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 – 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 – 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!!