Some Pocket of My Mind

From show reviews to interviews with the bands, you'll find all sorts of articles, videos, and possibly some music tracks here chronicling the happenings of Hattiesburg's Music Scene. If you want to be interviewed, have your show reviewed, or if you're a fan wanting to post a comment about one of the articles, email me at Possessedbythedrive@gmail.com.

There are those nights when everything falls into place just right. It comes at no surprise that the Thirsty Hippo played host to yet another blockbuster show. Kayo Dot was back in town, kicking it with That Yellow Bastard and The Ogre Upstairs.

That Yellow Bastard started things off. Along with having new members, they also brought a new plus to their set. With that same blazing ruckus they stirred us up with in previous shows, they tantilized us with visual kaleido-excitement...

...with this torpedo. (Movie projector.)

The old style was to have every member of the band scream into the mics in turns...or at the same time. However, that throat blasting is now under the responsibility of Greg, keys and samples, and Shane, guitar.

This dual cannon was just the right amount of push for clarity while still producing enough punch to match their zany music.

And now for the new members, we have Josh on drums. He's from bands Bloodchurn and Superstar Phatbeat.
And we have Todd on Bass, who plays guitar in Dead for Ten Weeks.

With their zany styled music, it's a given that some garble couldn't be helped, but this time around, they've tightened themselves up. One major factor that contributes to this, an element that a friend of mine brought up, was that John's drums were equiped with triggers. I'm not sure what those are, my musical knowledge only goes so far, but I'd have to say that they are those red additions near the tops of the toms. You can see them in this picture. Perhaps they shorten the resonance of each drum, delivering a more crisp sound that tighens up everything, the guitars, the bass, and the singing.

I took several pictures of what the projector was displaying on the sheet behind the band. While some didn't come out all that well, you can still see something. I just put them all together to give you an idea of the randomness that was being shown.




I believe Greg Brooking had the whole set in the palm of his hands. He would cue in the others with a sample from his synth while orchestrating the timing through the flow of the images on screen.

When he's not doing that, he's throwing it all into the mic...

...and surprising us with a familiar theme song from the T.V. show, Full House. Shane was inspired to sing along.

What I liked best about the Ogre Upstairs this time around is that they were not just individuals up there strutting their stuff. They were a band, one mind.

And with this comradere spirit, I got a whole new feeling from their set. They were enjoying themselves.

I got a kick out of watching Bill jam out during those heavy induced parts of their patchwork songs.

There was no center stage. Sure, one member might take the spotlight at one point and then hand it over to the next, but for the most part, they got lost in their sound while it was left up to the fans which member to stick with. Though, I was giving them all an equal share.



One thing that stuck out to me was Davis's expressions. Now I've seen a lot of drummers, and they all seem to have this nitch where they play the drums, not just with their hands and feet, but with their face. He might've been singing his parts, I don't know, but he had a different squint or grimmace or what have you for each snap, or kick, or crash.

But Nate and Bill weren't without some expressions as well:

Grrr

"Awe, you shouldn't have...."

Some lightening!

Closing out the night, Kayo Dot crowded the stage area with their bells and whistles. I had missed them the other times they came to Hattiesburg, and I heard nothing but good thing about them. So, this time, I made sure to catch them...

...especially since everyone kept talking about the cute Asian girl member with the violin.

But she wasn't just a strings player. She handled some of the atmospheric samples that supported the music's background.

Kayo Dot produced songs arranged in the style of ochestra-like movements, instead of the conventional verse/chorus mainstream pattern. The director of this collection of musicians was Toby Driver:

...bringing the music to us by cueing his players by his vocals, his guitar rhythms, or nodding gestures.

Other members include:

Patrick Wolff, on flute, Alto Sax, and Clarinet

Daniel Means, on guitar and woodwinds. Don't let this picture fool you. He was alive and aware during the whole set.

The two would team up and carry the sound of reeds into the midst of music that drifted at random tempos, all produced according to some pulse or set of whims hidden within the core...which was Toby. Haha!

Terran Olson spent most of his time in the back on the keyboards, but he did come forward once to trade places with Toby. He brought his clarinet with him.


Then we have the lovely Mia Matsumiya who swooned me on her violin:


She may have been short, but her violin had a powerful voice, and was a major characteristic of Kayo Dot's movements.


She and Toby shared a duet-like performance with voice, guitar, and violin, keeping eye contact and watching every move to carry out the dynamic flow of their music.

This is David Bodie, who was a monster on the drumset. If I could say one thing about that night, each band boasted a talented drummer.

