OBK CHANNEL

Author: Uncle Melon

  • Junior Prom: A dance tale of two contrasting instrumentalists (interview)

    Who needs a full band when you can create just as big of a buzz with only two members.

    After already driving more than 6,000 miles cross country to support Panic! at the Disco’s “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! Tour,” Junior Prom is ready for anything that comes their way.

    Based out of Brooklyn, N.Y. — Erik Ratensperger and Mark Solomich met four years ago and clicked right away. After spending time together playing in another band, the two rascals decided to to part ways from the project and begin working on what would become Junior Prom.

    “If you’re going to spend that much time with someone: sleeping, eating and driving together, you become pretty close to someone. We’re like brothers,” said Ratensperger in a recent interview.

    Junior Prom has been together for about two years. Prior to putting out music for anyone else to hear — or playing live shows — the two spent a year writing and preparing so that they could create the sound listeners know them for today.

    With an EP already under their belt, the duo’s self-titled project takes indie-dance and flirts it with pop elements; original enough to create their own lane but catchy enough that it follows the format of a traditional pop song. “Everybody’s enjoying it. Their kind of getting what we want to do,” said Solomich.

    Junior Prom transcends their studio records into a stage show jam-packed with dancing, sweatiness, and letting loose. The duo’s live show bring back the memory of the high school junior prom neither of the two members attended.

    “At the end of the day, we just want people to have a good time and not really worry about how cool they look at the show. We just want people to come out, dance and have a good time,” said Ratensperger.

    Much like any dance party, one must always be prepared for the worst. During Junior Prom’s set in Orlando, the crowd got a to see a different side of the group’s single “Sheila Put the Knife Down.” Following a malfunction with Ratensperger’s foot pedal, Solomich acted quick on his feet and decided to perform an acoustic rendition of the track — which got the “best reaction of the night.”

    Cheaper travel expenses and more legroom inside the white Dodge Caravan are just a few of the things the duo are enjoying on their road trip to stardom. Thanks to Ratensperger’s guitar and Solomich’s drumset, the two garnered a deal with Elektra Records and are putting their vision to work. As they prepare to release their debut full-length album, the band stated: “we will be coming correct with the live tour more. We are trying to put on a party where everyone to enjoy themselves.”

    For those interested in everything new regarding Junior Prom, Solomich states that you should keep an eye for them online as they will be putting out stuff on there. “ I think social media is the key to keeping people intuned with what’s going on with you,” he added.

    By OBK

  • Review: Paul Simon, Sting ‘On Stage Together’ at Amway Center

    Paul Simon and Sting on stage together calls for a few things: A style and genre merge of two musical icons from different decades ; an unusually big-sized backing band displaying an array of random instruments; and the remixing of many classical tunes.

    By appearance, the duo comes off as oddly stepbrothers, however sonically, the two come off as a force (even while causing a minor delay in the show time).

    “Sorry we’re late. I cut myself shaving, and did not want to come out bleeding all over my partner,” said Sting, at Amway Center on Sunday night, before he and Simon begin their two -and-a-half hour set.

    While the union did spend some time together on stage together, two-thirds of the show each artist was on stage alone with their respective bands. As they rotated on and offstage, singing together between mini sets one could see the differences in the two style. Simon and Sting opened the show together with “Brand New Day” and “Boy in the Bubble,” and closed the show with a four-song encore — “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Late in the Evening” and “When Will I Be Loved?.”

    Sting, 62, brings the personality and energy for the two. The tall, slender, balding rockstar setlist contained more of the explosive segments of the night. The singer-songwriter performed singles from the Police: “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “Driven to Tears.” During the performance of “Roxanne,”

    Sting also paid homage to a few other music icons, including the late-great Johnny Cash, performing single “I Hung My Head,” which he wrote. Sting would go on to tell the crowd about the time he and the Police first came to America during his early 20’s and toured the country in a station wagon. Prior to covering Simon and Garfunkel’s “America,” he stated: “growing up I wanted to be a writer, and Mr. Simon was the template.”

