Browse 72701 Reviews & Comments (Page 3572)

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 Ignatius This was a band that you could tell they were all professional musicians having done this for years. Great jams from Xan McCurdy on guitar and Vince DiFiore on trumpet and keyboards, (who really shined while playing Never There) and of course John McCrea practically conducting the whole stage in his truly one-of-a-kind fashion. They hold the present moment in high regard, discouraging the audience from using their phones if it meant they would later look at their own pictures and videos, wishing they had been there. Major respect, especially considering McCrea had been sick for weeks. The show had only one band, so if anyone decided to show up late to skip the opener, they cheated themselves, lol. I loved it from the first song, but once they played Long Time I really got into it. John forgot the second verse of Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle and asked for the first few words to get him started, then going into the next chorus he used "That's right! We need each other!" for his 'detached' line. It's really catchy to see him in action with those lines, calling for guitar, drums, trumpet. Really would have liked to see Jolene, but I appreciate them playing the songs they felt like playing. They did two notable audience participation segments. For Sick Of You on the right side were the minority escapists, singing "I--- wanna fly away" and on the left side were the bearers of hostility, singing "I'm so sick of you, so sick of me, I don't want to be with you". Then for the nana-nana-nana's of Short Skirt/Long Jacket, he encouraged each side to flip middle fingers while singing... So maybe I take back what I said about them being professional, lol. But certainly experienced and confident in what they were there for. Cake Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Once we got inside the venue, things moved along pretty quickly; Lavender came on with an unfortunately short set, then a quick break before Jackson Whalan came out. The collaboration between acts was on the same level as the Gas Monkey show with Honeycomb. James played tablas for both openers, and made his clarinet sing like a siren between two Lavender Fields songs. Jackson brought two guys from Kansas City Beatbox Crew onstage, and Moon Hooch brought him back up later. It's these kinds of things that truly say "we know you don't come here just to listen to our studio releases", and it's what will keep me coming out for years to come. I vibed with Purple is the Color of my Energy, S.N.A.G. (Sensitive New Age Guy), On That Poly, and I Am One/Enter in my Prime. Moon Hooch did a kind of duel where Mike and Wenzl traded spots on the synth and sax. And just over and over they made variations to the songs that I listen to all the time. It was also my best time gloving in public, even without any audience. And as much as I hope Moon Hooch will grow in popularity for their sakes, I do cherish having plenty of space to dance freely at every show. I also got to give Wenzl a "cave music" kandi bracelet, and got to show James my tattoo Moon Hooch / Jackson Whalan / Lavender Fields Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius I knew it'd be a good show when K.Flay had a decent lightshow, and it could only get better with Grouplove and Imagine Dragons. K.Flay had a delicious bass sound, particularly on Black Wave. It felt like the passion and intensity of Dead Sara, but with more of a hip hop sound and voice. Her voice really reminds me of Lorde and Tove Lo, maybe a bit more gritty. Loved the words to High Enough. Definitely would like to see K.Flay again. Grouplove took awhile for me to get into their set. They had plenty of energy, but it was kind of a standard feel-good, let loose rock and roll show. I think I would enjoy listening to their albums but it wasn't doing much for me live. Then they played Ways To Go which was finally one I'd heard before. Tongue Tied as well, and they covered Sabotage and were like pushing each other and rolling around the stage. So I'd say it was a great set if you're a fan, but potentially falls short if you haven't listened to them before. I love when an undercard/opening band I'm not familiar with can hook me in through a live show and sadly that only happened with K.Flay tonight Usually they play hits or classics or whatever between sets, but I was digging the classical music that played before Imagine Dragons. Notably a Liszt Nocturne in Ab, and clarinet, cello and piano concertos, including Bach. Pretty well set the emotional stage for the Evolve tour... Dan Reynolds did quite a bit of talking, I wrote some of the things down to put here. First he talked about being fearless and leaving intolerance (racial, political, etc.) at the door, to come together in unity: "Tonight is about you, your family, your loved ones. It's about music, and that's it" Then while