The Minneapolis music scene is always a combination of Local and National bands rolling through. No matter the genre of music, there’s always someone touring through the country and stopping in our artistic city. Some differ on what shows are the best, which bands sound amazing and also which have the most intriguing stage presence of them all. With all the venues in the Twin Cities areas, one is visited by some amazing talent every so often. Tuesday was no difference in this case. Coming to town was Three Days Grace, Chevelle and Adelitas Way. Of course, all of these gifted bands have been here before, but not together on a tour like this one.
Most concerts, the same type of actions happen. Most fans don’t show up to the show until the second band hits the stage, but not this time. Adelitas Way kicks off the concert with grace and hard edged sounds. People are instantly gravitating towards the stage and packing themselves together. Each member is electrifying to watch, each grabbing the attention of each fan in the crowd. Their sound is crisp, the stage energy is through the roof and the concert starts off as a huge success. There’s a lot to be said for a band that can do this with some major headliners after them. Adelitas Way does it in style. Playing songs like “Invincible,” “Dirty Little Thing,” “My Derailment,” and so many more, we get a strong taste of what this band from Las Vegas has to offer. Welcome to the Twin Cities boys, you will always be welcomed here! Get ready for some more show requests here.
-My rating based on voice/instruments sound, stage presence and entertainment-9/10
Next up is a very well known favorite, Chevelle. They hit the stage harder and louder each time you see them. They rock the stage with hit favorites along with fan favorites from every album. Crowd suffers galore, the temperature heats up and so do the guys of Chevelle. The crowd interaction is astonishing and I’m able to capture it through a lens. With each song, Chevelle once again prevails as why they’re one of the best bands to see live. With strobe lights and smoky effects, they will definitely stand out in people’s memories for years to come. As always, the band performs superbly and is left with no question that they have hardcore fans here.
-My rating based on voice/instruments sound, stage presence and entertainment-9.5/10
Last but not least, Three Days Grace walks on stage. I have seen them many times and each time is better than the last. Always starting the show off with a bang, pyros set the theme for the remainder of the evening. Graving us with our favorite songs like “I Hate Everything About You,” “Home,” “Just Like You,” “Last to Know,” “Break” and several more, you’re brought back to memories throughout your life. Each note is hit with precision, each beat is felt through the bass and drums, each chorus is sung aloud by everyone in the crowd. It leads you to one conclusion; Three Days Grace is as strong as ever and will continue to get bigger. Time will tell when they are back in town, but we will be patiently waiting until then.
-My rating based on voice/instruments sound, stage presence and entertainment-9.5/10
Make sure and check out each band along with this show stopping tour!
Tour Review: Flyleaf, Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace
Every year, there are tours that people mark on their calendars months in advance. They rarely question themselves as to if they should, want or can go: they just do it. I’m always intrigued when bands start talking about tours and who they’ll possibly be on the road sharing the stage with for months at a time. Every single person has their favorite bands they’d love to see on tour together. The gossip as to who is in the final acts is always a little maddening for those of us that have waited patiently for certain bands to hit the road again. There’s not a doubt in my mind about one specific tour always being a guaranteed show stopper: Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. This time around however, another amazing band is added to the bill: Flyleaf. Each of these bands are in their own rights beyond talented and put on a hell of a show as headliners, but add them together as a whole: you have a new meaning to a damn great night of music and entertainment.
The tour has just begun and one of the first 5 stops is in Mankato MN. It’s freezing and there are tons of people already in line scoping out the tours merchandise through the windows. It’s almost hard to tell what band is “the favorite” as the amount of people wearing every bands shirt is almost overwhelming. Everyone here is here for every single band. There’s no doubt that it’ll be a show to remember. And no one is disappointed.
On stage first is the female lead band: Flyleaf. Just releasing a new album and music video, the rave on this band is quite understandable. The crowd is immense and packed with kids from the age of 11 to adults of 50 something. Flyleaf starts off with a bang and leads us into a story of inspiration. The connection in which each band member has with the crowd leads you speechless in a way. The energy and charisma of everyone on stage, amps up the volume of the crowd a few more notches. Mixing songs off their first album Flyleaf like “I’m So Sick,” “Fully Alive,” “All Around Me” to their newest album Memento Mori’s “Again,” “Beautiful Bride,” “Arise,” “Missing” “Set Apart This Dream” and “Have We Lost” are played as well. During each song, Lacey sweeps people off their feet by surprising them with the large voice she carries within. Each song is dedicated to inspiring others to being something more for themselves but for others as well. To not be afraid of being yourself and believing in the gifts you already have. If there’s one thing to be said about Flyleaf, it’s the power of inspiration this band has. For those 30 plus minutes they’re on stage, you believe and find contentment in the world around you. With Sameer and Jared guiding with guitars, Pat creating the rhythm and James following through with drums, Lacey is left to create melodies with her dynamic voice. There isn’t a better band to start this show off right.
