LadyLand Festival 2022 - Brooklyn, NY

June 17th 2022: LadyLand Festival @ The Brooklyn Mirage

Photos courtesy of: Em Grey

Ladyland is a yearly queer music festival hosted by Ladyfag - boasting heaps of queer talent on its lineup and held at the outdoors Brooklyn Mirage. For one night only during pride month, partygoers can dance all their worries away from 8 pm to the hours of the next morning. This is my third year attending this festival - and it's an amazing time with beautiful energy every time. This year they sprung for an impressive giant LED screen wrapping all around the stage, showing gorgeous visuals during all the sets that kept the entire experience immersive and packed with good vibes (and even a confetti condom cannon.)

Previously boasting alternative talent the likes of King Princess, Kim Petras, Pablo Vittar, Caroline Polachek, and SOPHIE - this year’s lineup was no different in its star power. Headlined by pop icon Tinashe and DJ Honey Dijon, Ladyland has an impressive main stage, but also equally exciting lineups in two smaller areas of the venue - King's Hall and the Village. When I arrived around 9 pm - Stiletto was kicking the night off with a banging DJ set. Shortly after - Brooke Candy strolled onto the stage with two backup dancers in tow, absolutely serving us the performance that we needed.

Despite the schedule running a little bit late, that did not dampen a single person's spirits. Vanessa Vanjie took the stage next armed with a bottle of tequila, filling up the cups of many at the barricade as well as pouring it directly into fan'’ mouths. Shygirl captivated the audience next with her hypnotizing vocals and hyper-pop sound. The anticipation had been building all night - by this time the place was getting pretty packed and the energy was buzzing in the air. Sevdaliza, despite being able to have her full band with her due to visa issues, put on an energetic performance with beautiful cinematic visuals on the giant screen behind her. By the time Tinashe took the stage - the crowd was completely ready to absolutely go all out. Tinashe brought a slew of backup dancers and choreographed dances, keeping the energy up at insane levels for the rest of the night. As an ally, I love being able to celebrate members of the LGBTQIA+ community like this - it's always lots of love and joy and immensely welcoming in a way that other festivals can't quite live up to.

Bastille @ The Met - Philadelphia

June 15th 2022: Bastille, Josh Fudge @ The Met Philadelphia

Dan Smith | Bastille - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach

Not enough people seem to talk about the longevity of Bastille. Here we are four albums later since the debut release of Bad Blood where it all started (not to mention all of the amazing mixtapes as well). Something you can say about each of the Bastille albums is each have solid bops on each and every one.

Bastille returned to The Met in Philly for the release tour of their latest album, Give Me The Future. If you’ve been following Bastille since 2013 like I have, you’ll still be happy to know the live shows are still just as special as they were in the beginning, just a lot bigger. There is still an element of mild unsettling dystopia, a little big of goofiness, and (despite COVID) everyone’s favorite part where Dan joins the crowd for a walk around during a song. If you are an OG-Fan you also might be mildly disappointed that the day has finally come that old classics like “Bad Blood” and “Flaws” have been cut from the setlist.

Josh Fudge

Danielle Ponder @ The Episcopal Church of St Luke and St Simon Cyrene - Rochester

April 8th 2022: Danielle Ponder @ The Episcopal Church of St Luke and St Simon Cyrene - Rochester, NY

