Holiday Gift Ideas: Music Lover Edition

With the holidays rapidly approaching, many bands are having sales and promotional deals on their website. Here are some ideas to get some music lovers this holiday season:

• Shirts- you can never have enough band shirts
• Accessories (hats, pins, jewelry, etc.)
• CDs/ Vinyls- especially during the holiday season, many bands have limited edition vinyl pressings/ collectable CDs
• Turntable
• Spotify/ Apple Music streaming service subscription
• Concert tickets

What do you want to get this holiday season? Let me know by tweeting me @ovictoriamedia. Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

-ovictoria

Concert Review: Knuckle Puck at The Outer Space, CT

Knuckle Puck played at The Outer Space in Hamden, CT on Nov. 11 on their “Knuckle Puck USA Tour ’17.” The tour had Movements, With Confidence, and Homesafe supporting Knuckle Puck.

The Outer Space is similar to Amityville Music Hall on Long Island, NY. The venue is small and snug. The sound quality the venue has is fantastic.

The first band to perform was Homesafe. Homesafe is Ryan Rumchaks, the bassist for Knuckle Puck’s, band. I saw the setlist for Homesafe, and checked out a few songs. Rumchaks revealed that Homesafe will have a new album release in 2018.

1. Guts
2. Float Away
3. Resolve
4. Relapse
5. Mountain
6. Stranger
7. Hourglass

Check out some of their music here.

After a short intermission to change equipment, With Confidence took the stage. The group performed nine songs. Here is the setlist:

1. Voldemort
2. Dinner Bell
3. Archers
4. Higher
5. Godzilla
6. London Lights
7. Here For Nothing
8. We’ll Be Okay
9. Keeper

Even though their album Better Weather sounds more pop than pop-punk, the sound the group has live is more punk than pop. With Confidence toured with State Champs in May, and I saw them prior to this tour.

At the end of With Confidence’s set, Movements performed. Here is the set list:

1. Colorblind
2. Third Degree
3. Nineteen
4. Worst Wishes
5. Deadly Dull
6. Hatchet
7. Daylily
8. Vacant Home
9. Kept

I’ve seen Movements perform with Real Friends on the $5 Tour and at this year’s Vans Warped Tour. Both times I’ve seen Movements perform, I feel the connection the band makes with their songs. Movements played a mix of songs from Outgrown Things and Feel Something which was enjoyable. You can read more about Feel Something in a previous blog post of mine. After the show, I got a picture with Patrick Miranda of Movements.

Knuckle Puck took the stage after Movements and performed 18 songs. Here is the setlist:

1. Gone
2. Fences
3. But Why Would You Care?
4. Poison Pen Letter
5. True Contrite
6. Stationary
7. Double Helix
8. Evergreen
9. Want me Around
10. Everyone Lies To Me
11. Bedford Falls
12. Oak Street
13. Wait
14. Pretense
15. No Good
16. Untitled
17. Struck *ENCORE
18. Stateside *ENCORE

I enjoyed the fact that Knuckle Puck had a balance of the songs that they’ve played. Joe Taylor of Knuckle Puck said that the crowds from Irving Plaza to The Outer Space is different stating The Outer Space was smaller and more intimate. At one point, a fan threw their hat on the stage, and Taylor said that the fan needed to crowd surf to get their hat back. The crowd and Knuckle Puck fed off of each other amplifying the energy of the space. The show had a lot of circle pits and crowd surfers.

This tour was a great balance of pop punk bands who are up and coming in the music scene. With six tour dates left,  Knuckle Puck announced via. Facebook that With Confidence is not performing along side them on the “Knuckle Puck USA Tour ’17.” Luke Roberts, the guitarist of With Confidence, is no longer a member of With Confidence. The group posted a status on their Facebook page (you can read here) giving information about the departure. There has been rumors of sexual misconduct leading to the departure. Jayden Seely, vocalist of With Confidence, released a statement on Twitter clarifying allegations against him and a fan (you can read his statement here.)

The tour wraps up this weekend in Columbus, OH, but Knuckle Puck will be overseas from the end of November until December. Knuckle Puck released that Have Mercy will not be accompanying them on their EU and UK Tour here. You can read Have Mercy’s statement here. Knuckle Puck will also be touring in Australia in 2018. Tickets and tour information can be found here.

In other news, Jesse Lacey of Brand New released a statement on Facebook in regards to the rumors of his sexual misconduct. Touring member Kevin Devine pulled himself from touring with Brand New (read the statement here.) Brand New is postponing the shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland offering refunds on the tickets. On a lighter note, Jason Lancaster released LNCSTR, Paramore released the music video for “Fake Happy,” the lineup for Slam Dunk Festival is announced along with ticket information on their website, PVRIS announced a North American Tour in 2018 which visits areas that the group missed while touring (tickets and tour information can be found here.) Movements released a video for their song “Daylily” on Earmark.com.

Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

-ovictoria

Concert Review: The Maine at The Paramount

The Maine is a pop rock band from Tempe, AZ. I attended the “Modern Nostalgia Tour” at The Paramount in Huntington on Sunday, Nov. 5. The lineup of the tour was: Night Riots, Dreamers and The Maine.

The Paramount concert venue is in Huntington, New York. The venue holds about 1,500 seats. The Maine has played at The Paramount with Mayday Parade on the “American Lines Tour” last year.

I got in to Huntington and unfortunately missed Night Riots set. I was fortunate enough to catch Dreamers set. Even though there were a few people in the crowd that knew songs by Dreamers, including myself, a lot of the crowd were swaying along to the songs Dreamers performed.

After an intermission between sets, The Maine took the stage and performed Lovely, Little, Lonely and American Candy in its entirety. Here is the setlist.

1. Don’t Come Down
2. Bad Behavior
3. Lovely
4. Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu
5. Taxi
6. Do You Remember? (other half of 23)
7. Little
8. The Sound of Reverie
9. Lost In Nostalgia
10. I Only Wanna Talk To You
11. Lonely
12. How Do You Feel?
13. Miles Away
14. Same Suit, Different Tie
15. My Hair
16. English Girls
17. 24 Floors
18. Diet Soda Society
19. Am I Pretty?
20. (Un)Lost
21. American Candy
22. Another Night On Mars

In between the two albums, The Maine took an intermission to change from an all white outfit to their iconic blue suits. The stage was set up beautifully with a backdrop that was red, white, and blue, and the stage had a lot of flower petals. It was lovely to see how they set up the stage.

Every time I see The Maine, the vibe of the venue is always positive and The Maine never disappoints. It’s impressive that every time I see The Maine, John O’Callaghan’s voice is still top quality. The band engages well with the listeners. At one point during the show, John O’Callaghan caught a sweaty bra and put it on. The Maine never fails to entertain both musically and the things that they do. My favorite part of the experience was getting to hear the interlude songs from Lovely, Little, Lonely. My favorite transition is from “Bad Behavior” to “Lovely” to “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu.” I went with a great group of people, and had a great time seeing The Maine for my seventh time.

If you want to read more blog posts about The Maine…

• My review of “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu”
• My album review of “Lovely Little Lonely”
• My previous concert review from The Maine at Webster Hall in NYC

In other news, Trophy Eyes released a statement via. Facebook stating that the group has parted ways with their drummer, Of Mice & Men released a new single “Warzone,” As It Is released the music video for “No Way Out,” Neck Deep released the music video for “Parachute,” and Nothing But Thieves announced a tour across the United States with AWOLNATION in 2018 (tickets and tour information can be found here.)

Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

-ovictoria