July 18– Forming in 2009 and signing to Fearless Records not too long after, We Are The In Crowd (formally The In Crowd) has gained quite a bit of exposure within the past year. With Warped Tour 2010 being their longest tour to date, the band has a lot to prove to its audience within this tour– while the band did suffer from a handful of mishaps, the five piece from Poughkeepsie, NY showed some promise during their set on the SkullCandy stage.

It was hard to know what to expect when getting ready for We Are The In Crowd to take the stage: Would the band be able to rock the performance and become a new favorite band to see, or will they need to work on some live aspects prior to becoming a highly recommended band? Being a fan of WATIC prior to Warped Tour made expectations high, but the band definitely were not as good as one would hope.

It seemed as though Warped Tour 2010 has taken lead singer Taylor Jardine to her limits, as her vocals were hoarse and ultimately failed to hit some of her higher notes; it was definitely a bummer to witness Jardine struggle through the set, and the audience could tell she was not happy about it. Although she wasn’t at the top of her game, Jardine tried to compensate and attempted to keep up with the songs. In addition to Jardine’s vocals, the band suffered from a minor tech setback– during a song of their set, guitarist and vocalist Jordan Eckes was unable to tune his guitar appropriately, despite various attempts, leading to the song “Never Be What You Want” to not feature one of its guitar tracks.

Despite these unfortunate events, We Are The In Crowd tried to rebound their performance, and for the most part, they did. Songs like “This Isn’t Rocket Surgery” and “Lights Out” definitely sounded good, and the band seemed excited to try to put on a show for their audience. Their very pop-orientated sound works really well live, transitioning pretty well from their EP, Guaranteed To Disagree, to the stage.

It was honestly sad to see the band struggle that much during their set, but giving the band the benefit of the doubt, jumping on to Warped Tour during one of the hottest summers in recent memory is no easy task to overcome. While their blunders were noticeable, they were all things that the band can work on over time. If and when the band works on these misfortunes, We Are The In Crowd will be a damned good live band– just give them some much needed time.

July 17 + 18– With the dozens upon dozens of bands performing at Warped Tour this year, there may be more than a few bands that get lost in the shuffle. However, there are certain bands that need to be seen by all lovers of music, no matter if they sound familiar to anyone or not. Emarosa is one of those bands.

What makes Emarosa stand out is their biggest strength, vocalist Jonny Craig, who differentiates the band from the other post-hardcore bands of Warped Tour. Throughout Emarosa’s set, Craig is able to dominate the audience with his vocals with very little effort– some may wonder how in the hell such a stunning voice comes from him, as his voice does not seem to fit him at all.

The band played a healthy mix of songs from their newest self-titled LP as well as songs from their first full-length, Relativity, including a remarkable rendition of “Heads or Tails? Real or Not.” Each and every song sounds perfect live, and all Emarosa fans seemed to be extremely happy with the band’s choice of songs, which also included “Set It Off Like Napalm” and “The Past Should Stay Dead.” Their set was equally as great during both the Uniondale and Oceanport dates.

Emarosa will be playing the rest of Warped Tour 2010 on the Ernie Ball stage. All Warped attendees should really consider heading over to their set, as Emarosa is easily one of the best bands performing on the tour this year.

May 22– Combining stellar energy with poetic and meaningful songs, Flyleaf  absolutely destroyed New York City’s Webster Hall and its audience. The band’s performance was something that will stick in my mind for a long time.

The quintet took stage with an explosive intro, keeping the energy level consistently high and not letting it go down at all through their 80 minute set. Songs like “In The Dark” and “Beautiful Bride”, off the band’s newest release, Memento Mori, opened the night and paved the way for an evening of epic hard rock.

Lead vocalist Lacey Mosley proved that she is an enchanting and talented front woman. Whether it was her intense screaming during popular singles “Fully Alive” and “I’m So Sick” or passionate serenading during the somber “So I Thought” and “Circle,” the 28-year-old Mosley injected talent and sensuality to an already emotional set.