Danielle Ponder - Photos Courtesy of Amber James

Originally I planned to start this review off by saying that when I was shooting Danielle Ponder’s release show last month that it felt like I had been transported back in time and seeing greats like Diana Ross or Etta James perform. Chills ran down my arms because I knew I was watching a new iconic soulful artist bless us with her talent and grace, just before the entire world would know her name. It was akin to that feeling of anticipation you get just as the roller coaster leaves the station and the first rise of the hill looms ahead. In the month and change since that show, Danielle Ponder’s almost meteoric rise in recognition is more like one of those hydraulic coasters that rockets you out of the station instead of the slow and steady chain-link motor up the hill. From performing at the launch of Oscar Massin Jewelry, which had in attendance such Hollywood stars as Rachel Zoe and Kate Hudson (who are also investors and advisors for the company), Goldie Hawn, and Zooey Deschanel, as well as performing her single “So Long” on the Seth Meyers Late Night Show. And all of this is before her debut album has even dropped! But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of everything Ponder has accomplished already. A soulful singer by night, during the day, so to speak, she is heavily dedicated to and involved in the fight for racial justice and fixing the flaws in our broken justice system. Recently, she left her public defender job to focus on music full time but that doesn’t mean she’s left any of that behind. In her interview with SPIN magazine, Ponder compared being a public defender with songwriting, telling Niko Stratis, “You know, my job as an attorney is to really tell my client’s story…[It’s similar to songwriting in that] I can take an emotion, and then the songwriter gets to dig deeper into that emotion. They get to dig deeper into what they might have been bringing to the table emotionally — or what you weren’t bringing to the table emotionally. We get to discuss those nuances.” And locally, she was a staple and voice of hope and guidance in the dark during BLM protests in the summer of 2020 and Daniel Prude protests that fall. Ponder is one of those people who you encounter once in a lifetime, simply filled with love, grace, and talent but also a smoldering passion for her music and for the causes she fights for. A month ago, I said I thought I had been transported back in time to the age of Diana Ross and Etta James. But now? I didn’t need to go back in time to experience that, I’ve been honored with watching the rise of this generation’s modern-day Diana Ross, and her name is Danielle Ponder.

Deftones @ Pier 17 - New York City

May 5th 2022: Deftones with Gojira, and VOWWS @ Pier 17 - New York City

Deftones - Photos Courtesy of Edwina Hay

My first concert ever was in 1998 when I attended the Vans Warped Tour at Randall’s Island about two weeks before I turned 18 years old. It was a few weeks before I began college and I made the trek out to Randall’s Island from Brooklyn via public transportation in order to see punk and ska acts like The Aquabats, Bad Religion, CIV, and many others but a huge reason for my attendance was the Deftones, of Sacramento, CA. During their set at Warped ‘98, a mosh pit formed in front of me and I had to take a bus and two trains home covered in the dirt that circled around in the air and landed on our bodies. 

After I got home from that Warped show, my parents made no comment nor asked questions about my filthy appearance as I immediately headed to the bathroom upstairs to take a shower. Then over the next few years, I attended their performances whenever I could including Ozzfest the following year, culminating until when I last saw the band in Sayreville, NJ in 2004 at Starland Ballroom. A friend drove us from NYC to The Garden State where I didn’t realize at the time that my next Deftones concert would take place nearly two decades later at Pier 17 at South Street Seaport in downtown Manhattan. The band was originally scheduled to tour in 2020 in support of their ninth studio album, Ohms, but a worldwide pandemic would cause them to postpone their tour not once, but twice, finally hitting the road for that record in April & May 2022.

On this tour, they are joined by VOWWS, a duo from Australia that resides in Los Angeles, that replaced the 2020 tour opener, Poppy. VOWWS took the stage at 6 PM on the outdoor stage with both of their members, dressed all in black, performing the songs they describe as Death-Pop. Their 30-minute set seemed to be in contrast with the sunny, slightly breezy weather we experienced on a Sunday evening. 

The French heavy metal band, Gojira, were next and before they played their first song, a 170 second countdown started and a mosh pit immediately broke out to my left as singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier began to sing. Since their tour with Deftones was delayed by two years, it felt like my neighbors had been waiting a long time for Gojira’s set and I was witnessing their catharsis. Someone raged so hard that they lost their phone and others in the pit immediately tried to return the device to its rightful owner once it was found. Duplantier dedicated their 2001 song, “Love,” to their friends in Deftones and the final one of their set was dedicated to indigenous people all over the world.

Kicking off their headlining performance at 8:20 PM, Deftones began with “Genesis,” the opening track off their newest album, Ohms, to numerous screams from the sold-out crowd. The large screens on opposite sides of the stage began to project different visuals for each song of their setlist. People were ecstatic for “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away),” their hit single from their 1997 record, Around the Fur. I found that I could barely hear Chino Moreno’s vocals where I was standing since everyone near me was singing along so loudly. The same thing occurred for “My Own Summer (Shove It)” from the same release that happened to be the next song on their setlist.

