My Darkest Days
Event on 2012-06-13 20:00:00
Supporting Acts: The J French Project
My Darkest Days
MY DARKEST DAYS Matt Walst: Vocals/rhythm guitars Brendan McMillan: Bass/backing vocals Doug Oliver: Drums/backing vocals Sal Coz Costa: Lead guitar/backing vocals "So many roads that I've taken/When nobody thought I could make it/And even though I had to go it alone/I still survived." "World Belongs to Me" The world doesn't yet belong to My Darkest Days, but they've come a long way since singer/guitarist Matt Walst, drummer Doug Oliver and bassist Brendan McMillan started the band, equally influenced by hard rock groups like Nirvana, Tool and Deftones, along with the songwriting approach of the Beatles, in the small town of Norwood, Ontario, where they grew up. Walst got a first-hand glimpse at what it takes to succeed from his older brother Brad, bassist and co-founder of platinum rock band Three Days Grace, which helped when the group set out to record their debut, self-titled Mercury Records album. "I learned to work hard and practice from them," says Matt. "I learned how to write songs by watching how they took catchy riffs and put memorable melodies to them." That approach comes through for everyone to hear on the new album, co-produced by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger-who co-wrote a majority of the songs with My Darkest Days-as well as producer and engineer Joey Moi. The first single, the raucous, rollicking "Porn Star Dancing" leads the way, an instant stripper pole classic in the mode of Motley Crue's "Girls Girls Girls," and Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me," featuring a Kroeger cameo in two different versions, a rocker with guitarist Zakk Wylde and a rap take courtesy labelmate Ludacris. "She wraps those hands around that pole/She licks those lips and off we go/She takes it off nice and slow/'Cause that's porn star dancing." "I don't know if we intended to make it a strip club anthem, but I bet you will eventually hear it in every one," laughs Doug. "Luda totally killed it," remembers Matt. "We sent the song to him, he dug the track, and his rhymes are just awesome." "To see him in person was so cool," nods Sal. "He was so humble. With most rap stars, you wonder what makes them so special. But the minute Luda walked into the room, you knew right away why he is where he is. He just took control, literally grabbed the video camera and began rapping." Taking their name from those moments where Matt says he draws his songwriting inspiration, My Darkest Days combine the rowdy celebration of rock sexuality alongside more personal observations about relationship. The salacious "Move Your Body" with its leering "You come on tapping at your back door, baby" come-on, and the sensual reggae world beat of "Setitonfire" ("I lose my mind/With the way you move") are balanced by autobiographical tales like "Every Lie," "Like Nobody Else" and the country twang of "Come Undone," featuring sassy vocals from yet another labelmate, the comely Jessie James. "Half of our music is about partying and the other half is about shitty situations we've gotten ourselves into," says Walst, who writes the group's lyrics. "I believe you have to take the good with the bad, and that comes through in our songs." "We wanted to show our diversity musically and lyrically," says Sal, who joined the band almost a year ago just in time for a label showcase and to record their debut album. "As much as we are a heavy rock band, we've all gone through emotional moments that we want to put into our songs." "It's a fucked-up situation/When the one that you love is never enough/It's a fucked up fascination/When the one that you trust is traded for lust." "Fucked Up Situation" is perhaps the best example of the band's ability to turn their life into a song that deals with an adulterous affair in a small town, where the sex has a nasty sadomasochistic side to it. "The lyrics remind me of a classic country song," says Brendan. "Small town, cheating wife… people are always interested in that sort of thing." "That chorus seems to hit home," nods Matt. "Some people are in relationships where they love the person, but they need more." "That's the key to music and life in general," answers Sal. "Balance, the yin and the yang. At the end of the day, that's what we're all about." With the dubwise spaciousness of "Can't Forget You" and the Police-like island rhythms of "Set it on fire," My Darkest Days show their versatility. "I love writing with different people," adds Matt. "I like having different flavors on the album. I'm a big fan of Top 40 and dance music as well as hard rock. It's cool to bring all of those into our songs." "If I had my way/I'd spend every day/Right by your side/And if I could stop time/Believe me/I'd try for you." "Without You" The band is also capable of the wide-screen cinematic epic, such as "World Belongs to Me," which begins with what sounds like the X Files theme-an irony, since much of the album was recorded at the show's one-time base of Vancouver, home of Nickelback-and the closing, flick-your-cell phone arena-rock anthem, "Without You," both of which can be seen as nods to the band's loyal and growing fan base. And now, My Darkest Days are set to reap the rewards of the 10,000 hours Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers insist you need to perfect your craft. Having shared the stage with Three Days Grace, Theory of a Deadman, Papa Roach and more, the group has honed their live act, winning several talent contests in their native Canada. Even with a major label debut ready to hit the streets, My Darkest Days maintain their focus. "Our day-to-day life hasn't changed, even if the stakes are definitely higher," says Brendan. "We still practice every day. There's no screwing around. It feels good to know all those days, living on nothing, were actually worth it." "We're willing to do whatever it takes," adds Sal. "In the end, we just want to get our message out to the world."