introducing Demons he talked about three things that are stigmatized today: depression, anxiety and therapy; "Let it be part of your journey, don't let it define you, and I promise you will go on to do all the things you want to do". Another bit of inspiration, they had bits of films in between songs and multiple times I heard my favorite Charlie Chaplin speech, ("more than cleverness, we need kindness", "you the people have the power, to create machines, to create happiness, to make this life free and beautiful...") as well as MLK's "I have a dream" and FDR's "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" And I haven't even gotten to the music yet, but let me talk about the lights first. So there was an angled grid of 5x6 square screens that somewhat reminded me of the Muse Resistance tour stage which I didn't get a chance to see, and the orange/green/blue aesthetic for Believer was so well executed. They also had 8 vertical strips of extremely bright lights; while playing Gold, they would leave lingering purple images on my retinas for a minute after being briefly blasted. I can only remember seeing lights that bright once before, I think at a Skillet show. The sound was everything you could hope from Imagine Dragons. In particular I loved the slap bass solo in Start Over, which was played in the midst of a storm of fog-filled bubbles, because of course it was. On Top of the World had me giddy to the max, especially when all the balloons came down from the 3rd level seats. It was pretty much that overwhelming euphoria I've gotten from seeing Muse play Mercy or Arcade Fire play Sprawl II; I LOVE that I've become so open to feeling that more and more often. And I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to do these things with my life. Imagine Dragons / Grouplove / K.Flay Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius This was one of those nights that was full of little moments. If it weren't for the amazing people in the crowd, I wouldn't bother with shows like these, except to fulfill a sort of unspoken pact I made with myself to see S3RL live at least once, since I had a track of his eight years ago. The music is great but I keep going back to EDM shows because the people are so kind and the energy is infectious. One thing that was a pleasant surprise was I rarely felt claustrophobic or encroached upon no matter where I was in this crowd of ravers. Always plenty of room to dance, everyone seemed to be naturally mindful of the personal space of strangers. PLUR is alive and well at Green Elephant. I don't remember many specifics of the music, but I know I liked Seven, Spunky Da Bunny, Ronin and Jimni Cricket's sets. Spunky and Ronin had some powerful bass vibes. And it was so special to me to see Tre (Seven) light up when I told him I was at Eskimo Pie back in 2009. He said that was the first show he ever organized. He's been in the DFW scene for so long and I'm just glad this is a thing I get to choose to do with my life. With any luck this certainly won't be the last time I hear DJ Seven spin... Return to Candy Mountain at The Green Elephant (November 17, 2017) Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Fun show, very theatrical and choreographed. Meant to put me in the holiday spirit, I'm not quite so impressionable, (I guess I count as one of the people she dedicated You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch to) but I did enjoy myself. Alexander Jean was a married couple with a guitar. Mark Ballas has been on Dancing with the Stars, most recently as Lindsey's partner, and it's great that he's so musical as well and has been able to go on this tour. Great voices, great songwriting, just pure talent and you can tell they love what they do. Nice arrangement of We Three Kings, with lovely vocal melodies, which was actually just released a few days ago and hit #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart. Mark hit us with a gem from his time on broadway, singing Sherry from Jersey Boys. And I actually really liked Roses and Violets, they reached over and held hands at "I'm so sick of goodbye", and then looped the acoustic guitar and traded it out for an extended solo on the electric. I hadn't seen a loop pedal used without it being a huge gimmick before, it was effective. Lindsey Stirling's set was fantastic. They didn't take themselves too seriously, but put a lot of effort into the show. Crystallize was a treat, the orchestral percussion added a lot to that song. Elements was one of the first of the "ballet choreography" songs, and, just, it's so impressive that she can move like that and play like that at the same time. (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and Carol of the Bells were also magical experiences) I Saw Three Ships/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen was fun, they pulled a guy named Michael onstage and made him dance a jig, he killed it. Other fun moments were Eric