Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band
Written by: Carla Wright
Photos by: Carla Wright





Dave Matthews played two nights at the Cruzan Amphitheatre to a seemingly sold out crowd.

I always enjoy when Dave Matthews comes to town; it reminds me of pre- college football parties.

Anticipating a long and grueling driving from Ft. Lauderdale to West Palm Beach on I-95, the Livenation street team left a few hours before the concert started. Alas, we still hit traffic coming into the Amphitheatre. It turned out, everyone else assumed the same thing.

The Cruzan parking lot was filled with RV and SUV's with multi-color writing on the windows reading, "Dave Matthews or bust!", "Dave Matthews, all the way from VA!", and "Dave fucking rules". If the Dave Matthews band were a professional football team, the West Palm Beach concert was their super bowl.

And what a super bowl it was. That's why I love attending Dave Matthews's concerts'; you can feel the laughter, love and genuine admiration of their fans. You can always see groups of people tail-gating, cases of beer, and smiling happy people, dancing around the parking lot of the Amphitheatre.

Who knew debauchery could be so clean? Dave knew that is for sure. With a blistering performance of such songs as: "Grey Street", "Satellite, "Every day people", "Don't drink the water", "One sweet world", "Ants marching" and "Jimi thing", Dave Matthews is the "Phish" band of our generation.

I personally thought their Friday night's performance could not be topped. Unfortunately, I could not attend Saturday's night performance, but from what I saw Friday; I guarantee the show was one for the books.

Warped Tour 2008

Warped Tour 2008

Written by: Carla Wright and Katerina Nunez
Photos by: Carla Wright

Warped tour is the new Woodstock. Every year, thousands of kids are dropped off at Bayfront Park in Miami for a day of heat, food, drinking, skateboard demonstrations, and an absurd amount of bands over stimulating your eardrums.

I love it.

The street team arrived at 11am for the opening of the gates. Shortly there after, madness ensued. Lines for people who opted to pick up their tickets at will-call the day of the show had a bit of wait to go through before entering into the park.

Entering into the venue, there were four stages on which bands were performing through out the day: Hurley stage, main stage left, vans highway, Hurley.com, Smartpunk stage, Kevin says stage, and the Ernie ball stage. There was a half pipe that people were skating on, vendors representing every band that was performing, and people of all backgrounds crowding around the stages trying to have the perfect view.

I'm not too familiar myself with many of the Vans warped tour band line up, so I invited one of Livenations' street team members to write about the tour since she has attended the tour for the last eight years, Katerina Nunez.

"Doesn't it seem like every Warped Tour there's like 40 more bands then the last years'? Even though there's no way anybody would ever be able to check them all out, it's part of the magic that makes Warped Tour like Disney World to punk kids. Not only do you get to see at least a handful of bands you like perform, but you also get to shop around for some pretty hard to find goodies that range from hats, handbags, sunglasses, hoodies, t-shirts, albums, etc. of some of your favorite bands. This year, I was particularly excited about seeing Say Anything, Anberlin, Against Me & surprisingly enough, Katy Perry.
Say Anything is always a treat, and this was no exception. That was the happiest group of swaying fans I've seen in a long time. Max (lead singer of Say Anything!) always puts so much heart and character into his stage presence. Max's vocals and the bands sound were impeccable. My only "beef" (as with all my favorite performers) was that I wish they would've played a longer set. The boys played "Woe", "Every Man has a Molly", "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" and "Alive With the Glory of Love" just to name a few.
It's easy to lose track of time at warped tour with all the accumulated distractions. It was so easy that I was late for the beginning of Anberlin's performance. As soon as I reached the crowd, I forgot about my tardiness and sang along to some new and old favorites such as: "Adelaid" and "A Day Late". It was cool to see Anberlin on a side stage at Warped Tour last year, and then on a main stage this year. I've seen Anberlin perform five times, and I always leave their shows with a smile after having had a blast.
I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Miss Katy Perry was a part of this year's line-up. Call me a trendy "indie" kid if you will, but I don't usually care for the music playing on the radio. Loving Katy Perry is my dirty little secret. Just as I expected, she was as adorable in person as she is in her music videos. She may be petite, but she made her presence more than known. No matter how "hardcore" some of these kids claimed to be, Katy Perry had them singing along to songs like "Ur So Gay", "If You Can Afford Me" and her mega-hit "I Kissed A Girl". She had a strong sexy voice and her lyrics are relatable while the music is fun and self empowering. I was very happy with her performance.
As always, I leave every Warped Tour with at least one new band worthy of my CD collection. Last year, it was "The Automatic". This year, the "no name" band that really caught my attention was called "Oreska Band". I was so distracted by these kick ass Japanese girls rocking out, that I forgot to see Angels & Airwaves (which I was really looking forward to, sorry Tom). Not only were they really talented and energetic but, they were all dressed like punky school girls and looked so happy to be here. It was very unexpected to see these tiny chicks wailing on these instruments and jumping all over the place. I definitely recommend checking them out.
Despite the rain and incredible heat, despite sweaty strangers rubbing up on you in the pit, and despite the occasional crowd surfer kicking you in the back of the head, Warped Tour is one of the best days of the year. I can't wait for the next one."


