May 2019 News

Foo Fighters, JOAN JETT and more Save The Day At Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival Day 3
from: musicmayhemmagazine.com
By Johnnie Crow



The first-ever Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival concluded on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The spring festival weather evacuation streak had let Sonic Temple go off without a hitch for 2 days, but day 3 brought gusting winds and ominous skies. The Wave Stage had to be shut down, and never reopened, canceling sets from Demob Happy, Scarlxrd, Basement, Black Pistol Fire, Refused and Scars On Broadway featuring Daron Malakian from System Of A Down. The other side stage, Echo Stage, had its video monitors taken down for safety, but was able to carry on with all scheduled acts â€" Teenage Wrist, Dirty Honey, Palaye Royale, Yungblud, The Interrupters, The Hives and JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. The Monster Energy Stadium Stage was able to get through 3 acts before shutting down due to wind conditions. Eventually the entire festival was evacuated to the parking lots for a couple of hours, but fans just started moshing and crowd surfing in the rain, using their car stereos for music. Main stage sets by The Distillers, Chevelle and Bring Me The Horizon had to be canceled, but fans were let back in and Foo Fighters went on as scheduled around 9:00. They played an exhilarating 2 hour set, quite long for a festival setting, which left most people satisfied, despite missing out on several bands.

The Echo Stage had a very eclectic mix of artists, from different countries, playing different styles. While these bands may not have been on everyone's radar, they all put on entertaining shows and definitely earned new fans. Palaye Royale wore coordinating red outfits. Their lead singer's movements are reminiscent of Mick Jagger's strut, but stepped up a notch with climbing and jumping off monitors. The guys looked great and played great, a sort of retro psychedelic metal. Yungblud wore a black dress, pink socks and patent leather shoes, perhaps a nod to the glam of his grandfather who was in T. Rex. He was so active on stage, his techs could not keep his microphone and guitar cords straight. At one point, he threw his guitar into the crowd, but then his tech got it back. The Interrupters are a ska punk band from LA. Lead singer Aimee Allen dressed like a 50's hipster. This band has the typical ska energy mixed with punk messages, such as the anti-bigotry "Take Back the Power". The Hives are an unusual, artistic band from Sweden. Their show was a bit surreal as the storm approached and the venue was evacuated under Code Red condition as they finished playing.

Amigo The Devil kicked things off on the main stage inside Mapfre Stadium. He looks like a cross between Johnny Cash and John Belushi. He strums and acoustic guitar or a banjo, while singing songs about death, dying and romance. He described himself as a fat Dave Grohl, joking that we start the day with the fat version, and then end with the skinny version. His ballads are very entertaining and quite philosophical, particularly if you pay close attention to the lyrics. Some of note are "You, me and the devil makes 3", "There's only one kind of people in this world â€" people who die", and "I've always been scared of loving someone just a little bit more than I'm loved". As the crowd screamed out for some Slayer, Amigo obliged with a nursery rhyme style chorus of Angel of Death.

The Glorious Sons, a Southern Rock band from Canada, were next on the stadium stage, playing under heavy rainclouds. Lead singer Brett Emmons sings with passionate intensity and crazy eyes of Janis Joplin, tossing in a bluesy harmonica solo to complement his vocals. The band gave a stirring performance, highlighted by their hit "Sawed Off Shotgun". The Struts are a theatrical English band, featuring Luke Spiller on vocals, sporting a fabulous black and white costume. His great stage presence and style are reminiscent of Tim Curry in Rocky Horror. He had the crowd moving their feet from the minute he got on stage. He shared how his record label told him to "stop with the fucking make up. Stop with the fucking weird clothes. It will be bad for your career." His reply was " But I do it so well!".
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Stevie Nicks, Nancy Wilson, JOAN JETT and more to auction items for charity
from: loudersound.com
By Scott Munro



High profile artists from across the music world come together to support charities that empower female, transgender, and gender non-conforming youth through music.

Stevie Nicks, Nancy Wilson, JOAN JETT, Patti Smith and Lita Ford are just some of the names who will sell items to raise money for charity later this month.

They've come together in collaboration with Reverb to generate cash for 10 charities that empower female, transgender, and gender non-conforming youth through music.

The Girls Rock Reverb Gives Auction will get under way on May 21 and run through May 28 and will feature used or signed music gear, memorabilia, concert tickets, VIP experiences and more.

Some of the featured items include a microphone signed by Nicks and a Nancy Wilson autographed Oscar Schmidt Autoharp. Signed albums will also be available to bid on along with a wealth of other exclusive items.

Other artists donating items include Evanescence's Amy Lee, the B-52s, Mavis Staples, Chelsea Wolfe, Bonnie Raitt, Annie Lennox, Sharon Van Etten, Chvrches and dozens more.

Those interested in the auction are asked to register on the Reverb website before May 21.