Drunken Lullabies

Flogging Molly is playing The Armory tomorrow night. This girl will be hoisting Guinness and carrying on, will you be in attendance?

Saturday night in the ROC

What do you get when you add one part Hot Rod Circuit, one part Taking Back Sunday, one part Coheed and Cambria and a heaping spoonful of some fantastic, dance-along ska/punk? A solid night at Water Street.

Saturday night in the ROC, we welcome ska all stars Streetlight Manifesto on their Ship of Fools Tour featuring opener and pop-rock conglomerate Terrible Things to the stage at Water Street. I saw Streetlight back in 2009 on Warped Tour, and they were a personal favorite with their horn section and enthusiastic beats. Anyone who can get hundreds of exhausted, sweaty Warped Tour-goers to smile in the middle of the day and dance along earns a special spot in my heart.

It's guaranteed to be a night of fantastic music, ranging from punk to pop. Doors at 6:30, tickets are $20 at the door.

All My Best Friends Are Metalheads

With Bayside and Terrible Things come and gone-and me still pissed I had to miss them- it's time to get geared up for the next great show to come to the ROC. It's almost time for one of the more prolific 90s-2000s pop-punk-ska band to light up Rochester with their confetti guns and horn section.

Last time Less Than Jake came to town I was lucky enough to catch their acoustic set at the HOG and snag an autograph from Chris Damakes. This time, I'll be less of a stalker, and more of a devoted fan from the pit at Water Street on January 31st. Tickets are $16, $20 at the door. Featuring Supervillians, Off With Their Heads and more.

Snowbirds and Townies

When I first heard that Hit the Lights was coming through the ROC, I knew that their show would be the highlight of the winter. With Rochester natives Nate VanDame and Kevin Mahoney on stage, it was bound to be an awesome homecoming show.


And then, the openers were announced.


One after another the supporting acts were announced and the list reads like a who's who of awesome hometown acts, across the genre spectrum of rock, punk, indie and pop punk: Preemptive Strike, A Summer Scene, Joywave, Avenue You, Such Gold.

Needless to say, I will be camped out at Water Street all night to catch them all. And you should too, as this is the best lineup of Roc-local bands we've seen in a while. Thursday night, doors at 6:30.

Black Friday Rule

Now that the turkey is long forgotten and Black Friday is upon us, enjoy this chilly vacation day with some local music:

Kicking off their tour- Young Bloods at Montage Music Hall. Opening are His Name Was Yesterday and A Thousand Shades of Gold, Shadows of the Past, and Yesterdays Heroes. Doors at 7, tickets are $5

Returning to the ROC- Joywave at Water Street Music Hall. Sharing the stage with BEDROC. Doors at 7, tickets are $10.

Local music this weekend

There is a sweet handful of local music playing this weekend, spanning ska, punk, pop-punk and rock. Be sure to check out the following shows and support your local scene tonight and tomorrow:

Friday
Syracuse natives, Honor Bright, are opening for Alesana at Waterstreet. Doors at 6, $15 tickets, ages 16+ without a guardian.

Even Jeff Spevak, who I consider a total fogie when it comes to local music reviews knows what's up with this show: 5Head Reunion Show featuring The Beaumonts. Expect awesomeness from this ska show with their indie openers. Both, that's right both, are diamonds in the rough of Rochester's local scene. Doors at 8, $15 tickets, ages 16+ without a guardian.

Saturday
Arguably the best show this winter to commute for, the AP Tour is coming just outside of Buffalo. We're excited for Bring Me The Horizon, but the showstopper is always Rochester/Syracuse's own sons, Polar Bear Club. Doors at 6, $17 tickets.

November 2, 2010

Two very important things are going on tomorrow that all Rochesterians (especially those of you over 18) should be aware of.

Be sure to get out and vote (assuming you are registered, which is a whole other issue if you're not). If you are unsure of your polling location, check out this link.

After that's over, come down to Water Street Music Hall, because The Ataris are going to be tearing up the Flower City. Doors are at 6 and tickets are $12 day of sale. Word on the street is that Roc locals, Young Bloods will be opening.

Let's see if we can get them to close with this favorite like they used to in the old days.

Concert announcement

The only thing that could make Friday being here a little sweeter is that Less Than Jake will be returning to the ROC this January at Waterstreet.