The style they performed wasn't without those quiet moments where maybe only one person was playing. Most of the time that was Mia on her violin, or Toby on vocals. In the meantime, the other members prepaired themselves for the next stanza.

I thought this was a humorous moment.

Coming off as more of an orchestra than a conventional band for a club, they didn't get heavy or sway us with a catchy chorus, but they enraptured us with rolling swells and melodic currents as well as dramatic violin solos and quiet whispers from low rumbles from the keyboards. They're a unique sound, and those who were expecting a similar theme throughout that night got something better. Each set was different, and the energy flowed, keeping everyone there watching until the end.
She had a BIG clothes pin in her skirt.

There once was a kitty...

...who wanted to go to Mars. He had a Redneck Truck Driver friend who said he would give him a ride in his big pick'em up truck. But misfortune struck and the Redneck Truck Driver friend got sick with the flu. But the date had been set and the kitty was really hoping to go.

He had another friend, an Ogre...

...who said he would help the kitty get to Mars. And of course, a deal was made, and money was talked about...

..and they both planned to go to Mars.

But the kitty didn't know how the Ogre......was going to get him to Mars. The Ogre said, "I know where a staircase is that goes to space."
"Where?" the kitty asked.
"Why, the Hippo guards it." said the Ogre.
"The Hippo? What Hippo?" the kitty asked.
"The one downtown." said the Ogre.
So they went to see the Hippo downtown, and the Ogre brought along his friends...

...Davis, an individual who felt the pulse of space itself...

...and Bill, who one day long ago decided to make it his goal in life to produce a pusle of his own.

But when they met with the Hippo, there was no staircase to be seen.
"Perform." said the Hippo.
"Perform?" asked the kitty.
"You must perform for me." the Hippo said, "Only then will I show you where the staircase is."
"But what am I supposed to perform?" said the kitty.
"I've got an idea." said Bill to the Ogre. Bill and the Ogre discussed among themselves and formulated a plan.


Then the Ogre turned to the Hippo and said, "Alright, Hippo, we'll take you up on that request,"


And they pulled out their tools and began to play.


The kitty was awestruck as the Ogre and his friends blazed their fingers across the strings and beat upon the pulse of space. Little did the kitty know that they were creating the staircase themselves, and each phase of their performance took them from one step to the next until....

...the kitty looked around and found that they were on Mars!

All at once, they were bombarded by giant faces of strange creatures...

They tried to run, but were cut off by another face...

It roared at them and they shook, too petrified to move. But the face didn't hurt them. Instead, it continued to roar...

...and they listened and found themselves hypnotized, for they could hear nothing else but a giant buzzing in their ears. When the face stopped roaring, they tried to turn and run, but...

...there was another face standing in their way, and the ground began to rumble. They turned to the left and...

...strange noises began to fill their ears. They couldn't explain these noises, but for some reason, they liked them. The noises smiled and made even more strange but alluring sounds...

Suddenly, from behind, came a loud clang. When they turned, there was another face...
...equiped with tools that produced those loud clanging sounds.

All the faces converged upon the kitty and his friend and when the faces formed a circle around them, the faces created a sound like no other...

They felt the rumble...

They heard the roar...

And it began to crush them.
"How do we get back?" asked the kitty.
"Look!" the Ogre said, "I see a map!"

The map was sitting right beside the Noises. Since the kitty was the smallest, he snuck his way over behind the noises and took the map.
"I have it! I have the map!" cheered the kitty.
Then the roaring face laughed.

"That is no map, silly kitty. It was all a trap!"

"There is no more Staircase. You're stuck here forever! Whaaahahahaaaa!"

No one ever saw the kitty since that day when he leaped into the cosmos. Maybe when the next day comes when he's able to leap again, we'll see him come home, but that won't be until another four years. True story.

Dedicated to "Mr. Surprise."

After some down time, Stale Fashion promised home town fans another show after their tour in the Northeast. Hitting places like Philly, Jersey, New York, in venues such as The Fire and the famed Knitting Factory, the band felt that there was no place like where they started, The Thirsty Hippo. So what better way to celebrate a successful tour than to start those tiny steps into future tours? With places like Baton Rogue in mind, they offered Barisal Guns to jump on their show hoping to earn a favor in return.
The deal went down and the two bands played to a thirsty crowd on February 15th, a Friday.

Barisal Guns brought fans with them to Hattiesburg that night. But not just Baton Rogue. I think I remember someone claiming they were from McComb. There were a number of towns represented that night.

This group of musicians worked the crowd with a little bit of funk in their rock. I remember seeing a bunch of ladies standing in front bouncing and wiggling about. But, I had enough focus to keep the camera on the band.

