National Product
Reggies Rock Club - Chicago, IL
August 29, 2008

Danny - Vocals

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the latest addition to R&M Artist Records: National Product. The band, which hails from Orange County (the O.C.!), is currently on tour opening for Chicago’s very own hometown heroes: 1997. I got the chance to check out National Product last night at Chicago’s newest venue, Reggies Rock Club. “The Endless Summer Tour” kicked off on August 14th and is presented by ABSOLUTEPUNK.net. If there is one thing I will remember from National Product’s show, it is that the lead singer (Danny) is a HUGE Jimmy Eat World fan (just like me)! Between songs he mentioned how stoked he was that he just picked up JEW’s Clarity record on vinyl on a recent shopping expedition. This JEW name drop immediately caught my attention and when Danny asked the crowd if anybody liked Jimmy Eat World and had the Clarity album, I seriously felt like the oldest fan in the audience. This is because I was probably the ONLY ONE who made any kind of noise to vocalize that OF COURSE I had that record and OF COURSE loved JEW! Good grief people! Jim Adkins and Co. are pretty much the founding grandfathers of Emo/Pop/Punk. In my opinion, every up and coming band should count Jimmy Eat World as an influence. On National Product’s MySpace page, the genre they categorize themselves in is Rock/Pop Punk/Acoustic. Though NP doesn’t sound quite like JEW (far from it, actually), they won me over with the simple fact that one of their favorite bands is also one of mine. Smart people think alike and have excellent taste in music I say!

Keep reading after the jump to check out more photos of the dudes in National Product…

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UK metal band, Dragon Force on the mainstage at Rockstar Mayhem 2008. This is a very 80’s metal band, all the way from the sound to the hair blowing in the wind. Check them out for yourself. They are on tour through 2009 all over the world. These guys are staying busy!

Tour Dates for Europe and America after the jump..

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This is an introduction to a new band that I’m really enjoying, The Love Willows. They have a very poppy sound and they remind me of the feel good music like The Beach Boys. Take a look for yourself in the video embedded below. I’ll be reviewing the album in the next week, so stay tuned!

Haven’t seen the first song of their set? Check “Perfect Insanity” out here.

More Mayhem videos and interviews to come including Dragon Force and interviews with Mastodon and Suicide Silence.

UPDATE: We are back to the craptacular Youtube video quality. I know it kills me too. Looking for a HQ online player that won’t cost $$ of money. Check back…

Tour Dates after the jump…

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As promised, Disturbed on Rockstar Mayhem in San Diego! The opening is the greatest. Don’t know if they are doing this on their current European Tour so all our European Disturbed fans will have to let me know.
UPDATE: Sorry, had to switch video players. I am looking for a HQ online video player that can hold the massive videos we have. In other words, we are back to the craptacular Youtube quality vids until I find a replacement. Check back…

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Disturbed videos are going to be up tomorrow morning if not late late tonight.

The video will be live footage from their stop in San Diego, California on the Rockstar Mayhem Tour.

Songs include:

“Perfect Insanity”
“Liberate”

Thanks for everyone’s patience while I post more videos including TECH N9NE, HED (PE), X CLAN, and the Kottonmouth Kings all from the Grove in Anaheim, California.

Amplify! Music. Conference. Festival
Various Venues in Las Vegas - Las Vegas, NV
August 5-8, 2008

Micah Carli - Hawthrone Heights

Amplified is a 4 day music conference and showcase in Las Vegas, Nevada that boasts daily conferences, nightly shows, and parties.

This year was as advertised. The daily conferences included panel discussions about touring, booking, music licensing to film and TV, online marketing sessions, and perspectives from the indie label A&R perspective. I thought all the A&R reps were fired–guess I was wrong. The panelists all came from the music industry and some were industry giants from Columbia Records, BMI, ASCAP, and managers from some of the biggest artists out right now.

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Beat Kitchen
2100 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

After battling rush hour for 2 hours I finally made it to the Beat Kitchen. This quaint corner bar is in the Roscoe Village neighborhood that has a cute outdoor patio area. I didn’t have a chance to eat here, but they have an incredible assortment of items on their menu. Everything from appetizers, soups & salads to sandwiches, specialty pizzas & even dessert! They even have vegetarian options, which is fantastic for me! They have an extensive beer & wine menu at semi-decent prices. Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday the Beat Kitchen hosts Brunch from 11:30-4pm. Their menu has everything from French Toast to Empanadas. The backroom is where the Beat comes in. It’s a small area with an intimate stage. There was a bar but no bartender. I didn’t really care as much since I wasn’t there to drink, but if I was I’d be pretty peeved. There were a good 4 or 5 ceiling fans, but none of them were on so it was a hot mess for all.

Overall the sound & lighting were excellent; I will for sure be back to check out brunch & will absolutely come back for another show!

Steve Winwood
Humphrey’s by the Bay - San Diego, CA
8/19/2008
By Guest Writer Brad Auerbach

When you draft the shortlist of blue-eyed soul pioneers, Steve Winwood quickly drifts to the top. If you filter by Brit, he usually tops the list.

At Humphrey’s, his four piece band sauntered onstage and laid down a compelling groove. Winwood soon followed, taking his place behind his Hammond organ.  I realized that rarely had I sat in a more appropriate section for a concert: B3. As with every concert at Humphrey’s, there is no bad seat.

Winwood led the band through a solid 2+ hours of old and new tunes, with long stretches of riveting instrumental breaks. It was a tremendous show.  Winwood’s touring band honed their chops recording Winwood’s recent album, Nine Lives. The obvious and joyful interplay among the band was palpable and infectious.

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Dave Matthews Band
Cricket Wireless Amphitheater - Chula Vista, CA
8/22/2008

Dave Matthew Band Members:
Dave Matthews - Guitar, Vocal
Carter Beauford - Drums
Boyd Tinsley - Violin
LeRoi Moore - RIP (8/19/08) Flute, Sax
Tim Reynolds - Guitar
Rashawn Ross - Trumpet
Stefan Lessard - Bass

This is called posting on the run. I thought I would throw some teaser pictures up for all of your Dave Matthews fans. See our Dave Matthews coverage when they hit Chicago earlier this year with LeRoi here.

UPDATE: Posted more photos of the show. I hope this satisfies the minds and eyes of all Dave Matthews fans. Let us know by leaving a comment.

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