Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA

By Michele Mussatto and Dylan Guess

Power Trip was the first metal concert held at the exquisite Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA, in the Coachella Valley right outside of the beautiful resort town of Palm Springs, CA, also home to the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals.  Now this is the way to experience a music festival; Goldenvoice, keep ‘em coming!  Despite the $600 – $3,000 prices for 3-day tickets and lack of Ozzie Osbourne who bowed out due to health issues, Power Trip drew approximately 80,000 people.   This is way less than the 800,000 that attend the Coachella festival which takes place in the same venue.  This made us feel privileged to be spread out in the spacious and exclusive Empire Polo Club venue.  I don’t think I want to be in this venue with much more than 80,000 people honestly and would happily pay more to keep the crowds smaller. 

The Empire Polo Club is a gorgeous venue that everyone should experience in their lifetime.  The grounds are 78 acres of perfectly groomed synthetic grass laid across smooth desert dirt, eliminating the dust and mud found in many festival environments.  The 105-degree daytime temps of the valley (unusually high for October according to locals) dipped to a perfect low 70’s each night, as the sky turned pink and highlighted the purple desert mountains all around us.  The venue lights were multi-colored, and the lit up “devil-horns” cactus, enclosed spiral staircase, and ferris wheel gave the venue the feeling of being in another world. 

We had general admission tickets so I cannot speak to the VIP sections and amenities, but I was struck by the upper-class appearance and behavior of the attendees.  Of course being near Los Angeles helps, but probably the high cost of the tickets helped as well.  For those people who have an opinion of metal heads as classless reprobates with no manners and bad habits, the general admission audience (and might I add the majority of metal heads in general) was far from that.  People were beautiful, well-mannered, and well-dressed, with many groups of international attendees from countries far away that spent a pretty penny to attend, and who were very appreciative and excited to be there as were we all. 

The LED screens, absolutely needed in general admission because the performers were impossible to see from our vantage, created a show in themselves, taking the best parts of the LED show on the stage, drone shots of the audience, and select shots of the performers that made us happy we were luxuriating on the lawn to our own beautifully edited show instead of sitting on the metal benches in the VIP section.  Even though we couldn’t see the performers in the GA sections, we could still see the stage, which was artfully decorated in LED screens, laser lights, pyrotechnics, and nightly fireworks. 

Unfortunately, the long merch lines put a dent in our experience.  The one thing we definitely wanted to come away with was a t-shirt displaying the very impressive lineup of this once in a lifetime festival which included some bands who we may not be able to see again in our (or more accurately THEIR) lifetimes.  My friend waited in line during half of the Tool performance and into the first 3 songs of the Metallica performance without even TV screens to watch the show, and when he got to the counter all the line-up tees were sold out, and still are on the Power Trip app.  As he waited in line he watched t-shirt selections get removed from their options while the people in the line collectively groaned and cursed. Who still never got a concert line-up tee?  Don’t worry, there are knock-offs finally available on eBay at half the price.  Next time I go I’m buying my knock off tee from the guy in the parking lot for $20!  Even the pre-purchase line for merch was incredibly long.  It’s 2023 Goldenvoice, eliminate the lines and allow us to buy merch online and have it shipped to us.

The alcohol and food choices looked encouraging in the Power Trip app, promising whiskey tastings, vegan food, and coffee stands.  Metal heads are some of the most vegan people you will find, just ask Kirk Hammett, Geezer Butler, Joe Duplantier of Gojira and Rob Zombie, so you would think in California that vegan food, or at least healthy food would be plentiful, but it was not.  We waited for 45 minutes at a stand that listed watermelon and corn on their menu, but when we got to the counter they said they were unwilling to sell either without the milk-based goo they had mixed in with them, so we had to wait another 10 minutes for them to refund our money.  The app showed roughly where food vendors were located, but you had to click on each of the dozens of vendors to see what food they offered, then wander around trying to find the vendor of your choice in the enormous venue.  A location tracker would had been nice, as well as allowing food vendors to load their own menus onto the app. We never could find the Blackened whiskey tasting tent, only to find out it was in the car camping area.  We were finally able to taste Metallica’s Blackened whiskey in a cocktail at another vendor, it’s delicious, try it!  But there simply wasn’t enough time to walk long distances to bathrooms and food, then back to the viewing area, and then wait in long lines for merch and food and drink to be able to meet your physical needs and see entire sets of music as well.  Fortunately security was forgiving, and I was able to bring in large quantities of my own food the next day, which improved our experience.  But for the high price, a better app would had made it more worth the ticket prices.

Another failing of the Power Trip experience was having to stand in line for 2 hours in the will call line at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, CA a half hour away from the venue to get our wristbands.  The staff said ‘well the will call line was open Wednesday and Thursday, too, and no one came those days!’ as if it was our fault we waited until the last minute.  I’m sorry, but even if I lived locally in the LA basin, I would still not be able to take a day off work and drive 6 hours round trip in desert traffic to pick up my wrist bands on a Wed or Thurs.  We drove halfway across the United States and didn’t have the time or the money to spend an extra night in Palm Springs just to avoid the will call line!  And thousands of attendees traveled from halfway across the planet to get to Power Trip, so get with the times promoters, and mail wristbands to attendees ahead of time, like other festivals do.  The worst thing about the will call line was that it caused so many people to miss out on Iron Maiden’s set.  The traffic and parking and security lines at the venue added to the parking and traffic at the will call venue thirty minutes away, which we just had not anticipated when we were making travel plans.  The staff said that they operated Coachella this way too. 

Despite much room for improvement, Power Trip was an outstanding experience, and well worth the money, wait times, traffic, and confusion.  But I can say this only because of how well the bands performed!  Let’s face it, the musicians in the lineup are all aging, and given some of their past performances (or lack thereof), we weren’t sure if they could still deliver.  We were pretty sure Metallica would kill it, which they totally did!  But AC DC, with Brian Johnson’s deafness and throat cancer, who we haven’t seen since before Malcom Young died of dementia 7 years ago?  And Judas Priest, who replaced Ozzy, with Rob Halford who had a limited vocal range and heavy reliance on vocal effects when we saw them a Ozzfest in 2004?  And Iron Maiden, led by Bruce Dickinson whose multi-octave range and operatic vocals must surely be waning by now?  Let me tell you, no one was waning during Power Trip!  What a fantastic lineup, and how wonderful it was to see our favorite bands perform so well.

Friday’s Opening Show – Iron Maiden

Fortunately, Iron Maiden started twenty minutes late, but even despite us running for a half a mile across the venue to make it to the stage, we still missed the first three songs because of the will call congestion and Friday night traffic.  We were lucky though, others missed way more.  Maiden was the main reason I came to Power Trip, so that hurt.  Why were they not the headliner Friday night anyway, instead of Guns N’ Roses? I don’t care how many hard rock fans love GNR, this is a metal festival, and Maiden are metal royalty, and I felt that was a very disrespectful gesture to this great band.  Iron Maiden outperformed Guns vocally and instrumentally, and put on a much more entertaining show. 

Iron Maiden was still a delight to see, for the little that we saw them.  Bruce Dickinson looked and sounded great, his voice still powerful and range still intact and his stage presence had not diminished since I last saw him 15 years ago.  Nicko McBrain on drums and Steve Harris on bass are still a menacing force, as tight as ever.  Guitar dynamos Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers are still deadly accurate.  Bruce battled Eddie with a giant ray gun. Kudos Maiden!  Although I appreciate Maiden’s rich discography and musical breadth, and I was disappointed that they chose to play so many of their deep tracks at the expense of leaving out their epic favorites “Run to the Hills,” “Aces High,” and “2 Minutes to Midnight.”  It didn’t feel like a complete show, with only a 15-song set compared the GNR’s 29-song set.

Iron Maiden Set List:

1. “Caught Somewhere in Time”
2. “Stranger in a Strange Land”
3. “The Writing on the Wall”
4. “Days of Future Past”
5. “The Time Machine”
6. “The Prisoner”
7. “Death of the Celts”
8. “Can I Play With Madness”
9. “Heaven Can Wait”
10. “Alexander the Great”
11. “Fear of the Dark”
12. “Iron Maiden”
13. “Hell on Earth”
14. “The Trooper”
15. “Wasted Years”

Friday’s Headlining Show:  Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses got less than stellar reviews for their performance, but we enjoyed it for awhile.  Slash’s guitar playing was as impressive as always, and Axl Rose’s voice and stage performance were good, and Duff McKagen’s bass work combined with keyboardist Melissa Reese was outstanding.  We were also pleasantly surprised that they played Slash’s “Slither” from his Velvet Revolver days.  Maybe compared to earlier performances they weren’t as good, but it was still a pleasure to see them play.  However admittedly we left about 14 songs into their 29-song set that ended at 1:00 am before things got sleepy with their renditions of “Wichita Lineman” and “Knockin’ of Heaven’s Door.”  Driving 3 hours in the desert, standing in line for 2 hours in the will call line at the Indian Well Tennis Garden a half hour away, waiting in line for 30 minutes to park, and then running to the stage so as not to miss too much of Iron Maiden will test even the most energetic metal enthusiast, and GNR is not metal.  GNR still has a wide range of music, from hard rock to soft rock ballads, and their wide range of music styles may appeal to more people, so maybe it was felt by Goldenvoice that they would sell more tickets with GNR on the line up.  But it was weird to end the night on a mellow vibe vs the intense vibe of Maiden.  It was a clashing of energies.

