Tag: Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheatre

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews Women in Entertainment

Get it or forget it – Royal Hunt, Amy Stroup, The Spanish Flies, Dennis Herrera, Locult

Finally got a little sleep after spending nearly 30 hours working the Leon Bridges and Luke Bryan concerts back-to-back.  What a wonderful season at Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheatre.  Special thanks to all the folks at Knitting Factory Presents for booking the shows.  Reviews will be coming soon.  In the meantime, here are five more artists for you to check out.

Artist Name:  Royal Hunt

Album Name:  Land of Broken Hearts:  Special Edition 2018

Label:  Marquee Avalon, Frontiers Records

Genre:  Classic Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Running Wild; 2.  Easy Rider; 3.  Flight; 4.  Age Gone Wild; 5.  Martial Arts (instrumental); 6.  One by One; 7.  Heart of the City; 8.  Land of Broken Hearts; 9.  Freeway Jam (instrumental); 10.  Kingdom Dark; 11.  Stranded; 12.  Day in Day Out; 13.  Land of Broken Hearts (acoustic); 14.  Age Gone Wild (acoustic); 15.  Bad Luck; 16.  What Goes Around Comes Around

Publicist:  Northpoint Productions

Review:  They have been called “Denmark’s greatest secret,” but we just call them amazing Classic Rock.  Royal Hunt has created 14 albums to date, and this release of one of their bests is a special treat.  It brings back memories of those wonderful hair bands of the 80s, while still retaining the freshness of new music, with screaming guitar riffs, perfect rock vocals, and lyrics that actually mean something.  This one hits the ground running with “Running Wild,” and never stops, packing in 16 amazing songs that are sure to be a hit with every rock music lover.  These songs would make a great soundtrack for your next party, and should be a part of every music supervisor’s catalog, as they are perfect for placement in commercials, television and film.

Recommendation:  Don’t let me stop you – Get this one now!

Artist Name:  Amy Stroup

Album Name:  Helen of Memphis

Label:  Milkglass

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Far Side of the Sea; 2.  Magic; 3.  Made; 4.  Stare; 5.  Wild Nights; 6.  Lost Ones; 7.  Hero; 8.  Go That Far; 9.  Thrill of it; 10.  Fearless; 11.  Magic (Verlou remix); 12.  Stare (Verlou remix)

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  We featured her single “Wild Nights” in our Monday Mashup column, and are so happy to be able to review the rest of her album Helen of Memphis.  Amy Stroup has a sweet indie pop/rock sound with elements of folk and a voice that is reminiscent of Kim Carnes.  Her music is definitely radio friendly, and we think she would be an excellent choice for heavy rotation on AAA radio.  Besides her amazing single “Wild Nights,” we also love “Far Side of the Sea,” “Magic” (both versions), “Stare” (both versions), “Lost Ones,” “Go That Far,” and “Fearless.”

Recommendation:  You simply must Get this one – it is amazing!

Artist Name:  The Spanish Flies

Album Name:  Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Psychedelic Power Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Get Going; 2.  Psycho Trip; 3.  Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Originally from Peru, The Spanish Flies now call Edmonton, Canada home, and bring this diverse culture to their music.  Their accents almost have a reggae vibe, adding a special feel to the 60s style “Austin Powers” sound.  Our only regret is that there are only three songs to enjoy on this power-packed EP, and they’re all great.

Recommendation:  Definitely give this one a spin.

Artist Name:  Dennis Herrera

Album Name:  You Stole my Heart

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  You Stole my Heart; 2.  Takes Money; 3.  Fore; 4.  With no Refrain; 5.  Lock Out; 6.  Recovery; 7.  You can Name It; 8.  Backed Up; 9.  My Past Time; 10.  Run with the Losers; 11.  Bittersweet

Publicist:  Frank Roszak Promotions

Review:  With a delicious mix of Chicago and Texas blues, Dennis Herrera brings us one of the best blues albums since The Blues Brothers first hit the scene.  You can feel the Texas swing in the guitar and the Chicago horns made these cuts so tasty, especially on the title track.  This one will take you on a wonderful blues journey that will leave you wanting more.  There is not a weak track on the album, so enjoy it on repeat.