The band’s ability to churn out songs that resonate deeply within many different types of people is not something other bands could simply reproduce. Each and every song played during their set took on its own significant meaning; combining this with Mosley’s rapturous performance and the band’s pure skill made it an extremely enjoyable night. Flyleaf exhibited a deep gratitude towards their fans throughout their powerful set, giving a fair share of thanks to those who came out to support the band. The fans in the audience were a mixed bunch, ranging from some teenagers to a large majority of 20-something-year-olds, and even a few 30-and-older concert goers.

As the set drew to a close, Flyleaf’s energy was still at an untouchable height; every once in awhile, bands that simply love to perform and be in front of their fans come about, but Flyleaf blew those bands’ energy out of the water. With the amount of fans the group has been garnering since the release of Memento Mori, Flyleaf is sure to make the year 2010 its best year yet.

March 31– Perth, Australia’s progressive rock band Karnivool has embarked on their first American tour in three years, supporting their newest album Sound Awake. Their performance can only be described as astonishing and a must see for any concertgoer.

I came across Karnivool for the first time last week, watching the video for their song “Set Fire To The Hive” off of Sound Awake. Enjoying what I heard from the song, I decided to attend the band’s performance at New York City’s Blender Theatre, which was part of their current co-headlining tour with Fair To Midland. While I did not know what to expect at all, I was completely blown away by their hour long set.

Setting off their performance with a fury of energy, Karnivool’s set never once had a lull or let the legions of fans in attendance down. Lead vocalist Ian Kelly’s disjointed movements on stage provided a captivating focal point for the night while the band blasted through songs from Sound Awake and Themata with elegant precision. Not one song seemed off during their performance, with each intricate part of each and every song coming together to form something astonishing.

What impressed me most about Karnivool was their sound – a unique blend of gruff alternative rock and ethereal percussion that forms into something that is both beautiful and harrowing. Kelly’s voice stuck out for me, as it not only matched the sound of the band perfectly, but it also seemed to take on its own identity through each song. While the band’s sound is experimental in nature, it never seemed too foreign, which made it extremely easy for new fans to enjoy them.

Karnivool’s performance enthralled me, much more than any other performance by the multitude of band’s I have seen in the past. Although they are entirely new to me, I can say with sincerity that I believe that this band will go far. Check out Karnivool if they happen to tour within your area; you will be thankful.

February 12– On Feb. 12, it appeared as though a flannel-clad army had assembled at New York City’s Blender Theatre. Was a war about to break out in the city’s streets?  Not exactly.  It happened to be the night Boston’s renowned, bearded-pop-punk quintet, Four Year Strong, was set to take the stage for a night of high-energy tunes and dog piles.

Kicking their set off with a crowd favorite, “Bada Bing Wit’ a Pipe,” the room went off.  Fists were pumping, bodies were surfing, and every person from the barrier to the last row of the venue’s mezzanine seating was singing his or her little heart out.  Frontman Dan O’Connor noticeably fed off this energy, as he flawlessly crooned his way through the rest of the set, which included songs off 2007’s Rise or Die Trying, and cover of Third Eyed Blind’s ‘90s hit, “Semi-Charmed Life.”

The band also gave the crowd a taste of their new record, Enemy of the World, which is slated for a March 9 release, with three new songs entitled “It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now,” “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer),” and “What the Hell Is a Gigawatt?” – all of which came fully intact with mosh pits and gang chants.

The set was finally brought to a close with the rallying gang chants of “Maniac (R.O.D),” and nobody in a mile radius could resist screaming along to its lyrics: “Rise or die, here at the top of the world,”– which, ironically enough, seems to be exactly where Four Year Strong is currently sitting.

Taking the stage once again for an encore, the band pounded their way through “The Takeover,” and soon synth player/vocalist Josh Lyford took to the crowd and “teamed up!” with fans to end the night with “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die.”

With the end of the show, unfortunately, comes the end of the plaid riot.  However, Four Year Strong’s soldiers weren’t left with nothing.  The band’s memorable performance is something enthusiasts will be left raving about for weeks, proving the band’s mission was accomplished.

November 24– The Maine were one of the handful of bands featured on the OP Love Drunk Tour, headlined by Boys Like Girls. Although they were only openers, the reaction of the crowd made it seem as though these boys from Tempe, Arizona were the headliners of the tour.

