Author Archives: Jon Pacella

Going to a large number of shows, whether as a music writer, a nightclub employee, or just as a passionate fan of live music, you can find yourself jaded after some time. You see it all—fantastic shows, shows that leave you asking “Why in the hell am I here?” and pretty much everything in between. But every now and then, you have the wonderful privilege of witnessing something truly great—a moving experience that touches you all the way down to your soul.

On Friday night at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA, local radio/ podcast personality Chad Dukes had organized a birthday bash with two bands he loves, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. The crowd was an odd mix of fans of the bands and die-hard followers of his show. After a brief introduction from Chad and on-air partner Oscar Santana, Whitey Morgan took the stage. Hailing from Flint, MI, Whitey seemed to be on a mission to keep the old-school honky-tonk country sound alive, and he did it flawlessly.

With a look that was the spitting image of late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, Whitey played songs like “Honky Tonk Queen” and Johnny Paycheck’s “(Stay Away From) The Cocaine Train” and won over the already almost-full venue in no time. In between songs celebrating the joys of alcohol, Whitey proclaimed that “We haven’t played this early in a long time! Skip the beer, go straight to the whiskey!”

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You can’t have a conversation about classic punk bands without talking about X. In 1977, while the Ramones were exploding on the East Coast, X rose up from the streets of Los Angeles and carved their niche in punk history. On an unseasonably warm night in Washington, DC, they proved to the crowd at the 9:30 Club that age is truly just a number.

Starting out the night were newcomers Not In The Face. The bass-less trio from Austin, TX gave it their all despite most of the crowd not being inside the venue yet. With a sound that started out like Queens of the Stone Age’s distant cousin, then morphed into a bluesy, rockabilly strut, then back to a more modern indie rock sound, it seemed as if rather than having a broad range of styles, they were just a band in search of an identity. Mixing in covers like Link Wray’s “Rumble” and Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Wild One” got the attention of the slowly building crowd, but not all of their originals got as hearty of a response.

After some grand, majestic intro music, The Reverend Horton Heat took the stage. No stranger to the 9:30 Club, The Rev sounded great as he kicked off his set with the classic “Psychobilly Freakout.” The crowd, which had grown substantially at this point, responded in kind. From there, they went into “Lonesome Train Whistle,” and he made note that he was playing one song from every album and would introduce each song with “Album #4!” and “Album #5!” etc.

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Since Mommy’s Little Monster was unleashed upon the world back in 1983, Social Distortion has remained a fixture in the music scene, earning a devout following while straddling the line between punk and rockabilly, mixed into their own unique style. On Wednesday night, they made their return to the 9:30 Club in the nation’s capital, the 2nd night of a two-night stay amidst a tumultuous presidential election.

To start out the night was The Biters. With matching mop-top hairdos, the quartet from Atlanta were an energetic mix of ’70s-era rock and modern garage rock—think Thin Lizzy or the Runaways meets The Hives. (The Joan Jett hairdos only added to that image.) The audience filled up rapidly as their set went on, and they were received warmly by the crowd, minus a few moments of awkward stage banter. (The attempt at a joke about wigs of their hair being for sale at the merch table seemed lost on the crowd and was met with virtual silence.)

The music was energetic, and pretty crowd-pleasing, though. At one point, vocalist/guitarist Tuk praised Social Distortion, saying that Mike Ness was a huge influence on him as a songwriter, and that since it was a Social D show, they couldn’t do one of their songs, instead playing a rocking version of Tom Petty’s “I Need To Know.”

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One growing trend in live music today is the mix of different styles of music on one bill, rather than 3 or 4 bands that are alike. This was definitely the case when Down played the Fillmore Silver Spring on Sunday.

The night opened with Columbus, Ohio’s, Mount Carmel. This trio quickly won over the crowd, belting out heavy blues that brought to mind old Mountain, ZZ Top, or Allman Brothers, yet making it appealing enough for a 2012 audience. The monstrous riffs and soulful vocals of Matthew Reed brought the crowd back to the ’70s for a little while, and everyone seemed happier for it.

