Audio Invasion

One of the biggest concert events in Hawaii of this year is none other than Audio Invasion. But before going into the details of the event, there are some news that was announced prior to the event. According to Bamp Project, Foster The People will be postponing their show this Wednesday. However, they will make it up to the fans of Hawaii by having their own live concert on March 18th. Despite the small setback, it was nice that the band was willing to play for us in the future (in the not too distant future to be exact).

Anyways, back to the event...

Incubus & Minus The Bear

More than a week ago, Bamp Project announced that a big concert event will take place on August 5th at the Kaka'ako Beach Park Amphitheater. To build the anticipation, they only revealed on the opening act which was Minus The Bear. On Monday, they made it official by announcing that Incubus will be headlining the event.

Where Incubus and Minus The Bear will rock out on August 5th!

For those living on the island, this is a special treat for all of us. Tickets are on sale now at Bamp Project and although it's a few minutes away, I suggest everyone should get their tickets while they still can. No one should miss out on this.






Personal Recommendations:
Both Incubus and Minus The Bear have stellar catalogs. My personal recommendation from Incubus is their fifth album, A Crow of the Murder. Lyrically and musically, this record stands out among the rest. For Minus The Bear, I recommend their last two records, Planet of Ice and OMNI. Both of these records are highly innovative and marks a critical point in their development as a band.

New Found Glory Returns

My first concert experience was when my friends and I attended Surfest in 2004. It was a concert festival that featured popular bands such as Rise Against, Yellowcard and New Found Glory. New Found Glory was the last band to play their set. It would have been my first time seeing the band live. Just when the band was about to make their dramatic entrance on stage, one of my friends was not feeling well due to the weather (only in Hawaii that there is some degree of humity in December). Because of that, we had to exit Kualoa Ranch. Good news was that we beat the traffic heading out and my friend was feeling better once we left. The bad news, however, was that I, as well as my other friends missed out on seeing New Found Glory for the first time.

But on March 9, 2011, New Found Glory made their return back to the island of Oahu. It was another chance for me to experience something that I missed out on 7 years ago.

The lights dimmed and the first thing you hear coming out from the speakers is the epic theme from the movie, Chariots of Fire. Suddenly, the New Found Glory, donning their very own personalized basketball uniforms, stormed the stage and got the crowd jumping with their song “Understatement”. The energy did not stopped there as the band continued to play many favorites such as “All Downhill From Here”, “Head On Collision”, “My Friends Over You”, “Hit or Miss” and over course, their rendition of Sixpence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me”. One of the highlights of the night was hearing my favorite song “Dressed To Kill” live. It was a bittersweet moment for me because it was that particular song (and Rachael Leigh Cook) that made me a fan for the rest of my life.

The most well kept secret of the night (except for those who are active on Twitter) was located backstage. Hayley Williams, frontwoman of the band Paramore and girlfriend of NFG guitartist Chad Gilbert was present that night. She was there in honor of her boyfriend’s birthday. Jordan Pundnik and the rest of the crew took a moment to do a birthday sing-a-long with the crowd for their long time friend and bandmate. It was a very touching moment and it really shows that these guys are more than just a bunch of guys with a common interest in music, but best friends. It’s a testament of these guys’ longevity as a band. Don’t be surprised if you see these guys in their 60’s still rocking out and playing shows.

The feeling of finally seeing one of my favorite bands play live and being able to sing every single song is something that I will never forget. It was bittersweet and I hope that it doesn’t take me another 7 years to see these guys again.

All photos were taken by Melissa Kumano of Bamp Project. You can follow her Twitter and look up more of her work here.

Deftones Live

I had never seen the Deftones live before. The only thing close to watching them live was watching footage of their concerts on Youtube. But that all changed last night as I watched the Sacramento metal band live for the first time.

The moment that Stephen Carpenter came one and took a picture a crowd with his camera, we all knew we are in for one hell of a night. As the rest of the band members walk on stage, the crowd screams grew louder. The moment they played the first song, the crowd went absolutely wild as the band kicked off the show in strong fashion.

