Tag: Pop Evil
0 POP EVIL REVEALS BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE FROM VIDEO SHOOT
POP EVIL has released behind the scenes footage from their “Monster You Made” video which was recently shot earlier this month.
WATCH IT HERE.
The band recently the video for their brand new track “Monster You Made” Chicago with critically acclaimed director Robby Starbuck. “We are very excited to release “Monster You Made” as the follow up single to ‘Last Man Standing.’ This song depicts what ‘War of Angels’ is all about! Nothing puts a bigger smile on our face then getting the chance to say July 5th marks ‘War of Angels’ release day!” says front man Leigh Kakaty.
LISTEN TO MONSTER YOU MADE HERE.
POP EVIL have recently signed a world wide record deal with eOne Music. Their new long awaited album “War Of Angles” will be released on July 5, 2011. Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer Johnny K is producing.
The band even went as far as to tear up their old record contract on stage during their performance at Rock On The Range festival earlier this month before announcing their new home. Watch the video of front man Leigh Kakaty doing so HERE.
SPIN.com hailed it one of the “10 Best Moments of Rock on the Range.”
The band has enjoyed early success with their hit single “Last Man Standing” which peaked at #5 on the active rock charts. That single can be heard HERE. War Of Angles will be the follow up to Lipstick on the Mirror which was released in 2008. The band will continue their co-headline run with CROSSFADE. Click HERE for tour dates!
POP EVIL is Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals) Dylan Allison (drums) Davey Grahs (guitar) Tony Greve (guitar) and Matt DiRito (bass).
For more information on eOne Metal please visit http://www.eonemetal.com or follow @E1MetalATTACK
0 Emphatic, Pop Evil and Crossfade Live Review and Photo Gallery – 6/18/11
It was a rockin’ story of three different bands at the Phoenix Hill Tavern on Saturday Night. The three bands on the bill this evening was Emphatic, Pop Evil and Crossfade. All three bands are at different areas in their career, and every band has new music offerings in the very near future.
Emphatic is a new band trying gain a new fan base (and succeeding). Pop Evil is on their way to the top with their recent appearances at Rock at the Range & Rocklahoma. Crossfade had a ton of success with their debut album, and have been fighting to get back to the top of the rock heap ever since then.
Other than seeing their name in some recent press releases for the up and coming Carnival of Madness Tour, I knew absolutely nothing about the band Emphatic. I haven’t heard any of their music prior to this show. They quickly won me over with their energetic live set and catchy tunes. (Check out their song & video “Bounce” here.) Their new CD, Damage is coming out on July 12th. Judging from the tunes I heard in their live set, this is one CD that you will need to get!!
I have seen Pop Evil a few times over the last couple of years and they never disappoint. On this Saturday evening, the band’s performance was quite electric. Leigh Kakaty is a great front man, and knows how to get the crowd revved up. He had the crowd at Phoenix Hill Tavern energized and singing along with all of their songs.
Pop Evil’s set list had the following songs: “Breathe”, “Broken”, “Somebody Like You”, “Monster You Made”, “Daisy Chain”, “Shinedown”, “Save the World”, “Boss’ Daughter”, “100 in a 55”, “Last Man Standing” and “Hero”. I thought the band was going to bring the roof down when they performed “Last Man Standing” the new track off of their up and coming CD, War of Angels (which will be released July 5th)! There is a half sized wall that separates the pit area in front of the stage from the fans who prefer to sit at a table. Leigh Kakaty used this wall as his personal stage and got up close and personal with the fans, while singing “Last Man Standing”. This made for one unforgettable show from Pop Evil.
I may be biased, but I thought Pop Evil stole the show Saturday night. They were great, and the crowd loved them!
Crossfade was the headliner for the evening, and they quickly proved that they too were a force to be reckoned with. Crossfade had a pretty nice light show set up behind them that looked really cool while they played, but it made it pretty tough to get good photos. The band was pretty entertaining to watch nonetheless.
Les Hall had some pretty cool guitars that he changed out often during Crossfade’s set. He was a lot of fun to watch play. Ed Sloan was in fine vocal form all night. Mark Castillo was letting the drumsticks fly all night. Crossfade played a few of their new songs off of their new CD, We All Bleed (due out today, June 21st) including: “Lay Me Down”, “Dead Memories”, “Dear Cocaine”, “Killing Me Inside”, “We All Bleed” and “Make Me a Believer”. The rest of the set included the songs “Starless”, “Colors”, “Already Gone”, “Drown You Out”, “Dear Caine”, “So Far Away”, and “Cold”.
While I thought Crossfade was pretty good live, I thought Pop Evil was the band of the evening, but all three bands help to deliver a great night of rock in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday night!
Emphatic Photo Gallery
Pop Evil Photo Gallery
Crossfade Photo Gallery
0 POP EVIL SIGNS WITH EONE MUSIC, NEW RECORD DUE THIS SUMMER

American rock band POP EVIL have signed a world wide record deal with eOne Music. Their new long awaited album “War Of Angels” will be released on July 5, 2011. Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer Johnny K is producing.
The band even went as far as to tear up their old record contract on stage during their performance at Rock On The Range festival earlier this month before announcing their new home. Watch the video of front man Leigh Kakaty doing so HERE.
SPIN.com hailed it one of the “10 Best Moments of Rock on the Range.”
The band has enjoyed early success with their hit single “Last Man Standing” which peaked at #5 on the active rock charts. That single can be heard HERE. War Of Angels will be the follow up to Lipstick on the Mirror which was released in 2008. The band will continue their co-headline run with CROSSFADE. Click HERE for tour dates!
POP EVIL is Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals) Dylan Allison (drums) Davey Grahs (guitar) Tony Greve (guitar) and Matt DiRito (bass).
0 Pop Evil’s War of Angels Rescheduled for June 28th!
Pop Evil will be releasing their new record ‘War of Angels‘ on June 28th via eOne Music. Free downloads of the track “Save the World” and an acoustic version of the single “Last Man Standing” are available on Facebook.
Check below for tour dates!