    The production was far from extravagant — no fireworks or stage antics, just a display of good ole fashion. Simon dwelled on this to the fullest, focusing mostly on tracks from his solo career with “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.”

    Simon, 72, ignited the predominantly middle-aged crowd to be very animated, as many of those seated in the front rows remained standing for most of the show (including the older fellow to the left of me, who had to be helped carted out with his wheelchair and oxygen mask.

    The floor security were kept busy the entire night, having to keep people in their seats and out of the aisle taking photos.

    in New York.” On the main floor, ushers were busy keeping people out of the aisles, while alcohol-enforcement personnel in bright-red shirts searched for concertgoers gone wild. Still crazy after all these years.

    While no one can replace Simon’s original partner Art Garfunkel, Sting and Simon showed that no one can have too many friends. Paul Simon and Sting’s “On Stage Together Tour” helps show that rock is the one genre where the older you get the more the people love you, rather or not they state is is only “experiment.”

  • ZZ Ward exhibits range of genres at ‘Last Love Tour’ at The Social (review)

    ZZ Ward exhibits range of genres at ‘Last Love Tour’ at The Social (review)

    By OBK

    ZZ Ward refused to let the DJ from the Beacham over power her sold-out headlining show show at The Social.

    As one of her songs would come to an end, the crowd could faintly hear pop beats banging through the venue walls. “What is that music, is that a club going on next door?,” asked the 27-year old singer out of Roseburg, Ore., born Zsuzsanna Eva Ward, before adding “we can get louder than them, trust me, we are just getting started.”

    By the time the doors opened to The Social, Friday night for Ward’s “Last Love Tour,” there was already a line wrapped around the corner of West Washington Street and Orange Avenue. Just an hour before that, more than 40 fans had already entered for the meet-and-greet, so early on in the night, one could see the making of of a personal show at the intimate venue in progress.

    Chicago-based The O’My’s opened the show with a 45-minute set. (OBK STAFF)
    (Photos from the night)

    Decked in a sheer black blouse with a black bra underneath (revealing enough to display sex appeal, but covered enough to show classiness), blue jeans, black boots and maroon fedora; Ward took the stage full of spunk and energy, backed by a bassist, guitarist, drummer, and black flag with her name on it.

    Ward’s “Last Love Tour” was kicked off with a mashup of Nina Simone’s “Be My Husband“ and original score “OVERdUe,” off of her earlier mixtape (Eleven Roses). Followed up by popular single “Put The Gun Down,” the hour-long set helped indicate that Ward was not an artist to be marginalized into a small box, exhibiting a vast of genres – rock, soul, blues, and hip-hop.

    The set also included a rendition of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” — which puzzled the elder members of the crowd, and excited those who knew of the origin of the record — accompanied by a harmonica performance.

    However, it was Ward’s original work which she encouraged to “snap ya fingers, and move your shoulders a little bit from the left-to-the-right. Before getting into “Charlie ain’t home,” Ward stated that “this one is for you folks who’s been wanting to move all night but couldn’t.”

    The 18-and-over show brought in a diverse crowd: woman of all ages empowered and dancing; older gentleman too sleepy (intoxicated?) to stand up on their own; and boyfriends who were “dragged out to the show” but ended up having a “better time than imagined.”

    Chicago-based band, The O’My’s, were the first supporting act of the night, and got everyone dancing early. The six-piece group blends rock with soul, creating a Big Band-Motown experience.

    The crowd moved with the band all night, as if they were a set they were very familiar; from their original works, to their final song — a tribute to Screamin Jay Hawkins “I Put a Spell on You.” The 45-minute set brought back a nostalgic feeling of watching my grandmother clean her house on Saturday morning, as me and my brother sat in front of the television watching cartoons and her vinyls played aloud throughout the rooms.

