An Evening With Sevendust, Acoustic
Reviewed by Rob Acocella
Rating: 2/5
It pains me to write the words I'm about to put below this, but it has to be said. I've been a fan of Sevendust for a long time and I've seen them more times than I can count, but the show I just witnessed was the worst one so far. I feel like I'd be doing an injustice and a disservice if I were to gloss over the negative details and sugar coat this, so in the interest of this hopefully being seen as constructive criticism, here we go:
When I see a show billed as an acoustic performance, I expect an acoustic performance. This was not an acoustic performance. Some people may argue that a few of the songs had been re-arranged in an acoustic fashion, which I'll give you. Others may argue that the guitarists were playing acoustic guitars, again, this would be true. However, there is more to playing acoustic than simply performing songs on a hollow-body guitar. I understand that in a live and studio setting, you need to plug in, and run through an amp, and I have no issue with that at all. I do have an issue with running effects pedals in your signal chain, and making your acoustic sound like the Les Paul you use on all your other tours. I have an issue with the drums being mixed as though you're using them to perforate the lungs of the audience. I have an issue with the vocal performance of a song barely deviating from the original despite the band having claimed to have rearranged the songs. More importantly, I have a huge issue with showing up with a set of expectations, mostly consisting of 1) seeing a true acoustic performance, and 2) not having my ears ringing to the point I'm checking them for blood, only to have those expectations greatly let down.
I don't feel I'm being unfair here. I'm not taking away from Sevendust the fact that they practically ooze positive energy or that I've never seem them put on a bad show, even tonight. In fact, it's not the performance or the vibe that has me disappointed at all. I've seen many bands go the acoustic route for either part of their set or for a full tour, and none have missed the mark quite like Sevendust. This was not an acoustic show, this was a regular Sevendust show played with two hollow-body guitars mixed in with electric bass, drums, and keyboards.
The show was divided into 2 parts, with about a 30 minute intermission. The first half of the show, I felt was full of less-recognizeable songs, even for someone who has been seeing the band live, on just about every tour, since about 2003. With just a few songs that stood out instantly, most of them just sounded the same to me. The second set, which had a few more favorites, was stronger, but by then I'd already given up on the idea of the show being a more laid-back acoustic variation on what I'm used to. Also, a note to any band that is going to cover Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt": Don't change the lyrics. More specifically, don't change "I wear this crown of shit" into "I wear this crown of thorns." Not only is it such an iconic song that you shouldn't ever consider changing the lyrics, but the implication of those 2 lines are completely different and you ruin that part of the song by changing it as such. A crown of shit means you're the king of garbage, negativity, sorrow, nothingness. A crown of thorns implies condemnation and accusation. Completely different, please don't do it again.
I really wanted to like this show, and I really hate giving Sevendust a poor review for a live show, but I can't lie about this, it really failed to impress me or even meet the most basic expectations.
Showing posts with label nj. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nj. Show all posts
Monday, June 9, 2014
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Megadeth and Fear Factory LIVE in New Jersey
Megadeth and Fear Factory
Live in NJ on 11/29/13 at The Wellmont Theater
Reviewed by Rob Acocella
RATING 4/5
Megadeth and Fear Factory are two of my favorite bands, especially to see live, so when I saw they were on a bill together I was really excited. To make it even better, they were playing a few towns over from me in my home state of NJ, so I didn't need to pay a bunch extra in tolls and parking to go into New York City to see them. (Side note: contrary to popular belief, people who live in NJ don't necessarily love, or even like, traveling into NYC.)
I hate to say it, but the show was a little disappointing, which was no fault of either band, I might add. Fear Factory has always had one of the most energetic live shows with some of the craziest crowds I've been witness to. The energy just wasn't there that night. The band was full of pep and sounded great, but you could tell by the way Burton C. Bell was talking to the crowd that even he could sense that they just weren't giving the same energy back. He made multiple references to how the crowd seemed sleepy, and blamed it on the fact that the day before was Thanksgiving and everyone "must have eaten too much shit, too much turkey." He was most likely right, as everyone looked like they were still in tryptophan comas. This was also the first time I'd ever seen Fear Factory as an opening or support act, aside from that one time they were on Gigantour after Transgression came out. I was completely not expecting such a short set, but I can't complain about the song choices, to be honest. They opened with the obvious choice: the title track from their most recent album The Industrialist, and from there it was a 7-song barrage of oldies but goodies made up of "Shock," "Edgecrusher," "Damaged," "What Will Become?," "Demanufacture," "Self Bias Resistor," and, of course, they closed with "Replica." The band deserves 5 stars for their energy, song choices, and their performance, but the crowd dragged down the whole mood. It's a double-edged sword because I normally love Fear Factory shows but complain about the audience because they're too rowdy and obnoxious, and this time I'm complaining because it's like they didn't even care that the band was there.