5/25/2011 6:30 PM Watertown Fairgrounds Arena Watertown, NY
5/28/2011 3:00 PM ROCKLAHOMA Pryor, OK
5/29/2011 7:00 PM Jake’s Lubbock, TX
5/30/2011 8:00 AM Wet n Wild Waterworld El Paso, TX
5/31/2011 7:00 PM Warehouse Live Houston, TX
6/2/2011 6:30 PM Cajundome Lafayette, LA
6/3/2011 The Lyric Oxford, MS
6/4/2011 12:00 PM First Midwest Bank Pavilion Tinley Park, IL
6/17/2011 7:00 PM The Machine Shop Flint, MI
6/25/2011 11:00 AM Jackson County Fairgrounds Jackson, MI
7/3/2011 12:00 PM Great Lakes Naval Station – Ross Field Great Lakes, IL
7/30/2011 11:00 AM WJJO Band Camp – Willow Island Madison, WI
8/6/2011 6:00 PM Buffalo Chip Campground Sturgis, SD
8/7/2011 7:00 PM Bluestem Center for the Arts Moorhead, MN
0 Exclusive Live Streaming Pop Evil Event for Evil Nation
Evil Nation is the new Pop Evil Fan Club Site that brings fans closer to the band. It will include exclusive giveaways, merchandise, & live footage from concerts. Anyone who signs up will also receive breaking news first.
On April 29th, Pop Evil will be doing a special acoustic performance with ROCK 94 1/2 Radio in Spokane. This will be a live stream event through Pop Evils new site www.evil-nation.com. The event starts at Noon PST, 3PM EST, 2PM CT. The band will be play 2 songs off “War of Angels” that have never been performed before. They will also do an exclusive Dean Acoustic guitar giveaway! Lastly, at the end of the event fans will be able to join a chat room to ask the band questions that they will answer through the live stream!
2 POP EVIL ANNOUNCES “WAR OF ANGELS” RELEASE DELAY
Band plans to give fans a free download and sneak preview of entire album
Michigan’s Pop Evil regrets to inform their fans that the release of their sophomore album, War of Angels (Universal Republic), will be delayed. The band has revealed that due to circumstances beyond their control, it will be necessary for the band to push back the originally scheduled February 8th release date.
With the first single, “Last Man Standing”, steadily climbing the charts and currently #15 at Active Rock, the band assures fans they will have a new release date set very soon.
“We are sorry to make you [the fans] wait even longer than you already have. We put our blood, sweat and tears into every song on this album and want nothing more than for it to be successful. By delaying the release, we are creating a greater chance for our investment to succeed,” stated Pop Evil.
To make it up to the disappointed “Evil Nation”, Pop Evil plans to give away a monster surprise in the upcoming weeks. This is not the first song they have given away from the new album; in December the band posted “Save the World”, an ‘in your face’ high energy rock track, to get fans excited for what’s to come. Become a ‘fan’ of Pop Evil on Facebook and download “Save the World” (here).
“We love giving our supporters a little taste of what is in store. Not only will we be giving you a surprise via Facebook, we also have posted a video with snippets of ALL the tracks off the album via YouTube” the band remarked.
The YouTube video, posted February 1st, includes one minute clips of every track off War of Angels in chronological order. Check out the sneak preview (here).
In the meantime the band asks fans to continue requesting “Last Man Standing” on their local radio stations to help drive it up the charts!
For more information check out the band’s Official Site, Facebook and YouTube pages.
Upcoming Pop Evil tour dates:
Pop Evil only:
2/05 Lansing, MI – Causeway Bay Hotel
2/11 Jackson, MS – Fire
2/12 Houma, LA – The City Club
Monster Outbreak Tour
w/ Rev Theory, Hail The Villain, Black Cloud Collective
2/16 Phoenix, AZ – Club House
2/18 Salt Lake City, UT – Avalon
2/19 Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep
2/20 Denver, CO – Bluebird
2/22 Des Moines, IA – People’s Court
2/23 Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
2/24 Kansas City, MO – Midland
2/25 Tulsa, OK – Marquee
2/26 Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s Cantina
3/02 Huntsville, AL – Sammy T’s
3/03 Lynchburg, VA – Phase II (Monster Outbreak Tour off-date)
3/04 Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
3/05 Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
3/06 Jermyn, PA – Eleanor Rigby’s
Pop Evil only:
3/11 Muskegon, MI – Club Envy
3/12 Mt. Clemens, MI – The Hayloft
0 ROCK ON THE RANGE 2011: FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA’S PREMIER DESTINATION ROCK FESTIVAL W/ SPECTACULAR LINEUP OF HEAVYWEIGHTS
ROCK ON THE RANGE 2011:
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA’S PREMIER
DESTINATION ROCK FESTIVAL
WITH SPECTACULAR LINEUP OF ROCK HEAVYWEIGHTS
FEATURING
A PERFECT CIRCLE, AVENGED SEVENFOLD,
DISTURBED, KORN, STONE SOUR AND STAIND
LINE-UP ALSO INCLUDES PERFORMANCES FROM
DANZIG, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY AND ALTER BRIDGE
ROCK ON THE RANGE is celebrating its Fifth Anniversary! America’s premier destination rock festival–May 21-22 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio–will feature a spectacular lineup of rock heavyweights including A Perfect Circle (first performance of 2011), Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Korn, Stone Sour and Staind (first performance in two years). The unforgettable weekend will also be highlighted by performances from Danzig, Hollywood Undead, Bullet For My Valentine, Black Label Society and Alter Bridge. In addition, Juliya of Fuse TV will return as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.
“Three years ago my other band Ashes Divide was fortunate enough to play Rock On The Range as a support act; to return to the same festival and headline this year with A Perfect Circle is truly an honor,” says Billy Howerdel of A Perfect Circle.
“We are honored that Rock On The Range has asked us be one of the headliners,” says M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold. “Not only is it an amazing show to be apart of, but it holds a deep spot in our hearts. Rock On The Range was the last American show we played with our best friend and drummer, The Rev. We are looking forward to continuing his legacy of rock n roll insanity that night! See you all there.”
“If you suffer from stimulus overload, the fifth anniversary of Rock On The Range may be too much for you,” quips Del Williams, co-executive producer of the event for Right Arm Entertainment. “Virtually all of the bands that make up the top of the Active Rock charts are performing at America’s biggest Rock festival. When you look at the acts on the bill, and think of the massive list of songs that live in the body of that lineup, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with excitement.”
The ROCK ON THE RANGE celebration will start early on Friday night, May 20 with the nation’s biggest pre-festival Anniversary Party at the venue, featuring performances from two of the world’s craziest throwback rock artists–Steel Panther and Lez Zeppelin. Best of all, your ticket to the Anniversary Party will be absolutely FREE with every ROCK ON THE RANGE weekend ticket purchase!
“It seems like only yesterday that we created this vision for an active rock festival in the heartland, but it’s actually been five years now.” comments Joe Litvag, co-executive producer of the event for AEG Live. “If it weren’t for the loyal fan base of active rock fans, the ‘Rangers,’ Rock On The Range would still just be an idea on the back of a napkin! We can’t think of a better way to say ‘thank you’ then to throw a big FREE party for everyone! It will be a night of unmatched celebration!”
A special ROCK ON THE RANGE ticket pre-sale will take place from Wednesday, February 9 at 10:00 AM (ET) through Friday, February 11 at 10:00 PM (ET). For details on pre-sale, go to: www.facebook.com/rockontherange. Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday, February 12 at 10:00 AM (ET). Two-day weekend festival passes start at just $99.50 plus service and transaction fees. Layaway ticket purchase options are also still available for a limited time.
“We are extremely excited about the lineup for Rock On The Range’s Fifth Anniversary show at Crew Stadium,” said Mark McCullers, President & General Manager of the Columbus Crew, a co-executive Producer of Rock On The Range. “We are coming off another record year in 2010 and are looking forward to raising the bar again in 2011.”
ROCK ON THE RANGE–The Book is another new bonus for fans in connection with the fifth anniversary of the festival. This limited edition coffee-table photo book captures the first four years of ROTR and features behind-the-scenes photos, never-before-seen performance shots, and testimonials from past ROTR performers including Stone Temple Pilots, Slipknot, Slash, Godsmack, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Rise Against and many more. Copies of ROTR—The Book will be included in each of the VIP and Hotel ticket packages and is also available independently for $25 plus shipping and handling at www.rockontherange.com.
Stay tuned to www.RockOnTheRange.com, www.facebook.com/rockontherange and www.twitter.com/rockontherange for the most up-to-date ROCK ON THE RANGE information.
The current lineup for ROCK ON THE RANGE 2011 is as follows: A Perfect Circle, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Korn, Stone Sour, Staind, Danzig, Hollywood Undead, Bullet For My Valentine, Black Label Society, Alter Bridge, A Day To Remember, Hinder, Escape The Fate, All That Remains, P.O.D., The Damned Things, Fu Manchu, Black Veil Brides, Saving Abel, Sick Puppies, Finger Eleven, My Darkest Days, Crossfade, Cavo, Trapt, Rev Theory and Pop Evil.
Presented by Right Arm Entertainment, AEG Live and Crew Stadium, ROCK ON THE RANGE is a two-day, multi-stage music and lifestyle event featuring a potent line-up of bands on three stages. The nationally renowned festival centrally located in the heart of the country has annually drawn crowds in excess of 30,000 per day since its inception in 2007.
0 Pop Evil Continue To Climb Up Active Rock Radio Charts, Prepare For Monster Outbreak Tour
With their single “Last Man Standing” approaching the top 15 on the active rock radio charts, POP EVIL are preparing to hit the road as a part of the Monster Outbreak Tour alongside Rev Theory, Hail The Villain, and Black Cloud Collective.
While on the road, the band will be uploading exclusive videos from the Monster Outbreak Tour to their official YouTube channel, located here http://www.youtube.com/popevilmusic. Videos that will be uploaded include: guitar riff lessons guitarist Tony Greve, vocalist Leigh Kakaty discussing songs from the upcoming album ‘War Of Angels‘, special acoustic renditions of tracks filmed in the back of their tour bus, and Matt DeRito‘s prank of the week.
Upcoming POP EVIL tour dates:
2/05 Lansing, MI – Causeway Bay Hotel
2/11 Jackson, MS – Fire
2/12 Houma, LA – The City Club
Monster Outbreak Tour
w/ Rev Theory, Hail The Villain, Black Cloud Collective
2/16 Phoenix, AZ – Club House
2/18 Salt Lake City, UT – Avalon
2/19 Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep
2/20 Denver, CO – Bluebird
2/22 Des Moines, IA – People’s Court
2/23 Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
2/24 Kansas City, MO – Midland
2/25 Tulsa, OK – Marquee
2/26 Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s Cantina
3/02 Huntsville, AL – Sammy T’s
3/03 Lynchburg, VA – Phase II (Monster Outbreak Tour off-date)
3/04 Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
3/05 Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
3/06 Jermyn, PA – Eleanor Rigby’s
0 Free Download of “Save The World” From Pop Evil
2 Pop Evil’s “Last Man Standing” To Be Featured In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Promotions
Pop Evil’s new single “Last Man Standing” has been chosen to be featured in upcoming promotional spots for NASCAR‘s Sprint Cup Series. The song comes from the band’s new Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind, 3 Doors Down) produced album War Of Angels, which is set to hit stores February 8th through Universal Republic.
