BANDED

WHERE ARTISTS AND FANS BAND TOGETHER.

Life Is But A Dream with Avenged Sevenfold at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati

Rebecca Potzner

A midweek concert with a 4:30pm door time didn’t stop rockers from coming out to see Avenged Sevenfold play Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Arena this past Wednesday.  Boasting a stacked lineup of Sullivan King, Poppy, and A7X, the audience was in for a wild ride. 

The lights turn off and the giant screen turns red. A narrated introduction begins to play, welcoming Cincinnati to the show, shouting out our own Joe Burrow, and introduces Sullivan King.. 

DJ and heavy metal musician, Sullivan King, kicked the night off in full force bringing with his infusion of electronic and rock. He worked the stage DJ’ing, singing, AND playing guitar. Add pyro and it was the FULL package. 

Next up, Poppy graced the stage playing through her heavier hits. She even played her new collab with Bad Omens, ‘V.A.N.” the juxtaposition of her proper poise with her heavier sound makes for an intriguing show. Her and her band sounded great and the stage visuals were on par. 

Now, let the nightmare begin! 

At it since 1999, Avenged Sevenfold knows how to rock a f*ckin’ stage…and man, was this a big stage. The probably 7 foot stage included a bit of a cat walk and was surrounded on 3 sides with LED screens creating stunning illusions of burning houses and album artwork.

“Take a moment. You made it on a week day. These are your people. Take a moment. Let it all go.”

M.Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, and Johnny Christ commandeered the stage while Brooks Wackerman held down the beat in the back.  The band journeyed through their discography, playing fan favorites and mixing in new hits.  M. shadows stood at the end of the stage with his arms wide open as the crowd sang the words to ‘Nightmare’. A moment to never forget.

There are still a handful of dates left on this tour. Catch Avenged Sevenfold in a city near you and get tickets here.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD

*Click photos to enlarge

SULLIVAN KING

A7X SETLIST

Game Over

Mattel

Afterlife

Hail to the King

We Love You

Shepherd of Fire

The Stage

Roman Sky

Blinded in Chains

Bat Country

Nobody

Nightmare

Unholy Confessions

Save Me 

Cosmic 

PHOTOS + REVIEW: Mammoth WVH + Nita Strauss Play The Egyptian Room in Indianapolis

Rebecca Potzner

You know the scene in Almost Famous where William says to Penny, “I have to go home”? Penny looks at him dead in the eyes and responds, “You ARE home.” 

That’s how it feels to be at a Mammoth WVH show. HOME. 

Sure, it’s got the grittiness of a rock show but it’s more than that… it’s the familiarity and gratitude you feel when Wolf talks to the crowd. It’s the warm and fuzzies or the goosebumps you feel when the music hits just right. It’s sinking into the groove of your favorite guitar solo. It’s the not feeling so alone when you notice everyone around you is singing along too.

On February 27th, Mammoth WVH brought home to the Egyptian Room at Indiana’s Old National Centre. Opening up the show, Nita Strauss and her band turn up the heat showcasing many songs off of her latest album, The Call of the Void. Nita is an absolute force on stage and impresses with her guitar play. Shortly after the first 3 songs, Kasey Karlsen joins the band adding her powerhouse vocals to the mix.

Mammoth WVH is up next with the lineup of Wolfgang Van Halen, Garrett Whitlock, Jon Jourdan, and Ronnie Ficarro. Blessing us with a setlist highlighting songs from both albums, the band journeyed off the written path and jammed a bit. Both Like A Past Time and Optimist got their own heavier additions, showcasing the bands personality and inspirations.

On the other side of the spectrum, Wolf knows how to slow things down and does it well. When Mammoth WVH first started touring, the full band would perform ‘Distance’ but since then, things have changed. After a few stints where the band was short a member, Wolf tried performing it acoustically on his own - the way it was written. It seemed to work so well that he decided he’d perform it acoustically whenever they headlined a tour.