Recommendation:  If you love the blues, then you simply must add this one to your collection.  Get it today!

Artist Name:  Locult

Album Name:  Late Night Pharmacies

Label:  Pretty Young Thing/Pocket Records

Genre:  Alt Rock Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Reisefeber; 2.  Medicine; 3.  Warszawa; 4.  Reykjavik (ft Karoline Sleide Petersen); 5.  Sky Diver; 6.  Kablys Nights; 7.  Night Time; 8.  I Have Tried; 9.  The Cold Water

Publicist:  PrettyYoungThing

Review:  Locult comes to us from Norway, delivering amazingly mellow instrumental music with a distinctly Nordic sound.  There is a stand-out vocal on the track “Reykjavik” that features the stunning voice of Karoline Sleide Petersen.  Other than that, this dynamic duo has created the music supervisor’s dream soundtrack – tunes that can be used for so many placement opportunities for commercials, television and film.  In addition, some tracks would work great for relaxation and chill times, while others will get you  pumped up.  This one is a great soundtrack for daily living.

Recommendation:  This is a no-brainer.  Get this one for your collection and chill.

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews Women in Entertainment

New Years Day, In This Moment, Halestorm at Big Sky Brewing Company – live performance review

Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of hard core or  metal music.  I can listen to it for its musicianship, but the thought of actually attending a concert was foreign.  That all changed recently when I had to work security for a concert featuring three hard rock/metal bands – New Years Day, In This Moment and Halestorm.

Halestorm did their meet and greet before the gates opened, and lead singer Lzzy Hale and her brother RJ, who plays drums in the band, immediately introduced themselves to me.  After they had finished the meet and greet, we chatted about some mutual friends in the Rival Sons, who had opened for them when the band played the Wilma a few years back.  I also met Jessica, the manager for New Years Day, and we talked about the LA music scene, where the band is from.

For the most part, the crowd was young and well-behaved.  For many of them, this is the closest they come to a religious experience, and after experiencing the energy and magic myself, I can understand why they are such die-hard fans.  As a huge fan myself of female-fronted bands, it was an honor to see three such bands at this show.

New Years Day started the evening off with a riveting 30 minute set featuring those sterling vocals of Ash Costello, and driving guitar of Nikki Misery.  Everyone in the band was simply amazing, and they worked the crowd to a frenzy in preparation for the remainder of the show.  The band’s chemistry was palpable, and Costello was a master at crowd engagement.  Her stage presence was monumental, and she had her fans in the palm of her hand.

The next band to take the stage was In This Moment, fronted by lead vocalist Maria Brinks.  This portion of the show was so much more than just a concert, it was an event.  Brinks is a female version of Alice Cooper, and she and her band put on a theatrical spectacle, including having a pair of dancers that perform alongside Brinks.

This was also the portion of the concert that seemed like a church service, with Brinks serving as the pastor and the entire audience as her congregation.  They were fully into the spectacle, and stayed engaged throughout the 75 minute show.  My favorite moment was the band’s cover of Phil Collins‘ “In the Air Tonight,” and I’ll never look at that song the same again.

What also made this portion of the evening fun was hanging out with JR from Halestorm and guitarist Nikki, his drummer and their tech guy from New Years Day, who stood with me to watch most of In This Moment‘s show.  There were amazingly humble and kind individuals despite their star status, and I was impressed by all four of them.

Finally, it was time for the headliner, and the crowd was up for the pinnacle of the evening.  For only a four-part band, Halestorm puts out a lot of music.  Unlike Costello and Brinks, lead singer Lzzy Hale is also a badass guitarist, and showed her skills throughout their set.

Hale has that Joan Jett look, and plays like she’s a Runaway herself.  Her brother RJ is one hell of a drummer, and performed an impressive drum solo during the show.  The band played a lot of songs from their new album Vicious, including the stirring title track which closed their show.