    Grizfolk took the stage after them, performing their last show in the states before heading overseas. The group promoted their latest project, “From the Spark,” which is out now. The band transitioned smoothly from song-to-song, with the most captivating changeover coming their cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees.” With the lead singer hailing from Pensacola, the crowd had a little more familiarity to their set then the first opening act, as he stated a good part of the audience was made up of close friends and family

    Ward finished the night with a remix of “Blue Eyes Blind.” A song-set that can have you wanting to dance one minute, thanks to the backing band who provided multiple drum and guitar solos throughout the night; but also have you wanting to just sit back and count the stars due to her raw voice and passion. While I knew it would not happen, at times I was hoping two special guest would join Ward on stage for “Criminal” (Freddie Gibbs) and “Cryin’ Wolf” (Kendrick Lamar); and was shocked when The O’My’s didn’t join her for “Lil Darlin.”

    The singer has been to Orlando multiples times in the past year, and after Friday’s show it’s no doubt that Orlando residents can expect her to come back soon; “One, because you guys are awesome; and two, because it’s pretty warm here.”

    Random: Ward is very in tuned to the things happening both on and off the stage. Funny of the night came when Ward joked “it smells fantastic in here,” as the security guard was making his rounds around the venue to find the two kids in the corner smoking marijuana — which he never did.

    Setlist

    Intro / “Be My Husband” (Nina Simone)

    OVERdUe

    Put The Gun Down

    Til The Casket Drops

    Cinnamon Stix

    Got It Bad

    365 Days

    Charlie Ain’t Home

    Lil Darlin

    Hold On, We’re Going Home (Drake)

    Last Love Song

    Everybody Wants To Be Famous

    If I Could Be Her

    Cryin’ Wolf

    Criminal

    Move Like You Stole It

    — — —

    Blue Eyes Blind (remix)

  • Photos: ZZ Ward, The Social Orlando Florida

    Photos: ZZ Ward, The Social Orlando Florida

    By OBK STAFF

  • Juicy J brings his ‘Never Sober Tour’ to Firestone Live

    Juicy J brings his ‘Never Sober Tour’ to Firestone Live

    When Juicy J is in town, you can expect to witness a side of your best friend that you may have never thought existed.

    Juicy J performs at the ‘Never Sober Tour’ at the Firestone Live in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 21, 2014. (Ty Wright / Valencia Voice)

    If one was to drive past Firestone Live, Saturday night around 6:30 p.m. and took a long look at the crowd waiting outside the venue, it would have been hard to guess that all those kids were waiting to see an artist responsible for creating 90’s rap group Three 6 Mafia — as the “X’s” on their hand proved they were not even born when he started his career in the business.

    Twerking, bottle popping and clouds of kush smoke are always on the schedule for a Juicy J concert, and the Orlando stop of the “Never Sober Tour” was no different.

    Restless fans of all ages, races, social statues and backgrounds got extra lit as the trippy rapper — out of Memphis, Tenn. — took the stage at Firestone Live (three hours and fifteen-minutes from when the first act took the stage). For those who managed to make it all the way to see the trippy king, and not get kicked out due to fighting or fainting, they were in for a treat.

    While Juicy J ran through a majority of his anthems, including “Bandz a Make Her Dance,” “Bounce It” and “Scholarship” — which got all the ladies dancing on the stripper pole off to the side of the stage — he did manage to slow it down and add a personal aspect into the show.

    During his acapella version of “A Zip And A Double Cup” the crowd was at it’s all-time high, rapping the lyrics in perfect harmony.

    Project Pat opens for Juicy J’s ‘Never Sober Tour’ at the Firestone Live in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 21, 2014. (Ty Wright / Valencia Voice)

    Before getting into some of my personal favorites Three 6 Mafia songs: “Slob On My Knob,” “Stay High,” and “Poppin My Collar,” Juicy J made it known that “In order to f*** with me, you have to know where I come from.”

    On top of the many local acts, Project Pat and Travi$ Scott acted as supporting acts. Project Pat got the main card going, with possibly the longest set of the night. While it was uncertain if many of the people in the front row even knew who he was, it did not stop them from dancing — especially the two girls who hopped the gate separating the stage from the floor to dance along side him.

    Scott, who is signed to both T.I.’s Grand Hustle label and Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, was nothing but a giant fireball full of energy. Watching Scott, aka La

    Flame, perform is a full-time job in itself. If one was to blink — for even a millisecond — they could have missed the

    Travi$ Scott opens for Juicy J’s ‘Never Sober Tour’ at the Firestone Live in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 21, 2014. (Ty Wright / Valencia Voice)

    opportunity to see one of his entertaining, yet borderline, dangerous stunts. As Scott crowd surfaced, you could see his team holding their breath as it appeared he was close to being dropped and smacking his head on the Firestone Live floor.

    Whether he was performing more popular songs “Upper Echelon” and “Uptown” or singles like “Bad Mood,” it was evident that much of the crowd was there to see him as much as they were they were there to see Juicy J.

    Random thoughts: Did Juicy J toss his shoes into the crowd after his set because the venue told him he had to finish after 45-minutes, but still had more songs he wanted to perform but couldn’t so he felt bad for the crowd? Or was he just tired of those shoes and was waiting to give them away? Why were there so many “opening acts” when the artist already has two other artist on tour with him?

  • Outkast en route to Tampa for inaugural Big Guava Music Festival

    In part of their much-anticipated reunion tour, Outkast — Big Boi and André 300 — are making their way to the inaugural Big Guava Festival in Tampa as part of their 40-tour stop tour schedule.

    The three-day festival — which will be held at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds — will also feature rock bands Vampire Weekend and Foster the people as headliners, each on their own respective nights.

    The four-stage festival presented by Live Nation Florida features more than 40 artist and runs Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4.

    Already scheduled to perform at Big Guava: Chance the Rapper,Sleigh Bells, Earl Sweatshirt, Twenty One Pilots, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience, Walk The Moon, Blue October, Band Of Skulls, ZZ Ward, MS MR, Timeflies, Hoodie Allen, American Authors, Deap Vally, St. Lucia, Smallpools, Bear Hands, Morning Parade, Kitten, Magic Man, Jacuzzi Boys, Gringo Star, Unlikely Candidates, Vic Mensa, Terraplane Sun, Jessica Hernandez And The Deltas, Fly Union, and more to be announced soon.

    Single-day admission tickets are $65 for general admission or $175 for Super Guava VIP passes. The three-day general admission ticket are on sale now for $165 and the Super Guava VIP three-day ticket is $499. All tickets include parking and unlimited rides, while the Super Guava VIP package also includes: premium reserved seat in Amphitheatre; preferred viewing areas for all other stages; access to two-Super Guava Lounges with specialty food and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and limited samplings of signature beer and wine; commemorative Super Guava laminate. General admission seats available on first come, first served basis —those who are seeking to be close to stage should most likely plan to arrive early.

    To purchase tickets you can visit LiveNation.com, all TicketMaster outlets or charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000.

    Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will host a special Big Guava Kick-off Concert on May, 1. Separate tickets are required for admission.

    Be sure to check back for updates, interviews with the performers, and what sets not to miss.

    BY OBK STAFF

  • Chris Young to carry ‘A.M.’ success into busy 2014 (interview)

    Chris Young is scheduled to have a busy year and it’s to no surprise since he finished 2013 off strong with the release of his fourth studio album “A.M.” which debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, marking his highest charting album ever.

    Young spent much of 2013 out on the road redefining what it means to be a supporting act both on and off stage — being named one of the summer’s top tour openers by Entertainment Weekly. When he was not performing his set during the Brad Paisley’s “Beat this Summer Tour,” one could catch the 28-year-old country singer out of Murfreesboro, Tenn. signing autographs, taking pictures at his meet-and-greet or giving the tour support massages (which ultimately probably lead Paisley to keep Young on the tour for the for the final leg of the tour which was renamed the “Beat this Winter Tour”).

    “I thought it was pretty cool for Brad to let us stay out with them,” said Young “because sometimes when people extend the tour they don’t necessarily bring the same people out.”

    Booked through the first half of the year, Young will join George Strait’s “Cowboy Rides Away tour” for a weekend in April once he is done touring with Paisley in Europe. “As soon as we are done with that we have a few shows on our own before heading out with Dierks Bentley this summer,” he said.