The Maine’s pop-rock is a perfect blend of musicianship, attitude, and catchiness– fusing mellow guitar rifts with memorable lyrics is something The Maine does very well, and their talent has undoubtably made them popular. Their live performance, however, showed off even more of that talent.

Though their set was somewhat short, they made sure to include some of their best hits, like “Girls Do What They Want,” “Everything I Ask For,” and the cover of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” With each song played, the young audience became more infatuated with The Maine’s frontman, John O’Callaghan. The vocalist’s deep tone is a departure from the usual high-pitched vocals that are synonymous with the pop-punk genre, and his stage presence was almost domineering and intimidating– combining those two qualities made the many teenaged girls in attendance stir-crazy.

The band’s set was really impressive, especially when one notices the interactivity of the band. They seemed really happy to be able to share their music with fans for even just thirty minutes. Musically speaking, the band did a great job live, showing that they are not just a “CD recording only” band.

The Maine’s performance was a really well-done set, and I will say that they are deserving of their new-found success. In case you missed it, check out my interview with The Maine’s guitarist Kennedy Brock here!

Side Note: Sorry for the lack of pictures of the other members of the band besides John and drummer Pat Kirch! The photo pit was insane, so I wasn’t able to get that many photos of the rest of The Maine, and the few that I did obtain weren’t of spectacular quality. My apologies, guys!

Local rock music photographer and a dear friend of mine, Anne Ferguson, suffered a great loss when her Nikon D80′s mirror system was shattered while photographing a concert recently. Known to many frequent concert-goers as “photog-mom”, Anne was a staple at almost any hardcore show, happily situating herself in the photo pit and capturing not only a live show, but the very passion and emotion musicians expressed during a performance that only she could find.

While many of her fans and close friends wanted to help, not many could think of an appropriate way to aid Anne, who did not have the funds to replace the irreparably damaged DSLR camera body. It was Darien Paige, lead singer of NYC’s Belladonna, who thought of a way to help Anne while providing any potential donaters some great entertainment; it was with this idea that the Bands For Anne Benefit Concert was born.

Bringing together some of the best examples of New York and New Jersey’s local talent, Bands For Anne features 13 hardcore bands who are all eager to help out a local photographer in need. The bands will play at NYC’s Crash Mansion, known for the TV show Fearless Music which has played a vital role as the starting point for many local band’s careers. A raffle for one of Anne’s framed and matted composites will be available as well as an auction that is expected to feature signed merchandise from bands such as Our Last Night, BlessTheFall, Escape The Fate, and more; all personal friends of Anne that she has met throughout her career.

I was able to ask seven of the 13 bands some questions about who they are, what type of music they play, and why you should be more than excited to see them live. If you’re interested in attending Bands For Anne, and you are 18+, be sure to come down to Crash Mansion (http://crashmansion.com/) on Thursday, January 28th. The show starts from 7pm and goes until 2am and is a mere $12 for 18+ attendees, and an even cheaper $10 for 21+ concert-goers.

Veracosa- myspace.com/veracosany

How did you form?

We were all friends and we operated as a 3 piece band until our manager found us a bassist. Our drummer soon came along for the ride after 5 months of being a band.

In what genre would you classify your music in?
We don’t really like to classify ourselves in any genre particularly, but if we would have to choose one it would be a melodic Post-Hardcore with sprinkles of southern influences. We like to call it VeraCore ;D

How do you think your band sets itself apart from other bands in its genre?
We bring a melodic feel to the hardcore scene which is what the scene has been missing since forever. We are more of a family than a band; our friendship comes first rather than just doing this for business. We take more of a “let’s have fun” approach rather than a strictly “doing it for the fame” approach. We like to joke around yet stay in your fucking face at the same time. Another thing is that we never dismiss a song idea, we just all work together to make it something great.

If you could go on tour with any 3 bands, who would you pick, and why?
If we had to pick 3 bands we would go on tour with A Skylit Drive, Senses Fail, and A Day To Remember or Alesana (they tied in the spot). We would tour with them because they influenced us as much as we were already fans of their amazing music.

On Borrowed Time- www.MySpace.com/onborrowedtimeny

What is your name, where are you from, and how did you form?

