Archive for June, 2010
Review: Lojic, Earthworms, The Most Average! and Logan Kammerer rock Backwaters
Jun 28th
I went to Backwaters Friday for a rock show featuring L.A. band Lojic, St. Louis acts The Most Average! and Earthworms and Fielder’s lead-singer Logan Kammerer.
I missed Kammerer’s acoustic set, but heard from a local that he was one of the best performers of the night.
The Most Average! took the stage and a laid-back, groovy sound, almost like a band from California. It was about four songs in when it hit me, these guys remind me of the 90s band Fastball, who had the hit single “The Way.” They had similar melodies.
The crowd was sparse then, but people started picking up around 10 p.m.
By the time the Earthworms started their set, which was rap, the place had started to fill up. Sadly, the vocals were hard to decipher, because the sound system was having issues. Obviously in a rap show, lyrics are quite important, so the set didn’t grab everyone’s attention like it could have.
The guys had a lot of energy and put everything they had into the show, so I would definitely like to check them out on a better system. The best part of the entire night, was hands down when someone’s grandma walked past and twisted to the hip hop beat of the rappers and grinned.
With Quincy native Christopher Schnack performing in Lojic later that evening, quite a few unconventional concert goers in attendance and it was great.
Lojic finally took the stage, but quite late at after midnight. They had a very full sound instrumentally and very interesting vocals. The lead-singer rapped mostly and the bassist would chime in with very melodic vocals during various songs. He sang one whole song with almost an ethereal and/or pop tone.
I could easily hear the Hed P.E. and Rage Against the Machine influences, but then the bassist would sing and the 311 sound would be quite apparent.
A DJ was scratching throughout most of their songs and it was very cohesive with the band’s sound. It was similar to Linkin Park’s DJ and how he blends.
The group had a lot of energy and they sounded tight, but the sound system was their enemy. I barely caught any of the lyrics, but I could tell enough to know that I’d like to see them again.
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
Q&A with Lux of St. Louis radio station 105.7 The Point: Days Taken wins first leg of Battle for Pointfest II
Jun 25th
Lux, on-air personality for 105.7 The Point, was one of the judges during the night local band Days Taken won the Sunday Night Show contest, which is the first leg of the Battle for Pointfest II contest.
Lux, on-air personality for 105.7 The Point, in St. Louis.
Days Taken will now compete in the Finals Aug. 6 for the chance to perform on the main stage Aug. 14 at the 29-band rock event Pointfest II. Below is an interview with Lux:
THE CONTEST
“Bands work hard building a fan base by selling tickets, because they get to chose their slot on the Sunday Night Show by sales. This sometimes comes under some criticism, however, my thoughts are if you are serious about being in a band, you need to have people to listen to your music. No label will sign someone without a fan base; the music industry is about making music and money. Also, it sucks to play to an empty room.”
JUDGING
“I try whenever possible to not Judge. There is so much talent that it makes it very hard judge. I will only allow myself to judge if I don’t know a single person playing up on stage and or have never seen the band before. At the last Finals we had 13 judges, seven of which had never seen the bands play before. It was awesome to get some fresh ears and eyes out to judge.”
DAYS TAKEN PERFORMANCE
“I enjoyed it! It was a tough night of competition.”
THIS YEAR’S TALENT
“This past year has been awesome for talent; we had so many local shows where I couldn’t choose a winner.”
• To read more on Days Taken’s victory, click here.
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
Unrest in the Midwest to feature 12 bands in Keokuk; Plethora of area events on tap this weekend
Jun 24th
The Haven, formerly Music @ the Mall, is hosting a 12-band event in Keokuk featuring five national rock acts on their way to the huge Cornerstone Festival next week in Bushnell.
Concert organizers Matthew Hunt and Doug George are piggybacking on the popular Cornerstone, an annual Christian music event June 28 to July 3 in Bushnell. To read the article, click here.
UNREST IN THE MIDWEST PERFORMERS
BOARDERS
Boarders formed in 1989 in Milan, Italy, with the aim to play pure thrash metal. Bands like Testament, Exodus, Metallica and especially Megadeth served as models. The band also has an excellent reputation as a Megadeth cover band. Boarders signed a contract with Retroactive Records in 2009. Boarders recently released “The World Hates Me.”
REX AND COMPANY
Lead-singer Rex Carroll has released more than a dozen albums during his lifetime — most with the Christian metal band Whitecross. The group was recently signed to Retroactive Records and is preparing to release a new album.
KIDNAP THE SUN
Kidnap The Sun of Iowa City plays music similar to Devil Wears Prada, Attack! Attack! and Underoath. They were recently signed to the new label Increase Decrease Records.
SKIES
This young band out of McPherson, Kan., continues to tour through Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Iowa — heading to Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell. Skies is not signed to a record label. They are similar to bands The Chariot, The Great Commission and For Today.
A HILL TO DIE UPON (extreme metal) – www.myspace.com/ahilltodieuponband
* Also performing at Cornerstone Festival.
DIVULGENCE (extreme metal) – www.myspace.com/divulgencesc
A HERO REMAINS (metalcore/extreme) – www.myspace.com/aheroremains
* Also performing at Cornerstone Festival.
GRAVE ROBBER (punk/metal) – www.myspace.com/graverobberpunk
* Also performing at Cornerstone Festival.
LEPER (gothic rock) – www.myspace.com/leperdied
* Also performing at Cornerstone Festival.
COPERNICUS (extreme metal) – www.myspace.com/copernicustheband
AND THE GREATEST OF THESE (extreme metal) – www.myspace.com/andthegreatestofthese
FBS (punk) – www.myspace.com/fbs
* Also performing at Cornerstone Festival.
Saturday’s show is at The Haven, 300 Main. It is open to all ages, starts at 1 p.m. and admission is $10.
OTHER UPCOMING WEEKEND SHOWS
Wine Down featuring Keel Clemmens and Dan Eilers (jazz/rock)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Spirit Knob Winery, Ursa, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $5, patrons must be 21 years of age and over
INFO: www.spiritknob.com
Lojic, Fielder, The Car Thief, The Most Average! and Earthworms
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Backwaters, 138 N. Front
HOW MUCH: $7
• To read an article on the show, click here.
• To read the Q&A with Quincy native Christopher Schnack of Lojic, click here.
Shawn Kellerman (blues)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: The Club Tavern, Quincy
Junefest featuring Raised On Radio and Cheeks McGee
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: St. Dominic’s Junefest, Quincy
Summerfest featuring The Cheeseburgers (classic rock)
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Chittenden Park, Mendon, Ill.
Antidote (rock)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Adams Trading Post, Liberty, Ill.
2+2 (classic rock/county)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: T n’ A, West Quincy
Block Party featuring Pimpkatz and Shanghai Lil (rock)
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Kutter’s Bar and Grill, Quincy
Margaritaville Festival featuring The Balance and The Fins (classic rock)
WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Captain Kirk’s, Fort Madison, Iowa
Rich Berry (acoustic)
WHEN: 3 p.m Sunday
WHERE: The Club Tavern, Quincy
• To find out about Quincy’s Days Taken winning the first leg of the Battle for Pointfest II contest, click here.
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
Q&A with Lojic's Chris Schnack: L.A. band to perform in Quincy
Jun 23rd
Quincy native Christopher Schnack is bringing his band from Los Angeles to perform Friday at Backwaters. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and also features Fielder and DJ The Car Thief of Quincy and St. Louis acts The Most Average! and Earthworms.
The group has been compared to Rage Against the Machine and 311, but it is taking a turn musically with the recent album release of “Lies in Hopetropolis.”
Lojic
MEMBERS
Will Betts, vocals
Jonny Hughes, guitar and vocals
Johnny O’Neil, bass and vocals
Christopher Schnack, drums
Schnack answered the questions below:
THE BEGINNING
“Lojic was started back in a basement in St. Louis in 2002. We were dreaming big, thinking ‘we are gonna be HUGE.’ So we needed a name that was really cool, and Lojic was what we came up with. It may not be mind crushingly awesome, but it’s pretty good. We were fresh out of college.” (Schnack was not in the band at that time and is a more recent addition, sometime around 2008.)
THE MUSIC
“Lojic’s music could best be described as a blend of reggae, rock, and rap. We often get compared to Rage Against the Machine and 311 for anyone trying to get an idea of what we sound like. We have begun to gravitate away from that in recent times, being more influenced by Radiohead and blues, but also more brutal metal like Deftones and Hed P.E.”