Fast forward to today, we’ve got Wolf headlining a tour that’s filling rooms wall to wall. The band left the stage and Wolf emerged from the fog with his acoustic guitar telling us this exact story…only to start playing ‘Wonderwall’ followed by a quick “just kidding.” What a jokester.

The sound of a full band is always something to enjoy however, hearing Wolf’s voice paired with just an acoustic guitar really drives the heart and emotion of ‘Distance,” well, home.

The band came back out and the energy skyrocketed right back up. After touring together and playing one off shows since 2021, Mammoth WVH is like a well oiled machine. The show is the perfect ebb and flow of tempo. 

Mammoth WVH’s headlining tour has a few dates left this month then picks up again in May and July. See them now. See them later. Whatever you do, go home and see Mammoth WVH. View dates and get tickets here.

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UPCOMING TOUR DATES

PHOTOS: Disturbed Turns Up The Heat in Lexington with Falling In Reverse and PLUS

Rebecca Potzner

Disturbed brought their “Take Back Your Life” tour to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on February 19th and turned up the heat! PLUSH and Falling In Reverse opened up the night and the crowd showed love to both artists. From the fans to the bands, the energy was electric.

Click the photos below to view and check out the rest of the tour dates!

Foxy Shazam Shakes Up Andrew J. Brady Music Center for New Years Eve

Rebecca Potzner

PHOTOS: Steel Panther and Moon Fever Bring The Heat to Bogart's For Holidaze Tour

Rebecca Potzner

If you’re looking to spice up your holiday festivities, I couldn’t think of a better plan than to see Steel Panther in concert. The Holidaze Tour made a stop at Bogart’s in Cincinnati and we caught all the action. Steel Panther and Moon Fever both brought the energy to a packed house.

PHOTOS + REVIEW: Mammoth WVH Makes Sold Out Show at The Bluestone One To Remember

Rebecca Potzner

Just 3 shows in on the Mammoth II tour, Wolf Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH hosted their first SOLD OUT headlining show in Columbus, Ohio at The Bluestone. Not only would this be my fourth Mammoth WVH show but the best one to date.

Nita Strauss kicked off the night. Her energy and spectacular guitar playing is enough to blow the roof off a place, but team her up with a full band and she is unstoppable. They played from her new album and brought out Kasey Karlsen to rock the vocals.

Like any good rock n roll build up, the lights were dimmed and AC/DC ‘Night Prowler’ played through the speakers. Starting the set just like the album, Mammoth WVH revved up with ‘Right?’

As soon as he hit the stage, the energy radiating off Wolf felt stronger than ever. He exuded a level of confidence on stage that I’d never seen before; like a mammoth weight was lifted right off his shoulders. Touring your own music with Guns N Roses, Metallica, plus a few of your own shows can make that difference.

The energy of each band member matched Wolf’s. Frank Sidoris, Jon Jourdan, Ron Ficarro, and Garrett Whitlock bring Wolf’s music to life and play it like it’s their very own.

Between songs, Wolf talked to the crowd. He even confirmed two suspicions I had about songs on the new album. 1. ‘Optimus’ was, in fact, inspired by Tool. 2. ‘Waiting’ is essentially the sequel to ‘Distance’.

Before closing out the night, Wolf had noticed a sign in the crowd that read “let me rock with you.” A few words were exchanged and before you knew it, the fan was running up on stage! Wolf hands him his guitar and the band starts playing ‘Don’t Back Down’. He hits those first hard hitting riffs and the crowd goes wild! (Watch here.) Wolf and the band were super interactive with the fan and he basked in the moment completely. It was such a feel good moment to witness. The perfect ending to a show.

Now, I don’t think Wolf invites fans on stage at every show but I can’t recommend seeing Mammoth WVH in concert enough. It’s a jolt of energy and yet it feels like home. The tour is still rocking, so find the date nearest you and grab tickets here.

*Click photos to enlarge

LISTEN HERE

PHOTOS: Hannah Wicklund Plays Dayton's Levitt Park

Rebecca Potzner

Photos by Rebecca Potzner

PHOTOS: Ohio is For Lovers Fest 2023

Rebecca Potzner

Growing up in Ohio during the Myspace era, there is one thing I have learned to be true, it’s that Ohio is for lovers.

