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 With Guests: The Letter Black, Eve To Adam, Black Oxygen, & Pacinello November 24, 2013 - Syracuse, NY @ The Westcott Theater |
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On Sunday, November 24, I attended the Pop Evil show at the Westcott Theater in my hometown of Syracuse with my friend Chris Besaw. Due to the cold & blustery Syracuse weather we ran a little late arriving, and missed the opening local band, Pacinello. But, from what I was told by everyone I talked to, they were really good, and put on a great show. You can find them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Pacinello |
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| That same year, Black Oxygen was invited to open radio station KQRC’s 20th Anniversary Rockfest in Kansas City. Their performance was seen by Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon. It impressed him enough to invite the band on tour as their direct support act. Not too shabby for a band without a single member old enough to legally drink! Since then, they have continued touring supporting such acts as Shinedown, Slash, Theory of a Deadman, Saving Abel, Volbeat, Taproot, Nonpoint, and others. When Chris and I walked into the theater, the band was in full swing and it was easy to see why they get a lot of attention. David Lyle's vocals are powerful and his lyrics are well written, and the band is tight. Black Oxygen are definitely a band to watch. As the band continues to grow, and mature, you can be sure they will create a large following, and we will definitely be hearing more about them in the future. To learn more about Black Oxygen, find them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/blackoxygenmusic |
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Up next was Eve To Adam. Thanks to my friend, David Garlow from Examiner.com, for contacting their PR company on my behalf, on the DAY OF THE SHOW, I was able to get a press pass at the VERY last minute! (Huge Thanks, David!) Eve To Adam is an anthemic, guitar driven, hard rock band from New York City by way of Florida. Frontman Taki Sassaris and his brother, drummer Alex Sassaris moved from the Sunshine State to the Empire State, and put together what they consider the perfect line-up. Original member, guitarist Gaurav Bali, has been joined by bassist Luis Espaillat and former Puddle Of Mudd member Adam Latiff on rhythm guitar. The band is touring in support of the latest release Locked & Loaded (3-For-5/MRI/Sony Red). The single "Immortal," an anthem about never giving up, was recently featured by iTunes in “New & Noteworthy” and is getting plenty of play on Modern Rock radio stations. Eve To Adam has toured with Motley Crue, In This Moment, Chevelle, POD, Hinder, and Halestorm, and has played major festivals including Rocklahoma and Rock On The Range. The band was very active on stage, and burned through their set. I particularly liked the song “Straightjacket Supermodel.” You can get more info about Eve To Adam at www.evetoadam.com |
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After Eve To Adam, I stepped outside into the cold to have a smoke and met Paulette Jordan, who was winner of the Examiner.com contest and had driven all the way from Minnesota to Syracuse for this show! That is some serious fan dedication! The direct support slot for the evening went to the band The Letter Black. Originally formed in 2006 as Breaking The Silence by husband and wife Mark (guitar) and Sarah Anthony (vocals), the couple started performing as a praise duo in their church. The rhythm section of bassist Matt Beal and drummer Justin Brown rounds out the band's current line-up. Yes, they are a Christian rock band, and they do indeed make a joyful noise! After signing to Tooth & Nail Records in 2008, they changed their name to The Letter Black to avoid problems with a similarly named band. They have toured with Skillet, as well as Decyfer Down, RED, and Hawk Nelson. The band is tight, and they rock pretty hard! Sarah Anthony's voice is great and she can really belt it out! She goes from a silky sound to some downright bone-chilling screams! Her lyrics, co-written by husband Mark, are deep and put out a positive message. Sarah is also a looker and was recently chosen by the readers of Revolver Magazine as one of the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock and will be featured in their 2014 calendar as Miss May. Their set was impressive. I particularly liked the song “Sick Charade.” Despite our theological differences, (I'm an atheist), I would absolutely go see this band again. They were very talented, and a lot of fun. After their set, Chris and I met singer Sarah Anthony and bass player Matt Beal at their merch booth. Both were signing autographs and posing for photos with fans. Sarah was all smiles, and very friendly. So was Matt. Chris and I both got our picture with Sarah, and Chris had them both sign a skull for his project Syracuse Skull Collector. For more about The Letter Black visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/theletterblack or their official website: http://theletterblack.com Cold and Syracuse go hand in hand in November, but that was no problem for the band Pop Evil. Formed in 2001 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the members of the band are used to the cold, just like the Syracuse folks that turned out to see them. |
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| Pop Evil are no strangers to Syracuse, having played here in the past, but since then, their following has grown and they scored a #1 hit with their tune “Trenches” in June of 2013. Frontman Leigh Kakaty, along with drummer Chachi Riot, guitarists Dave Grahs and Nick Fuelling, and bassist Matt DiRito (formerly of Archangel and Before The Fire) rolled into the Salt City on a frigid Sunday night to bring the heat in support of their latest release “Onyx.” The crowd of about 200 people were treated to a night of hard rock and smoking riffs. Being the final night of this leg of the tour, the band let it all out, and held nothing back, playing many of their hit songs such as “Hero,” S”omebody Like You,” “100 in a 55,” “Stepping Stone,” “Last Man Standing,” and “Monster You Made.” The crowd ate it up! I liked the songs “Trenches” and “Deal With The Devil.” The band played a smoking set that heat up the Westcott Theater, in contrast to the bitter cold outside. At the end of the evening Leigh Kakaty, thanked the crowd for braving the elements to come out to the show, and wished them all a Happy Thanksgiving. They said they would see us the next time around, and then headed home to see their families for the holiday! Pop Evil begins their next round of tour dates on December 6 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK. For more Pop Evil info and tour dates log on to their website: www.PopEvil.com |
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Being a Sunday night, Chris and I left as the band was just finishing up, both to beat the traffic, and to get home and get a few hours sleep before work in the wee hours of the morning.
All-in-all it was night of solid rock in the 'Cuse! |
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