Chino played guitar for the ninth song of their set, “Digital Bath,” which was followed by “Knife Party,” both songs from their 22-year-old landmark album, “White Pony.”  The band concluded their set with another Around the Fur track, “Lotion,” which was followed by “Engine No. 9” from their debut album, Adrenaline, with lyrics from Cypress Hill’s “How I Could Just Kill A Man” peppered in, finishing the night before the 10 PM curfew. 

VOWWS

Gojira

Omar Apollo @ Riviera Theatre - Chicago

May 5th 2022: Omar Apollo with Deb Never @ Riviera Theatre - Chicago

Omar Apollo - Photos Courtesy of Emily Nava

On May 5th, 2022, Omar Apollo and his band brought the Desvelado Tour to Chicago at a sold-out Riviera Theatre. Opening acts Tora-i and Deb Never got the crowd ready with great performances.

Playing hits from his debut album "Ivory" and previous releases, Omar Apollo had the crowd's attention when he stepped on stage. Certain warm energy was in the room that night, with newer fans and those who have watched his career bloom since he first started playing at smaller venues in and around Chicago years ago. The show had its high-energy moments when Omar Apollo played more upbeat songs such as "Kickback" and "Tamagotchi" but showed vulnerability with more slowed down songs such as "En El Olvido". No matter the song tempo or language Omar Apollo sang in, the crowd sang along to every word and that alone is a testament to how successful he has become.

Deb Never

Beartooth @ Paristown Hall - Louisville

May 3rd 2022: Beartooth with Silverstein, The Devil Wears Prada, and Erra @ Paristown Hall - Louisville

Beartooth at Paristown Hall - Emily May

Beartooth brought their Part 2 of The Below Tour to Louisville, KY on May 3rd, with this being their final show of this leg of the tour. The venue was packed, with a sizeable crowd gathering this evening looking forward to a fun night of music. Starting out the evening was progressive metalcore band Erra. Hailing from Birmingham, AL, they talked about how it was the last night of their tour and that they’d had a great time and made a lot of new friends. Full of energy, singer J.T. Cavey, guitarist/clean vocalist Jesse Cash, and bassist Conor Hesse stood often on the platforms at the front of the stage to better engage the crowd, with Cavey having each side of the crowd scream “Hell Yeah!” and judged who was loudest! They definitely got the evening started out on a high note! Next up was The Devil Wears Prada, a metalcore band from Dayton, OH. A bundle of energy from start to finish, they talked about how good it was to back in KY. Performing both older and newer songs, they had a varied setlist that included “Watchtower”, “Termination”, “Chemical”, and “Sacrifice”. Being the last night of tour, all of the bands were having fun together, with Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo making an appearance on stage at one point! Next up was long-standing Canadian rock band Silverstein. Having formed in 2000, the band has amassed a dedicated fan base over their 2 decades as a band. Lead singer Shane Told announced early in the set, “Louisville! It’s good to be here! It’s been a while! We are happy to squeeze you in on the final day of the greatest tour of 2022!”. Performing a setlist that included “Bad Habits”, “Vices”, “My Heroine”, “Retrograde”, and “Massachusetts”, they also announced their new album due to be released on May 5th, launching into their latest single “Ultraviolet”. Joking with the crowd about the band had only been coming here for 18 years and had just started correctly pronouncing Louisville, he then asked how many people remember the old songs from 2003, then performing “Smashed Into Pieces”. Thanking the crowd for coming out and Beartooth for having them out on tour, the band ended their set with “Smile In Your Sleep.”