The vocals were high pitched, but melodic; catchy rhythms and was accompanied by backup vocals from the two guitarists and the bass player.

A guitarist with loose fingers...on his left hand. Haha!

The whole funk idea gave way for this guy to break out into high end solos during those jam band moments, though those times weren't the only instances to feel the squeal. Some choruses or outros just called for it.

Non-vocal jam sessions:

Yeah, they gave the instrumentalists themselves a time in the limelight. It was all on them to encourage the crowd's enthusiasm...

...while the singer took a break outside.

Then came the moment of the drum solo:

And he wasn't limited to just the sticks. Elbows could be used as well:

During the solo, the lead singer decided to come in a pay a visit to the crowd, while having a seat:

All in all, they knew their stuff.

My only gripe was that the energy level had this gradual decline all the way to the end of their set. Yes, there were those jam band spurts, the occasional accents in the set, but I felt an overall receding flow of the enthusiasm. Can't blame it on the less energetic songs they played as time wore on, cause there was potential there, but maybe the band themselves were swept away by that tide.

Back from the tour, Stale Fashion may have taken a break, but they were quick to get back in the swing of things, and with an even greater enthusiasm than before.

Greeting their friends after being a long way from home, they promised the healthy dose of two sets, each one featuring a new song. The first song they played was called, "The riddle of the toothpick" based upon a twenty question game the guys played and Justin stumped them all with a toothpick as the answer. The second song was "The guitar lesson with Matt DiVi Paolo" which is behind the incident with a guy named Matt who tried to tell Ben how to play a certain riff. Both songs had that same Stale Fashion sound but had a hint toward a new flavor and a sense of growth in their writing ability.

The quartet of Fashion brought all our favorite songs to the Northeast of the U.S., signing autographs, selling CD's, and making friends with other bands. If you look at their myspace web page, you'll see that they're not even finished with their journey. With a band this productive, one could only foretell success in the future.

What I noticed about our band's new attitude is the level of ferocity. They play the same songs, but there's a sense of confidence. They know the songs. They know the parts well enough that the songs have become more than practiced sets of melodies their fans enjoy. The songs have ingrained themselves into the band, and now each member just moves off the vibe. Ryan, especially, throwing some metal sounding screams into the mic. I was so proud.

Ben Shea:

We've all seen Ben Shea's weird hunched dance off to the side of the stage:

He's been known to spaz out as far as those wacky riffs deemed necessary and beyond, but that night Stale Fashion's lead guitarist was possessed.
When on stage and performing, he seems lost in the tunes, neither playing to the crowd nor enticing their cheers, but he's a conduit for the soul behind those lead shrills and moans flexed from the strings of his guitar.

Though he and Ryan play as a duet at times:



Such instances occure at random moments when the flow of music catches the mood just right, and also during their dual lead intor melody in "Sea of Photographs" which you can listen to on their myspace page.

Bass face:

Though we all want to say Justin's just caught in the moment, or he's that good that he could play the bass in his sleep, but what if he actually went narcoleptic on stage?

Other times, you never know where the music takes him, or what it makes him see, like pretty dancing lights in the distance...

...or maybe it's the disturbing message on the wall.

But we all love'em the same. He's one of us.

And let's not forget Joe Pappy!

Rolling off that intensity in layers of sweat, and still pumping those beats all throughout both sets.

So as Stale Fashion goes out to plant seeds in the southeast...

...ties that bind always bring fellas back to their roots, along with those good times.

And each moment is just unforgettable.

I liked how the Tavern set up the stage area near the front of the bar. They kept the St. Elmo's stage, but they pushed those pool tables back, giving fans plenty of romping room, and they needed it. The Tavern featured some death metal February 9th. The two brother bands, Amadeus St. Vitus and Agony Eclipsed shred some noise to head banging chicks and dudes while urging them all to get drunker and drunker.


And yes, Amadeus St. Vitus was drunk that night. They've improved their sound, yet no matter how much they boast to be able to drink with the best of them or better, there were some bloopers worth mentioning just on the sheer hilarity of them.

I caught these guys in the middle of their set, thinking the show started later than it did, but I got a good amount of death in my face. The sound set up was good. Neighborhood sound man Joel was on the job. I'm sure it helped things that the stage was raised a bit. The people, even from the back, could see the band and the band members could play to the whole crowd, from the front to the back.

Let's talk about beer, though. That was the nectar that enticed everyone that night. In between songs, Adam(Guitar) invited any brave soul to the front of the stage to hit the beer bong. He wasn't pouring can or bottles of beer in that funnel, he was emptying a pitcher in that thing. Yet, there were plenty of brave soul out there. Me, I had to stay sober so I could focus the camera.
Though he had some reserves of his own, he hit that beer bong as well. I saw it!