-My rating based on voice/instruments sound, stage presence and entertainment-9/10
Second to hit the stage is Breaking Benjamin. It’s been a little while since they’ve been on the road but releasing a new cd not too long ago makes up for the absence. Starting off the show with “So Cold” and moving into other hits like “Polyamorous,” “Sooner or Later,” “Breath” and “Diary of Jane” are played as some of the fans favorites. Introducing the newest CD Dear Agony, “I Will Not Bow,” “Dear Agony,” “Give Me a Sign” and a tribute to the soldiers “Into the Nothing” are represented proudly. An acoustic song is also thrown into the mix with Ben and Aaron playing “Dream On” by Aerosmith. The uniqueness of lead singer Benjamin Burnley’s voice is something to marvel at just listening to on a CD, but listening to him live is even better. Watching Mark engage with everyone in the crowd lets everyone feel apart of one another. Aaron’s ability to play the guitar while charming each note is something every guitarist needs to practice. Let’s not forget Chad sitting in a jaw dropping drum set, playing beats very few have talent for. The crowd involvement is something to behold with this band. Everyday problems are forgotten while these four guys play an unforgettable bill. This band is well known for it’s love of our US Soldiers and every show they’ve played, a tribute to those heroic men and woman is never forgotten. We all took a moment to remember those who have fallen but also to those who are still serving. It’s one more thing to admire about Breaking Benjamin.
-My rating based on voice/instruments sound, stage presence and entertainment-9/10
Last to hit stage is Three Days Grace. Like Flyleaf and Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace just dropped a new album as well. What better way for these three bands to push their new records than with a tour together? The energy of everyone in the building is astounding to behold within the first few songs. The bill consists of hits like “I Hate Everything About You,” “Animal I have Become,” “Just Like You,” “Never Too Late,” “Riot,” “Pain,” “Home” and their newest single “Break” rounds out the show. With a few extra songs in between, every single person in the crowd sings every word to each song. With a little surprise for the fans, Adam appears on a mini stage by the sound booth in the middle of the floor while Neil plays an unforgettable drum solo while the entire drum set turns in a circle. Turning back to see Barry wail some major guitar rifts, anyone with a camera is madly clicking away at the sights before them. Rounding out the rhythm is Brad on bass, head banging to each note he creates. Only when you don’t think the night could get any better, the stage is lit up with pyros and heat! The crowd goes crazy while upping their volume 5 times louder than what it already was. It’s a perfect ending to an unbelievable night of great music, talented musicians and unattainable energy.
-My rating based on voice/instruments sound, stage presence and entertainment-10/10
This tour is by far one of the best tours to see this year! Every band has it’s own individuality but as a whole, they make for an unforgettable evening as one of the best tours to ever be created. Find a city near you and get your tickets to see Flyleaf, Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. It’s a tour to experience at least once in your lifetime and one that you’ll want to repeat every year from here on out.
To see photos from this show, go to www.stillcodaphotography.com
Make sure you check out tour dates and each band’s websites for upcoming information!
One word: complete. One feeling: inspired. One sound: genius. One notion: movement. One idea: depth. One band: RED. It only takes this one band to create something so pure and imaginable, it leaves you feeling whole. The depth, in which this band has always had, not only within themselves, their music, their fans or a combination of both, is something so genuine it leaves a lasting impression on everyone it touches. It’s a rarity to find this impression, especially in the chaos the world surrounds us with. RED creates a reprieve from that chaos. They give you a canvas and lend their colors to it. It creates a painting in which every song tells a story and every story creates the band. Their fans can’t get enough of their music and their love for this band is as bright and colorful as those paintings. RED creates a world of their own and it’s an amazing one to see.
STILLCODA: NEW TOUR, CLASS OF 2009, WITH SAVING ABEL, POP EVIL, TADDY PORTER: HOW IS IT GOING SO FAR?
ANTHONY: It’s going good so far, we’re doing what we love to do. We always have a good time so it’s going great!
STILLCODA: SO THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE UP ON STAGE WITH JASEN NOT PERFORMING?
ANTHONY: Nothings happened; he just wanted to be with family so he’s at home. He’s working on his career in producing and that side of things. We’re still writing together, working on songs and all kinds of things, he just doesn’t tour with us. He’ll still be apart of the band, just not as much as he was.
STILLCODA: WHAT IS SOME ADVICE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF 3 YEARS AGO?
ANTHONY: I didn’t realize it’d be as crazy as it is. I think we all set out with goals in mind. We hoped and prayed that the bands success would come but I think we’ve been kind of overwhelmed with the success we’ve gotten. So I think the advice would have just been to did what we did, work hard.
STILLCODA: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT KEEP YOU GROUNDED WHILE ON TOUR? YOU GUYS ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE ROAD SO THAT BECOMES MORE OF YOUR LIFE THAN BEING HOME.