    Extensive touring is no stranger for the 2006 winner of TV reality show “Nashville Star.” During Young’s time in college, he was “still playing 100-150 shows a year on his own,” he said, as he recalls falling a sleep in class due to the long nights of putting the band together and playing acoustic sets.

    “I remember being in a 12-passenger van and loading all our gear in the back, while we all took turns driving to gigs. The fact that I’m out here with multiple buses and a truck, and people are walking up taking photos in in front of our tractor trailer — that’s just pretty wild.”

    Dating back to the release of his self-titled debut album under RCA records, Young states that he learned early it was important to have the ability to write your own songs. “You never have to search for the song that does what you want it to say if you write it yourself,” he said.

    On “A.M.” Young co-wrote six of the album’s 11 songs, including the project’s lead single “Aw Naw,” which is certified gold. Under his belt he has a “CMA Triple Play Award” — an award that recognizes songwriters who have written three number-one songs within a 12-month period — for “Tomorrow,” “You” and “Voices.” Out of his past five top consecutive country radio records he has helping out with the writing on four of them.

    “When people put in the CD they want to listen to the whole thing. If they download it to their iPod I want them to have it on repeat for weeks,” said Young.

    As the country music brand continues become more diverse and grow overseas, one can expect one of the genre’s rising artist to help front-run the movement.

    Country music is just life and everyday stuff, says Young. “Yeah we have some sad songs in there and some songs talk about serious stuff, but beyond that, if you come out to a show you are going to hear big party songs, love songs and a whole variety of stuff.

    “I think that’s what makes country music great, it touches everything.”

    By OBK

  • Brendon! at the Disco packs out HOB in Orlando Florida (review)

    Brendon! at the Disco packs out HOB in Orlando Florida (review)

    By OBK STAFF

    Selling out the House of Blues, and packing the venue to near capacity — Panic! at the Disco came to Orlando, Sunday night in support of their 2013 release “Too Weird to Live, Too Weird To Die!” with supporting acts Junior Prom and The Colourist.

    The show sold out days prior so locals were ready for the group to return. The ground floor and surrounding bar areas were packed with people before the first act even came out, with more people coming in.

    Guitar and drum pop-rock duo Junior Prom took the stage first to warm up the crowd. They played a short 20 minute set, but their songs were both catchy and enjoyable.

    The drummer’s kick pedal broke at one point forcing the guitarist to perform an “intimate” version of their hit single “Sheila Put The Knife Down.”

    The Colourist is a four-piece indie band that features a female drummer who also acts as one of two lead vocalists. She shares the singing duty with the lead guitarist. The crowd seemed to really enjoy the group, dancing and singing along to many tracks. They announced they have a debut full-length album coming out shortly.

    (Photos of the night)

    By the end of the second act, the crowd on the ground level was getting uneasy, with alot of pushing and trying to get to the front. The fans were really eager to see the headliner and were ready for a good show.

    The lights go out and the crowd screams, then the band walks out and they get even louder. As Panic! at the Disco lead singer Brendon Urie comes out, the noise from the crowd becomes deafening. He greets the wailing crowd, and they kick into a new tune from their new album.

    The band then plays the song “Time to Dance” from their debut album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” showing they are not afraid to access their whole repertoire as some bands are. They continue to play new songs mixed with old ones. Songs from all four albums were included.

    Urie shows his musicianship by picking up a guitar for a few songs and even sitting down at the piano for “Camisado” or one of the crowd favorites from their second album “Nine in the Afternoon.”

    Giant screens lined the backdrop that illuminated with every song and changed with the lighting. The drum set was on a large riser giving the stage a larger feel. Four steam cannons also erupted throughout the set releasing confetti and causing the crowd to go wild.

    They closed the set with Urie at the organ belting a high falsetto driving the girls to screams with the song “Nearly Witches” off of “Vices & Virtues.”

    Despite missing drummer Spencer Smith, Urie was the only original band member present at the show and that will continue to represent the band on this tour.

    After a short break backstage, the band returned to the spotlight, but now Urie is missing a shirt causing the girls lose it with shrieks and whistles. They play their newest hit “Girls/Girls/Boys” off of their new album, followed by their debut mega-hit “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies.”