QUINCY SHOW
“I was born and raised in Quincy. To me, it is the best place to play in the world. It has always been a dream of mine to play Backwaters in Quincy. Thank you to Sondi Brockmiller for making it a reality. We are playing with a bunch of great bands Friday. … Each band brings their own unique style to the stage. Friday’s show will be the last of our mini-tour, and people can expect to see a wide variety of musical genres with high energy performances. It’s going to be a night to remember.”
FUTURE PLANS
“Our first plan is to get back into the studio to start our next album. The rest of this summer will be spent touring in support of our latest release “Lies in Hopetropolis,” which is available on our website www.planetlojic.com. We are based out of Los Angeles, so this is the only show we have planned right now for Quincy this summer. We hope to be back again.”
QUINCY SCENE
“Quincy has a lot of musical talent. The band programs at the high school are great, and kids shouldn’t be afraid to join the school band. Quincy just needs to have more places like Backwaters where bands can play on an actual stage with a P.A. There also needs to be more venues with an all ages policy.”
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
Regional band TNT takes on classic rock greats at Steamboat Days
Jun 21st
A classic rock cover band is still just a cover band, right?
That was my mind set going into the TNT show Saturday at Steamboat Days in Burlington, Iowa.
The crowd was going crazy while Buckcherry performed Saturday at Steamboat Days in Burlington, Iowa.
Turns out that I was not only wrong, but pleasantly surprised by the performance by the trio on the smaller stage of the performance area. They were opening up for nationally touring acts Royal Bliss and Buckcherry. I spoke with TNT’s lead-singer and lead guitarist Nathan Gosnell last week about how excited they were to perform.
The band covered everything from Beastie Boys to Twisted Sister, with a Stevie Ray Vaughan guitar tribute thrown in. An attendee near me said, “man he is a good guitar player,” I have to say that I agree.
Towards the end of their set, the beginning riff of “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” by Guns N’ Roses, started ringing through the speakers and nearly everyone young and old turned towards the stage. I instantly thought that they were crazy for attempting Axl Rose’s vocals on the anthem, which was the third single off of their 1987 debut studio album “Appetite for Destruction.”
However, they killed it. As the song went along and Gosnell was hitting the tough notes, all I could think about was the end and was he going to hit those high notes, but he did. The crowd went crazy.
Of course, with a name like TNT, what would a show be without some ACDC. Taking on the job of paying tribute to two arguably difficult rock vocalists like Brian Johnson and Rose takes some guts and some vocal skills. I’d say Gosnell has both along with a healthy dose of drive to push forward in an industry that is not easy to navigate.
The craziest fact about the vocalist, that even though I knew, I forgot, because it is that shocking once you hear them perform, is that Gosnell is only 22-years-old. Even the people attending wouldn’t believe me when I said it. That is not because he looks old, rather he almost combats his age by wearing long hair pulled back, a bandana and sunglasses, so it is hard to tell. It is unbelievable because not only is it a bit rare for someone that age to even be that well-versed in classic rock, but also to be that skilled on guitar.
Add in the fact that he is mature enough to already have turned his band into a business and constantly networking with people in the industry and I’d say he is going places.
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
WEEKEND SHOWS: Colgate Country Showdown contestants say they are ready to perform
Jun 18th
97.9 KICK-FM is putting on the Colgate Country Showdown, a music talent search, that is taking place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Madison Park.
10 contestants will compete to win the local title and the chance to advance to the regional contest. Area band Madd Hoss Jackson will be performing and backing up the performers.
I had the chance to ask a couple contestants about their performances, their answers are below:
JoEllen Smith of Camp Point, Ill.
“I am very excited to be doing this showdown and hope to give everybody a good show. I used to get on my neighbors coffee table and on my mom and dad’s horse trailor and perform for everybody. I have sang at church, weddings and talent shows. I am singing ‘Pour Me’ by Trick Pony and ‘Crazy’ by Patsy Cline. I love old and new songs and my influences are Patsy Cline, Reba, Martina McBride and Lady Antebellum. I have always sang nothing but country music.”
Kori Caswell of Hannibal, Mo.
“I tend to sing country with a blues or folk edge to my voice. I have been influenced by the musical styles of Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald and Alison Krause. I plan to sing my version of a Dolly Parton song and an original song I wrote when I was 14. It is about middle school silliness. The lyrics are kind of young, but it’s hard to find songs that aren’t too old or too young for me. I need to be writing more. I have performed a lot, but not in this type of venue and I am excited because I enjoy being in front of a crowd. I am who I am and I feel I have a youthfullness, but I can perform with soul.”
