Reviews and Shows

Bayside

New York, New York

03.09.23

Punk rock veterans Bayside returned to New York City, March 9th, for two back-to-back sold out shows at Le Poisson Rouge on the Just Like Home tour with support from fellow New York natives I Am The Avalanche and Koyo.

At 6:30pm, Le Poisson Rouge opened their doors to Bayside’s faithful legion of fans, eager to flock to the barricade at the 700-capacity venue. Koyo, a melodic hardcore band hailing from Stony Brook, New York, warmed up the crowd with their blend of emo, punk, and hardcore bangers, reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday, The Movielife, and Silent Majority. Koyo opened their set with “Moriches” from their 2021 EP, Drives out East, a high-energy track that features an infectious melody and vocal delivery evocative of the nostalgic pop-punk adjacent to headliner Bayside.

Next up were I Am The Avalanche, a punk rock band from Brooklyn, New York, who almost tore the roof off of Le Poisson Rouge. From the opening track, “I Took a Beating”, off I Am The Avalanche’s 2005 self-titled debut album, concertgoers reveled in an uninterrupted mosh pit, which, much to the dismay of venue security staff, included several stage invaders. I was surprised by the vigor of the audience, and I could tell venue staff were as well. Although, it was clear nothing was going to stop concertgoers from taking in all of I Am The Avalanche’s punk rock glory.

After a 30 minute intermission, Bayside’s set began with a spotlight on drummer Chris Guglielmo as the band opened the show with “Big Cheese”, a track that highlights each member’s unique skill-set. From Anthony Raneri’s raw vocals to bassist Nick Ghanbarian’s thick punk-rock bass tone to Jack O’Shea’s face-melting mastery on lead guitar, “Big Cheese” brought the energy out of concertgoers instantaneously, and gave the audience a taste of what was to come. As Bayside ripped through their set, concertgoers moshed and screamed their hearts out in unison with Raneri, to both newer tracks and deep cuts in Bayside’s punk rock arsenal. About three quarters through the set, Bayside slowed things down with a three song run of “It Don’t Exist”, “Landing Feet First”, and “Megan”, a refreshing change of pace that mesmerized many in the audience and had some concertogers wave their lighters to match the mood. As I weaved through the crowd throughout the set, it was incredible to see fans of all ages showing support for the punk rock heavyweights, who had taken us back to as early as 2005 with tracks like “Blame It on Bad Luck” and “Montauk”. Given all that Bayside has achieved in their nearly two and half decade career, it was no surprise to see that they still sound as tight as ever. With the forthcoming release of “The Blue EP” on March 17, 2023, Bayside’s devoted fan base won’t have to wait much longer to hear some new music from their punk rock heroes.

Photos and Review by our contributor Kyle Guzman

Royal Coda

New York, New York

11.23.22

Royal Coda join co-headliners Eidola and Rain City Drive on their stop in New York City at The Gramercy Theatre, on the heels of the release of their third studio album, To Only A Few At First, released on August 12, 2022 on Rise Records.

To Only A Few At First received widespread acclaim by fans, many of whom quickly took to social media sites like Reddit to proclaim its status as contender for their Album of the Year in the post-hardcore/swancore scene. When Royal Coda announced they would be supporting Eidola on tour and playing tracks from To Only A Few At First live for the first time, fans did not wait long to purchase tickets, and they were surely not disappointed.

To be fair, how could one possibly be disappointed by Royal Coda? Royal Coda consists of vocalist Kurt Travis (formerly of Dance Gavin Dance), guitarist Sergio Medina (of Eidola), guitarist Will Swan (of Dance Gavin Dance), bassist Steffen Gotsch, and touring drummer Joel Turcotte; each of which are treasured pieces of the scene.

As soon as Royal Coda take the stage, earsplitting shouts and screams surface from the crowd, and the band waste no time, beginning their set with “We Slowly Lose Hope for Things to Come”. This track sports an infectious chorus and hook that’s nearly impossible to not sing along with, and in fact, I don’t believe there was a single soul in that Theatre not singing their heart out with Kurt Travis for Royal Coda’s entire set.

As usual, Sergio Medina captivated showgoers with his energetic stage presence, often leaping onto and from drummer Joel Turcotte’s bass drum and darting across the stage while he shreds on lead guitar. In contrast, guitarist Will Swan and bassist Steffen Gotsch are their typical selves, quiet and unassuming, but clearly masters of their craft. To no one’s surprise, Kurt Travis’ vocal performance was outstanding, and it’s not hard to understand why he has become a top-tier vocalist in the minds of fans across the scene.

Royal Coda’s fast-paced, but short-lived set had left many in the Theatre understandably itching for more. Their ability to blend influence from swancore, post-hardcore, and progressive rock captivates fans, which, in combination with their endearing personalities, makes their music nearly irresistible. It should not be long before Royal Coda boasts their own headlining spot. I, and many other fans, are excited to see what 2023 brings for Royal Coda.

