[RH Photos] Disclosure and Vic Mensa in Austin (1/31/14)
Last Friday, the UK producer/DJ duo Disclosure took over Stubbs' outside venue to a a sold-out crowd. You couldn't ask for a better night for an outside concert. As soon as I walked in, Samo Sound Boy was already halfway trough his set, getting the crowd ready for SaveMoney's Vic Mensa. The rapper joined Disclosure on a handful of tour dates, with Austin being his last stop of the tour. Producer/DJ Stefan Ponce kept the crowd going before Vic stormed the stage, performing a set filled with songs from his latest project, INNANETAPE. Fans in the front row sang back lyrics to Vic as he moved around the whole stage. A short break to get things ready for Disclosure to hit the stage. ONce they did the crowd went wild. The duo went through many of their more popular songs from their last critically-acclaimed project, Settle. Austin loved Disclosure and did not want them to stop playing. Below are some shots I took of the show.
[RH Photos] Sundance Film Festival 2014
[Ruby Hornet will be at Sundance Film Festival 2014 providing coverage of the festival's 30th year. Keep it tuned to Ruby Hornet this week as we share reviews, interviews, photos, and more at one of the country's largest film festivals.]
As one of the largest film festivals in North America, Sundance carries a sense of respect and legacy with its name. Beyond the amazing films screening during its duration, the town in which it's set, Park City, UT, becomes just as important as the films themselves. Considering it was our first time at both Sundance and Park City, Virgil and I took in as many sights as we could during our week-long stay. We lucked out, too, as a few select Olympics qualifying rounds took place the weekend we were there.
Check out some of Virgil's amazing photos from Sundance Film Festival 2014 below!
[RH Photos] Vic Mensa: "Live on the Innanet" in Chicago (12/7/14)
Photography by Nolis
This past Saturday, Vic Mensa took over Reggie;s Rock House for his first solo headlining show since breaking up with Kids These Days earlier this year and dropping his solo project, Innanetape, in late September. The buzz Mensa has garnered since releasing the project was palpable, with tickets selling out a week in advance for the tightly-packed affair. Fellow Chicago acts Jean Deaux and The Hood Internet opened things up, appropriately getting the crowd going with a mix of genres that mirrored the kind of frenetically changing and eclectic backdrops Mensa utilizes throughout Innanetape.
Performing with a full band, Mensa seemed right in his element on Reggie's stage. Seeing him onstage with a piano to his right and a drummer to his right, it was hard not to think back to the days of KTD, still fresh in many fans minds as listeners shouted "Vic These Days" over the crowd. Aided by inspired back up vocals from Chicago soulstresses Lili K and Eryn Allen Kane, Mensa overcame some early technical difficulties, commanding the stage professionally, working all sides and hitting almost every note of his fiery delivery, a nod to the endless rehearsal hours and past performances the artist has under his belt.
On "Time Is Money" Mensa flexed, bringing out Maybach Music Group signee Rockie Fresh to do his verse, accented well by an extended bridge played by producer Cam Osteen on the keys and Omar Jahwar on drums. it was fitting call to an artist that helped pave the way for Vic and the rest of Chicago hip-hop, as well as a solid anchor for his other special guest, Save Money artist Joey Purp who spit a chillingly inspired verse from "Fear & Doubt" that invigorated the crowd instantly.
Taking things down for "That Nigga," Vic was most self-assuredly himself, fully throwing himself into every word and rhyme as he recited the words to the song that essentially documented the past few years for an artist that has overcome plenty to arrive at his first solo headlining show in Chicago. Exiting stage left after the track, Mensa came back for an encore of crowd favorite "Orange Soda" and KTD throwback "Don't Harsh My Mellow" that left the young crowd in a frenzy.
While Mensa's show certainly is still rough around the edges, it is head and shoulders above what is seen from most acts, hip-hop or otherwise, with an energy that seems to never end. Most issues were due to sound problems at the venue, and Mensa paid little attention, rhyming through it all while proving to his hometown why seemingly everyone in the country has had him on their lips lately. Along with fellow Save Money artist Chance The Rapper, Mensa is quickly cementing his place at the top of Chicago hip-hop, and Saturday was yet another example of that.
[RH Photos] Melt-Banana in Chicago (10/27/2013)
Photos by Geoff Henao
Melt-Banana has been one of my favorite bands for close to a decade now. Since May 5th, 2005, I've caught the band every time they've played in Chicago (outside of the handful of times they opened for Tool). Needless to say, I've been pretty committed to the band for the past eight years. When long-time bassist Rika mm left the band last summer, I was curious to see how Yako and Agata would continue on without a rhythm section (the band has been without a permanent drummer for a number of years).
This past Sunday at Wicker Park's legendary Double Door, any doubts I had about Melt-Banana's live performance were quashed within the opening seconds of their set. The Japanese noise-core band is touring all over the United States and Canada in support of their latest album, fetch, on their 2 do what 2 fetch tour. I admit, it was a bit weird to not see Rika bouncing with her bass stage right, but Yako and Agata's combined energy was still enough to overshadow her glaring omission. Armed with a laptop controlling the bass and drums, the duo played a wide range of songs spanning their 20-year history.
My photos from their Chicago show are below. Be sure to catch Melt-Banana when they come to your city. You can find the rest of their tour dates here. I have a feeling their set at this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX will be one to remember.
[RH Photos] The O'My's at Sub-T 10/11/13 (Chicago)
Photos by Rene Marban
The O'My's packed Subterranean in Chicago's Wicker Park Friday night for the release of their latest album, A Humble Masterpiece. Having been a minute since their last release, Maceo Haymes, Nick Henessy and crew put on a hell of a show, getting the crowd moving with their blend of jazz and blues aesthetics mixed with an R&B/hip-hop vibe. Haymes' voice is one of the most easily-recognizable in the Chicago scene, a fact that was accented by screams and cheers each time he slowly approached the microphone. Also performing was NoNameGypsy, who joined the band onstage for a couple songs. She continues to impress around the city since hitting the scene hard earlier this summer after appearing on Chance The Rapper's seminal Acid Rap album. Warming things up was an inspired set by reggae-rockers Lion Heights who got the packed crowd moving before Milo & Otis, another eclectically amazing act, performed with their signature experimental pop sounds. All in all, the show was a solid pop off for an album that has long been awaited. As much as The O'My's have managed to work with seemingly everyone in town, the abundance of talent was the perfect accent.
[RH Photos] Riot Fest Day 3 Recap
Mother Nature wasn't on our side for Riot Fest Day 3 as the day began covered amidst a gloomy, overcast Sunday morning with an on and off mist of rain through the early afternoon. While the rain eventually proved to be triumphant in keeping me at bay, it wasn't enough to dissuade me from seeing a few choice bands on the festival's final day. Read along as I share my thoughts on Against Me!, Rocket from the Crypt, and Brand New, while Brynn opens up about her experience with Saves the Day and The Pixies.
The festivities started later than the rest of the weekend with Against Me!'s 2:30pm set. As I have previously expressed, Against Me! used to be one of my favorite bands, but their musical output over recent years took a negative toll on me. However, with their recently released True Trans EP and Laura Jane Grace's transition, I felt hopeful for the band's future. A steady rain shower greeted the audience once Laura Jane Grace took the stage. Opening with an eletric version of True Trans' "FuckMyLife666," Against Me!'s set seemed hopeful, especially as the fan classic "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" followed. Unfortunately, the set was tailored with a preference towards newer songs from the dysmal New Wave and White Crosses albums with a meager smattering of older songs (with "Walking is Still Honest" being the best of the bunch). Even the Against Me! staple, "We Laugh at Danger (and Break All the Rules)," was eschewed for an admittedly New Wave standout, "Thrash Unreal," as the band's closing song. Any hope I had for the band's future was essentially shattered with their disappointing Riot Fest set. However, it was great to see Laura Jane Grace's comfort on the stage in her new skin, so to speak, as her standard confidence seemed to have grown hundredfold since her transition. - Geoff Henao
Riot Fest attendees braved the relentless rain to catch Saves The Day's unstoppable set on the Rock Stage. Filled with endless pop-punk goodness, the set started with "Firefly," a track off of the fan favorite album Stay What You Are. As soon as that song started I forgot how cold and wet I was (there's nothing punk-rock about ponchos); it instantly put a smile on my face. Lead singer Chris Conley beamed as well, seemingly overcome by the audience's upbeat attitude despite the crappy weather. Saves The Day pumped out song after song, and only stopped to thank Chicago for being so awesome. When the band started "Sell Your Old Clothes, I'm Off To Heaven," I almost died. It's probably my favorite Saves The Day tune of all-time. I have many memories of singing that song while driving around in my red Volkswagen Beetle at 16, thinking nobody could write a song that resonated more strongly with my teenage broken heart than Saves The Day. After bassist Rodrigo Palma invited the entire crowd to come hang at his apartment after the set, Saves The Day closed with "At Your Funeral," which received the loudest sing-a-long of all. The band released their new self-titled album this week, which you can and should check out here. - Brynn Bixby
