Rack’em Billiards – August 22, 2014

Matthew Smith from Vexel, Remedy X, Love In War and Sunshine & Bullets

Typical Friday night…right!!?? WRONG!!! It was a completely OFF THE CHAIN Friday night!!

What do you get when you put Matthew Smith from Vexel, Remedy X, Love In War and Sunshine and Bullets together for an all out melt your face off rocking night? Then add a pinch of Nine Mile Drive in the house announcing the addition of their new drummer Paul Gaeta previously from Before The Fire? You get an incredible recipe full of great friends, great times, the biggest most awesome local musicians, tasty cocktails and a very happy venue owner with a packed house! Normally I review each band singly but for this review I think it was one of the biggest “Family Of Musicians Party” you could possibly have so I’m going to tell you all about the events surrounding the night of August 22nd, 2014.

First off I took the day off of my regular day job to prepare for the nights festivities, which included the birthdays of three prominent guys in our Local Music Scene. Aaron Eichbauer from One Love Music, Todd Snow from Live Rock In The Cape and Matthew Smith from the band Vexel. All were very appreciative of my efforts and if not for the help of my good friend Jenna…the decorations would have been a complete disaster! We went all out for this “Star-Studded Event” as I had so eloquently put it on Facebook and the night just flowed perfectly.

The night started out with an outstanding acoustic set from Matthew Smith leading right into a powerful performance by Remedy X. Remedy X was called in at the last of minutes and came through like champs for us and put on one of the most amazing shows I’ve seen from them. Josh, Patrick and Sean were displaying the most intense energy I have seen from this band in recent shows. They are one of my all time favorites not just because they are incredible musicians with all the right chemistry, but off-stage they bring that chemistry to the crowd when they are just hanging out. They are 3 of the most respectful guys you ever want to meet.

After Remedy X I took the stage to invite Nine Mile drive up to make a special announcement. Their Lead Vocalist and Front man “JC” took control of the mic and proceeded to apologize for the abrupt cancellation of their band playing this show. Without further adieu he also announced the fact that NMD was to be taking a break from live shows until October 3rd to bring their new drummer up to speed. With all this excitement Paul Gaeta, previously from Before The Fire came up on stage and stood proudly with his new band members in Nine Mile Drive. The crowd was shocked at the same time everyone in the room knew this was the perfect fit and what is needed to take NMD to the next level of showmanship and sound. Congratulations were in order as Mr. Gaeta along with his new “Band Family” descended the stage with ear-to-ear smiles that lit up Rack’ems like a ballroom!

Next… enter stage right… Kate Flanigan and her Love In War guys. Not enough can be said for this band. With the soulful and sultriness of Kate’s vocals paired with 3 of the most talented musicians backing her up leads to the perfect combination of poise, stage presence, composition and melody. You can’t help but be completely lost in the perfection of Love In War. They have every element nailed down to the point that when they take the stage you are propelled to a new dimension of musical awareness. With songs like Your Gravity, Stray Bullets, It All Means Nothing and many more the electronic rock sound that Love In War produces just makes you want to bang your head and dance uncontrollably at the same time. Love In War always gets 5 stars from The SoundCheck…They never fail to impress.

Another surprise announcement was made next as Stevon Gardner announced his retirement from local promotions of our music scene. The honor was handed down to Aaron Eichbauer of One Love Music to continue the empire of promoting that Stevon spent years building. With the award of a drum cymbal signed by all of us, the demanding task of this coveted position is now Aaron’s. This could not have been a more perfect decision and fit for the legacy of local promotions to continue. The SoundCheck wishes Aaron all the best and congratulations in fulfilling this position.

To close out the night with a hard hitting set it was St. Petersburg favorites (and ours as well), Sunshine & Bullets. I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. The sound that Rich Keane can produce from his axe is always a crowd pleaser and is one of the most exquisite displays of stage persona I’ve seen. It’s always exciting to watch this band play. With the lovely Amanda Hammers on 7-string rhythm guitar and Sam brown on bass just fills this band out perfectly. Kyle Wolfram always nails it to perfection on drums with perfect technique and meter. There’s never a dull moment with Sunshine & Bullets as they called “JC” and Josh Ballor up from Nine Mile Drive as well as Stevon Gardner from Sinister Guitar Picks for an off the chain rendition of their song Feel Good. Another 5 star band from The SoundCheck…Sunshine & Bullets simply rocked!!

So in closing this edition of “The Weekend In Rock” I would like to say that this was one of the most awesome shows. With a consistently packed house at Rack’ems and our online viewers topping out at 746 it was definitely a night to remember. There was a slight hic-cup in our online transmission towards the end of the show and The SoundCheck sincerely apologizes for the technical difficulties. But you can be rest assured that The SoundCheck is in full swing more now than ever and we will be back at Rack’ems this Friday night rocking it out with two great touring bands…Stitched Up Heart and City Of The Weak with our own Local Original Music openers Fort Knights!! …And we’ll be broadcasting LIVE!!!

Until Next weekend peeps…Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,

 ~Christina

 

 

 

ROCK THE LOT – Saturday August 9, 2014

Benefit for Make A Wish Foundation @ Caloosahatchee Jack’s Bar & Grill

This was the longest day in the history of ROCK for me…and I enjoyed every precious second of it!!

