MN Underground

A Summerset Music Festival Sampler

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Summerset Music & Camping Festival 2013 preview video

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4 on the Floor @ First Avenue 4/6/13 - Review

4 on the Floor has been on my "Super Short List" of bands to see for I can't even tell you how long. It seemed like every time they played in or around the Twin Cities, something inevitably got in the way. Well, my waiting finally came to an end last Saturday night at First Ave.

It was the second of two "CD Release Parties" for 4otF's new album "Spirit of Minneapolis". This time around though, they sold out First Avenue (they have gone 4/4 on sell-outs at 1st Ave), had The Evening Rig, Wishbook and Trapper Schoepp & the Shades all opened. If that wasn't enough Surly Brewing Company released their new West Coast IPA called Overrated, and it was anything but. The stars all lined up for it to be one heck of an evening.

From the very first song, the energy in the room was infectious. If you were looking for a place to sit, there were plenty because every single person in the place was on their feet. Who want's to sit when you have 4 bass drums pounding and three guys tearing up their guitars???

To get things started they busted out a few of their more recognizable songs, and it was obviously appreciated. Heart pounding versions of "Stand Off" and "Junkie" set a tone for the evening that these giuys were ready to party, and they were not alone.

Throw in a solid lighting show and a smoke effect that I had never seen before and you had a rock performance worthy of the title. Giant smoke rings generated from the back of the stage soared over the heads of the crowd on the floor. Not a sole in the audience could resist the temptation to reach up and try to grab them as they floated overhead.

Paying respect to their hometown, and sending a little love to the crowd, frontman Gabriel Douglas spent some quality time talking to the crowd and thanking their fans for all their support. Beyond the verbal thank you, the encore songs were the frosting on the proverbial cake. It was impossible to leave First Ave without a smile on your face. From a first timer at a 4otF show, I say Thank you right back. It was one of the best shows I have seen in quite a while...

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Metal Alliance Tour featuring Anthrax @ First Avenue 4/4/13 - Review

Anthems 11:35 AM

Review by Justin Mishler

Among the top thrash albums of all time firmly sits Anthrax’s Among the Living; the album that is the band's focus on this spring’s Metal Alliance tour. Performing the album for the first time in its entirety, the guys in Anthrax don’t show their age at all. When I first picked up Among the Living in 1989, critics raved about the energy the Rolling Stones had on their Steel Wheels tour (Jaggar was 45 in 1989). Now, 20-some years later, Scott Ian has surpassed the age of the Jaggar of ’89, and the Thrash Masters’energy hasn't waned. This is the new standard of Rock and Roll stamina!

Bassist Frank Bello is the under-appreciated hype man of Anthrax – he’s constantly running from one side of the stage to the other, stopping only to encourage the crowd to have as much fun as he’s having. The show was phenomenal – unfortunately the crowd started out somewhat subdued. A fact not lost on Joey Belladonna early in the set when he was trying to get them to chat ‘I….Am….The…Law`. Referring to the crowd as ‘too stoned’ to keep up, it took him three tries to get the audience on the same page.

The performance of the album was broken up into side 1 and side 2 – kudos to Anthrax for making their own rules; however, I’m conflicted with this approach. Side 1 ends with Skeletons in the Closet, while side 2 begins with Indians – this has the potential for a non-stop assault. Instead, Anthrax approached this as an opportunity to promote its latest EP (Anthems) as well as its last LP (Worship Music) by breaking up these two sides. As I said, I’m conflicted. I've seen other performers do entire albums (Primus, Roger Waters, Dream Theater) and I love that Anthrax did it on their own terms by breaking up the album and inserting new material, especially since Anthems was released a mere 2 weeks ago. But the crowd seemed confused and lost when Indians wasn't played immediately following Skeletons.

The ‘intermission’ contained Worship Music’s In the End, a tribute to Pantera’s Dimebag Darrel and the late metal icon Ronnie James Dio with banners of each of these performers hung over the amps – a very tasteful tribute to the bands friends and heroes. Bands should promote new albums, so performing ‘TNT’ (an AC/DC cover) off of Anthems was a smart business move. The fact that Indians is the first track on the second side really did bring the band and crowd back together. As expected, the WarDance did not disappoint – Scott Ian addressed the crowd after the song stating that typically, if the crowd isn't into it, the band has no problem stopping the song until everyone is "having as much fun as we are and we didn't stop you" – good job Minneapolis.

The encore kept the fun going with I’m The Man and Antisocial, with admitted Vikings super fan, Joey, performing in a Favre Vikings jersey. Metal and its followers are not gone and Anthrax is more than happy to be there to remind us!

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