Max of Say Anything!



Katy Perry




Dallas Taylor of Maylene and the sons of disaster




Kim Nekroman of Horrorpops




Tom Delonge of Angles and Airwaves



Warped Tour Fans, Jarrod and Monica




Warped Tour fan Ralph,



William Beckett Jr of The Academy is..



Ikasu of the Ore Ska Band



Patricia Day of Horrorpops

Cruefest

Cruefest 2008

Written by: Carla Wright
Photos by: Carla Wright


Cruefest kicked off their tour in West Palm Beach July 1st at the Cruzan Ampetheatre. Playing with Motley Crue (on their long awaited return) was Trapt, Sixx A.M., Papa Roach and Buckcherry.

Since their was no media pit to shoot from this time, I was able to scope out the concert scene from a spectators point of view (I'm not saying I myself don't participate as a fan, I'm just saying in regards to shooting from in front of the stage as opposed to all the obstacles one has to overcome from shooting a few hundred feet away).

Trapt opened the show and played a relatively short set. Since I am rarely watching the band for the whole show, I usually can only report what songs they played while the media was present. In Trapt's case, I know the band played "Headstrong" during their set.

Performing almost immediately after Trapt was Sixx A.M (Nikki Sixx new band). The band took the stage to a never ending flow of fans pouring into the seated area of the Cruzan. "Life is beautiful", the band's number one single, was played at the end of the set. Techies came out and proceeded to prepare for the next band, Papa Roach.

Now, Papa Roach, I have seen a handful of times on various tours and have never had a bad experience watching them live. This tour was no exception for the band. Jacoby came out on stage and kicked the now ¾ filled Cruzan into a frenzy of mosh pits and heavy drinking. Dave Buckner was not present on the tour since he has officially left the band and checked himself into rehab. Replacing him (at least for the tour) is Tony Palermo. Papa roach got the adrenaline flowing with one of their hit singles, "Getting away with murder". As if that wasn't enough, Jacoby walked over to the far left of the stage while performing, before jumping down into the seated area of the Cruzan while he was still singing.

Buckcherry took the stage next and got West Palm Beach in the mood for debauchery. The band played "Crazy Bitch" and "Lit Up", a good way to lead into the evenings' festivities. Every single time I see Buckcherry, I keep thinking of Mick Jagger back in the 60's and how people feel about Mick Jagger is the same of how people feel about Josh Todd. He's too unique of a person to ignore.

Now, (on a personal note) I have never seen Motley Crue live (As opposed to Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Trapt) so seeing them perform was a treat for me. After growing up listening to rock, certain bands have a badass reputation after touring. Motley Crue is no stranger to the spotlight in regards to debauchery that occurs on and off stage. So I built up this reputation of sorts in my head in regards to what I expected to see as they performed live; Seeing women's breasts, was number one on my list. Number two was envisioning what a keg party would be like if 30 and 40 year olds attended.