ANTHONY: Yeah, it’s just the type of people we are. There’s no one thing physically like that, it’s more of a mental for all of us. We all just know what our goals are, that’s what we set out to do, it’s something we rely on to keep us grounded.
STILLCODA: SPEAKING OF KEEPING YOU GROUNDED, THE BAND HAS SOME EXTREMELY DEVOTED FANS, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THEY’VE DONE FOR YOU?
ANTHONY: Fans have done, you name it. They bring us food, invite us over to their houses, those people are on the list of “not crazy” (BOTH LAUGH). We’ll go over to their place and have a BBQ. After shows, we’ll go hang out with them, basically go do whatever. Go see some cool spots of the town that we’re in that night. Luckily, our fans have a way of making us feel at home when we’re not at home. In every city, there’s a least one person we know that usually comes to every show. It brings a familiar face to us that we always remember.
STILLCODA: NOW ON THIS TOUR, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN OFFERING AN ACOUSTIC SET TO FANS WHO PURCHASE A PACKAGE, HOW HAS THAT BEEN GOING FOR YOU?
ANTHONY: It’s really cool, it’s something we asked our management about doing because it gives us a chance to connect with fans, get a little more intimate with fans because the live set up isn’t as easy to do something like that. We usually go to the merch table and meet everyone but to be able to play an actual acoustic song. It’s just another way to show them how we want to give back and kind of how we live for 20-30 minutes of their night. Show them what we’re all about, a little bit of a closer look at the music. It’s what we’re excited about.
STILLCODA: WITH DOING THE ACOUSTIC SET AND THE LIVE SET, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHAT SONGS YOU’LL BE PLAYING EVERY NIGHT?
ANTHONY: It’s based off of the flow of the show and how it will be vocally for us. It can be straining on Michael and Randy singing, so it’s like which songs flow best, which songs are harder to sing, etc. So we just set the songs up that work best but we also want to put on the best live show we possibly can; that are energetic and that people can really get into. It’s just a whole flow thing really and become an experience for everyone watching. If there’s break ups in there or if there’s something’s in there that don’t seem to mesh well, you’re not doing your job.
STILLCODA: OUT OF ALL THE LIVE PERFORMANCES I’VE SEEN, YOU ARE HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST LIVE. EVERYTHING FLOWS JUST AS IT NEEDS TO AND THE ENERGY THAT YOU BRING MAKES THE FANS SPEECHLESS.
ANTHONY: Thank you! It’s definitely something that we strive for.
STILLCODA: WHILE THE BAND IS ON THE ROAD, YOU GUYS ARE CONSTANTLY DOING VIDEO UPDATES, BLOGS, TWITTER, ETC. WHAT IS SOMETHING FUNNY THAT HAS HAPPENED ON THIS TOUR?
ANTOHNY: Oh man…the first night of the tour, there was basically what seemed like a hurricane in Corpus Christi. There was about 10 inches of running water everywhere. The bus felt like it was drowning in a lake. We got on stage and 2 songs into set, the entire town of Corpus Christi lost power. So that was it for us, we performed in the rain. They had what’s called a “brown out,” so we kind of finished those 2 songs and got off stage. So the first night of the tour was quite interesting (BOTH LAUGH).
STILLCODA: I’M SURE IT WAS! MY FIRST THOUGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN, “ARE WE GOING TO GET ELECTROCUTED?”
ANTHONY: (LAUGHS). Yea it was raining when we went on stage. It was a covered, outdoor stage so when the electricity went out, we were like “What in the world!”
STILLCODA: SPEAKING OF REACTIONS, THE BAND HAS HAD THEIR SECOND ALBUM “INNOCENCE AND INSTINCT” OUT SINCE FEBRUARY. DO YOU GUYS NOTICE IF FANS PERFER THAT ALBUM OVER “END OF SILENCE”?
ANTHONY: We’re seeing both sides of that of which record they like. I think the first people like and relate more to your first project. If they like your first project and it becomes a success, then people will say “Ah! Do you remember “End of Silence,” do you remember that record?...” It’s our newest project so I don’t think we’re going to stray away from either record. We feel like we’ve gotten to where we want to be. People are excited about the songs, the record is going great. But there’s just something magical for people about that first record. The first record is what drew them to us. So when people are introduced to us through “Innocence and Instinct,” then they find the first record, it’s that “ahh” all over again. They have infinity with that record.
STILLCODA: WHEN YOU ARE PERFORMING LIVE, WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU FEED OFF OF WHILE WATCHING THE CROWD?
ANTHONY: Yeah, we feed off the crowd, the energy is something that we as a band and the people who came to see us share together. If you show up and the crowd’s really boring then you want to know that they’re into the music as much as you are. That’s a major part of it. Our music is so extreme as far as it getting really heavy and aggressive to the opposite. It’s kind of like a roller coaster in a way. From start to finish, we try to put on a really flowing type of show. There are so many people out there watching us, that’s a broad range of people so we try to give them everything we can.