I arrived early, about 3pm back stage to find the Master Coordinator Mr. Brandon Holiday from BH Productions and the Sound Ninja Mr. Dan Bolen from Mad Sound Productions not just setting up one stage…but two stages. With the exuberant amount of stagehands all doing their part in a time constricted fast pace …I was on my best behavior to stay out of the way. The musical assault that was in place to grace the stages consisted of some of the most accomplished musicians and bands to enter our Original Local Music Scene. With Sheena Brooks, Remedy X, F, Saints Of Rebellion, Nine Mile Drive, Oblivious Signal and our beloved Before The Fire…This was an all out star studded event!

Some of the bands I have seen and have written reviews on but some of them I had the pleasure of finally getting to hear. One in particular was Sheena Brook. The dynamic duo of Sheena and Scott Krehling is a match made in musical heaven…even St. Peter would be jamming his wings off. With the excellent combination of a little bit country and a little bit Rock & Roll it’s no wonder why Sheena Brook appeals to such an enormous audience. There’s no need to choose which genre she produces because it’s the perfect mix of both. I first saw Sheena perform at The Dixie Roadhouse back in 2012 opening up for Sevendust. This little bottle of high-energy musicianship has come a long way and it’s been awesome watching her develop into the exquisite performer she is hailed for and we are blessed to see today. Forget about Jesus…We drank, drank, drank our way to Sheena!! She is the ultimate performance to make any bad day turn around and ROCK!!

“Hero” closed out Sheena’s set and rightly so. With a kick-ass rock beat and the quintessential drumming of Sean Robbins doubling on bass beats and Scott’s grinding riff’s it produced the perfect lead into our next band up…Remedy X! And what could I possibly say about Remedy X that I haven’t said already. I’ve done 3 reviews on them and they never cease to amaze me…3 of the best guys I’ve ever known. Josh, Patrick and Sean are the dynamic trio that continue to impress us every chance they get. They do it professionally; with amazing talent and pure humbleness in it’s natural form.

F took to the spot light and then it was time for the National act that so many were waiting for Saints Of Rebellion! Now you want talk about a true hard rocking and working band if I ever saw one …Saints Of Rebellion takes a prize for sure. I’ve come to know these guys as personal friends and always enjoy a good melt your face off rocking set by them. Taking the time out of their busy “New American Dream Tour” to Rock The Lot for Make A Wish is exactly what these guys are all about. Coby DeShazo shines through with his amazing vocal capabilities capturing and mesmerizing the crowd while the Guitar Gods smile down on John Adams and the tasty riffs he produces from his axe grinding it all down to the unstoppable Jay Hitaffer on Bass and new comer drummer Anthony Hitaffer. The prodigious duo of the Hitaffer brothers heading up the rhythm section in SOR is the magical choice and well done. The amazing on stage network that SOR has is fascinating to watch. I’ve spoke of bands being more than just musicians playing music before…They are a brotherhood hands down and anytime they come to town I always make plans to see a show…You should too and to keep up on their tour schedule you can hit their Facebook page up as well as the SOR Street Team Page and it would be in your best interest to get a copy of their debut album “New American Dream”…It ROCKS!!

 https://www.facebook.com/saintsofrebellion

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/sorstreetteam

Next up…Nine Mile Drive!!! Do I really need to say any more? Just an amazing, off the chain, awe inspiring, show stopping big huge package of total incredibly magnificent talent!!! There certainly isn’t too much more to say than that except if you’ve never seen these 5 amazing men on stage…You are the biggest fool!! Check out my exclusive interview with Nine Mile Drive on The SoundCheck Blog at:

https://thesoundcheck1.wordpress.com/bands/nine-mile-drive-the-ups-the-downs-and-the-drive-to-keep-pushing-forward

Newcomers to our area were a great band from Fort Lauderdale…Oblivious Signal. Now…the lead singers name is Cristina so I KNEW I was going to like this band before they even played one note…but I was wrong…I LOVED them!! Combining melodies and hard pounding riffs into one musical assault was in its extreme prime with this band. Cristina’s unique vocals and stage presence is something that I think other female musicians should be inspired by. The tiny ball of fire that encompassed the stage with a beautiful melodic voice encompassed with riveting growls that would give Maria Brinks a straight up run for her money. There’s no comparison that I have seen yet. Cristina is backed by the impeccable talents of Nick Orisino on Guitar, Greg Andrews on Bass and Jason Tally on Percussion and I would have to say that Oblivious Signal is the perfect combination of talent, looks, musicianship and professionalism on and off stage that I have witnessed in quite some time. Follow Oblivious Signal on their Facebook page as well as purchasing their new single Crash and their 2010 album “Into the Night” which features the single The Inflicted Shame. This is definitely a band I am going to keep my eyes and ears on!!