Both of my expectations were surpassed with flying colors.

During intermission with Motley Crue, Tommy Lee, came back on stage and addreesed the crowd. To be completely honest I wasn't even listening to what he said until someone throw Tommy a video recorder. I looked up at the two huge screens at the Cruzan that were right and left of stage and the words, "Tit-E-Cam" were displayed at the bottom.

Tommy was holding a video camera that was wired so the audience could see what Tommy was looking at. With the "tit-e-cam" in place, the audience could a see a mockery of Tommy going backstage and trying to find his dressing room, only to enter into a women's bathroom, where women were grinding and making out with each other in a single bathroom stall. When Tommy re-emerged from the supposed "dressing room" he came back out the with the video camera and put a live feed of the West Palm Beach audience and demanded of the crowd to see "Titties". So the crowd obeyed. As Tommy panned the Ampitheatre for willing participants, he actually came across two women who shook their head at Tommy, before he blurted out " What's with this no shit?"

With all the pyrotechnics going and the ultra lit wording (I still don't know what it said), the boys from Motley definitely played an awesome show. Some of my favorites, "Dr. Feel Good", "Girls, Girls, Girls," and "Shout at the devil" were just some of my favorite songs played.

I just wish there was a media pit for the show. Either way, if you missed the show, you missed one hell of a good show.




Trapt



Sixx A.M.




Jacoby of Papa Roach




Jacoby performing in the middle of the crowd





Josh Todd of Buckcherry





Buckcherry





Xavier Muriel of Buckcherry
















Mick Mars

Pearl Jam

I have been bed ridden for the past week with Bronchitis and only able to hold soup in my stomach (safely). My friends kept telling me, "Man, I hope you are better by Pearl Jam, otherwise, you really shouldn't go."


This was not an option in my mind, as Pearl Jam is one of the few bands in my life that I have not seen live. Not once. "Nothing short of coma or death is keeping me from this concert".


Armed with a box of tissues, antibiotics, inhaler and my camera, I left my house with my street team. Only the weather seemed like it wouldn't cooperate, as it had been raining in the South Florida area the whole day. There was no way I could stand outside in the rain with Bronchitis, "but it's Pearl Jam", I kept telling myself; I could only hope for the best.


"Its Pearl Jam" seemed to be the evening's theme. People nationwide and worldwide, flew into Florida just for the show. Costa Rican, Venezuelan, and Argentinean flags', was just a few amongst many that were proudly displayed at the Cruzan Wednesday night. Fans that were proudly displaying their roots and how far they have come for Pearl Jam's opening night. "Hello from Maryland!" "Hello from Costa Rica!" was just some of the texts displayed on the Verizon Wireless TV playing throughout the venue.


"Pearl fucking Jam" was the most common.


As soon as gates opened at the Cruzan, fans started piling into the Amphitheatre with hopes of positioning (on the lawn) themselves with the best view of the stage.


Kings of Leon got the night started with a 45 minute set before Pearl Jam took the stage for two hours: Two whole hours of nothing but Pearl Jam on stage.


Picture an Ipod Bose home stereo blasting Pearl Jam tunes in Dolby digital surround sound and your best friends chilling with you having a few drinks and you will start to get the idea of how the night went.


Opening the night with "Oceans", Pearl Jam led the crowd into a night of favorites and familiarities that included: "Even flow", "Why go", "Dissident", "Rear view mirror", "Do the evolution", "Better man", and "Alive".


It was during these songs that you could hear the crowd singing along, probably a ½ mile away. Not one soul in the lawn or in the seats had their mouth closed. If you scanned the crowd you could see people smiling, dancing, or just getting lost in their own world. Looking outside the Cruzan Amphitheatre you could still see people outside the fence trying to score tickets to come inside. Pearl Jam has built a solid fan base for 17 years.

The band played with a simple backdrop on stage. It was of two waves looking like they were going to crash into each other which later changed into fiber optic lights that looked like mini stars; Simple and to the point.