Headliners Megadeth need no introduction. From the second the video screens turn on and "Prince of Darkness" starts pumping through the speakers, you know you're going to be in for a great show. Being one of the photographers shooting the show, I'm right upfront for the first 3 songs of the set, so I get to hear what the band hears, which is why when they opened with "Hangar 18," I was confused as to why Dave wasn't singing when he was supposed to be. Until I looked up and realized he was! Whoever was running sound for this show really must have phoned it in that night. Couldn't hear vocals in the monitors at all for the first 3 songs, and when I left the photo pit to go to the back of the room to watch the rest of the show, I realized that the vocals were mixed terribly. Not only were they pretty low compared to the music, but the quality of the sound was really bad, and you couldn't make out a word Dave was saying. It wasn't Dave having a bad night either, because even between songs when he'd talk to the crowd, you still could hardly make out any words. As the show went on, the venue, or the soundguy, or whoever was at fault, pretty much ruined the show. The sound was terrible, and by terrible, I mean completely awful. The guitar tones were way too thin most of the time, and David Ellefson's bass was almost completely lost. The worst part was at the beginning of "Peace Sells" when David switched to his new signature Kelly Bird bass, which, as a bass player and lifelong fan of Ellefon's, I was very excited to finally hear live. The sound was so bad it sounded like he was playing a shoebox with rubber bands around it.
Here's the thing: I'm not taking points away from the band for any of this. I know for a fact that they do not sound like this normally. I honestly feel like the venue cared more about volume than clarity of the mix. If I'm all the way at the back of the venue, away from the speakers, my ears should not be numb when I leave as though I was standing in the front row the whole night. I have seen variations on this setlist numerous times now since Ellefson's return to the band and not once have they had a bad night. There are, however, two things that I'm slightly disappointed with: 1) it was Black Friday and they did not play "Good Mourning/Black Friday," which, to me, just seemed like an appropriate song to play, and 2) the only new song I've heard live since Super Collider came out has been "Kingmaker." While I know it's the big single from the album, there are other tracks on there that really should get the live treatment.
Overall, the show wasn't bad as far as Metal shows go. It's just very disappointing that a venue that was recently renovated would have such an awful sound for such a huge band. For a complete setlist for Megadeth, check it out HERE.
For more photos from this show and others, visit DIGImmortal Photo.
Live in NJ on 11/29/13 at The Wellmont Theater
Reviewed by Rob Acocella
RATING 4/5
Megadeth and Fear Factory are two of my favorite bands, especially to see live, so when I saw they were on a bill together I was really excited. To make it even better, they were playing a few towns over from me in my home state of NJ, so I didn't need to pay a bunch extra in tolls and parking to go into New York City to see them. (Side note: contrary to popular belief, people who live in NJ don't necessarily love, or even like, traveling into NYC.)
I hate to say it, but the show was a little disappointing, which was no fault of either band, I might add. Fear Factory has always had one of the most energetic live shows with some of the craziest crowds I've been witness to. The energy just wasn't there that night. The band was full of pep and sounded great, but you could tell by the way Burton C. Bell was talking to the crowd that even he could sense that they just weren't giving the same energy back. He made multiple references to how the crowd seemed sleepy, and blamed it on the fact that the day before was Thanksgiving and everyone "must have eaten too much shit, too much turkey." He was most likely right, as everyone looked like they were still in tryptophan comas. This was also the first time I'd ever seen Fear Factory as an opening or support act, aside from that one time they were on Gigantour after Transgression came out. I was completely not expecting such a short set, but I can't complain about the song choices, to be honest. They opened with the obvious choice: the title track from their most recent album The Industrialist, and from there it was a 7-song barrage of oldies but goodies made up of "Shock," "Edgecrusher," "Damaged," "What Will Become?," "Demanufacture," "Self Bias Resistor," and, of course, they closed with "Replica." The band deserves 5 stars for their energy, song choices, and their performance, but the crowd dragged down the whole mood. It's a double-edged sword because I normally love Fear Factory shows but complain about the audience because they're too rowdy and obnoxious, and this time I'm complaining because it's like they didn't even care that the band was there.