STILLCODA: TO GET READY TO PERFORM WITH SUCH ENERGY, WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO BEFORE A SHOW?
ANTHONY: We listen to music, something heavy like Sevendust or Slipknot, something that gets us going. It’s that heavy, aggressive sound that gets you pumped up. It’s like something that you’d listen to while you’re at the gym, that sort of thing. Us guys are into that sort of thing (BOTH LAUGH).
STILLCODA: YOUR MUSIC INSPIRES SO MANY PEOPLE AND IT BECOMES A BIG PART OF THEM. HAVE YOU SEEN FANS WITH TATTOOS AND SUCH THAT THEY’VE GOTTEN IN HONOR OF THAT?
ANTHONY: We have! There’s a guy that has the entire front cover of “End of Silence” tatted on his leg. A friend of ours has: her Twitter page is Evil Angel, which is a Breaking Benjamin song (BOTH LAUGH); on the back of her neck one of our old merch designs of a skull with wings and the logo tatted there. It’s cool because I designed the logo for the band, we all take a lot of pride in that because it’s our brand. The word means so much more to us that just the brand. The word RED and what it embodies for us is and that logo is synonymous to us. So it’s cool to see people branding it on them.
STILLCODA: BOTH YOU AND YOUR BROTHER RANDY HAVE SOME INTERESTING TATTOOS THAT GO WITH THE BRANDING THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AND HOW IT MEANS MORE TO YOU THAN JUST THE WORD.
ANTHONY: Yeah, my right arm is covered with images from “The Book of Revelations” from the Bible; it’s about the Armageddon and the end of the world. I’ve always been so fascinated by that book in the Bible, it being about the end of days and survival. It’s that constant conversation in the world about the end of days. It’s just so interesting to me and if you read through that book, it’s a very graphic detailed dream sequence of events. It goes through what this man sees and what he goes through that’s tattooed on my arm
.
STILLCODA: RANDY HAS “REDEMPTION” AND “INSPIRED” WRITTEN ON BOTH OF HIS FOREARMS WITH THE WORD “RED” IN THE COLOR RED.
ANTHONY: Yeah, that was actually my idea (BOTH LAUGH). I told Randy about that and he said “That’s pretty cool.” So he went and got that. Both embody what the band is about and how we feel about being as inspirational as we can.
STILLCODA: EVERYTHING FROM THE LOGO, THE NAME, THE MERCH, THE MUSIC, THE SHOW, THE BAND, EVERYTHING IS TIED SO WELL TOGETHER; IT’S ASTOUNDING HOW TIGHT EVERYTHING IS. THAT PROCESS OF GETTING TO THAT POINT: WAS IT SOMETHING THAT THE BAND INITIALLY THOUGHT OF OR DID EVERYTHING JUST COME TOGETHER ON THE WAY?
ANTHONY: I don’t know, it’s a great question. I think with us being on the road and touring, has made us a great performing band. I don’t think anyone can just step on stage and be amazing. I still think there’s an x-factor there, there’s just something that some bands have that other bands don’t. Or that some performers have that others don’t. It’s something that divides a band from another one so to speak. We’ve paid so much attention to our live show to how we pull off the whole spectrum of what RED is. It’s more of a lifestyle for us, you know what I mean? We’re kind of living our lives out on stage in front of 1000’s of people. It’s what we want people to see and for you to say or state that the way you did, I feel like we’re accomplishing that. That’s what most important to us.
STILLCODA: EVERY SINGLE TIME I’VE SEEN YOU, THE SHOW STILL BLOWS ME AWAY. EVERYTHING IS AT IT SHOULD BE. TO LOOK AT HOW THE BAND RUNS AND HOW YOU ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHNG, IS EXACTLY HOW THINGS SHOULD BE DONE. EVERYTHING FLOWS TOGETHER SMOOTHLY, THE LIVE SHOW LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS AND THE BAND BEING HUMBLE ABOUT EVERYTHING MAKES YOU ONE OF THOSE BANDS THAT STANDS OUT.
ANTHONY: That makes me feel awesome to hear you say something like that! We basically play everyday of the week. Sometimes we step off stage, we feel like “we didn’t have a good show tonight.” But we go to the merch table after and someone will just be freaking out! Crying or something like that and saying “That’s the most amazing show I’ve ever seen!” Our reactions are “Like, what? Ahhh…” (BOTH LAUGH). It’s hard to take compliments sometimes because we are such perfectionists on what we do and we’re so passionate about every single facet. So is something happens, we feel like that flow is broken and it feels like we had a bad night. We’ll get frustrated sometimes because we feel like our fans deserve more than that. Having that attitude going into a show, no matter how big the venue is, every single show is an opportunity to hold onto our music.