Last up on the musical roster were our beloved Before The Fire guys. Not enough can be said about this band both musically and personally. Five great guys…Five outstanding musicians with their picture next to the definition of stage presence!! BTF has proved to us time and time again to be one of those bands that all of a sudden just nail it the way it was meant to be…and this was by far the most exquisite close to a perfect day!! With a big huge shout out to our SoundCheck photographer Denise for hanging in there with me through the incredible heat and assisting me with a First Responder Emergency as well as Brandon Holiday of BH Productions, Dan Bolen of Mad Sound Productions, Michael Koch, all the stage hands and of course the bands and Caloosahatchee Jacks for making it a memorable day as well as for a great cause…You all ROCK!! And I was honored to a part of it!!

So until next weekend keep rockin’ it like you own it!!

Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,

~Christina

:::Click here for the full photo gallery at The SoundCheck on Facebook:::

 

 

 

 

Rack’em Billiards – Friday August 8, 2014

Remedy X, F and Blood Wise

So Friday was an awesome day at my regular job and that just led into what became one of the most fun evenings I had in a long time. So many great friends in the crowd, tasty beverages and great music!!

Remedy X – SW Florida

The night started out with one of my favorites…Remedy X. I can’t say enough about those 3 guys. Josh, Patrick and Sean just make it seem totally effortless to perform some great music. With their mix of Rock and classical orchestrated pieces and then you throw their crowd-winning attitude and stage personality you have the perfect collaboration. Remedy X surpasses the limits and always delivers a great show. I always try to catch their show because not only are they perfect at what they do…they are 3 of the most humble and down right genuine guys you’ll ever have the pleasure of hanging out with. Follow Remedy X and keep up on their busy show schedule at:

 https://www.facebook.com/needtheremedy

Next up on the stage-front was F. I had never heard these guys before but if you can imagine Bon Scott fronting The Sex Pistols with a Misfits sound…you got one hell of a Punk Rock show!! And that is truly what it was!! I was standing there in awe at the amount of fantastic energy that F brought to the stage! The quintessential frontman, who ironically is known as “F” put on a show that was unbelievable. If any band could bring me back to the days in New York City when punk was hitting every sector of the Bowery it’s definitely F. If you like old school pure punk rock get out to an F show ASAP!! To follow F and keep up to date on their show schedule check them out on Facebook and their website at:

 https://www.facebook.com/Fofficialpage

 http://officialfsite.com/F_Official_Band_Home_Page.html

Last to grace the Rack’ems stage was a local favorite…Blood Wise. There is not enough can I say about Brian Santangelo and his comrades. They are hard core Rock & Roll in it’s truest format. I always love the raw energy that spews from this band. There’s never a dull moment in their set at all. If your looking to catch a show that’s raw bones rock then I suggest you hit up a Blood Wise show. The energy coming from the stage as well as the audible assault will be well worth the trip you made. To follow Blood Wise on Facebook just slam on the LIKE button at:

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blood-Wise

So this was just the start to the magical music weekend that encompassed our area. Please stay tuned to The SoundCheck as the review for Saturday’s ROCK THE LOT is coming up as well as announcements for next weekends show at Rack’ems featuring GEARS and 3 of our areas hottest and hard hitting bands…Before The Fire, Nine Mile Drive and What The Wolf Is!! #StayTuned #StayExcited

There’s more coming up right here at The SoundCheck…

Rack’em Billiards – Saturday July 26, 2014

Carnival Of Soul, The Defiant and Snickelfritz

Yup!! Slacking again…I know! Busy Monday at the office so I apologize to all the readers who were expecting this to come out yesterday!

Saturday night was met with the onslaught of Carnival Of Soul! I’ve seen these guys perform before but with the hanging of friends and alcohol induced fun times I’ve never been really able to actually listen to their music and watch a full performance. It was a definite epiphany for me and I kept saying to myself “Self…why haven’t you paid attention sooner?” Carnival Of Soul peeked my interest as Christopher Corridino helped us out in sound checking our new 840 MXL mics for the live streaming. Taking classically inspired riffs and turning them into a tailored, well composed set that Carnival Of Soul has made as a top notch band in our scene. I was thoroughly impressed with every nuance they brought to the stage. I will say I get a bit nervous when I see a keyboard being brought in. In my opinion (and don’t shoot me folks…this is just an opinion…everyone’s got one), keyboards take up a lot of real estate in a band if they aren’t performed, produced and played correctly. However, Sean Bryan is about as perfect on the keys as perfect can be. Not taking away from the sound or over playing it but adding the perfection of the utmost tastefully done synth and sampling that I have seen since I am a HUGE fan of Love In War. Perfecting the rhythm section is Jim Argentino on Percussion and Dan LaMantia on Bass and rightly so given the incredible timing and perfect beat for every song. Those 2 are animals with the rhythm. Never faltering. I heard absolutely not one flaw in Carnival Of Souls set. It was absolutely perfect. And being a flautist myself I thoroughly enjoyed Jessica Wilsons added touches to the songs that included the flute. It is my master instrument and it is always a pleasure to hear one’s orchestral influence performing perfect instrumentation in a rock and roll band! So Carnival Of Soul gets 5 Stars from The SoundCheck and a huge shout out for starting the night out with 172 streamers on our Live broadcast! I can’t wait to see these guys and girl back on the stage at Rack’ems. But until then follow their schedule on Facebook at:

 https://www.facebook.com/CarnivalofSoul

Next up to the stage was The Defiant!!! One of my all time favorite bands! What can I say that I haven’t already said about this infamous, political propaganda of musically gifted guys? They are the epitome of stage persona perfection in every aspect of the words. Bringing an incredible audible assault while relaying a message in every song. This is The Defiant!!! I remain tried and true to my favorite song by these guys…Infidel! That song gets me wanting to march my ass down 5th Avenue in Naples shouting, “We are the 99%” (which I’ve been known to do). Just a really deep impacted song with such an incredible message to bear. I strongly urge everyone out in The SoundCheck ReadersLand and beyond to purchase The Defiant’s self titled CD!…and while your at it check out their Facebook Page and keep up with their busy schedule as well as their website!! Can’t wait to see these guys at the Industry Showcase this year at The State Theater in St. Pete!!