Now, let's talk about Eli. I've seen him put some away and still be able to go about as though he was sober, but that night, he must've started off way before the show.

Although he made it through the songs without bending that distorted sound off in left field somewhere, there was one particular moment where he was in the spot light, and we all saw him at his limit. This video tells it all:

And of course, hitting your limit, you can only "stand" for so long.

But, hey, you got to hand it to him: he was still shredding those notes.

Prior to his destruction, he had enough orientation to get out in front and rock with the crowd.

Johnny did some funnies as well. I think one song, during one of the pauses where he got to rest, something happened to where he either didn't come in on time, or got lost and tried several times to come in. All the while, he was getting weird looks from Robert(Singer).

But it's okay. That was only one song, and he blazed through the others like a pro. One thing I thought was funny was that after every song, he jumped up out of his seat and started shouting, "Where's my damn beer?"

As always, Robert impressed us with his wacky bass playing. He performed an intro for one of their songs where he tapping along the neck of the bass with both hands. Some cool diddly that got roars from the crowd, and then they burst into their next song.

Not to mention, the guy can wail and it doesn't look like he's even trying. I gotta give props to him. I've heard their recorded songs, and he sounds awesome.

Near the end of their set, Robert invited "a very special member of the crowd" to the stage. Up Dustin came and they covered a Metallica song that not only he sang the vocals to, but those in the crowd who knew it sang along, and there were a lot who knew it.

The crowd enjoyed themselves. There was plenty of headbanging, and despite the sign on the wall:
That didn't stop some people. I took several clips of the crowd thrashing to some death metal. You can see how many were there and see that high energy:

I saw this outside. Don't know what it's about, but it made me think about the whole theme of drunkenness of that night, and what's Death Metal without a lot of beer? And Amadeus St. Vitus survived yet another night. Including Eli. He had enough something to be able to stand and give an account of how many he's had. And Robert had a wish for that night:

The singer of Agony Eclipsed, Zakk, does it like Robert, wails like it's nothing, and it sounds so freaking mean.


Just before they went on, a friend of mine came up to him after their sound test and told him, in a joking manner that, "You're too loud!" Zakk responded with a smiling, "Thanks, man."

Neither band sounded alike. They brought their own version of death to the Tavern. Where Amadeus St. Vitus was mean crunching riffs the whole way, with the addition of wylie guitar solos by Eli, Agony Eclipsed delivered those same crunches but with a little bit of melody in the mix.

Everything was heard. Awesome sound work. I felt that low end the way it's supposed to be felt: a deep throated grind of distortion. Each note that accompanied the guitars was right on the mark. If you closed your eyes, you'd never know there was two guitars and a bass. It was all one smash. But, for future reference, don't close your eyes at these kinds of concerts. You'll be put on the ground quick.

Joe decorated his drum set under the florescent glow of black lights, reflecting the paint on his toms and kick bass.

As I mentioned before, Agony Eclipsed has this staccato-like tightness, and Joe's kick drum and snare work was just as crisp and tight. I think it's one of their major merits.

Just a few shots of the crowd, stills of those moments of high energy flowing from the stage.

Jayme(Rhythm Guitar)

I don't want to distinguish lead and rhythm guitars because, really, both Jayme and Zakk carried the stage equally. Likewise, they had their fun in dishing out the hair swinging headbangs that encouraged the crowd to join in:

I want to mention this girl here in the center of the photo. For both bands, she was right in the midst of things, enticing mosh pits and just freaking out with enthusiasm. I got several clips of her. This series starts out with her taking it slow at first, but don't worry, it doesn't take her long to get pumped up. At the end of the clip, I got the aftermath of an amazingly funny event. She was thrashing around and ended up bringing this stumbling drunk into moshing. I didn't have my camera pointed in that direction at the time, but I saw it happen and was quick to catch what I could. She runs up and shoves the guy thinking he was going to retaliate like the understood rules of moshing go, but instead, that dude was too far gone to react and goes crashing down on his back. My friend points and laughs while several people, including her, goes to help the guy up. Everything was cool in the end:

The symbol for the night:

Guess who!

Perfect freaking shot! Haha! He was in the middle of swallowing a gulp of beer.

You can't see it very well at the bottom, but he brought a stool with him to sit his personal pitcher of beer on.

Gremlins in the crowd.

Don't miss out on the next death metal show. If death metal isn't your thing, you'll still have a blast. You may even get to hold the band member's guitar...like this guy was doing for Eli. I have no clue who this dude is.

