Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt The Breaking Benjamin show at The Orbit Room in Grand Rapids, Michigan sold out very quickly. It’s hard to believe that most fans were unsure of the band’s fate after a brief hiatus a few years ago. When there were a few sightings of lead singer Benjamin […]
Written and Photo By Ashley Zlatopolsky Crosses made their Michigan debut at Pontiac’s Crofoot Ballroom, one of only four stops on a weeklong tour. Other cities on the run include St. Louis, MO, Nashville, TN and Chicago, IL. Fronted by Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno, Crosses is a mellower side project that embraces a softer version […]
Written By Jessica McNinch Photo By Nate Michayluk Arriving at Freedom Hill Amphitheater for the Mo Pop festival, I was immediately pleased that our rainy Michigan summer seemed to be granting us a welcome reprieve. Attending outdoor festivals during the summer literally helps some of us get through the long winters. This festival had so many […]
Written by Mel Says The World Wide Web is a place of infinite opportunities for musicians if they can figure out a way to break through all of the “Listen to my band” clutter that floods every avenue of social media each day. Whether by luck or strategy, Captain Ivory were able to catch our […]
Bub Smith of Schwegweb had a chance to sit down with the Henry Rollins and here is what came of it. Intense! Schwegweb: In 2010 you had the “privilege” to visit North Korea… Henry Rollins: Yeah, Well it wasn’t exactly a “privilege”. It was a very, very difficult visa to get. It took three years […]
Search The City Is Back To Remind Us Of Detroit’s Secrets Written by Mel Says & Nathan Ryall Everyone knows that empty feeling that anchors itself in the pit of your stomach when a band that holds a special place in your heart and has probably gotten you through some tough times, has decided to […]
We Really Hit Our Teenage Angst in Our Late 30’s; An Alleyway Chat with Sean & Shawn Of Child Bite Written by Nathan Ryall & Mel Says If the heavy melodic rock band Mastodon were a 6-foot-3 piece of Rock & Roll man meat, punk rock sensations The Dead Kennedy’s were a sexy little red head with rockin’ tits, […]
Flint Eastwood Gets Their Bolo Tie On at The Loving Touch Written By Mel Says & Nathan Ryall BackRoads with Phyllis just spent the weekend partying at The Loving Touch in Ferndale with some of Michigan’s more notable bands from both sides of the mitten. Fresh off of a Friday night hardcore show at the […]
A Bathroom Quickie With Jason Stollsteimer Of The Hounds Below Written by Mel Says and Nathan Ryall “The first thing I do when I get to a venue, like five hours before we play when nobody is there, is just go in the women’s bathroom and sit on the couch,” Stollsteimer says as we are […]
Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt This past week has been an odd one for singer Scott Weiland, mainly about his questionable removal as the singer of Stone Temple Pilots. However, this still is up in the air according to the frontman. He didn’t touch on the subject during his sold-out performance on […]
Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt Coheed and Cambria made a stop at the Congress Theater in Chicago with support from opening bands Between the Buried and Me and Russian Circles. Even though the balcony was closed for repairs, it didn’t stop fans from filling up the main floor to bursting as they […]
Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt Journey’s previously postponed concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana blew fans away on Sunday. Originally Pat Benetar and Loverboy were supposed to open for Journey in November, Night Ranger stepped in for Pat Benetar, but didn’t end up playing that night because of a band member being sick. […]
Written by Mel Says and Nathan Ryall It is very easy to forget the breadth of Detroit music when we are sloshing around in back rooms of cramped bars, listening to the thrilling sounds of high flying guitars and slamming bass drums But when we can take a step back from that explosion of energy, we remember […]
Written by Mel Says and Nathan Ryall If Gotham City has Batman, the state of Michigan has Joe Hertler and his band of Rainbow Seekers. No, they don’t fight crime or have an underground lair (I don’t think), but they do have the same passion and pride for the state they call home. Throughout their […]
The Scenery’s Story Of The Road By Nathan Ryall and Mel Says When you first hear The Scenery, it is easy to tell this band has something different to offer. It’s not their sound, which is an incredibly infectious fusion of indie, pop and rock; and it’s not the amazingly talented and unique vocal styling […]
Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt Hollywood Undead @ Saint Andrews Hall, Detroit Michigan 1/16/13 On tour supporting their most recent album Notes From The Underground, Hollywood Undead performed a sold-out show at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit. As fans filed into the venue from the freezing cold and having no opening bands, […]
Written by Mel Says Photo by Nick Fracassa If you were to ask any of the guys in the Warren, Michigan post-hardcore outfit Mayor Mayor just how they decided to reform after their disbandment in August 2012, you better have some time on your hands as the story is quite complicated, long-winded and full of […]
Written by Nathan Ryall and Mel Says Photo by Nathan Ryall and Mel Says The moments before Bars of Gold lead singer Marc Paffi belted out his first bit of vocals would be the last his legs would move at a reasonable rate. These moments would also be the last few that the Friday night […]
Afrojack wsg: Quintino @ XS Nightclub at Encore, Las Vegas NV 11/3/12 Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt Afrojack is no stranger to Las Vegas, having played over five times already this year at various locations including the huge Electronic Daisy Carnival festival back in August. Two of those times were less than […]
Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt Guns N’ Roses @ The Joint at the Hard Rock Casino, Las Vegas NV 11/2/12 Guns N’ Roses have set up a string of dates in one of the most fitting cities around: Las Vegas. The residency at The Joint, a venue at The Hard Rock Casino […]
Smoking Unlit Cigarettes: A Parking Lot Hang with Cadaver Dogs By Nathan Ryall and Mel Says It was apparent early in Cadaver Dogs’ set that drummer Lex Vegas did not conform to the typical 3-piece outfit where the drummer sits in the back and simply keeps time. Even with frontman Mat Franklin’s overwhelmingly prominent sexual […]
Shoe Gaze, I Love That Genre: A chitchat with Dryvel By Nathan Ryall and Mel Says I drink beer and rock out to Dryvel, reads the beer coozie that drummer Matt Marriott tosses our way; and we can tell without even hearing this band that we are going to like what they have to offer. […]
Photo By: Nathan Ryall Written By: Nathan Ryall and Mel Says “This one’s called ‘Better Off (Strictly Doods)’, except for this chick right here,” said lead singer Chad Nicefield in almost a mumble, pointing at Backroads with Phyllis’ Mel Says. This would be the least audible Nicefield would be for the rest of the night. […]
Written By Nathan Holt Photo By Nathan Holt Touring in support of a new upcoming album can be an interesting thing. It gives the fans a fresh feel for the setlist with new and sometimes unknown songs included. The show at Piere’s Nightclub in Fort Wayne, Indiana was no exception. With help from the bands […]