 https://www.facebook.com/wearethedefiant

 http://www.wearethedefiant.com

Last up to the stage was Snickelfritz’s Final Show. The duration of the Snickelfritz has lasted a few years leaving a legacy of hard melt your face off riffs and beats to make any crowd mosh with a superior smile on their face. I had the pleasure of hearing Snickelfritz for what coincided to be my first time and ultimately my last time. Either way…I’m glad I had that chance. We here at The SoundCheck wish all the best of luck and fortune to the remaining members of Snickelfritz and their separate endevours…and big shout out to Eric DeMayo who filled in on bass!! You sir…are the BOMB!!

While the Snickelfritz Empire has been laid to rest…there is a new dawning of a new band. Please come on out on Friday, August 1st to Rack’ems to hear the debut of Eric DeMayo’s new band Bargin Bin Heroes. It’s a fresh new sound for your ears to encompass. We are so excited to be Live Streaming this show as well which will ultimately consist of Jose Garzon, My Dearest Desire, All Gone Grey and Jeff Greene. Hope to see you all there at “The Heart of the Local Original Music Scene in Cape Coral…Rack’em Billiards…It’s Where The Magic Happens”

Until next weekend peoples…Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,

~Christina \m/

Rack’em Billiards – Friday July 11, 2014

Jack Mantra, Surface The Sun and Vegas Death Rays

So Friday night I ventured out into the great unknown to hear a slew of bands that I haven’t heard yet…Jack Mantra being one of them. Hailing from the Tampa, Florida area, this band was the definite excitement for Friday night’s festivities. I listened to them before hand for a little while at work on Friday afternoon and really liked what I heard. So…being the skeptic and musician that I am I said there’s got to be a hook…and I bet you they don’t sound like that live. Well, call me an idiot for thinking that way because these guys were great!!

The dynamic quartet took the stage at Rack’ems at 9:30pm sharp and owned it right throughout their set leaving no prisoners. The crowd seemed to evolve throughout the set as well. I observed people laying down their pool sticks to get a gander of the awesomeness that was unfolding on stage. Darell’s vocals soared above the crowd and the energy he portrayed was seemingly precise and substantiated for the eminent relationship he developed early with the crowd. I would actually really like to see collaboration with this band and Fight Another Day as the two bands have very similar sounds and both lead singers have an incredible energy to dictate to this crowd.

Backing Darell’s prodigious vocals is the hard-core center of Jack Mantra. Joseph on guitar sets everything into motion with just the right amount of shredding that is most tastefully done followed by the most melodic sound that molested my ears. Joseph has got the right touch of it all. Heading up the backbone of this fantastic quartet is Mike on drums who is precise on every fill with a perfect meter to match which gives Larry on bass a perfect opportunity to showcase the incredible musicianship that he expels all over the stage. These songs have great composition and are tastefully melded into a melting pot of high energy in your face rock & roll…This is music!! And my luck would have it I got one of their CD’s!! I’m thinking you all need to get it too…You’ll be rocking and jamming in your car all the way down I-75!!

Follow Jack Mantra on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/jackmantraband

…And on Reverbnation at: http://www.reverbnation.com/jackmantraband

Next up to the stage was Surface The Sun. If you want down right meat and potatoes rock & roll that’s what you get with STS. With good clean riffs and tight composition picture Corrosion of Conformity meets Pantera. Clean straight up Southern Metal is what I get from this band. Lanny, Curtis, Mike and Jeff always deliver a great show for their fans. You can follow Surface The Sun on Facebook and hit up their Reverbnation page as well…

http://www.facebook.com/Surface-The-Sun

http://www.reverbnation.com/surfacethesun

Last to the stage was a local favorite. The Vegas Death Rays (I must ask the guys how they got that name). The first time I heard the VDR boys was with Chuck Cantasano who owns Storm Room Studios up in Port Charlotte, Florida. Chuck recorded their album Sick Love and may I say it sounds awesome! “Deathray Dave” as he is known by in these parts is an absolute treat to watch on stage. Not only in the vocal department but hitting up the bass duties as well. Great talent in that man as I have heard that playing bass and singing lead vocals is one of the most difficult musical tasks to pull off and pull off correctly. Well, Dave has no problem in that department. Lead Guitar duties go to Eduardo Pratti who is a shredding machine! His fingers move so fast it’s like watching a lightning storm implode right before your eyes. However, Eduardo’s shredding technique is so tastefully composed that it’s the lifeline of the Vegas Death Rays music. Within this incredible trio lays the heartbeat of it all Drew Banger on drums. Drew’s precise beat and rhythm has become a mainstay for this band. The Vegas Death Rays have this signature sound bringing Rock, Punk and Blues together and composing some of the most off the chain music. Drew has every facet measured out. With a perfect meter, style and technique this is the Vegas Death Rays!!

