2012 update

Hey all! Thanks for sticking with the blog. I was getting some year-end stuff taken care of, so I'll try to be updating more regularly now.

I was going to attend the Rites of Darkness fest (feat. Antaeus, Zemial, etc.) in San Antonio, but that fell through. My last concert of the year will be Sunday, December 11th at the Jackpot in Lawrence: Touche Amore! Also appearing: Pianos Become The Teeth and Seahaven!

A couple last-minute 2011 shows:

As I Lay Dying returns to Kansas City to the Beaumont Club on December 8th. Opening is a whole bunch of bands, including The Ghost Inside, Of Mice And Men, iwrestledabearonce and Sylosis.

Also on the 10th (this coming Saturday) at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY! I doubt you'll get a chance to see these legends in such an intimate setting ever again. Opening is Texas Hippie Coalition and Hammerlord!

Now onto 2012 concerts so far:

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The movie Slow Southern Steel is going on tour, and with them are the bands Hail!Hornet (sludge/stoner/doom supergroup) and Zoroaster (one of the loudest bands you'll ever see) and it's stopping at the Beaumont Club on February 1st! The movie plays first, then Zoroaster slays, then Hail!Hornet kills!







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Returning to the Granada theater after years of absence will be Children of Bodom! They'll be appearing on February 6th along with Eluveitie, Revocation and Threat Signal!









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Sad that In Flames and Trivium canceled their Kansas City appearance this year? Well fear not, they'll be returning to the Beaumont Club in KC on February 11th! Along with the two bands will be Veil of Maya and Kyng!









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And now for something a little different. Scott Kelly, frontman of Neurosis and frequent Mastodon collaborator, will be bringing his acoustic tour to the recordBar in Kansas City on February 21st. Eugene S. Robinson opens.







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Get ready progressive/power fans, the tour of the year is on February 26th at the Midland by AMC in Kansas City: Iced Earth & Symphony X! It looks like it's a co-headlining show with Warbringer opening. Awesome!







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And now for the show in 2012 that's been announced that I'm super excited for:

Killfest 2012 will be coming to Kansas City on April 26th! This legendary thrash band is bringing along a ton of awesome bands to open: Belphegor, Aborted, Suidakra, System Divide, and Diamond Plate! THRASH!













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And that's it! I know of a few more shows happening, but they haven't been announced just quite yet. But safe to say, when they are, they will blow your minds.

Weedeater -- Lawrence, KS -- March 3rd, 2011

As if there was any nagging doubt in the subconscious areas of my mind, Weedeater has brutally stomped my mind (and definitely my ears) with their utterly heaviest brand of metal in the world. It took place at the Jackpot saloon, a small bar with a modest stage and only room for (at extreme most) a few hundred people. The way the crowd was going throughout the entire show, you could have mistaken it for Wacken Open Air. Multiple stage divers and crowd surfers and violent headbanging made for an awesome time. Weedeater played some off their upcoming album "Jason...The Dragon" including the title track and the absolute crushing show-opener "Hammerhandle." If their last album enticed you, their newest will probably be your favorite album of the year. They also revisited all their other albums, including "Weedmonkey Junction" from their first album, "Buzz" from Sixteen Tons (aptly named album), and several off "God Luck And Good Speed," including the title track, "Wizard Fight," and an absolutely stellar and mind-blowing rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimme Back My Bullets." It was truly a performance to remember and the ringing of my ears will remind me of it for some time to come. The rest of the concerts I see this year will have some stiff competition.

Opening for Weedeater was Zoroaster, one of the loudest bands I've ever seen live. It actually started to work against them as their set went on, but their absolutely fantastic drummer made the band an absolute joy. Some songs were (a lot!) better than others and had a fantastic groove to them. They were a lot better than what I expected them to be.

The first band of the night was local band Masses who were apparently playing their first show since August of last year because their singer had a baby. I wouldn't necessarily say their brand of music was way out of place at this show, but it was certainly different. It was, however, refreshing to hear wonderful clean vocals go along with pop/post-rock/noise rock/whatever you want to call it. I'm looking forward to them again!

Weedeater (partial/out of order)

Calico
$20 Peanut
The Great Unfurling
Hammerhandle
Turkey Warlock
Jason...The Dragon
Monkey Junction
Potbelly (?)
God Luck And Good Speed
Wizard Fight
Gimme Back My Bullets (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Weed Monkey

Zoroaster set:

White Dwarf
Ancient Ones
D.N.R.
Bullwhip
Old World
Odyssey
Black Hole
Spirit Molecule

Weedeater: 10/10
Zoroaster: 8/10
Masses: 7.5/10

Contender for heaviest show of the year: WEEDEATER

After a brilliant show last year, Weedeater will be returning to the area at the Jackpot on March 3rd. Zoroaster is opening. DON'T MISS THIS!

Live video for added effect:

Coming Up: Nachtmystium

Psychadelic black metal band Nachtmystium will be returning to Kansas City near the end of September. With them will be Zoroaster, Dark Castle and The Atlas Moth. Personally, I wish they'd focus more on the black metal side of their sound when picking out touring bands, but it still should be a good show.

September 29th
The Riot Room

Nachtmystium
Zoroaster
Dark Castle
The Atlas Moth