Colgate Country Showdown
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Madison Park, Quincy
HOW MUCH: Free.
INFO: www.countryshowdown.com
FOOD: Hannibal Meat Market & Catering Co. and Pepsi products items will be available for purchase. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
CONTESTANTS
Amanda Peele of East Hampton, N.Y.
Chris Campbell of Chicago
Troy Johnson of Camp Point
Mathew Findlay of Hannibal
Brooke Rochelle of Downing, Mo.
Kori Kaswell of Hannibal
Brittany Morrison of Mendon
Taylor Wagner of Mattoon, Ill.
Sara Helmick of Silvis, Ill.
JoEllen Smith of Camp Point
MORE WEEKEND SHOWS
Nugget, The Texas Funerals and Fielder
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday
WHERE: The State Room, Quincy
Vampire Beach Costume Party with Hausgeist (house/techno)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Kix Club, Quincy
HOW MUCH: No cover
INFO: Prizes will be awarded for best bikini and best vampire costume at midnight.
SevenD2 (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Sportsmans, Mount Sterling, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/sevend2
The Balance (classic rock)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Dock, Quincy
INFO: www.thebalancerocks.com
Raised On Radio (blues/classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Captain Kirk’s Marina, Fort Madison, Iowa
NOWAKE (rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: River City Billiards, 603 Broadway, Hannibal, Mo.
Battle for Pointfest featuring Days Taken
WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Pop’s Nightclub, 1403 Mississippi Ave., Sauget, Ill.
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
Q&A with TNT: Southeast Iowa band gets to be 'rockstars for a day'
Jun 16th
Southeast Iowa rock band TNT is set to open for Buckcherry and Quincy favorite Royal Bliss Saturday night in Burlington, Iowa, at Steamboat Days.
Through a series of random events, the group has been chosen to open the rock night of the popular festival for the past three years. Info on the band and the full interview are below.
MEMBERS
Nathan Gosnell on guitar, drums, bass and vocals
Nudie Binder on drums, guitar and vocals
Brad Snowden on bass, vocals and drums
The group switches instruments throughout the show.
Gosnell answers questions on the band, music and performing at Steamboat Days:
THE BEGINNING
“The first incarnation of TNT was when I was 10-years-old jamming in a small guest house with two other kids. Those kids moved away and I went on to play with several different groups. I re-lit the TNT fuse in 2004 with two of my high school classmates. We got our first gig playing during halftime of the high school basketball games at Central Lee High School in Donnellson, Iowa. Since then I’ve turned the band into a business, TNT Rock and Roll LLC, and performed with many very talented musicians and played over 400 shows covering a seven-state radius.”
THE MUSIC
“We play rock and roll music covering a lot of top 40 hits from the 60s all the way up to today, with a lot of AC/DC. We also have several original songs that we mix into our set list. I have a solo CD titled Nathan Gosnell “One Man Band.” Those songs are performed live by TNT as well as songs written by my drummer Nudie Binder.”
STEAMBOAT DAYS GIG
“I was performing for my old drummer’s sister’s wedding reception and I met the mayor of Fort Madison, Iowa. We began talking about Burlington, Iowa, Steamboat Days and how badly I wanted that show. He gave me the phone number to a local talent agent in Burlington. They saw the potential in the band and helped me on a number of levels including getting my band into Burlington Steamboat Days. We opened for KC and the Sunshine Band at our first Steamboat Days performance in 2008 and in 2009 we opened for Three Doors Down. This year we perform from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.”
STEAMBOAT DAYS FAME
“I’m looking forward to the one day of fame that Steamboat Days brings, we get our own fancy dressing rooms with deli trays and it feels cool to be a rock star for a day. Of course, the performance there is the biggest adrenalin rush you could ever imagine and when we hit that last note and walk off the stage, I will have a smile from ear to ear for a week. That is the feeling that I live for.”
FUTURE PLANS
“One thing I have learned from experience and people that are very successful musicians is that you have to quit thinking about the future. I’ve learned not to focus on ‘making it’ or ‘hitting the big time’ but to just get out there and rock. Then when opportunity strikes, take it. Whatever I can do to better the future I will, but rock and roll doesn’t provide a very stable future so worrying about where I am in 10 years will have me dead from stress in 10 years. As for this summer, we have lots of shows booked and a full schedule.”