Jackson and Aaron singing Baby It's Cold Outside, Chris as a Christmas tree, Luna in her sweater, and the toy instrument set. Notably the Harry Potter theme, Linus and Lucy and the Devil Went Down to Georgia. The wardrobe changes were all on point. Lindsey is just a wholly attractive person. Also, they had a local orchestra from Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy onstage for a few songs. Lindsey Stirling / Alexander Jean Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Boogie T, the opener, was low key my favorite. Within 5 minutes there was a decent crowd gathered and they were actively headbanging. His drops kept me hooked throughout his set, and you got more personality from him than most DJs today. It was silly but I loved all the narrated soundbites; a bold choice indeed to say "What kind of music do you like? Oh I don't know, everything except COUNTRY!!!" in fucking Dallas, TX, and I love him for it. Then he brought out an electric guitar and played that funk along with the dubs. So good. I want more Boogie T in my life. Squnto is the self-proclaimed but aptly-named Bass Dragon. His intro was a total mindfuck, I loved the staticky, glitchy, deep bass thing going on with the EPIC monologue. Then in his first song he redid the drop and had the crowd get low for it. Bit of a gimmick, but it seemed to work in asserting his dominance. Unfortunately after that I was standing in a spilled drink and the crowd grew bigger so for most of his set I was just watching light shows. It was a strong bass set, which I'm not always looking for Space Jesus opened with Dragon Hawks, omg I missed this man. Heavy wubs, space jams, dimensional portals torn asunder. Shout outs to Liquid Stranger, Toadface and Yheti, lots of collaboration happening in the bass scene. For his last song, he knew how much energy Bro Safari was about to bring so he called for a song of meditation; "nobody dance, nobody move" and he played something slower. I like that, its heady af. Bro Safari came on, by then it was PACKED, I moved behind where all the glovers were, stood at a sparsely-populated section of the rail and got back into the show. A nice, hype set. Idk the differences between genres but it felt like they hit a few different feels throughout the set. Some dubstep, some trap, some drum and bass. I wasn't fully engaged but it was good music Finally, Snails went and fucked me in the brain matter with four undead alien penises going through my eardrums and eye sockets. Visuals were badass, drops were filthy fresh, the big ass inflatable snail was instantly crowned my new overlord. I hadn't heard of Snails before, but it turns out vomitstep is one of the few true necessities in life. Snails / Squnto / Space Jesus / Bro Safari / Boogie T. Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius As far as the music goes, the acts that stood out for me were Ookay Live and Liquid Stranger. Illenium, Porter and Bassnectar were great of course, but it's the same thing for me every time: I don't listen to these tracks on my own, so I'm going in with fresh ears for ALL the artists, and I can evaluate the set and say what worked and what didn't, give a basic impression of it, but it feels like with most EDM artists, people talk about "yeah he dropped this unreleased track and this track from ten years ago" and this and that; that's a review I can't give because it's all totally new. For Porter and Illenium, they sounded good but nothing unique imo. I did like how Illenium would have that uplifting, ambient sound and switch straight to face punching at the drops. I was very hyped to see what the big deal is with Bassnectar, and I definitely can't say he's overhyped. Even I got the impression that his set went all over the place. It was fresh, it was dope, but again it was mostly the same sounds, so I allowed myself to be distracted by the crowd and the flow artists near me. I will say that he does know how to mess with tempo and blend rhythms well, there were some moments in his set that really hit the spot for me. Liquid Stranger was just that high decibel shit. Those subwoofers that make your teeth chatter worse than rolling on Molly. Epic, powerful bass, pounding through a much smaller room, (the Satellite stage) and then he played Space Jam. Also Ripples was there making trades. She's currently in the Top 4 of Lights On Season 2; I was trying to do my best to balance being star-struck and avoiding hero worship. Being active in the gloving community is still not a lifestyle that I want to adopt, but I will continue to watch some of the pros, and I'm always hoping to get a lightshow when I'm out. I just respect that unless I am willing to trade it will be a bit sporadic Ookay Live was the star of night 1 for me. He's got those funky fresh, brightly-colored sugar bombs of beats. Came out with the keytar solos, and then put on his old school style for the last 20 minutes. I was feeling fab. Halfway through his