Huntsville, AL
Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour: Rev Theory, Pop Evil, The Black Cloud Collective and Aranda
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| Pop Evil's Leigh Kakaty gets a few helping hands from the crowd during the Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour stop in Huntsville, Alabama. |
They say desperate times call for desperate measures. Though there have been some great local band shows in Memphis lately, the number of national acts rolling through is severely dwindling. So I once again hit the road, on a weeknight nonetheless, to catch the Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour on its closest stop to me. The locale - a mere three hours away in Huntsville, Alabama.
With all the “energy drink” tours rolling around, it’s easy to get confused. But the cool thing about the Monster Outbreak Tour is that it highlights rock on the rise through new-to-the-scene bands, as well as those that have recently made a big impact in the industry. Most of the time you’re lucky to catch one of these bands on a tour, much less four. Add to that the mind-blowing $9.51 ticket price sponsored by the local rock station, and I practically would have been losing money by not going.
We arrived in downtown Huntsville about an hour before the show. The downtown area is reflective of a typically small Southern city, with a unique mixture of antique buildings and newer architecture. Most of the shops were already closed for the day by the time we got there. Which made the venue, Sammy T’s, stick out like a sore thumb. But the fact that a club like this can coexist among Mainstreet USA is pretty cool.
Inside Sammy T’s, we headed to the front of the stage as a steady stream of fans filed in right behind us. Around us the club was actually quite nice, with a cool bar and VIP areas complete with lighted neon green cocktail tables and stripper poles. I mean, really, what club is complete without stripper poles?
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| Gabe Aranda and B. Webb on bass of the band Aranda. |
First up to play were Oklahoma City boys, Aranda. I’ve only seen them once before when I wasn’t familiar with any of their music. But that past experience had me hooked and I now have their whole CD memorized. So I was looking forward to their performance just as much as the headliners. Fronted by brothers Dameon and Gabe, Aranda is very infectious. I mean that in a good way. These guys have fun in a time when a lot of other bands have forgotten how. They come on stage in comfortable worn-in jeans and plaid logger shirts and leave the crowd roaring after covering LedZep’s “Dazed and Confused,” playing the guitar solo with a rusty old boot. It’s something you have to see to truly understand.
Aranda isn’t hard rock, per say, at least not in comparison to the other bands on the tour. But if you’re open to any other kind of pop rock or alternative rock then you’ll like these guys. My only qualm with this night’s performance is that it was way too short. They only played two songs from their self-titled debut release, “Still in the Dark” and “Whyyawannabringmedown.” (Yes, that’s really how they spell it.) But in exchange, we got to hear two songs from their forthcoming CD. After hearing them, I’m now extremely looking forward to the new release.
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| Neal Tiemann of The Black Cloud Collective. |
The next band was a group I’d honestly never heard of: The Black Cloud Collective (BCC). Bad rock blogger! Admittedly, I should have done my homework because if I had, I would have known what was in store. The band is a side project of Brandon Saller, one of the lead singers and drummer for the band Atreyu. BCC's physical appearance was very 80’s- biker-sheik, which I had plenty of time to contemplate as they worked hand in hand with the stage crew to setup their own equipment. Again, I don’t know if I would label this band as hard rock, but they’re certainly on the cusp somewhere between it and alternative. Between each song, and even within each song, they switch so quickly back and forth between the two styles that it almost gives you whiplash. You can tell they’re working hard to develop something that’s different from anything else out there. For a new band, they’re close to doing just that.
Unfortunately, I didn’t buy their CD at the show, thinking I would go home and download it from iTunes. Twas not to be, though, as the only thing available online is the band’s single “Hail Mary.” I can’t wait to have the opportunity to see these guys again and give a good listen to the rest of their stuff.
Up next should have been Canadian band Hail the Villain, a huge reason why I wanted to make the midweek drive to catch this show (I'm now a big fan after seeing them at last summer's Atlanta stop on the Uproar Festival.) But a few weeks prior, lead singer Bryan Crouch announced the band would have to cancel their appearances for the next nine weeks due to vocal cord surgery. Understandable? Absolutely! I wish Bryan a successful surgery and speedy recovery. (But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t still bummed about not seeing them.) Luckily, it sounds like the surgery was indeed a success, as the band has already announced plans to tour with Black Label Society and All That Remains on the Uranium Tour starting in May.
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| Tony Greve of Pop Evil |
Instead, the next stage slot was reserved for Pop Evil. It’s funny because I first saw Pop Evil and Rev Theory in March 2009. Though at separate concerts, I now tend to associate the bands as a collective whole. To me, their sounds are very complementary. So I was quite surprised with the attitudes of each band’s loyal fans. The lady next to me, for example, who had been up since 4:30 am that morning baking cheesecakes for the band members and crew of Pop Evil, but refused to stick around to listen to that “Rev Theory crap.” (Of course, that could have been the Tequila shots talking.) Similarly, there was a wave of new faces crowding around me just before Rev Theory, stating they “never thought Pop Evil was gonna’ leave.” To each their own, I guess.
