7th Annual Lex & Terry Boob-A-Q w/ POP EVIL and IN THIS MOMENT
Event on 2013-05-10 19:00:00
Pop Evil
Named as one of iTunes "Top New Artists of '08," Pop Evil continues their march across America and the airwaves. As their fan base grows, a history lesson on how they got to "here" might help: Lead singer Leigh Kakaty whose background includes rap along with rock finds drummer Dylan Allison through Leigh's best friend's room mate. Guitarist Dave Grahs is playing in another band when Leigh and Dylan invite him to join them. If you're a Grand Rapids local, you know them as TenFive. The time: November, 2001 THE BEGINNINGS Play the nightclub circuit, find fans, write, perform, fans, write, perform, fans – you get the idea. Band cuts a deal with nightclubs: three sets a night – two sets of covers in exchange for one set of originals. Leigh makes a promise to himself, for the band and its future. "To take pride in the work we're doing now and the work we'll do in the future …and don't forget to pat yourself on the back for what might be considered a small thing." ROLL TAPE Write and record a three-song EP as the band now has earned enough money from their shows to finance the recording. Producer Al Sutton (Kid Rock) gets demo from Leigh's bro, an entertainment attorney. Al loves what he hears. Records the band. Result: Ready or Not EP containing the title track, along with "Somebody Like You" and "Hard Highway." HOMETOWN BOYS MAKE GOOD 97.9 WGRD in Grand Rapids supports the band, spinning "Somebody Like You." Guitarist Dave Grahs shares this thought. "From the beginning it meant a lot to see our friends embrace what we were doing, but it didn't really set in just how much our local market stood behind us until I was driving down the road and heard, "Somebody Like You" on the radio. 2005. ON THE ROAD AGAIN now with Ready or Not EP to help spread the gospel. Two years, countless dates throughout the Midwest and Florida and 12,000 EPs sold out of the trunk of their car. Play, write, drive, sell. Winter, 2006. RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME Major label radio promo rep visits WGRD in Grand Rapids to talk about label's upcoming releases. DJ gives rep a tape of Pop Evil. Leigh gets a call to meet the rep, hand delivers a five-song demo to the rep and continues to keep in contact. Rep sends Pop Evil demo to his father, who co-owns independent label, Pazzo Music. In the winter of 2007, one year following the fateful hand off at WGRD, Pop Evil signs with Pazzo Music. 2007. ROLL TAPE, FULL LENGTH CD. Guitarist Tony Greve and bassist Matt DiRito, both from Muskegon, MI join Pop Evil. The sound is a divine collision of "crispy, crunchy, mainstream rock with a little bit of evil," thanks to the musical and cross-cultural diversity (Eastern Indian, Hispanic, Turkish, American Indian and Polish roots) of the band. Production for CD begins with Al Sutton and Marlon Young (Kid Rock guitarist) at Rust Belt Studio in Royal Oak, Michigan. 12 songs recorded. Band heads to spring break in Panama City for more gigs and gets word that Pazzo wants more. In Florida, in-between shows, band does pre-production at Destin Recording with Dave Cox. Band heads back to Michigan (Canton) with producer Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound to complete the three final songs for the CD. 2008 May: Pop Evil complete recording their first, full-length CD, Lipstick on the Mirror. August 12, 2008 Street date for Pop Evil's Lipstick on the Mirror. After eight years of funky bars, sleeping in cars and miles of highway leading to another strange city, nothing has changed. Well, perhaps a bit. Pop Evil has toured consistently since (and prior to) the release of Lipstick on the Mirror with a combination of headline dates and "Special Guest" support with Puddle of Mudd, Tesla, Theory of a Deadman, P.O.D. and Saliva. "We watch the bands opening for us," states bassist Matt DiRito, "and we not only remember what it was like for us in that slot. We know that band is warming up the crowd for us and in turn, there will always be something for us to learn from them." Lead vocalist Leigh Kakaty carries a video recorder with him at all times as the ideas for melodies or lyrics happen constantly. "There is no separation from my life and my music," states Leigh. "Pop Evil is lifestyle; leading instead of following and having your opinions matter. It is about being heard when no one wants to listen to you. It is about trying to fit in when no one has room for you. It is about overcoming obstacle after obstacle and knowing how to reward yourself for the little things when there are no rewards from your peers. Pop Evil is about making the world BELIEVE." Time for you to believe. Welcome to Pop Evil.