“Last Man Standing” is already surging up the rock radio charts and approaching the top 25. The track was premiered in an exclusive training video from former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and has also been heard on ESPN during college football highlights.
http://www.facebook.com/popevil
0 POP EVIL AND FORMER UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION FRANK MIR TEAM UP TO PREMIERE THE BAND’S NEW SINGLE “LAST MAN STANDING” IN EXCLUSIVE UFC 119 TRAINING VIDEO
Pop Evil (Universal Republic) recently teamed up with former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir to collaboratively promote both Pop Evil‘s newest single, “Last Man Standing”, and Mir’s main event fight against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović at UFC 119, which took place this past Saturday (September 25th). The track can be heard while watching exclusive footage of Mir training at his Suffer Training Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Mir’s intense training sessions paid off, he won the fight by devastating KO in the third round over a very dangerous opponent in “Crop Cop”. To watch the footage of Mir training set to “Last Man Standing”, head over to Pop Evil‘s Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/popevil
“We are excited to debut our new single with such an amazing UFC fighter. Frank Mir is a proven warrior, and we are proud to have him as a fan of Pop Evil,” exclaimed Pop Evil vocalist Leigh Kakaty.
When asked about his participation in the video Mir stated “Once I heard the song, I immediately wanted to be a part of this. Pop Evil has a great sound and I think they are about to blow up!”
“Last Man Standing” comes from Pop Evil‘s sophomore album ‘War Of Angels’, which will be available this winter through Universal Republic.
In addition to the training video, Pop Evil and Mir are teaming up to give away a signed Dean guitar and shirts from Mir’s own Suffer Apparel clothing line. More details can be found on the Pop Evil Facebook page.
0 Twisted Sister, Styx, Kix, Winger and Y&T To Perform at the Midwest Rock Fest
Camping spaces are now on sale for the 2nd annual Midwest Rockfest. The festival will feature a variety of camping options and VIP packages to make this Rock n’ Roll weekend an unforgettable experience for everyone. Midwest Rockfest is slated for July 23-24, 2010 at the beautiful Lake Afton, in Wichita, Kansas and is produced by DEA Entertainment Group, of Arkansas City, Kansas.
Due to the excitement and success of last year’s concert series, we have made the MWRF into a multi-day event. Come SHAKE AND BAKE ON THE LAKE July 23rd & 24th at Lake Afton in Sedgwick County, Wichita, Kansas!
Bands already announced include CLASSIC ROCK sensation STYX and TWISTED SISTER, who is bringing their new show to the US. WE HAVE THE DATE! Also on the bill Pop Evil, Y&T, Winger, Kix and many more to be announced soon. VERY SOON! Check our website for at www.midwestrockfest.com for updates and to win great prizes!!
0 JANUS: Tour Dates Confirmed With Framing Hanley & The Veer Union
JANUS ADDS DATES WITH FRAMING HANLEY AND THE VEER UNION
TO THEIR ONGOING U.S. TOUR
AS THEY PREPARE TO RELEASE
‘RED RIGHT RETURN’ SEPTEMBER 22 ON REALID RECORDS
JANUS hit the road last month to get the buzz started about the September 22 release of their debut album, RED RIGHT RETURN (REALID Records, through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group), which will keep them on the road throughout the remainder of 2009. Now comes word that new dates for the Chicago band—with Framing Hanley and The Veer Union–have been added to their itinerary, which will last from October 8 through October 27.
The album’s first single, “Eyesore,” is currently spinning on over 20 Rock radio stations nationwide, including KBPI/Denver, KQRC/Kansas City, WJJO/Madison, KXFX/Santa Rosa and KISW/Seattle, and is most requested on Q101/Chicago, KPNT/St. Louis and WWBN/Flint. A video for the track—directed by Noah Shulman (Sleepless City Productions)–has over a half a million views this summer and can now be seen on the band’s Myspace page (www.myspace.com/janus).
In online news, JANUS has been selected as the “Rock Artist To Watch” on iheartradio.com for the month of September. The band’s page can be found at http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/featured/f/2288.
RED RIGHT RETURN is a collection of ten seamlessly flowing tracks that showcase the band’s ability to bring the Rock world an intelligent fresh sound. JANUS’ debut harkens back to the days when albums were written as a total piece of work, as opposed to a group of single songs. The Chicago natives recorded, produced, created all the themes, digital presence, and artwork on their own. Lyrically, the songs have very strong universal underpinnings to real life experiences. While they tell a particular story, the end result is left open to interpretation and the listener is free to draw their own conclusions.
In an early review of RED RIGHT RETURN, Absolutepunk.net raved: “There are a few bands, given the opportunity, could take the radio by storm. JANUS is a perfect example of this type of band. If they were given the chance, and played on some larger radio stations alongside all of our alternative ‘favorites’ (sound-alikes), they could earn themselves hordes of fans.” The Wildy’s World blog calls it “…a brilliant Rock-based soundscape…” and Blogcritics.org hails it as a “…diamond in the rough.”
Check out JANUS–David Scotney (vocals), Johnny Salazar (percussion), Alan Quitman (bass), Mike Tyranski (guitar/programming)–at any of the following stops:
DATE CITY VENUE
Fri 9/11 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern (with Pop Evil)
Sun 9/13 Flint, MI The Machine Shop (with Chevelle)
Tue 9/15 Pittsburgh, PA Diesel (with Pop Evil)
Thu 9/17 Johnson City, TN Capones (with Pop Evil)
Fri 9/18 Wilmington, NC The Soupbox Laundrolounge (with Pop Evil & Framing Hanley)
Tue 9/22 Tallahassee, FL Floyd’s Music Shop (with Framing Hanley)
Fri 9/25 Detroit, MI Blondie’s
Sat 9/26 South Barrington, IL Penny Road Pub
With Framing Hanley and The Veer Union:
Thu 10/8 Birmingham, AL 5 Points Music Hall
Fri 10/9 Shreveport, LA The Warehouse
Sat 10/10 Tyler, TX Click’s
Sun 10/11 Lufkin, TX The Wild Horse Saloon
Wed 10/14 Tempe, AZ Club Red
Fri 10/16 Santa Rosa, CA Last Day Saloon
Sat 10/17 Las Vegas, NV Wasted Space @ Hard Rock Hotel
Tue 10/20 Murray, UT Murray Theatre
Sun 10/25 San Antonio, TX Scout Bar (with Framing Hanley)
Tue 10/27 Mission, TX Smoking Aces
Wed 10/28 Denver, CO KBPI’s InFest/The Fillmore (with Shadows Fall & OTEP)
4 Pop Evil, Whitesnake, Judas Priest Concert Review – Cincinnati, Ohio – 7/21/09
A couple of weeks ago, Pop Evil, Whitesnake & Judas Priest performed in Cincinnati’s newest outdoor arena, The PNC Pavillion. This new arena holds roughly 4,100 people, and for quite a while, I think the attendance was about half of that. It may have swelled to over 3,000 before the night was done, but the point I am making is that size of the crowd was absolutely abyssmal at best.
