’s flawless bass skill while leaving room for Sam to do his manhandling of the drums which he does so well.

These guys have it, let me just say that. The crowd loved it, the other musicians loved it, I loved it, and I think the ghosts of Phoenix Hill Tavern loved it too. Their song lineup was well worth it, especially the few they let us sample from their upcoming release “Epic.” Their visual effects was a nice addition and if you didn’t know any better you would have thought you were standing in Freedom Hall, the way everything came together. It was intense. Sadly, I never got to actually hang with any of them but Becky, their manager, was happy to chat with me. Soon we’ll see if I convinced them to add something from their vault to Acoustic Alternative Radio.

So for the five of you who may not know who Cold is, check out their link at ColdArmy.com and join as a member so you can get to know this band. You’re in for quite a ride!

-Hit Man

It’s hard to believe that I would one day meet one of the most adrenalized group of hard rockers that exist but, truth be told, I did and it rocked! As if you needed an introduction to stage thrashers, Nonpoint, this group has it all and Phoenix Hill Tavern was right to bring them back through Louisville.

First I want to tell you about Zach. I was totally blown away by his skill on the guitar. If I closed my eyes I would swear to you that 2 or 3 guitarists were on stage but that’s not the case, it was all Zach. He rolled it, pressed it, set it on fire and smoked it all by himself. After the show we hung out a bit and reminisced about guitarists of the late 80’s and the 90’s such as Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme which is my favorite guitarist of all time. In fact, my brother was with me and he praised Nonpoint for their musical accompaniment of his high school years.

Robb, well, he murdered the drums with the same high octane spirit that fueled Bastard, the name they call their Bassist who frantically hammered right along with Zach. Robb had an awesome sense of humor, and like the others, really enjoys his craft. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to meet the Bastard, er Bassist Bastard. That’s kind of fun and weird to say all at the same time.

Then finally the super charged front man, Elias, exploded the cramped room up room and somehow managed to get hundreds of people to jump constantly for minutes without stop. How’s that for a motivational speaker? His messages were clear, his spirit was on fire and Nonpoint’s mission was unmistakable: move like you have a pair. And we did. In fact, to the two chics I kept slamming against because of lack of space, please forgive me for slapping against your bodies so much. Actually, you should get a hold of me. Anyway…

Elias was pretty cool and super appreciative in person. We snapped a photo with him and he signed our ticket stubs and posters but the line to meet them grew quickly. However, I am thankful to have rocked to the most intense concert to date with Nonpoint and to meet the members was a real treat. Nonpoint can come back by any time and often and soon. In fact, I might be able to get an acoustic song from their acoustic album that released in December of 2009 called “Cut the Cord” to Wes of Acoustic Alternative Radio so all you supporters of that site and this one can have one more reason to keep the station playing. You certainly don’t want to miss them.

So if you want to jump around no matter where you’re at, get one or all of their cds. If you want a concert that’ll make your neck hurt just by standing still, go see them. Here’s their link Nonpoint.com. Thanks a lot Nonpoint for a night to remember!

- Hit Man

It was a treat to see a live performance by a group that reminded me of the 90’s. Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden would all be proud of the band Day Of Fire. Going on right before juggernaut Nonpoint, who ripped up the scene starting in the late 90’s, this band was the perfect segue. I have to interject that their cover of Fastblack by Full Devil Jacket was amazing and a rare treat. Their originals though were fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed the freshness of their style and the memories of my favorite decade in music: the 90’s.

Vocalist Josh brings a passion and joy to the table with his on stage presence which guitarist Joe and Bassist Chris bounced around nicely complementing him while Zach destroyed the drums. The variety in songs not only from their latest album “Losing All” and their latest single “Lately” was refreshing and kept me thinking about what I was going to hear next.

While I didn’t get a chance to hang with band members for very long at all, or meet Josh, his artwork was astonishing. Truly, a very talented man, not that he needed more than a good voice. Day of Fire came together nicely and I really hope people longing for that 90’s vibe pick up a copy of their music. There’s 3 cds to choose from and you can sample their success here at DayOfFire.com.
Thanks for the reminder of great music guys. Don’t wait too long to come back through Louisville.

-Hit Man

Let me tell you about a group that spend the last 3 years overseas giving fans a real treat; Edison. This group has a sound that, at times, made me think I was listening to Rage Against the Machine then 30 Seconds to Mars then something different, yet effective due to their superb use of effects. I mean, it was like they packed a stadium sized concert experience in the single room of Phoenix Hill Tavern which was a wise decision based on the number of show goers that packed the place.

Ethan, the lead vocalist, sets himself up for giving his all which is clear by the way he visually soaks into the music. Jonathan and Joey, the guitarists play well together and separately at a rhythm and lead tug of war that works beautifully. Anton fires away nicely on his bass and I give props to drummer Todd. Todd can multitask between drumming and working some audio effects for the other instruments, finding a way to keep rhythm by doing it simultaneously. It was cool to watch them come together flawlessly.
I would have liked to have spent more time with the band members after the show but don’t worry, I’ll get a full fledged article of them for you soon. You just need to check out their site at EdisonRock.com. Well done guys. When you get a break from your extensive tour come through here again. I’d like to see you play alongside 650 North if I had a request.

-Hit Man