We are On Borrowed Time from Queens, New York by majority. Well actually we will be honest here and specific as possible. Ron and Vin are from Hamilton Beach, Queens. Seabass and Ivan are from Woodhaven, Queens, and Jay is from the Bronx, New York. Vincent Agate plays the bass and does the “deathly lows” to back up the vocals in the band. Ronald Teri dances and plays guitars, while also singing backup cleans [vocals] and playing the keyboard. Jay Williams brings the sexiness and makes the band hot (said while pointing down at his crouch) and dabbles solemnly on the guitar (wink), which in turn brings melodic mastery to the overall sound. Sabastian is the shyest of the fellas unless he is under the under the influence of Mountain Dew, Seabass claims his main focus is on the cowbell but he also sits behind drums and lets loose. And, of course, Ivan fronts the outfit and provides the cleans and screams and makes everything so hot! And unlike Jay, he does it shirtless. OBT first formed when Vin, and Ron wanted to make a band. After previous adventures in their early teen lives FAILED, they decided to learn from all past mishaps and make things this time just fun. Ron states that the band formed just like every other 21st century-Xbox playing band, by Guitar Hero, lol, real talk though… The guys were high school classmates with Ivan and picked him up. The guys then held auditions for a second-first guitarist for the very technical style they were looking for; yeah OBT has 2 first guitarists, and Jay came from a friend of a friend, you know how these things work out. Jay used to be in a band with Seabass and they came as a packaged deal. Win. All the guys blended well with all of their extremely different backgrounds and mended well and make beautiful music together.

In what genre would you classify your music in? How do you think your band sets itself apart from other bands in its genre?

Well to fit into a genre is always a difficult task to claim, especially when starting out, we are still experimenting with a lot of styles so our sound isn’t set just yet, but it is developing. Vin says that “if we had to describe it, we are mostly hardcore, or post-hardcore, we really wouldn’t know the pre-requisites for either genre, lol, but whatever that is, that’s what we are. Our music is always fast paced, and it is everything literally smashed together, like blues, loud bass and electronic parts and breakdowns, it’s just beauty. It’s beautiful-hardcore,” backed up and claimed by Ron, “we just want to do what we want and we are some talented kids,” so hopefully we can make something out of this. When asked Sabastian simply responded, “I dunno, I guess Mountain Dew, that’s how we sound in my mind.” Ivan states that “the band is strictly Metalcore just so we get fat metal dudes to check us out.” Jay says basically we are Smooth Post-Metalcore, R’n’B meats breakdowns, no typo there.

Deceiving Persephone- www.MySpace.com/deceivingpersephone

In what genre would you classify your music in? How do you think your band sets itself apart from other bands in its genre?

I would concider our music to be somewhat post-deathcore, because our music is composed of deathmetal/metalcore guitar riffs but has a high pitched singing tone too it which would put it in a post genre. I think we set ourselves apart from other band in the game because of what we bring to the table, sure there are other bands out there that can do what we do but they can’t do it as good as we do it.

Who are your greatest influences as musicians?

Personally my greatest influences as a vocalist is Phill Bozmen of Whitechapel; I think he’s an absolutely amazing vocalist.

If you could go on tour with any 3 bands, who would you pick, and why?

If I could tour with any 3 bands, I would pick 2 NYC local bands, and one signed band. I would pick On Borrowed Time, just because I love all the members in that band and they’re all really nice people. The second local band I would pick is Vienna Falls, just cause before I was in a band I would always go to their shows and dance my heart out, if anyone in NYC deserves to get big it’s them. They’ve always came through when anyone has needed them and they’re all sweethearts. The signed band I would have to say A Plea For Purging. I’ve never seen them live in person but I’ve seen videos on them and their stage aura is just amazing, it’s so positive and pure ,it just drives me insane, as it does everyone else.

Vienna Falls- MySpace.com/viennafalls

Where are you from, and how did you form?

Brooklyn/Queens/Long Island. Joe, Erik and Rosario were once in another band, but we then found Sean and Jay and formed this one.

In what genre would you classify your music in? How do you think your band sets itself apart from other bands in its genre?

We are hardcore/screamo. All of our members have different influences, I believe we set ourselves apart by our own separate influences.

