Project Backstage

JD’s Review – Ballot Release Gone Wild

Project Backstage — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:10:05 +0000

Oh Baby, if anybody missed this, they REALLY missed out. The fact that is was a free show gave very few a real excuse to miss this in person. Let’s just recap the lineup. The Green Brothers Music, The Burning Tide, An Endless Chapter, Sicadis, The Devil’s Marmalade and Black Ribbon Sky. That line up spans a large section of the available fan base and it showed in the very large crowd at the Venue. But even with such a diverse cross section of people it was nice to see everyone was mixing very well, no fights ensued and I saw people stick around for all sets, no matter the genre. This is probably because all of the bands did a hell of a job.

I need to mention that not everything was perfect. I was asked to run two computers with different camera’s on the same livestream for those not in attendance. I really need to raid Jordan Smiley’s awesome camera and recording device closet as my camera’s are mighty week on quality. I had a snafu when I left one computer in the hands of a certain drummer. When I came back to the computer, he was gone, and the internet and thus livestream would not work any longer. Still not fixed by the way. Although I can’t say it was his fault, I can say it looks suspicious from my POV. Oh well, plan B two camera’s one computer, from the sound booth on the second stage. This gave me bird’s eye view of both stages, but the main stage sound was slightly muffled. Then I hear in the livestream chat that it is laggy and sounds bad, so plan C is really and extension of plan B, which is to switch to Ustream, which is what we use for SLAM and that fixed things in the electronic world. Should have done all that in the first place in hind sight…but so be it.

Really the best way to hear music is live anyway, so here is my review of the bands I was able to focus on a bit. I was slightly preoccupied during the Green Brothers set, but managed to hear most of it. I cannot complain about them, they are not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but this is really because the sounds they put out are mellow and sound almost acoustic if that makes any sense. For Example, when a lot of rock bands go acoustic the songs get more “mellow”. That is pretty much what I feel I am hearing from this band right now. It makes some sense as the core of this group were an acoustic act for a long time and now that they are a full band. While I imagine they will continue to AMP UP as a band, I actually like this music now. It is entertaining and allows for friends to chit chat while being entertained. I expect big things from this “Green” band in the coming future, so we will see which direction they take.

I cannot review Burning Tide or An Endless Chapter properly, I was working on getting the video thing fixed and heard them muffled through the bar at ceiling level behind the header of the room. That being said, these two bands could easily hold a Femme Fatale night of music with some of the other awards nominees for female vocalists and I bet it would be successful judging by the crowds I saw for both bands.

At this point of the night I had the Camera System up and running and was sick of being behind the bar. I left it running and made sure I was out on the floor while Sicadis tore things up. They were by far the hardest band of the night and huge props to Adam Lichtenaur from the band Moire. He ran the sound and really made this band sound phenomenal. I have heard them before at the Riot room and the sound there is rarely topped, but it definitely was this night. Say it with me guys…..ADAM is THE MAN! But even he would not be able to make a crap band sound good, so props to the entire band. I was blown away watching Andy J widdle on his fiddle. That guy definitely deserved the nomination for best guitarist. To top all this off the crowd for Sicadis was awe inspiring. everyone was having a good time including band members from other genre’s, if you will. Even the mosh pits did not cause any frowns. As fun as that was, I am told the After Party with these guys was legend…..wait for it….ary! I really need to go to more of these, they are always the talk of the town.

The next band I got to see was the Punk Blues band The Devil’s Marmalade. This band is definitely not Sicadis, but truly hold there own on musical talent. The sound they put out really connects with a completely different side of me. It kind of goes like this, you kind of want to listen because of the interesting blend of styles you hear, then when you see them on stage you are drawn to a three piece using a unique blend of musical instruments and amps, plus they don’t really look like the standard Rock Band when they perform, I mean hell I saw the Bass Player hanging from the rafters. Then when you really start to listen, you laugh your ass off when the lyrics are actually heard. This lets them take you on a journey of experiences through song that just makes you want to like the band. I hope to see them in the future with some Fried Chicken in one hand and a Schlitz Tallboy in the other…

The last band of the night was Black ribbon Sky. I was not sure anyone was going to actually get to hear them because the drummer had cymbal issues. But a last minute save By Cam from Sicadis showed solidarity between bands and allowed the show to go on. I have reviewed these guys recently and I saw no fault with what I saw on the stage, but I want Frank to do the actual review, I suspect he was more focused than I at that point. I will say that it appears that these guys are back in the groove of things. They seem to be having fun on and off stage and it shows in the performance. I am seeing good things coming their way everywhere I look. So, whether that leads to fame and fortune or not, I am glad to see them having fun now and look forward to following their future.

JD Enke
Project Backstage

Jason Prece Benefit Sunday!

Project Backstage — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:30:53 +0000

Sunday at the Beaumont Club in Westport of Kansas City, MO the massive throwdown will happen, and all in the name of Jason Prece to help him pay his hospital bills.

Multiple bands will take the stage at the major venue to help raise money for Jason Prece who is the lead singer of “In the Shadow” and a major supporter of the Kansas City music scene. Jason was badly burned in a bon fire accident earlier this year, and needs help with all the medical bills that rack up when something like this happens.

The bands playing this benefit are:

Tickets are $10.00 at the door, and the show starts at 6PM.

Project Backstage is also attempting to help the cause by donating $5 off each ticket sold to the Project Backstage Midwest Rock Awards that is sold on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Those tickets can be purchased at Aftershock directly, or online through StubWire (the official ticket outlet of Aftershock) located at: http://www.stubwire.com/event/projectbackstage2012midwestrockawards/aftershock/merriam/2568/.

The benefit show has been sponsored by Strictly Music, Willoughby Guitars, Be Metal or Die Productions, and True Luxuary Transportation. More information on the benefit show can be found through the page that the organizers have created on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/events/189004051195990/

Project Backstage

DNERO – The Interview

Project Backstage — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:59:13 +0000

Recently James Lowe from Project Backstage sat down with DNERO. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist while they were
working on their next CD and Tour. DNERO will be in Kansas City on Wednesday March 14th at Craz located at 1531 Grand, Kansas City MO.

1. Do you remember how the idea of forming the band first came up?

I wanted to be apart of the music industry. I used to write poems since I was 11, so one day i
just put everything together with a instrumental that I found online, and I’ve been hooked ever
since.

2.How long after you formed was it until you played your first live show?

It took me a while actually. I tried to get shows set up, but I wasn’t developed yet. It took me 2
years to get my first show, which ended up being in front of the 1,400 people that I went to high
school with.

3.What are your memories of the performance?

The memories that I had, as far as that performance goes, It was legit. They had a camera crew
filming me, professional photographers, it was crazy. It was my first taste of what living this
lifestyle was like.

4.Tell us about the band’s name?

Of course. When you think of D’nero, you think of money in spanish because that is what dinero
means. Since I am half white, half puerto rican and love money, the word dinero describes
me very well (in my eyes at least) But I didn’t want to have it spelt like it already is, I wanted to
switch it up. So I took out the letter I and added a apostrophe and BAM!

5.What is your latest album and why should people buy it?

My last album was Chapter 7. I put a lot of time and effort into that project. You should go buy
it because my whole heart went into that project, and I did everything by myself. But with that
being said, right now it’s about that new single “Bottoms Up” that is about to have the whole
world going crazy.

6.How would you categorize the style of the band? And did you ever consider or try playing
other styles of music than the one you are playing now?
My style is hiphop/club/pop. I can do the biggest club song on earth, but best believe I’ll be rapping the verses.
As an artist I am very diverse. I have produced and featured in a rock/pop song, countless
hardcore rap and R&B songs. As an audio engineer, I have recorded and mixed styles like
country, ska and Hebrew Rock! I do it all!

7.Can you share with us one or two of your favorite moments with the band?

My favorite moment is when I got my first royalty check. To know that I was getting paid doing
what I loved, everything I was doing at the time was worth it. And the 2nd favorite moment
would have to be getting signed, no doubt. REFORMATORY!

8. Does the entire band contribute to the writing process?

I do it all myself. If I’m not writing my own material, I have no reason doing what i’m doing right
now, if that makes sense to you.

9.How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?

It is absolutely important, no doubt about it. With the type of style that I am going for, it is
nothing like lyrical hip hop, but at the same time, I can’t dumb anything down, I just have to write
in a different context. If I was writing garbage, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

10.What are your current tour plans or upcoming shows, if any?

Yeah man I’ll be on tour in March with my label mates. We’ll be in DC, Baltimore, Philly, Jersey,
New York, Indianapolis, Ohio, then back to Chicago.
It’ll be good, give me a chance to go back home and have my fans who still follow me come out
to the shows.

11.Describe your live performance?

My performances are epic. You put my in a nightclub performing my music and everybody goes
crazy.
Dudes get mad at me because their girlfriends love my music, they love to dance to my music.
I’m just like “sorry bro, I’m not changing” (lol) you know?