set the lasers came on for the first time of the night, and during Lighthouse I was really enjoying dancing for my first time wearing a rave hood. It was comfy, it was sexy, it was fabulous. Definitely gonna track Ookay's tour dates from now on. If I could see Ookay and GRiZ, maybe Big Gigantic at a club show, that'd be a perfect night for me I said this last year and I'm glad I took it back, but I think I do mean it this time that I don't want to do LAN again. That doesn't leave many big festivals that are in commute distance, but I just have to deal with it. Two big reasons why: (last year my reasons were the crowds and prices, I got early bird GA for a reasonable price and wasn't so bothered by the crowd so far) the Vixen Vapors ridiculousness, and the technical production. I don't vape so it doesn't affect me, but not allowing any vapes except ones bought onsite is so transparently bullshit that it's earned my boycott on principle. And then for Illenium to lose power five times in the first 20 minutes of his set, it's clear that the organizers do not care about the music or the culture. Just sponsors and ticket fees. DAY 2: Since I was rolling the whole thing was a blur, so I'm not gonna write detailed paragraphs except to say that Marshmello's set was great for me because of all the well known non-EDM songs. (and two Ookay songs OMGAH) So I still don't know what *his* sound is exactly, but as a live set it really did it for me, even if some of the songs are cliche at this point. I've heard mixed reviews of Mello but it was a really fun way to [nearly] bring in the New Year. With that I'm just going to copy and paste the notes I took: Brothel b2b Essex Nice dramatic start to the night Holly b2b Sayer Great soundtrack for my comeup lol Vincent Slow amazing intro PERFECT for this moment Blackgummy BADASS! Morgan page Sick beats, talented hoopers around me Caught ICE's first lightshow <3 Tokimonsta 2nd best lightshow ever Nghtmre OMG The end of this set is fuckin nuts Seven Lions Prettiness in the intro, uplifting Mix of bright and badass in the drops HEAVY DROPS! Destructo That heavy club shit. Big Snoop Dogg Y.O.D.O. (you only die once) incredible remixxx His birthday was at midnight! :o AC Slater Sexy groovin drum beats Marshmello Amazing sound and lights, so hype Aaaah LIGHTHOUSE?! My favorite song from yesterday Lightshow to Ride from the guy I gave my last kandi to Bright, colorful party music Thief by Ookay are you kidding me Animated smores visuals LOL Zombie Nation by Kerncraft We Like To Party by Vengaboys?! Wonderwall remix Sweet Child O Mine O.O Sweet Dreams Last Resort Incessant energy. Goodbye 2017! Lights All Night (December 29-30, 2017) Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius I really loved Cloudchord. Definitely belonged on a lineup with Big Gigantic, but his music was so versatile and original that I feel like he could open for Ookay, Gramatik or GRiZ. I would even go so far as to say he would fit in collaborating with Daft Punk on Random Access Memories, that's how impressed I was with him. Fun samples and full mastery of his guitar tone, whether using gain, harmonics, wah or reverb. Definitely adding him to my Pandora and watching his tour dates from now on. Shallou had a big, confident sound, energetic and carefree. One song had a sick glitchy drop. Was very enjoyable but didn't leave much to talk about. I liked all the drum machines along with the kit. It was just your basic 4/4 house beats I've been waiting to see Big G since like before my first EDM shows, back when the only EDM artists I knew were Moon Hooch and the local talent, I saw that Big Gigantic also made dance music with a saxophone. I never got hooked on their albums but I've enjoyed them on Pandora and saw live pics and footage on their Instagram. The euphoria set in for me when they played Got The Love, which they followed up with Good Times Roll and I was just living for it. I like stage presence and sound quality and I like a good light show but having everything at the same time can be a challenge, and these boys pulled it off tonight. The encore was mind-blowing. A harmonic effect on the sax leading into The Little Things. An older song called Nocturnal and some absolutely filthy drops in the last song, finally transforming into pure soul for the road Shallou / Big Gigantic / Cloudchord Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Balkan Bump was fun. Great trumpet playing, nice selection of songs, and he joined Gramatik for quite a bit of time and held his own up there. Jump Around faded into a Turn Down For What buildup, but just went back to Jump Around instead of dropping. Also Drop It Like It's Hot, Talk Dirty To Me and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I would complain about how much playback was used. It's like the sources of his sound were a glorified spacebar and sometimes a trumpet too, leaving him to be his own hype man half the time. Kinda