BlackDiamondSkye Tour: Alice in Chains, Deftones, and Mastodon

Back in April, I was given the choice to throw a birthday bash or buy tickets to the Alice in Chains, Deftones, and Mastodon on their BlackDiamondSkye Tour. [Actually a combination of the latest album from each band: Black Gives Way to Blue (AIC), Diamond Eyes (D), and Crack the Skye (M)] This intimate one month tour was a real treat for long time fans, Las Vegas happened to be the thirteenth and final stop. Without hesitation I chose the concert. As I was fortunate enough to purchase tickets on the pre-sale before they sold out, my punishment was the excruciating six month wait. AIC is easily on of my top ten bands, I love Deftones style, and Mastodon always puts on a great show; I knew this would be an epic show.
Although I don’t believe Mastodon has reached the level of success they deserve, every regular metal concert goer has seen them at least once. Mastodon typically opens for large rock concerts putting on high energy performances with true metal attitude, style, and shredding guitar solos. Tonight was no exception, only they were backed by two large screens projecting gritty video clips, great audio and lighting. Mastodon definitely warmed up the crowd with their headbanging music, playing a full setlist, and taking a moment to thank the fellow bands and their crew for making this tour happen.

During the short break, it became apparent that many of the audience were diehard Deftones fans, especially when the chanting started. Who can blame them though, in 2008 their bassist (Chi Cheng) was in a severe car accident that he has yet to recovered from. Although Chi has not been forgotten, many of us were simply grateful to have the chance to see Deftones live.
Deftones wasted no time catapulting into their set, taking fans back by hammering out a couple of old school classics, reminding many of us why we love their music. Chino was jumping and screaming across the stage, stirring the crowd into a frenzy, crowd-surfing and a pseudo-mosh pits errupted before security stifled them. Deftones rounded out a particularly well received set with tracks from Diamond Eyes and their self-titled album. Even after the crowd was totally rocked by Mastodon and Deftones, an incredible finale by Alice in Chains was still to come.
Alice in Chains teased the audience by wrapping the stage in a white sheet, keeping their setup hidden until showtime. When instruments began humming, colored lights and the tour logo were shown onto the sheet, suddenly dropping to reveal an elaborate two level stage covered in screens. Alice in Chains started off strong with many fan favorites from Dirt. Their sound was rich, full, and new singer William DuVall was the perfect choice for vocals, doing respect to former Layne Staley. Jerry Cantrell played beautiful solos with seemingly little effort, and DuVall joined in on acoustic guitar for a few songs. AIC choose a wonderful selection of songs from their incredible catalog, even returning to an underwhelming crowd to complete a three song encore.

The BlackDiamondSkye Tour was really like three shows in one, each band had the energy, skills, and fan base to have each headlined their own show. As this was the last stop on the tour, 4,000 fans were treated to a sentimental and over four hour concert with Alice in Chains, Deftones, and Mastodon. Due to my deep love for these bands, I will admit I was hesitant of the new band members, however both impressed me and did a fantastic job. This show was everything I wanted and more, quite possibly the best one of 2010.

Setlists:
Mastodon: Naked Burn, Divinations, Oblivion, Crystal Skull, Colony of Birchmen, The Czar, Megalodon, and Blood Thunder.
Deftones: Rocket Skates, Around the Fur, Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away), My Own Summer (Shove It), Diamond Eyes, You’ve Seen the Butcher, Sextape, Passenger, Change (In the House of Flies), Birthmark, Engine No. 9, and 7Words.
Alice In Chains: Them Bones, Dam That River, Rain When I Die, Again, Check my Brain, Your Decision, No Excuses, Love Hate Love, We Die Young, Acid Bubble, Lesson Learned, It Ain't Like That, and Rooster. Encore: Nutshell, Man in the Box, Would?

Neon Reverb #5

Las Vegas’ local organization, Neon Reverb successfully threw their 5th annual Neon Reverb Festival this weekend at several venues downtown and in the UNLV area. This non-profit community driven team is dedicated to help promote local artists and musicians through events, most notably their semi-annual festivals. Improved from last year’s festivities, Neon Reverb was backed by some big and local sponsors, helping make this massive 100+ artist 5 day extravaganza. Although though organization and timeliness were still issues, the more support we give Neon Reverb, the more we can expect to see in the future. For more information, check out Stardust Fallout

Friday, September 17, 2010 - Fremont St. - Downtown Las Vegas

The Entrance Band [Beauty Bar] – A big favorite of this festival, this psychedelic rock band did not fall short, taking the crowd to another level. The female bassist was heavily into it, twisting her body and smacking the bass intensely. The intense drumming was lightly covered by a melodic guitar and vocals. The Entrance Band lived up to their hype, however I think a few others outshined their performance.