at Knitting Factory Concert House
211 North Virginia Street
Reno, United States
Bone Thugs N Harmony, Too Short
Event on 2012-06-09 20:00:00
Supporting Acts: Konnekted
Bone Thugs N Harmony
They sold more than 15 million records. They recorded with The Notorious B.I.G. They recorded with 2Pac. They won a Grammy. They redirected hip-hop's sonic direction. Only one rap group has these impressive feats on its extensive resume: Bone thugs-n-harmony. Simply put, the Cleveland quartet is one of the most important groups in hip-hop history; breaking down doors for other Midwestern rappers; launching their successful Mo Thugs record company and introducing mind-splitting, rapid-fire rapping and angelic harmonies with melodic production to the genre. With their newest and most intense album to date, "Thug World Order," Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone and Bizzy Bone come full circle with an idea they've been cultivating since their formative years in Ohio. "It's basically what we've been trying to organize ever since we came out," Krayzie says of the mission for the group's new album. "We wanted to have a following of a whole lot of thugs and if you listen to what is going on in the industry today, that's all people are talking about and claiming to be, thugs. You haven't heard nothing about gangsters. We were trying to create a Thug World Order that we'd be running. We aren't finished with it yet." The group's latest musical masterpiece, "Get Up & Get It," features R&B sensation 3LW on its heavenly hook. As has been the case with several other Bone singles, "Get Up & Get It" will have listeners striving to get the best out of their lives, regardless of how bleak things may look. "It's going to inspire everybody," Wish says. "If you are looking at yourself in a messed up situation and you want it to be better, if you listen to this song, it will motivate you to want to do something." Adds Krayzie: "It's one of those songs where you wake up, hear it and you want to get up and get outside because you think you're missing something." Throughout the group's tumultuous career, which has been marked by the AIDS-related death of mentor Eazy-E and well-publicized feuds with their recording home, Ruthless Records, Bone has remained strong and focused on its mission to deliver strong, positive messages to its fans, which number in the millions. On the stirring, gorgeous "If I Fall," the group pulls on emotions like no other rap outfit can. Wish, in particular, stresses that giving up is not acceptable, that each of us is blessed in our own way and that God can help with any problem we may encounter. "It's nothing that we plan to do, write a song that's going to touch people to the heart," Wish explains. "We just heard the beat and that's what came out. It's a beautiful song and it's something that people can feel." As the members of Bone know all too well, life sometimes brings stressful situations that cause people to test their faith. They address such trying times on "Home," which features a well-placed sample from Phil Collins' "Take Me Home". Much like Collins' music, Bone hopes people use this song as an escape, something fans can use to ease whatever stressors are causing them strife. "Sometimes things drain you," Krayzie says. "You get tired of the bullshit, of arguing, of being tired of shit that you shouldn't even be fighting for. Sometimes you just want to get away, go home and just chill, disappear." "There was a time when we were back up in Cleveland in our Mo Thugs office," Krayzie recalls. "This was something that Cleveland people weren't used to, young, black dudes our age pulling up in the hood in new Mercedes-Benzes. We had houses and an office in a white neighborhood. Of course the police, by not knowing what business we're in, they're going to get on us. They had Mo Thugs Records up under investigation, but we were all about the music. That's one of the reasons we had to bounce from Cleveland. It was hot. We couldn't trust anybody. People down there tried to set us up. We didn't want to get back into that bullshit no more." But the drama Bone endured wasn't limited to people who wondered about their line of business. Each of the Bone members has endured stressful and painful encounters with women fraudulently claiming a member of the multi-platinum rap group impregnated them. Bone addresses the situation head-on with "Not My Baby," one of "Thug World Order's" most searing selections. "When we were young, everybody wanted a piece of us," Wish says. "They'd never seen it like we did it when we made it in Cleveland. We were some damn fools. You get more and more girls and every girl we ran into was like, "Oh, I'm pregnant. They wanted money but we came to find out they were lying." Even when the truth was known, the women didn't even apologize for putting the rappers through the legal wringer. They were like, "Oh well. Thank you for the money you were paying," Krayzie says. "We had to say something on that because we love the ladies and