A nice attitude, don't you think? Fitting for a party that features artistic attempts at trying to offend people. The theme of the show was "Taboo Art" and you know, if someone has the chance to try and offend someone, they'd jump all over that. Of course, I think everyone who was there just got a kick out of what was displayed. The Art Party of Hattiesburg, 2008 was at 309 North 38th. It happened on the first of February. I showed up with some friends around 9 pm. There was a good crowd there, but as time marched on, it ended up being a full house.
There were some pieces there that were unique to say the least. Most of them were easy to read, and there were some....

...that were left up to your personal interpretation.

A touch of mixed media. Sorry you can't read the words. I couldn't ever get the camera to focus right. Guess that leaves the mystery for you.
One this one, everyone got to sign their name.

Some neat takes on visual perception.

Although, some people were just trying to be funny:

In a dogmatic kind of way, I guess.

But for the most part, they were just being silly:

Or down right dark. Haha!

There was one sculpture piece that I saw. Although, more pieces kept showing up as the night passed.

But for the most part, the easiest way to try and offend someone is to display some blatent nudity. And why not?

This was for those few who just didn't know and needed it spelled out for them.

I was told this one, along with another of the same style, was attempting to speak on behalf of women's rights, or perhaps the female role in society as a whole.

My personal favorite, this girl, I didn't get her name, got naked, save for a G-string, splattered paint all over her body, and rolled around in some paint of a huge canvase. Not once, but twice.




Needless to say, these got lots of attention and comments.

And she displayed both of the canvases she rolled around on. How cool is that?

Someone got clever with this one. They put this picture on top of a radio with a set of headphones. She put the head phones on and heard this little kid saying over and over again, "Get up and get down."

In the other room, the furniture was arranged so people could sit and watch the musicians play their sets.

There were three different acts:

Some of the people there:

Chris admitted to being vane.


Guys in cardboard armor. Very effective.

She did a little flames trick with her hand...(and a little help from my camera.)

Gren is grinning.

This happened when John Comer took my camera...and wouldn't give it back.

By the by, John Comer was supposed to bring some art to this party, but he explained that he locked himself out of his studio. Poor John.

Some cool pieces of art:


I'm sure it's Johnny Storm

Aunt Boogaboo!

After seeing all the poeple that showed up, this event had to be long anticipated. The Catatomics played at the Thirty Hippo on January 26th, 2008. The venue might've reached its capacity once again. That's a good record to keep holding.

I've seen the Catatomics at two other places prior to this show, and each time was fantastic. After interviewing them, they gave me a CD of their music and I've grown fond of the tunes, even claiming one to be my favorite. Hopefully, I can sit down with Loren (Lead vocals) and talk with him about that particular song one day.

For these guys, they're just fellows hanging out at the bar. They bring that comradery to the stage, bringing the music to the people as just a means to have fun, but they can't help it when the crowd lifts them beyond just friends and as the source of the party's entertainment, and good entertainment at that.

Starting off with "Wendy", the crowd quickly caught onto the swing beat featured by this group of musicians. Their rock/metal sound mixes well with a party crowd, being upbeat, fun, humoruous, and you can dance to it.

Not too long into their set, they played my favorite song by them which I have yet to learn the name, but there's no mistaking that slow and blues-like intro with haunting lyrics that make you hang your head and snap your fingers. But this song stays slow for only so long, pausing a moment to tear into a fast paced way to the last notes. But before that, Loren himself said he wanted to see a Circle Pit right there in front of him. There was enough people for such an event to transpsire, and they unleashed as soon as they band did.

But that wasn't the only song the crowd moshed to. They were calling out "Besty" and the band obliged them. The crowd payed them back with another circle pit:

(Sorry if the quaility of the picture isn't that great. I had to brighten things up so you'd be able to see anything. At least you can tell people are going nuts.)

Loren is definately a front man, taking on that sole role with energy, inticing the crowd and encouraging them to feel the songs just as the band does.


Leading the crowds in the words of each song. Yeah, people have picked up on those catchy swings already.

But Loren doesn't sing alone. Eric Blackwell(Upright Bass) and Little John(Drums) bring the harmonizing back up vocals.

Speaking of Eric, I was standing right in front of him just on the other side of the floor monitor, so I got some close up shots of his wailing expressions.

And he was hammering away on that slap bass, puncuating each note and I don't think he ever missed a beat:

Dusty Chambliss didn't have to put forth much stage effort. His task was on the fret board of his guitar, bringing those licks like nobody's business.

From where I was, I didn't get a good view, or hardly any view of Little John at all, so these picutres I took of him were lucky shots. Haha!

But despite his backseat position, there was no way you could ignore the rhythms he brought to each song, including his backup vocals. He was a powerhouse back there, and was most of the reason everyone was dancing.