Sweethead [Beauty Bar] – Lead by a sexy blonde that gave the audience quite a show, Sweethead is a 5pc L.A. band of ‘rockstars.’ Each had a distinct image and talent. The guitar player often switched from his guitar and to a keyboard in the same song. Of all the performances I had seen, this was the only band to add any lights/visuals. (fog machine and green laser) Sweethead’s heavy rock sound is well written and executed, I think they are ready for bigger things.

Casxio [Beauty Bar] – From the moment I heard Casxio's sound I fell in love. Their music was like classic disco/funk mixed to a crunchy beat, all live and on the fly. Not only was it a mix of the old and new dance music, but each of the four members were able to harmonize together while each playing their own intricate beat. Producing a voluminous sound carried by popping basslines and high male vocals I was dancing in no time. I’m thinking Ratatat meets Jamiroquai.

Tinglerz [LV Country Saloon] – A great follow-up to 400 Blows, Tinglerz had a similar punk rock energy, only more reminiscent of early Green Day. Both guitar and bass player were both very talented and active on stage. The bassist once jumped so high, he fell flat on the stage but didn't miss a beat. The Tingler put on a great display of pure punk rock.

Mini Mansions [Beauty Bar] – This band impressed me by how multi-talented each musician was. Full piano was also vocals, drummer played snappy drum beats up front and center also doing vocals, while the bass player held it down. Their unique contributions created an indie rock that was something I hadn't really heard before.

400 Blows [LV Country Saloon] – It's rare these days to see pure punk rock energy of truly jumping around stage and barriers, but this band had the spirit more than any other. The lead singer sported all black, gloves too, and silver aviators. As he screamed and truly gave it his all, the bassist and guitarist were doing equal damage to their instruments. High energy, loud volume, great show.

Imagine Dragons [Beauty Bar] – A local favorite that formed seemingly overnight and has been exploding in popularity with similar speed. I first saw them here at The Beauty Bar when they were just 3 months new and the audience included their moms. Being impressed then, Imagine Dragons has only seem to get better and better each time. The lead singer always entertains the ladies and puts on a fun show, this time breaking the mic stand during the first song. Time will tell if Las Vegas will love Imagine Dragon’s indie pop rock even more than the Killers.

Pigasus [LV Country Saloon] – Simply put, without Lynard Skynard, Pigasus could not exist. Pigasus nailed it with their good ol’ fashioned true American rock and roll. This 5pc rockband was exploding with talent, energy, and rock rhythm. Disappointingly the audience barely applauded their performance, even after the drummer destroyed his drum set on the last song. The bass player exclaimed, "C'mon! He destroyed his set?" C’mon Las Vegas, show some love for your scene!

Dude City [LV Country Saloon] – Unfortunately I think Dude City was a victim of bad timing. I walked in to find him alone onstage to an equally empty bar. He was a very talented acoustic rock singer, but with only a handful of us in the bar the room was quite uneasy. On Friday, the LV Country Saloon failed to get the numbers that the other clubs did, causing many bands to fall victim to an empty room.

The Webb Brothers [Beauty Bar] –The Webb Brothers had everyone's attention playing a quick pop beat with multiple vocals, filling the venue with sound. Their indie psychedelic pop reminded me of Panic! but better. I would like to see them again after some more fine tuning, I hope they return soon.

Taylor Locke & The Roughs [Beauty Bar] – Very talented 5pc band, many of whom already had recorded solo albums and projects. Their sound was melodic indie rock that was composed and completed with thoughtful lyrics. Although the crowd was sparse at the time, I believe Taylor Locke's sound would appeal to many.


Thursday, September 16, 2010 - Fremont St. - Downtown Las Vegas

LeTRAS [Beauty Bar] – A Latino influenced three piece indie band, headed by a female lead vocalist/guitarist. It was easy to hear their latin influence not only lyrically but composition as well. I think their music bridges a gap between mainstream and latino artists, they have great potential.

The Mad Caps [LV Country Saloon] – Put on a great high energy show. Just a drummer and guitarist/ vocalist produced incredible energy and true rock n roll feeling. Their music was rooted in the early rock beginnings with a fresh punk edge. I hope to hear and see more of The Mad Caps, they've really got something.

Close to Modern [Beauty Bar] – This four piece pop-rock band from Los Angeles played several toe-tapping songs and had a good sized crowd dancing. Although Close to Modern follows the typical pop-rock format, there was something new about their sound. I think with a little more experience, their music could really catch on.