weird. OH MY GOD Haywyre! Dude can play a keyboard! He had so many great synth tones including a mo'fuckin' slap bass solo. I saw him hitting an arpeggio in perfect time as if it was an arpeggiator but it was those magic hands. He had his keyboard sloped down away from him so that the audience could clearly see the keys, and a camera pointed at them which would display on two sets of screens, to make damn sure you could see the magic happen with your own eyes, and it was flawless. In a weird way I feel like he is the EDM version of Franz Liszt. Definitely going straight on my Pandora, probably on my iTunes soon and I'll count the days until he blows my mind in person again. I recognized the song I Am You, and the Smooth Criminal remix was hitting me like lightning strikes, with power and precision. Thank you for that, Haywyre. See you again soon. So yeah. As I expected, Future Crypto does much more for me live. Still a quirky one but I'll probably go ham to it more often from now on. Was living for Satoshi Nakamoto. LOVED the GRiZMATiK songs, (Digital Liberation Is Mad Freedom!!!) Expect Us with Balkan Bump, (that's where the mood REALLY started to hit me. Loved the Guy Fawkes masks which lent meaning to the song title) the call/response section of Good Times Roll, Aymo, Illusion of Choice, and topping it off with Voyager Twins, which I was most looking forward to. I also had no idea that the sample in War of the Currents is "Learn bout somethin", and now I love that song even more. Gramatik / Haywyre / Balkan Bump Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Luttrell was dope. Uplifting but bassy. Super, super chill. Nice arpeggiator work. Great to see a full 90-minute set from an opener as well. For Above & Beyond, I'm gonna put my favorite songs here and then just put all the texts that stood out to me. It really is a show that you have to experience, no write-up of mine will do it justice. Songs: My Own Hymn, Happiness Amplified, (!!!) All Right Now, Northern Soul, We're All We Need, Blue Sky Action. And whatever the funky, chocolate sweet song from the Anjuna treasure chest was THIS PLACE LOOKS ACE // BUT EVEN BETTER // ARE YOU // SO MUCH KINDNESS, LOVE AND RESPECT IN THIS ROOM ALREADY // THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT // WE ARE THE ANJUNAFAMILY // WE DO IT TOGETHER SO, UNDER YOUR FEET IS A FLOOR THAT'S SUPPORTED BY GROUND // IT'S COMMON GROUND DALLAS... YOU'RE SO COOL // (so cool, so cool, so cool) // AND YOU KNOW IT // SO DANCE LIKE NO ONE'S WATCHING ELECTRICITY IS INSIDE YOU // YOU RUN ON ELECTRICITY IT'S TIME FOR A LITTLE BLUE SKY ACTION // IT MAY BE GREY AND MISERABLE OUT THERE, BUT IN HERE, YOU SHINE NEVER BE AFRAID TO SHOW OTHERS WHO YOU REALLY ARE MAKE 2018 THE YEAR YOU BECAME THE REAL YOU YOU SHINE, DALLAS // FEELS LIKE GROUP THERAPY // THIS IS A GOOD DAY SOMEONE CAME TO THIS SHOW ALL BY THEMSELVES, ALONE // GO FIND THEM AND WELCOME THEM TO THE FAMILY // WE ARE ANJUNAFAMILY // THANK YOU DALLAS TAKE THAT FEELING AND SHARE IT // LIFE IS MADE OF SMALL MOMENTS LIKE THIS Above & Beyond / Luttrell Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius It opened with Beethoven's fifth and the moment washed over me right away. I'm not too familiar with all the movements in Fantasia or Fantasia 2000, so this was like the perfect setting to experience it with relatively fresh eyes. The percussion section was the highlight of the orchestra, for me. During the thunderstorm of the Pastoral Symphony, throughout the Firebird suite, even in the Waltz of the Flowers, those were the elements that had the most immersive impact. The Firebird suite was particularly special. Again, I didn't recognize the piece or the animation but I'm just so glad that was a thing. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies was exquisite as well. Major props to the conductor, Keitaro Harada. Matching the tempo of the visuals, based on recordings from The Philadelphia Orchestra is clearly no easy task. And he kept it light and relaxed throughout with trivia, like how Clair De Lune (dedicated to the 6-year-old attending their first symphony today) was only in the home video, not the 1940 theatrical release, so it was a unique experience for us to see it showcased in the performance hall. And I'm gonna go ahead and place my bets here that come the end of the year, The Sorcerer's Apprentice will have been THE most impressive performance of live music that I will have experienced in 2018. Keitaro's metronome kept going from fast to slow and back, and I mean FAST. That poor orchestra followed his lead to the letter, it was a sight to see and a piece to hear. Wow. Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Blüd Bröthers were the local warmup act. They did the fun, bright sounds and then got trippy in the second hour. Overall they hit my tastes better than most generic club DJs I've heard. Also, Cantina song remix. Oh hell yeah. Then Woolymammoth flipped my headbanger switch :D during his intro I was thinking of Squnto's set at South Side last year. That intro was a full-on dragon attack and Wooly's was like a massive prehistoric stampede. So both artists were right on with the flavor of their music. I dig. MMMMMM BLEEP BLOOP! I lost my shit when Humanoid dropped. It seemed fitting to me as Zeke Beats played the first time I went to Lizard Lounge. Then there was a collab with Woolymammoth and that track was so delicious. I'm about to look it up and see if I can download it, I need it in my life. Dallas loves you, Bleep Bloop. Thanks for making this happen. As always I stand there thinking about the genre and comparing it to others I'm familiar with. I certainly prefer listening to the funkier lowtemp-type stuff, but bass is ALWAYS basically the most impressive subgenre to me. The sounds these guys can produce are just absurdly good. Bleep Bloop / Woolymammoth / Blüd Bröthers Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius One of the first songs, "Improv 2" (from the Cathedral DVD. I'm so familiar with the song I assumed it was on Red Sky...) was on point with Mike disintegrating the moog. Then he decided to take off and throw around his shoes and socks lol. Dig Wenzl's synth sweeps on St Louis, Mike's high note on Growing Up, Wenzl's groovy EWI basslines, the dueling jam where Wenzl was fucking unleashed for his 2nd turn on the sax. Everything about Red Sky, the way they started Milk and Waffles in the middle of the song, the bass tone on Number 9, the headbanging feels during Bari 3, the FX added to Tubes, and OMG, Jiggle was the encore :D James' drum solo sounded particularly good tonight. Like I never doubted his ability, but the complex rhythms he throws together are just clearly insane to do without it coming off as sloppy, and this time I could just tell every beat was intentional and tight. It was a sight to behold. James is just godlike, man. There were like two new songs, and they were freaking great, but I will say I'm starting to recognize a strong majority of the set, which was not so much the case at the Gas Monkey or Granada shows. I could say they're refining their sound, but the constant innovation is something I'm gonna hope sticks around awhile longer. That being said, I made tonight more about listening than participating (left the gloves at home, went by myself) and I really love how the set is a complete and exciting musical journey. A lot of the same flavors throughout, yes, but the use of the moog, of ableton, the various saxes, the well-executed gimmicks like screaming into the pickups. There's a dynamic flow to these setlists, and never a dull moment Moon Hooch Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius The New Trust wasn't too memorable for me. Just kind of your run of the mill bass-driven indie rock band. Worthy openers though, nice clean rhythms and tempo changes. Oh and the songs were a bit short, like hardly ever more than 3 minutes. Not sure how I like that; it avoided being over-indulgent, but some of those jams I would have liked to indulge in. Anyway they seemed like nice people, one of their songs was described as being about how in indie rock you're basically drowning, but then you find can breathe underwater... Planet of Ice, man... This was my first show where a band played straight through an album of theirs, start to finish. And Planet of Ice was the first Minus the Bear album I heard. It's just a sonic masterpiece. Great blend of synths/effects with guitars and drums, insane leads and rhythms. This show was just a dream come true. The lead guitarist was sooo good. For White Mystery he spent most the time kneeled over his pedalboard essentially sampling his guitar. Frikkin innovative. Of the non-PoI songs my favorite was Secret Country. And like halfway through the show (I think after finishing Planet of Ice) the guitarists and keyboard player all knelt down for an extended 4-pedalboard jam. It was a delicious way of setting the tone for the second act. But what I was most looking forward to was Dr. L'Ling. Since the first time I listened to it I knew it would be one of the very few songs I absolutely needed to hear in person one day, and that moment finally came at 9:29 PM tonight, and it was the best 6 minutes and 52 seconds of my summer. God damn. Minus the Bear / The New Trust Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Not a fan of all the Disney music they played first. Star Wars fans have a pretty poor relationship with Disney when it comes to the franchise. Whatever The light show was not what I had hoped for. I can see they tried but there could have been a better direction, very rarely did anything sync with the music or make sense with the musical motifs, it just felt like it was unrelated eye-candy for the kids that hadn't seen anything like it before. That being said the fireworks for the ANH End Title was phenonemal The winners for me both titles from A New Hope, Across the Stars, Princess Leia's Theme, and Rey's Theme. Most everything else sounded decent but wasn't as immersive. Duel of the Fates was trash, if you're not gonna use a choir then pick a different song... Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius I always love being blown away by opening artists I've never heard of. Holy hell, Elohim was so freaking good. Breathtaking orchestral intro, (Why Am I Like This) sick bass drops, amazing voice, simultaneously both sexy and adorable, (strong Krysten Ritter vibes, oh my god) and she showed some piano chops during one of her transitions. I pretty much loved every song, but some lyrics stuck out to me; "I just wanna go where love is alive", "kiss me with your eyes open, they dilate when you hold me close", "now all the butterflies have turned to vultures in my stomach", "I got love, fuck your money", and "don't half love me, love me all the way" Yeah. Usually the mix is a little screwy for the opener and I can't hear what they're singing at all, but the sound was perfect for Elohim, and I was hooked. Really danceable beats, solid transitions, and sweet use of like a text-to-speech voice between and during songs, kind of like Bo Burnham's "what.", in the intro to Left Brain, Right Brain. I absolutely cannot wait to see her play again. Okay fanboying over, sorry girl, feel free climb off that pedestal now. Glitch Mob was everything I could have hoped for. Their sound is too thick and repetitive for me to get hooked when I'm casually listening, but it is mind blowing in person. I like how the show kind of expanded over time, like for the first several songs the touchpads stayed in black/white and then starting with Elohim's track they went through all kinds of other colors. And how most everything was scripted and barely changed from studio versions until after the encore, when they each took a pad solo and generally added more variation to the pads. Favorite songs were Derezzed, (not sure how I wasn't expecting that one) Come Closer, We Are The Wild Ones, Fortune Days and We Can Make The World Stop. The Glitch Mob / Elohim Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Cellogram is a cello and cajon/bongo. Nice, thick sound, fun arrangements and stage presence. They brought out Jen Majura of Evanescence to do Sweet Child O' Mine, I liked her shirt, "Ego Kills Talent". Lindsey absolutely killed it tonight. From the Warmer in the Winter tour I knew her sets were theatrical but it was great to see the theatrics in a non-Christmas context and it blew me away. The subtlety that caught my attention the most was during Take Flight and Roundtable Rivalry, (and possibly others) the main screens showed the same choreography that was happening on stage, but in a pro-shot and edited version. It felt like a live concert film and was so effective. I've seen similar prerecorded gimmicks, (Muse's Uprising and TOP's Josh v Josh drum battle) but this was an instant favorite for me. Mirage was amazing, but even more amazing was Shatter Me. With Amy Lee. And no dubstep. Holy crap that was the perfect version of the song. Also really appreciated the voiceover extended outro to Crystallize Compared to Lindsey, I wasn't too taken with Evanescence this time around. Of course the sound was incredible. Surprisingly the orchestra held up well with the outdoor venue, barely any worse than last year's show. The percussive combination of kit + pads stole the show all the same. And having Lindsey on Hi-Lo was a bonus. But... Lindsey's set was energetic and goddamn fun. Evanescence was dark, dramatic, ethereal, and therefore, boring. It sounds pretty, and even sounds better than I could ever experience at home, but other than that there was nothing to hold my attention. In fact, the lady in front of me started up a game of Bejeweled on her phone... They brought it back around with Lindsey collabing on Ozzy's No More Tears, that was badass. But then it was over :/ so I'm glad to have seen some good Evanescence shows in my time but from now on they're very skippable and overpriced Cellogram / Lindsey Stirling / Evanescence Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Tha Magistrate was your typical local opener, fitting for the show, nothing to write home about. HiLow by Minnesota is always welcome Conrank has earned his spot right up there with the rest of the ticket. He turned up the energy from the first drop, throughout the whole set and the b2b2b at the end. I even caught a smug grin on his face right before a particularly nasty drop. (like "HE KNOWS") He did an unreleased Emalkay remix of When I Look At You, which he said will only ever be in his live sets. Closed it out with Mac Miller's Best Day Ever in tribute to him. Fuck Fentanyl. That meant a lot to me in that moment even if I wasn't too familiar with Mac or the situation Zeke Beats. Turntables. Scratching. Humanoid. This Is America. Yuck. HiLow. Sampling. Dirty Audio. Bleep Bloop. Sir