RECORDINGS
“A TNT album could be in our future very shortly.”
SOUTHEAST IOWA MUSIC SCENE
“The music scene in southeast Iowa is not too bad, but it is definitely suffering due to the bad economy, out of control law enforcement and city ordinances. We are continually spreading our wings to different areas. But always come back to our home.”
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
Blues takes over weekend entertainment
Jun 10th
There is quite a bit going on this weekend, starting with Blues in the District kicking off its season Friday in Washington Park with Sharrie Williams. Also on Friday, Evan Mitchell the One Man Band will be at the Kix Club.
The Samantha Fish Blues Band
Also at the Kix Club on Saturday, Samantha Fish and her blues band are touring through town from Kansas City. She is only 21 and considered somewhat of a prodigy, by not only singing the blues but playing blues on her custom-made guitar.
Support local music and go to a show!
WEEKEND SHOWS
Blues in the District with Sharrie Williams
WHEN: 5 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Washington Park, Quincy
HOW MUCH: Free
Evan Mitchell One Man Band (trash rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Kix Club, Quincy
HOW MUCH: $3
INFO: www.myspace.com/evanmitchellonemanband
Hearsay (classic rock)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
WHERE: TNA Bar and Grill, West Quincy, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/hearsayband2009
The Samantha Fish Blues Band
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Kix Club, Quincy
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/samanthafishblues
The Balance (classic rock)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Shady Katz, Warsaw, Ill.
INFO: www.thebalancerocks.com
SevenD2 (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: RT and Honeys, Augusta, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/sevend2
Henry Berger and Ando Ehlers
WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday
WHERE: Kix Club, Quincy
HOW MUCH: No cover
INFO: www.andoandthejollybarrels.com
Mechanical Bull Rides
WHEN: 8 p.m. June 16
WHERE: The Grove Inn, 6510 Broadway
jmartin@whig.com
This weekend is all about the multiple band shows
Jun 3rd
There are a number of things to do this weekend from a battle of the bands to a fundraiser to “Save Our Teachers.”
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Bands are needed to compete in a battle of the bands contest Saturday at the Great Gobble festival in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The performances start at 11 a.m. and the top three bands will compete again in the evening. The winning band will receive a trophy and $300. For more information or to participate, e-mail loetken@mountpleasantiowa.org.
SAVE THE TEACHERS
QHS senior Kala Griffin has organized the fundraiser “Save Our Teachers Riverfront Festival: A Festival of Hope” at 3 p.m. Saturday at Clat Adams Park. The event will feature several area bands, a car show, raffles and more.
Richard James and the Special Riders
Music Under the Stars with Pike Station featuring Barbara Carr (blues)
WHEN: Tonight
WHERE: Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, 120 N. Main, Hannibal, Mo.
Hearsay (classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Sportsman’s Bar, Hannibal, Mo.
INFO:
www.myspace.com/hearsayband2009
Richard James and the Special Riders, Pete Magliocco and Keith Franx (punk/rock)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Kix Club, 509 S. Ninth, Quincy
HOW MUCH: $3
REVIEW: “This is not a band of kids looking up to their American Hardcore predecessors. Quite frankly, they’re not angry enough. These are seasoned musicians paving their own way. They give a respectful nod to punk rock and dismiss mainstream in true punk fashion.”
Musicians’ Memorial Concert (fundraiser)
BANDS: Love Junkie, Laughing Soul, TNT, The Jeff Page Band, Wild Wild West, Brotherhood of the Mudkat, Full Throttle, Rick Schmidt, Bombshell, Country Time Band, Ryan Dixon, Double J’s, Nalani Proctor, Thoz Guyz, Shade, Riff Raff/Fatty, Lumpkin, Dungeon Jeep and Tropical Punks
WHEN: Noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Victory Park, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $8 for one day, $12 for Saturday and Sunday in advance; $10 for one day, $14 for Saturday and Sunday at the gate.
INFO: www.myspace.com/musiciansmemorial
TNT (classic rock)
WHEN: 5 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Ike’s Riverfront, Dallas City, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/tntclassicrock
Chophouse Hijack (DJ)
WHEN: 7-10 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Fitz’s on Fourth, Quincy
Jessica Martin
jmartin@whig.com