Rocket from the Crypt was my second band of the day and a last-minute decision made by our good friend Auggie the 9th and I to catch while we waited for the next band on our list. Honestly, I don't know much about the band and only chose to watch them just to have extra photo coverage since Sunday was a light day on my schedule. Based off of the few songs I heard, they had a solid Rockabilly sound. Not really my thing, but very uptempo stuff. - Geoff Henao
Boston rock geniuses, The Pixies shut down the Roots stage at Riot Fest with an excellent set of covers and originals that were just what the ecstatic, giddy and soaking wet crowd ordered. Though we all missed Kim Deal dearly (thank god for her performance at Pitchfork with The Breeders), there was no shortage of hit tunes to get the crowd dancing and cheering wildly. I was lucky enough to get backstage to witness the band rocking out up close, and the sheer joy of front-row fans was awesome enough to bring a tear to my eye. The band played many of the greats, including "Wave of Mutilation," "Here Comes Your Man," "Debaser," and an awesome cover of Neil Young's "Winterlong," to name a few. Closing with the ever-popular "Where Is My Mind," The Pixies performance at Riot Fest was one for the books. - Brynn Bixby
Brand New was the final band I saw on Day 3 due to the weather (and Breaking Bad). I think the band amassed the biggest crowd of the weekend for a non-headlining band. As the aforementioned Auggie the 9th's favorite band, I was intrigued to see what Brand New could bring beyond the one song ("Sic Transit Gloria") I knew from them. The post-hardcore band brought some bite to their set as the crowd of both young girls, frat bros, and everybody in between shared lyrics with vocalist Jesse Lacey. By the end of their set, the baseball field on which the stage was situated had become a muddy cesspool due to the mixture of mosh pits and rain. - Geoff Henao
Below are some of my photos of Against Me!, Rocket from the Crypt, and Brand New. As I mentioned, the weather deterred me from staying longer, so the selection is pretty meager. You can find the rest of my Day 3 photos on my Flickr.
[RH Photos] Riot Fest Day 2 Recap
Following an amazing Day 1 of Riot Fest, Day 2 had a very high bar to exceed if it was going to live up to the hype I built up for it. Sure enough, the 12 hours I spent on the Riot Fest grounds this past Saturday consisted of the best highlights of my weekend. Every band I saw on Saturday (Mephiskapheles, X, Glassjaw, The Lawrence Arms, Rancid, and blink-182) were all bands I was seeing live for the first time with the majority of them being very influential on my younger self.
The day began just after noon with Mephiskapheles' set. As I mentioned in our Riot Fest preview, Mephiskapheles is a third-wave ska band with a Satanist gimmick complete with Satanist iconography and lyrical allusions to demonology. However, whether or not you agree with their gimmick, their catchy third-wave sound can't be denied. The horn section plays some of the tightest horn lines I've heard in ska, a thumping electric upright bass, and vocalist Andre A. Worrell's gravelly voice carrying over the crowd full of curious onlookers and circles of rude boys and rude girls skanking up a dirt cloud on the Humboldt Park baseball diamond the stage was situated on.
Afterwards, I decided to catch X due to the long downtime in my schedule. To be honest, I don't know much about X outside of them being a '77 punk rock band. In a nutshell, 1977 was when the first major wave of punk rock bands began making moves to overtake the music scene. That's my little history lesson for the day.
Glassjaw was my next stop for the day. The post-hardcore band has always been on my list of bands to check out for the past decade, yet Saturday proved to be my first live experience with the band. As the first note began, the crowd erupted into a frenetic rush of moshing, screaming, and crowd surfing. A funny thing I noticed from vocalist Daryl Palumbo's performance was how he kept his eyes closed for the bulk of their set.
The Lawrence Arms followed an hour after Glassjaw's set ended. After years of following the band, it was good to see them live. The Chicago-based band amassed a huge crowd full of late-20s/early-30s punks singing along to every one of Brendan Kelly's raspy words and Chris McCaughan's sleepy vocals. While I'm admittedly a bigger fan of The Falcon than The Larry Arms, it was still amazing to sing along to older songs from the band's catalog alongside the smattering of older and younger punks in the crowd.
I made the long trek between the Rise and Roots stages to make it in time for the influential punk rock band, Rancid. As I had prayed for in our preview, Rancid ended up playing a majority of songs from ...And Out Come the Wolves. There were a few snoozers in the set from their post-Life Won't Wait albums, but hearing "Time Bomb," "Maxwell Murder," "Roots Radicals," "The 11th Hour," "Journey to the End of the East Bay," "The War's End," "Nihilism," "Radio," "Old Friend," "Olympia, WA," "Ruby Soho," "St. Mary," and even the Matt Freeman-led "Gunshot" was amazing. You could also separate new fans from the old based off of their ability to sing along to the more obscure songs from Let's Go! Side note: Riot Fest 2013 had the largest volume of Operation Ivy shirts I've ever seen in a public space. If only Op Ivy played... There's always next year. Side note 2: Security eschewed the "3 song" photographer rule, essentially handicapping myself and my fellow photographers from taking more varied photos of the band. Sorry, Lars and Matt, but I had to focus on Tim.
Finally, after 13 years of pining, I saw my junior high and early high school idols, blink-182 live. Just like Rancid's set, the photo policy was broken as we were only allowed one song to shoot photos of the band. However, that didn't rain down on the Geoff parade as I was able to carve a spot in the audience alongside Ruby Hornet homie and HOY photographer, Roger Tino Morales, to revel in the experience. While their set favored songs from their newer albums, blink-182 and Neighborhoods, they still played some personal favorites from Dude Ranch and Cheshire Cat, as well as some of the fan staples from Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Applause goes out to the 6' tall kid who stood in the middle of the crowd playing along on his acoustic guitar; that was both the stupidest and more awesome thing I saw that night.
My photos from Riot Fest Day 2 are below. As always, you can see the full set on my Flickr.
[RH Photos] Riot Fest Day 1 Recap
Since the first wave of artists were revealed for this year’s Riot Fest, I knew it was going to be a special affair. With a list of bands consisting of teenage influences to early adult infatuations, Riot Fest 2013 was going to mark my first visit to the Humboldt Park festival in seven years. Many changes to the festival have changed since 2006, such as the inclusion of non-punk rock acts and the move from the Congress Theater to the Humboldt Park grounds. One thing hasn’t changed, though: the promoters’ commitment to bringing together both legendary and up-and-coming bands that appeal to everybody from suburban mall punks to former, middle-aged crust punks.
My weekend began with Dessa of Minneapolis’ Doomtree fame. As the lone hip hop act on my personal lineup, Dessa's set kind of represented a transition from the shows I've been covering for the past year into the types of shows I spent my teenage and early adult years attending. Dessa's set featured a mix of her both rapping and singing, bringing some extra variety and musicianship to her set. At one point, Dessa made the five-foot drop from the stage to the photo pit to get just that much closer to her fans lining the metal barricade.
Next up was Mr. Party himself, Andrew W.K. Like I mentioned in our Riot Fest Preview, I’m not all that familiar with AWK outside of his positive promotion of partying. Sure enough, his set consisted of mostly songs focused on partying. Clad in his now standard all white-ensemble, AWK came out with high energy with a full band and a female backup singer who was just as energetic and fierce as AWK himself. Andrew W.K.’s music isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, but his stage presence made up for the repetitive song themes as he alternated between front stage power stances to mid-stage keys playing.
Speaking of power stances, Screeching Weasel was my third act of the night. Led by long-time front man Ben Weasel, the formerly suburban Chicago band ran the gamut of their near-thirty year backlog of songs. Their set comes with an asterisk, however, as Ben Weasel is the only original member still in the band, falling in line with the ethos of another Chicagoland band, Smashing Pumpkins, where the name and legacy runs through the singer/front man as opposed to the band as a whole. Nevertheless, it was a bucket list check-off to sing along to songs like “Dingbat” and “Hey Suburbia” while Weasel posed in Henry Rollins-esque power stances. No girls were punched during their set, either.
Immediately following was the satirical heavy metal band, GWAR. I went into their set with a clean slate outside of a passing knowledge of their music and live stage antics. Sure enough, fellow photographers lining up to enter the photo pit came prepared with ponchos and camera sleeves for protection from the band’s iconic blood gushing and outlandish science-fiction/horror costumes (highlighted mostly by lead singer Oderus Urungus' codpiece). GWAR's set was a mix of songs and theatrics as they had male slaves roaming the stage, priests' heads split apart, and shit-encrusted assholes penetrated and gushing blood over the front row of revelers.
Finally, I ended my Day 1 with a last-minute decision to check out Sublime with Rome. Running counter to the aforementioned Screeching Weasel, Sublime with Rome features original Sublime bassist, Eric Wilson, and drummer Josh Freese (who replaced original Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh in 2011) with vocalist Rome Ramirez filling in the role of departed singer/guitarist, Bradley Nowell. My relationship with Sublime is conflicting, as their music represented an amalgamation of hip hop and third-wave ska, but also a watered down representation of actual ska filtered through to frat bros and suburban mall punks that would talk down formal ska bands, but praise Sublime. Nevertheless, I can't deny my younger self's love of Sublime. To watch Sublime with Rome, however, left me with mixed emotions. On one hand, it's great to see and hear classic Sublime songs live; at the same time, Rome brought little different to the equation other than the minimally different guitar lick or vocal intonation. Simply put, watching Sublime with Rome was like watching a Sublime karaoke set, albeit with capable musicians.
My photos of the aforementioned bands can be seen below. A full set of photos from Riot Fest Day 1 can be found on my Flickr, as well.
