Tag Archives: Music

The Joy Formidable @ Harlow’s

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Ritzy Bryan lead singer of the Joy Formidable performing at Harlow’s Photo by: Bryce Fraser

Bryce Fraser
Staff Writer

Harlow’s nightclub and bar in the heart of midtown Sacramento was host to the performance of the Welsh indie rock band, The Joy Formidable hit the stage at Harlow’s alongside opening band the New Regime who had performed for an ecstatically excited crowd.

The band Joy Formidable has been on their USA Spring Tour around the nation for months now since their new album Hitch was released last March.

The opening band was New Regime, their sound was a blend of electronica mixed with hard rock and the drumming was very hard rock of the 90s in style. The band did great in getting the audience pumped up.

The band, The Joy Formidable, came on stage amped up and ready to perform for their fans. After the first few songs they apologized for being a few minutes late getting on stage and informed the crowd that the reason involved the dog that travels with them. They informed the audience the dog was ok and now enjoying a much needed quiet time.  They performed many songs from all of their albums, such as “Cradle” from their album The Big Roar.

The Joy Formidable played “Radio of Lips” and “Last Thing on My Mind” from their new album Hitch. The song “Radio Lips” really showed off Rhydian Dafydd versatility going from bass to keyboard while doing vocals.

The band returned on stage for an encore, they then preceded into the middle of the audience where  they  played “The Brook” from their new album acoustically without any microphones, or electric instruments. Ritzy Bryan, front-woman and lead vocalist of the band, explained how when writing their songs they are created acoustically away from usage of electric equipment.

Bryan showed off her angelic voice during the performance within the crowd while preforming “The Brook”. The band finished off the night with their hit song, and a favorite among fans, Whirling, getting the audience members got excited.

The song included a prolonged instrumental section at the end where the band jammed out as hard as they could. They invited a few audience members up on stage and even let one hold and even play guitar all while the instrumental continued, and then ended strong and with satisfied fans.

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Star of hit show ’24’ Kiefer Sutherland announces Nationwide tour and debue album ‘DOWN IN A HOLE’

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‘Down In A Hole’ Set for Release This Summer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 10, 2016) –

Kiefer Sutherland will bring his rich, soulful

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Photo by: Beth Elliott

vocals and guitar licks to venues across the country beginning April 14 when he performs for audiences with a set list that includes cuts from his folk-tinged album, Down In A Hole, set for release this summer.

Sutherland, known for his starring role on the Fox series “24,” will bring his debut tour as a musician to 26 venues across the country beginning April 14. More dates will be added.

A professional actor his entire adult life, Sutherland starred in movies like ‘Stand By Me’, ‘The Lost Boys’, ‘Young Guns’, Flatliners’, ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘A Time to Kill’, ‘Dark City’, ‘Melancholia’ and most recently, a western called ‘Forsaken’ and the upcoming ABC series “Designated Survivor.”

Unknown to many during the course of his career, he has taken on other vocations with the same kind of dedication and commitment. In 2002, Sutherland, with his music partner and best friend Jude Cole, began a small record label called Ironworks. The goal of this label was to record local musicians and distribute their music at a time when the music industry was going through a monumental shift. Some of their artists included Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, HoneyHoney and Billy Boy On Poison. In 2009, Sutherland left the label to recharge and figure out what he was going to do next.

In early 2015 Sutherland played Cole two songs he had written and wanted to record as demos for other artists to record. Cole responded positively to the songs and the album grew organically from those recordings. Two songs became four and four grew into six, until Cole suggested that they make a record. Their collaboration resulted in Sutherland’s upcoming debut album: Down In A Hole.

“It’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a journal or diary. All of these songs are pulled from my own personal experiences. There is something very satisfying about being able to look back on my own life, good times and bad, and express those sentiments in music. As much as I have enjoyed the writing and recording process, I am experiencing great joy now being able to play these songs to a live audience, which was something I hadn’t counted on,” Sutherland said of the 11-track album. A track listing and release date will be announced soon.

