RIP Time Warner Cable Amphitheater (2001-2011)

It’s no shock to hear that the giant parking lot with a huge tent is closing in Cleveland.  No longer will I fry on the pavement at Warped Tours or any other concert that starts before sunset. 

It was a good time we had, me and that so-called Amphitheater. 

I can think back to a certain Warped Tour where my friend and I thought it was a good idea to blow almost $300 on beer alone and then trudge through a sea of sweaty kid yelling “get out of here you jerks, you phonies!”

Rancid memories at Tower City Amphitheater...

I have seen tons of bands there and even had my first real photo pass experience at a Black Sabbath Heaven & Hell show.  Earlier in that day I remember that I got to sit in on an interview with Rob Flynn of Machine Head on their tour bus.  I was more stoked that the AC was running…

Rib cook-offs, shitty punk bands, amazing punk bands, hip-hop shows…yeah I was there.  (I even saw Pink there once…) 

It’s amazing that after 10-years the place is finally going to shut down.  For the record, it is not shutting down because of anything more than a casino buying the property.

Sadly we will not be seeing any casion action until 2013, but that’s not too far away.

The good news about this is that there is still another outdoor venue in Cleveland that promises to host as many shows as possible.  Let’s just hope the bands keep rolling through Cleveland.

Nautica is now going to be called Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

I still call it the Jake and I am still going to call the venue Nautica…

Viva Las Fat Mike

Ok, I really need to get to Vegas now. Fat Mike, you know – that guy from NOFX with the freshly styled hairs, bought a sweet house just outside of Las Vegas and is renting it out to the public.

He calls it the Vegas Punk House – http://vegaspunkhouse.com/

Check it out:

So why should you rent a huge ass, punk rock house when staying in Vegas?  I’ll let Fat Mike explain himself (taken from http://vegaspunkhouse.com):

Hi, I’m Fat Mike and this is my house. My punk house. This isn’t the house that I live and sleep in; it’s the house that I visit and don’t sleep in. It’s my house that’s for adults that live like teenagers.

This is why it’s awesome:

It has 3 bedrooms, but it sleeps 10 cuz one bedroom has 6 bunk beds. There’s a full kitchen, sunken living room with an even more sunken bar, poker table room, game room with pinball, record player with a shitload of records, a pool table, and walls covered in thousands of old school flyers that I’ve collected over the years.

The outside has a salt water pool, a cave hot tub, a water slide, a tiki hut, and a 9-hole putting green. That’s a lot of cool shit… for a foreclosure.

The house is 4 miles from the strip (10 minutes) and is on a cul de sac in a really nice neighborhood (used to be till I moved in). That’s about it. Check out our gallery to get a better feel for the place. Have a really good/hedonistic time! The first case of PBR is on me.

Cheers, Fat Mike

The rates for staying are provided upon request.  The place sleeps 10 so if you and a bunch of your punk rock buddies split the fee, it will not be that bad and you will have plenty of money to spend on hookers and blow.

I am thinking I need to crash here one day very soon.  It looks like it would be an absolute riot.

CLICK HERE for more photos.  The place is acutally very nice looking…  Who’s game for a punk rock Vega weekend?

Album Review: Those Darlins – Screws Get Loose

Fueled with a new found (and very welcomed) sex appeal while looking ever so refreshed, Those Darlins are back with their all new sophomore album entitled Screws Get Loose.  Nikki, Jesse, Kelley, and  Linwood continue their quest to have constant fun, drink the stiff drinks, and tour the country all while leaving a lasting impression on all who join in their nightly rock n roll shambles.

Even amidst non-stop touring, minus a brief timeout due to pair of broken bones in Nikki Darlin’s forearm after she lost a battle with Ohio terrane, the band was quick to record a follow up to their 2009 debut.

Screws Get Loose, in reference to the screws used to hold Nikki’s bones in place last summer, was released once again on Oh Wow Dang Records.

Known for being a more of a country / punk / garage rock sounding act, the foursome have switched things up a tad and added a nice indie rock style to their sound in their mix.  One of the coolest aspects of this change is hearing Linwood, the band’s lone male drummer, lend his pipes on the album as well as help write some of the tracks.  The girls still trade off with vocals throughout the album keeping it catchy and all so fun.

The title track “Screws Get Loose” open up things with a song carrying a couple of references to why screws were needed in the first place.  The new sound coming from the quartet was good and quite the shock to hear.  It was almost as if Those Darlins left their country sounds on the porch in Murfreesboro and headed off to the big city for a entirely new prospect.

“Be Your Bro” hands down is my favorite track on the album. Having heard it months earlier at a live show of theirs last Fall, I fell in love with the Darlins a little harder because of this track.  Singing of how the girls just “wanna run and play in the dirt” while said guys “just wanna stick it in” just proved how real the girls are and how not afraid they are to tell it how it is.  Singing “I may have girly parts but I have a boy’s heart” hopefully will throw a hint at any Darlin chasing fellow, or will it?