    Overall, Panic! at the Disco played great, showing that with a new lineup, they can still put on a fantastic show. They packed the house and for good reason.

  • Photos: Panic! At The Disco at House Of Blues Orlando

    By OBK STAFF

  • Walk off the Earth eyes late 2014 for follow up to ‘R.E.V.O.’ (interview)

    Prior to assembling what is now Walk off the Earth and obtaining more than 150 million views on Youtube for a cover to Goyte’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Ryan Marshall was just another student in college who played music as an hobby.

    “It was never really a switch,” said Marshall. “You use your education to get a job and pay the bills so that you could do music as a hobby. We were lucky enough to reach a point that our hobby could become our main form of income.”

    During Marshall’s “eight years to get a two year degree” in Economics at the University of Guelph, he spent time performing and playing shows with a band called PinkBelly throughout the Guelph area. While the band eventually separated, he and the group’s drummer, Gianni Luminati, built up a bond and continued to work together.

    “We’ve been together since 2006 — Gianni and I — he’s like my brother,” said Marshall. “We spent so much time together in the studio, and writing songs together and building Walk off the Earth.”

    While Luminati was working as an sound engineer in the Burlington, Ontario area, he and Marshall begin recruiting talent for Walk off the Earth, eventually leading to the reconstruction of three other bands.

    Walk off the Earth: Marshall, Luminati, Sara Blackwood, Joell Cassidy and Mike “The Beard” Taylor are all multi-instrumentalist who combined efforts in 2006. They spent time touring the regional area, until it finally clicked that the group could be so much bigger if they decided to try something new.

    “We got to a point early in our career that we realized that we didn’t want to be touring across Canada — which is this massive country — in a small van with a trailer,” said Marshall. “We did a couple of Warped Tours, and those things and thought ‘we got to find a different way to get to people because no one is going to help us do it. We got to do it ourselves.’”

    This is when the band thought it would be good idea to try viral route said Marshall, who remembers putting out a few videos and getting more than 10 thousand views in a month and thinking “holy crap, we never played for 10,000 people ever and we just hit 10,000 people across the world with one video.” While all members collaborate on the project idea, a big part of the creativity in them comes from Luminati.

    “He [Luminati] has this brain that just creates wild things — that grabs people’s attention in the videos,” said Marshall. “He will bring an idea to me and Sara about a video and we will kind of add things to it.

    “It’s almost like, let’s think of something impossible and bring it in.”

    The group begin building a fan base thanks to their wacky, yet innovating covers of popular songs.

    Walk off the Earth gained their most views and exposure in early 2012 thanks to their cover of Goyte’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The video shows all five members playing on one guitar, and gathered over 127 million views in four months.

    The group also received positive responses from both Gotye and his co-singer on the record, Kimbra. They went on to use the song on their album “R.E.V.O.,” their third studio album, and first on a major record label.

    The full length also contained nine original tracks, including a song titled “Sometimes” which was based off something that Marshall had came up with in 2005.

    “It was cool for me and Gianni because we had a demo from four years ago and it was finally coming to life.”

    As “R.E.V.O.” goes into it’s one year anniversary, the group is gearing up for their sophomore major label album. As they near the end of the recording process, they would like for it to come out early 2015 and love for it to come out late 2014.

    In the mean time fans can catch Walk off the Earth breaking instruments at their “Gang of Rhythm Tour,” live or through the group’s Vlogs.

    “It’s pretty fun. We did a European show last year with the same type of crowds,” said Marshall who admits the group breaks one-to-two ukuleles a week.

    “When you’re in it (the show), you don’t really feel how epic it is until you go back and watch the videos,” said Marshall. It’s cool because you get to see the fans flipping out. When you’re on stage, you’re thinking where do I got to be for the next song and got to make sure I duck so I don’t get hit by that guitar flying across stage.

    “You don’t always see the reaction of the fans is what I’m trying to say, so it’s good to be able to watch videos like that because it gives you that much more reason to want to get back on stage the next day and kick butt.”

    By OBK