Born Ruffians with Little Junior @ Park Theatre, Winnipeg Manitoba
Photos courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | April 29th 2018
Little Junior:
NoMBe @ Chop Shop, Chicago, IL
A week ago, I was able to spend some time with Noah McBeth, who you may know as NoMBe. An extremely talented, caring, genuine soul, we were able to grab some live shots, and a few backstage portraits, while he was in Chicago with the AltNation Advanced Placement Tour (also featuring Mikky Eiko, and Mansionair). His (audibly beautiful) album, They Might’ve Even Loved Me, was just released, and explores his relationships with all the women in his life, past and present. (I strongly recommend you spend some time with this record…) Here’s our micro-mini-tour diary from the Chicago stop at the Chop Shop.
Photos courtesy of Victoria Sanders | 18 April 2018
Franz Ferdinand with Bodega @ Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn NY
Photos courtesy of Edwina Hay | April 16 2018
Franz Ferdinand currently on tour in support of their newest record, Always Ascending. The band played two sold out shows at Brooklyn's Brooklyn Steel. This was the second night (they also played Sunday, April 15th). This was the sixth and final show for the Brooklyn band Bodega with Franz Ferdinand.
Wild Child with The Wild Reeds @ Zanzabar // Louisville, KY
Photos & Words courtesy of Emily May | April 10th, 2018
Touring in support of their latest album Expectations, Austin-based indie pop band Wild Child made a stop in Louisville, KY. Performing to a nearly sold out crowd of passionate fans, it was quickly apparent that everyone was ready to have a good time!
Wild Child is an incredibly fun band with a remarkable stage presence. Playing a variety of instruments, including the baritone ukulele, violin, trombone, trumpet and keyboard, they have a unique sound that mixes folk, pop and gypsy sounds that has earned them plenty of critical praise over the years.
Singer/violinist Kelsey Wilson, barefoot on stage, wore a smile on her face for much of the set, often standing at the edge of the stage to sing directly to the fans and lead them in venue-wide sing-alongs. Having released 4 albums, the band played a nice mix of songs, appealing to older and newer fans alike! The set list included "Alex", "Break You Down", "Fools", "Break Bones", "Stitches", "Rillo Talk", "Silly Thigs" and "Pillow Talk". It was a fun night of high spirits and lots of singing and dancing!
Los Angeles-based indie folk band The Wild Reeds opened the show and warmed the crowd up for the evening!
Phoebe Bridgers with Daddy Issues @ Zanzabar // Louisville, KY
Photos & Words Courtesy of Emily May | April 11, 2018
On tour in support of her latest album Stranger In The Alps, Los Angeles indie pop musician Phoebe Bridgers made a stop recently in Louisville, Ky. Although fairly new to the scene, she has made a name for herself in a short span of time and developed a substantial and passionate fan base, as was evident from the packed venue!
As the lights dimmed, Bridgers and her band walked onto the stage to an eruption of claps and cheers. She and her band were sharply dressed, with her wearing a sparkly black dress, silver shimmery eye shadow, fishnet socks and black loafers, and her band wearing black suits with white dress shirts and black ties. The stage lights were incredibly dim, with most of the light coming from white Christmas lights that were wrapped around the mic stand and drum kit, lending a really intimate mood to the evening.
Starting her set with the song "Smoke Signals", Bridgers sang a nice mix of songs from her latest album and her 2015 EP, including "Funeral" "Motion Sickness", "Killer" and "Georgia". With an incredibly beautiful voice, simultaneously soft and powerful, Bridgers commanded the attention of the room during each song. Ending her set with "Scott Street", she and her band left the stage to a roar of applause, only to return moments later for an encore.
Starting the encore with her beautiful and moving cover of Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaVelle's song "You Missed My Heart", the room was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Bridgers is an incredibly expressive singer, and easily captivated the crowd during this song. You could feel the emotion pouring out of her, especially towards the end of the song as she sat on the stage and sang.