Guns N’ Roses Set List:

1. “It’s So Easy”

2. “Bad Obsession”

3. “Chinese Democracy”

4. “Slither” (Velvet Revolver cover)

5. “Pretty Tied Up”

6. “Mr. Brownstone”

7. “Welcome to the Jungle”

8. “Hard Skool”

9. “Absurd”

10. “Double Talkin’ Jive”

11. Reckless Life”

12. “You Could Be Mine”

13. “Estranged”

14. “Live and Let Die” (Wings cover)

15. “Down on the Farm” (UK Subs cover)

16. “Rocket Queen”

17. “T.V. Eye” (Stooges cover, Duff McKagan on lead vocals)

18. “Better”

19. “Anything Goes”

20. “Civil War”

21.  Slash guitar solo

22. “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

23. “November Rain”

24. “Wichita Lineman” (Glen Campbell cover)

25. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan cover)

26. “Patience”

27. “Coma”

28. “Nightrain”

29. “Paradise City”

Saturday’s Opening Show – Judas Priest

Judas Priest is back!  Rob Halford’s voice was amazing!  He hit all the high notes, and sounded like he did in the early days, which is surprising as he didn’t sound so good 19 years ago at OzzFest, when he had to hide his voice with electronic vocal effects.  But damn did he deliver for Power Trip!  He was a joy to watch, especially when he drove his Harley onto the stage dressed all in leather.  Metal vocal royalty! 

Outrageously excellent lead guitarist Ritchie Faulkner nailed it for Priest!  Faulkner delivered the second best guitar playing of the weekend behind Angus Young (sorry Kirk Hammett, you were awesome, too).  He and Halford dominated the desert and showed the audience how metal is done.  And as a special treat, founding guitarist Glenn Tipton, who has Parkinsons’ Disease, joined the band for the last 3 songs, and kicked ass!  Priest was an unexpected highlight of the weekend, and a very capable substitute for Ozzy Osbourne. 

Judas Priest is so totally back in fact, that they are releasing a new album on March 8, 2024 called Invincible Shield.  And according to their single out now called “Panic Attack,” it’s gonna be a kick ass, do not miss, classic Priest masterpiece!  Check it out on YouTube!

Priest’s Set List:

1. “The Hellion” / “Electric Eye”

2. “Riding on the Wind”

3. “Heading Out to the Highway”

4. “Lightning Strike”

5. “Diamonds & Rust”

6. “The Sentinel”

7. “A Touch of Evil”

8. “Turbo Lover”

9. “Firepower”

10. “Desert Plains”

11. “Rapid Fire”

12. “The Green Manalishi”

13. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”

14. “Painkiller”

15. “Hell Bent for Leather”

16. “Metal Gods”

17. “Breaking the Law”

18. “Living After Midnight”

Saturday’s Headlining Show:  AC DC

Totally blown away by Priest, and exhausted from moshing in the Breakin’ the Law circle pit, I would had been okay if AC DC just did okay.  But AC DC frickin blew us away!  Brian Johnson can still sing!  He faltered a bit here and there, but overall put on a tremendously energetic performance.  But the infamous guitarist Angus Young doesn’t know what falter means… I think he gave his best performance yet at Power Trip!  He literally hit every note perfectly, and his exuberance jumped off the LED screens and into my soul.  Just wow!!  Thank god, AC DC is back!  This is the first time in 7 years since they have performed, and I think Angus was just so freakin’ excited to be back that he left it all in the desert for us that night. 

AC DC performed all of our favorites, which are dozens given their immense discography of 18 original albums, not including live albums.  They put on an outstanding show, which was made even better by the hundreds of fans lighting up the audience with their illuminated red Angus devil horns on their heads.  Now that Brian Johnson’s voice has been resurrected due to technology that allows him to overcome his hearing issues, we are demanding more shows!  We love you AC DC, and can’t get enough of you.

AC DC’s Set List:

“If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”

“Back in Black”

“Demon Fire”

“Shot Down in Flames”

“Thunderstruck”

“Have a Drink on Me”

“Hells Bells”

“Shot in the Dark”

“Stiff Upper Lip”

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”

“Shoot to Thrill”

“Sin City”

“Givin the Dog a Bone”

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”

“You Shook Me All Night Long”

“Dog Eat Dog”

“High Voltage”

“Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be Play Video”

“Riff Raff”

“Highway to Hell”

“Whole Lotta Rosie”

“Let There Be Rock”

“T.N.T”

“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

Sunday Night Opener:  Tool

Dammit Tool, you never give us close ups of yourselves on the LED screens!  But not being able to see Tool perform allowed us to fully appreciate and concentrate on their hypnotic, percussive metal music, and it was immensely satisfying to sway and chill to.  Tool’s progressive, flowing metal songs are trippy in any circumstance, but their performance was enhanced by their psychedelic LED light show full of creepy aliens which was perfectly suited the beautiful desert setting.  Tool played my all time fave Ænema, which I needed to hear, so I could release my rage at society.  Tool is touring all over the United States, so catch this multiple Grammy award winning band!

Tool’s Set List:

Jambi

The Pot

Fear Inoculum

Rosetta Stoned

Pushit

Forty Six & 2

Pneuma

The Grudge

Invincible

Stinkfist

Swamp Song

Ænema

Sunday Night Headliner:  Metallica

I’ve been loving the ubiquitous Metallica for almost 40 years and have seen them multiple times, so I wasn’t thrilled that they were headlining, expecting that they would play mostly new songs, or worse yet the most popular, overplayed songs from the Black album.  They did play two black album songs, Enter Sandman and Sad But True, which okay, I guess for those who don’t love Metallica like I do were necessary so casual fans didn’t lose interest.  But to my absolute thrill and to their redemption, they both opened and closed with 3 songs each from their first album Kill ‘Em All (affectionately known as “Metal Up Your Ass”), their second album Ride the Lightning, their 3^rd album Master of Puppets, and their 4th album …And Justice for All.  In fact, 50% of their set list was made up of songs from these four masterpiece albums, including Fade to Black.  Fade to Black is my favorite Metallica song and one of my favorite songs of all times, but for dark reasons.  I was happy that James commented about suicide and asked folks to reach out for help when they felt down.  If you have not listened to these four foundational, groundbreaking thrash metal albums and do not understand how instrumental they were to redefining metal music in the 80’s, then you cannot call yourself a Metallica fan.  The new Metallica is amazing too!  Their newest album, 72 Seasons, is full of Metallica masterpieces and very long songs.  Screaming Suicide and Shadows Follow are outstanding musical achievements, as fast as their old stuff and very difficult to play, a testament to their continual growth as musicians and song writers.

James Hetfield, who never wanted to be a singer and doesn’t like the sound of his own voice, sounded magnificent!  His vocals were perfect, he looked amazing, and his showmanship was energetic and entertaining.  Kirk Hammett’s high-speed lead guitar shredding was mind blowing, though he did slip a couple times.  Lars Ulrich’s high-speed animated drumming drove home the performance, and it was great to see that he still had a hard time sitting still and was thoroughly enjoying himself.  And the extraordinary bass skills of super-talented Robert Trujillo were the perfect complement to these three.  The ex Suicidal Tendencies bassist was meant to be in Metallica, and stands up there with Geddy and Geezer and Cliff as one of metal’s best bassists.  Metallica were the perfect end to a perfect weekend watching metal legends playing at their very best in the most beautiful venue I have experienced.

Metallica’s Set List:

“Whiplash”

“Creeping Death”

“For Whom the Bell Tolls”

“Enter Sandman”

“Lux Æterna”

“Too Far Gone?”

“Fade to Black”

“Fuel”

“Orion”

“Nothing Else Matters”

“Sad but True”

“The Day That Never Comes”

“Hardwired”

“Seek & Destroy”

“One”

“Master of Puppets”

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August 31 to September 3, 2023

Pryor, OK

By Michele Mussatto

Over 60,000 music fans inhabited 5,000 campsites for Rocklahoma 2023, August 31 through September 3 in Pryor, Oklahoma, heart of the Cherokee Nation.  This was the 16^th year for this festival, known as America’s Biggest Labor Day Weekend Party.

Headlining this year’s Rocklahoma were Godsmack, Limp Bizkit and Pantera.  Rob Zombie, Corey Taylor, Ministry, GWAR, Filter, Theory of a Deadman and many more top rock, metal and punk acts delivered entertainment from morning until late in the evening on three colossal stages.

Rocklahoma provides impressive infrastructure, management, camping sites and security, making it easy for attendees to pursue “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Rock,” which the motto of the festival promises.  Rocklahoma staff were friendly and helpful, and attendees were happy, courteous, and patient with each other, despite the intense sun and temperatures pushing 100 degrees.  Attending Rocklahoma is an enjoyable experience that every rock lover should experience.

Unrated Magazine was privileged to meet up with Richard Patrick of Filter, SawBorg Destructo of GWAR, Justin Benlolo of BRKN Love, and Lynette Aleman, RJ Huston and Grant Turner of Bat Allison backstage at Rocklahoma this year.

Richard Patrick of Filter

Filter interview YouTube link

Richard Patrick, vocalist, songwriter, producer and founder of Filter, spoke to Unrated about Filter’s new album “The Algorithm,” released August 25, 2023.  “It is absolutely my favorite Filter record right now, for sure,” says Patrick.  “Obliteration is the single at radio now currently.  It is one of the best songs on the record, but I like the whole record a lot.”

Filter is touring with Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, and Ministry on the Freaks on Parade tour.  When asked what it is like touring with these famous acts, Patrick exclaims “It’s awesome!  The level of professionality with crews and the bands is astounding.  The production value is outstanding… it is really just a top-notch show.”

Patrick was the original guitarist for Nine Inch Nails, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, during the height of the pandemic.  “My buddy Trent Reznor was like… I’ve got something for you, it’s Nine Inch Nails, come and join, play guitar,” explains Patrick on how he became a member of Nine Inch Nails.  In 2022, Patrick joined Nine Inch Nails for their official inauguration reunion show in their native Cleveland, Ohio.  “It was absolutely amazing.  Trent’s like ‘you’re singing Eraser’ and we’re going to learn ‘Hey Man Nice Shot!’” Patrick exclaimed. “My song!  And then you’re sing the second verse to ‘Head Like a Hole!’ I was crying!  I’m so grateful to Trent, he’s one of my best friends.  It was an amazing experience.”

Patrick is taking Filter to Europe in March 2024 for their headlining tour.  “We are the headlining show, so we get to play for an hour and a half, two hours,” says Patrick.  “I have eight records, and I love all them records!  And I’m going to play as much from them as I possibly can.”

SawBorg Destructo of GWAR

GWAR interview YouTube link

Matt Maguire, human slave of SawBorg Destructo, co-vocalist and nemesis of GWAR, spoke to Unrated about GWAR’s new 10^th anniversary edition of their album Battle Maximus released September 1, the final album of GWAR founder and lead singer Oderus Urungus, remixed and remastered.  “Battle Maximus, yes!  With Oderus Urungus. And it is a tribute to Flattus Maximus as well.”  Dave Brockie, human slave of Oderus Urungus, was vocalist for GWAR for 28 years and passed away in 2014.  Corey Smoot, human slave of Flattus Maximus, was GWAR’s lead guitarist for 9 years and passed away in 2011. 

SawBorg talked about GWAR’s Age of Imbeciles tour, which opens October 11, 2023.  “It’s gonna be two weeks of total carnage!” exclaims SawBorg. “I always have energy for this.  Killing you humans is so much fun.  I thrive on it.  I have found my calling!”

SawBorg Destructo talked about gaming with Michael Derks, human slave of GWAR’s guitarist BälSäc, the Jaw o’ Death.  “Gwar Games is our Twitch channel,” says SawBorg.  “It’s a show that those two slaves are trying to put out, where they play games, poorly, and instigate things with fans.”

SawBorg Destructo is also the artist of GWAR’s Duoverse of Absurdity comic book.  “Duoverse is GWAR’s latest comic, go check it out, it’s on Z2,” explains SawBorg.  “And they’re talking about putting out something else, so stay tuned for that!”

Justin Benlolo of BRKN Love

BRKN Love interview YouTube link

Justin Benlolo, lead singer, lead guitarist and founder of BRKN Love, spoke to Unrated about their new album currently in production, which will be their third. “It’s a little funkier, sexier, groovier than before, it’s more ambitious than our previous releases,” explains Benlolo.  “I’m really excited about it, I think it’s amazing.  This time around I felt a little more free.  We’ve established a sound already, so I just let loose and had fun and did things musically that I really love.” 

Benlolo produced BRKN Love’s first album in Brooklyn, and their latest album in Los Angeles, so Unrated asked which coast he likes best.  “My heart is in Toronto, that’s home, that’s where my family’s at, that’s where my friends are, that’s where I grew up,” says Benlolo. “But I admit I have little bit of LA fever.”

BRKN Love started their Canadian tour on September 9, 2023.  “It should be great!” says Benlolo.  “We’ve generally had more success in Canada.  But the U.S. is slowly following suit.”

Lynette Aleman, RJ Huston & Grant Turner of Bat Allison

Bat Allison interview YouTube link

Unrated met with Bat Allison, punk band from San Antonio, Texas, about their first full length album released this July called “Battle Scars.”  “Wake up is our single out now, it is the theme song from our TV show called JR Knows It All!” says Lynette Aleman, lead singer and founder of Bat Allison.  Aleman also stars in the online TV series. 

“Battle Scars” is up for consideration at the 66th Grammy Awards for “Best Alternative Album”,  “Best Rock Album”, and “Best Song For Social Change” for the song “Love Hate”.  Their video for Love Hate recently won an award for Best Social Justice Music Video.  Bat Allison is currently in the studio working on their second album. 

Bat Allison enjoyed their first time performing at Rocklahoma.  “This Rocklahoma is one of the best music festivals.  It’s rock, it’s metal, it’s amazing.  The staff and the bands are amazing people.  The campgrounds are like no other,” says Aleman.  “And the fans are engaged and they are great.  Rockla-fucking-homa!”  

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By Michele Mussatto 3/6/2023

Rocklahoma, “America’s biggest Labor Day Party,” announced its lineup for 2023 on March 6.  Godsmack, Pantera, Rob Zombie, and Limp Bizkit will headline the festival this year, plus many other old favorites.  Passes go on sale to the public Friday, March 10.

It is the 17^th year for this 3-day outdoor camping rock festival which takes place in the prairie of Prior, Oklahoma near Tulsa.  Godsmack, Rob Zombie, and Limp Bizkit are Rocklahoma veterans, but this will be the first time Texas powerhouse thrash metal band Pantera plays Rocklahoma. 

The daily lineup is not yet set for the 3-day festival, which takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday over Labor Day week, September 1-3, 2023.  Those purchasing passes are also invited to Rocklahoma Pre-Party at the Roadhouse stage on Thursday, August 31. 

Although Rocklahoma veterans Slipknot will not be headlining this year, Corey Taylor will bring his new band and promote his new album CMF2, which follows his previous albums CMFT (Corey M***er F***ing Taylor) and CMFB Sides.  “Couldn’t be more stoked to include Rocklahoma in our first major leg for CMF2!” exclaims Taylor. “We’ll be playing brand new tunes, plus CMFT, Slipknot, Stone Sour, everything under the sun!”

Godsmack will be promoting their new album Lighting Up the Sky which was released on February 24, 2023.  Their first album since 2018, Lighting Up the Sky contains the debut single “Surrender,” which soared to No. 1 on active rock radio back in November 2022.

Other bands in the music lineup for Rocklahoma include Bush, Chevelle, Daughtry, Theory of a Deadman, Ministry, Asking Alexandria, Code Orange, GWAR, P.O.D., Mammoth WVH, Atreyu, Jinjer, Skid Row, Buckcherry, Warrant, L.A. Guns, Kix, Filter, Fuel, Ayron Jones, Black Stone Cherry, Mothica, From Ashes To New, New Years Day, Crobot, Fame On Fire, BulletBoys, Dayseeker, Plush, Dead Poet Society, Brkn Love, Steven Adler, Dead West, Shot Of Poison, Small Town Sindrome, 90LB Wrench, Jessikill, Snake Bite Whisky, Daymes Rocket, Bat Alliance, Stonebreed, Siin and Nova Rex.  Information on camping and the festival can be found at https://rocklahoma.com/.

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Interview conducted on September 26, 2006

by Michele Mussatto

Five-man metallic rock band Atreyu opened for Ozzy and Black Label Society at Ozzfest 2006 in Chicago on July 16. Atreyu just released their album “A Death Grip on Yesterday” and are planning a headlining tour this fall. UnRated met up with Lead Singer Alex Varkatzis after their performance.

Michele Mussatto: How many Ozzfests is this for you?

Alex Varkatzis: It’s our second one.

Michele: How does it feel to tour with the Prince of Darkness?

Alex: It’s awesome. It’s surreal, especially just from being a fan you know, and now getting to tour with them. Or just hearing stories like about Sharon Osbourne and stuff and how she runs things, and then her laying down those kinds of laws on us, it’s crazy! We’re like part of the story now, you know.

Michele: How do you guys deal with the heat?

Alex: Oh, we don’t! We just try to stay on the bus, we drink lots of water, wear lots of sun block, wear very little clothing!

Michele: What does Atreyu mean?

Alex: It’s a character from the Never Ending Story. Our buddy Scott actually, he’s like our PA dude, he came up with the name for us back in ’99.

Michele: How would you describe your music?

Alex: It’s kind of like metallic rock, you know – it’s got metal aspects, it’s got a lot of rock aspects, it’s also got a little bit of hardcore in there. We’re kind of a hybrid band, you know, a little bit of everything. We can’t really just settle on one sound so we just put it all together and make the most of everything.

Michele: Where are you guys from?

Alex: Orange County, California

Michele: I imagine the metal scene’s a little different out there.

Alex: Back in ’99 it was a lot different, you could kind of see the differences between east coast bands and west coast bands, but nowadays it’s really become just one giant scene like everywhere you go everybody kind of looks the same, and everyone’s into kind of the same stuff.

Michele: What are your plans for the future?

Alex: We’re starting to work, probably at the beginning of next year, with a new record label. We’ve got another headlining tour to do at the end of this year in the fall, and then probably after that we’ll get started on a new record.

Michele: Are you looking to record the same type of music you have in the past?

Alex: For the most part. We always try to reinvent ourselves, but at the same time, we want to keep that Atreyu sound. We just try to always top ourselves and make sure we’re on top of our game, and that what we’re putting out is the best thing we can do for that period of time with what we’ve got going on.

Michele: Do you guys follow different tangents when creating, or do you pretty much head in the same direction?

Alex: A little bit of both. Everybody’s totally into different kinds of music. Not a single one of us likes the same bands, it’s really weird. But we can all agree when it comes to our music. Everyone gets their say and gets to put something in there that’s their flavor. It makes us unique – it makes us us.

Michele: Who does most of the writing?

Alex: Our drummer Brandon (Saller) and I. We usually write most of the music and then our other guitar player Travis (Miguel) will throw a little something in there. And sometimes our bass player Marc (McKnight) will throw a little something in there. And usually after that Alex comes in and puts the lyrics and vocals on there.

Michele: Are there any ego problems?

Alex: Not really actually, I mean, we’re all pretty grounded dudes. It’s so surreal, it’s really hard to take in any of this stuff. It would be one thing if we just got really big overnight, but we’ve been doing this for so long, and it’s been such a gradual climb, that we’ve been able to ease into everything. So we’re pretty normal dudes still.

Michele: What advice do you have for aspiring young metal bands?

Alex: Listen to the classics. That’s when it was the best, that’s when it was done right. Everybody else nowadays is just trying to copy that. If you want to get into metal get into that, then work your way into the new stuff.

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Instagram |

AtreyuFive-man metallic rock band Atreyu opened for Ozzy and Black Label Society at Ozzfest 2006 in Chicago on July 16. Atreyu just released their album “A Death Grip on Yesterday” and are planning a headlining tour this fall. UnRated met up with Lead Singer Alex Varkatzis after their performance.

Michele Mussatto: How many Ozzfests is this for you?

Alex Varkatzis: It’s our second one.

Michele: How does it feel to tour with the Prince of Darkness?

Alex: It’s awesome. It’s surreal, especially just from being a fan you know, and now getting to tour with them. Or just hearing stories like about Sharon Osbourne and stuff and how she runs things, and then her laying down those kinds of laws on us, it’s crazy! We’re like part of the story now, you know.

Michele: How do you guys deal with the heat?

Alex: Oh, we don’t! We just try to stay on the bus, we drink lots of water, wear lots of sunblock, wear very little clothing!

Michele: What does Atreyu mean?

Alex: It’s a character from the Never Ending Story. Our buddy Scott actually, he’s like our PA dude, he came up with the name for us back in ’99.

Michele: How would you describe your music?

Alex: It’s kind of like metallic rock, you know – it’s got metal aspects, it’s got a lot of rock aspects, it’s also got a little bit of hardcore in there. We’re kind of a hybrid band, you know, a little bit of everything. We can’t really just settle on one sound so we just put it all together and make the most of everything.

Michele: Where are you guys from?

Alex: Orange County, California

Michele: I imagine the metal scene’s a little different out there.

Alex: Back in ’99 it was a lot different, you could kind of see the differences between east coast bands and west coast bands, but nowadays it’s really become just one giant scene like everywhere you go everybody kind of looks the same, and everyone’s into kind of the same stuff.

Michele: What are your plans for the future?

Alex: We’re starting to work, probably at the beginning of next year, with a new record label. We’ve got another headlining tour to do at the end of this year in the fall, and then probably after that, we’ll get started on a new record.

Michele: Are you looking to record the same type of music you have in the past?

Alex: For the most part. We always try to reinvent ourselves, but at the same time, we want to keep that Atreyu sound. We just try to always top ourselves and make sure we’re on top of our game, and that what we’re putting out is the best thing we can do for that period of time with what we’ve got going on.

Michele: Do you guys follow different tangents when creating, or do you pretty much head in the same direction?

Alex: A little bit of both. Everybody’s totally into different kinds of music. Not a single one of us likes the same bands, it’s really weird. But we can all agree when it comes to our music. Everyone gets their say and gets to put something in there that’s their flavor. It makes us unique – it makes us.

Michele: Who does most of the writing?

Alex: Our drummer Brandon (Saller) and I. We usually write most of the music and then our other guitar player Travis (Miguel) will throw a little something in there. And sometimes our bass player Marc (McKnight) will throw a little something in there. And usually, after that Alex comes in and puts the lyrics and vocals on there.

Michele: Are there any ego problems?

Alex: Not really actually, I mean, we’re all pretty grounded dudes. It’s so surreal, it’s really hard to take in any of this stuff. It would be one thing if we just got really big overnight, but we’ve been doing this for so long, and it’s been such a gradual climb, that we’ve been able to ease into everything. So we’re pretty normal dudes still.

Michele: What advice do you have for aspiring young metal bands?

Alex: Listen to the classics. That’s when it was the best, that’s when it was done right. Everybody else nowadays is just trying to copy that. If you want to get into metal get into that, then work your way into the new stuff.

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By Michele Mussatto

January 5, 2020

As a self-proclaimed “opera singer, assigned to a rap label, trying to start a pop division,” Kansas City singer/songwriter Mackenzie Nicole has a lot going on. At the impressive age of 20, she has just announced the upcoming release of her second album “Mystic,” a unique and creative expression of her personal struggles experienced during the overwhelming success of her first album “The Edge.”

Mystic is set to be released on Valentine’s Day 2020 by Strange Main, the pop division of Kansas City-based record label Strange Music. The Valentine’s Day release date is ironic as the album addresses transcending the turbulence of romantic love to find peace in internal self-acceptance. 

“This album is autobiographical and documents a crucial period of my life,” explains Mackenzie. “When the time came to begin creating the album, and I knew I needed to chronicle my odyssey of mental health and wellness. Thus, Mystic was born.”

With the help of Strange Music producer Michael “Seven” Summers (Tech N9ne, Mac Lethal, Krizz Kaliko), Mackenzie has crafted a fresh musical experience with Mystic that is evocative and unique. “The writing, the production, the meaning of the album, is nothing like the first album,” affirms Summers. “It’s a great evolution.” 

“I am trying to bring substance and edge back into pop music,” said Mackenzie after the release of her first album aptly titled “The Edge.” She has accomplished this task even more successfully with Mystic, the premiere work of her full artistic freedom and creative control as a lyricist and vocal performer. Slow melodies, distorted guitar tracks, and ethereal vocals effectively support the thought-provoking lyrics addressing the relatable struggles of self-doubt and inner pain. Laid over deep basslines and peppered with vocal contributions from male hip-hop artists, Mystic has a chill, urban feel. 