To follow VDR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VDRFLA

Check them out on Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/vegasdeatharays

And pick up a copy of their CD Love Sick: http://www.vegasdeathrays.net/merch

So this past Friday was a delightful night of great music! So many bands came out to the show as well…Big shout out to a huge favorite of mine Nine Mile Drive was in the house showing some great local support for fellow musicians as well as a couple of the guys from Before The Fire, PJ from Progressive Chemistry and Dustin Bunting from What The Wolf Is. See this is what our community is…we support each other. For the majority of us with the humble attitudes and the great music there is no other community like it in the world. I am so honored to be a part of it. And there’s big things happening this week as The SoundCheck and Rack’em Billiards teams up to video stream every show live around the world! Yes we’re going in and wiring up Rack’ems!! This will give all the bands a chance to expand their music across the United States and Trans-Atlantic!! The first show going live will be this Friday night coming up…be there for the entire world to see! Because… #ItsWhereTheMagicHappens

More information will be release on the global streaming as it becomes available.

Until then my faithful readers I will leave you with this awesome video of Vegas Death Rays performing the title track to their new CD …Sick Love!!

Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,

~ Christina

Rack’em Billiards – Friday, July 4, 2014

By His Stripes

Ok…Yes…I’m slacking. I know the review was supposed to be out yesterday and I do apologize to all my readers. It was one heck of a busy Monday after the 4th of July weekend with the most interrupting stupid sales calls at work…but good news!!…Google called and I won a Bahamas cruise for two if I bought some new product that melts away fine lines and wrinkles! Now let’s get to the music…

Friday night was the only night I went out and to specifically see the new faith-based band By His Stripes. Composed of the most amazingly talented musicians in our area this band has it all. They have the sound, the talent, the stage presence, the off stage presence and yes ladies…they have the look!

Kicking it into high gear front and center is Deven Starr. I’ve actually known Deven for a while as he wrote the percussion line to my song “We The People”. I’ve worked with him in the studio and written music with him. He never fails to impress me. His vocal ability has skyrocketed in the last year to an unbelievable new height and it was eminent that he has put an extreme amount of time into perfecting his vocal capabilities and constantly pushing himself to produce a spotless performance. The unequaled vocal performance from Deven Starr on Friday night was an unblemished Ace. He nailed every aspect.  With the great Mike Manzi on Lead Guitar there was no mistaking that reaching for the stars is not an unfathomable dream.  Mr. Manzi shows to us the quintessential essence that is needed to produce an incredible musician. With the fine tastiness of his clean riffs to the hard-driving metal distortion that is signature to him throughout our area. Mike Manzi throws it down and doesn’t quit until HE feels you’ve had enough. Being honest though I don’t think I could ever get enough of listening to Mike play. Within this great conglomerate band of musicians is the other half of the “Starr Team”…Eddie Starr, who is Deven’s father. As with Deven, I’ve known Eddie just as long and I’ve always loved the composure and performance that Eddie brings to the stage. His bass lines are clean, never over bearing and he sets the right pace for Michael Casella to lay down the most extraordinary percussion lines that I’ve ever heard this side of Miami. The rhythm team and backbone of this band is an audible impact that you will never forget. Mr. Casella is, in my opinion, one of the most talented percussionists I have ever encountered.  Fast, precise, technical and the heart this man plays with are like none I’ve ever seen. With all this magnificent music being made by some of the top musicians in our area the only logical thing to do is bring in a dynamic to the stage…Enter Marcus Ratzenboeck on Violin. Some of you may remember Marcus from the Nationally acclaimed band Tantric….and that’s awesome…but the proof is in the stripes people, Marcus is a force that is undeniable and unconstrained in By His Stripes. The aura that this man emanates from the stage is infusing. Capturing every aspect of the word “Dynamic”…Marcus is a potency of pure talent and consequently one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. So with the excitement of it being my first 4th of July in Cape Coral and the velocity of lamentation that encompassed my ears on Friday night from By His Stripes this would have to be one of the most superlative festivities I’ve had in a long time. By His Stripes doesn’t get 5 Stars from me…They get so many stars that I haven’t developed a scale for their level of performance!! If you want to see the most perfect performance and a band made up of the largest forte of talent in our area I suggest you go see a By His Stripes show. There’s no denying you could possibly be the biggest idiot if you miss one. So with that being said so does our review come to a completion. Get yourself some By His Stripes music and pick up their new self-titled EP on iTunes. Jump onto their Facebook page and STOMP on the LIKE button and SHARE it people!! You can also keep up with their demanding show schedule at their website:

BY HIS STRIPES ON FACEBOOK

WEBSITE: BY HIS STRIPES

In the meantime…Here’s a little teaser…

Rack’em Billiards – Saturday June 28 2014

Before The Fire – CD Release Party w/ special guests Stone Grey and Enchiridion

This weekend Rack’ems out-did themselves as an Original Music Venue. The caliber of bands and talent that radiated from the stage was the most over the top 2-Day extravaganza the area has seen in a while. Pair that with a cold tasty beverage and the greatest friends on the planet and you have yourself one hell of a 48 Hour Party!!