Photos and Review by our contributor Kyle Guzman

Eidola

New York, New York

11.23.22

On November 11, 2022 Eidola embarked on a US co-headlining tour with Rain City Drive, and with support from Royal Coda and Body Thief. Last week, Eidola made their highly anticipated stop in New York City on November 23, 2022 at The Gramercy Theatre.

As the lights turned low and the pre-show music quieted, Eidola took stage and Andrew Wells, lead vocalist, dashed toward center stage, towering clad in an unbuttoned, short-sleeve shirt. At that moment, the packed crowd at Gramercy Theatre knew what was in store for them. Eidola began their set with “Hidden Worship”, the opening track from their 2021 album “The Architect”, and one that highlights Wells’ versatility as a vocalist as he transitions seamlessly from clean to harsh vocals, and vice-versa throughout the two-and-a-half-minute opener. While “Hidden Worship” may be on the slower side of Eidola’s discography, the track certainly set the mood for the remainder of their dynamic set, which included fan-favorites “Caustic Prayer”, “Counterfeit Shrines”, “Mutual Fear”, and “Perennial Philosophy”.

While it’s hard to miss Wells’ towering stature from the crowd, it’s harder to miss Eidola’s lead guitarist, Sergio Medina, whose high-energy stage presence is unparalleled in the progressive metal/swancore scene. Throughout Eidola’s set, Medina can often be seen leaping and darting across the stage while ripping guitar riffs, in a manner both erratic and captivating to showgoers.

Eidola further stirred concertgoers by performing “Caustic Prayer” the latest addition to their live set, and a catchy, high-energy, track that has been a fan favorite since its release. Prior to performing the track, Wells modestly quipped that the band had little idea of its popularity and were surprised by its reception amongst fans, which was met with numerous excited shouts and screams from the crowd. It was clear that many had long awaited “Caustic Prayers” addition to Eidola’s live set, and this was evidenced by the formation of an almost floor-wide circle pit that emerged nearly as soon as the instrumentation began and took full swing at the chorus.

Eidola still has a handful of tour dates left in the Mid-Western and Western United States to close out 2022 but are looking forward to the release of their fifth studio album, the details of which have yet to be announced publicly. They will most certainly be bringing their energetic, powerful performance to a city near you in 2023.

Photos and Review by our contributor Kyle Guzman

Mild High Club

Dallas,Tx at Granada Theatre

09.25.22

After the release of their most recent album, Going Going Gone, Mild High Club set out on their 2022 North American tour, taking a stop last week in Dallas, TX at the Granada Theater. Following a performance by the opening band, Shy Boys, the Mild High Club band—helmed by a hooded Alexander Brettin—took the stage.

The night started off with Dionysian State, a track off of Mild High Club’s new album. You can’t go wrong with a sing-songy “we’re burning it down” to start the night off. An array of other songs followed, ranging from the more jazzy arrangements featured in songs like Trash Heap to the psychedelic pop soundscapes of Homage and Me, Myself, and Dollar Hell—Mild High Club graced us concertgoers with tunes both old and new.

Going to a show like this, one can’t help but be entranced by the mesmerizing psychedelic sound of this band. It’s difficult not to get lost in those woozy vocals and soothing electronic instrumentation that makes up any Mild High Club song. Surprisingly this was not a sold-out show but it was one in which each person was hanging on to each and every word, note, and movement from the mysterious tracksuit-clad Brettin and his live band. All in all, Mild High Club brought Dallas a night to remember, even if many came to simply get lost in the music.

Photos and Review by our contributor Abby Mueller

Vansire

Austin,Tx at The Ballroom

06.23.2022

Photo by Abby Mueller

Vansire 2022 Tour ✨

With a few singles such as “A Long Drive Back” and “Just The Right Song” from their newly released album, “The Modern Western World”, frontmen Josh Augustin and Sam Winemiller hit the road on a successful two month tour across the country followed by the rest of the band Isaac Winemiller (Bass,Sax), Josh Poole (drums), Zander Chovanes (Guitar) and Nathan Slone (guitar).

Not only as a photographer but as a concertgoer, Vansire live for the first time is a performance you should not miss. With the energy from their new songs of the album, to songs from their earlier work such as “Synth Man”, “Halcyon Age”, and “Metamodernity”, captivates the audience with such intensity and delight. Not only is each member highly talented but truly show their skills with a jazzy, electrifying solo performance.

Attending this concert was worth every second being there. From the sold out venue, to the heat from the packed crowd, Vansire’s performance provided nothing less than an excellent show!

Although the excellent 2022 tour for Vansire has come to an end, be sure to check out their new released album “The Modern Western World” along with any future work from the band. Excited to see what’s in store for Vansire and any upcoming tours/shows.

.

.

.

Writer: Matthew Gonzales

.

Photo Credits: Abby Mueller and Matthew Gonzales (Covering Austin Tx)

Photos by Matthew Gonzales

Photos by Abby Mueller