Mixalot. Meltdown. Rave booty. Yeah I love this guy so much. Especially how he showcases stellar physical rhythm in his scratching and sampling. Just raw talent, and sick bass. Space Jesus opened it up with his Dragonhawks collab with Liquid Stranger. This guy is the true Lord of Bass. Lol at one point he said "Yo my girlfriend wrote this song, what's up". Space Jam, of course. Stage lights going crazy. Then he did that fakeout thing hyping up the biggest drop of the night and dropping into a chill reggae beat lol. B2B2B Space Jesus / Zeke Beats / Conrank was everything I could hope for. They were just enjoying themselves up there, dropped Basscannon and I Can't Stop. So much fun. Space Jesus / Conrank / Zeke Beats / Tha Magistrate Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Metaphysic 基本原理 Nice thick, low key bass. HAL 9000 sample. ("I feel much better now, I really do") Loving all the flow arts and the venue lights setup Bassline Drift A guitarist, a female vocalist and hype bass on playback. Rachel Lindsay is giving me Poe vibes :D Really liked Swingin' Ten, Give + Take and ESPECIALLY "Pull Me Under" (having trouble confirming the song title but that was the repeated lyric. Sudden tempo increase and a killer bass drop. Love it so much) Tor Welcome to Dallas, Tor. Ambient vibes, constant rhythm throughout his set with naturally evolving loops, semi-industrial percussion. Great music to just sit back and soak in. Every new artist I experience is giving me more and more appreciation for bass music. World bass, future bass, all of it, such a vibrant genre Thriftworks Arpeggiatic assaults. Many blips and bleeps. Pitch-shifted mic; Demonic hip hop? Perfect for Halloween, I guess... Absurd interludes from rednecks, Boyd Rice and Friends and Smokey the Bear. Sponsored by Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, corrective hearing surgery, and Mike Pence. 0% of this paragraph was made up... God damn, Thriftworks. Good to see you again. Clozee Her first Halloween in the USA. Hype sound. Not nailing my taste buds for creativity like Thriftworks and Bassline Drift, but the lasers and bass are still hitting me hard. I also got to catch a solid light show and check out some hoop and poi spinners :D Nice close to an incredible Halloween. Best Halloween in years. Thriftworks / CloZee / Tor / Bassline Drift / Metaphysic Feb 23, 2019
 Ignatius Max Frost Funky lo-fi machine, one-man multi instrumentalist multitasking. Sometimes, Money Problems and Good Morning. Very funky loops Awolnation Run, Hollow Moon and Sail were all just nuts. Wasn't loving the back and forth with high and low energy songs, but sometimes it be like that tho. We did a "wave" with our lights up and it was epic. I also didn't know that a Texas radio station was one of the first to start playing Sail. I'd put my money on The Edge or The Eagle, I think one of the radio guys at How the EDGE Stole Xmas said they'd been playing Sail since the beginning. Also I think having AWOL open is a good sign that TOP is definitely moving out of the boyband/middle-school-girl-fanbase status of the Blurryface era, solidifying themselves as a fucking indie rock band. The crowd was noticeably more mature this go around Twenty one pilots Okay so I gotta start with Fairly Local. Man, in previous tours they just played the hook as an intro to HeavyDirtySoul. So I'm just enjoying my first time hearing the song live and had no idea Tyler came up 10 feet behind me. You got me good, boy. THANK YOU! Everything about the stage was incredible. the car, the matrix of lights, the risers, the square rigs that would rotate around and at the end of Lane Boy they enveloped Josh's drumset, the BRIDGE THING which played host to two of Tyler's raps, the B stage screen and "icicles" which played perfectly into the time-stop gimmick of Pet Cheetah. Every moment brought something fresh to appreciate, visually and sonically. Wardrobe changes, a progression from start to finish with various intros and outros, particularly the voiceovers before Lane Boy and We Don't Believe What's On TV. Great banter, Josh Dun basking in the praise of his glorious Dall-Abs... For Morph there was an arpeggio going with some kind of alternate time-signature, I didn't want to try to count it out but could tell it was a major break from the studio version, and I always love weird rhythmic tricks like that. Tyler's rapping prowess makes me feel like he's a modern day Eminem. Surely not as much raw rhyming ability, but in the emotions and the authority with which he speaks, what's great about both artists is they stand for something when they take the mic, something other than cash and pussy. Neon Gravestones definitely held my attention in that regard. Best tour so far, their hiatus was 100% worth it, they came back and raised the bar through the roof, this is simply how you do shows when you're one of the biggest names on the scene. Twenty One Pilots / AWOLNATION / Max Frost Feb 23, 2019