If you could go on tour with any 3 bands, who would you pick, and why?

Speaking for the rest of the members, I assume it would be: The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I, Underoath.

Wrath of Hera- www.MySpace.com/thewrathofhera

How did you form?

The Wrath of Hera was formed by drummer Zach Lieggi and guitarist Nick Laezza, after the breakup of their former band A Plot For Your Demise. They began writing new music in mid April of 2009, tried out numerous vocalist and finally came across former Etched In Flesh vocalist Allen “Hazebert” Middleton. The trio then held many auditions for guitar and bass,and in September guitarist Angelo Bruccoleri (ex A Plot For Your Demise) joined the project.

In what genre would you classify your music in?

We wouldn’t classify ourselves in to one genre of music due to the fact that our music covers every style of metal.

How do you think your band sets itself apart from other bands in its genre?

Our very intense live performance. We produce a powerful energy that radiates from the stage to the back of the crowd,while playing a tight set.

Waste Deep In Flesh- www.MySpace.com/wdif

“We are Waist Deep In Flesh from Brooklyn, NY. We formed back in 2007 with just Jonathan as vocals and Gian as bass. We had several drummers and guitarist that didn’t last long. Soon enough, Gian moved up to guitar and close friend Felix joined as drums. After three seasons of practicing we started receiving show offers during the Fall of 2008. Even though we didn’t have a bass player we took them. We played shows with well known bands such as Setback, Line Of Scrimmage, Billyclub Sandwich, Waking the Cadaver and Sworn Enemy. By the Winter of 2009, we had a bass player that lasted only two shows including a show with Razorblade Hand Grenade; after that we decided not to play a show without a bass player. We searched and searched and found Quincy. We spent all summer practicing and started playing shows again in August of 2009. After that, it was non-stop with shows being offered to us left and right. Gian started college in the fall of ’09 and met the new lead guitarist Tom. Now as a full band, we have played even bigger shows with Full Blown Chaos and Empire Shall Fall. We had also recently headlined our first show which was full of friends and fans dancing and singing along to our music. Since then we had realized we became an established Hardcore band from NYC.”

“We currently are recording a 7 track EP and will be selling it at shows. If you would like to purchase it outside of a show, just message us on the Facebook or Myspace and we can meet up personally.”

For You I Will- www.MySpace.com/fyiwmusic

“We are For You I Will from Bergen County NJ, actually right across the bridge. We formed through just lots of searching through other bands MySpaces and eventually found all the right people to form an extremely hard working band.”

“We are a Hardcore band with a twist of Melodic Metal. We set ourselves apart from everyone else with how we balance out different genres in our music with transitions and no repeating parts; they’re may be no repeating parts but they are sure to get stuck in your head! We all have different influences from all different genres, from New Found Glory to The Ghost Inside.”

I hope to see a lot of Mosh To This readers there, and I know you’ll have some great fun! If you want to check out some of Anne’s work, be sure to head over to her MySpace page.

November 7– Blending infectious lyrics about relationships and heartbreak with a talented lead singer, Mayday Parade became an instant favorite of mine with their EP, Tales Told By Dead Friends, and their first album, A Lesson In Romantics. Celebrating the release of their sophomore album Anywhere But Here, Mayday Parade co-headlined the 2009 AP Tour Fall Ball, which hit Sayreville’s Starland Ballroom with full force.

The band’s performance was a highlight of the evening. I’ve always enjoyed this band, and seeing them live was a treat. Performance-wise, Mayday Parade put on an impressive show, performing new and old favorites alike; “Three Cheers for Five Years”, “Jersey”, “Kids In Love”, and “The Silence” were all performed with a few others, giving a nice balance of poppy, upbeat tunes and slower love ballads– the slower songs are easily among the band’s best, with single “Miserable At Best” being greatly admired by the audience.

One of my favorite attributes of Mayday Parade is their lead singer, Derek Sanders. His vocal talents are nothing less than impressive, and they were especially great at this concert. While Sanders is a stellar performer, it is mildly disappointing that the band parted ways with second lead vocalist Jason Lancaster, who seemed to be a natural counterpart of Sanders. Although drummer Jake Bundrick and guitarist Jeremy Lenzo fill in for Lancaster’s vocals during older songs, the songs off of Anywhere But Here sadly lack the second set of lead vocals that made Mayday Parade stand apart from many of the other bands in its genre.

