Turner is the kind of performer who makes audience participation feel inevitable rather than engineered. He set the thing in motion and let the crowd find its own level. Nobody sang alone.
For a massive 3-day rock event of this size, there was a lot more going on than what you saw on those three stages.
When you see an artist perform live, they often throw in only one or two heartfelt tunes. They opt for the crowd-pleasers and more upbeat selections. Fortunately with Dawes, their music is all three.
You don’t have to believe in magic to appreciate Ellie’s 90 minute, 21-song performance, but everyone in attendance left a bigger fan than when they arrived. Which is saying a lot.
Bebe has been working on her vocals since she was 4 years old. She’s had success writing for Eminem (“Monster”), Gomez (“Like a Champion”), and recording with Cash Cash (“Take Me Home”) and David Guetta (“Yesterday” & “Hey Mama” also featuring Nicki Minaj). The success of those songs has lead to the start of her own solo career.
Most of the time, if something rocks, it just rocks. There are different genres and flavours, and sounds (Try telling that to Gene Simons or Ice Cube). At Columbus’ A&R Bar, Slaves and Wolf Alice proved to be the perfect combination to cover all bases for all rockers.
Dr. Dog has been touring long enough to know what a room needs. At the Newport Music Hall on March 29, 2016, what the room needed was light — and they delivered it.
Photographing Angela Perley, Chris Connor, and Billy Zehnal 3 times in the last 2 years has created a sense of community and friendship with the artists and the fans. Before even arriving, Angela heard I was going to attend her show, and surprised me by added me to the guest list. The fans recognized me, and doled out the compliments.
I was invited to a special holiday CD release party for Angela Perley & the Howling' Moons on December 8th. I had to see Star Wars late the night before to make this happen. It was a good decision. The entire show was great.
Kenny Stiegele doesn't ease into a set — he runs at it. And Royal Blood, a month out from their debut album, played like they had something to prove in a small room and knew exactly how to prove it.
