AS IT IS: ON TOUR

January 22, 2019

BY TÉA VAN ACKEN

Unafraid and on the rise, the British pop punk band As It Is ventures on a North America tour this month, in support of their third studio album, The Great Depression. The tour kicked off January 17th in Los Angeles, and comes to an end February 22nd in Anaheim, California. The triumph of an album has been streamed over 13 million times on Spotify, and upholds the theme of the toxic romanticization of depression. Within the album, band members Patty Walters, Patrick Foley, Benjamin Langford-Bliss, Alistair Testo, and Ronnie Ish paint pictures of a brave subject in the form of poetic neo-emo melodies. If you are in search of a grunge, alternative, catchy band to check out, make sure to see As It Is on tour. You can find tickets on the band’s official site here.

Jan. 24 / Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street

Jan. 25 / San Antonio, TX @ Jack’s Patio Bar

Jan. 27 / Houston, TX @ The Secret Group

Jan. 29 / Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar

Jan. 31 / Nashville, TN @ The End

Feb. 1 / Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell)

Feb. 2 / Tampa, FL @ Crowbar

Feb. 5 / Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

Feb. 6 / Richmond, VA @ Canal Club

Feb. 7 / Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge

Feb. 9 / Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents

Feb. 10 / Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs

Feb. 11 / Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground

Feb. 13 / Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache At Intersection

Feb. 14 / Columbus, OH @ Woodland’s Tavern

Feb. 15 / Chicago, IL @ Subterranean

Feb. 16 / St. Louis MI @ Fubar

Feb. 17 / Kansas City, MO @ Encore At The Uptown

Feb. 19 / Denver, CO @ Hi Dive

Feb. 20 / Salt Lake City, UT @ Loading Dock

Feb. 21 / Las Vegas, NV @ Vinyl

Feb. 22 / Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction

SONIC TEMPLE FESTIVAL: PREVIEW

December 21, 2018

BY KIRSTEN KURTZ

If you’re looking for a festival where you can see all of the biggest bands like Foo Fighters, System of a Down, Disturbed, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and more all in one place, the Sonic Temple Festival in Columbus, Ohio is the place for you. With a wide variety of bands covering any genre of music you can think of along with comedy acts at their very own comedy & spoken word tent, there isn’t a single thing you could miss out on. You can count on a variety of foods and drinks as well, with food trucks ranging from many local hot spots to the very popular Island Noodles. The Sonic Temple Festival runs from May 17th to May 19th at the Mapfre Stadium right in Columbus, Ohio.

Don’t miss out! Tickets are selling fast.

Find the full lineup here: https://sonictemplefestival.com/

And purchase your tickets for all three days here: https://sonictemplefestival.com/tickets/

For more information on food and drinks, and the many options they have, go here: https://sonictemplefestival.com/food/ but be sure to check back often as they are announcing even more food options!

WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE FESTIVAL: PREVIEW

December 18, 2018

BY SETH KICKLIGHTER

Continuing in Jacksonville, the biggest and loudest rock centered festival is coming back to Metropolitan Park on May 3rd through the 5th. Hosted by Danny Wimmer Presents, Welcome to Rockville is on its 9th consecutive year as a festival, and the people running it are working hard to bring the best available food vendors and the hardest rocking bands in a variety of sub-genres. Anyone who loves rock should have no issue finding at least a handful of bands they’d want to go see between the 3 days of nonstop live performances on 3 awesome stages kicking off at 11:00 am each day.

The bands are obviously the most important factor for any festival goers. Last year was impressive with headliners such as Foo Fighters, Ozzy Osbourne, and Queens of the Stone Age. This year might be topping it with headliners Korn, Tool, Rob Zombie, Incubus, and over 50 more live bands. Definitely check out the full lineup and buy tickets on their website: https://welcometorockvillefestival.com/

If food and beverage options is something you’re concerned about and you’re expecting to live off grilled cheese or hot dogs for three days, you should know Rockville has consistently teamed up with some of the best local food vendors with a variety of gourmet meals available as well as plenty of vegan and gluten free options.

If you haven’t been before and you think festivals of this size tend to be out of your budget, you should know general admission tickets start at $79.50 for single day passes, and $129.50 plus fees for 3-day passes. Considering the high-profile lineup and general production of the fest, it’s hard to top those prices. If you’re pretty set on wanting to go but you’re from out of town, you could always try to reserve spots in a nearby hotel. But If you want to get the full festival experience, there are limited RV and camping spaces available which can be bought at this link: https://welcometorockvillefestival.com/camping/

Any more information you need can be found on their website linked above and has a thorough FAQ section for more specific info.

'BLACKOUT CONTROL' / SPENDTIME PALACE: SINGLE REVIEW

December 12, 2018

BY EMMA SCHOORS

Five-piece Spendtime Palace’s latest single, “Blackout Control”, is the perfect song for anyone wanting a winter jam.

The band’s signature sounds are evident, but new aspects are incorporated, especially effortlessly great vocals. They’re the equivalent of if The Voidz made Julian Casablancas stop editing his voice to sound like a robot with an LSD problem.

The track also includes various guitar melodies, ranging from smooth leads to equally pertinent rhythms. The textures found in these guitars are part of what make Spendtime Palace so remarkable; experimental yet true to the unique sound they’ve rallied up. The different parts of the song almost sound like different tunes put together, and that’s true of the best songs within the genres explored by the band.

If you’re into songs that generate a need to dance, Spendtime Palace has got you covered. Click below for a link to the song!

FIND SPENDTIME PALACE ONLINE

WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

'OPERATE' / VESPERTEEN: SINGLE REVIEW

December 7, 2018

BY EMMA SCHOORS

Alt-pop act Vespterteen’s latest single, released on December 7th, “Operate”, is a fan-fueled jam; the first release in a series entitled “V.E.G.A”. The song is the first effort since Vesperteen’s sophomore EP “The Hype is Dead”.

Teased with a tweet regarding the contents of the track, fans were able to hear their own voice among singer Colin Rigsby’s, making for a communal experience for listeners. This immersive feeling translates into the sound of the song as well. Acoustic guitars are effortlessly blended with electronic aspects to create a well-balanced blend of genres.

Produced by Rigsby and MARO, this Vesperteen tune is complimented by signature vocals and new components, something that sets apart the sound, but leaves room for the track to be recognizable.

“Operate” is an effort that erases the line between band and audience, which is something that’s refreshing and makes fans feel right at home when they listen. Often times music lovers feel like they’ve had a part in making their favorite music just by connecting to it; this track proves that by actually involving the people who connect to your art, you make for a better overall product and experience.

Operate, an album by Vesperteen on Spotify

FIND VESPERTEEN ONLINE

WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK