On Saturday May 10th rock-n-roll came to Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh, NY with a lineup headed by Saving Abel, Like A Storm, along with local talents Charetta and New Day Dawn. The weekend is always the best time to let loose, have a few drinks, and what better way than a rock show to get the vibe going.
Beginning the party, coming from Northeastern New Jersey was New Day Dawn. Lead by Dawn Botti (guitar / vocalist), Gary Szczecina (drums), PJ Angeloni (guitar), and Elo Hernandez (bass), New Day Dawn is an alternative rock band which has put work in touring and spread the word of their music. When the band took the stage it was an emotionally charged performance relaying a message about personal growth and changing your life to follow your dreams. Playing a strong seven song set some of the highlights were “Life Impossible” and the closer “Whatever it Takes”. Botti and company brought a strong following to Mulcahy’s and connected at an elevated level with the audience. New Day Dawn was an excellent way to get the night going and are worth giving a listen.
Next up were New York City rockers Charetta. As an extremely dedicated band, the group led by Angelina DelCarmen have been all over the map opening for national headliners like Lacuna Coil, Sick Puppies, and most recently Powerman 5000. With a hard rock edge and the massive voice of DelCarmen the band ignited plenty of crowd interaction. Their powerful set of soaring rock included songs like “Lights Out” and “Bitch”. After the band’s performance concluded each member was found hanging out by their merch table conversing and connecting with fans. It is just a matter time before a record label comes in and picks this band up.
Moving onto the billed acts, New Zealand natives Like A Storm were ready to go. Consisting of three brothers,Chris (lead vocals/guitar/didgeridoo), Matt (vocals/ lead guitar) and Kent Brooks (bass/vocals/ keys), the boys took a leap into the unknown moving to North America a few years back to pursue their rock-n-roll dreams. Possessing a never-say-die attitude this talented young band has tirelessly toured the States over and over again. In their time on the road building a fan base they have also connected with audiences on a deeply personal level. Their drive and dedication has helped stimulate big things for the band with SiriusXM Octane spinning their single “Love The Way You Hate Me” extensively. The airplay has made the song one of the most highly demanded on the channel . Their dedicated fans called “Stormtroopers”, are also storm chasers traveling with the band wherever they play and many also made the trip to Mulcahy’s.
Kicking off their performance with Chris on his didgeridoo opening “Chemical Infatuation” started the tornado. It was just a downpour from that point on with the emotionally driven “Never Surrender” and “Save Me”. Chris sang with every ounce of feeling in his bones as the entire band jammed hard. The fan support was unbelievable as the set went on, singing along, cheering, and chanting at each member of the band. Being humble and gracious musicians, the band interacted with the audience as if they were family.
They went on to play a series of their tunes including their cool cover of Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise”. Chris, Matt, and Kent even acknowledged one of their fans birthday’s on stage and sang them a cover of AC/DC’s classic “TNT”. The excitement ended on a high note with the hit single “Love The Way You Hate Me”. Like A Storm are a band that deserves all the praise they receive. They have so much talent and above all the right attitude to make it not only in music, but in life. Watch these storm clouds gather, they are ready to tear apart rock-n-roll.
Closing out the rock celebration were Corinth, MS natives Saving Abel. After blasting onto the rock scene back in 2008 with their self-titled debut album the band have established themselves as a solid rock-n-roll band. Every success story has setbacks, and Saving Abel nearly broke in 2013 when their longtime frontman Jared Weeks departed to pursue a solo career. On that same day of Weeks announcement it was also released their drummer, Michael McManus, would also be departing from the fold. Unwilling to give up the band picked themselves up, rallied around each other, and connected with Trash The Brand vocalist Scott Austin and drummer Steven Pulley. Now completing a series of touring cycles with their fresh lineup, dedicated fans are hooked on the new sound of the band as they look to the future.
Taking the stage with confidence and rock swagger, the boys took hold of the audience and did not let go. Fans packed tightly near the stage area singing along with tunes like ” New Tattoo”, “Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood)”, and “The Sex Is Good”. Guitarists Jason Null and Scott Bartlett rhythms and leads were solid and thick in tone as they enticed the audience with style. The show moved along at a accelerated pace, mixing fun high energy stage antics with strong instrumental performances. Eric Taylor’s bass fingering was precise as moved about the stage, having a blast. Having sustained many changes in the last year, Saving Abel sounds was as tight as ever and they seemed to share a strong chemistry on stage.
Austin’s singing was on point with strong inflections and the right amount of rawness needed to rock a crowd. Pumped up from the excitement flowing through the room, Austin took off his shirt at one point to give everyone a glimpse of some of his ink and pleasing more than a handful of ladies. While the evening had plenty of fun-filled moments, it was also gave fans a chance to look deeper inside the meaning of some of Saving Abel’s tunes, as Austin explained them openly and honestly with the room. After an hour plus of great rock-n-roll the show came to an end with generous applauds. Saving Abel proved to their fans why they are not going away and still have plenty of music left in them.
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