Review: Hialeah Fest at Churchill's Pub

A spontaneous trip to Churchill's for last night's Hialeah Fest exposed us to some great bands, both old and new. For a $7 cover, we walked into the sounds of infamous Miami-based band Humbert. I've heard much about these guys over the years, but every time I was at a festival they were playing, I was in another area doing some sort of promotional hustle.

I observed the end of set from across the bar, peering through a sea of bad hairdos as I nursed my Jack and Coke. The band lived up to their hype: Catchy, dance-worthy indie rock. They're the kind of band you find yourself declaring you're totally in love with, halfway through the first song of theirs you've ever heard.  I'm glad I finally had the chance to see them live.

The stage was divided in two by a crudely hung white sheet, and as Humbert tore down, Low Visibility began their set on the opposite end of the stage. I honestly don't have much to say about these guys. The fifteen minute set rotations meant for me that they were sandwiched between Humbert, whom I had been excited to see; and Hit Play.

Hit Play is my friend and former 93 Rock co-worker Gaston de la Vega's band. They were the motivation for me to take my ass to Miami in the first place. The band kicked off their set with "...Progress, I Think?" from their debut EP "In Case of Emergency". Singer Alex Calente lead the band through a killer set that also included "The Lie Detector Determined That Was a Lie" and others. Equal parts power pop and punk, these guys deliver with catchy tunes that make you want to bounce and sing along, even if you don't know the lyrics. Of the four bands we saw, Hit, Play sounded tightest of all. They opened and finished strong, chugging through the fifteen minute set with as much energy as you would expect from an hour or more.

The last band we caught was Change Is Great. Giz Forte leads this Hialeah-based three piece with soulful reggae tinged vocals. The slow groove was a complete 180 from Hit Play; but a welcome change indeed. I'll definitely have to catch this trio again in a longer format.

Hialeah Fest was a great way to sample some local music, without having to wait impatiently though lengthy sets when a band you're not into hits the stage.

Rock n' Roll Samsons

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I'm rarely attracted to guys with long hair. There are few who can pull it off, but there are exceptions to the rule. When it's done wrong, it looks messy. It prevents me from seeing your gorgeous face. You get my point.
Regardless of my feelings about the look, one thing remains clear: The amount of which you rock, as a frontman, is directly proportionate to when you decided you shear your locks.

I submit to you the following:

James Hetfield- The cowardly lion of metal, Hetfield was known for thrashing those locks around as he kicked ass to "Seek and Destroy" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls".
He cut his hair right before the release of Load in 1996, which brought us gems like "Ain't My Bitch" and "King Nothing".

Current length: Still close cropped. The suck has somewhat abated since the release of Death Magnetic, but imagine a return to power if Hetfield grew his hair once again.



Eddie Vedder- Despite tireless research, I had trouble pinpointing exactly when Eddie Vedder cut his hair short. My best guess is he started cutting it sometime during the No-Code era, one of the last Pearl Jam albums I liked. The shorter he cut it, the worse the music got. Yield had a few good tracks, Binaural even fewer. By the time Riot Act was released in 2002, I had stopped purchasing their albums. Eddie's hair cut in 2002? A mohawk. Do the math, friends.



Current length: Just above the shoulders. Not enough hair length to recover from the free fall that started with the mohawk. Sorry, Ed.



Chris Cornell-Cut his hair halfway through Superunknown, which is widely considered to be Soundgarden's breakthrough album. Superunknown is also regarded by hardcore fans as the turning point in their career from a heavy band to a more mainstream band. I enjoyed Superunknown, but less hair definitely equaled less heavy. Cornell continued to wear his hair short through the end of Soundgarden, just one album later.


Current length: Just past his shoulders, with no signs of stopping. Soundgarden has recently reunited, and re-recorded the track "Black Rain", which is originally from the Badmotorfinger recording sessions. It rocks...HARD. Hair is back, heavy Soundgarden is back. Cornell becomes a success story the others should model themselves after.


In conclusion, I find these men far more attractive with short hair. But for the sake of all things rock n' roll, the only way they can salvage the music is to grow back the hair!

Who else in the music industry have you witnessed this phenomenon with?

The Ear For A Single

Call it a blessing and a curse. When I hear an album for the first time, there is always one song that stands out to me above the rest. Whether it is an EP or a full length record, at least one song "speaks" to me. This often ends up being the one that receives radio airplay.

I've gotten a lot of hell for this ability over the years. My music snob friends like to tease me for recognizing the most popular and radio-ready hits. Everyone with decent taste in music knows the single is often the most loathed song on any album, as it gets overplayed ad nauseum by radio stations across the country. It finds its way into commercials, music videos, grocery stores, and bores a hole into your very soul. Sometimes it is mediocre when compared with the rest of the album. Other times it is so infectiously catchy, you can't help but love it.