About halfway through their set, I'd say, Loren had to shed a shirt. In the beginning, he mentioned how warm it was inside compared to the frigid weather outside, but it seems the Catatomics warmed things up for everyone.

It still blows me away how Loren can effectively bring those metal screams into this style of music. There's metal there in the guitars and the attitude of the songs that allow for such elements, but it rocks like it's brand new every time he does it.

As many good front men do, Loren likes to get involved with the crowd, literally. There were several times where he jumped into the first of the crowd and then disappeared only to emerge moments later. There was one point, it was during their song, "Beer Me, Blow Me" that the crowd stole the mic from him. When he got back to the stage, he stood there with a smirk on his face while the crowd shouted, "Beeeeerrrr! Meeeeeeee! Bloooooowww! Meeeeeeeee!" Then, they gave him his mic mic.

Speaking of which, that is still the coolest style of mic out there.

I'm pretty certain that this was the Catatomics' first show at the Thirsty Hippo, and wow, what a one to remember. There were so many people there that I couldn't move from where I was and risk my spot forever. And I also felt the ripples of those circle pits. I'm sure we'll see the Catatomics at the Hippo again.

One little side note I almost forgot: During one of their more bluesy songs, there was a black guy standing next to me, and you know how those guys get when they're "feeling" something. While the Catatomics were breaking it even further down that bottomless pit of dispare, the black guy was jumping up and down saying, "What the hell's going on in here? What the hell is going on in here?"

Haha!

January 10, 2008 -

I have to say, for my first metal show of the year, it brought a ring in my ear that didn't let up even after I woke up the next morning. That's good shit. That night, there was a constant rumble imminating from the Thirsty Hippo, a resonance only capable by the genre of Doom. Yes, when I'm talking about metal, I'm talking about the manly distortion that rattles every fibre of the venue.

Dark Castle, from St. Augustine, Florida (http://www.myspace.com/darkcastlemetal) introduced themselves through the escalating roar of synths that woke the stage lighting from the floor, and roused the massive growl of the guitar.


Don't worry. You won't see anything for a moment or so, but you'll be able to hear the noises. Keep watching, and everything will be revealed in deep red. Keep watching after that.

Dark Castle used simple light features for their show, but those additions were administered in effective ways. The red light from the floor looks like flames in a lot of these pictures.

Not always, but at crucial moments in their epic long songs, a bright flash boomed from their speaker cabinets, clarifying the accents of bursting guitar riffs and hammering cymbols.

As if the red flame wasn't evil enough, they had a smoke machine, swelling that red glare and shaping it into swirls of magic and fingers of mist.

For a two piece band, they had a big voice with Stevie on Guitars, electronics, and vocals and Robbie on drums.

And yes, Stevie is a chick. The name threw me off as well. Funny story, actually, one guy at the show said he listened to Dark Castle on MySpace and said he thought it was the guy who was singing, but Stevie, ladies and gentlmen, can roar like a beast.


This picture was taken just to clear up any confusion, or in case you didn't believe me...about several things. But, yeah, Robbie had a mic. He was on backing vocals.

While you were hynotized by the constant rumble of Doom, the stage lighting did a number on the senses. For one, Stevie's figure didn't stop moving, which said a lot. The music moved her as it did everyone else. Each picture I took, her dark clothes gave each shot a brilliant contrast to that red flame. I have to say, I'm lucky to have any clear shots at all. There was something about the red light that played against my camera's focus, that coupled with the musicians' constant moving. I barely got any clear pictures of Robbie.

But that's alright. Dark Castle expressed themselves, the crowd loved them, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I want to touch on, despite their chosen voice of Doom, how clear their sound was. Yes, there was that rumble, but each stab, each slide, each cymbol roll, you were able to follow every single example.

Drew, from Face on Mars, described Monarch the best when he said, "Thanks to Monarch for reminding us what metal is supposed to sound like." These guys came from Richmond, VA. http://www.myspace.com/monarchrva  

Just like the Greats did it back in the day, Monarch had a front man, Dan Mills, whose only responsibility was to talk to the crowd and roar those lyrics into the mic. I don't see bands with front men like that too much these days. I miss that. He was free to jump where ever he wanted, and all he had to carry was the mic. That's freedom!

I had to honor this guy. As mentioned before, he only had one responsibility, and he carried that weight all the way through the set, never relenting, never tiring, always wailing.

Who could ignore the guitarist of a metal band? Gabe Beverly was no show out, but he didn't have to rely on charisma to balance out his guitar playing. You heard those crunching riffs and brought your head down on every down beat, bringing it back up only to do it all over again.