Stay social with Kiefer Sutherland by following him on Twitter and Facebook.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND ON TOUR:
April 14 Milwaukee, Wis. – Shank Hall
April 15 Madison, Wis. – Majestic
April 16 Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Pyramid Scheme
April 18 Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Ark
April 19 Cleveland, Ohio – Grog Shop
April 20 Pittsburgh, Pa. – Hard Rock Cafe
April 22 Huntington, W. Va. – V Club
April 23 Cincinnati, Ohio – Ballroom at the Taft
April 24 Indianapolis, Ind – Vogue
April 26 Columbus, Ohio – A&R Music Bar
May 04 Charlotte, N.C. – Visulite Theatre
May 06 Raleigh, N.C. – Lincoln Theatre
May 08 Richmond, Va. – Capital Ale House
May 09 Annapolis, Md. – Ram’s Head Tavern
May 11 Wilmington, Del. – World Cafe Live
May 12 Teaneck, N.J. – Mexicali Live
May 14 Pawling, N.Y. – Daryl’s House
May 15 Ithaca, N.Y. – The Dock
May 16 Buffalo, N.Y. – Iron Works
May 19 Northampton, Mass. – Iron Horse
May 20 Boston, Mass. – Brighton Music Hall
May 21 Providence, R.I. – The Met
May 24 Asbury Park, N.J. – Stone Pony
May 25 Long Island, N.Y. – Founders Room
May 26 Sellersville, Pa. – Sellersville Theater
May 28 Amagansett, N.Y. – Stephen Talkhouse

SONS OF TEXAS DEBUT ALBUM BAPTIZED IN THE RIO GRANDE LANDS AT #5 ON THE BILLBOARD HEATSEEKERS CHART

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New York, NY) – Sons of Texas debut studio album, Baptized in The Rio Grande (Razor & Tie), has landed at #5 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and #143 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart with 2273 units sold in its first week at retail.  The new album also debuts on a series of other Billboard charts including #10 on Hard Rock and #36 on Rock. Baptized in The Rio Grande is available now at iTunes HERE (http://geni.us/sonsoftexas) or Amazon HERE.
The band’s debut single, “Baptized in the Rio Grande,” is currently #32 and climbing at rock radio.  The video for the song can be watched here: http://youtu.be/6cEZAaTK9TU. 
Baptized In The Rio Grande was produced by Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, All That Remains, Gojira). The band will be hitting the road playing a few major festivals such as Welcome to Rockville, Rocklahoma and Carolina Rebellion with more tour dates to be announced soon (tour dates below).
Press Raves
“Drawing liberally from the power-metal grooves dug by fellow Texans Pantera — and making absolutely no apologies for it — the upcoming album of the same name is muscular in just about every aspect, from Mike Morales’ vocals to Jes de Hoyos’ guitar work and the fraternal rhythm section of Mike and Nick Villarreal.”
– Houston Press
“Sons of Texas set power-riff metal on fire.” – Crave Online
“Sons Of Texas combine filthy southern metal grooves with a modern rock flair that is dangerously infectious.”
– Pure Grain Audio
Sons Of Texas was spawned in McAllen, Texas, a valley town without the music legacy of Austin or Arlington. The scene vibes “music for music’s sake” with metalcore bands, blues-rock bands, and straight up rock n’ roll bands swapping members and sharing bills. Sons Of Texas solidified in 2013 around a lineup of local all-stars. The young quintet’s debut, Baptized In The Rio Grande is a Texas-sized portion of power metal grooves, dazzling guitar solos, strip joint/tailgate sing-along choruses, and soulfully charred vocal melodies. The group is Mark Morales, vocals, Mike Villarreal, drums, Nick Villarreal, bass, Jon Olivarez, rhythm guitar, and Jes De Hoyos, lead guitar.
Sons of Texas new album is the latest success for Razor & Tie, which finished 2014 as the #2 overall label at Rock Radio and the #1 indie label.
Sons of Texas Tour Dates
April 22 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
April 25 – Jacksonville, FL – Rockville Festival
May 2 – Concord, NC – Carolina Rebellion
May 23 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma
May 31 – Dallas, TX – KEGL Festival
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SHATTERED SUN Join “Dark Roots of Thrash II” Tour Alongside Testament and Exodus New Album Hope Within Hatred Available April 21

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File Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser Chuck Billy lead singer of Testament preforming at the Aftershock Fest in 2012.

 

Texas metal assailants SHATTERED SUN will be joining the “Dark Roots Of Thrash II Tour”, undoubtedly the most crushing heavy metal tour to hit North America this spring, as direct support to legendary thrash titans TESTAMENT and EXODUS.  SHATTERED SUN took the roots of their Southern backdrop, infusing state-of-the-art metal and created Hope Within Hatred, the debut album to be released April 21, 2015 via Victory Records.

