Hey rock and pop-punk fans, there’s a brand-new festival making the rounds, and it’s coming to Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on July 14!
The Rockstar Energy Drink DISRUPT Festival is bringing some of the best and brightest artists together in a one-day festival, and you’re gonna definitely want to be there! Want to know more? Get the full scoop here:
https://www.audiophileoholic.com/musicnews
For more information on DISRUPT, and to keep up on socials:
https://www.facebook.com/rockstardisrupt
R&B artist Devon Gilfillian, currently on tour in support of his new single, “Get Out and Get It” will be hitting the stage at The Hi-Fi Indy June 3 with Ian Noe and Carl Anderson. After listening to his tunes for about a solid hour today, I can honestly say this is one show you don’t want to miss!
Devon Gilfillian - photo credit: Andile Buka
Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way, either. Rolling Stone hailed Gilfillian as “one of the most exciting young artists in Nashville’s burgeoning soul scene” and praised his 2018 single “Troublemaker” as a “raucous heaping of swampy soul and rock.” The track was heard during 2018 NFL Draft programming/advertising. Gilfillian performed the national anthem before Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft.
There’s also a healthy dose of Motown in Gilfillian’s music. You’ll see what I mean if you check out “Get Out and Get It,” which is now available for download and streaming HERE. Or you can view the static video HERE. You don’t have to listen very hard to hear echoes of Smokey Robinson in his vocals. And his soulful “Use Your Words” could have come straight out of Barry Gordy’s garage in the 1960s. But I wouldn’t say Gilfillian is copying the Motown sound - it’s more like he’s using it is the foundation for his own masterfully constructed and executed compositions.
Gilfillian, who is featured in the Frye Americana Roots campaign and was recently named as a Southwest Airlines “Artist on the Rise,” grew up outside Philadelphia and moved to Nashville to pursue music full-time. In 2016, he released his debut EP, which NPR Music said, “captures his exuberance and musical openness, setting the stage for what promises to be a brilliant career.”
After his Indy gig, Gilfillian will finish off his tour in Arlington, VA. After that, he’ll make his Newport Folk Festival debut on July 27. His other scheduled festival performances include Shaky Knees, Winnipeg Folk, Moon River and Pilgrimage. Tickets are on sale HERE.
Get Out And Get It, Devon Gilfillian’s new single, is available now
It’s hard for me to write objectively about Badflower - they were the second band I ever photographed in front of the barrier, and they absolutely blew me away with their passion and energy. I mean, guitarist Joey Morrow played so hard he snapped the neck of his guitar! I instantly became a fan, and I’ve been following them ever since. Their rise from relative obscurity to the top of the charts has been rapid since they released their first full-length album, OK, I’m Sick, on the Big Machine/John Varvatos Records label. Their single, Ghost, hit the number-one spot on the IHeartRadio Active Rock Radio Chart, as well as top appearances on several other charts. I am thrilled that the rest of the world is getting exposed to their powerful, intensely personal stories and music.
The photos above are from their last show at The Hi-Fi Indy in June 2017 - I can’t wait to see first-hand what changes the past couple of years have brought to these immensely talented guys.
The Indy show, which is sponsored by 103.3 WOLT, will be the third stop on their headlining tour with Deal Casino & Fencer. Tickets are only $10 and are available here:
https://hifiindy.com/event/badflower/
Watch Ghost here:
Watch Heroin here (Warning - content may be inappropriate):
Jai Wolf, AKA Sajeeb Saha, will be sharing his light and sound visions at The Vogue Theatre Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Born in Bangladesh but mostly raised in Long Island, his influence comes from EDM, hip hop, and early 00s bands like The Strokes and Phoenix, with more than a pinch of his parents’ Bollywood collection.
Jai Wolf was discovered from relative obscurity by EDM kingmaker Skrillex. His song “Indian Summer” streamed tens of millions of times and was #1 on Spotify’s US Viral Chart. Jai Wolf just released his debut album The Cure To Loneliness on April 5 via Mom + Pop Records (Courtney Barnett, Sunflower Bean).
On the new album, sonically all of Sajeeb’s eclectic influences can be heard. Lyrically though, the album is quite personal, with themes of searching for connection - whether to culture or people - from someone who was not only born in a very foreign land, but also moved around constantly.
Mom + Pop mixmaster Hotel Garuda will open for Jai Wolf at The Vogue.
Doors are at 8:00; show starts at 9:00
Watch the title cut from The Cure to Loneliness here:
http://jaiwolf.co/thecuretoloneliness
Be sure to heck my Photos and Reviews tab for coverage after the show!
Mesmerizing Ghost Ritual at Old National Centre 10/30/18
By Laura Fox
I love Halloween, but I had a hard time getting into the spirit this year. That is, until I went to the Swedish cult-metal band Ghost’s concert at the Murat Theatre in Old National Centre. Although the sold-out show wasn’t Halloween-themed, there was definitely an occult-like vibe going vis-à-vis the concertgoers in goth costumes, the IV bags filled with a blood-red adult beverage, the misty, cathedral-themed stage setup, the masked and costumed band members, and the incredibly intense, theatrical performance.
Indianapolis was the fourth stop on Ghost’s massive, North American “A Pale Tour Named Death” tour, which began in Tulsa, OK and will end in Brooklyn, NY. Like their prior tours, Ghost had no opening act, choosing instead to play two full sets themselves, with an intermission in between. Unlike their previous tours, however, the Papa Emeritus, the on-stage persona of frontman Tobias Forge, was not present, having been “retired” in an unexpected and dramatic way earlier this fall. In his place was the simply-garbed but equally commanding Cardinal Copia. It’s kind of hard to explain the hold Cardinal Copia has on the audience members; maybe it’s his confident, even arrogant stance, his imperious gaze that seems to pierce your soul, or way he effortlessly moves in and out of the spotlight while the Nameless Ghouls work their musical magic. Whatever it is, the man is an amazing entertainer who knows how to work a crowd.
The horde of masked Nameless Ghouls who accompanied Cardinal Copia on guitars, bass, percussion, and keyboards are also skilled musicians, of course. Although there was some thrashing and impressive jumping (it was a metal show, after all), there was also a good deal of skillfully executed, melodic music. By opening with “Ashes” and “Rats,” Ghost got the audience good and hyped, which seemed to amplify the power of the music throughout the show. The double set provided the band a great way to showcase their range of styles, from the super-heavy “Mummy Dust” and “Year Zero” to the almost-pop “Square Hammer” and their latest single, “Dance Macabre.” Although surely the band was even more exhausted than the fervent fans after performing for over two hours, they returned to play “Monstrance Clock.” If you listen to the lyrics of this dirge-like anthem, you’ll understand why it’s become their signature encore song. Not only is it a song of unity, it’s also a call to action, and a brilliant way to end a dramatic, engaging show.
Young the Giant, who just embarked on a tour in support of their new album, “Mirror Master,” will be performing at the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre this Friday, October 26. If you’ve seen YTG in the past, you know what a dynamic and impressive show they put on. These talented musicians clearly love what they do and aren’t afraid to show it. Although you’re sure to hear older hits such as, “Apartment,” and “Cough Syrup,” it will also be a be a chance to become immersed in the emotions and sounds of “Mirror Master,” which is a timely and thoughtful album about being the master of your own destiny even while surrounded by chaos.
Whether you go to a YTG concert to be inspired, to be challenged, to connect with the band, or just because you love a good, live music performance, you’ll be happy you went! Tickets are available via LiveNation or the Old National Centre box office. Watch YTG’s new video for “Superposition,” here:
