Fallen Angel LIVE at Shark City, Glendale Heights, IL – July 6, 2012

FALLEN ANGEL

Shark City – Glendale Heights, Illinois – Friday, July 6, 2012

Fallen Angel is:

Wolfe – Lead Vocals
K – Guitar, Keyboards, Effects, Backing Vocals
Savarra – Bass, Backing Vocals
CJ – Drums, Backing Vocals

Single Set:

1. God Like Me
2. Tear
3. Fade
4. Death
5. Addiction
6. Emily
7. Shattered
8. Let Me Out

It has been written throughout the centuries that a fallen angel “is an angel who has been exiled or banished.  Often such banishment is a punishment for rebelling.”  Fallen Angel, currently performing in and around Chicago as well as throughout the Midwest, accepts such punishment, all in the name of furthering their extremely striking, and awe-inspiring rebellious craft.

So how does one define the original music performed by Fallen Angel?   Do these works fall under the heading of Symphonic Metal?  Maybe Hard Rock?  That’s one of the great things about Fallen Angel: These angels don’t fall for the label game debate.  One can best describe their music as “FallenAngelMusik.” Don’t waste your time trying to figure them out – just enjoy the show!

The Gothic archways and imposing fences adorning the stage create an ambiance of anticipation as each member enters.  Everyone’s individual entrance enhances the marked difference between band members.  Each member has his or her own look, presence, and swagger exhibited in every stride.  These four parts cleverly assemble into the one – Fallen Angel – that all have come to see.

No better fitting, more haunting show commencement can be found than in a performance of the live show staple, God Like Me.  CJ, Fallen Angel‘s skilled percussionist and rhythmic backbone, delivers pumping, thunderous fury in this great song, initiating the concertgoer into Fallen Angel’s unique Rites of Summer.  As a fellow drummer, I am impressed by CJ’s talent that enables her to flow from roaring, primitive beats to fairly complex polyrhythms.

The stirring, Tear (as in she’ll tear your heart to shreds) is complimented by the delightful, strategically placed arpeggios performed by the equally delightful K, Fallen Angel‘s dynamic guitarist, who is literally the hardest working woman in show business (more about that in a moment).

With three quarters of the band being female (all of which who are strong, professional musicians, as well as drop-dead gorgeous), being the lone wolf could prove to be quite intimidating.  Not so for lead vocalist Wolfe, whose abilities as the master of this ceremony can only be topped by his versatility of range and vibrancy as a singer.  No song better highlights his outstanding abilities than Fade.  While looking around at the audience, it was readily apparent that he held them in the palm of his hand.

Death creates a dialog of sound and emotions, beginning with the first lead vocal appearance of stellar bassist and operatic chanteuse, Savarra – Fallen Angel‘s inspirational soul – delicately beginning a sequence in easy, 4/4 time of poignant, heartbreaking reflection.  Then the Wolfe goes on the attack in breaking 12/8 time, grinding out his side of the story with venomous abandon.  Employing unique, instrumental counter-melodic lines, back and forth this fight continues, with the only clear winner being the audience.

This type of song exemplifies the performance radiance that Savarra possesses.  It allows her to express her heart’s hidden vulnerability one minute, then transition into an injured, dejected antagonist the next.  The intriguing aspect is that as tumultuous a ride as this roller-coaster journey becomes, she is able to consistently maintain her rock-steady, overall perspective. Savarra is quite a remarkable performer.

Continuing this battle with vocal-tight additions by CJ in the song, Addiction, we arrive at my favorite highlight of the show, Fallen Angel‘s soon to be hit single, Emily.  This song contains all the melodic hooks needed to snag any listener, including an extremely colorful and interesting vocal blending, performed by all band members.  Emily places the listener in a frame of mind that he or she is actually hearing true fallen angels singing.  Remember this song: Emily.  It’s a song deserving Five Stars!

During the last half of the show – especially pertaining to  Addiction, Emily, and Shattered – guitarist K reveals that in addition to her extremely apt guitar chops, she is an all-around musician with a purpose – in fact, MANY purposes.  Quite often, K is performing guitar, intricate keyboards, cuing effects, AND providing quality support vocals ALL at the same time.  This band’s multi-tasker does not have an easy job, but performs it so fluently that under less experienced eyes, these efforts might go unnoticed.  Well I certainly noticed them!  Bravo!

The thunder and rain of Let Me Out tightens the hold Fallen Angel has maintained over their audience with one final, flexing grasp, and then as mysteriously as they appeared, they disappear…

Fallen Angel places every bit of themselves into their performance in an effort to give their audience a show to remember!  Many bands attempt this level of quality, but few succeed as brilliantly as Fallen Angel.  Seek this band out!  When Fallen Angel casts out their musical nets, you will be ensnared – and if you listen closely, you will hear the music of the gods.