“Let U Down” premiered Linwood’s vocals, an improvement in the direction of the band if you ask me.  Not that there was anything wrong with the girls taking vocal duties throughout the songs, but Linwood has himself a very fitting voice that goes perfectly with the music that they all create.  This is a track that needed to be heard.

“Mystic Mind” was a trippy track that didn’t necessarily fit the rest of the album but was hard not to listen to.  “$” was a step back for a moment into what I previously was used to coming from the Darlins and their group vocals.

“Starving for something and it ain’t your touch” start off the hilarious “Fatty Needs A Fix”.  The track easily is a continuation to “The Whole Damn Thing” off their debut album, as a drunken end to a night out required some immediate stomach pampering and nothing more than that.

“Waste Away” put a halt to the party with a direct message to a certain someone to knock off the hardcore partying.  This track reached back to material from their previous album.  “BUMD” closed the album with what sounded like to me something pulled from the 60’s.  The song differed from the others with more proof of how much talent these four musicians possess.

It was almost a shock to hardly hear any country driven tracks on this album, but it’s just proof that Those Darlins are maturing into an even more of an amazing act.  Shorter than I would have liked, Screws Get Loose is a great album from start to finish with plenty of tracks to help you shake your baby-maker throughout thanks to all of the members coming together and doing what they like to do best.  If you were not a fan of their first release, you might just want to pop this one in and see if it catches your fancy.

Why I Love Dead Broke Rekerds…

Weeks ago I placed a healthy order of multiple vinyl goodness from Dead Broke Rekerds.  I received one order quite fast and the other was delayed and I was aware why – the company was waiting on record sleeves for the limted edition Explosivo! glow-in-the-dark LP I snagged

Today while earning my keep at the paying gig I realized that I still had not received my original order that included a copy of Explosivo! LP. 

I decided to hit up the website and try and find out what was going on as it has been a couple of weeks since I handed over my money for the goods. 

The moment I got onto the Dead Broke Rekerds website I see a post:

YOUR ORDERS ARE SHIPPING!!!Sorry for the delays but Paypal multi-order shipping was being an asshole, but rest assured all Explosivo Kickstarter orders, Pre-orders and every other order is shipping tomorrow and all through this week. Thanks you for your patience.

I did not need to send 1000 emails to find out what the heck was going on…yet.  I just thought it was cool the moment I hit up the site I found exactly what I was looking for.

I am sure the LPs will be at my doorstep in no time and I know I will continue to hand over my cash to this awesome online punk rock music store.

Nice job guys.  Keep up the good work.

Frank Turner Premieres New Song

Mark your calendars folks.  Frank Turner is releasing his highly anticipated fourth album on June 7th entitled England Keep My Bones.

Would you like to hear a new song from the upcoming release?

Head over to NME.com today to check out “I Am Disappear”.  It is an awesome song. 

Turner also released the track listing (read below) and album cover today:

I can not even tell you how excited I am to hear this release.  Turner has impressed me over the years with his folk/punk/rock sounds.  June can not come soon enough.

From Epitaph.com:

Rising singer-songwriter Frank Turner will be releasing his much anticipated fourth album entitled England Keep My Bones this coming June 7thvia Epitaph Records/Xtra Mile Recordings. 

The new album was produced by Tristan Ivemy and recorded within the stunning confines of Church Studios at Crouch End. The end result is a more thematically introspective affair for Turner, with lyrics addressing topics of mortality, relationships and religion in what proves to be a both brave and emotionally powerful record.
 
Turner will be showcasing songs from England Keep My Bones this coming April when he takes to the road for a special solo tour, playing intimate venues on both coasts of North America. It will be an ideal opportunity to catch this ascending star up close and personal before he spends the summer inspiring massive festival crowds throughout the world.
 
 
England Keep My BonesTrack Listing:
Eulogy – 1:34
Peggy Sang The Blues – 3:33
I Still Believe – 3:45
Rivers – 4:34
I Am Disappeared – 4:47
English Curse – 2:17
One Foot Before The Other – 3:26
If Ever I Stray – 2:54
WessexBoy – 3:34
Nights Become Days – 4:26
Redemption – 4:48
Glory Hallelujah – 4:3
 
North American Tour Dates:
2011-04-28  Knitting Factory  New York    NY    – Sold Out
2011-04-29  Red Palace  Washington  DC    – Sold Out
2011-04-30  The Bamboozle     East Rutherford   NJ   
2011-05-02  Beat Kitchen      Chicago     IL    – Sold Out
2011-05-04  Bottom of the Hill      Oakland     CA   
2011-05-05  Hotel Cafe  Los Angeles CA    – Sold Out