Whether you want to call it embracing nostalgia or having a 30-something crisis, these past few years have put a spotlight back on the emo scene. So, what better a time for Hawthorne Heights to create a Warped Tour-esque festival named after one of their iconic hits. Is For Lovers Fest is a one day festival that has grown from 3 cities to now 10, Ohio being the most superior, of course. I mean, the song IS titled "‘Ohio Is For Lovers’ after all.

The festival chose Cincinnati as Ohio’s homebase utilizing the multiple stages at Riverbend plus adding a small third stage. It was a jam packed day featuring many bands once spotlighted on my Myspace profile like Underoath, Relient K, Saosin, and Hawthorne Heights themselves, along with some up and coming bands like Motherfolk, Slutbomb, Skye Wallace, and Proper.

Check out photos from the fest below. (Click photos to enlarge)

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS

JIMMY EAT WORLD

UNDEROATH

STATE CHAMPS

SLUTBOMB

SAOSIN

RELIENT K

RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS

SKYE WALLACE

MOTHERFOLK

PROPER.

NOX NOVACULA

Matt Cutshall

PHOTOS: Greta Van Fleet Brings Starcatcher Tour Home To Michigan

Rebecca Potzner

“You're growing up I'll watch you bloom..” 

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a fan is watching your favorite bands grow in their artistry and make their goals a reality. 

That’s been Greta Van Fleet for me. Rewinding back to the Fall of 2017, I was lucky enough to see them play up close and personal. Although they didn’t quite work the full stage just yet, I was hooked. I knew these four guys were going to be big. 

Fast forward to Fall of 2023, I attended my 14th Greta Van Fleet concert in Detroit Michigan for their “hometown” show on the Starcatcher world tour. This show would be special in many ways. 

First - The Little Caesars ARENA was SOLD OUT! The last time I saw GVF in Detroit they had played down the street at the Fox Theatre with a capacity around 5K. Little Caesars can hold 15,000–22,000. That is HUGE. 

The Starcatcher tour is steps above the rest. From the production, to their stage presence, vocals, and technique, Greta Van Fleet has truly blossomed and grown into their own. Josh, Jake, Sammy, and Danny are true performers. I love that they use a lot of the show to jam out and really showcase their talents. It’s not all about the lead singer, it’s about every single member of the band. 

From barely moving around the stage to now using catwalks and B stage, Greta Van Fleet have become true professionals at engaging a room. It feels like their really isn’t a bad seat in the house. The B stage offers a very intimate experience, one that we really haven’t experience before. It’s stripped down AND we get to hear all of the men sing in chorus. It feels like they’re sitting around a campfire singing songs and we’re nestled around it with them.

Between the energy of the fans and the pure joy oozing from the stage, the arena truly felt full of magic that night. Greta Van Fleet seem to be stronger and happier than ever and I look forward to seeing them bloom again, and again.

Don’t miss the final U.S. dates of the Starcatcher tour. Get tickets here.

** Click the photos to enlarge **

Surf Curse opened up the show.

PHOTOS: The 5 Seconds of Summer Show featuring Meet Me At The Altar at Riverbend

Rebecca Potzner

The 5 Seconds of Summer Show took over Riverbend in Cincinnati on August 26th and really took the whole “show” thing very seriously.

Meet Me At The Altar kicked off the night and brought incredible energy to the stage. I was beyond thrilled to see this band as support on such a big tour. MMATA has been killing it with their high energy pop-punk releases and that same energy shows itself within their live performances as well.

As the hosts of the show, 5SOS absolutely brought their A game. The band sounded fantastic, they commanded the stage, and often interacted with their fans. Playing off of the “show” vibe, little video snippets were played that weren’t just for watching but for interacting with. They really called for the attention of the fans and they got it!

There are still a few tour dates left, so make sure you don’t miss it! Find tickets here.

Click photos to enlarge.