Cherub
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Crystal Ballroom; Portland, OR
Written by Kelsey Rzepecki

Portland could not get enough of Electro Pop duo, Chreub, delighting us all with a long set last Thursday that went into the early morning. The night started with the bass-heavy Hippie Sabotage as the ballroom emerged into a vibrating, up-beat atmosphere playing all of their hit songs including ending their set with the timeless track “Your Soul”.

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Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, with Skinny Lister & Beans on Toast
House of Blues; Boston, MA // September 25th, 2015.
Written by Eric Riley.

Despite the commonness of the names, there’s only one Frank Turner. (Well, I’m sure there are plenty of Frank Turners, but there’s only one that matters.) ((Actually, that sounds really mean to any other Frank Turners out there, who I’m sure are fine, upstanding men. I think you get the point I’m getting at, yes?))

The weekend of the 25th was very busy for me. The span of four days contained three bus rides, two full days at a music festival, and one night at the House of Blues, all connected by a handful of rides on the T throughout Boston and with enough Diet Coke to probably be concerned over. If this sounds like complaining, I apologize – each minute was wild from start to finish, and Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls kicked it off in style.

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Sheppard, Lawson
The Hollow - Albany, NY
Saturday, July 25th, 2015
Review and photos by Eric Riley.

Having somewhere to be on a cloudy, rainy Saturday night is pretty ideal. When it’s a small, dark barroom playing catchy angry/bitter/less-than-totally-happy music, it’s even better. Looking around, the show was looking like it was going to be a pretty sparsely-attended one, withhhh (gimme a second to count…) thirtyyyy…. -two people on the floor ten minutes before the show was scheduled to start. But, there’s still time, and with how Sheppard’s music combines energy and emotion, this small number is sure to get bigger.

I always feel a little out of place in the bar scene. Even though I’m 23, and with my 24th birthday very quickly approaching, my baby-face stands out a bit. Add in a not-so-crowded audience of people (who, despite all probably being around my age, still all look older?) and things are a bit unsettling. But, again, who cares!? There’s music to be played (and I wrote this entire paragraph mostly to make myself look busy or important as I stood off to the side by myself with my camera in my hand. Type type type avoid eye contact avoid eye contact don’t somehow trip and fall. Confidence is key, y'all.).

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4Knots Festival
Pier 84, New York NY
July 11, 2015

It’s summer. Have you noticed? You can tell because it’s hot out. I usually feel that this is the time of the year for classic rock and old-school hip hop. Y’know, barbecue stuff.

What I don’t usually think of is Indie rock. It’s more of a winter-y music to me, introverted stuff for staying inside and thinking about how sad you are with your overwrought feelings. When the sky is blue and even people like me (choosing to live in a city with public transportation so I don’t have to drive) fantasize about bumping up the speakers on an open-topped car, there seems like no good reason for the warm blankets of guitar fuzz. Why mumble your lyrics when you can shout them at the top of your lungs?

That being said, it’s an impressive feat of the Village Voice in putting together a festival worthy of Indie rock bands that exemplify summer in the best way. Youthful energy, fast guitars, and poppy melodies combined to create a sound that I would refer to as “surf-rock” if it seemed like any of the people onstage in their ripped jeans and introverted stances had ever surfed in their lives.

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Mandolin Orange Show Review
Doug Fir Lounge - June 10th, 2015
By: Kelsey Rzepecki

The humble duo Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin who make up the band Mandolin Orange, charmed the crowd last Wednesday night with their constant comical banter back and forth with the audience. The two embody a style and sound blending new and old traditions of the folk- bluegrass genre that is multigenerational, proven by the diversity of the audience.

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Written by Kara Kokinos and Eric Riley.
Photos (Halsey, Vance Joy, TV On The Radio) by Kara Kokinos. 
Photos (The Ballroom Thieves, ILoveMakonnen, Lucius, Jason Isbell, Tenacious D) by Eric Riley.

On Sunday, the final day of this spring’s Boston Calling, there was a sense of anticipation that hovered over the crowd throughout the day. Following Saturday’s vivacious performers, festivalgoers had to question if the performances on Sunday, those punctuated by Tenacious D and (Boston’s own) Pixies, could reach the high bar that had been set over the previous two days.

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Shakey Graves
Wednesday, May 27th, 2015
Crystal Ballroom; Portland, OR
Review by Kelsey Rzepecki

A big “Howdy Ya’ll!“ came from the voice of Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, as he introduced himself with a friendly toothy grin to the audience on Wednesday night. The Pacific Northwest was granted a little dose of Southern Hospitality that night as the historic Crystal Ballroom was transformed into a sweaty, funky folk love fest. Strong scents of incense and body odor were the recipe for a lively audience with nothing but smiles.

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Written by Kara Kokinos and Eric Riley.
Photos by Eric Riley.

After Friday’s introduction to Boston Calling 2015, there was an incredible buzz for what Saturday’s artist would bring. What seemed to be an almost entirely new crowd in attendance held many diehard fans clamoring for spots on the barricades, while other attendees swarmed the various vendors, waiting for their favorite acts or looking for an opportunity to discover a new one. It was pretty easy to discern when fans were waiting for certain artists, specifically those waiting for Gerard Way while donning old My Chemical Romance tees, or the Marina and the Diamonds fans dressed in glimmering neon and glitter. But, as clear (and, to be totally honest, kind of humorous) as it was, it was a solid example of what has made Boston Calling so successful over these last few years – its diversity. A staple of the festival has been its clear effort to cater to music fans of all tastes.

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The Used with Every Time I Die, Marmozets, & The Eeries
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Upstate Concert Hall; Clifton Park, NY
Review and photos by Eric Riley.

I’m going to be pretty blunt here – at the time I was writing this, Age of Ultron came out in just about two days, so I was finding it pretty difficult to be excited over anything else. But, that doesn’t mean it was impossible. For instance, say, hypothetically, one of my favorite bands from high school was playing a show a few miles away. That would do the trick. Besides, by the time door opened, there were still, like, 48 more hours before The Avengers premiere - might as well kill some time, eh?

All comic-based sarcasm aside, this was a show that had been on my radar for some time; The Used are screamo royalty, while Every Time I Die have been on my “must-see” list for ages. I had heard rumblings about Marmozets here and there, and opener The Eeries were one of those bands allowing me a fresh, new first impression. Kicking off the show, they made a fast statement.

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Circa Survive with Balance and Composure & CHON
Saturday, May 2nd, 2015
Upstate Concert Hall; Clifton Park, NY
Review and photos by Eric Riley

On what was being talked about as “the greatest day in sports history” (something about some important horse boxing match or something?), there was a possibility for other events to be put on the backburner. Luckily, nothing happening that day interested me more than having the chance to see one of the most phenomenal acts around, a week after their debut album turns 10 years old.

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The Devil Wears Prada, Born Of Osiris, The Word Alive, Secrets
Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
Monday, April 6th, 2015
Review by Caitlyn Willard

Baltimore Soundstage was filled with anxious fans ready to see the “Zombie 5 Tour”, a celebration of The Devil Wears Prada’s Zombie EP which was released five years ago. Although most were there to see TDWP, plenty were just as excited for the openers: SECRETS, Born of Osiris, and The Word Alive.

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Cartel
Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015
Review and photos by Caitlyn Willard.

Cartel recently came to Baltimore to celebrate the anniversary release of their debut album Chroma, which was released 10 years ago (CRAZY!). They played to an almost sold out room, full of fans waiting to relive their early teenage years. The band also brought along with them Hit the Lights, TEAM*, and Driver Friendly.

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Bayside
Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
Tuesday, March 31st, 2015
Review and photos by Caitlyn Willard.

It’s kind of crazy that it’s already been over fifteen years since Bayside first entered the scene. To mark this monumental occasion, Bayside embarked on a 15-year birthday tour, making a stop in Baltimore, MD last Tuesday.

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New Found Glory
Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
Saturday, March 28^th, 2015
Review and photos by Zachary Foerst

It’s safe to say that pop punk is still alive and well! Four-piece, New Found Glory, is out touring with the boys in Turnstile, This Wild Life and Turnover on The Sleep When I Die tour which is ready to give you a night of fun your surely won’t forget!

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From Indian Lakes
Alhambra Theater - Portland, OR
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Written by Kelsey Rzepecki

California-based band, From Indian Lakes, brought a mellow ambience to the Alhambra Theater deriving from the soft vocals of Joey Vannucchi, founder of the band, initially began it as a solo project before forming it into a five man group. Growing up with a simple lifestyle in a mountain town without any electricity or elaborate luxuries, music took the place as the main forefront of Vannucchi’s interest.

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