If you live in Cincinnati, and wonder why our fair city gets passed up for some shows, this is why. There is over 2.1 million people in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, and this is the largest crowd that we can offer for two of the biggest hard rock singers of all time? It is a shame really, and a big shame to all of the folks that didn’t show up, as they missed one hell of a show.
Pop Evil opened the show, and dished out a solid set of rock which included their tunes “Hero”, and “100 in a 55”. This was the second time I have seen Pop Evil live, and their set offered no surprises. The one thing I noticed is just how disjointed this band is. A couple of the guys in the band, lead singer Leigh Kakaty, and the bass player Matt Dirito have awesome stage prescence, but I can not say the same for the rest of the guys. They may sound good, but have very much energy. Guitarist Tony Greve had on an outfit that made him look more like Justin Timberlake than a hard rock guitarist. To make matters worse, he had on a t-shirt that said “No To Rock”. Me and my buddy Rick looked at each other with disbelief. These guys need a serious wardrobe check before the go on stage. I am not sure they are the right opening act for this tour. They sounded good, and helped to warm up the crowd for Whitesnake.
The last time Whitesnake played near Cincinnati, it was in Covington, KY, and it was with an even smaller crowd than the one at PNC Pavillion. This band must be the Rodney Dangerfield of hard rock acts, as they get no respect here. It has nothing to do with their performance, as the band was awesome.
They dished out all of the classic Whitesnake hits you would expect them to play, and also played a couple of new ones from last year’s excellent Good To Be Bad album. The amazing thing is David Coverdale still sounds great after all of these years. There were rumors that came out a couple of months ago that he was using tapes in their live set. I saw no evidence of that. Coverdale can still get it done. End of story!
Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich could be the best guitar tandem that Whitesnake has ever had, and considering the previous axemen this band has had (Vivian Campbell, John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg, and Steve Vai) that really is a testament to their incredible talent. Aldrich handles the daunting task of playing those amazing riffs laid down by Sykes and Vai, and does it well. Reb Beach complements his playing like no other. My only complaint was how the sound was mixed at PNC Pavillion. I was on the far right hand side of the stage, and had trouble hearing Reb’s solos. They weren’t as clear as Doug Aldrich’s. I believe this was a sound mixing issue, and no fault of Reb’s. Chris Frazier, the newest Whitesnake member is no slouch on the drums. I feared he would be able to match the work of Tommy Aldridge, and I was surprised by his playing. I still miss Aldridge’s bare handed drum solos, but nonetheless Frazier does a pretty good job on the skins. I loved Whitesnake’s set. I hope this isn’t the last time that I get to see them play.
After Whitesnake, I was practically fulfilled for the night, but I wasn’t about to leave, not when Judas Priest was about to take the stage. Some how some way, I managed to miss Judas Priest back in the 8o’s. I have seen Halford perform live, but never the band that made him famous. Lucky for me, Judas Priest was firing on all cylinders tonight. Rob Halford can still hit all of the notes, but I noticed that he tends to hump over and look down in order to do so. That was mildly disappointing, but I wouldn’t expect a singer of his age to be able to belt out the notes the way he does either, so I guess it is a trade off. KK Downing and Glen Tipton kept me fired up all night. I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy watching guitar gods play live.
The one thing I didn’t like about Judas Priest’s set was their choice to perform all of British Steel. Don’t get me wrong, I like this album a lot, but some of the songs just didn’t need to be played live. They have such an incredible catalog of tunes, and there were quite a few that they could not play as a result of that decision. (On a side note, I heard some girls complaining after the show, that they didn’t play “Turbo Lover”. I got a kick out of that.) Towards the end of their show, of course Rob Halford came out and sang some songs seated on his motorcycle. No surprise there, but it was cool nonetheless.
Overall, it was a great night of rock played to a small crowd. The die-hard fans showed up! Where were you? !
If you get the chance to see Whitesnake and Judas Priest on tour, don’t miss them. You won’t be disappointed. This was easily the best show that I have seen this summer!
Check out the slideshow below for some of the pictures I took from the show!
[rockyou id=141618804&w=426&h=320]
0 Pop Evil Teaser Video
Pop Evil has posted a teaser of their new video, “100 In A 55” online. Check it out below!
0 Michigan Rockers Pop Evil To Release Album Lipstick On A Mirror On Universal Republic Records On May 26
Michigan rockers Pop Evil To Release Album Lipstick On A Mirror
On Universal Republic Records On May 26
National Summer Tour with Judas Priest Ushers in the Major Label Debut
Fabled Michigan rockers Pop Evil has signed with Universal Republic Records and will be re-releasing their 2008 acclaimed indie album Lipstick On A Mirror, on May 26th. The album will be re-mixed and re-mastered, with a brand new song, “Rolling Stone,” and a riveting acoustic rendition of their signature song “100 In A 55,” which is already gaining traction online and via radio’s underground radar even before its officially release to multiple radio formats.
In support of the re-release, Pop Evil will sweep the nation on a two month long tour supporting Judas Priest and Whitesnake beginning July 5th in Wallingford, CT.
Led by larger-than-life frontman Leigh Kakaty, the band is already the stuff of legend in their native Michigan and throughout the Midwest for its pull-no-punches brand of searing rock. Billed as post-grunge and pre-revival of authentic-to-the core alternative hard rock (the group has barnstormed tours with such alt-rock luminaries as Puddle Of Mud, Tesla, Saving Abel and others,) the fierce fivesome has earned their stripes as rigorous, crowd pleasing live rockers, criss-crossing the U.S. for years, rallying fans at dyed-in-the- wool rock vestiges such as the Intersection in their home turf of Grand Rapids, MI, and the Rumble Rally in Mason, Ohio.