You can find Fallen Angel at:  http://www.FallenAngelMusik.com

Fallen Angel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FallenAngelOfficial

Tim McCarthy – Northwest Indiana Talent

Pearly Gates LIVE at Penny Road Pub, Barrington, IL – June 30, 2012

Pearly Gates

Penny Road Pub -Barrington, Illinois

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Single Set:

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
2. Beast and the Harlot – Avenged Sevenfold
3. California Songs – Local H
4. Nightmare – Avenged Sevenfold
5. Killing in the Name Of – Rage Against the Machine
6. Afterlife – Avenged Sevenfold
7. My Hero – Foo Fighters
8. Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. Funk 49 – James Gang/Joe Walsh
10. Can’t Stop – Red Hot Chili Peppers
11. Breed – Nirvana
12. Unholy Confessions – Avenged Sevenfold
13. Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
14. Buried Alive – Avenged Sevenfold
15. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
16. Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

From time to time, concerns over the future of rock and roll music are openly contemplated, typically during periods of transition – such as now.  The most oft questions are usually, “What will the next generation of rockers bring to the stage?  Will they even KNOW how to rock and roll?”

Place all of your concerns aside as long as there are blossoming young rock bands such as Pearly Gates moving step by step up the ladder of contemporary music.

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Pearly Gates opened their set with the aptly chosen Nirvana cover, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”  Teen spirit indeed – this show rocked from beginning to end.  Under the steady pulse of Tony Marzano’s drumming, Pearly Gates weaved their web of rock and metal through such standard covers by Metallica, Ozzy, Skynyrd, RHCP, and A7X.  Surprises abounded, as Pat McCommons shed his exceptional bassist skins momentarily for a stirring lead vocal on their cover of Rage Against the Machine’s, “Killing in the Name Of.”

As the concert progressed, guitar stars Zack Rapp and Nat Algozino alternated rhythms and licks in a manner similar to guitar teams that have been in the business for ages, executing each new song above the last.  Complimented by the haunting, soul-shaking vocalizations of rising new ingénue, Kate Tomsky, Pearly Gates received a standing ovation at the end of their set from both the audience and the veteran rockers appearing on the same bill later that evening.

What impressed me most was the maturity level and manner of the Pearly Gates performance.  Even as they entered the stage, you could tell that they had the confidence of an expert road band.  They each staked claims to their area of the stage and proceeded to shake the house to it’s foundations.  Quality showmanship, mastery of volume control, consummate professionalism, all sprinkled with the right amount of banter with the audience best describes this wonderful performance displayed by Pearly Gates.

I can assure you that the future of rock and roll is as golden as the stairway to heaven, as long as the music scene continues to produce such bands as Pearly Gates.

You can find Pearly Gates at:  PearlyGatesBand

Tim McCarthy – Northwest Indiana Talent

Flash-Point LIVE at Growlers On Highway, Highland, IN – Saturday, June 16, 2012

Flash-Point

Growlers On Highway – Highland, Indiana  –  Saturday, June 16, 2012

Reference Set: Set 1

1. Green River – Credence Clearwater Revival
2. Hard To Handle – Otis Redding/Black Crowes
3. Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
4. Blood and Roses – The Smithereens
5. Tush – ZZ Top
6. Gimmie Three Steps – Lynyrd Skynyrd
7. The Weight – The Band
8. All Along the Watchtower – Bob Dylan/Jimi Hendrix
9. Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down
10. Cat Scratch Fever – Ted Nugent
11. Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughn
12. Drift Away – Dobie Gray
13. Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple

Flash-Point, a local area Classic Rock/Modern Rock group out of Griffith, Indiana, is a band that can rock with the best of ’em!

Opening their show promptly at 10 PM, Flash-Point got the joint jumping by kicking things off with the CCR classic, “Green River.”  Progressing effortlessly through their set, they had something for everybody: Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Blues, a couple of slower tunes, an almost Rockin’ Rumba version of “Blood and Roses,” all peppered with an occasional barnstormer like “Tush.”  The crowd loved them!

What impressed me most is Flash-Point‘s showmanship.  Fronted by veteran rocker Dave Dodge, the band stayed true to the original spirit and arrangements of the cover tunes they preformed.  No thirty-minute, self-indulgent guitar solos, or other silly goings on: Flash-Point‘s show has a wonderful, overall flow to it.  Ever eager to please, they even preformed a special request of “Kryptonite” for one of Growlers’ beautiful bartenders.

Growlers is a somewhat long, rectangular-shaped club that in less capable hands, could be a volume-fueled, feedback nightmare.  It’s very easy for inexperienced bands to over-play and give distorted concerts in such venues.  Not so with Flash-Point.  Volume conscious and ever vigilant of their overall performance, these rockers from Griffith delivered a show as every bit as disciplined as it was exciting.

Come check out Flash-Point whenever you can.  Whatever club or venue they perform at, Flash-Point promises to deliver one exciting show!

You can find Flash-Point at: www.flashpointmusic.biz

Tim McCarthy – Northwest Indiana Talent