Mystic is “a concept album in 3 chapters,” explains Mackenzie. “1. Rabbit hole – dark chapter, 2. Pergatory – transitional chapter, 3. Oxygen – light chapter, the 3 stages of mental health and recovery. It is a story of what I have been going through for the last year. It is the proudest I have ever been in my entire life. It is an amazing album.”

The melancholy song “Five Months, Four Days” gives us a glimpse of the dark chapter of Mackenzie’s journey. Using a slow hip hop beat and back-up vocals, the lyrics address the high expectations of new love fading back into disappointing reality, and the struggle to convince yourself to give up the dream and move on for your good. 

The sleepy song “The House Above the World” gives us a view into the transitional chapter of Mackenzie’s mental health journey. Using a slow distorted guitar track, ethereal vocals and a bit of an deep bass, it illustrates rising above the turbulence of your troubled thoughts to a level of consciousness where you can feel safe in your own inner self and guiding spirits.

The positive song “Goodbye” shows us the light chapter of Mackenzie’s journey back to recovery. The upbeat vocal harmonies and catchy drum track illuminate the message of leaving self-harming ways behind to choose a healthier self-loving path.”

Mackenzie first hinted at her mental health struggles through her standalone single Complications released in 2019. This light pop song features the lyrics “I love complications, I love boys who never love me back, I love complications, I don’t know why I am such a masochist.” Mackenzie explains these lyrics by saying “I make the worst decisions possible, then punish myself constantly. Given the choice between wrong and right, I’ll always choose wrong in the most self-sabotaging way.” 

Mackenzie eventually suffered a mental breakdown and fell into thoughts of suicide, but she was able to return stronger than before through a combination of therapy and self-actualization. “In therapy, I learned how to break my own bad habits and ultimately save myself,” expresses Mackenzie. “That is the tale of Mystic and what the album means to me. I wanted to make this music because it’s a story I needed to tell.”

Mackenzie plans to use her platform to help break the stigma of mental illness and open the discussion of recovery. She will be telling her story as a featured Ted talk speaker at the TEDx University of Nevada 2020 conference on February 29, 2020, in Reno, NV. And her new album Mystic will be accompanied by a visual video series that kicks off in January leading up to a short film release written by Mackenzie.

“I’m not the only person who’s been through this,” emphasizes Mackenzie. “I hope people walk away with a greater understanding of themselves and others. If I’d had a piece of art like [Mystic] to connect with, maybe it would’ve opened my eyes sooner, and I might’ve gotten help sooner. Maybe I can help others avoid making some of the mistakes I did.”

Mystic’s cover art has a story to tell as well. Interestingly, it consists of Illuminati imagery; Mackenzie is featured with an eye pendant around her neck which is centered in a triangle shape created by the curtain behind her, creating the all-seeing eye in a pyramid symbol. A pentagram is affixed to the crystal ball directly in front of her, and next to it rest a snake, a skull and an owl feather. This imagery likely reflects the self-hatred that she was struggling to overcome, and the dangerous path she almost took through occult mysticism.

“Everything malfunctioned,” explains Mackenzie, as she recalls her downward spiral. Hoping to clear her head, she drove around her native Kansas City but found herself lost. The road serendipitously brought her to a street with an old psychic shack. Mackenzie parked and decided to go in, but the door happened to be locked. Mackenzie ponders, “after I realized the door wouldn’t open, I thought to myself, ‘What would’ve happened to me if I got to go in?”

Mystic is now available for preorder at http://smarturl.it/MYSTICpreorder.

Tickets to see MacKenzie speak at the TEDx University of Nevada 2020 conference can be purchased at https://tedxuniversityofnevada.org/events/tedxuniversityofnevada-2020/.

Experience a preview of Mackenzie’s video to “The House Above the World” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9EQd1ASp68&list=PLtDyOTknGL_vag3IRUx1J7mBvRKlkUCQs.

Watch Unrated Magazine’s in depth interview with Mackenzie at https://www.unratedmag.com/unrated-magazine-talks-to-kc-pop-star-mackenzie-nicole-at-strange-music-inc/.

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98.9 The Rock’s Rockfest 2018, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City,KS, USA, June 2, 2018

by Michele Mussatto

Sixteen heavy metal and hard rock bands entertained approximately 30,000 headbangers on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at Rockfest 2018, the 12-hour outdoor festival sponsored by Kansas City’s hard rock radio station 98.9 The Rock. Five Finger Death Punch headlined the festival.

This was the 26th Rockfest ever, but only the second time to be held at the Kansas Speedway. The weather was much better than last year at the Speedway, which saw 90-plus degree scorching heat in the unshaded venue. This year the temps barely reached 80, and despite a little mud here and there, the concert conditions were perfect.

In staying with the Rockfest traditions, Reverend and 98.9 DJ “Moose” married several couples, revelers zipped across the zip line all day, bands signed t-shirts

The Rock girls threw t-shirts (credit: Michele Mussatto)

and flesh at the autograph booth, The Rock girls threw t-shirts into the audience, and fireworks lit up the sky. Mosh pits and body surfing were a constant, and concertgoers got their “freak” on by dressing up and painting themselves in a variety of colorful ways. The crowd, while always kind and courteous, was a little more animated this year due to the cooler weather. And those of us lucky enough to afford the shaded VIP section found the area much emptier, also due to the great weather, and were able to enjoy a mellow, lounge-like view of the concert on two enormous 4K television sets from couches.

Along with Five Finger Death Punch, the following bands lit up the two stages throughout the course of the day: Ghost, Underoath, Of Mice and Men, Stone Temple Pilots, Butcher Babies, Vince Neil, Bad Wolves, Sevendust, Miss May I, I Prevail, Powerman 5000, Red Sun Rising, Shaman’s Harvest, 10 Years, and Hyborian. The main stage was sponsored by the KC Labor Union and the second stage by Worth Harley Davidson.

Five Finger Death Punch (credit: Michele Mussatto)

Las Vegas’s Five Finger Death Punch has performed at Rockfest four times now, but this was the first time they headlined the festival. Coming off the success of their 6th number one album Justice for None, and off the success of their battles with drug and alcohol addiction and a legal battle with their record label, FFDP put on one hell of a show, which happily included favorites from each of their albums. Lead singer Ivan Moody, back with the band after a short hiatus to bury his alcohol addiction demon, looked and acted in the best of health, and sounded great. Bass player Chris Kael looked and performed great as well, obviously enjoying his recent victory over alcohol and drugs.

“How many of you are sober here tonight?” asked Moody, after taking a long drink out of his trademark gasoline container and toasting the audience. A surprising number of hands were raised and shouts given, especially for being the end of such a long festival. “Well I’m having a great time, and I am ABSOLUTELY sober!” exclaimed Moody. “I usually give this [baseball bat] to someone in a wheelchair, but tonight I am going to give it to someone recently sober,” Moody stated. He is known for giving away the baseball bat he has been swinging around on stage. “Who is recently sober?” he asks, to which he adds “how long” to each response. He finally found someone only 14 days sober to hand it to.

Tampa’s Underøath preceded FFDP as the headliner on the second stage. Not a stranger to Rockfest either, this is their first time headlining one of the stages, and they put on a fantastic show. Known for their high energy, percussion-heavy performances, Uø delivered nicely, with a seizure-causing laser light show that almost took your attention away frontman Spencer Chamberlain’s frenetic performance and shocking blond locks. Underøath returns to perform in Kansas City on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at the Arvest Bank Midland Theatre.

Sweden’s Ghost preceded FFDP on the main stage, giving a stoic performance as the sun went down, adding an extra air of creepiness as the pink light of dusk

Ghost (credit: Michele Mussatto)

made their masks and set even more ominous. The performance of Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls was as impeccable as their dress and as tight as their reputation for mystery – I am wondering if that is why there is no interview of them by 98.9’s Ryan Westward and Jason Nivens posted on the Rockfest 2018 interviews website. Good for them for keeping their mystique.

Ghost returns to Kansas City to perform at the Arvest Bank Midland Theatre on Saturday, October 27, which in keeping with their mystique, is mysteriously not listed in the tour dates on their website. Being billed as “The Rock’s Freakers Ball,” this two and a half hour pre-Halloween theatrical performance will take place on the most elaborate stage set-up ever seen at the beautiful Midland Theatre. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Ghost member, and those with the five best Ghost costumes get to go backstage to meet the band. Underøath will be performing as well, as will Machinehead and Clutch from Sevendust.

The OC’s Of Mice and Men preceded Ghost on the second stage. No glamour, no light show, just a clean, honest, energetic performance of their melodic metalcore. OM&M’s lead singer and bassist Aaron Pauley is great, but I really enjoyed watching drummer Valentino Arteaga; he has a lot of fun energy that really draws you in to enjoy the show.

San Diego’s Stone Temple Pilots preceded OM&M on the main stage. Jeff Gutt led the band, who replaced Scott Weiland and Chester Bennington as vocalist late last year, both who are now passed. I thought Gutt did an amazing job; in fact, I was pleasantly surprised by him and the original STP band members both; they all put on a great show, playing all the band’s classics. I would be thrilled to see them again any time.

Butcher Babies (credit: Michele Mussatto)

LA’s Butcher Babies lit up the second stage before STP, led by the dynamic singing duo of Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey. Yes, these gals are hot – physically, vocally, and performance-wise, and took over the festival with as much passion and showmanship as any act that day. Supported by guitarist Henry Flury, bassist Jason Klein, and drummer Chase Brickenden, BB’s put on a very entertaining show, delivering some very tasty thrash metal, which was almost lost on the disarming performance of the two gorgeous front women, especially when Shepherd handed her beautiful body over to her fans body-surfed the audience.

Rockfest 2018 | FreakersBall 2018 |

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Butcher Babies

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Five Finger Death Punch

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Ghost

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Of Mice and Men

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Underøath

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By Michele Mussatto

Michele Mussatto of UnRated Magazine met up with Kansas City rising pop sensation Mackenzie Nicole at her Strange Music recording studios in Kansas City, home of Tech N9ne and other hip hop greats, to promote her new album The Edge, and talk about being a music business mogul at the age of 18. https://www.strangemusicinc.com/artis…

https://www.strangemusicinc.net/

https://www.unratedmag.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/unratedm…

https://www.michelemussatto.com/

Video shot at Strange Music Inc. by Strange Music and Michele Mussatto. Video produced by Michele Mussatto.

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO, USA September 12, 2017

By Michele Mussatto

U2 brought their Joshua Tree Tour 2017 to the World’s Loudest Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, MO, on Tuesday, September 12. It was the 38th stop in their 52-show tour covering Europe, Central America, South America and the United States.

The tour is named after their 1987 album Joshua Tree, one of the best-selling albums in the world, selling over 25 million copies. They played all 11 songs of the album in order, along with songs from their previous and later albums before and after the Joshua Tree set, for a total of 21 songs. This was the first time U2 ever played The Joshua Tree live in its entirety front to back, and some songs, like “Red Hill Mining Town,” had never been performed live before this tour.

Shout-Outs to Kansas Citians and the Royals

It was a beautiful night for an open air concert in Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, which set a Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium, with 137.5 decibels registering during a Chiefs vs. Raiders game in October 2013. The stadium was at nearly full capacity for the Joshua Tree concert and the acoustics were magnificent, and every seat had a tremendous view of U2’s approximately 70 yard wide by 15 yard tall LED screen and state of the art motion graphics show. The Royals were playing the White Sox during the concert a few yards away in Kauffman Stadium, so Bono acknowledged them during the song “Beautiful Day” by changing the lyrics to “see the world in white and blue, KC Royals right in front of you.” And at one point in the show Bono asked “is there such a thing as Kansasians?” to which he added “well, you’re all Kickassians!”

Bono delivered his soulful vocals in top form, and The Edge played his special effects laden guitar licks with his usual perfection, as well as playing the piano. Bass player Adam Clayton and Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. were as tight as ever, and acted as youthful as ever as well. It was a thrill to see these legendary four performing their classics in front of the gigantic LED screen, with streaming footage of their performance integrated live into the light show with other moving imagery. The LED screen is the largest ever to be used by a band on tour according to U2 representatives, and it was curved in the center, with an extension jutting above it in the shape of the top of a Joshua tree. The stage extended far into the audience forming the shadow of the Joshua tree, making the music icons even more visible as they performed.

Joshua Tree Tour Perfect Timing in Wake of Trump Administration

The Joshua Tree Tour honors the 30th anniversary of U2’s Joshua Tree album, and the honor is timely. As Bono said, “it has taken many years for these messages to ring true,” in regard to the lyrics of the songs, which show U2’s love and appreciation for America, but also point out the disillusionment of Americans, evident now more than ever because of the Trump administration’s attack on their basic human rights. “We have to stay awake to dream, even in God’s Country,” Bono warned the audience.

Leading up to the Joshua Tree album sessions, Bono had been reading the works of American writers such as Norman Mailer, Flannery O’Connor, and Raymond Carver in order understand “those on the fringes of the promised land, cut off from the American dream.” Americans are feeling like part of this fringe now more than ever at this time in America’s history. This sentiment, as well as Bono’s love of American literature, was evident in the literary works that scrolled over the LED screen before the band took the stage. They included Carl Sandburg’s “The Prairie,” Walt Whitman’s “I Hear American Singing,” “Leaves of Grass,” and “This is What You Shall Do,” William Matthew’s “Why We Are Truly a Nation,” and Langston Hughes’s “Let America Be America Again.” They served as a reminder of why American is truly great, a much more patriotic sentiment than any flag or any Make America Great Again hat.

Show Begins Intimately then Comes to Life with “Pride”

The first four songs were played with no LED screen or light show of any kind, just the band playing in an intimate spotlight as the sun went down and the sky slowly darkened. They opened with Sunday Bloody Sunday which contains the lyrics “I can’t believe the news today,” so appropriate for Trump’s new America. They then played New Year’s Day, which contains the lyrics “a crowd has gathered in black and white, arms entwined, the chosen few, the newspapers says, say it’s true it’s true…and we can break through, though torn in two, we can be one,” words which sound like they were written in 2017 not 1987, as they so aptly describe the protests in the street of the lovers versus the haters in our current divided America.

U2 then played Bad, a song about letting go, which Bono prefaced by saying “let us all let go of the past and embrace the new. We have a prayer… that we might have one of those nights that none of us forget. An epic night of rock and roll.” After Bad, with the LED screen still off and the skies completely dark, Bono said “Willie, turn off these lights. Let’s see the lights come on in the heart of America. Let’s see the stars!” at which point the spotlights were turned off and hundreds of cell phone flashlights dotted the arena like the lighters of the days of old. At that point, the LED screen finally came to life with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech, as the song Pride began. Anyone who did not have chills at this point was not alive. People stood up and raised their hands during the refrain, and started singing out loud “in the name of love!”

Joshua Tree Celebrates Greatness of Americans, Points Shameful Finger at President Trump

After Pride, U2 played their full Joshua Tree album 11-song set in its entirety, beginning with Where the Streets Have No Name. The LED screen showed moving footage that made you feel like you were in a vehicle traversing a desert road passing occasional people walking along it, looking like refugees making their way a welcoming land. Next came I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, where Bono stopped singing and let the audience sing the entire first refrain and chorus for him. “I believe in the kingdom come, where all the colors bleed into one,” go the lyrics, mirroring the ideal of America as a melting pot, where people all races and ethnicities live together as one integrated group of Americans. With or Without You came next, then Bullet the Blue Sky, where images of Americans of all races, ages, genders and ethnicities where shown standing in front of an American flag and donning U.S. Army helmets, a poignant reminder of the United States’ massive military budget that Americans are forced to pay for with their tax money without having any say in the matter.

Next in the Joshua Tree song list was Running to Stand Still, the ballad about addiction, where Bono played his harmonica and The Edge played piano. Then followed Red Hill Mining Town, where the band was backed by a video of a Salvation Army band whose music that was incorporated into the music of the band member’s instruments. It was a tear-jerking reminder how rural towns in America are dying as jobs move to corporate centers in big cities.

“Flipping over to side two of the Joshua Tree cassette,” announced Bono, before playing In God’s Country. “It’s taken us 30 years to really understand some of these songs—but this one was always clear,” he added, referring to the lyrics about dreamers coming to America to find liberty and opportunity. “The Irish have been coming to America to find safety and sanctuary for years,” said Bono. “We were the original Dreamers,” he said proudly, in obvious support of the DACA Dreamers, the 800,000 non-citizen US military veterans and children of immigrants who were granted renewable visas to live and work in America without fear of deportation through the 2012 DACA program, a program that Trump is now trying to eliminate. Trip Through Your Wires came next, then One Tree Hill which Bono said was “in honor of all those we knew who have died too young,” which was written as a tribute to Greg Carroll, a roadie and close friend of Bono’s who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1986.

Exit was played next, and was prefaced by a clip poking fun at a villain named “Trump” who was trying to build a wall to “protect” us all from the “bad” guys. The lyrics of Exit were inspired by Norman Mailer’s 1980 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Executioner’s Song, written about serial killer Gary Gilmore, and by Truman Capote’s 1966 novel In Cold Blood. Bassist Adam Clayton has said that the song’s lyrics “he saw the hands that build could also pull down” were a jab at the U.S. government’s conflicting roles in international relations, hence the video poking fun at Trump’s wall. Don McLeese of the Chicago Sun-Times has written that Exit suggests “the evil that can result from moral self-righteousness,” and music journalist Bill Graham wrote “for the first time, [Bono] was owning up to the dangers of the dualism implicit in Christianity.” Exit provides a shivering reminder of Trump’s use of Christian right extremist sentiment to push his agenda of hatred toward anyone not white, straight and Christian.

Mothers of the Disappeared was finally played, the last song on the Joshua Tree album, which lyrics imply criticism of the Reagan Administration which provided support for South American military regimes, and which honors the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, a group of women whose children had forcibly disappeared at the hands of the Argentine and Chilean dictatorships during that time. The four U2 legends thanked everyone for welcoming them to America and walked off stage, allowing the audience to whistle, yell and cheer in anticipation of their six-song encore.

Encore Songs Energize and Uplift

The first song of the encore was Beautiful Day, which in 2001 won three Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The audience and stadium were lit up with multicolored spotlights, adding to the beauty and uplifting feel of the song. Next played was Elevation, to which the audience raised their hands up, danced, and rotated their hips. You’re the Best Thing About Me was played next, a single from their forthcoming new album “Songs of Experience” which is slated to be released sometime in 2017. You’re the Best Thing About Me first emerged in August 2016 as a collaboration between U2 and Norwegian DJ Kygo during the Cloud 9 Festival. U2’s international hit Vertigo was played next, to a background of black and red spiraling and pulsating graphics.

Women Honored for Activism in “Herstory” Tribute

The second to the last song of the night was Ultraviolet (Light My Way), which Bono dedicated to all of the women in the world. “To the women who have sat down or stood up for their rights, to the women who have resisted, and insisted, and persisted, you light our way!” exclaimed Bono. The LED screen was then turned into a giant motion graphic presentation featuring pioneering women and women’s movements. The presentation began with the word “Herstory” in all caps, and went on to feature women, organizations and movements that have made strides in the political, musical, spiritual, scientific and civil rights movements of the world. The women, who come from a wide range of periods of history and backgrounds, included civil rights activist Heather Heyer, who was murdered at the Charlottesville Nazi demonstration when a white supremacist ran her over in his car. Also included were groups such as the Sari Squad, south Asian women who peacefully defended multicultural gatherings in London during the 1980’s from attacks from racists, and musical artists such as Pussy Riot, the Russian female punk band who were imprisoned for several years for staging performances supporting LBGT and women’s rights and opposing Vladimir Putin. The presentation was created by Russian historian Alice Wroe and Brazilian artist and motion graphics designer Susana Yamamoto.

Hurricane and Fire Survivors and Volunteers Honored

The last song of the night was One, which Bono dedicated to the survivors of Hurricane Harvey which hit Texas on August 25th, and of Hurricane Irma which hit Florida on September 10th, and to the first responders and to all the Americans who have donated time, money and supplies to victims. Bono said of Americans, “you can land someone on the moon or pull them from floodwater. There’s nothing this country can’t do!” During the song, the LED screen displayed the Texas flag, which morphed into the Florida flag, which morphed into the American Red Cross flag, which then gave a number to text in order to donate $10 toward relief efforts. Bono praised Americans by saying “there is so much division shown in the United States, but the people coming together to overcome the floods and the fires shows the real America.”

This article is dedicated to Anne Rippotoe Scharf, a great American woman from Prairie Village, Kansas, whose generous donation of tickets made this concert review possible.

U2 Song Lists

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983 “War” album)

2. New Year’s Day (1983 “War” album)

3. Bad (1984 “The Unforgettable Fire” album)

4. Pride (In the Name of Love) (1984 “The Unforgettable Fire” album)

Entire 1987 “Joshua Tree” Album:

5. Where the Streets Have No Name (1)

6. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (2)

7. With or Without You (3)

8. Bullet the Blue Sky (4)

9. Running to Stand Still (5)

10. Red Hill Mining Town (6)

11. In God’s Country (7)

12. Trip Through Your Wires (8)

13. One Tree Hill (9)

14. Exit (10)

15. Mothers of the Disappeared (11)

Encore Songs

16. Beautiful Day (2000 “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” album)

17. Elevation (2000 “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” album)

18. You’re The Best Thing About Me (2017 single from their forthcoming new album “Songs of Experience)

19. Vertigo (2004 “How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” album)

20. Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (1991 “Achtung Baby” album)

21. One (1991 “Achtung Baby” album)

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Related Links

• Story behind Herstory Tribute:
• List of Women Honored in Herstory Tribute:
• List of Literary Works Displayed on the Joshua Tree Tour LED Screen
• Buy the Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary Edition
• U2’s new single You’re the Best Thing About Me

Interviews with Frank Bello and Jeremy DePoyster conducted on April 30, 2017 by Michele Mussatto
The 2017 Killswitch Tour – April 30, 2017 (Arvest Midland Theatre in Kansas City, MO)
Interviews by Michele Mussatto

Bass guitar legend Frank Bello of Anthrax and singer-guitar player front man Jeremy DePoyster of The Devil Wears Prada both took time backstage with UnRated Magazine to discuss their latest critically acclaimed albums as well as life on the Killthrax Tour 2017 at the Arvest Midland Theatre in Kansas City, MO on a rainy Sunday afternoon.  Both metal veterans looked healthy and happy with the tour’s success and the success of their albums For All Kings (released by Anthrax February 26, 2016 on Megaforce Records) and Transit Blues (released by The Devil Wears Prada October 7, 2016 on Rise Records). Anthrax and The Devil Wears Prada joined Killswitch Engage and Code Orange for this 33-city nearly sold out U.S. tour.

Interview with Frank Bello of Anthrax

Unrated Magazine met up with Frank Bello, bass player for Anthrax, before the show for a backstage interview at the Arvest Midland Theatre Kansas City stop of the mostly sold-out Killthrax Tour, of which Anthrax is co-headlining with Killswitch Engage and joined by The Devil Wears Prada, both wildly popular bands among younger metal fans.  Bello expressed excitement about adding a whole new generation of metal fans to their traditional Big Four fan base (Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer) by co-headlining this tour, and also through the great success of the latest Anthrax album For All Kings, a critically acclaimed body of fresh new songs that stay true to their thrash metal musical roots.

“In this day and age… imagine that a metal record from a band that’s been around over 30 years being in the (Billboard) top ten,” muses Bello.  “We’re excited about everything that is going on, even this tour, you’ll see, if it’s not sold out it’s usually packed on this Killthrax tour.  There’s a new generation of fans coming in, along with our fans of the Big Four way back, there’s a whole new influx of fans who have heard of Anthrax but haven’t been able to see them before.”

The past year and a half has been action-packed for Anthrax.  For All Kings, their 11^th studio album hit #9 on the Billboard charts, only the second time for them since their album Persistence of Time hit the top ten in 1990.  They celebrated their 35^th anniversary as a band, they played on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and on Late Night with Seth Meyers, they released two official videos, they won the Innovator Award at the Revolver Music Awards, and they even released their own beer called Wardance, which is receiving accolades from the brewing community.  Anthrax is on fire creatively – their For All Kings recording session was so prolific that it was difficult for them to choose only a dozen songs to fit on the regular length album, which spurred the release of their For All Kings 7” vinyl box set last month which contains ten 7-inch vinyl discs that feature 20 songs – the For All Kings album tracks, two covers (The White Stripes’ “Carry On” and “Black Math”), six demos, and a previously unreleased new track, “Vice of The People.”

“Yeah Anthrax, we’re pretty stoked about what’s going on. There’s no reason to slow this machine down,” exclaimed Bello, when about likelihood of future albums.  “First off the band is getting along really well which is really important after 30 years.  The truth of the matter is when you’re in a band, you’re like brothers.  You see each other more than your families, and at the end of the day you need some space, but, after a while you miss everything… after a couple of weeks off you want to come back out and play.  I think this band is hungrier than ever now, so as far as a new record, yeah, you heard me (backstage here a minute ago), it’s like a had a new riff in my head and I had to play!

Besides being part of the constantly creating and touring machine which is Anthrax, Bello keeps busy with his own personal projects, including a new album he is working on with Dave Ellison the bass player of Megadeth called Altitudes and Attitude.  He also has a wife and a young son, is involved with multiple charities, and even accepts acting gigs on the side, his most notable being his role as punk icon Richard Hell in the feature film Greetings from Tim Buckley.

