by Christie McMenamin | May 14, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
Mobile Steam Unit makes business music.
Literally.
As openers for Animal Years, they single-handedly managed to grab the attention of the entire audience at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg. Not only are they talented musicians, but they’re hilarious, as well. Based on their experiences working on Wall Street, Mobile Steam Unit has crafted lyrics that hit home for anyone who’s worked in business. For those in New York City, this was an extremely relatable topic that resonated with crowd, who immediately broke into cheers when frontman Sam Huntington asked if anyone in attendance had ever worked on Wall Street.
Solemnly filing out in requisite business attire, the band began their set. Interestingly, Mobile Steam Unit has the uncanny ability to deftly span genres; they can do anything from rock to country to soul and beyond. With lyrical topics ranging from everything such as texting, Microsoft Office, and commuting, to name a few, they document the daily minutia of American life while keeping the crowd in hysterics. And during the last song of the set, Mobile Steam Unit surprised the audience by bringing out yoga dancers who tried, as best they could, to keep straight faces while striking poses throughout the song. It was an epic finish to their performance, rivaling that of Animal Years. Mobile Steam Unit is undoubtedly a tough act to follow.
Work takes up a good portion of our lives. By giving focus to this specific, and usually lamented, chore, Mobile Steam Unit has set themselves apart from other bands. By examining the workday through the lens of humor, Mobile Steam Unit is able to give rise to daily frustrations while enjoyably expelling them at the same time.
Check out their video for “Working Boy” below!
by Meredith Schneider | May 10, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On May 3rd, K.Flay headlined The Truman in Kansas City, MO. The warehouse was filled to the brim, as she performed in her quintessentially endearing way to a sold out crowd.
by Erica Tello | May 4, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Last month, The Greeting Committee made an incredible appearance at Mohawk in Austin, TX. Photographer Erica Tello nabbed some photos for us.
by Ron Boling | May 2, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Semi Automatix ripped through a set at El Cortez in Bushwick Brooklyn. The five piece group led by Tim “TC” Cribben on vocals played the punk set with a charm and charisma thats hard to match in the genre. Bassist Matt Gevaza and drummer JR Jensen synced and throbbed through a set that almost shivered with energy. Guitarists Mike Gevaza and Greg Odette traded lead harmonies seamlessly across the stage. Semi Automatix is a punk band by definition, the set however showed more depth and emotion in the songs than we have come to expect from the genre. If you can imagine the mid 90’s Long Island Punk sound and meld it with soaring classic rock solos from the 60’s and 70’s you might have an idea what Semi Automatix sound like. The set was a beautiful mix of punk energy and Marc Bolan-esque tenderness that just worked. You can check out the latest single “Never Fading” below.
by Christie McMenamin | May 2, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
In the beginning, there was one person and one instrument. A man named Chris Carrabba wielded an acoustic guitar and managed to permeate the punk and emo scenes with his raw, lyrical candor. There were EPs, there were LPs. The second of those, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, scored Carrabba an MTV hit with the track “Screaming Infidelities.” And from there, his career exploded into full-fledged fame.
Dashboard Confessional later expanded. On Carrabba’s third LP, A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, a full band was added, each instrument joining together to fill out his signature sound. The unparalleled strength of his voice was further heightened with this new musical intensity. Carrabba sings with such remarkable power and abandon, a hybrid of passion and fury that’s unmatched in his peers. He manages to hold notes for astonishingly long moments and can sing about love in hushed, delicate tones in the same breath as he can betrayal, unleashing the full force of his voice into an evocative wail. Simply put, Carrabba makes you feel, and he does so with a seeming effortlessness that enthusiastically resonates with his listeners. As Dashboard Confessional hasn’t stopped releasing records since their inception, Carrabba’s begun a veritable collection of fans, hoarding more and more of them with each successive release. His audience has now become intergenerational, and with Dashboard’s latest release, Crooked Shadows, it’s sure to speak to a new crop of teenagers while still delighting the fans who have been there since the beginning.
Embarking on a tour of comparatively smaller venues to promote Crooked Shadows, those who were lucky enough to score tickets to the sold-out show in New York piled into a packed Brooklyn Steel on March 29th. Fans rushed into the venue in swarms, making a fervent beeline to the floor in order to be as close to the stage as possible.
Carrabba walked out in his truest form, alone with his acoustic guitar. He asked if he could “play a deep cut,” to which everyone cheered as he launched into “This Bitter Pill,” the last track on the aforementioned The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most. When that ended, the rest of the band came out as they amped it up for “Don’t Wait,” off Dusk and Summer. The night was a family reunion. Carrabba vividly expressed his gratitude over and over again, not only thankful to be able to play music for a living, but to his fans, who allow him to do so. They responded wildly, their reaction signifying that the feeling was mutual.
Carrabba curated a setlist made up of songs off Crooked Shadows combined with some of his greatest hits from years past. Saving the best for last, Carrabba ended with three fan favorites: “Screaming Infidelities,” “Stolen,” and “Vindicated.” “Hands Down,” of course, made up the encore, leaving the crowd on the highest, most ecstatic note possible.
The future continues to shine on Dashboard Confessional.
by Erica Tello | Apr 30, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On April 25th, the ever-incredible Houndmouth made an impressive and memorable appearance at Historic Scoot Inn in Austin, Texas. Photographer Erica Tello captured the ambiance for us.
by Chad Bennett | Apr 23, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Lincoln, Nebraska’s Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal played a late show at Winter Blues Fest in Des Moines on February 10. The band, which tours extensively, has won several blues and R&B/soul awards.
Keep up with Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal here.
by Chad Bennett | Apr 20, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Seasoned blues rock outfit The Steepwater Band played the Winter Blues Fest in Des Moines on February 10. The Chicago band will open for Bon Jovi on two dates later this month.
by Chad Bennett | Apr 20, 2018 | snapshot, visual
The Avey/Grouws Band performed at the Winter Blues Fest in Des Moines on February 10. The band is based out of the Quad Cities and Decorah, Iowa, and was winner of the 2017 Iowa Blues Challenge.