The Growlers [LV Country Saloon] – Great surf rock band consisting of six members, pulling off an equally large sound. The lead singer was an interesting contrast to their music, there was something dark about his lyrics and voice as he would swoon across the stage. Not only was their music fun, they were able to get everyone out of their seats and dancing. One of my favorite performances.

Neon Venus [Beauty Bar] – I was immediately drawn into the music of Neon Venus. They played pop industrial rock headed by a sultry female vocalist. She slinked around the stage, crawled on equipment and the floor, provided both sweet vocals and loud screams, a perfect match to the bands deep driving sound.

Parlor Hawk [The Griffin] – A young classic folk band from Utah that due to circumstances fell short and had no choice but to leave behind two band members and a microphone. Playing an intimate set their music was melodic carried by Simon and Garfunkel styled harmonized vocals. Members shared instruments but keept a positive attitude throughout and put on a good show.

 Check out the full line-up here

Primus

This Saturday night, The Joint at the Hard Rock hosted a special midnight show, Primus. A generous friend of ours had one extra ticket to the show, but for the rest of us the envy started to sink in. Since most of us had never seen Primus, we decided to take a trip to the venue and buy any tickets available. It was a good thing we did, because when all eight of us arrived at 11:30, the show was sold out.
Primus came out to an elaborately decorated stage, on either side of the drums there were two giant spacemen with constant flashing images projected on their helmets. Les Claypool was wearing a suit, tall Lincoln style top hat, and bold round glasses, making himself look like an eight-foot tall ringleader. I knew immediately we were in for a one of a kind performance. Sure enough, after opening with Pudding Time, Primus did an incredible cover of Pink Floyd’s In The Flesh from The Wall. Primus already had the audience in a frenzy, cheering, dancing, and rocking out.
It was great to see Primus perform as a three piece, with Les Claypool, Larry Lalonde (guitar) and Jay Lane (drums). Even when Les would trail off into an experimental bass solo, the guitar and drums were equally as loud and creative; their music flowed together instinctively. The immense rhythms moved through your body and rattled your bones. Primus seemed to just go with the flow, playing random tracks, doing stylish covers, just jammed out playing; Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread, Behind My Camel (The Police cover), Groundhog's Day, Those Damned Blue Collar, Mr. Knowitall, Big in Japan (Tom Waits cover), and Over The Falls.
Not only did Les make his mad bass playing skills look easy, the sounds he was able to create were like nothing I had ever heard. The audience just stared in amazement when he came onstage with a monkey mask and played these deep, dark, grinding tones with his Whamola (single string stand-up bass). Just watching Les Claypool alone was an incredible show of unique instruments and sounds. Primus banged out the rest of their set with Eleven, Frizzle Fry, My Name Is Mud, Southbound Pachyderm, and an extended version of Tommy The Cat.
Fans chanted “Primus sucks! Primus sucks!” until they returned to the stage for an encore. Primus gave all they had left with Over the Electric Grapevine and Too Many Puppies. The whole crowd took this last oppotunity to dance, get crazy in the pit, and even crowd surf. Primus had managed to take all 4,000 fans on an incredible two hour journey through their music, visuals, and truly unique experience.

Primus was an incredible show and even many veteran fans were gushing about it is one of the best shows they have ever seen. The Hard Rock exploded with thousands of people at 3 a.m., some waited in the garage for an hour to leave, others stayed and partied till dawn. The upside to sticking around after a concert in Las Vegas, a couple hours later a few of our friends got the chance to have a drink with Les Claypool himself. Thank you Primus, it really doesn’t get any better than that!

Be sure to check out a behind the scenes look at Primus in Las Vegas.

Sublime with Rome and The Dirty Heads

The return of Sublime to the stage, is an amazing feat in itself. Since the death of Bradley, I don't think either the band nor it's fans ever expected Sublime to recover. Rumors have been flourishing for years that Sublime would again return to the stage, but until that day came, I was a strict non-believer. Well, today is that day, Sublime with Rome, The Dirty Heads, and Del Mar are putting on a sold out show at Mandalay Beach.

Due to severe lack of planning, it was already the day of show and we needed four tickets. Typical of most desirable concerts in Las Vegas, a large percentage of "sold" tickets were in the hands of scalpers, who were asking triple face value per ticket. Since I refuse to support these scum, I hung around the Mandalay Bay Box Office for hours until finally at 6pm, more tickets were released for sale. Stressed and down to the wire, none of that mattered now, we were going to Sublime!