South Florida could not have asked for a better concert. Pearl Jam fans couldn't have asked for more. And as for me, I can now die happy having seen the one band that made it from the infamous "grunge" era and continues to create great music that generations of people still (and will) listen too; even long after the band itself is gone.


After all, it is Pearl Jam.

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend
Written by: Carla Wright
Photos by: Carla Wright

The Fillmore on Monday night was packed with kids with an average age of 15 all piled together for one purpose, to see Vampire Weekend perform.


While I was standing in the media pit waiting for Vampire Weekend to come on, the people standing on the other side of the metal barricade were passing time by chanting about the techies that would come out.


"Sweaty man! Sweaty man!" was the first of three chants started. The techie was doing some quick sound checks and you could see the sweat pouring from his face. He laughed and walked off when he heard the chant.


"Creepy guy! Creepy guy!" was another techie that had come on stage briefly before he walked off.


"Sweaty man" came running back out with towel, dried off his face and then proceeded to "wipe" his butt with the towel before throwing it into the crowd of chanting kids.


It should have been a warning of what the evening had in store for everyone at the venue.


With such comic relief going on and spirits high, everyone was ready for Vampire weekend to come out.


When the lights dimmed and the band took stage, I held up my camera in preparation for shooting the band. Even though, I am pretty new to the whole "game", nothing could have prepared me for what happened with the opening song.


As I'm peering through my lens and still giggling to myself about the chanting kids and the goofy techs, I felt the floor start to shake. I say shake because vibration would be a better word to describe something you feel but wouldn't throw you off balance.


The floor was literally shaking. I had to stand with my legs apart just to keep balance. Just to make sure I wasn't crazy I looked over at another photographer, Margarita, and stared at her in disbelief.


"My pics are going to be shaky!" she screamed to me over the music.


"It'll be fine. They're just testing our photo skills". I replied to her with a smile.


With all the goofiness that had been going on in between bands, it's pretty easy to understand how a median age of 15 would get excited and jump and down when their favorite band come on.


Vampire weekend is on tour with Harlem Shakes and is selling out venues with their unique (but catchy) style of music.


It was a fun, but simple evening. The band did not use much lighting effects or any type of backdrop. It was just the band, a stage, and a venue full of their adoring fans.


"The members of the band met while attending Columbia University; they then self-produced their first album after graduation while concurrently working full time jobs." – Wikipedia.com


The band is:

Ezra Koenig (lead vocals, guitar)

Rostam Batmanglij (keyboard, guitar, vocals)

Chris Tomson (drums)

Chris Baio (bass guitar)


And for those who were wondering how the band got its' name:


"The band takes its name from a film they made together with members of the band Ra Ra Riot entitled Vampire Weekend. The film told the story of a boy named Walcott charged by an elder to dispatch a vampiric horde in Cape Cod and escape. The song "Walcott" from their debut album details the plot of the film."- Wikipedia.com




Vampire weekend is on tour until late September.

Duran, Duran

Duran Duran
Written by: Carla Wright
Photographs by:Carla Wright




When the words "Duran, Duran" are mentioned to me, I automatically go back in time to the early 90's. I was 10 and watching MTV when I first saw the video for "Come Undone".



If you have ever seen the video, the video is about this young woman who is trying to break free from her chains (while "drowning" underwater). The video flashes back to a woman pulling a vodka bottle out and a "9-5" cross dressing "business" man. That's what the video shows; that, however, is not what I remember. All I remember from the video is "the mermaid chick" (as I would refer to the woman who was trying to break free from her chains). I had to go back on you tube and watch the video for the first time in many years to "jog" my memory. I'm quite ashamed to admit that I thought all these many years, that the woman was a mermaid.



That's my point though, when I say "all these years" in reference to Duran, Duran; the band existed before I was even born. I grew up listening to Duran Duran and how every time one of their songs would come on the radio, I would think about "the mermaid chick" and never really understanding (till now) the significance of the "mermaid chick". Duran Duran is so engraved in my memories of the early 90's, that I honestly couldn't have imagined growing up without having listened to them.