An October to Remember

In case your October isn't filling up as mine is with weddings, reunions and awesomeness, here's a few shows to fill the gaps:

10/ 1
Sailing to Rome Reunion Show- Mohawk Place

10/2
Shonen Knife- Mohawk Place

The 2nd Annual Rochester Invasion ft. Sirens and Sailors & Nightmares. Featuring Call me the Patriot, Mercia, 31goings, Soma Slumber, Storm the Bay, Every Last Thursday, The Dream Anatomy, Heavy Lies the Crown, A Dreadful Awakening - Salvation Army in Canandaigua

10/10 Rhinoceros, The Mongoloids and more- Mohawk Place

10/14 The “Goodbye, Goodnight Tour” Mae w/Terrible Things, Windsor Drive- Water Street

10/15 Young Bloods- Water Street

Mrs. Skannotto, The Couchtesters, The Steakouts, Free For All, and New Ways- Water Street

10/16 DEBUT: LAPSE with Sans Ego, Avenue You- Montage Music Hall

10/19 Dead To Me (Fat Wreck Chords), Lapse, Don't Lose Hope, Real People- The Wolves' Den

10/24 GWAR w/ the Casualties- Water Street

10/28 Matt & Kim- Water Street

10/29 Cry to the Blind, Every Last Thursday- Water Street

10/30 Halloween Havoc- Montage Music Hall

Rage Fest. In seven words or less.

Storm the Bay
Buffalo produces pop beats, beards, hand claps

Sirens and Sailors
Pack the club, SandS is on stage!

Call Me the Patriot
Going deaf from awesome. I'm not sorry.

Young Bloods
Don't worry, boys, your hair looked great.

Endyga
Melodies and harmonies? Other bands, take note.

The Dream Anatomy
Sounds like Ace Ventura joining Cannibal Corpse

Every Last Thursday
Hey, there's a chick up there. Rockin'.

Such Gold
585 hardcore is alive and well, thanks!

(585) Call Me The Patriot

Jake Regruit is excited.

Well, his exact sentiment was that he's "stoked on the future." And rightfully so: the just-barely-20-year-old and his motley crew of bandmates who make up Call Me The Patriot are embarking on their first big tour, hitting stops along the way through the east and midwest.

The boys of Patriot have traveled a long hard year to get here, facing lineup changes, commuting to record and a little run-in with the law. Lead singer Adrian Blackwell credits this trying year with teaching them a lot about the music business, including who to trust and work with, and who not to. A little older and much wiser since we last caught up with them at Rage Fest 2009, Patriot has pulled it all together, releasing their album This Life That We Know in June.

Sunday night Call Me The Patriot got their start at Dubland and won't be back until the 13th. But, I recommend holding out until Rage Fest 2010 when the boys will join their Rochester cohorts at Water Street for the annual show. Along the way we expect them to rock tour cities with their favorites Chopper Gunner (Blackwell) and I Forget the Day Before Yesterday (Regruit) and probably cranking fan-favorite Magic Taxi.

The band is hoping to shake off the haters that tend to seek out Rochester hardcore bands and in turn drum up new fans while on the road. Mentored by Rochester's favorite lead singer to hate, Young Bloods' Joey Arena, CMTP is looking to get out of the Roc to help build up their home fan base. Sound crazy? Not so, say Blackwell and Regruit as familiarity tends to breed contempt for local bands.

We will be sure to welcome them back and show them our love for Roc local metalcore bands, come the 27th.

Social D in the ROC

The hallmark band of the American punk scene in the late 80s to 90s, Social Distortion will be playing August 5th at Nola's in Charlotte. Tickets are $30 and doors are at 6pm.

#MusicMonday

For this #MusicMonday, here's what's coming up in the next couple days around Rochester. A little punk, a little metal. Time to see what some local and national acts can do to kick off this week:

Tuesday the 29th- Such Gold with A Loss For Words and Transit.
Dubland Underground.
Time 6pm

Wednesday the 30th OTEP with Vanity Strikes and more
Montage Music Hall
Time 7pm

I've got my tickets....

...on the way to me tonight. Did you get yours yet?
Joywave's first show in the ROC since becoming Joywave is this Friday at the German House. Tickets are $10 in advance. Doors at 6m.

East End Fest rockers

Fairport teen rockers, Vanity Strikes, won the Insider/Metromix Battle of the Bands and are playing the 5:45 slot at the Metromix stage tonight, kicking off East End Fest. Come down and support these underage winners by buying a beer and enjoying the scene.

Hardcore Friday

It was a hot night in the B-lo, and the ultimate way to kick off a long weekend was with deafening hardcore punk.

Rochester natives Such Gold brought the heat (pun intended) and got the crowd primed in the pit. They mixed up their set with old and new songs, the latter baiting us for their upcoming album release this summer (details to come).

Direct support Rust Belt Lights was a new band to us, though they are favorites in the Buffalo area. They kept the crowd pumped up as Polar Bear Club lingered in wings; and though it was easy for me to deduce that their flavor of punk was right up my alley, they definitely deserve a second and third listen after the show.

When headliner Polar Bear Club struck the first chord, the pit erupted into a throwback hardcore scene. The die hard fans pushed up front to help vocalist Jimmy Stadt round out the set list while those dodging windmill-arms sang every word from the back. Former bassist, Josh Dillon, took the stage in place of Goose who is nursing a busted knee and didn't miss a beat.