Although we missed the special performance by Matisyahu at 2pm, we arrived just in time to catch a few songs from Del Mar. The Beach already looked heavily occupied, we grabbed a spot in the sand while we had the chance, and people filled in all around us. The reggae/ska music, warm breeze, and the feeling of sand on your hands and feet was just right. Everyone was chilling, drinking, and passing joints as time seemed to melt away.
The Dirty Heads surprised me with their record quality live performance. Each member, including Rome on guitar, played clean, cool grooves and put on a relaxed show. I even more impressed withe The Dirty Heads when they closed with a truly unique version of The Rolling Stone's Paint it Black. If you weren't in front of the stage getting your skank on, then you were holding down the blanket, drawing pictures in the sand. It was a perfect evening for beautiful music and beautiful people. The only thing killing the vibe was the 30+ minute drink lines and the seemingly endless influx of people, walking all around you.

By the time Sublime hit the stage, the audience was already bursting with anticipation. We were a sea of anxious fans, who had been waiting for a Sublime show for over a decade. Sublime with Rome played an incredible two hour setlist: Date Rape, Smoke Two Joints, April 26th 1992, Get Ready, Seed, Jailhouse, Ebin, Garden Grove, Let's Go Get Stoned, Right Back, Dont Push, STP, Greatest Hits, Badfish, Let's Go Get Stoned, Panic, 40oz. to Freedom, Doin' Time, and Wrong Way. Sublime even had enough energy left for a bittersweet encore: Scarlet Begonias, What I Got, and Santeria.
Rome was full of energy and I thought he really did justice to the legacy Bradley left behind. The band flowed together naturally, songs easily transitioned into one another, recognizing every guitar riff and singing along as one. Every spot at Mandalay Beach was great, whether you stood back in the sand, up front in the water, or to the side in either pool. I heard many fans exclaim that the “aqua pit” was by far one of the most awesome and unique experiences they had ever had.

The vibe was so incredible and the feel of the elements all around really made it feel like a private beach party with Sublime. Everyone left the venue smiling ear to ear and just raving about how impressed they were with Rome. If you are a Sublime fan, I would suggest traveling to a show near you. This opportunity to see Sublime with Rome and The Dirty Heads should not be missed by anyone.

Tool

The sold out Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood welcomed 7,000 fans to see Tool Friday, July 16, 2010. Tickets went on sale within thirty days of the show and were gone within minutes. Although I have always loved Tool, a performance I saw from Perfect Circle in 1999 turned me off to seeing Maynard or Tool for many years. After much persuasion by several friends that had seen Tool over the years, I was quite excited to see Tool for my first time.

Prior to the show, a group of us were having drinks at the Halo bar in front of the Theatre. As the showtime was fast approaching, we finished our drinks and went looking for the end of the line. We followed the line of Tool shirts all the way around the mall, nearly to the parking garage. I was astounded! It was obvious the Planet Hollywood event staff was not prepared to handle the 7,000 fans, as the parking garage was completely full and the entrance line wrapped all the way around half of the mall.

Being Vegas natives, when you and thousands of other people are trying to get in the same place, you make a deal with the doorman. It paid off that we got in without an hour wait, but we ended up waiting that long for the show to begin, since they delayed the show until everyone was in the venue. I could only imaging the pandemonium that would ensue if Tool started their show while half the ticket holders are still waiting to get in. Planet Hollywood made the right decision to delay the show, but let’s make sure we are prepared next time, huh.
Tool opened the stage loud, powerful, and vivid with one of my favorites, Third Eye. With just one song, I was already amazed with the colorful visuals, Maynard’s insect like dancing, Danny Carey’s relentless drumming, Adam Jones’ technical guitar, and Justin Chancellor’s deep driving bass. They all played so well together and off each other, the next song, Jambi sounded almost like a rock opera; each part more intricate and creative than the next.
Tool continued through an amazing song selection, bleeding one into another, the musical and visual onslaught was non-stop. (-)Ions, Stinkfist, Vicarious, Eon Blue Apocalypse, The Patient, Intolerance, Schism, and Forty-Six & 2. Applause and screams filled the theatre, as we all payed respect for the extraordinary performance we had just seen. Tool came out for an encore, with opening band Rajas’ drummer joining Carey creating this booming drum masterpiece on Lateralus. To wrap it all up, Tool closed with all lights flashing and an epic version of Ænema.
Tool’s music was so full, it filled the theatre and reached each soul deep and emotionally. The combination of the music you felt within combined with their visuals, is an incredible experience. Tool’s visual elements ranged from moving screens, to projectors, to lasers, to clips of their unique videos and lifeforms, all of which were completely created/inspired by Alex Grey. Whether you are a fan of Tool or not, the visuals alone are a sight worth seeing. This was a one of a kind performance that I was lucky enough to share with 7,000 other fans.
Originally published on Stardust Fallout 11 August 2010