“It’s not always easy keeping the energy up,” confessed Bello, when asked how he keeps delivering such amazing performances on such long tours amid all the other projects in his life. “But the show, and the music gets me up, and the crowd, you know, that great magic of taking that step onto the stage where you hear the roar, which is awesome, that’s what we do, that’s why we do all this, the rest of it all day, and living on the road for months at a time, for that time, for that hour and a half on stage, that’s what makes it all worthwhile, and we’re very thankful for that.”

View the entire interview with Frank Bellow of Anthrax on UnRated Magazine’s YouTube Channel.

Interview with Jeremy DePoyster of The Devil Wears Prada

Unrated also met up backstage with Jeremy DePoyster, singer and guitar player for veteran metalcore rockers The Devil Wears Prada, who also expressed excitement for the tour’s success, and to be playing songs from their latest album “Transit Blues.”  He has enjoyed opening for Anthrax and Killswitch Engage, and is happy to be back on the road touring.

“We had been home for three or four months which I guess is a long time for us, so we’re just pumped to get back out and be playing again,” said DePoyster.  “The crowds have been awesome, you come out and they are like ‘okay what is this going to be,’ and by the second song they’re already pumped and feeling it, which is our job out here to get them warmed up and ready to go, so it’s awesome.  They’re just great, great metal crowds.”

DePoyster admits that he is very proud of Prada’s latest album Transit Blues, which was released just last fall.  Inspired by being a touring rock band on the road away from family, Transit Blues has received very high reviews, and is considered Prada’s best album yet, being the best manifestation of their metalcore musical and lyrical roots.

“It’s very proud for me, just because it was a big community effort,” explained DePoyster regarding Transit Blues.  “Everybody contributed massive amounts toward the song writing and playing, and everything on it was just much more a communal effort than our last few releases,” he continued.  “I think that is the vibe and direction that we’re going towards, more communal.  It creates a more diverse sound, instead of just the same sound we’ve done a million times before.  Kyle (Sipress), our guitar player, thinks very differently than I do, and Mike (Hranica) thinks very differently and Jon (Gering) our keyboard player thinks very differently so when you start blending all those ideas together it creates this kind of weird soup that’s a lot different than just the one-minded thing, so I think we’ll keep that spirit alive.”

DePoyster said that Prada took a different approach to writing Transit Blues this time, in that instead of Hranica writing lyrics to fully realized musical compositions, Hranica brought lyrics to Sipress’s barebones compositions first, then DePoyster, Gering and bass player Andy Trick added melodies and textures in response to those lyrics, allowing the feel of the music to better match the emotions Hranica’s lyrics were meant to convey.

“Kyle had a bunch of bare bones skeletons of songs, just kind of rhythm guitar parts and stuff, and we chopped that up some of the other demos I had and Jon our keyboard player had, and what we tried to do this time is have Mike write the lyrics to it and tell us what the meaning of the song was and what it was going to be and let that influence our lead parts and our texture and stuff,” DePoyster explained.  “There’s a song called Lock and Load on it, it’s about gun violence and we tried to do some sireny stuff, and there’s a song called Daughter, about a mother not loving her daughter, and we tried to get real mopey with that, and with Worldwide we tried to capture some of the feeling of traveling to Tokyo and things like that so that was very different for us.  Normally we would just write the whole song out and give it to Mike to write his lyrics to it.”

Prada spent several months living in a barn on a farm in Wisconsin to write Transit Blues, and credits their hosts for encouraging their creative process, which also culminated with a special 18 g vinyl edition of the album just released this February, which includes a 13” by 13” 60-plus page hard-back book with full page photos that chronicle the band’s writing, rehearsing and recording sessions for the album at various locations across the country.

“We rented two different AirBnB’s.  One was a really nice family, and he happened to be a beer brewer, so in his big barn he had a bunch of taps with homemade beer and it was really, really good,” explains DePoyster.  “We did this special edition photo book which just came out with the special vinyl, and they just sent us an email saying ‘oh guys we love the book’ and they loved seeing their property in the photos, so I think we’re going to do that next time we write, kind of seclude ourselves.  The guys in the band… we’re just really, really good friends, and Ben our tour manager is like family, and I’ve been friends with Mike and Andy for twelve years now and living in that environment is fun.  We watch sports, we drink, we cook meals together, it’s really fun, and then a lot of weird songs come out of that stuff.”

View the entire Interview with Jeremy DePoyster on UnRated Magazine’s YouTube Channel.

Killthrax Tour 2017 Overview

The Killthrax line up for the Kansas City stop began with Code Orange, the nu metal hardcore punk band from Pittsburgh.  The Devil Wears Prada played next, then Anthrax, then Killswitch Engage.  Anthrax and Killswitch Engage have been swapping closing band honors throughout the tour, and Killthrax took the honor in Kansas City.

Code Orange opened the night with all of their current members on stage, including Eric Balderose on vocals, guitar and synthesizer; Reba Meyers on vocals and guitar; Joe Goldman on bass; and Jami Morgan on drums and vocals.  They opened with their hit Forever, and played many songs from their newest album of the same name, which was released on January 13, 2017 by Roadrunner Records.  Code performed the following songs:

• Forever (off their latest album Forever)
• Kill the Creator (off their latest album Forever)
• My World
• Bleeding in the Blur (off their latest album Forever)
• The New Reality (off their latest album Forever)
• I Am King
• Spy (off their latest album Forever)

The Devil Wears Prada performed with all of their current members, including Jeremy DePoyster (rhythm guitar, clean vocals), Mike Hranica (rough vocals, backing guitar), Andy Trick (bass guitar) and Kyle Sipress (lead guitar and backing vocals).  Keyboard player Jonathan Gering who helped write Transit Blues also played throughout the tour, as did drummer Guiseppe Capolupo, who just joined Prada recently to record their latest album Transit Blues.  They gave a super tight performance to a very appreciative crowd, that erupted quickly into thrashing and moshing. Prada performed the following songs:

• Daughter (off their latest album Transit Blues)
• Sailor’s Prayer
• Planet A
• Outnumbered
• Worldwide (off their latest album Transit Blues)
• Assistant to the Regional Manager
• Dead Throne
• To the Key of Evergreen (off their latest album Transit Blues)
• Mammoth

Anthrax performed with all of their current musicians, except for Drummer Charlie Benante, who typically can play only three shows per week due to carpal tunnel problems he has battled for the last few years.  Drummer Jon Dette sat in for Charlie.  Joey Belladonna led the band with his famous bellowing tenor vocals, founder Scott Ian anchored the performance with his well-loved rhythm guitar work and backing vocals, Frank Bello killed it with his animated performance, heart pounding bass riffs and backing vocals, and lead guitar player Jonathan Donais, previously with Shadows Fall, melted our faces with his tasty leads.  Mosh pits erupted for most of the songs, with the biggest ones developing during Caught in a Mosh, Antisocial and Indians.  Anthrax performed the following songs:

• Among the Living
• Caught in a Mosh
• Madhouse
• Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t
• I Am the Law
• Breathing Lightning (their catchy new hit off their new album For All Kings)
• Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
• Medusa
• March of the S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death cover)
• Blood Eagle Wings (their epic centerpiece from their new album For All Kings)
• Antisocial
• Indians

Anthrax at Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland – Kansas City, MO, USA – April 30, 2017
photo credit Michele Mussato

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Killswitch Engage capped the night, with all their current members on stage, including front man and lead vocalist Jesse Leach, lead guitar player and vocalist Adam Dutkiewicz, bass player Mike D’Antonio, rhythm guitar player and vocalist Joel Stroetzel, and drummer Justin Foley.  They played several songs from their latest album Incarnate, released on March 11, 2016 by Roadrunner Records. Mosh pits and body surfing occurred through the entire set.  At one point Dutkiewicz went remote and ran throughout the entire theatre, even visiting the mosh pit for a few minutes, while playing guitar the whole time.  Killswitch ended the evening with their cover of Dio’s Holy Diver where they were joined by Joey Belladonna of Anthrax to provide the main vocals. Killswitch performed the following songs:

• My Last Serenade
• A Bid Farewell
• This Fire Burns
• Take This Oath
• Alone I Stand (off their latest album Incarnate)
• The End of Heartache
• Embrace the Journey…Upraised (off their latest album Incarnate)
• Rose of Sharon
• This Is Absolution
• Beyond the Flames
• Strength of the Mind (off their latest album Incarnate)
• Hate by Design (off their latest album Incarnate)
• Fixation on the Darkness
• My Curse
• In Due Time
• Holy Diver