The crowd seemed to be more receptive towards the performances of the band’s older material rather than the songs found on Anywhere But Here; the outstanding performance of “Three Cheers For Five Years” overshadowed the performances of songs like “The Silence” and title track “Anywhere But Here.” The band itself seemed to be more connected with their older songs as well, which was also reflected in the set list of the night, consisting of three songs off of their new album and seven songs off their debut album and preceding EP.

All in all, Mayday Parade pulled off a great set, and it surely appealed to everyone in attendance. Though the audience seemed to be satisfied more with the band’s older songs, I feel that in time, they will be able to make the adjustment and start getting comfortable with the new material; likewise, I believe that the band will soon become more connected with their newer material and will be able to perform it with as much enthusiasm as they do with their older songs. Mayday Parade will be co-headlining the Take Action 2010 tour with We The Kings, so make sure you check that tour out!

July 31– All Points West, a music festival that takes place at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, has been compared to the Coachella Music Festival and other indie music festivals. This year’s festival, which took place between July 31-August 1, featured an impressive line-up ranging from Jay-Z to Coldplay.

I was fortunate enough to cover the first day of this year’s festival, and in doing so, I have garnered many photos throughout the day. You can view some of these photos after the jump. This post is photo-intensive, so it may take some time to load for people with slower connections.

Bo Burnham

Ra Ra Riot

Fleet Foxes

The National

Vampire Weekend

Jay-Z

All in all, All Points West was a very interesting day. Although I never listened to the bands and musicians that performed prior to the show, I had a great time. All of these bands were absolutely outstanding live, and I was very impressed.

My two personal favorites of the entire day were Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend. They played equally great sets, and they were extremely fun to photograph.

The day was plagued with the occasional downpour of rain. It wasn’t too bad until just prior to Vampire Weekend’s performance, and lasted throughout their set, as demonstrated by the photos of them. The rain caused many mud pools to form, which led to a messy way to end the night. The rain stopped prior to Jay-Z’s set.

Jay-Z filled in as the headliner after The Beastie Boys had to drop off the line-up due to Adam Yauch’s throat cancer scare. Although he wasn’t originally planned as the headliner, he did a great job with his performance.

I hope you enjoy these photos, and I hope that I will be able to photograph the All Points West festival once more in 2010.

December 11– Taylor Swift closed out Z100′s Jingle Ball with a spectacular 30 minute performance that simply dazzled. Although it was a relatively short set when compared to most other concert sets, it showed off exactly why Ms. Swift has garnered so much attention recently.

Swift’s performance was nothing less than stunning. She was able to command the presence of all who attended the concert– not an easy feat when one considers that the sold-out concert took place at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.

Her energy and excitement were easily seen as they resonated throughout her entire performance. Songs such as hit singles “Our Song” and “You Belong With Me” hit their mark with fans, yet mellow songs like “Fifteen” and the stellar “You’re Not Sorry”, with a bridge that included a cover of Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around”, easily stole the show. Some songs were performed with videos screening behind Swift and her band on a massive screen; these videos included cheerleaders doing a routine during “You Belong With Me” and scenes from the video of “Love Story.” When this screen was not used for video, it showed an up-close view of Swift and her backing band.

This talented songstress was perfectly comfortable on stage, and not once did she seem daunted by the nearly 20,000 member audience. She made just a few slightly audible mistakes while singing and playing a guitar and piano, but many did not seem to notice. Swift also took plenty of time to thank all those who supported her and her career; these opportunities did not seem staged at all, yet appeared to be totally sincere and genuine.

Her last song, “Love Story,” ended with a flurry of lights, fireworks, and streamers, and after all the commotion settled, the show ended, leaving fans literally begging for more. Although they were only teased with a half-hour set, they were still appeased with the chance to see their favorite artist live.

Taylor Swift’s performance proved that she is a formidable artist live, yet I wish her set could have been a extended by a few songs. If ever given the chance to see Ms. Swift live (especially since her Fearless Tour has been extended until June 2010), you should definitely check her out, as you will be very entertained.