Headliners Megadeth need no introduction. From the second the video screens turn on and "Prince of Darkness" starts pumping through the speakers, you know you're going to be in for a great show. Being one of the photographers shooting the show, I'm right upfront for the first 3 songs of the set, so I get to hear what the band hears, which is why when they opened with "Hangar 18," I was confused as to why Dave wasn't singing when he was supposed to be. Until I looked up and realized he was! Whoever was running sound for this show really must have phoned it in that night. Couldn't hear vocals in the monitors at all for the first 3 songs, and when I left the photo pit to go to the back of the room to watch the rest of the show, I realized that the vocals were mixed terribly. Not only were they pretty low compared to the music, but the quality of the sound was really bad, and you couldn't make out a word Dave was saying. It wasn't Dave having a bad night either, because even between songs when he'd talk to the crowd, you still could hardly make out any words. As the show went on, the venue, or the soundguy, or whoever was at fault, pretty much ruined the show. The sound was terrible, and by terrible, I mean completely awful. The guitar tones were way too thin most of the time, and David Ellefson's bass was almost completely lost. The worst part was at the beginning of "Peace Sells" when David switched to his new signature Kelly Bird bass, which, as a bass player and lifelong fan of Ellefon's, I was very excited to finally hear live. The sound was so bad it sounded like he was playing a shoebox with rubber bands around it.
Here's the thing: I'm not taking points away from the band for any of this. I know for a fact that they do not sound like this normally. I honestly feel like the venue cared more about volume than clarity of the mix. If I'm all the way at the back of the venue, away from the speakers, my ears should not be numb when I leave as though I was standing in the front row the whole night. I have seen variations on this setlist numerous times now since Ellefson's return to the band and not once have they had a bad night. There are, however, two things that I'm slightly disappointed with: 1) it was Black Friday and they did not play "Good Mourning/Black Friday," which, to me, just seemed like an appropriate song to play, and 2) the only new song I've heard live since Super Collider came out has been "Kingmaker." While I know it's the big single from the album, there are other tracks on there that really should get the live treatment.
Overall, the show wasn't bad as far as Metal shows go. It's just very disappointing that a venue that was recently renovated would have such an awful sound for such a huge band. For a complete setlist for Megadeth, check it out HERE.
For more photos from this show and others, visit DIGImmortal Photo.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Carnival of Madness in Asbury Park, NJ
The Carnival of Madness (We as Human, Sevendust, In This Moment, Skillet, Shinedown)
Live in Asbury Park 8/11/13
Review and Photos by Rob Acocella
Rating: 4/5
The Carnival of Madness tour opened in Asbury Park NJ on August 11 at the famous Stone Pony. That particular tour date consisted of performances by We as Human, Sevendust, In This Moment, Skillet, and Shinedown.
Unfortunately, after arriving at the venue just a little late (NJ beach traffic on a nice day), but still with plenty of time to at least catch Sevendust's set as the second band, I realized from the parking lot that what I was hearing was "Angel's Son." Knowing that Sevendust usually puts that late in their set, I darted for the door only to catch the last 30 seconds of their final song by the time I made it through security. Apparently someone decided to start the concert way ahead of schedule.
After setting up some pretty elaborate set decorations, In This Moment took the stage. I'm not going to fake anything here, while I've long been aware of this band, I never really followed them. Not knowing any of the songs in particular, I can't give a critique of how much like the album they were or weren't. I will say this, though: The band sounded really solid and tight from the point of view of someone that hadn't heard any of the songs before, and Maria Brink and her synchronized slave dancers did a great job of provided creative visuals to go along with each song through their movements, props, and occasional costume changes. I can certainly appreciate the amount of work that must have gone into synchronizing the performance movements for each song and having to memorize an entire performance to repeat every night for weeks on the road. Overall they were entertaining to watch, between the smoke guns, the dancers, and the rebel-zombie-like stage costumes of the band against the pure white piles of skulls and fence gates set as a backdrop. For anyone that wants to know, it seems that the setlist from this show can be found HERE
The direct support slot was filled by Skillet. I'm again going to be blunt here, they did not jive well with me. The backing vocals done by drummer Jen Ledger sounded awful, similar to a young school child yelling or whining. The band's overall sound was so generic that I wasn't sure if I was at a Rock concert or walking through the local mall. On top of it all, vocalist John Cooper took every chance he could to insert biblical references or drop other Christian propaganda on the audience between songs which were about the same topics. I had not previously known that they were a Christian Rock band, but it became increasingly evident as the show went on. My personal opinion is that religion should be kept out of music, or at least Rock music. If you absolutely must put your religious views into music and lyrics, it should be done in a way that it is not completely obvious or preachey, which I don't feel they accomplished, and I don't feel was their goal to begin with. The reason is that music should be something everyone can relate to, and when you make the message of your music more exclusive, you start to leave people out and make it hard for them to digest. The band has an energetic stage presence, and I suppose if you're a fan of their music already then you would appreciate the stage show they put on, including a rising pillar system that would elevate 2 musicians at a time on either side of the stage. If you are a fan of Skillet, and want to see what they played that night, you can find the set list HERE
The show closed with an amazing performance by Shinedown which included fan favorites like "45," "Simple Man," "Devour," and "Second Chance." It was also the live premiere of "I'm Not Alright" which had previously not been performed live. Shinedown have long been known for their high-energy live shows and as always, they did not disappoint. Brent Smith's vocals were spot-on and with the extra help from Eric Bass and Zach Myers they nailed every note. It wouldn't be a Shinedown concert without some inspiring words from Brent, and he got the crowd really energized talking about how strong NJ was for making it through Superstorm Sandy and rebuilding the beaches, and how Rock and Roll is a way of life and not just a genre of music. I may be a bit biased as a fan, but I've never seen a Shinedown concert that I had anything bad to say about, and I'm happy to report that the trend is still continuing.