12.What one Album should everyone have in their collection?

Oh man, great question. In the past month, there have been great albums that came out.
J.Cole, Drake, Wale, Mac Miller, get them all.

13.Tell us about your local music scene?

The local music scene that I came up in was 90% rock and metal. I had to travel to Brooklyn
and Jersey City to get shows.

14.Why do you think people are into your music?

Because it is good. Especially with my new music, everybody wants to have a good time. It’s a
recession, nobody wants to listen to depressing music. And if you are making depressing music,
it’s no disrespect at all, because i’ve made my share of dark, deep, depressing music. But my
fans right now aren’t listening to you.

15.If we were to look at your IPod, what would we find in your music collection?

You would find artists like: Bobby Valentino, Chris Brown, myself, Drake, Lloyd Banks, Fab, Jim
Jones, Joe Budden, Lupe Fiasco, Lloyd, Stuey Rock, Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent. Artists like that.

16.Would there be any one band or musician that would surprise us that you are listening to
them?

Nothing should be surprising with the music I listen to. I’m an audio engineer, I listen to it
all. I just love urban music.

17.Where can our readers find your band on the internet?

I’m everywhere. You can check out my own website, my label’s website, every social network,
every major online retail stores, just type in D’nero on the search bar. The official list of links is:
www.DneroMusic.com www.ReformatoryRecords.com www.Twitter.com/TheRealDnero
www.Reverbnation.com/dnero www.Soundcloud.com/dnero609 www.Myspace.com/dnero609
And my music is for sale on: iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, eMusic and so much more!

18.How has Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) impacted your band?

Social networking gives me a chance to add to my buzz and connect with fans more.

19.Thanks for answering these questions. Do you have any last comments or words of advice
for the readers of Project Backstage?

Look out for the singles and the album coming very soon!
Also see me at South by Southwest in March, as well as Kansas City & Detroit. Reformatory
Records to the fullest. Shoutout to Big Mike, Ciryl Da Great & Heena Klan. Lets get this money!

James Lowe
Project Backstage Contributor

Nominees Released For 2012 Midwest Rock Awards

Project Backstage — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:10:22 +0000

Here is your complete list of 2012 nominees for the Project Backstage 2012 Midwest Rock Awards. The voting will open on March 18th, and more details will follow on the voting. The main show is at Aftershock Live Music Venue in Merriam, KS on May 19th. Tickets are $15 in advance.

NOTE: If you or your band made the ballot, please get in touch with us to setup a time to get your passes for the awards show. This year there are special tickets for nominees and they must be obtained in advance of the show.

Best Guitarist 2012:
Adam Evolving
Echo Vendetta
Sicadis
Burning Symmetry
Cimino
Hellevate

Best Bassist 2012 Nominees:
Mad Libby
Restraint
Syn City Cowboys
Black Ribbon Sky
Swill
Drek

Best Guitar Duo 2012 Nominees:
Evalyn Awake
The Broken Divide
From The West
Burning Tide
Vanlade
Hammerlord

Best Drummer 2012 Nominees:
Load Point Pull
Collapse
Orion Falls
Burning Tide
Unwritten Rulz
Sober Overdose
Cimino

Best Male Vocalist 2012 Nominees:
Black Ribbon Sky
Evalyn Awake
Second Signal
Mindset Evolution
Sidewise
At The Left Hand of God

Best Female Vocalist 2012 Nominees:
An Endless chapter
InLike
The Tempest
Burning Tide
Razorwire Halo
Beautiful Bodies

Best Metal Band 2012 Nominees:
At The Left Hand OF God
Sicadis
Collapse
The Liar’s Scene
Hammerlord
Order Number Eleven

Best Alternative Band 2012 Nominees:
Alice Sweet Alice
Orion Falls
Beautiful Bodies
Mute The Idol
Apples For Archers
A Good Fight

Best Rock Band 2012 Nominees:
Redline Chemistry
Mad Libby
Knot Afrayed
Breakpoint Method
From The West
Waiting For Signal

Best Cover Band 2012 Nominees:
Cover Me Badd
Under The Covers
Almost Kiss
Villains Dance
90 Minutes
Eliminator

Best Comeback 2012 Nominees:
Black Ribbon Sky
Cronus
Restraint
Johnny Rokker

Best Video 2012 Nominees:
Sidewise – Reconnect
Black Ribbon Sky – Halo
Unwritten Rulz – Broken Hero
Quietly Violent – Rise Up
Moire – Revenge Kill
Siva Addiction – One Night Rodeo