In this concert, there was no room for disappointment. The superb musicianship from the band was clearly obvious. There was no distinction between their live presence that night from the six records they have recorded. Every note and every word was rendered perfectly that brought thrill and excitement everyone in the crowd. On top of that, they played a solid set which features fan favorites such as “Change (In The House of Flies)”, “My Own Summer (Shove It)”, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”, “Minerva”, “Hole In The Earth” and including “Rocket Skates” from their latest release Diamond Eyes (this was Future Phonograph’s Cream of the Crop 2010; read it here). Again, there was no room for disappointment. It was certain that every fan left with a smile on their face because more likely they have heard one of the favorite songs played live that night

One of the high points of the entire concert was when vocalist Chino Moreno stepped off the stage and into the crowd. As the crowd savagely rushed toward where he was standing at, my girlfriend and I was standing front and center as she grabbed his leg while I held on to his long sleeve. Between furious screams and melodic singing, everybody pushed and shoved all wanting a piece of the Deftones frontman. However, Chino showed great composure in the midst of all the chaos and broke free of the demonic release of the crowd to get back on stage. To add to that, Chino Moreno was extremely dynamic on stage. He was never idle for even a second as he ran around on stage like a madman. For someone that has been performing for 10 years, it’s great to see that he has not lost his touch.

The only sad note especially those who have followed the Deftones their entire musical careers (including myself) was the absence of their bandmate and dear friend Chi Cheng. For those that don’t know, Chi Cheng was in car accident in 2006 that left in a coma. His condition resulted in the band having to enroll in the duties of former Quicksand bass player Sergio Vega. Keep in mind though, he is not Chi’s replacement. Sergio is merely helping out his friend in their time of need. Although, Chi was not physically there on stage, in our hearts his was presence was felt. As we and the rest of the Deftones family miss him dearly, our prayers go out to him and family in hopes that he will one day return back on stage with his comrades. For more info on how you can help, visit oneloveforchi.com.

Overall, the concert exceeded beyond my expectations. It is clear that Deftones is truly a sight to see live and I look forward to seeing them live again. Hopefully their return the island won’t be too long of a wait this time around.

All photos were taken by Melissa Kumano of Bamp Project. You can follow her Twitter and look up more of her work here.

New Found Glory & Silverstein

BAMP Project has also announced other big name band coming down to the Hawaii. Pop punk heavyweights New Found Glory will be playing a show at the Aloha Water Front Tower on March 18th! The Florida natives made their debut in the alternative rock scene in 1999 with their own fusion of pop punk and hardcore with their debut record, Nothing Gold Can Stay. Since then, they have toured all over the world and released 5 albums. I was fortunate enough to see them at Surfest 2004, along with Yellowcard, Over It, Rise Against and many more bands and I'm very glad to hear they will be making pit stop to our humble island once again. I'm also happy to tell you that Silverstein, another popular band in the alternative scene will be joining them. Two big bands all in one night! Go to BAMP Project for more info this as well other upcoming concerts!

Deftones In Hawaii

I'm proud (and extremely happy) to announce that Sacramento's finest, the Deftones will be playing a show here on the island of Oahu! The annoucement was made via Facebook by BAMP Project the day after my birthday! What a nice birthday present! BAMP Project has really outdid themselves on this one. The show will be on February 18th at 8pm (Doors open at 7pm) at the Aloha Tower Waterfront and tickets are already on sale. Go to BAMP Project to buy your ticket today (but not before I do!) and for all other concert information. February is already packed with shows. Time to save your money so you don't miss out!


Deftones' album Diamond Eyes is Future Phonograph's 2010 Cream of the Crop! You can read the entry here.

Invasion In February

Bamp Project is known for bringing awesome live acts to Hawaii, but who would have thought they would bring three amazing bands all in one month. This upcoming February, dance punk duo Matt and Kim, piano rock extraordinaries Mae and "genreless" OneRepublic are coming to the island of Oahu. I highly suggest you clear schedules for that month because this is something you do not want to miss out on. Continue reading below and get yourselves familiarized with these bands.



Matt and Kim
Consisting of a drum set and a set of keyboards, Matt and Kim's brand of indie dance punk is both catchy and energetic. Their video, "Lesson Learned" was their breakout hit and even won Best Breakthrough Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Award. The dynamic duo is currently touring promoting their latest release, Sidewalks.



Mae
After the reuniting of two former members, the Norfolk based, Mae embarked on their Goodbye, Goodnight Tour which would be their last tour before going on a hiatus. Although, their tour wrapped up this past November, according to their website the piano infused rockers still have upcoming shows in Japan as well as over here. In other words, this may not be the last time you will hear from them. Their song, "Embers and Envelopes" is still a fan favorite even today.