 

“We are ecstatic to announce this tour with TESTAMENT and EXODUS,” offers SHATTERED SUN frontman Marcos Leal. “This will be our first national tour and we couldn’t be more ready to represent and show the world what we are all about!  We have been anticipating getting out there and playing our new album “Hope Within Hatred” to the fans, so the moment we have been fighting for has finally arrived!  Thank you to TESTAMENT for having us out, this is a huge honor for us and we look forward to wreaking havoc with our brothers in metal EXODUS.”

 

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt adds, “EXODUS are very excited in the most violent of fashion to announce our part in the Dark Roots of Thrash II tour with our old friends and label mates TESTAMENT, as well as soon to be new friends SHATTERED SUN!”

 

TESTAMENT, EXODUS and SHATTERED SUN “Dark Roots of Thrash II” Dates:

4/01/15   Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA

4/02/15   House Of Blues – Hollywood, CA

4/03/15   Livewire – Scottsdale, AZ

4/04/15   Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM

4/06/15   Aztec Theater – San Antonio, TX

4/07/15   House Of Blues – Houston, TX

4/08/15   House Of Blues – Dallas, TX

4/10/15   Pop’s – Sauget, IL

4/11/15   Mojoes – Joliet, IL

4/12/15   Harpo’s – Detroit, MI

4/13/15   The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

4/15/15   Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON – CANADA

4/16/15   Rapids Theatre – Niagara Falls, NY

4/17/15   Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ

4/18/15   The Palladium – Worcester, MA, New England Metal & Hardcore Festival

4/19/15   The Paramount – Huntington, NY

4/21/15   Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY

4/22/15   Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN

4/23/15   Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

 

 

Aftershock 2014 Hits Discovery Park once again

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Rob Zombie preforming for the on the Aftershock festival on the north stage at Discovery park, in Sacramento, CA

Aaron Smirl, writer
Shiftsync Media

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The Offspring’s Dexter Holland preforming for the on the Aftershock

The Aftershock Music Festival took place for its third year in a row at Discovery Park in Sacramento. Over thirty thousand fans showed up  to see their favorite bands preform. Despite high temperatures and a blazing sun, many epic bands and even some local ones gave all that they they had to preform for 2 days.

Hell Yeah: While waiting for the band to enter the stage, the audience started to chant Hell Yeah until they came out on  stage. They had a lot of energy, jumping around on stage playing an insane show and even as the set came to a close the fans wanted more of Hell Yeah screaming their name. They played a mixture of high energetic songs including Sangre Por Sangre (blood for blood), You Wouldn’t Know, Drink Drank Drunk and more.

The Offspring: They were energetic and interactive with the crowd, along with playing a lot of there classic fan favorites such as Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), The Kids Aren’t Alright, Self Esteem. They also including some of the newer songs from their latest record: You’re Gonna Go Far Kid, ect.

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Jonny Hawkins preforming for the on the Aftershock

Memphis May Fire: They put on a great show, that felt very lively and captured the audience captured the emotions of the songs, and it was nonstop action from the band. The lead singers voice projected very well, and there was a big difference between the vocalist voice from then to now  showed in their live performance, and  the audience was blown away from their sound giving fans a mixture of new and old material, and sounded exactly right off the record.

Nothing More: Nothing More played all songs from their new self titled album. The band gave it their all on stage. Their song This is The Time really got fans into a frenzy and gave way to the ones that followed such as Jenny, Mr. MTV, and Christ Copyright. Nearing the end of their set they played an instrumental where vocalist Jonny Hawkins showed off some percussion skills and we saw the guitarists together on a custom stand that held both instruments and played simultaneously.

DAY 2 of Aftershock consisted of another group of amazing Bands and Artists

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Rob Zombie’s bass guitarist Piggy D. preforming for the on the Aftershock

Rob Zombie:Rob Zombie came out, for many fans it was a long wait for this moment, the band had a lot of great visual effects. The mic stand for Zombie was made of  chrome shaped into the likeness of a horned  demon. Zombie came out with an American flag and a cowboy hat. They showed off a barrage of different colored lights and even Zombies guitarist, John 5, brought out a guitar with LED lights making it glow. Rob Zombie played a song from his previous band White Zombie also covering James Brown Sex Machine and made a tribute to a dear friend that was part of the band the Ramones and also followed at the end with an encore song . The encore song was Rob Zombies Dracula.

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We Are Harlot’s Danny Warsnop preforming for the on the Aftershock

Five Finger Death Punch:Five finger Death Punch started their set with their single Under And Over It. The band had one of the biggest crowds I have seen in a long time. The heavy metal band showed off the acoustic side as well with their live preference of Remember Everything. They even pulled up a family of small children and made sure their parents came up as well. Ironically, they played Burn MF with the kids, that contains swear words, lead singer Ivan Moody told to kids to enjoy singing the song for they might be grounded after for the words.