everything, but there should be something out there to protect the fellas. Once we go into court on that, it's over." Even with all this hometown drama, Bone still has love for its city. With "Cleveland Is The City," the group shows its loyalty and gives its hometown major love. "You can't ever forget where you come from," Wish says. "Sometimes people where you come from believe that you have forgotten. It's just a little reminder that we're appreciative and that we love where we come from. We're never going to forget that." With its heartfelt lyrics and varied subject matter, "Thug World Order" makes bold creative statements. The same can be said for the collection's crushing beats, which were handled by LT Hutton, DJ U-Neek and the Platinum Brothers. The anger nearly palpable on each song's lyrics also comes through on the album's music, which has a menacing, intimidating feel. Once the producers heard the lyrical direction Bone was pursuing, they created dark soundscapes to match the words flowing from each of the Bone's mouths. Although Bone thugs-n-harmony has been releasing albums for nearly a decade, they still sound hungry and driven on "Thug World Order." Whereas other rap crews home in on a signature sound or outlook, Bone has consistently updated and refined its approach since releasing the independent album "Faces Of Death" in the early 1990s. Since then, their albums— 1994's "Creepin' On Ah Come Up" EP, 1995's "E. 1999 Eternal," 1997's "The Art of War" and 2000's "BTNHResurrection"— have earned them critical acclaim, millions of record sales and have inspired a throng of imitators. They also picked up a Grammy for their breakthrough hit, " Tha Crossroads," along the way. Krayzie, Layzie and Bizzy have all released critically acclaimed solo albums and the entire crew will appear in "Ghetto Cowboy," a film named after a song from one of the crew's three successful Mo Thugs compilations. Bizzy and Layzie have established themselves as actors in well-received independent films and upcoming solo albums from each group member, as well as additional Mo Thugs compilations, are also in the works. Now, with "Thug World Order" ready, Bone thugs-n-harmony is set to change the game once again, reminding the world where rap got its "Thug" fascination and delivering some of the most advanced music the genre has to offer. "We're just getting a handle on this whole "Thug" persona going through the game," Wish says. That's us and if you aren't part of our "Thug World Order‚" you shouldn't be screaming "Thug". Watch your mouths…Bone is coming. Again.
Too Short
Born in Los Angeles, but an Oakland resident by the age of 14, Too Short was the first West Coast rap star, recording three albums on his own before he made his major-label debut with 1988's gold album Born to Mack; his next four all went platinum. Anticipating much of the later gangsta phenomenon, he restricted his lyrical themes to tales of sexual prowess and physical violence, with the occasional social message track to mix things up. After the release of Gettin' It (Album Number Ten) in 1996, Too Short decided to retire, his status assured as one of the most successful solo rappers of the 1980s and early '90s, although that decision would prove short-lived. Born Todd Shaw on April 28, 1966, Too Short grew up in L.A.'s South Central; soon after his family moved to Oakland in the early '80s, he began selling tapes out of the back of his car. Signed to the local label 75 Girls, in 1983 he released his first proper album, Don't Stop Rappin'. Three albums followed in the next two years, after which Too Short formed his own Dangerous Music label with friend Freddy B. He recorded Born to Mack in 1986, and sold more than 50,000 copies just by riding around the region. New York's Jive Records picked up on the buzz from across the country, and provided a national deal for the album one year later. With virtually no radio airplay, Born to Mack went gold and its follow-up, Life Is…Too Short, achieved platinum sales by 1989. The immense success of Too Short during 1988-1989 made him much more viable for radio airplay, and "The Ghetto" — from 1990's Short Dog's in the House — made number 12 on the R&B charts, even enjoying a brief stay just outside the pop Top 40. He continued his hit track record with 1992's Shorty the Pimp and 1993's Get in Where You Fit In, both of which went platinum. By the time of 1995's Cocktails, however, Too Short began to be drowned out by a glut of similar-sounding West Coasters, and though Gettin' It (Album Number Ten) became his fifth platinum album, by late 1996 he decided to retire. Just three years later, however, he returned with the aptly titled Can't Stay Away, which debuted in the Top Ten and went gold. A series of follow-ups surfaced subsequently. In 2006 his high-profile album Blow the Whistle arrived with producers Jazze Pha and Lil Jon contributing. John Bush, Rovi
at Ventura Theater
26 South Chestnut Street
Ventura, United States
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