phoebe bridgers, night 1 @ music hall of williamsburg

phoebe bridgers, night 1 @ music hall of williamsburg

by | Mar 6, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual

When Phoebe Bridgers announced a tour date at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg, it sold out. So she added another. And that sold out, too.

At just 23 years old, Bridgers released her first record, Stranger in the Alps, in September of 2017 to critical acclaim. Musicians such as Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, and Julien Baker have sung her praises; Adams produced Bridgers’ EP, Killer, which preceded Stranger. Oberst has brought her out on tour with him, as has Baker. Oberst also sings on “Would You Rather,” a track on Stranger that Bridgers wrote about her brother.

Despite such preeminent musical relationships and accolades, Bridgers stands on her own. Her soft, expressive voice can hush a crowded room. Her lyrics, revealing an introspection well beyond her years, can bring listeners to tears. There’s an innate intimacy to Bridgers’ work, a seemingly effortless evocation of raw human emotion. She has an inexplicable ability to connect with others in a way that most artists don’t, one that seamlessly translated from Stranger into her live performance.

The stage was dimly lit save for a string of yellow lights wrapped around Bridgers’ mic stand, often giving her face the appearance of a soft glow, a sharp contrast to the dark of the room. As she began her set with “Smoke Signals,” the audience burst into thunderous applause, welcoming her to Brooklyn before immediately quieting, a note they would hold for the rest of the evening.

The show was momentous: during “Would You Rather,” surprise guest Conor Oberst delighted the crowd by joining Bridgers. It was also drummer Marshall Vore’s birthday, and he was given a cupcake with a single lit candle and a joint chorus of “Happy Birthday.” The end of the night, however, was undoubtedly the best: at the end of “Motion Sickness,” Bridgers’ most musically upbeat song, massive black balloons filled with confetti were thrown into the audience to cheers. The penultimate song prior to the encore, “Scott Street,” immediately followed, and Bridgers was joined once again by Oberst, as well as openers Soccer Mommy.

In-between sharing a mic with Bridgers, Oberst set himself to work lobbing balloons off the stage and into the expectant crowd, who eagerly batted them around. As the balloons often managed to make their way back to the stage, Oberst continued to promptly pick them up and hurl them back, playing a reciprocal game of catch-and-release that went on throughout the majority of the song.

After everyone exited the stage, Bridgers and Vore then sang “You Missed My Heart,” by Mark Kozelek, a heartrending cover that appears on Stranger. Bridgers sank onto the floor of the stage holding a microphone as her vocals and Vore’s harmonies soared in their own still way. All the chaos and noise of the prior song was suddenly forgotten and the audience found themselves suddenly muted and rapt.

For the encore, Bridgers covered Sheryl Crow’s “If It Makes You Happy” as the entire audience sang along. Making their reappearance was Oberst and Soccer Mommy, providing a triumphant end to an incredible night.

a revolutionary moment with matt ward of violent revolution

a revolutionary moment with matt ward of violent revolution

by | Jan 29, 2018 | 5 to 7

I had the opportunity to chat with Matt from Violent Revolution, a metal band based out of Phoenix, Arizona. While I am a little biased having liked a band he was in locally around 2001, I find it more inspiring to be able to pick the brain of a musician I respect. Matt is well known in this area. A scene veteran if you will. With Violent Revolution he has teamed up with some other tight players and together they have unleashed a brand of metal that not only has listeners asking “how did they do that” but keeps the mosh pit rotating like a ceiling fan.

Your name and role in the band?

Matt Ward, Lead Guitar and Vocals

What motivated you to play/create music?

Honestly, a big part of it was growing up kinda poor. My friends and I never had money to do pretty much anything so in my juvenile brain I thought shooting for the occupation of “Rock Star” would bring some cash and travel into my life… oops. Not quite the case. But also there are allot of musicians in my family and it seems to just be genetic. My Grandad was a guitar player who worked in Vaudeville and taught guitar and even worked with Les Paul for a time. Sadly he died before I could meet him so I’ve always kinda wanted to pay tribute to his memory. That and Jimmy Page.

Who are your influences?

That answer changes every few years it seems. Early days it was Zeppelin, AC/DC, Iron Maiden… Twisted Sister was actually my first favorite rock band and they brought me into the whole cosmos of metal. Over the years I have been influenced by so many things a competent list would be all but impossible. But lately I am very into Meshuggah, Aesop Rock, Opeth, Maximum the Hormone, Belphegor… and of course… a constant stream of Tom Waits flowing! He’s my god!

Describe the sound of Violent Revolution for a new listener.

That would depend on whether you hear the new stuff or the old stuff. Our Debut disc “State of Unrest” is pretty straight up Thrash/Punk kind of stuff. There has been some line up changes since then and nowadays we are quite a bit more adventurous. Imagine Nuclear Assault meets Lamb of God and The Haunted… maybe… this question I always suck at haha.

What sets Violent Revolution apart?

Another hard question to answer. I guess that may ride in the hands of the listener. It’s hard to be objective about that answer from the inside. I don’t wanna sound braggadocious or off base.

What is the story behind the name Violent Revolution?

It’s from a Kreator song. That’s really the whole story haha. Nothing too deep behind it. Just fit music that is fast and angry and somewhat politically charged. 

What is the most rewarding aspect of being in Violent Revolution?

I think as of now the most rewarding thing is the new line up. We are just in a good groove with each other and the writing is flying. We all get along and we all keep each other on our toes but most importantly we all agree on pretty much everything. No bitching and moaning at each other EVER! If anyone complains it’s always me but never about them haha. It’s just actually fun playing in this band. I have been in plenty that were very far from fun.

What’s next for Violent Revolution?

We are shooting for finishing up all the new writing that is underway and then getting an EP together so we can get this stuff out to everyone. I don’t think enough people have had a chance to check out the new direction. Plus we have a ton of merch to make! It’s gonna be a busy spring for us. But we will be coming out swinging by summer. It seems as though we are on track for a really good year! Let’s hope that is the case.

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Keep up with the band here!