STILLCODA: AND THAT’S WHY THE BAND HAS SUCH DEVOTED FANS. YOU AND JASEN ARE KNOWN FOR ‘TWIRLING AND SPINNING THE GUITAR’ AROUND WHILE PLAYING. HOW DO YOU DO IT AND MAKING IT LOOK EFFORTLESS? (BOTH LAUGH)
ANTHONY: I think it’s just something that becomes effortless after lots of practice (BOTH LAUGH). When you feel something, you get into it and that’s just something I do when I’m into the music. It started way back in the day where guitarists would throw the guitar front to back or back to front. The twirling just came along with it I think (laughs).
STILLCODA: HAVE YOU EVER HIT ANYONE ON STAGE?
ANTHONY: Oh yeah. I put Michael in the hospital once. I swung the guitar around and it landed on top of his head. He had to have 7 staples put in his head. Actually a few nights ago, one of the first nights on the tour, my strap broke when I did it. The guitar went flying across the stage and it snapped in half. Luckily, when I do tricks like that, I always have a back up. My guitar tech was right there and handed me my other guitar.
STILLCODA: WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE FANS THAT YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO?
ANTHONY: If I could say something to the fans, I think it’d be to give us a chance. We ride a very thin line as a band because we’re from a Christian record label; a lot of places consider us a Christian band/act. Those lines are so polarized now, there’s just no real way of defining our music as Christian or not. Because it gets a Christian “label,” people are either automatically turned off or on by it. They might think we have an agenda or that we have a message we want to jamb down their throat that “label.” And it’s not like that for us. We’re just music makers, all we care about is relating to people and showing people that regardless of what our Faith is, we’re just like everybody else. Music is an amazing platform because not only can we get into their heads with just a great song, the seed is planted. They can go exploring and dissecting music on their own and reading biographies and really understanding what and who the band is. I think if people took a closer look, they’d realize that there’s more to us than our Faith. There’s more to the band that we’re trying to accomplish. Once they hear that we’re a Christian band, they feel like they can’t listen to us or can’t come talk to us at the merch table cause they have a beer in their hands. We’re just here to be, really. We have our beliefs and our belief system but at the end of the day, we like to write great songs, put on a great show and have a good time.
STILLCODA: IT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE MUSIC BEING MADE, THE SHOW THAT YOU PUT ON, HOW YOU TREAT OTHERS AND NOT BASED ON PERSONAL BELIEFS. AS LONG AS YOU’RE DONG WHAT YOU LOVE, THAT’S WHAT IT SHOULD BE ABOUT. MUSIC IS ITS OWN ENTITY, TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS AND GO ON.
ANTHONY: Exactly! There’s such a stigmata about those sorts of things that people forget what to live for in a way. Music is a way for people to define themselves but it doesn’t need to be about the religious or political points of views other may have. We’re not writing a book so to speak, we’re not trying to turn people off from us. We’re here to create great music. We just want to know that it’s what you make of it. We’re human beings, not soap box type of guys you know? (BOTH LAUGH).
STILLCODA: THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS COMING UP FOR RED IN THE NEXT YEAR. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OR GET EXCITED ABOUT FROM THE BAND?
ANTHONY: There are a couple of fun things actually. Being a music maker, you’re rewarded in that community for being able to do that. Jasen and I are the primary writers of RED and we’ve been known for being great writers, performers or whatever. We’d love to get back to the Grammy’s this year. We’ve already been nominated for a Grammy award and should find out in the next month if we’ve been nominated again. So that’d be kind of cool to experience again. Next year we’ve got some really cool touring possibilities coming up that we’re really excited about. In January, we’ve got a headlining tour that we’ll be doing. We’re supposed to be going out really shortly with Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf, which will be an amazing tour. Three Days Grace has asked us to go out again, so we’re looking forward to that tour as well. It’s going to be a big year for us next year. We’re also looking to release “Ordinary World” to the top 40 radio. If that does well, we’ll get to do some late night shows and such. So fun little goals, that aren’t meant to be made into anything more than what they are, but things we’re excited about experiencing. We’d wish that on anybody so we’re thankful we’ve been able to experience what we have so far.
STILLCODA: AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THOUGHT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND? SOMETHING THAT YOU’D TELL THE YOUNGER GENERATION IF THEY WANT TO TAKE THE PATH RED HAS.
ANTHONY: At the end of the day, we’re just thankful that we get to do what we love. It’s not a job to us; it’s our way of living. That’s what’s awesome to us. If you’re in this business to be famous and make money, you’re in it for the wrong reasons. It’s a lot more work than any of us expected, from marketing to everything. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s worth it to us. We go on stage and try to be as humble as we can and really be apart of the music and fans. We’ve been really fortunate enough to have done and accomplished the things we have and not a lot of bands get to do that. So we’re really thankful and humbled by our experiences. It could all be gone tomorrow, but we keep that reality in mind.