Next on the bill was Texas thrashers, Warbeast. Armed with Dimebag Darrell Dean guitars and spiked bracelets, Warbeast is all about pure old-school thrash, and proud of it. The crowd responded in turn, with a mosh pit that grew with every song. As they charged through songs like “Birth of a Psycho” and “Egotistical Bastard,” they were being praised from behind the amps by Down singer Philip Anselmo, who took the stage and joined them for “Scorched Earth Policy.”

After a brief break, DC doom legends Pentagram took the stage. Victor Griffin’s huge trademark guitar tone set the mood, accompanied by thundering rhythm from bassist Greg Turley and drummer Sean Saley, the newest addition to the band following the departure of Tim Tomaselli.

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On a rainy night in the Nation’s Capital, fans converged on the Black Cat to get their fill of sludge and doom metal, courtesy of Sourvein, Weedeater, and headliners Saint Vitus.

To begin the evening, Cape Fear, NC’s Sourvein began with a small crowd which steadily grew as their set went on. They asked the club to turn the stage lights down, setting the mood for their dark, murky set. Full of thick, downtuned guitar tones, the band exerts maximum power with minimal effort. Singer T-Roy Medlin, while unleashing guttural screams and howls, maintains a fairly calm, focused demeanor (in contrast to other singers who appear to be on the verge of an aneurysm).

Ending their set with “Fangs,” from their latest album, Black Fangs, Sourvein’s set was fairly short (6 songs), but it was a good first-course of metal for the evening, and the band seemed as excited for Saint Vitus as the crowd was.

Next up, also from the Carolina coast was Weedeater. After making their way to the stage to the theme song from Sanford and Son, the sludge trio played like they were shot out of a cannon, alternating from high-energy riffs to a slow, heavy chug like a metal locomotive.

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On a scorching day that broke the 100 degree mark, hoards of metal fans descended upon Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA for this year’s annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

As you entered the amphitheater grounds, a midway of vendors were lined up, hawking such wares as t-shirts, hats, body jewelry, Dimebag Darrell skateboard decks, and even cowboy hats made out of beer cases.

Taking a left turn into a huge fenced-off area of the parking lot brought you into the side stage area, with a smaller stage sponsored by Sumerian Records highlighting newer, lesser-known bands, and the bigger Jägermeister-sponsored side stage for the larger acts. Around the perimeter were tents set up for various record labels and other sponsors, and tents for each individual band, with plenty of autograph signings for the fans throughout the day.

Notable standouts of the Sumerian Records side stage were newcomers Upon A Burning Body. Decked out in dress clothes, this aggressive metalcore band made the most of the small stage and attracted a pretty decent sized crowd and subsequent pit. The Jägermeister stage featured bands like Whitechapel and The Devil Wears Prada. As I Lay Dying began their set with a bang, demanding a “wall of death” in the gravel mosh pit to start things off, and delivered a brutal set of old and newer material, much to the crowd’s approval.

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On a dreary Friday, with a forecast full of thunderstorms, KISS and Mötley Crüe kicked off their U.S. summer tour at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA. Rockers old and young, with face paint and costumes, packed the amphitheater for an evening of rock and roll despite the impending harsh weather.

U.K. newcomers The Treatment opened the evening to an enthusiastic, if small, response—much of the crowd was still out in the concourses, mingling and spending small fortunes on band merchandise and refreshments.

Sometime shortly after 8pm, the lights went down, and Mötley Crüe’s intro music, an extended version of Ministry’s “Just One Fix,” blared from the speakers. Finally, Crüe hit the stage, a little behind schedule.

Opening with recent hit “Saints of Los Angeles” and charging through old classics like “Shout at the Devil,” “Wild Side,” and “Looks That Kill,” Mötley Crüe was musically tight-knit and energetic, as were the scantily-clad dancers and backup singers that joined them throughout the set. Bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee were their usual frenetic selves, but the highlight of their set was the guitar work of aging, but renewed, guitarist Mick Mars.

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