Live in Asbury Park 8/11/13
Review and Photos by Rob Acocella
Rating: 4/5
The Carnival of Madness tour opened in Asbury Park NJ on August 11 at the famous Stone Pony. That particular tour date consisted of performances by We as Human, Sevendust, In This Moment, Skillet, and Shinedown.
Unfortunately, after arriving at the venue just a little late (NJ beach traffic on a nice day), but still with plenty of time to at least catch Sevendust's set as the second band, I realized from the parking lot that what I was hearing was "Angel's Son." Knowing that Sevendust usually puts that late in their set, I darted for the door only to catch the last 30 seconds of their final song by the time I made it through security. Apparently someone decided to start the concert way ahead of schedule.
After setting up some pretty elaborate set decorations, In This Moment took the stage. I'm not going to fake anything here, while I've long been aware of this band, I never really followed them. Not knowing any of the songs in particular, I can't give a critique of how much like the album they were or weren't. I will say this, though: The band sounded really solid and tight from the point of view of someone that hadn't heard any of the songs before, and Maria Brink and her synchronized slave dancers did a great job of provided creative visuals to go along with each song through their movements, props, and occasional costume changes. I can certainly appreciate the amount of work that must have gone into synchronizing the performance movements for each song and having to memorize an entire performance to repeat every night for weeks on the road. Overall they were entertaining to watch, between the smoke guns, the dancers, and the rebel-zombie-like stage costumes of the band against the pure white piles of skulls and fence gates set as a backdrop. For anyone that wants to know, it seems that the setlist from this show can be found HERE
The direct support slot was filled by Skillet. I'm again going to be blunt here, they did not jive well with me. The backing vocals done by drummer Jen Ledger sounded awful, similar to a young school child yelling or whining. The band's overall sound was so generic that I wasn't sure if I was at a Rock concert or walking through the local mall. On top of it all, vocalist John Cooper took every chance he could to insert biblical references or drop other Christian propaganda on the audience between songs which were about the same topics. I had not previously known that they were a Christian Rock band, but it became increasingly evident as the show went on. My personal opinion is that religion should be kept out of music, or at least Rock music. If you absolutely must put your religious views into music and lyrics, it should be done in a way that it is not completely obvious or preachey, which I don't feel they accomplished, and I don't feel was their goal to begin with. The reason is that music should be something everyone can relate to, and when you make the message of your music more exclusive, you start to leave people out and make it hard for them to digest. The band has an energetic stage presence, and I suppose if you're a fan of their music already then you would appreciate the stage show they put on, including a rising pillar system that would elevate 2 musicians at a time on either side of the stage. If you are a fan of Skillet, and want to see what they played that night, you can find the set list HERE
The show closed with an amazing performance by Shinedown which included fan favorites like "45," "Simple Man," "Devour," and "Second Chance." It was also the live premiere of "I'm Not Alright" which had previously not been performed live. Shinedown have long been known for their high-energy live shows and as always, they did not disappoint. Brent Smith's vocals were spot-on and with the extra help from Eric Bass and Zach Myers they nailed every note. It wouldn't be a Shinedown concert without some inspiring words from Brent, and he got the crowd really energized talking about how strong NJ was for making it through Superstorm Sandy and rebuilding the beaches, and how Rock and Roll is a way of life and not just a genre of music. I may be a bit biased as a fan, but I've never seen a Shinedown concert that I had anything bad to say about, and I'm happy to report that the trend is still continuing.
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