Telling the crowd she wasn't going to end the show on such a somber note, she ended the set with a fun cover of Sheryl Crow's "If It Makes You Happy", joking that, although she loved this song, she had conflicted feelings about Sheryl Crow because she had at one time been associated with Kid Rock.
With the show ending on a high note, the crowd was left buzzing from an incredible evening of music as they then crowded around the merch table! Nashville-based grunge-pop band Daddy Issues opened the show and got the crowd hyped for the evening!
Winter Jam Tour @ PNC Arena // Raleigh, NC
Photos and review courtesy of Annette Holloway | March 24 2018
Exploding onto the set of Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, Platinum selling rockers Skillet thrilled the audience of thousands at the PNC arena in Raleigh, North Carolina March 24th. In 2018 on one of the biggest annual tours in the world, they took their concert to the next level with aerial antics during Feel Invincible, heart-stopping concussion grenades throughout, hand-held cryo guns blazing during Sick of It, and “chariots” carrying John Cooper and Jen Ledger into the crowd while harmonizing hit song Hero. Even with all of the new elements, the signature screaming guitars of Seth Morrison and Korey Cooper still highlighted the heart of Skillet’s sound, and Jen Ledger’s fearless attack on drums dominated. Most of all, lead singer John Cooper’s endless energy, rockstar performance, bass mastery and brilliant vocals thrilled the audience throughout, but he connected with fans from all walks of life at a deeper level by sharing his faith and pointing troubled souls to a loving God.
GRAMMY®-nominated Building 429, with a history of chart-topping hits and a Billboard Christian song of the year rocked the arena with Impossible and Bonfire, then kept everyone dancing with We Won’t Be Shaken and Wrecking Ball (Press On). The vocal versatility and smooth sound of lead singer Jason Roy was undeniable, as was his ability to connect with the crowd. The heart of the band’s music acknowledges life’s struggles and offers true hope to the brokenhearted. A new song This Place gave us a taste of upcoming album Live the Journey slated to be released this summer.
Internationally-renowned worship leader Kari Jobe (featuring Cody Carnes), took the listener to a higher place and offered healing and hope with her signature majestic tone. Heal Our Land called us to unity in a day when there is so much conflict and division.
Breakout hip-hop artist KB brought his normal high-energy performance to Winter Jam with I Believe that We Will Win and Not Today Satan, and boldly spoke out against racism.
GRAMMY®-nominated Newsong, founders of Winter Jam, were still hosting and performing in the tour after 23 years. With their signature harmonies, the band thrilled gospel-lovers with the songs I Am a Christian and Arise My Love. Russ Lee even busted some moves during Down. However, Rico Thomas’ guitar riffs and Jack Pumphrey’s drum solo infused a rock flavor into their set.
Jordan Feliz truly celebrated on stage with a humility and genuineness like no other. He performed his new song Witness from recently-released album Future, followed by his hit song The River, opening Winter Jam with all the fanfare of one of the biggest annual tours in the world.
Stand-up comedian and viral sensation, John Crist, revealed all Christians’ secret thoughts, and paid homage to Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby. At the end, he demonstrated, as only he can, how to spice up a baby dedication Lion King-style. Look out for much more of John Crist in years to come.
Others on Winter Jam included author, speaker and evangelist Nick Hall, along with artists performing in the Pre-Jam Party: Dan Bremnes, Mallary Hope and Westover.
Presented by Holt International, Winter Jam is hosted by the band Newsong. Wanting everyone able to hear good music, Newsong wanted no one to be turned away at the door for lack of money, and asked for an optional donation of $15 at the door. Quality music at such a low price is hard to beat.
Photos and review courtesy of Annette Holloway
Albert Hammond Jr. @ Brooklyn Steel // NYC
Albert Hammond Jr. @ Brooklyn Steel // NYC
Photos courtesy of Stefanie Dabs | March 28th, 2018
Photos courtesy of Stefanie Dabs | March 28th, 2018
Francis Trouble is out now through Red Bull Records