STILLCODA: WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT COMES OF THE FUTURE FOR THIS BAND. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO SPEAK WITH ME AND WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD SOON!
ANTHONY: Thank you for talking with me! We really appreciate people like you and we can’t wait to see everyone out on the road!
There are some individuals who are graced with more than one ability, giving them that extra edge. Growing up as a drummer/musician, Michael Lombardi new where he was going. Until one day, his ambitions lead him to acting on a hit TV Series called “Rescue Me.” Now, getting back to his roots, Lombardi is all about multitasking and proving that his abilities are beyond measure in his new band called Apache Stone. One thing is for sure, the future of Apache Stone is bright and full of great success. STILLCODA: How was the transition from being a drummer/musician to an actor and coming back full circle?
MICHAEL: I started playing drums when I was young; my uncle was a great drummer and bought me my first drum set. Later on, I went to a drummer’s school in New York City and was exposed to acting, Broadway, everything. It just opened a lot of doors that I hadn’t previously been exposed to. So I started the acting, started taking the acting classes, where you’re trained to use everything you had. When you’re playing drums, you get into the tunes and movements and become “one” with it. It’s the same thing with acting, you get into character and both of those things kind of come together in that moment. I had worked on my voice, written a lot of lyrics, poetry over the years and turned them into songs that told a story that you want to know.
STILLCODA: What were people’s reactions like when you started talking about forming a band, especially seeing that most were used to working with you on a acting stand point?
MICHAEL: Being in a band has always been my thing, playing in several throughout the years; it’s always been my number one thing. I’ve been so, so, so fortunate to be a working actor and having a passion for music, has been amazing. I think people on “Rescue Me” kind of knew that I had passion for music, knowing that I played drums, but didn’t realize to what level I was taking it. I think their response was “Oh boy, what’s this going to be…” (laughs). Dennis Leary, the shows writers, and a few other people found out that I was in a band. And like a lot of the story lines in “Rescue Me,” they pull things out of real life while making it very comedic and dramatic, adds more to the story. Dennis Leary actually came to see us play a few times and ended up writing in an interesting story line for me with the band. I think they realized it was more serious for me and it went better than they thought. With the story line, there are very comedic elements, but we were able to put on there a bunch of our original songs.
STILLCODA: What are some of the hardest things you have to work with or work around while being a musician and an actor?
MICHAEL: It’s been very difficult, but worth it. I usually know when I’m shooting in New York City for “Rescue Me” for 22 Episodes, knowing when my character’s needed, my storyline, all of it. So on the off time of doing that, I’d be in studio, writing with the band, practicing, rehearsing, all of it. While working as an actor, I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to afford studio time whenever we can get in there. Committing to a band is a tremendous amount of work, not only are you working with different personalities but dealing with everything else that comes from a band. Booking shows, promoting, booking hotels, getting venues, recording, getting producers, everything is involved.
STILLCODA: On a normal day for you, what’s filled in?
MICHAEL: A lot of the time, I know that I’ll be filming all day and that I’ll be done at a certain time. Sometimes we do 12-14 hour days but other days we’ll do 16-18 hour days. So I always know when I’ll be off. So if I go in at 6am, I’ll be done by 6pm and have rehearsal at 7pm. Other days we’ll have rehearsal per episode.
STILLCODA: What have been some of the expectations you’ve gotten from people that have been with you through this whole process with the music?
MICHAEL: Being an actor and being in a band, there’s always this kind of stigma around it and I totally understand that, but I’m doing what I love to do. I know that there are so many other actors doing the same thing, but there are also a lot of musicians who act as well. So you just have to do your thing and enjoy every step of the way, no matter what you end up or where it takes you. I’m definitely learning a lot but I have to say, I think the music stands on its own and I’m very proud of it.
STILLCODA: Having the music stand on its own is what makes it for any band, it’s makes them memorable. How did you find the other members of the band to join you in this?
MICHAEL: I started playing with Hank Woods, which is the guitar player, and I met him through a mutual friend. He and I started playing together and we had a drummer and a bass player at the time. So we’d rehearse and have fun, did some cover songs then I really started getting serious about it. Hank and I had a pretty good vision of where we wanted to go with it but the drummer and bass player we had at the time, didn’t. So we moved on and Hank had a friend Mark that he went to Berkley with. He said “Hey, I have this drummer and he’s great!” So we auditioned Mark and we brought him in. Then Mark had a friend who was a bass player, David. So we met with David and he was awesome, he knew all the songs coming in so he added so much more. Then Nick, the other guitar player came in and we widen the sound and have a complete group now. We’d rehearsal like 4 days a week, put gigs under our belt and everything. Now we have a real band, people that stand behind each other.
