Phoenix-based all-girl, pop-punk Doll Skin were the darlings of the 2018 Warped Tour, drawing big crowds of devoted fans to every show and earning rave reviews at every venue.
Motionless in White - Vans Warped Tour at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 07 24 18
Motionless in White are one of my favorite bands to photograph. Their intensity, drama, and overall stage presence are over the top - it's enough to drive the fans nuts and make photographers lose their sh** trying to capture it all.
Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, and The Cult at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center - July 19, 2018
Live Review: Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, The Cult at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
By Laura Fox
Torrential rains, extreme heat, and gusty winds didn’t dampen the spirits of concertgoers at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center Friday, July 19. Clad in plastic ponchos, garbage bags, or just their soggy clothes, they soaked up a great night of rock and roll as the Revolution 3 tour rolled through town. LA-based Julien K were the first to take the stage, getting the crowd warmed up with their edgy, electro-rock sound.
Post-punk/metal giants The Cult were up next. Somewhat ironically, the heaviest downpour of the night was during their second song, “Rain.” At the end of the song, however, an announcer came on stage and told everyone in the lawn to come down and sit in open sections of the pavilion; he didn’t have to ask twice!
Stone Temple Pilots started their set with their mega-hit, “Wicked Garden.” Frontman Jeff Gutt, who joined the group in 2017, nailed the rock star role, performing with great energy and passion, along with an in-your-face attitude and tons of crowd interaction.
Veteran band members Dean DeLeo on guitar, Robert DeLeo on bass and Eric Kretz on percussion also showed the fans lots of love. With the exception of “Meadow,” and “Roll Me Away” from their latest studio album, “Stone Temple Pilots” the band stuck to classic hits from their older albums, ending with another huge single, “Sex-Type Thing.”
Bush’s set started dramatically, with percussionist Robin Goodridge silhouetted behind his drumset, sticks raised. Then the first iconic riff of “Machinehead” rang out from the darkness, and lead singer/guitarist Gavin Rossdale leaped onto the stage. The crowd went nuts, lunging to their feet and shouting wildly.
The commotion never really died down as Bush powered through their biggest hits, plus an amazing cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” Rossdale, along with Chris Traynor on guitar and Corey Britz on bass, made constant eye contact with the audience, which they ate up. Rossdale, in particular, was in constant motion, pacing from front to back and side to side throughout the set.
By the time Bush closed their set with “Comedown,” the temperature had also come down. The rain had also stopped, leaving concertgoers basking in the echoes of the heavy-hitting show they had just experienced.
Bush
Stone Temple Pilots
The Cult
Thunderstruck at The Vogue 07 /13/18
Lindsey Stirling and Evanescence with Cellogram at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 07/12/18
Cellogram
Evanescence
Lindsey Stirling
Live Review by Laura Fox
Co-headliners Evanescence and Lindsey Stirling, currently on tour together, have distinctly different musical styles, visual and performance aesthetics, and messages, yet they complemented each other perfectly. Accompanied by a local orchestra, both acts artfully wove beautiful stories throughout the night, bringing thunderous applause, cheers, and tears to the adoring crowd.
The night’s headliner, Lindsey Stirling, reminded me of a Gaelic faerie – she danced, ran, leaped, beat back demons, and even moonwalked, all while furiously playing the electric violin. But along with her spritely and energetic music, she also shared a deeply personal and inspirational message about her struggles with anorexia and depression. Backup dancers, multiple costume changes and stunning background graphics completed the big-production, sensory experience you’ll just have to see first-hand to understand.
In contrast, Evanescence’s performance was dark and almost dreamlike. Although Evanescence is comprised of five extremely talented musicians, all eyes were on Amy Lee as she strode onto the stage. Her rich vocals and commanding stage presence masterfully pulled the audience into her world. When Evanescence was joined by Stirling on stage for “Hi-Lo,” the crowd absolutely erupted.
Openers Cellogram, which consists of cellist Dave Eggar and percussionist Chuck Palmer, engaged the audience with their enthusiasm and antics. Their eclectic set included a lively mix of classical, rock, folk, tribal, bluegrass, and jazz that was just about perfect for a balmy evening under the stars.
Better Than Ezra at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 06 21 18
Barenaked Ladies at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 06 21 18
KT Tunstall at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 06/21/18
Steve Miller Band at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 06 15 18
Peter Frampton at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 06 15 18
The Movement at Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River
Dirty Heads at Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River 06 14 18
Iration at Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River 06 14 18
The Four Horsemen Metallica Tribute Band at The Vogue 06/02/18
16 Candles at Federal Hill Commons, 06 02 18
There's just something about '80s music that makes people happy, especially when that music is performed outdoors on a balmy evening, by a talented band who is doing what they love. If you've ever seen Chicago-based band 16 Candles, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you need to check them out! They rocked, bopped, and walked like Egyptians through an upbeat set that had people of all ages dancing and singing the night away at Federal Hill Commons park in Noblesville, Indiana.
Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press at Federal Hill Commons 05/20/18
Rod Tuffcurls and the Benchpress kicked off the Noblesville Parks Concerts at the Commons series with a set of popular tunes from a variety of genres. The talented foursome from Chicago played everything from vintage Elton John to the theme from Disney's "Moana," and they played it with sensational style and skill. Their entusiasm was contagious - they were there to have fun, and they made sure everyone else did, too. I can't wait for them to come back this way!
mc chris at The Hi-Fi Indy
Live Review
mc chris and Bitforce at The Hi-Fi Indy 04/26/18
By Laura Fox - assisted by Michele Livingston
I admit, I’m not a huge fan of rap; I’m more of a head-banging kind of girl. So why did I jump at the chance to do a live review of mc chris at The Hi-Fi Indy? Because mc chris isn’t your stereotypical rapper – he raps about nerdy stuff. And he’s wicked funny. And the opening act was a nerdcore band called Bitforce. (And yes, nerdcore is really a genre.) I expected a fun show, and that’s exactly what I got.
While waiting for the show to start, I couldn’t help overhearing bits of conversation around me. There were animated discussions about game characters and strategies, superheroes, bitcoins, wizards, and the latest Pokemon Go! raids. Although much of it was completely foreign to me, it was hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm for all things nerdy. It was interesting (but not surprising) to note that the crowd was mostly male, bearded, and under the age of 40.
What did surprise me was that there were moshers during Bitcore’s set! From the futuristic opening notes of “Exordium of Heroes” to their last triumphant chord, Bitforce commanded respect from the audience with their warrior attitudes, LED-lit uniforms, and kick-ass metal music. The San Antonio-based trio played a nine-song set that included original compositions, as well as metal versions of movie, game, and TV theme songs. Crowd favorites included the Power Rangers theme song, a Batman/Teen Titans medley, “Castlevania,” and the Pokemon theme song. Vocalist/guitarist Joey Devine (AKA Banta), Bassist Marc Lopez (AKA Ryokuen), and percussionist Toph Lawrence (AKA Shiden), were polished, yet edgy, throughout the set, and when they decided to get heavy, they got REAL heavy. They were great fun to watch!
Things were pretty casual when mc chris first took the stage, munching on a cookie and chatting with the audience. Then he suddenly switched gears, launching into “mc chris the shit,” a frenetic, autobiographical rap that’s both self-promoting and self-deprecating. His distinctive voice meshed well with the synth-y background tracks, and although I had trouble catching all the lyrics, Chris’ in-your-face attitude came through loud and clear. The audience clearly had no trouble understanding the lyrics, singing along lustily to “Neville,” “Pizza Butt,” “Hoodie Ninja,” “Wiid,” “Smackababy,” “I Want Candy,” and “DQ Blizzard.”
With over 17 albums and EPs, along with numerous movie and TV show credits under his belt, mc chris has a vast repertoire, and his setlist is always different for every show. His set at the Hi-Fi Indy was comprised of 15 songs, and included topics such as Star Wars, pot, Mario Brothers, obesity, pot, drug dealing, Harry Potter, pot, and cannibalism. Many of the songs drip with irony and reference things only fans of nerd culture and fans of mc chris would understand. Others appear straight rap/hip-hop, but take a corkscrew twist when you listen closely to the lyrics. And they all are insanely fast-paced and energetic, with mc chris spitting out the words like machine-gun fire.
One of the things that struck me about this show was the incongruity of every element of mc chris and his music. Logic says combining references to General Patton, Legoland, The Avengers, and Elizabeth Warren – all in one song – should not work. But it does. As does the unique blend of hip-hop, rap, pop, and cartoon theme-song styles. What’s also a little strange is that the artist himself is a vertically challenged, helium-voiced, 42-year-old white dude from Libertyville, Illinois.
The other thing I noticed was the way Chris interacted with the audience between every song. He went beyond the typical, “Hey Indy, how ya feeling tonight?” and cracked jokes about politics, drugs, tour life, sex, food, and the ridiculousness of life. He also took song requests, as well as talked about his wife and son, his nephew’s battle with Cystic Fibrosis, and the inspiration for some of his songs. It made my night when he asked a very tall man in the front to move over so the shorter people behind him could see, and later addressed me as “my Linda McCartney,” which was very sweet. (Google the story if you don’t know it already.) His mid-show, funny t-shirt contest was a hoot, with so many potential participants they wouldn’t all fit on the stage. (The winning shirt had a Luigi graphic on it I didn’t really get, but the crowd loved it.)
The only negativity of the night came when a drunk heckler got so out of hand that mc chris stopped performing his last song to chew him out. Fortunately, the guy settled down a bit, and Chris was able to pull it back together. Starting “Fette’s Vette,” over, mc chris rounded out the set on a positive note, with the crowd cheering and singing along, sharing in the super-cool nerdcore experience.
mc chris Funny T-shirt Contest at The Hi-Fi Indy 4 26 18
The Funny T-Shirt Contest is a huge part of every mc chris show, and there were some awesome entries at the Hi-Fi Indy!
Bitforce at The Hi-Fi Indy
Vinyl Theatre at 416 Wabash, 04/03/18
Vinyl Theatre put 100% into their performance at 416 Wabash, entrancing and enthralling the crowd.