Pop Evil has sustained a formidable grassroots following thanks to their constant touring, and an intricately timed scattering of releases refining their trademark sound. Lipstick On A Mirror also features Pop Evil signature songs such as “Another Romeo & Juliet,” “Hero,” “Stepping Stone,” And “Somebody Like You,” among others.
The band has released a really cool video in support of the CD called “Hero” (See below).
Check out Hard Rock Hideout’s live footage of Pop Evil from the Rumble Rally at this link.
You can also check out some behind the scenes footage from the Rock at The Range Music Festival in the video below.
Check out this awesome picture featured in Rolling Stone Magazine of Matt tearing it up on the stage at Rock on the Range.
Enter the Pop Evil Guitar Giveaway contest for a chance to win a Dean Z-X electric guitar signed by the band. Click here!
Make sure you check out the re-release of Pop Evil’s Lipstick on the Mirror on iTunes. Click here to purchase directly from iTunes!
Pop Evil is:
Leigh Kakaty (vocals)
Dylan Allison (drums)
Dave Grahs (guitar)
Tony Greve (guitar)
Matt DiRito (bass)
The following tour dates are confirmed:
Jul. 05 – Chevrolet Theatre – Wallingford, CT
Jul. 07 – Comcast Center – Mansfield, MA
Jul. 08 – CMAC – Canandaigua, NY
Jul. 09 – Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
Jul. 11 – PNC Banks Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
Jul. 12 – Nikon At Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
Jul. 15 – DTE Energy Music Theater – Clarkston, MI
Jul. 19 – Charter One Pavilion – Chicago, IL
Jul. 21 – PNC Pavilion (Riverbend Music) – Cincinnati, OH
Jul. 22 – Nashville Municipal Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Jul. 25 – Freeman Coliseum – San Antonio, TX
Jul. 26 – Concrete Street Amphitheatre – Corpus Christi, TX
Jul. 31 – Sleep Train Pavilion – Concord, CA
Aug. 01 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre – Marysville, CA
Aug. 02 – Gibson Amphitheatre – Universal City, CA
Aug. 04 – SDSU Open Air Theatre – San Diego, CA
Aug. 05 – Pacific Amphitheatre – Oc Fair – Costa Mesa, CA
Aug. 07 – Dodge Theater – Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 08 – Thomas & Mack Center – Las Vegas, NV
Aug. 11 – Red Rock Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Aug. 13 – Nokia Live Theater – Grand Prairie, TX
Aug. 15 – St Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
Aug. 16 – St. Pete Times Forum – Tampa, FL
Aug. 22 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD
For more information on Pop Evil, please visit:
0 Pop Evil To Open For Whitesnake & Judas Priest
Michigan rockers Pop Evil have scored the opening slot on several of the up and coming Judas Priest & Whitesnake dates this summer. Check below for tour dates.
July
Sun 7/5/2009 Chevrolet Theatre Wallingford CT
Tue 7/7/2009 Comcast Center for the Performing Mansfield MA
Wed 7/8/2009 CMAC Canandaigua NY
Thu 7/9/2009 Molson Amphitheatre Toronto ON CA
Sat 7/11/2009 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel NJ
Sun 7/12/2009 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Wantagh NY
Tue 7/21/2009 PNC Pavillion at Riverbend Music Anderson OH
Wed 7/22/2009 Nashville Municipal Auditorium Nashville TN
Sat 7/25/2009 AT&T Center Kirby TX
Sun 7/26/2009 Concrete Street Amphitheater Corpus Christi TX
Fri 7/31/2009 Concord Pavilion (Sleep Train) Concord CA
August
Sat 8/1/2009 98 Rock Jamboree @ Sleep Train Marysville CA
Sun 8/2/2009 Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City CA
Tue 8/4/2009 SDSU Open Air Theatre San Diego CA
Wed 8/5/2009 Pacific Amphitheatre Costa Mesa CA
Fri 8/7/2009 Dodge Theatre Phoenix AZ
Sat 8/8/2009 Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas NV
Tue 8/11/2009 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison CO
Thu 8/13/2009 Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie Grand Prairie TX
Sat 8/15/2009 St. Augustine Amphitheater Saint Augustine FL
Sun 8/16/2009 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa FL
Wed 8/19/2009 Germain Arena Estero FL
Thu 8/20/2009 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Alpharetta GA
Sat 8/22/2009 Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia MD
Sun 8/23/2009 US Cellular Pavillion at Meadowbrook Laconia NH
1 HRH Live Featuring Pop Evil
The following footage is from the 2008 Rumble Rally in Mason, Ohio. I nearly forgot that I had this footage, and thought this was worth showing. Pop Evil is a cool new band from Muskegon, Michigan. Check them out online at myspace or their website.
3 Rock On the Range Announces 2009 Lineup!
The Rock on the Range Festival have announced their 2009 lineup, and it is a GREAT one!
ROCK ON THE RANGE 2009:
ROCK FESTIVAL RETURNS
SATURDAY, MAY 16 AND SUNDAY, MAY 17
TO COLUMBUS, OHIO’S CREW STADIUM;
FEATURING
SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE,
ALICE IN CHAINS, AVENGED SEVENFOLD
AND KORN;
MORE THAN 35 ACTS TO PERFORM
ON THREE STAGES
ROCK ON THE RANGE–America’s premiere destination rock festival– will return to Columbus, Ohio’s Crew Stadium Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17. The 2009 line-up for the nationally renowned festival
centrally located in the heart of the country will be highlighted by performances from some of rock’s biggest artists including Mötley Crüe, Slipknot, Alice In Chains, Avenged Sevenfold and Korn.
“We try to listen to our fans and they’ve been saying for years that we should play at Rock On The Range,” said Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe. “We’re really excited to play one of America’s great rock festivals.”
SLIPKNOT’s Corey Taylor says, “Being asked to headline Rock on the Range is an absolute pleasure! Columbus, Ohio has always been very good to us. The line-up looks great; the shows look fantastic. And I
personally think it will be an absolute blast for everyone. See you in May!”