STILLCODA: What are some of the future plans for Apache Stone? MICHAEL: Right now, we’re just focused on getting to the next level. We have a great manager, Becky that just jumped on board with us. She’s helped booking us with some great charity events for the Firefighters along with some shows along the way. It’s perfect to be able to play for Firefighters as their jobs are so dangerous and they’re such amazing people. So we’re just taking it to the next level by playing a lot more throughout the summer. We have a bunch of options for record labels; we have songs on ITunes, Myspace, all of the social networks. So right now, we’re getting a lot of great responses from everyone, from the internet, everything. Hopefully we’ll grow enough that we can tour and get another album written within the next year or two. So we’ll see what happens and I’m going to enjoy the ride for as long as I can. Have fun playing! STILLCODA: When you’re writing a song, what are things that you pull from around to help create that song?
MICHAEL: I really write for the thought of the song. Whether I want it to have a killer bass or a hard rock tone, I like to think of the song and how it’ll make me feel. A lot of my stuff isn’t majorly up tempo, its more music that can really move you and expresses a lot. I’ll take that feeling, take some poetry that I’ve written and write about what I know from my own life’s journey. I’m really, really driven by lyrics and telling the story. I want to make it colorful but explaining it in a way that a symbol for a word can be used instead of an actual word.
STILLCODA: What is one song that either you or others are really drawn to most out of all the ones you’ve performed or that are out there?
MICHAEL: So far, we have about 3-4 songs on our Myspace page that people listen to. “Synthetic Self” is the one that’s on the airwaves right now, so that one seems to be drawing people in more. But other people tell me “Highlighted Life” is their favorite. I love them both but there’s a song called “Let it Live” that’s a really killer tune. There’s another song called “Ways to Nowhere” that has a really nice open chorus to open it up. It’s hard to say which one I’m more drawn to as they’re all ones I’m drawn to. “Without Tomorrow” has that epic classic rock feeling to it that’s one of my favorites. STILLCODA: We definitely can’t wait to hear everything you guys are working on and see what the future holds for the band! Apache Stone has a clear path ahead of it and I for one can’t wait to see it!
MICHAEL: Thank you so much! We can’t wait to be able to get out there and play for you and for everyone!
Make sure to stop by and listen to Apache Stones new music and keep an eye out for their shows and future appearances on the hit TV Series “Rescue Me.” Links to Apache Stone:MYSPACE:www.myspace.com/apachestonemusicFACEBOOK:www.facebook.com/pages/Apache-Stone
There’s one band that has been calling everyone’s attention all over the world: their heavy rifts to crooning melodies, All That Remains is on the rise and getting the recognition that they deserve. Wrapping up touring in the US, All That Remains goes abroad and I got the chance to talk with Mike right after playing a set in Germany. The time difference is definitely notable but also the fact that everyone was in good spirits after a sweaty-fun-filled set is even better.
STILLCODA: What’s it like having songs featured on movies and games like Saw III, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, etc?
MIKE: It kind of serves as a promotional tool for the younger generation. We actually have a Guitar Hero so we’ve played the game anyways but once our song was on it, we would sit in the back of the bus and try to play it over and over again. It was kind of hilarious but also surreal cause it says your name in it and everything. For me, it was having our individual names in there that me so excited (both laugh).
STILLCODA: How is it playing your song on Guitar Hero vs actual playing the real thing? Is it as confusing as other musicians have said?
MIKE: Yea, it’s definitely completely different and it’s definitely not like a real instrument. Trying to get used to color coding….wow (both laugh).
STILLCODA: You’re on tour in Europe right now, how’s it going so far?
MIKE: It’s going really well, again very surreal cause we’re playing big festivals. Within the last 3 months, we’ve played with bands I never thought it’d humanly possible to play with. We’ve been really lucky not only to play for so many people but also being able to play with a bunch of bands that’s we’ve always liked or bands that we just never thought we’d see again. We played some shows with Limp Bizkit which was hilarious; Korn, Staind, Alice in Chains and Slipknot. It’s just been ridiculous. The craziest thing was that Sammy Hagar played the other night and he walked by me in the dressing room. I was like “Holy shit!” You want to say hi to them or something but I’m always afraid some big security guards gonna tackle me and beat the shit outta me (both laugh). They’re definitely a different level than us so it’s just crazy.
STILLCODA: What are some differences in touring in Europe vs in the
US?
