SHOW REVIEW
“We Are Young” hit makers Fun. (which includes previous members of The Format) brought their energetic tour to Terminal 5 on Saturday, June 16 and it’s safe to say everyone in New York City heard the show. Or at least the crowd.
Fans of The Format are no stranger to lead singer Nate Ruess’ powerful voice, which transcended through arguably the nosiest crowd Terminal 5 has experienced. It’s apparent Nate was born for the stage, as he jumped and pranced his way around other Fun. members and floating balloons.
Renee Yohe (known for her role with nationally recognized non-profit 'To Write Love on Her Arms') brought her musical endeavor BEARCAT to Webster Hall studio on Friday, May 25 and led the audience through an adventure of solid pop driven tracks (all from her upcoming BEARCAT EP) flawlessly.
The Florida native has been getting a slew of positive press lately and for good reason: Renee can put on a show. Vocals on point, audience engaged; everything an artist can only hope to have when they're just starting out. Opening with her anthem for independence, "I Am Me," Renee had the crowd pumped until the very end with hopeful semi-ballad "The Nothing." It should be noted here that Renee is also one of the few acts who sound just as amazing - if not better - live. That's a pretty big opinion of someone who's just starting out. The show was brought to an end with a cover of Gorillaz "Clint Eastwood," easily one of the best covers done by an artist - the fiery redhead cranked out this tune better than Gorillaz themselves. If it weren't for a word count, this review could really had just said "every new artist needs to do whatever it is BEARCAT is doing." Fans agreed, although a bit less elegantly. At one point during the set, a man turned to his friend and exclaimed, "I feel like I just died and went to musical heaven. Who is she?" That articulate man was in the minority, however. When concertgoers first checked in, they were asked which band they were there to see. It was no surprise that BEARCAT had actually won the tally by far. And it's not far fetched to say she's going to keep winning. Some photos from the show: Photos courtesy of John Sanvidge
Punk veterans, The Used, took their Vulnerable tour to Irving Plaza on Monday night, becoming the new definition of the word "energy."
Lead singer Bert McCracken was the poster child for Adderall; running around stage, spontaneously jumping up and down, waving his arms and still managing to sound on point. Even if someone wasn't in one of the several mosh pits that broke out, they were undoubtedly exhausted from just simply watching him. The energy in the room could have beat out an entire day at Warped Tour. The Used perfectly played their way through an almost two hour set jammed with older tracks and newer ones; proving they know how to keep those original fans happy. The band didn't skip a beat with any of the tracks, playing at least four songs from each album and ending with "Box Full of Sharp Objects." It should also be said that bands need a lot of fan staying power to be around as long as The Used have and it's clear they're aware of that. Fan appreciation matched the live energy, with Bert pausing the set to bring one lucky fan up for "Blue and Yellow." Unfortunately, security had other plans. It's safe to say that fan was probably okay with just the kiss on the lips Bert gave him. The Used have been at this for over 10 years, and it's safe to say they've got enough in them to go for at least 20 more. Photos courtesy of Dani Renee, Buzznet
Canadian electro-pop musician, Lights continued her slew of tours, making a pit stop at Irving Plaza April 20. However, any concertgoer that hadn’t checked her tour dates before hand would have assumed this was her kick-off show. You will be hard pressed to find a musician with this much energy and charisma onstage.
Opening the show with her new single “Banner,” Lights bounced onstage ready to go – and remained that way the entire hour and a half. With a good mix of songs from her latest endeavor “Siberia” and debut album “The Listening,” Lights covered all the fan favorites and kept the crowd ringing in the applause and chanting.
The Cab and friends The Summer Set are at it again, co-headlining the “Everything’s Fine, Symphony Soldier” tour together. The pop-punk packed tour came through New York City on Wednesday, February 8th at Gramercy Theatre, and if you listen closely enough, you may still be able to hear the screaming fans.
With so many talented acts it was hard to figure out just who exactly was headlining. Openers Paradise Fears, Days Difference and He is We each collectively brought their own force of energy to the stage with the applause and cheers getting louder with every band. Each opener had their own opening music and grand entrance, with Paradise Fears ending by covering Taking Back Sunday’s “Cute without the ‘E’” and mixing it with Gym Class Heroes’ “Stereo Hearts” – a mash up that complimented both songs to the point where it’s a wonder no one had noticed to mix these two songs before.
States (Mindy White of Lydia, ex-members of Copeland) took the stage at CMJ for Big Picture Media’s showcase and completely stood out amongst the several bands playing that night; and it wasn’t just lead singer Mindy White’s red sparkling pants that caused it.
Opening with their newly-shipped single “Time Bomb,” States played an array of new songs from their first LP “Room to Run” and even threw in some notable tracks off their “Line ‘Em Up” EP (“Time to Begin”). If that wasn't entertainment enough, States launched into a soulful rendition of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" that sounded even better than the original and was the biggest crowd pleaser of the night.
The colorful lighting and upbeat pop songs were just a platform for States to entertain the crowd with their personalities and anecdotes. The performance was smooth and energetic; the members of States never missed a beat.
Midway through their set, Mindy paused to ask the crowd “How many people here have heard of us? It’s okay if you haven’t, just sing-along, I won’t know the difference.”
A few hands raised at the acknowledgment of States, but after this showcase it’s safe to say Mindy will be seeing more hands at future shows.
Photo courtesy of CMJ.com
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