Presented by Right Arm Entertainment, AEG LIVE and Crew Stadium, the two-day, multi-stage music and lifestyle event will feature a potent line-up of more than 35 bands. This year’s well-rounded mix of rock’s
top artists also includes Shinedown, Buckcherry, The Used, Atreyu, Chevelle, Flyleaf, Saving Abel, Saliva, Blue October, Hoobastank, Black Stone Cherry, and many more.
This marks the third outing for the annual event, which drew 30,000 people in its inaugural year in 2007 and more than 55,000 people in 2008. Event features this year include the addition of a third stage,
the Jägermeister Music Stage, on-stage fan platforms–for contest winners–and an expanded vendor village.
In 2009, ROCK ON THE RANGE will also increase their “Go Green” initiative via ROTR “Go Green,” an online portal that allows fans to recycle old cell phones and mp3 players for free tickets and ROTR memorabilia and official festival merchandise. ROTR is the first festival to have an on-line recycling trade-in rewards component. More information can be found at http://www.rotrgogreen.com.
Tickets for ROCK ON THE RANGE, as well as VIP Packages that include festival tickets, hotel accommodations and festival merchandise, go on sale Saturday, February 21 at 10:00 AM (ET) via http://www.rockontherange.com and http://www.ticketmaster.com, all local Ticketmaster outlets and at the Crew Stadium box office. Two-day
ticket packages will start as low as $99.50.
For up-to-the-minute information on ROCK ON THE RANGE 2009, visit http://www.RockOnTheRange.com or http://www.myspace.com/rockontherange.
ROCK ON THE RANGE: WHERE ROCK LIVES!
2009 LINEUP (subject to change): MÖTLEY CRÜE, SLIPKNOT, ALICE IN CHAINS, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, KORN, BUCKCHERRY, SHINEDOWN, CHEVELLE, FLYLEAF, SALIVA, SAVING ABEL, BLUE OCTOBER, HOOBASTANK, ATREYU, BLACK STONE CHERRY, TRAPT, STATIC X, SICK PUPPIES, THE USED, BILLY TALENT, ALL THAT REMAINS, CROOKED X, POP EVIL, STATE OF SHOCK, CAVO, FRAMING HANLEY, ADELITA’S WAY, BURN HALO, THE LEO PROJECT, HALESTORM, X FACTOR 1, CHARM CITY DEVILS, DRIVE A and EARLY PEARL.
0 Rock on the Range Update
A fourth band has now been confirmed for the Rock on The Range Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Pop Evil joins Saliva, Charm City Devils and Crooked X. Rock on the Range takes place May 16th and 17th. For more information, check out the Rock on the Range Website.
Check out Pop Evil’s video, “Hero” below.
0 Pop Evil – Lipstick On The Mirror (Release Year – 2008)
One of the better bands to hit the music scene in 2008 was Muskegon, Michigan’s Pop Evil. I picked up a copy of this CD months ago, and I should have reviewed this long before now. When Pop Evil’s latest single “100 in a 55” was played on XM Radio yesterday, I unfiled my copy of the CD to check out “Lipstick on the Mirror” once more.
Singer Leigh Kakaty’s vocals are the driving force behind Pop Evil’s hard rocking tunes. He has just enough coarseness in his voice to separate Pop Evil’s music from the many sound alike acts on main stream radio.
There are several songs on “Lipstick on the Mirror” that could be hit worthy tunes. As I mentioned before, “100 in a 55” is already getting airplay on XM Radio (as well as Sirius) and many terrestrial radio stations. There are quite a few other tunes that should help get this band noticed including the debut single “Hero”, “Somebody Like You”. “Stepping Stone” is this massive sounding song where Kakaty’s voice truly shines. This is the type of song that put Creed on the map, and should do the same for Pop Evil.
If there are any downfalls on “Lipstick on the Mirror”, some of the song writing is kind of weak. I expect that will improve as the band continues to grow. There are moments on this disc where the band reminds me of acts like Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains and Creed. That is pretty good company to be in, if you are going to make in the music business.
All in all, this is a very solid debut from Pop Evil, and is one that I will be playing a lot more over the coming months.
Check out Pop Evil online at their website. You can purchases “Lipstick on the Mirror” at this link.
Track Listing:
1. Hero
2. Breathe
3. Shinedown
4. 100 in a 55
5. Somebody Like You
6. 3 Seconds to Freedom
7. Another Romeo & Juliet
8. Stepping Stone
9. Jupiter in June
10. One More Goodbye
11. Ready or Not
12. Hard Highway
13. Hey Mister
Pop Evil is:
Leigh Kakaty – lead vocals
Dylan Allison – drums
Dave Grahs – guitar
Tony Greve – guitar
Matt DiRito – bass
0 Pop Evil on iTunes Best of 2008
As we approach the New Year, the folks at iTunes have recently reminisced on who their favorites of 2008 were. Under the “Best New Artists” category, Pop Evil has been holding steady alongside some of the biggest acts in the world. The band’s debut album Lipstick On The Mirror has also gained notoriety on Active Rock radio by reaching into the #2 most added record in the country according to Billboard. Pop Evil continues their U.S. tour through the holidays with Theory of a Deadman.
Check out Pop Evil featured as one of iTunes “Best New Artists” of 2008 here:
iTunes 2008 “Best New Artists – Rock”
Pop Evil Tour Itinerary w/Theory of a Deadman:
Dec 8 2008 7:00P
Valarium w/Theory of a Deadman
Knoxville, Tennessee
Dec 10 2008 7:00P
Club Roxbury w/Theory of a Deadman
Omaha, Nebraska
Dec 11 2008 6:30P
Mayo Civic Center
Rochester, Minnesota
Dec 13 2008 6:00P
The Venue w/Theory of a Deadman
Fargo, North Dakota
Dec 14 2008 7:00P
Ramkota Exhibit Hall w/Theory of a Deadman
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Dec 16 2008 8:00P
Outland Ballroom
Springfield, Missouri
Dec 19 2008 8:00P
Bridge Street Bar & Grill
Sparland, Illinois
Dec 21 2008 7:00P
WGRD Acoustic Story Tellers @ The Intersection ALL AGES SHOW
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Dec 27 2008 7:00P
Planet Rock Battlecreek, Michigan
Dec 31 2008 8:00P
NEW YEARS EVE SHOW @ THE INTERSECTION
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan
2 New Video – Pop Evil – Hero
Pop Evil, the five-piece rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan who have just released their debut CD Lipstick on the Mirror on Pazzo/Jar’d Star/Fontana/Universal and single, “Hero” on a cross-section of active rock and alternative radio stations across the country, have been questioned in the alleged assault of their attorney.