The bass player wasn't to be taken lightly, either.
You can't point at Rob Gouldman and call him cliche with a clear conscious. If you can, then you weren't at the show. The look has been earned, and I'm saying that after seeing them only one time. The low end of Monarch was just as hard as the guitar, and no one can ignore the flash of Rocker hair whipping about to the flow of metal. Yet, none of that was a gimmick on his part. He didn't have to rely on any of that to bring his part to the show.

That's what I liked about this band. They had a front band, and he did his part the way he was supposed to but didn't take away from any of the other players. Joel Hollister carried his weight just as equal as the rest of them, speeding things up, slowing things down for those gut wrenching riffs, and all of it was heard. Monarch had a message to deliver and it wasn't just spoken from Dan's vocals. popfaction.com/monarch

Well, after the band got set up and ready to play, Drew had to take a smoke break. Of course, he heard it from the crowd and his band mates. They demanded music!

I know I've reviewed Face on Mars several times on the Burger's web page and in one of the issues, but it has been a while since I've heard these guys. I've met some of them where they work and they told me about this show. I had to go!

They're sound has tightened up. Yet, it has that grainy texture that set their place in this show perfectly. Where Dark Castle gave us Doom and Monarch gave us metal, Face on Mars mixed the two. The only difference is that Drew Kern brought on melodic and raunchy vocals. He always reminds me of the grunge style, or some Stone Temple Pilots on the edge. Now Drew White has a unique way of adding to their songs. With his lap steel guitar, he plugs in the effects and adds the planetary noises of Mars to the mix.

I saw Jarod Lumkin the most beofre the show. The excitement he showed then was reflected at the show all the more. After each announcement Drew made, Jarod was right there with the crowds, cheering and roaring. His skill at the drums was expressed through the control in his movements, the calmness on his face. I know there were several times where he laid the path way for their songs. Whenever he felt like bringing it to a close, he would. Otherwise, he kept banging away.

Johnathan Lee may have been in the back, but he wasn't forgotten. The band was arranged on the stage in a neat setup. The drums were in the middle and everyone else surrounded them, yet they all faced the crowd. Nothing was left out. Certainly not John's low end. He added his own effects to the mix, bringing that spacey flavor to the Mars' mix.

The stage without the camera flash. It's hot and red on Mars.

These guys have a list of familiar songs that I'm sure will sink into the fans. Because I'm certain these guys will be playing again soon. Keep a look out for their flyers. They're a band you don't want to miss, especially if you're looking for some metal here in Hattiesburg.

This little guy was able to sleep through the whole thing, even though he was lying on top of Drew's Speaker cabinet.

Oh yeah, and Drew said you should buy some merch. "You'll be happy."

It was a themed party at the Bellafonte House on South 31st, and Stale Fashion, fittingly enough, was invited to come out and play. Things kicked off around 10 pm and those who attented represented a Decade to fit the party's fashion theme.

The man of the party, Brandon Christian, who got engaged to Laura Hanna and had a birthday in December, but what better time to celebrate other than when he's moving into the Bellafonte House?

As time wore on, more and more people showed up. These parties always tend to have an abundence of Hattiesburg's finest.

I have to say, the house had a great sound system. All of Stale Fashion was balanced. I could make out everything Ryan sang.

Of course, Stale Fashion never miss out on a chance to bring some, uh, flavor in their performances. So, yes, they dressed to the theme. Someone said Ryan was wearing some pajamas. And yes, Ben's wearing a dress. You can't see it here, but he was wearing lipstick as well. Oh, and yes, Justin is jamming out in his boxers. If you look closely, you can see the Grinch on the front.


Big finish with "Uncommon Noise"

And now for the "Rep a Dec" Hall of Fame. 
Some of these people I know, and I'll include their names. Some, you might know, or you might rmemeber them running around the party that night...if you can remember much from that night, that is.

Stephanie and Jacob                                                                    May

Alison and a friend

Lou                                                                           Gautam

Kristen                                                                   Dez

Rachael
Sonny 

After Stale Fashion played, Bellafonte turned on the dance music and everyone took the floor.

Now for the oddities, other than the strangely dressed people. I went snooping around the house, attracted to the weird things I found and took pictures. This is what I found:

Dragon caught on the lights. Maybe he has a name?

Dinosaurs in the bathroom. I turned around and BAM!

I noticed this later on. Yep, a throwing star sticking in the side of the DJ booth. I don't know the story.

After I took the picture, I let Becca see the expression she knew she was giving me...and she laughed.

The DJ booth. I see those names as swatches on the side of a belt.