We Are Harlot:Opening with their first single denial and waiting on the arrival of their debut album,so hearing the new material was astonishing with good energy and finally hearing some of their new songs, fans got very excited. The lead singer Danny (Asking Alexandria) showed off some different vocal styles with new band We Are Harlot going towards a modern 80’s Rock and personally I can not wait until the new album comes out and they bring back something in music that has been missed.

Seether: Playing early in the day Seether still managed to gather a big crowd, opening with Gasoline to get the crowd pumped and a few old and new songs  a good change of pace but still driving the fans, even having mosh pits on the softer pieces and throughout the whole set shows how revved up the fans were to see them and also for the band itself because it had  been awhile since they have been on tour and in Sacramento.

OK Go’s performance at The Assembly was a go

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Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser From left, Tim Nordwind, Damian Kulash, and Andy Ross,preforming at the Assembly Music Hall , in Sacramento, CA

 

 

Lester Robancho, writer
Shiftsync Media

Alternative rock band OK Go launched their 2014 tour at the Assembly Music Hall in Sacramento, CA this past Tuesday after not having been on tour for quite some time. Lead singer, guitarist, and frontman Damian Kulash enthusiastically makes note of this to the crowd after their opening song “Upside Down and Inside Out.” The crowd responds with their own enthusiasm for OK Go’s return with cheering and screaming as they stand elbow to elbow in the relatively small venue.

This enthusiasm only grows as OK Go continues their overall excellent show Tuesday night.
Before the set even officially begins, the audience is treated with brief clips of different characters from various films and television shows yelling either “okay” or “go,” or a combination of the two; The clips were being projected onto a screen. Finally, Kermit the Frog formally introduces OK Go, revealing the band behind the screen, which was actually transparent. The opening song “Upside Down and Inside Out” is from their upcoming album and was just what was needed to pump some energy into the crowd, most of whom have been waiting for hours. As they play, a disembodied floating head of Kulash is displayed singing along with the band.
Immediately afterwards, the band delivers some nostalgia to fans with the catchy “You’re So Damn Hot.” This is followed up with a mixture of synth, bass, and violins with the more recently released “I Won’t Let You Down.” As they play, the screens both in front and behind them displayed abstract patterns, colors, images, and words that complimented the band’s brand of poppy, catchy, instrumental-driven rock music.
After a few songs, Kulash takes a short break to thank the crowd, telling them it was a pleasure being back on tour.

He then asks the audience to sing seven, easy to remember words for him. The entire venue knew what this meant. After a few tries with the audience, OK Go performs the ever-so-enlivening “This Too Shall Pass.” From the first boom of the bass drum to the confetti-filled finale, “This Too Shall Pass” was easily the highlight of the show.
At one point during the show, Kulash and the audience have a campfire moment, with Kulash jumping off the stage to stand in the middle of the crowd, playing “Last Leaf” with his acoustic guitar. It was a nice break from their previous songs, and no doubt had some of the fans going crazy since they were in such close proximity of each other. Kulash made sure to include the whole venue, turning around 180 degrees to sing to the “drunk” side of the venue as well.
The band leaves the stage after playing “Turn Up the Radio,” leaving the crowd wanting an encore. Of course, the band returns and finishes the night off with “The One Moment” and Here it Goes Again.”
If there is one thing OK Go’s show wasn’t Tuesday night, it’s dull. Almost all of the songs during the set were colored with the two projection screen trick, and several times the band launched different colored confetti into the crowd. A double-cowbell-instrument-thing was also utilized a few times.

The music itself proved that night that OK Go is still a force to be reckoned with, with great performances by all of the band members. There was a particularly terrific guitar solo during “White Knuckles” by Andy Duncan. Overall OK Go gave an enjoyable and surprisingly spectacular show at the Assembly. It is certain that all who were in attendance that night would agree that it’s good to have them back.