In This Moment
One group that has definitely paid their fair share of dues is the Southern California based quintet IN THIS MOMENT who, through hard work, resiliency and an undying worldwide touring schedule have propelled themselves to the top of the heap of the metal pantheon. They have now returned with their most dynamic and focused offering, which quickly proves that this unit has greatly matured well beyond their years. IN THIS MOMENT spent the early part of 2010 at The Wolve's Den studio once again with acclaimed producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch) recording A Star-Crossed Wasteland, an album hailed by Alternative Press as "One of The Most Anticipated Releases of 2010." The group are extremely excited to be performing on this summer's much anticipated Rockstar Mayhem Tour playing on the Mayhem Festival Stage alongside Korn, Rob Zombie and Atreyu. This tour will mark the start of the group's official, massive worldwide touring cycle. Chris Howorth (guitars) further states: "The writing process for A Star-Crossed Wasteland was different than on our previous records. This time we had more of a plan and we knew we wanted to write darker heavier songs while still keeping our melodic side. We started working on new music last August right after Warped Tour ended and wrote continuously for five months to get as many song ideas on tape as possible. We ended up with about 15 demo songs. Once we got into the studio with Kevin we dissected everything again to make sure everyone was happy with the arrangements and then started tracking. "For us, using Kevin Churko was a no brainer, we had such a great experience making The Dream that we didn't even consider using anyone else. I've said it before and I will say it again, Kevin is the man. He is like the Gandolf the Grey or Yoda of producing. He has so much knowledge and is so creative musically we feel like magic happens when we work together. "I am extremely happy with the end result. We made a record that shows who we are and what we are really about. We feel like it's our defining statement. We really put a lot of effort into making sure the guitars were massive and the drums were slamming while still retaining the depth and melodic layers in the songs. Vocally and lyrically Maria was very emotional and coming from a darker place than on previous albums, and she really poured her heart out and as usual you can tell that it's 100% genuine." One always hears the same old adage growing up: "believe in your dreams, because dreams really do come true." Well, this statement perfectly defines the life of IN THIS MOMENT's frontwoman, Maria Brink, who always believed that she would become a rock star, and overcome all of the obstacles that stood in her way while having to escape an overall non-positive environment. Brink, an Albany, NY native, refused to let any of this deter her from achieving her lifelong goal and soon embarked for Los Angeles to begin her musical career. After a number of odd jobs and failed creative partnerships her life soon took a sudden turn upon meeting guitarist Chris Howorth in 2005, as the two immediately realized that they had something special together. This union would soon be rounded out by Jeff Fabb (drums), Blake Bunzel (guitars) and Jesse Landry (bass) to form IN THIS MOMENT, who just three years later performed to a sold-out crowd at the renowned Madison Square Garden opening for Ozzy Osbourne, ultimately proving dreams do come true. Their invigorating mixture of metal and hard rock quickly caught the attention of metal and hard rock fans alike. The diversity and depth was refreshing and simply undeniable. In 2010, they continue to carve out their own unique and exhilarating chapter in the hard rock genre, laying the foundation for an extremely bright future. Original bassist Jesse Landry left the band after Warped Tour in 2009 to pursue non music related endeavors but Kyle Konkiel quickly joined the fold and instantly became a perfect fit. This group is collectively defined by their undying belief in themselves and this confidence and strength is conveyed perfectly through their new material. For IN THIS MOMENT, the dream was always to become a worldwide phenomenon and that is something that will never fade, especially with this new effort. If you haven't heard of IN THIS MOMENT, it won't be long until you do because this band is at the brink of greatness.
at Ramada Oasis Convention Center
2546 N. Glenstone Ave.
Springfield, United States