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| Dylan Allison of Pop Evil |
I, on the other hand, extremely enjoyed Pop Evil’s set. This was the third time I’ve seen the guys and the first time really up close. I mean, so close that I had to duck to avoid getting pelted in the head by Matt DiRito’s bass neck. Not that I would have it any other way. The band’s set was pretty heavy with “old” material, surprising because they’re getting ready to release the new album War of Angels virtually any day. The album was delayed from its original release date of February 8, with the band citing “circumstances beyond our control.” To make up for the delay, fans on the Pop Evil Facebook page can download a free acoustic track from the album, “Monster You Made.”
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| Matt DiRito, bassist for Pop Evil |
The guys opened with “Shinedown” and immediately followed up with “Breathe.” The duo of songs was an appropriate set. Both are from the Lipstick on the Mirror album and speak to living under the thumb of an oppressive situation before making an escape (that’s my interpretation, anyway.) Afterwards, the band finally gave a peek into the new album with a trio of its tracks. First up was “Monster You Made,” a break from the fast-paced rock Pop Evil is known for. The song is reminiscent of the ballads from their first album that originally drew in such loyal female fans. But it’s also a reminder of easily this band crafts such simple lyrics that are both tender and meaningful, speaking of the things that love will make you realize about yourself.
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| Dylan Allison (L) and Leigh Kakaty (R) of Pop Evil |
The next song “Boss's Daughter” is about… well exactly what it sounds like. It was just the pick-me-up needed after “Monster You Made” and led the level of excitement to where it was needed for the third new song, “Last Man Standing.” It’s the first single from the new album and, in my opinion, is the toughest song we’ve heard yet from Pop Evil, serving as a testosterone driven, fist pumping, “no holds barred” anthem for anyone who’s ever been wronged. DiRito’s bass line and the guitar efforts of Tony Greve and Davey Grahs blend expertly into the song’s baritone heartbeat. Add in the well-suited badass persona of front man Leigh Kakaty and the lead foot of drummer Dylan Allison and, in turn, this song elicited the loudest crowd response yet.
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| Leigh Kakaty (L) of Pop Evil and Dameon Aranda (R) of Aranda performing "100 in a 55" |
To give the fans a chance to recover, Pop Evil once again slowed it down with their hit “100 in a 55.” This song contains some of my favorite lyrics: “I still believe in this rock and roll, And I pray the music’s gonna save my soul.” The Aranda brothers came out to help with this one, Dameon on guitar and Gabe singing. Not that extra singers on stage were really needed. Instead, the fans made their presence known with a singular booming voice straight from the very first word. Guess I’m not the only one who likes the lyrics.
Pop Evil wrapped up with radio favorite “Hero”, a cynical look at what happens when your Superman finds out you lied to gain his trust. It was another crowd sing-along, which peaked when Kakaty convinced the fans down front to hold him high above their heads, while he stood and sang the final lyrics. It made me wonder if his management has taken out extra insurance on him.
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| Rich Luzzi (L) and Julien Jorgensen (R) of Rev Theory. |
Finally, it was time for Rev Theory. (Side note: For some reason we decided not to take advantage of the VIP Package Rev Theory was offering. For $30, you got to meet the band before the show on their tour bus including a picture with the band, a signed poster and a copy of their new CD. Remind me again why I didn’t buy this?? For the fans actually smart enough to take advantage, it was a great deal and one-of-a-kind experience.)
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| Matt McCloskey, bassist for Rev Theory. |
The boys from NYC took a different approach to the endless “new” vs. “old” music debate by alternating back and forth between the two. They opened with a brand new song off their latest album, Justice, released just a few weeks ago. “Dead in a Grave” kicked the crowd into gear and continued to build into the next song, “Wanted Man”, effectively pulling the crowd back to the band’s first major label album, Light It Up. Lead singer Rich Luzzi likes to treat his shows Storyteller style, filling the fans in on the history of the each song. This was especially true just before the band’s ballad “Broken Bones”, which he informed the crowd was written after one of the band members lost their mother to cancer. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
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| Rikki Lixx (L) and Dave Agoglia (R) of Rev Theory. |
Other crowd favorites included “old” songs like “Slowburn” (from back when they were still Revelation Theory), “Far From Over” and “Hell Yeah.” With an energetic call and response chorus, it’s no wonder “Hell Yeah” is the most wide-reaching of Rev Theory’s catalog, not only as a radio release but also on WWE, Spike TV and Madden NFL ’09. Of the “new” stuff, we were treated to “Wicked Wonderland”, “Loaded Gun”, and the encore of their latest single and title track to the new album, “Justice.” I dare you to go work out to this song on your iPod and not get a week’s worth of cardio in just one hour.
“Justice” is yet another parallel to the overwhelming similarities between Rev Theory and Pop Evil, especially when compared to “Last Man Standing.” Similar theme, tempo and desired effect. And no, I’m not claiming that the two bands are cookie cutter twins of each other. Quite the opposite, actually. I think it’s pretty freakin’ awesome that they complement each other so well and yet maintain their own unique style, sound and loyal fans. It’s a formula for success to which only they have the recipe. Like Coke and Coke Zero. (Or maybe more like a Jager bomb.)
Either way, I felt like I drank a case of Monster Energy Drink by the time I left Sammy T’s. Overall, I don’t think the name of the Outbreak Tour really did it justice. Most of these bands have already broken through. But I guess the “Maintaining and Superseding Our Current Level of Success” Tour just didn’t have the same ring. Oh, well. Can’t wait to see where I land next as soon as I come down from this sugary-sweet high…
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