On Monday night at Mizner Amphitheatre, I was reminded again about my childhood and how much I respect Duran Duran as a band. From the classic pieces of "Hungry like a wolf" and "Come undone" to "Falling down" off their latest album "Red Carpet Massacre", it was a great evening.





South Florida weather cooperated once again, as the Duran Duran audience soaked in the warm heat of an inevitable hot summer. With clear night skies and a full moon, Duran Duran played a non-stop amazing show. Simon displayed explosive energy throughout the set while John and Roger Taylor played to adoring crowd of fans jumping up and down and dancing on top of their chairs.





I didn't participate in the "standing on chairs and dancing" part of the evening, but I did admire the couples that were at the show. I admired the crowd in general. When Duran Duran came on stage, the audience's faces' were that of pure glee (you know when someone you really like walks into the same room as you). That's the smiles and cheers that people had on their faces for the whole set of Duran Duran. You have to respect that. You have to respect when an audience sings louder than the band. You have to respect a band that still has a strong following almost 30 years after they started.





Even if you aren't a Duran Duran fan, you have to respect them as a band. Music wouldn't be the same without Duran Duran and the British pop wave invasion in America and neither would the "concert" experience.


If you missed Monday night's performance, hopefully Duran Duran will return soon. Then, maybe, you too, will experience all that defines Duran Duran.



Just don't expect any mermaids.

The Police

The police

Written by: Carla Wright
Photographs by: Carla Wright









A high of 90 degrees', did not stop spectators and die hard fans of the British based band, The Police, from packing the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach Saturday night. The police are back again this year with Elvis Costello and The Imposters, on their continuing reunion tour.

"It's great to be back in Florida, especially West Palm Beach" Sting said as he addressed the adoring crowd. "It looks like everyone had sex, or is going to." The Police started off their set with "Bring on the night" followed by "Message in a bottle".

The stage was designed with a simple lighting theme and one huge widescreen monitor in the background. The police also had their own film crew on hand, filming the legendary band. The band played many of their hit singles from their collection, a dream for any Police fan.

All in all, The Police put on one hell of a show in South Florida. The simplicity of the entire evening reminded everyone, of how long The Police have been around.

The band has been on tour since late 2007 and has already made one appearance in Florida previously with Fictionplane (which is lead by Joe Sumner, Sting's son).

The Police announced early in 2007 their plans for a worldwide reunion tour in which sting.com describes as, "… simply a celebration of past glories." The Police formed in 1977 and consist of Sting (bassist/vocals), guitarist Andy Summers, and drummer Stewart Copeland.

Radiohead

Radiohead
Cruzan Amphitheatre
Written by Carla Wright
Photographs by Carla Wright

Radiohead filled the Cruzan Amphitheatre last night, with a highly anticipated tour following the release of their 2007 album: "In Rainbows".





The English based band kicked off the two-dozen song set list with "All I need" off their current album and a mass array of lights hanging from the Amphitheatre ceiling. The lights helped serve for what would prove to be a spectacular visual array of fiber optics. In the background was a large panoramic TV that was divided into four parts, displaying all four members of Radiohead: Thom Yorke (Vocals, rhythm guitar, electronics and piano), Jonny Greenwood (Lead Guitar), Ed O'Brien (Guitar, backing vocals), and Phil Selway (Drums, Percussion).





"I've got no idea how much people know of what we're doing tonight, I don't get out much." York said when he addressed the crowd.



Many of the songs played were off of "In Rainbows", while some of their older songs, "Idioteque", "15 step" and "Exit Music (For a film)" served as a reminder for Radiohead fans of how much Radiohead has grown over the years.





"Pablo Honey" was the band's first album and was released in early 1993, which featured the band's first hit single "Creep". "In Rainbows" is the seventh album by Radiohead. Previous albums include: "The Bends" (1995), "OK Computer" (1997') "Kid A" (2000), "Amnesiac" (2001), and "Hail to the Thief" (2003).