As much as you love to hate most singles, these are the songs that are chosen to grab a listener and drive them to further explore the band's album. If the single is really good, it may even encourage a listener to delve into a band's entire discography.

I'm proud of my ability to hear an album and choose a song that I am confident will make a new band successful, or breathe new life into a band that is on the verge of a comeback.

Having this gift means I'm doing my job well.

What are some of your favorite singles? Least favorite? Is there a single you hated, but eventually ended up listening to and becoming a fan of the band?

Playing the Right Size Room

I was cruising home from work in my car today listening to music. I started thinking about some of the concerts I've been to over the years, and how the size of the room these bands are playing in directly correlates with what kind of performance they have.

Bands like Foo Fighters and Green Day are solid in an arena setting. I've seen Foo Fighters tackle the Bank Atlantic Center twice, and KILLED both times.
I've seen Green Day own both the BAC and The Triple A (American Airlines Arena).
Dave Matthews Band, Poison, and Disturbed are all fantastic bands to see on a sweaty summer night at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. The open-air structure sets the tone perfectly for a great night of acoustic balladry or balls-out rock.

The difference in playing certain venues becomes even more evident when it comes to local bands. I've recently seen Juke play a Beer Fest, Hollywood Bandshell, and The Poorhouse. Each performance had a different vibe. Beer Fest was high energy, Bandshell was laid back with a medium pace, and The Poorhouse was full of foot stompers, attitude, and an anything goes vibe.

My friends the Hep Cat Boo Daddies always play their best shows at The Hollywood Playhouse. There is something about that theatre that brings out the best in them as a band. All of the songs sound that much more soulful and real.

Conversely, choosing a room that your band is not suited for can provide disastrous results. I've seen multiple bands play Hard Rock Live in Hollywood with mixed success. Sometimes the sound is drowned or muffled, or the music gets lost drifting over the sea of people.

I enjoyed seeing Weezer at Sunfest earlier this year, but they're better suited to play in an arena, or even a medium-sized venue. Rivers Cuomo has been experimenting with becoming a more outgoing and impressive frontman, but I'd prefer to see him play a smaller room and stick to his traditionally awkward ways.

What are some recent shows you've been to where the band worked really well or really poorly in a particular venue?

Record Store Day!

In just 10 hours, I'll be on the doorstep of Radio-Active Records to celebrate Record Store Day 2010.
Kris and I already pre-ordered all of the stuff we want to buy, as it is limited edition. What's this day all about, you ask? It's the celebration of independently owned record stores across the country, and worldwide. Many bands release records that you can only purchase on this day. It also includes live performances, and lots of other great stuff. So, wherever you live, make it a point to support your local record store. Go dig through the vinyl and fall in love with a new band, or maybe just one that's new to you :)

Happy RSD!

Want more info? Go here: Radio-Active Records blog or here: Record Store Day

Palladia

I do so enjoy this channel. Better than just a string of music videos every day, they also show live concerts and other assorted performances.

I set my DVR for Kings of Leon, parts of the 2009 Glastonbury Festival, a Green Day performance from Munich, and various others I can't recall.
Tonight, I watched a performance that included several artists, but it was also a documentary of sorts. There were sit-down interviews with each of the performers, most of which I fast-forwarded through to get to Dave Matthews Band.

The featured song for their portion of the documentary was "Take Me to the River", and DMB was joined by Al Green. Imagine my surprise when the camera panned to stage left, and there stood Leroi Moore. I didn't even think about what year this performance could be from, turns out it was 2006, before he passed away. To see and hear him play after only seeing recent stuff was beautiful. He had a sound that was all his own.

Thanks, Paladia, for playing the awesome stuff.

Pop Culture Fluff

Scanning the headlines on Rollingstone.com, a few names pop up that I've been seeing everywhere: Justin Bieber, Ke$sha, etc.
It's always interesting to see how pop culture evolves every decade, only to come
full circle and make the same cycle of trends popular all over again. There is no originality. Right now, the Grunge look is back in style, and 90s bands are reuniting like crazy.
In ten years, none of these artists will be making headlines in Rolling Stone. But in twenty years, they'll all be reuniting to play to the nostalgia of adults that were kids when they were around the first time.
I'm always pleased to report I am blissfully unaware of what these one hit wonders sound like.
Anyone remember Tweet, Big Tymers, Nine Days or Eamon? Bet you didn't until I rattled them off :)
Enjoy having those songs stuck in your head!