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If you love a late night rock session with a gritty, intimate atmosphere the way we do, the best way to satisfy the need is to head to the Bug Jar on Monroe Ave. While New York City is home to many hole-in-the-wall venues with the charm of an unfinished basement, this is ROC's best stop for pounding your eardrums and getting to know the strangers you're shoulder-to shoulder with.Last night's ticket went well into the early hours of the morning, but we held on steadily with dozens of others for Rochester's own St. Phillip's Escalator. The younger spawn of The Chesterfield Kings, this trio in their early 20s rocks harder than many bands twice their age. Their jams are in the same vein as the Kings, but the big difference is that all three have wild stage presence, engaging the audience and rocking out in a way that shows their love of music. The experience is made in drummer Zach's stick handling, guitarist Ryan's expressive faces, and bassist Noel's moves on stage.
Word on the street is that Escalator is taking a minor hiatus for personal reasons, but we will wait with bated breath for their return to the scene.
Welcoming Shelflyfe's new album release, Waterstreet Music Hall was hopping last night with a crowd whose average age was 15. The main act was predictable at best, but there were a number of supporting acts that helped make it a solid night of alternative rock in Rochester.We arrived as an opening band who definitely received low billing was playing. Thought their name is lost on us, they got us in the mood to rock. Quickly we transitioned to Lights of Autumn, a pop punk band with a kickass lineup. Though they played with bounds of energy and created a upbeat environment, poor Lauren Ciarpelli, the female lead in her TWLOHA tee, will always be pigeon-holed as a Paramore wannabe. But, it is always refreshing to see a chick on bass, which we found in Danielle LeBeau. Cute songs.
Remember Tomorrow, sharing a name with an Iron Maiden song, led us into the main act with a wild ambiance and lighting. Their set had a harder vibe than Autumn and much to this music enthusiast's happiness, have perfected the balance between melody, harmony and screaming. Their guitar parts suggest an almost Pantara-esqe undertone while the main guitar threw in occasional, effortless instrument spinning acrobatics. Their only downside was the excessive use of a drum machine which really defeated the point of live music. 
As for the main act, there already was terrible irony in the fact that their name indicates the staying power of a thrasher punk band in the retail market. One of the openers was named Underwhelmed, which I absolutely felt during the show. The music was ok: standard, loud and effective. Definitely not inventive. For a band that sites standouts such as P.O.D., Fuel, Adema, and Dope as inspiration/acts they've shared the stage with, we were pretty disappointed with their own lack of originality and pre-recorded piano parts on an unreliable laptop. Ctrl-Alt-Del, boys.
Add in the contrived look of the band, complete with Hot Topic wrist bands, and we were not convinced. The only redeeming quality was that the drummer's hair was styled a la Rufio. Hopefully, they find a way to stand out from the pack in the future, before their shelf life dwindles.
To all you "Streakers" out there, get ready to celebrate. Rochester natives, The Sunstreak, were recently signed by Merovingian, the division of EMI that at one time represented Kittie. Two of the band members, singer Tony Rebis and bassist, Jason Sarkis, are from this Streak-enthusiast's hometown of Irondequoit. Ran into Rebis and guitarist, Jack Flynn, last night at the Shelflyfe concert and offered a celebratory high-five in honor of their success. Much luck to these guys in the future.
Photo Credit: Gretchen Lee Carletta from Rochester.Metromix.com
If Freddie Mercury were alive and well today and decided that his means of expression were to leave his traditional Queen vocals behind and explore the screamo world, you would see Chicago rockers Victorian Halls emerge.
Though they explore a vocalization that is undoubtedly young in terms of thematic age, the musicianship behind the words is no doubt classic. Piano that crescendos at just the right time and drums that follow traditional punk rock syncopation help level out lead singer Sean Lenart's theatrical and sometimes shrill sound. Tied in with their running metaphore that their work is like Clockwork Orange, we hope that this band leaves the midwest behind and makes their way to the ROC immediately.