As an intro to Beartooth coming out on stage, AC/DC’s “TNT” played and a white curtain hung across the front of the stage. As the band came out, the curtain dropped, and the crowd erupted into cheers and screams as the band appeared on stage. With platforms that extended across the entire length of the front of the stage, singer Caleb Shomo walked back and forth throughout the entire set, giving both sides of the room ample attention. The band performed a lengthy setlist that included ““Aggressive”, “Hated”, “Body Bag”, and “The Lines”. Chatting quite a bit with the crowd, Shomo addressed them early on, after directing the fan’s cheering like a conductor, saying “You guys are insane! Are you having a good night? Has anyone out there seen Beartooth before? Any first-timers? If you weren’t already aware, we came here to do do one thing, and one thing only-rock your faces off with high voltage rock and roll! This is the last show of the tour, so normally I’d say no pressure, but we’ve played a lot of really great shows so far. I think this could be the craziest. Open up the mosh pit. This song is called “Fed Up””. Leading the fans in plenty of sing alongs, there was a fun energy to the set that kept the crowd engaged and having a good time. Talking about what the opening bands meant to him, Shomo talked about how The Devil Wears Prada had a great impact on his life and changed the trajectory of what he wanted to do, and that Silverstein have become some of his closest friends he has toured with and that he has written Beartooth songs with them. He then dedicated the next song, “Phantom Pain”, to every band on the tour, and told the crowd to form a circle pit. Shomo also thanked the fans for coming out, telling them it really meant a lot because so many bands over the past couple of years had no idea whether not not they would ever tour again, so to come to Louisville on a Tuesday night to such a great crowd was a beautiful thing to see. “Ending” the set with “In Between”, the band then came back out for a two song encore, ending the night with “The Past Is Dead” and “The Last Riff”. It was a great night of music and the crowd’s fun and infectious energy made it even greater!

BEARTOOTH

SILVERSTEIN

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

ERRA

Shakey Graves @ Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg

May 9th 2022: Shakey Graves with Begonia @ Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg

Shakey Graves - Photos Courtesy of Jenny Ramone

Shakey Graves’ first appearance in front of a Winnipeg audience was back in 2014 at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. His presence was so beloved, that he was invited back the following year. Clearly making lifelong fans in the prairie city, Shakey Graves returned May 9 to a sold-out crowd at the city’s historic Burton Cumming’s Theatre. 

The evening began with Shakey Graves solo on stage with a guitar and suitcase kick drum. He grabbed the audience’s attention immediately and kept the Monday night crowd captivated for the duration of the night. After a stripped-down version of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind”, Shakey Graves brought out his 5 piece band and performed songs spanning his entire discography. The band ripped through “Kids These Days”, “Mansion Door” and “Family and Genus” before launching into fan-favorite sing-along “Dearly Departed”. Returning to a solo set up Shakey Graves regaled the crowd with an antidote of his adventure in the Winnipeg Folk Festival campground before playing “If Not For You” and break out hit “Roll The Bones”. The show was wrapped with a duet of Neil Young’s  “Unknown Legend” with the opening act Begonia. 

Winnipeg’s own Begonia opened the night with a powerful 45 min set. The excitement to see a hometown artist kicking off the night was palpable and the crowd welcomed the band with open arms. Alexa Dirk’s voice was in peak form as she screamed her way through “Fear” and then brought it right back down for fan-favorite “Hot Dog Stand”. 

Begonia

Girl Talk @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn

April 28th 2022: Girl Talk with Hugh Augustine @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn

Girl Talk in Brooklyn - Photos Courtesy of Edwina Hay

At the end of March, the producer known as Girl Talk (a.k.a. Gregg Gillis) began his first tour in nine years, which is currently wrapping up on the east coast. On Thursday, April 28th, the tour came to Brooklyn Steel for a sold-out show. 

The night began at 8:30 PM with a set from Los Angeles rapper, Hugh Augustine. Augustine revealed to the audience it was his first time in New York and was extremely appreciative to finally perform in New York City, where his genre was born in the Bronx nearly fifty years ago. He was a fitting choice to go on before Girl Talk, at one point instructing and leading the audience to dance in a two-step before starting one of his songs.

Girl Talk’s performances have been known to be sweaty, dance-filled affairs and that has not changed in the last ten years. Some audience members were escorted on stage to surround Gillis while he played his music which samples songs from a variety of genres. Throughout the night, we heard the vocals of many contemporary rap acts such as Vince Staples, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, City Girls, Nicki Minaj, Three 6 Mafia, Future, and A$AP Ferg over the music by Elastica, Pixies, Nirvana, Elvis Costello, Green Day, Hole, and others. In addition to dancing, the audience sang along loudly to songs by Kelly Clarkson (“Since You’ve Been Gone”), Gayle (“abcdefu”), and Lit (“My Own Worst Enemy”). Throughout the set, there were balloons, confetti, water, toilet paper, and other items that fell onto people from above.

Hugh Augustine