Pop Evil’s Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals), Dylan Allison (drums), Dave Grahs (guitar), Tony Greve (guitar) and Matt DiRito (bass) are shown on camera at a Grand Rapids nightclub identified as The Whiskey Lounge, where the band is rehearsing for their upcoming fall tour with the rock band, Tesla.
That same footage shows an attack on Pop Evil attorney, Jay Kakaty. Also identified on tape are members of the band’s road crew and friends, as well as a gentleman identified as Don Pazzo, allegedly with ties to both the Pop Evil management team and an unnamed organization based overseas.
The tape was posted on the Internet late Tuesday (16) night, traced back to the computer of one Jason Honeycutt, a video director known for his work with such artists as Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Mary J. Blige.
No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.
2 Pop Evil’s Tour Roadie Flyaway For A Weekend Contest!
Pazzo Music and Luthier PR are offering one grand prize winner the chance to work in the music business as a Tour Roadie Flyaway For A Weekend with Pazzo/Jar’d Star/Fontana/Universal music artist Pop Evil.
- Three finalists will be randomly selected to compete for a spot with Pop Evil as the band’s roadie for a weekend of shows on Pop Evil’s National US Tour currently underway. The three finalists will then have to submit videos into why the band should choose them as their Tour Roadie Flyaway For A Weekend.
- The grand prize winner will have all expenses paid including roundtrip airfare, a Flip Camera, ground transportation to and from the venue, along with a spending allowance per diem every day over the weekend tour with Pop Evil.
- One second place winner will receive a Nintendo Wii console
- One third place winner will receive the new IPod Touch.
1 The Dark Knight & Pop Evil
Fans of Pop Evil joined forces across the country at the premier of the highly anticipated film Dark Knight to spread the word about the band’s debut album Lipstick On The Mirror that hits stores August 12th. Street team leaders across the country hit sold out cinemas with their Flip Cameras (these are the coolest things since the iPod – seriously) where they took video footage of their teams talking to people about the release and the special in-store promotion Pop Evil will be attending at the FYE store in Grandville, Michigan at 8pm on August 11th. You can see the footage shot from 12 cities across the country and also find the shows closest to your location from the information below:
Pop Evil Tour Dates w/Puddle Of Mudd:
8/7/08 The Ritz Detroit,MI
8/8/08 The Intersection w/ WGRD Grand Rapids, MI
8/9/08 The Whiskey Lounge Grand Rapids, MI
8/11/08 FYE retail in-store Pre release Grand Rapids, MI
8/14/08 Kentucky State Fair w/ POD Louisville, KY
8/16/08 Twin River Casino Lincoln, RI
8/17/08 Hampton Beach Casino Hampton Beach, NH
8/19/08 Fat Boys Watertown, NY
8/20/08 Penns Peak Jim Thorpe, PA
8/21/08 Rams Head Live Baltimore. MD
8/22/08 House of Blues Atlantic City, NJ
8/23/08 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, PA
8/26/08 Northern Lights Albany, NY
8/27/08 Magic City Music Hall Johnson, NY
8/28/08 West Shore Hardware Bar Harrisburg, PA
8/29/08 Planet Rock Battle Creek, MI
8/30/08 Taste Of Madison Madison, WI
9/04/08 Ecks Saloon Lakewood, CO
9/06/08 X-Fest WAMX Radio Huntington, WV
9/11/08 Allegan County Fair Allegan, MI
9/16/08 Amos’ Southend Charlotte, NC
9/17/08 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
1 POP EVIL RELEASE VIDEO TOUR BLOG
Pop Evil continues their road-worthy tour assault in anticipation of their upcoming August 12 debut, Lipstick On The Mirror that hits stores August 12th on Pazzo/Jar’d Star/Fontana/Universal records. The band has released their first tour blog that you can watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkLmLhWVoZk
Pop Evil tour dates, including those with Puddle of Mudd, are below:
7/24/08 Machine Shop w/ Egypt Central Flint,MI
7/26/08 Hamilton Street Block Party – WKQZ Saginaw,MI
7/31/08 Exit Inn (w/12stones Jet black stare) Nashville,TN
8/2/08 WXQR Presents Sand Jam @ Camp Lejune Jacksonville,NC
8/2/08 Zacks Coffee House Murfreesboro,NC
8/7/08 The Ritz Detroit, MI
8/8/08 The Intersection w/ WGRD Grand Rapids, MI
8/9/08 The Whiskey Lounge Grand Rapids, MI
8/14/08 Kentucky State Fair w/ POD Louisville, KY
8/16/08 Twin River Casino: Puddle of Mudd Tour Lincoln,RI
8/17/08 Hampton Beach Casino: Puddle of Mudd Tour Hampton Beach, NH
8/19/08 Fat Boys Watertown, NY
8/20/08 Penns Peak: Puddle of Mudd Tour Jim Thorpe, PA
8/21/08 Rams Head Live: Puddle of Mudd Tour Baltimore, MD
8/22/08 House of Blues: Puddle of Mudd Tour Atlantic City, NJ
8/26/08 Northern Lights: Puddle of Mudd Tour Albany, NY
8/27/08 Magic City Music Hall: Puddle of Mudd Tour Johnson, NY
8/28/08 West Shore Hardware Bar Harrisburg, PA
9/11/08 Allegan County Fair w/ Daughtry Allegan, MI