All in all, it was an incredible night, and left me with a new respect for hard rock and metal music and their fans.  After the show, both In This Moment and New Years Day held their meet and greets.  I covered the latter, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know their fans and talking further with members of the band.  I look forward to the next time these bands come to Missoula.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

Travelers’ Rest Festival – day 1 review (part 1)

One of my several jobs is working for a company called CMS to provide security for concerts.  As such, it was my privilege to work the entire Travelers’ Rest Festival, held for the second year at the Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheatre in Missoula, Montana, and produced by the incredible team at Knitting Factory Entertainment.  The entire team was a joy to work with, especially my old friend, Mandi Zilner, the Marketing Director.

At the time the Festival began, I was only familiar with a couple of the 17 bands playing, but by the end of the weekend, I had gained some new musical loves, and reconnected to a voice from my childhood.

I got the perfect assignment, covering catering and the backstage gate, which was also located next to the Ponderosa Stage, giving me a bird’s eye view.  There were nine performances each day, four on the Ponderosa Stage and five on the Main Stage.  Once the music began at 3:30 p.m. each day, it never stopped until around 9 p.m., when there was a break while the crew prepared the Main Stage for the headliner, The Decemberists, who also curated the Festival and selected all the participating bands.

The first band to take the Ponderosa Stage was local Missoula band Rotgut Whines.  They turned in an impressive 30 minute set which got the Festival off to a great start.  This duo has an impressive pop rock sound that got the audience grooving and ready for the rest of the bands to come.  Although the band normally plays a few cover songs in their local shows, this set was all originals, and the crowd seemed very appreciative of the band.

The action then turned to the Main State, where Richmond, Virginia based artist Lucy Dacus was the first artist to play.  Dacus is signed to Matador Records, and from her performance it is easy to understand why she is considered one of Richmond’s treasures.  She is a brilliant guitar player, and her sound is reminiscent of artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Ali Handal and Cindy Alexander.  She played songs from her latest album, Historian, and has been touring North America in support of the album.  She turned in an impressive 45-minute set that stimulated the crowd, and added fuel to the fire that was started with Rotgun Whines‘ set.

Everything changed when Portland-based band Lenore took the Ponderosa Stage.  The standing room only crowd swelled until they could no longer fit underneath the stage’s shaded section, and still they came.   Composed of native Montanan Joy Pearson and Portland’s Rebecca Marie Miller on lead vocals, Edward Cameron on guitar and Jessie Dettwiler on cello, this band has a sound that works its way into your heart and your head and never leaves.  The harmonies are heavenly and exquisite, as is the combination of guitar and cello that forms the musical accompaniment.  Their 30 minute set went by way too fast, and the audience didn’t want to let them go.

The band also turned out to be super nice humans, as we spent a lot of time talking as they came and went backstage.  It was an honor to spend time with them, and they became my favorite discovery of the weekend.

The music returned to the Main Stage for one of the few acts I was familiar with before the Festival began.  I was fortunate enough to meet Sara Watkins back in 1999-2000 at Fan Fair in Nashville when she and her band Nickel Creek were just getting started, and attended several of their shows over the years, including the 25th Anniversary Show at The Wilma in 2014.  She has joined forces with two other bluegrass phenoms, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan to form I’m With Her, and this super-group is one of the best in the world.  They released their debut album this past February on Rounder Records.  Their 45-minute set was amazing, as their voices joined together as one instrument, meshed with their individual virtuosity on a multitude of stringed instruments, including fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar.  The perform in the traditional bluegrass way, gathered round a single microphone, which also adds to their unique harmony.

I also got to spend a lot of time with Sarah J and Aoife backstage, and met Aoife’s famly and Sara W’s nanny.  They were as nice off stage as they are incredible on it.

Returning to the Ponderosa Stage, the next performer was Matt the Electrician from Austin, Texas.  Matt is a folk rock singer-songwriter, with a similar style to artists like The White Buffalo and Joe Purdy.  He performed alone with his wife providing backing vocals.  Although a solo artist, he still filled the stage with his powerful stage presence and gave the packed structure a show they would not soon forget.  He is an artist that I am sure will soon become a household name, as his music is head and shoulders above many of his peers.  He is another artist I’m so glad I met because I truly loved his sound and his well-crafted songs.  I look forward to the chance to hear him again soon.  His most recent album, The Doubles, is available here.

I’ll be back later today with part 2 of our review of the first day of Travelers’ Rest.