The energy was high and the boys seemed more on-point than their September show. However, in a basement like Dubland, who can blame them. PBC played a few favorites, giving a nod to their latest release Chasing Hamburg and also brought listeners back to The Redder the Better with Parked In the Parking Lot of Your Heart dedicated to two newly-engaged fans.

Mark your calendar as they will be back in this neck of the woods July 14th at Warped Tour.

Terrible Things Thursday

Taking Back Sunday + Hot Rod Circuit + Coheed And Cambria = Terrible Things

Though they will be playing a handful of Warped Tour shows out West, this is the ROC's chance to see them in action.

Water Street Music Hall with Anberlin and Story of the Year
Doors: 6 pm
Cash: $18

Punk Out the West Coast

Vacation is a time to step away from work and personal responsibilities and kick back. But, if you're anything like me, it's also an opportunity to experience what you love in a different setting. Case and point: Cali punk.

On holiday in the Bay Area, I was sure to put some shows on my docket, especially since the larger cities tend to reap better acts. Sorry, Rochester, but you know it's true. Not only did we get to freeze our asses off outside to see Cake (where they played favorites including Love You Madly and Stickshifts and Safetybelts) but we also got a chance to revisit San Francisco's version of Water Street, Slim's, and take in some authentic Golden State punk. I had last visited this venue in 2007 to see the Ataris play, and found it to be just like our ROC counterpart: small, gritty and easily accessible to the stage.

With my perennial partner-in-crime in tow, we unfortunately arrived late, missing opener Title Fight. But, I had seen them back in September at Dubland with Polar Bear Club, so few tears were shed. Comeback Kid was striking their open chords as our hands were stamped and we settled in to the crowd. Though they were pretty unfamiliar to me, CBK brought the noise with their absolutely unforgettable guitar leads and well-timed balance of vocals.
Set Your Goals took the stage and immediately prepared us for a lineup change. Days earlier, lead singer Jordan had gotten sick on stage and would be sitting out the band's closing show in their hometown. Our skepticism about what would result was soon washed away as singer after singer from the tour and other bands took turns cranking out songs. Though we wish we had seen Jordan in action, we were pleased with this opportunity to mix it up a bit.

As expected, Set Your Goals did not disappoint, even with their hodge-podge of band members. Their musicianship stood up to this challenge and the audience received them without missing a beat. I loved seeing a personal favorite, Gaia Bleeds, live as the "bombs away" refrain was picked up by the audience and regurgitated back with such ferocity that it harked back to the 90s hardcore movement. An awesome show to close out the week.

Your week in punk

I am off on vacation this week and missing a few awesome shows in the Greater Roc area. So awesome, that if I weren't seeing Set Your Goals and Cake on my trip, I would be inconsolably jealous. Check these out, and you will not be disappointed:

Punk- Neutron Rats at the Bug Jar 5/10. Between the close quarters at Bug Jar and the way this Albany band shreds, losing your hearing is bound to happen. But, it will be totally worth it for a night of authentic punk.

Christian Metal- We Sail at Dawn at the Bug Jar 5/12. Nothing like the uplifting words of Christianity, melded with the pounding, gut-wrenching guitars that come with deathcore.

Ska/punk- Big D and the Kids Table at Water Street 5/13. Our favorites, Big D, are joining together with locals Mrs. Skannotto for a night of ska/punk/dub to jam to.

Surf rock- The Isotopes at the German House 5/14. Join as these Roc Locals while they film their new live concert DVD. Openers are Mulletude, a hair band cover group.

Promise and Precision and Mess of Youthful Innocence

It's not even Friday yet and I've already got Saturday by FOB in my head. Maybe it's because the other side of this weekend kicks off my first vacation in 3 years, but this catchy tune is heralding Saturday fast as can be. Turn Pat and Pete up to 11, because this Saturday welcomes two awesome shows, of two completely different genres:

Straight-edge hardcore Buffalo punks, Snapcase, are reuniting for one show only at the Town Ballroom. Following their 2004 disbanding and a brief 3-show reunion in 2007, Snapcase's absence is making upstate New York crave some delicious, shredding 90s hardcore. We've always been huge fans of how rythmically demanding Snapcase's music is, focusing on their guitar leads. Not to mention how powerful, often uplifting and compelling their lyrics can be. Snapcase is playing a short tour in Europe and one show only stateside: Buffalo. Be sure to catch them now, as you never know when they'll be back around.

For a shorter drive to a show that's more family friendly than hardcore, Roc-local indie band, Walri, is bringing their psychedelic rock to the Genesee Valley Sports Complex. What's more, they're playing the halftime show for the Roc City Roller Derby's first home bout of the 2010 season. Walri's jams tend to be more ecclectic, drawing influces from punk, bluegrass, bossa nova and rock, making them more accessible to a wider audience. Doors at 6, bout starts at 7, Walri plays halfway through.