Best Album 2012 Nominees:
Evalyn Awake – Crisis to Clarity
Syn City Cowboys – Blow Me Away
Alice Sweet Alice – Mandala
Mute the Idol – The Circus
Sicadis – Blood of a 1000 Hearts
Drek – Dirt Road

Live Performance 2012 Nominees:
Sidewise
Evalyn Awake
Syn City Cowboys
Drek
Quietly Violent
Swill
Collapse

Best New Artist 2012 Nominees:
Tulips and Timebombs
The Liar’s Scene
From The West
The Broken Divide
Blunt Force Drama
The Devil’s Marmalade

Artist of the Year 2012 Nominees:
Syn City Cowboys
Mindset Evolution
Redline Chemistry
Evalyn Awake
At The Left Hand Of God
Mute The Idol

CONGRATS TO ALL THAT MADE THE BALLOT! More information coming soon…

CONFIRMED: Pop Evil to play KC

Project Backstage — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:38:51 +0000

Project Backstage has confirmed that Pop Evil will play a show in June in Kansas City, in fact June 29th to be exact. It is also confirmed that local Kansas City bands will open for Pop Evil as the headliner.

The rumors that this show was going to happen have been rampant and even at times vicious of where and when it was going to take place.

We have been asked not to name the location or the promoter of the show until the band announces it officially.

This show will be part of the official Pop Evil tour.

The venue will be announced on Pop Evil’s Facebook within the next couple days we are told. You can find them here: http://www.facebook.com/popevil.

If this gets you excited about new national bands coming through for the summer concert season and local KC bands to get the chance to play for, wait until you find out what we have learned for June 30th. We will post more information on that later.

More information will come as soon as we can release it.

Project Backstage

Big Dudes – Your New Stop for Local Music

Megan Cervas — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:58:57 +0000

Big Dudes Music City is offering a new outlet for local music. The iconic music store, located at 3817 Broadway Street in Kansas City, Missouri has announced they will begin selling local music CD’s in their support of local artists.

Big Dudes Local Music Policy:

CD must be professionally recorded and packaged.
No homemade CDR’s W/ Sharpie graphics.
We will accept no more than 5 CD’s per title.
Full length CD’s (10 or more songs)will sell for $10-Artist gets $6
EP’s (3 to 9 songs)will sell for $5 Artist gets $3
Band can provide store copy for in store play consideration.
Artist must appoint a single representative to handle the account. This person will provide the product and receive payment for said goods.
Payment will be made to said representative after all 5 CD’s have been sold.
Artist or Big Dudes may terminate agreement at anytime. Payment for sold goods will be made at that time.
Big Dudes is showing our support to local artist so please return the favor and “like” us on Facebook and tell your fans where they can find your music.

Artists wishing to submit their music should contact Big Dudes at (816) 931-4638.

Megan Cervas
Project Backstage

RIVEN – Unsound

Project Backstage — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:34:25 +0000

Riven - Unsound (New 02/1412)

RIVEN Launches First Single

Project Backstage — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:23:58 +0000

The formation of RIVEN has been a rough road in the making. After former members Michael “Angel” Woodruff and Jeremy “Twitch” Scheller parted ways with the now defunct Motograter, this was the new project they promised from the very day of the massive public breakup of Motograter.

The new single “Unsound” has very much the same feel that Motograter had just before its breakup, only without the obvious smack around and the “dirty” sound that Motograter started producing. RIVEN’s music is much cleaner, with better vocals and harmonies, and what I feel is a much better appeal to the current metal market. With the current massive 6 piece Slipknot style makeup of RIVEN with a possible 7th coming soon, the potential that the first releases (both the public one now out, and the not-so-public releases only available to a select few) are showing is outright amazing. The appeal that RIVEN has to even non-metal fans to listen to metal music is in one word, superior.

In talking to Michael Woodruff (Lead Vocals) about the release of the first song, he stated “It feels good to finally have something the guys and I are proud of. For so long we were held back from expressing ourselves the way we wanted to. So when that hold was broken the ideas and inspirations kinda just pored out and now you can all see what the end results are.”.

With Motograter gone and the wounds still fresh for fans of them, this new project that Woodruff has embarked on might just be the solution. In talking to a member of Motograter who asked not to be named; and that was not invited to the RIVEN project; about the possible reformation of Motograter it was stated “Motograter as of now is gone, and while we would like to reassemble and keep it going it just is not looking possible or feasible anytime in the near future”.

Here is the new song and half-video for “Unsound”:

For more information on RIVEN you can find them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/Rivenband

Frank Arena
Project Backstage