OneRepublic
The self-proclaimed "genreless" act, made a huge impression in the music world with their song, "Apologize" which was remixed by Timbaland. Since then they have released two critically acclaimed albums, Dreaming Out Loud and Waking Up. Rumors has it that as soon as the band wraps up their current tour, they are in the works of recording a new album. Listen to their current hit "Good Life".

Hallowbaloo

Hallowbaloo is an event that happens every year in Chinatown around Halloween. It is an event that celebrates the music and arts of Hawaii. I had never gone before, but I think this year I will make an exception. A few days ago, my friend texted me that Hallowbaloo and told me that plenty of bands are going to be playing that night. Curious as I was, I went to their website to check on the lineup. Many of the bands listed were local bands, but one of them stood out among the rest.


The indie folk group, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros will be headlining the kick off concert on October 29th. Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros is musical project began by vocalist and leader, Alex Ebert. He is also the vocalist of his original band, Ima Robot. I had never listened to their music before, after watching some live footage of them performing (see below), I couldn't be more excited to see them. For those in the Hawaii area, get your tickets for Hallowbaloo here and make sure to see Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros this Friday Oct. 29th at Aloha Tower Marketplace at 8:30pm. For more info, go to Hallowbaloo's official website.

MUTEMATH Rocks Pipeline

A few years ago, I was reading an issue of Alternative Press (Issue #228 with The Used on the cover). It was a commemorative issue celebrating their 22 years of existence. One of the lists in the magazine featured the "22 Bands You Need To See Before You Die". Claiming the top spot on that list was New Orleans' future rockers, MUTEMATH. Besides making phenomenal music, the band was also known for their elaborate and outrageous live shows. I've always wondered how cool it would be see one of their shows, but at the time, I was skeptical that a band of that caliber would come down to the islands. What was thought to be impossible turned into a stroke of faith. A few months ago, BAMP Project made an announcement that they have landed MUTEMATH into coming down to Hawaii. I was filled with excitement and joy and immediately called up my girlfriend about the news.

The months flew by and the day of the show finally came. My girlfriend and I arrived to Pipeline Cafe two hours early. When the doors opened, we rushed to the front stage. We saw the wide array of instruments on stage and we could feel our anticipation and excitement building up. We waited a good hour and a half until the doors until the host of the night introduced the opening act, Kings of Spade. They were a pretty decent band. Vocalist Kasi Nunes was quite a feat on stage and I love the mix of jazz, reggae and rock all blended together. Overall, they played a great set.

When Kings of Spade finished their set, we could feel the people behind us drawing closer to the stage. Everyone was waiting anxiously as the stage crew was arranging the band's gear. When one of the crew members brought out Paul Meany's infamous keytar, our excitement has reached maximum level and we couldn't wait any longer. Finally, the host of the night returned on stage to perform his one final task. After months of waiting, the host introduced that the band that we have all been waiting for, MUTEMATH!


Now before I begin, I just want to point out that I will not be describing play by play of what happened during the concert. There would be too many details and it would be very exhausting. However, I will be describing some of the memorable moments of that night

Although, my girlfriend and I knew beforehand that MUTEMATH was known to have great live shows, we had no idea what to expect. That is the beauty of MUTEMATH shows and we witnessed it first hand. The thing that we love most about their performance was that they don't just go on stage and play a few songs. They go up there and give the audience a show. From the moment that Darren King duct taped his headphones to his head, we knew we were in for a wild ride. MUTEMATH played a variety of songs from their self titled debut and their sophomore effort, Armistice. I was fortunate to hear some of my favorite songs such as "Clipping", “Armistice", “Control” and of course the fan favorite, “Typical. Throughout their entire set, the band members displayed their ingenuity and talent by not only played their own respective instruments, but dabbling with many other instruments such as the tambourine and the keyboard. What made the show so memorable were the little “antics” that the band members did on stage. One of them, which my girlfriend and I called “drum orgies” was when all the band members huddled around King’s drum kit and bang the hell out of it. It sounds weird and strangely erotic, but when you see it live, it looks amazing. Another one was when King poured water all over his drum kit. This created a stellar splash effects as he played the drums. The third one that totally blew my mind was when Greg Hill, the guitarist, pulled the pedal station (the apparatus that contains all the guitarist’s pedals; it is usually located on the floor) and began toggling the switches creating a wide array of distortion and noise. It was as though he was playing it like an actual instrument. There were so many other "antics", but these were ones that we remembered.