Judith Hill Opens For Josh Groban at the Sleep Train Arena

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Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser
Judith Hill opens for Josh Groban at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, CA

Jessica Maynard, writer
Shiftsync Media

Judith Hill was one of the popular contestants on NBCs “The Voice” season four. Hill was dubbed the winner by many but after her shocking elimination from the show she signed a record deal with Sony. The newest chapter in her career has given her the opportunity to go on tour with Josh Groban for his In the Round tour. The tour landed in Sacramento Oct. 6 at Sleep Train Arena. In addition to opening the show for Groban, Hill also had the pleasure of accompanying Groban during his set for two songs “The Prayer,” which Groban originally sung with Celine Dion at the 1999 Grammys and “Remember When it Rains.” On Groban’s latest record “All That Echoes,” Hill provided her voice on three of the tracks. Hill took to the stage sitting at a piano with a single spot light hitting her, she began her performance with a mashup of Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good” and Michael Jacksons “I’ll Be There.” The songs transitioned smoothly into her original song “Beautiful Life.” Hill’s soulful voice and passion made her performance unforgettable. Every word she utters sends chills down your spine, you end up hooked on every single word she is singing because you believe she means every word she is saying. Towards the end of the song the lights were dimly lit and the band and her background singers appeared on stage. The tempo suddenly picked up and the group started playing towards the crowd. Hills set included four songs and loads of personality at one point one of the members of her band brought out an inflatable trumpet and pretended to play it. Hill and members of her group also did a chain around the stage showcasing their instruments to the crowd and dancing. Her personality really showed when she and her two background singers during an instrumental solo started doing the dance “kid ‘n play” and the robot. The last song in Hills set was her original “Taken” which brought the tempo in the building down a notch. The ballad was written about professing your love to someone who you will love forever. During this song she had a beautiful range and tone and you could hear all the distinguishing characteristics that make her voice so soulful and mesmerizing. A portion of the song Hill decides to sing in French and she mashed it up with “Beautiful Life.” The strong soulful voice of Hill was even more impressive in person. A gorgeous tone and hypnotizing range make her performance unforgettable.

Josh Groban Preforms at the Sleep Train Arena

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Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser
Josh Groban preforming in front of the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, CA

Jessica Maynard, writer
Shiftsync Media

Josh Grobans enchanting performance at Sleep Train Arena Oct. 6 included high ranging vocals, charm and a set list filled with fan favorites.

Josh Groban has a voice that most people would appreciate but his playful attitude during concerts takes fan appreciation to a whole new level.

When he’s not wowing the audience with his enchanting voice, he reminisces on the past, tells jokes and interacts with the audience.

His In the Round tour stopped at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento Oct. 7, with opening act Judith Hill (The Voice and 20 Feet From Stardom) who sings multiple songs with Groban, he showcased a seven-piece band, orchestra musicians and backup singers, was a relaxed show full of memories mixed with an elegant and mesmerizing performance.
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Fitz & The Tantrums Sell Out The House At The Ace OF Spades

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Fitz & The Tantrums Sell Out The House At The Ace OF Spades

Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser
Noelle Scaggs co-vocalist left, and Michael Fitzpatrick lead vocalist for Fitz & The Tanrums, performing at the Ace Of Spades venue in Sacramento, CA

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Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser
James King, saxophone and flute player for Fitz & The Tanrums performing at the Ace Of Spades in Sacramento, CA

Bryce Fraser, writer
Shiftsync Media

Tuesday night down on R Street it was hard to find a parking spot, and on the inside of the Ace Of Spades almost every space was filled with adoring fans waiting for Fits & The Tanrums to take the stage.
The venue went dark and after the buildup of anticipation, everyone’s favorite alternative soul music band, Fitz & The Tanrums, took the stage and the audience cheered with excitement. They started the night with “Keeping Our Eyes Out” followed by “Don’t Gotta”. The band played “Sweet Dreams” the popular song from the 80’s created by Eurythmics, the song fit very well to Fitz And the Tantrums style of music and they performed like their own. Near the middle of the show they performed “Out Of My league”, their recent hit that has been playing on the radio almost everywhere, the song was even better live.
Michael Fitzpatrick lead vocalist, with a wide vocal range and alternative sound, combined with Noelle Scaggs’ own vocal power and soul music signing really is what makes the band so unique. Noelle Scaggs dancing while up stage really added to seeing them live and made an even better experience for fans.
James King, saxophone and flute player, really showed his skills and even had three solo’s with the saxophone during the night, the most notable was when he played his performance at the end of their set. He played right before they came out again for the encore. The first song they played was their original big hit “MoneyGrabber”, during which they told fans to crouch down, no one was exempt not even the VIP ticket holders. They then shot back up and started cheering and raising and waving their hands during the rest of the song.
Fitz & The Tanrums sold out the box office at The Ace Of Spades that night and gave fans everything they could imagine.