MIKE: There’s not a lot of differences in shows and stuff. The airports are defiantly different. Some of the smaller areas, the fans are a little crazier (laughs). They’re not as ‘spoiled’ as they don’t get as many shows. But as far as the rest of touring goes, being spoiled Americans like us (laughs), there are certain luxuries that are scarce over here that kinda bums us out at times. But we suck it up. A lot of the time, we get these really nice hotels and say “Oh man this is beautiful,” then find out there’s no air conditioning, and we’re in the summer time (both laugh). So it’s hard to come by air conditioning and also ice. Ice isn’t to be found. It’s a foreign concept over here (both laugh). And the food is….generally…it’s kind of terrible too (laughs). We had McDonalds today and I was so siked! We call it the American Embassy cause every time I see a McDonalds or something, I get so excited. So whenever we see one, we say “Oh look! It’s the American Embassy!” (Both Laugh). I feel like a kid in the back seat waiting for a Happy Meal (both laugh).
STILLCODA: Throughout the bands history, the band has had it’s share of members. Now, having the same members for the past few years, how have these changes made the band stronger today?
MIKE: Yea, having the same 5 members makes everything a lot better on every angle. It’s just a pain in the ass in general, to switch members and what not. But after everyone’s solid, the chemistry for writing is so much better. Everyone knows each others writing processes so no one steps on anyone’s toes or anything. Writing for most bands happens like once every two years for those on tour but for others it’s once every year. So when we get together to write, we know each other well enough to know when someone’s having a bad say (laughs). It’s just nice on all levels to have the same people for once. We’ve had the same members for about 2.5 years and that’s a record for us (both laugh).
STILLCODA: What’s been the writing process like now for the band in general?
MIKE: With the individual parts, Oli our guitar player, comes up with a bunch of different parts. He’ll come in with a computer basically full with several different rifts, rough song structures. That’s when we all together and go from there. So doing an actual song, is a five way deal with us. But Oli’s definitely bringing in the most in the beginning. We’re so lucky to have someone like him, that’s able to crank them out like that.
STILLCODA: The latest album, “Overcome,” was released in September 2008. What’s some of the responses that you’ve gotten since it’s been out?
MIKE: It’s been weird actually. It’s by far been the most successful album, so with more success comes more hate I guess. It’s kind of like the hate on the internet is a sign you’re doing well (both laugh). You go from being the underground-sweetheart band on the internet to being on the Billboard charts and such, to having people pissed off that you’re doing well (both laugh). I’ll take the extra criticism if it sells 3x as many albums as the previous one.
STILLCODA: Is it almost bittersweet to know that there’s all this “hate” out there but at the same time, the shows are always sick, everyone seems to know the songs and you’re playing with other bands you never thought you’d ever tour with?
MIKE: The balance between the two, is different I guess. For every 2 posts of people not liking something, there’s 1000 other posts saying how much they love the music. So it’s hard to explain. Like I’ve seen posts about how some people know every song but see another saying that they hope our bus flips off a cliff and we all die (laughs).
STILLCODA: You’re like “Really? Was that really necessary?” (laughs).
MIKE: Exactly! So I just choose to skip those ones. It’s just easier that way.
STILLCODA: Speaking of experiencing things, what’s a crazy story that’s happened to the band recently?
MIKE: It’s so funny that you asked that cause two nights ago when we were playing in Austria with a bunch of bands/friends and everyone was kind of drinking. Our drummer Jason, tends to get too rowdy for his own good when he’s drunk (both laugh). He accidently smashed his hand against a table. His knuckles look completely caved in and his hand looks like its completely broken right now. So he had to suffer through our headlining set tonight. He could barely hold a drum stick (laughs). We started to panic a little last night knowing that we had a lot of big shows coming up. He sucked it up and did it though. We gave him a lot of crap on stage tonight just to make fun of him for being a drunken idiot (both laugh).
STILLCODA: What about any crazy fan stories?
MIKE: Yeah! We played the show in Austria and I was wearing shorts. These two girls grabbed my legs and started kissing them! I thought that was hilarious! To me it’s pretty mind blowing! We’ve played a lot of radio station type shows which are different that what we’re used to playing. Girls will get on top of people’s shoulders and take their tops off. And I’m just like “Well…this is…interesting” (both laugh). We’re not used to seeing that. I was trying to get my guitar tech’s attention one day for fixing something in the monitors. I looked over and his eyes were huge and glued on these chicks (both laugh). We’re just not used to stuff like that. It’s all Rock n Roll and I like that (both laugh).
STILLCODA: I saw you guys play at Rock on the Range in Ohio this year. What was that experience like for you?
MIKE: It was awesome! We got to play with Alice in Chains, which was cool as they’re one of my favorite bands along with a bunch of the others that played. I did something like 9 radio interviews that day while they were telling us how much they loved the songs and watching us play. It was definitely a surreal experience.
STILLCODA: With all the positive feedback, what’s something you’re looking to do in the next 6 months?
MIKE: Just to have a great time on the tours, sell more records, just anything; To have a good time and keep going.
STILLCODA: Well I can’t wait to see what you guys bring in the coming year and hope to see you play again! Thank you so much for talking with me today! Good luck on the rest of the tour and we’ll see you soon!
MIKE: Not a problem! Thank you and we’ll see you soon too!
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