With a record breaking cold front storming through the north east, Saving Abel’s newest headlining tour made a stop at Revolution in Amityville, NY Wednesday January 8th. While the temperature was in the single digits outside, things were warming up inside Revolution with a bill of Kiko Loureiro, newcomers Three Year’s Hollow and Blacklite District helping to ring in the New Year in only the way they know how – with kick ass rock n roll.
First up was Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Lourerio is an accomplished guitarist most recognized for his work in power metal band Angra. His solo career has really blossomed with his extensive range of talents from progressive metal to Brazilian style. Now bringing further awareness, Lourerio is touring North America. His set really was magical with two handed tapping techniques, sweep picking, and full range of harmonics. His styling and grace with the guitar is something really worth catching if you are an appreciator of virtuoso guitar playing. If you can’t catch him on tour it’s worth picking up his new dvd White Balance.
The second of the four bands on the tour package, Illinois’ Three Years Hollow, marked the second time the quintet took the stage at Club Revolution on Long Island. Having previously toured with Eye Empire last year, and recently inking a major label deal with Imagen Records, the boys are out and about promoting their record label debut, The Cracks. A year on the road has done nothing but tweak the sound of these ambitious young men, bringing out a cohesive, tight sound. Blending punishing riffs with melodic vocals, these guys are straight up hard rockers in the vein of their producer Clint Lowery’s band Sevendust. The band blasted through fan favorite “Chemical Ride” as well as the new single “Hungry”. Look out for big things to come from the band’s debut hitting stores February 11th, 2014, making for a perfect Valentine’s Day gift.
The next band to step up was South Dakota’s Blacklite District. Boasting a sound derived from hard rock roots with heavy electronic to even some dubstep influences, the quartet has been making waves on Sirius XM’s Octane with their smash hit “With Me Now”. Delivering a nice blend of rock and electronic overlays, the band played songs such as “Worldwide Controversy”, “Take me to the Grave”, and closed with their current single. Guitarist/Vocalist Kyle Pfeiffer provided some comic relief between songs, asking fans to join the band for shots after their set. Vocalist and founding member Roman James, towered over the stage while delivering his melodic choruses coupled with raspy screams. Blacklite District definitely won over many new fans at Revolution that night. Check out their With Me Now EP available now.
Finally, at about 11:30 PM headliners Saving Abel stepped up to the plate. This new tour is perhaps a pivotal point in Saving Abel’s career for many reasons. First of all, it marks the debut of two new members to the Saving Abel camp, following the most recent departure of former founding vocalist Jared Weeks and drummer Mike McManus. The loss of any vocalist from a band always threatens to be detrimental, with potential to alienate old stalwarts with personal attachments to the “old sound” the band once had. The question most Saving Abel fans are wondering is how does new vocalist Scotty Austin of Tennessee-based Trash the Brand measure up. Also added to the mix with Austin is new drummer Steven Pulley also of Trash the Brand.
Hitting the stage with “New Tattoo”, it was evident that Saving Abel has had a breath of fresh air with their new members. The intimate crowd at Revolution began to show signs of life as the band blasted through numbers “New Tattoo”, “Contagious”, and “Mystify” while Austin danced and hyped up the lady fans near the stage. It wasn’t until the fourth number, “Stupid Girl (Only in Hollywood)” that the band took a slight breather to speak with the crowd. The members appeared to be having fun and Austin was eager to fill the gap with a raspy croon similar to Jared, but with a unique sound of its own. As the night progressed, the band played through hits “Bringing Down The Giant”, “Mississippi Moonshine”, “18 Days”, and, of course, finished with “Addicted”. An interesting addition was a performance of Trash the Brand’s single “Devil’s Ride” which was a nice break in the set list, featuring the swamp-a-billy style from down under.
Despite the cold and unwelcoming New York weather, these southern lads did not show the slightest bit of fatigue or disappointment. All bands were respectful, friendly, and hanging out with fans all night long. There were no rock star egos or attitudes on this tour, which was appreciated by all. Definitely look to check out the fresh new sound of Saving Abel, Blacklite District, Three Years Hollow, and Kiko Loureiro when they come by.
Written by Mr. G.
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