 Saturday night was the night of all nights. It was a night of memories, celebration and a bit of sepulchral reminiscing. To start the night out Stone Grey hit the stage with a driven dynamism that paved the way for the rest of the evening. The vocal deliverance of Eric Whitener was a serious exhibition of fluidness that kept the crowd entranced. This riff driven crazy ride on the Audible Perfection Train was pleasure to listen to and watch. Tyler Dusek on drums was hard hitting with excellent timing as Nick Mitchel laid down the bass line to a steamy lead guitar delivered by Tristen Dusek in one of the most amazing throw down performance. One of the things I liked about this young, fresh on the scene band was that they had no “Dead Air Space”. This band doesn’t waste any time going into the next song, which keeps the audience entertained and people listening. The only flaw I would say that this band had was too many covers. While the few originals they did were enticing and very well composed, if I wanted to listen to a cover band I would have gone to the Dek or Ralph’s instead. Although the deliverance of the covers were very well done there were just too many of them in their set. I would love to hear more original music from this band. I would definitely go see them again. Follow Stone Grey on their Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/Stonegreyband

The second band spot on the stage was our beloved local band Before The Fire. In spite of the recent member change in this band Before The Fire took the stage with the upmost charismatic presence we’ve all come to love about them. Enter new drummer Matt Anastasi…I had always been told of the prestigious essence of Mr. Anastasi behind the kit…but I was not prepared for what I heard or what I saw. I don’t think I have ever heard a double bass drum played like that before in my life. Anastasi brought his “A” game in high levels. With only minimal practice and an all day session with Russ Richey on bass the two played fluidly together to create an uncompromising flawless rhythm section and sound. Kit Garcia took full control of the lead guitar position as always throwing it down and bringing a precisely perfect performance to the stage. Killing it on guitar as well was Andrew Ziemba bringing the game to a new high level of sweet audible assault. Lead by the infamous charisma of Josh Poullion on lead vocals. Soaring above everyone’s already high expectations, these guys were honestly, hands down on the game and racing for the finish line. Presenting a stellar performance over all you wouldn’t expect anything less. Then finishing with a great cover of Sail with Ekotren’s John Sheldon joining Josh on vocals to produce an amazing rendition of the song the only way BTF could do it. The fans were in abundance, the music was impeccable and Before the Fire was on FIRE they get 5 Stars from The SoundCheck. Taking into consideration the amount of time Mr. Anastasi had to produce what he encompassed on the stage…he shares BTF’s 5 Stars and gets 5 more just for himself. You can purchase Before The Fire’s new EP Burn on their website at:

http://www.beforethefiremusic.com

And then follow them on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/BeforeTheFireMusic

Enchiridion closed the night out with an amazing set of in your face new metal. Originally forged from the Ft. Myers area these guys are 100% hard core. Screaming vocals unbelievable fast guitar work and a banging rhythm section. Hailing their influences of Mastadon, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Slayer this band is a crowd pleaser in their own right. You can follow Enchiridion on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Enchiridion/187691811264146?sk=timeline

So this weekend was a hit!! Friends, family, music, tasty beverages all at Rack’em Billiards…Cape Corals home of Original Music. “It’s Where The Magic Happens”. I just have one last thought and you can take it any way you want…

Sometimes what one sees on their path to glory is not what is written in the stars. Just know that there is a plan for each of us…and the right now is paving the way for the future. Be humble and be thankful… because when you look back at where you came from it will one day be nice to see the people you know standing behind you and supporting you every step of the way. Don’t look back and see an empty canvas.

Peace Love and Rock & Roll,

~ Christina

Rack’em Billiards – Friday June 27, 2014

This weekend started off with a big bang at Rack’ems. This weekends line up of Original Music was met at the front door Friday night with the return of Remedy X.
I really got a chance Friday night to listen to the musical composition and Josh’s lyrics. Josh Bond sounded exceptional bringing his vocal performance up to amazing heights. His performance brought the crowd sub-consciously on stage with him as he molested the crowd to a new euphoric state of mind. You could see Josh’s soul emanate from the stage as every song brought you closer and closer to what he was feeling. Rounding out the Rhythm section is Patrick Kuron on bass and Sean Holmes on percussion. Patrick brought his “A”-game once again as he always does with the perfect essence of the sweetest assault on your ears that thumps throughout your body. With Sean’s perfect rhythm and meter setting the pace for this dynamic performance that was displayed on Friday night. These guys are the quintessential perfection for the Vans Warped Tour. Keeping it steady in the #5 position with a Buzz Rating of 89.9% to play the Vinoy Park venue in St. Petersburg, it would be an honor for our area to be represented on this most coveted tour of some of the best musicians in the country. You can hear Remedy X on 96K Rock and you can vote for them to represent on the Vans Warped Tour 2014 at:

http://warped.battleofthebands.com/u/Remedy_X

Next up to grace the stage was a band that I had wanted to see for a while. I Woke Up Early For My Funeral. A hard driving, hard hitting band with the charismatic Brandon James leading you into a whirlwind of expectation exceeding limitless performance. Brandon’s vocal range and persona shined like the top of the Chrysler Building.   Honing in on the most melodic and beautiful musical arrangements I heard in a long time. Yes folks…Rock doesn’t always have to me screamed at the top of your lungs. With intensity behind the guitar riffs Ryan Christopher gives you an inside look to the talent that emanates from his melodic arpeggio work to his grinding in–your-face gritty exposure of the hard coreness he possesses. The rhythm section, which is composed of John Panaccione on Bass and Josh Henry on drums, is an audible triumphant sound. Depicted through insanely intense bass grooves and spot on drum fills, breaks and timing. This is one of the best backbones I have seen in a while. I Woke Up Early For My Funeral gets 5 stars from The SoundCheck. I hope these guys come back real soon to our area so those of you that didn’t get to see the live stage performance have a chance next time around. In the meantime you can go to their Reverbnation page and have a listen and better yet purchase their new EP Us Against The World on iTunes at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/us-against-the-world-single/id855244881

You can also follow the band and prepare yourself for their next go around here in Cape Coral, Florida at:

https://www.facebook.com/iwuefmf/timeline

Up last to Rack’ems stage but not the least for sure was our own beloved band Nine Mile Drive. This hard hitting emotionally driven quintet is the true essence of brotherhood on and off stage. I was granted an exclusive interview by their stage manager Chris Monaco that will be coming up on The SoundCheck later this afternoon. When you see a phenomenal band such as Nine Mile Drive perform it’s one of the most incredible shows you will ever experience. The soaring vocal range of front man JC is a force all it’s own. The untouchable magnitude of this band gives me chills every time I am able to catch their show. Friday night was no different. In fact Friday night was quite possibly one of if not the most off the chain performances I’d ever seen from them. They seize the day and take control every time. Josh Bond, front man/lead singer for Remedy X describes Nine Mile Drive, as “This is who they are”. Such few words with a powerfully compelling impact behind them. Seth Lester who encompasses Lead Guitar duties brought the game on and didn’t finish until Nine Mile Drive was sitting pretty at the end of the race. With his undeniably God-given talent he laid down the law for a night that was most memorable. Backed up with the unbelievable Rhythm Guitar of Josh Ballor and his intensity at the back vocals, this guitar duo is unquestionably in synch with each other. It’s almost as though you watching a great phenomenon unfold right before your eyes. Rounding out the rhythm section of this fantastic quintet is Dwayne ward on Bass and Marc Raissis on Drums. Now I must say if ever there was a synchronous duo you can bet my first answer would be Dwayne and Marc. These two are a force to be reckoned with. The hard soul thumping of Dwayne’s bass plus the hard hitting drive of Marc’s drumming provides the head banging metal horn raising back bone that we have all come to love from Nine Mile Drive. If you want to know more of the personal inside scoop on Nine Mile Drive and what keeps these guys sane, sound and driven, stay tuned to The SoundCheck later this afternoon for my exclusive interview with the band that keeps up the force…This is Nine Mile Drive…

To follow NMD and keep up with their insanely busy schedule follow them on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/NineMileDrive/timeline

Stay tuned…we got Saturday Night’s Review of the Before The Fire CD Release Show coming up next!!

 

Vans Warped Tour 2014

Vans Warped Tour 2014 just might be our year to put Lee and Charlotte County on the map as one of the music cities of the United States.  Think about it, when was the last time you saw any of our Local Original Music bands break out of the area?  Twisted Method?  How many years ago was that?…Yeah, that’s what I thought!  With the area of Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Port Charlotte producing some of our favorite bands to listen to at our local venues, wouldn’t it be an absolute awesome idea to have one of our local bands representing our area on one of the largest tours in the Nation?  Hell yeah it would be!  Currently lined up  in The Warped Tour Battle Of The Bands are 3 of our local favorites.  These bands are Simple Jack, When In Doubt and Remedy X .  Each band brings a different genre to the stage which is nice and all 3 of them are an impressive stage show to watch.

The Florida leg of the Warped Tour has three venues; St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach and Orlando.  These three bands are competing for  two of those areas collectively.  In St. Petersburg Remedy X and When In Doubt would like to be seen on the bill.  In West Palm Beach Simple Jack is making their mark.  The Official Rules for consideration is simple.  The band must maintain a Buzz Rating of 83%.  This is calculated by a real-time snap shot of each band’s overall exposure level. Taking into account both viral reach and real world factors that produce a rating percentage system giving you an accurate reading on each band’s relevance within the industry.  The Buzz Rating is also calculated by band votes, band plays and shares.  The other factor of winning a spot on the coveted tour is that the band must be in the top 100 which translates to being one of the top 5 bands for that particular venue.  The Buzz Ratings and known positions for each band in their respective location venue as of today (Thursday June 26, 2014) are as follows:             

Simple Jack  Buzz Rating 79.1%

Simple Jack is in the 8th position for the West Palm Beach, FL show at the Cruzan Amphitheater on July 26th, 2014.  They need to be in the top 5 which is considered their 83% mark.  Show your support for this awesome band that brings the force at every show.  Shaun, Jarrod, Tyler, Chris and Brian would appreciate your vote.  To vote for Simple Jack go to their Warped Tour Battle of The Bands page and vote, like, SHARE and play their music!  Let’s help get an infectiously awesome band from Ft. Myers on the map!!