Dez and I. I didn't really dress for the occasion, but someone said I looked like the 90's, so I went with that. Dez was repin' the 80's. She's probably going to kill me once she finds out about this picture. And no, my eyes aren't glowing with deviant intentions. That's just the camera flash. Yeah. Just the flash.

All in all, the party went on for well into the morning and it was good times. Not only were the past decades represented, but people were representing all kinds of things. Gotta appriciate them all.

Featured track:

Severiously - Amadeus St. Vitus

Instead of quoting the singer/bassist, Robert, on the story behind the song, I thought I'd let you find out by his own handwritting.

A little fun:

January 1, 2008 - The Thirsty Hippo

Answer me this: where is would you'd rather be than the Thirsty Hippo on New Year's Eve? Despite the black tie party next door, the patrons at the Thirsty Hippo were eager to start the countdown to 2008. It was another packed house due to the acts who promised us all a worthwhile celebration.

To close out 2007, the Squirms took the stage around 11 pm, jamming among a blue light stutted stage. They brought us a set of familiar songs from their recently released album, Green Jackets, as well as other songs.

Will Poynor not only delivered his melodic, yet energized vocals, he shred those solos in the spirit of good memories and the hopes of a fresh start to come in 2008.

                            
Jed Newell never fails to wallop those heads in a flourish of blaring cymbals whilst nodding to his own percussive force. Warren Ard might not have a game face, but no one can ignore those low booms emanating from his bass rig. The rhythms he supplies complement the percussion lines, delivering a nice dance flow.

And then there's a monkey peeking around from the shadows.

Will invited Jimmy Young to the stage before he started this song, but Jimmy didn't show up until the second verse, totally taking center stage.

                                            
Only a few seconds to midnight, Stale Fashion was set up and ready to start the countdown. When the moment came, Ryan started and everyone joined in, and the balloons droped...sort of.

When they finished their first song, Ryan announced, "That's the first song you've heard this year, and it's from Stale Fashion!"

 
As always, Ben Shea carried each song along with those vibrant and life-like melodies, accented by that untamed body language that obeys each shift in the music, each string bend, each cry of high distortion, and change in rhythm.

A shot of the group in concentration, taking the songs in just as they are throwing them out at the crowd.

Gotta dig it when a rock star performs the "Jump". You know what I mean. This video will show a demonstration of Justin Butler doing it right.

I saw the enthusiasm in Joe Vanzandt's face when he turned around to look up at me in the windows behind the band. I was standing there outside the venue, taking pictures and recording videos. I happened to catch the "wigged-out" expression he shot me. If only I had my camera ready for that one. Though, I did catch this demonic glowing-eyed facade of his drive that pushes each Stales Fashion song with that force all the girls bounce to.

I could tell that Ryan was feeling the excitement that night. The girls were drunk. The lights were dim, save for the glowing snake at the band's feet, and he told his stories with a voice that shook the mic, literally, where fans had to retrieve the falling stand several times.

There's something about the celebration of something, in this case, a new beginning, a second chance for some, a new reason to keep going for many, a promise for more yet to come for all, that tends to bring a notion in among those who are present in the celebrant act, a notion that's positive and all can't help but feel like they're being lifted off the ground at that moment in time.

                        
They ended the show with their catchy and fan favorite song, "Uncommon Noise".

There's always the one that might've taken things all the way to the edge and beyond. I don't doubt there were a lot of those people out there that night, but the ones we all remember are the ones we catch. Yet, we manage to be good sports about it.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 1:51 P.M.   

    They call themselves the Hooligans. They're an up-and-coming band, not quite ready to hit the scene yet, but it shouldn't be long. They already have several songs written. They are comprised of a singer, a guitarist, and a bassist. They're looking for a drummer. They said they prefer someone who can play fast. Nothing fancy. Maybe even simple. Right now, they're sharing drummers with Amadeus St. Vitas.
    The guitarist and bassist have been playing together for a few years now. The guitarist is from Louisville, KN. Along with his friends, he started a rap group, but it morphed into a Ska/Punk band. They used to hang out in front of bars and play for money. 
    This clip provides just a sample of one of their songs. The singer wasn't around so the guitarist provided the lyrics to give me an idea. He played on an acoustic while the bassist played on an acoustic as well. The quality of this track isn't the best, but, hey, like I said, you can get an idea.

    I won't give out any names of the members at this time. I'd rather let them introduce themselves when they come out early next year. This was just one sample I was able to record, but they showed me several other songs. If you're a Punk/Ska fan, you should look forward to these guys. I remember one of their songs had a political theme behind it, bashing the government, of course. But I have to say, Hattiesburg is going to have fun with them.