I had to make a separate paragraph for Paul Meany. I’m not trying to say that he was more important than the rest of the band, but he is truly something on stage. I had never seen a singer so dynamic and charismatic in my life. Throughout the entire set except during slower songs like “You Are Mine” and “Clipping”, he was not stationary. Switching off from piano to keytar, he “dances” on stage and really shows that he is quite the performer. To add to the list of memorable “antics”, one of the highlights of the night was when Meany did a handstand off his piano. I have seen it in my pictures, but to see it up close is truly astonishing. Along with his dynamic stage presence, his voice was compelling and brings life to the songs they played. He even paid tribute to the late great Israel Kamakawiwo'ole by playing "Peculiar People” from the Reset EP
. It was a nice dedication to honor the famous Hawaiian singer.

Overall, the show was monumental in every way possible. From start to finish, MUTEMATH took us on a wild ride that we prayed that would not end. The band had not only exceeded our expectations, but everyone else’s in the crowd that night. Alternative Press and many other publications were right on the mark about these guys. MUTEMATH is THE band you have to see before you die. For those that made it out that night, I hoped you enjoyed the ride as much as we did. For those that didn’t, sad to say, you truly missed out.

P.S. One final note, the stunning pictures were taken by Melissa Kumano. Follow her on Twitter @bzmoonbeams

All Time Low Returns

Two years ago, The Starting Line came to Hawaii for the first time and played a show at Pipeline Cafe. I was there that night and it was one of the most extraordinary concert experiences I ever had in my life. But I'm not going to talk about The Starting Line. In fact, I going to talk about the band that opened up for them that night. The opening act was All Time Low. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland and inspired by pop punk acts like New Found Glory (their name was derived from the NFG song "Head On Collision") and Blink 182, Alex (Vocals/Guitar), Rian (Drums), Jack (Guitar) and Zach (Bass) have started their band before they reached high school. Upon their senior year in high school, the band was signed to Hopeless Records and have released their albums Put Up or Shut Up and So Wrong, It's Right, which garnered mainstream success. I was unfamiliar with the pop punk outfit at the time and that night was the first time I got a taste of their music. At first listen, I was not surprised at the type of music they played. It was obviously pop punk, but their music as well as the band had a lot of character and that's what won me over. By the end of set, their songs were already ingrained into my brain and I immediately bought So Wrong, It's Right, which I was able to get it signed by three of the four members of the band (Rian was no where to be found). After the release of their latest album, Nothing Personal, the band returned to Hawaii to play another show except this time they were the main act. Unfortunately though, I was not able to make it to the show on the night they returned.

However, Bamp Project has announced that the pop punk jokers are coming back to Hawaii for the third time on August 1, 2010. Word has it that they will be playing some new material for their new album coming out sometime this year. For those of you who are interested in going to the show, but have not heard any of their music, you can watch this video (posted by Jason Tate of Absolutepunk.net), which is from their live DVD, Straight to DVD. It's a small taste of what you can experience at their live show, but nothing beats the real thing. If you are available that August 1st, come down to Pipeline Cafe and check out their show. You might even get a chance to meet the guys after the show and trust me, they are a great group of guys.

All Time Low - Dear Maria: Live Premiere from Jason Tate on Vimeo.

The Future of Alternative Rock

Confirmed by Bamp Project only a few hours ago, New Orlean's very own MUTEMATH will be making a pit stop to the island of Oahu to play a show at Pipeline Cafe on August 5th of this year. When I first heard the news, I couldn't be any more ecstatic. First, I absolutely love their music. Their brand of alternative rock combined with influences of electronica, experimental, progressive and even ambient pop creates sound that is revolutionary and amazing. Second, and this probably the biggest reason why I'm so excited is that MUTEMATH is known for their impressive and over-the-top live shows. Many publications have confirmed this. Even Alternative Press stated in one of their issues that this is one of the bands you have to see before you die. Need I say more? Don't believe me? Maybe watching these live videos can convince you. Both of these videos were shot during their Armistice Tour in Japan and this is just a little preview of the endless possibilities that can happen on August 5th. The future of alternative rock is here and it is coming to Hawaii. For those of you that live on Oahu and you are reading this right now, go buy your tickets. This is definitely something that you don't want to miss out. To learn more about the futuristic stylings of MUTEMATH, click HERE and HERE.