Click here for Simple Jacks Warped Tour 2014 BOTB page

When In Doubt  Buzz Rating 77.1%

I wasn’t able to get a position on When In Doubt but at their current Buzz Rating standing it’s “No Doubt” that they have a shot at playing Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg by July 11th.  With only 6% holding them under.  Lets see how good you all are at Supporting Our Local Music Scene by getting these talented young musicians to the 83% mark.  Last year these guys were our music scenes stamp at the America’s Got Talent auditions…Let’s help Billy, Chris, Tyler and Dalton achieve that next big step.

Click here for When In Doubt’s Warped Tour 2014 BOTB page

Remedy X  Buzz Rating 89.8%

We Need The Remedy!  Yes these talented guys are in the 5th position for the St. Petersburg show at Vinoy Park!  We have a very good chance at getting them to their next big dream.  Remedy X is a big local favorite around here and it would be incredible to see this great alternative rock band grace the stage at the Vinoy.  Their sonic force of on stage persona is by far one of the largest spectrum of performance perfection I have seen…  and yes I believe “Everyone deserves a chance”.  Help Josh, Sean and Patrick fulfill that for which they have worked so hard for…Be a part of the REMEDY X ARMY!!

Click here for Remedy X’s Warped Tour 2014 BOTB page

So you see, it’s imperative that we vote for our local bands.  They are so close and this could be an unbelievable opportunity for them that doesn’t come around all that often.  Our local bands are the epitome of hard work.  They work their asses off almost every weekend to bring us a great show to our original music venues such as Rack’ems and Voodoo.  They spend a lot of sleepless nights in the local studios recording their CD’s for us to listen to and sometimes they provide it as a free download.  The only thing they ever hope to sell you is a t-shirt or two and maybe a $2.00 sticker.  Let’s band together and show Vans Warped Tour 2014 that Ft.Myers, Cape Coral and Port Charlotte have an extreme support system and the power to help out our guys achieve one more step towards their dream.  You can vote multiple times everyday for all three of our areas bands.  The cut-off date for Vinoy Park show in St. Petersburg is Friday July 11th with the show commencing on July 25th and the Cruzan Theater show in West Palm Beach cut-off date is July 16th with the show on July 26th.  Please vote for our local bands and help put us and them on the map for Vans Warped Tour 2014!!  Until then stay tuned to The SoundCheck for all your local music news and reviews.

Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,

~ Christina

Backstreets – June 21, 2014

Myth 

So in between sets at Rack’ems I decided to meet up with guitar builder extraordinaire Steven Brown of SGB Guitars and his beautiful wife Alex. I walked in and an even bigger treat was the fact that Myth was playing. Myth is one of my favorite cover bands. Now That Eric Freidmann is back in full swing singing lead vocals I feel all is right in Christina’s cover band world again! I always enjoyed Eric’s vocals but for some reason they were by far impeccable Saturday night. An unfailing performance of perfection! Eric has that incredible ability to present a phenomenal vocal line with screams and growls that are tastefully done in the most precise spots in the composition of these covers that he commands the audience and takes the song on with his own twist at every turn of the melody lines. I believe it’s an art form and a lot of other “wanna-be” melodic/scream bands should take a lesson or 2 from Eric on the precision art form that he has seemed to master so well. I was also surprised to see that Eric Rule had joined up with Myth on guitar. Ladies, ladies, ladies…might I just say that not only can Mr. Rule play guitar but he’s so fine to watch. Eric is a sure fire fit for Myth!! I saw him play with The Grayson Rogers Band a while (long while) back but I must say that his calling is straight-up Rock & Roll! The talent, the look, the persona, the onstage sexiness and the sound…It’s one bad-ass musician wrapped up in a damn good looking package. On Lead Guitar is the loveable John Leferlita. If there is one man in the scene here that is so easy to like it’s John…and he’s so tasty with those leads it’s undeniably evident that John takes to heart every note he plays and does it with an incredible attitude on and off the stage. So all this awesomeness is back up by Shawn Robbins on drums and Mike Williams on bass… These two have an infallible chemistry between them that makes for the strong backbone of Myth. Shawn brings an all inclusive awe-inspiring beat to everything he lays his drum sticks on while Mike is slapping out an ass kicking groove…Myth is one of the most high energy shows you will ever see from an igniting, contagiously invigorating cover band this side of Miami. If you have never taken in the audible assault of this band I suggest you do. You can follow all of the Myth updates at their page and if your lucky you might get the honorable label of being a MythFit like so many of us already are. And on one more note…Mick Wayne of Classic Rock Productions kicked it on the sound!! I’ve worked with Mick before when he did sound for me and I can tell you he is top notch and a pleasure to work with…Thanks for making us sound awesome Mick!!

Follow Myth’s Facebook page. STOMP, LIKE and SHARE here:::

Myth On Facebook