October 2023

San Francisco’s very own DEATH ANGEL to bring some thrashing good times and their own version of Christmas cheer at both the Great American Music Hall (December 21 and 22) and The Catalyst in Santa Cruz (December 20).

Eddie October 26, 2023 No Comments

Although the Big 4 always seemed exclusionary and possibly needed revision or mere additions, there is little doubt that Death Angel have flown the flag of thrash metal with great effect for over three decades. What started with the release of the 1983’s ‘Heavy Metal Insanity’ demo and boatloads of word-of-mouth about their menacing live shows, eventually turned into a full-fledged record deal and the ensuing release of 1987’s ‘The Ultra-Violence.’

For the uninitiated, the band have released 9 full-lengths and have since became a staple of the Nuclear Blast records roster. A veritable headliner in the US and abroad, it would seem their trajectory has been on an upward swing ever since solidifying a new (er) core line-up 14 years ago.

Since 2009 and eventually the recording of 2010’s ‘Relentless Retribution,’ the line-up has remained the same with Rob Cavestany (lead guitar, backing vocals), Mark Osegueda (lead vocals), Ted Aguilar (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Will Carroll (drums), and Damien Sisson (bass).

With Death Angel’s annual Christmas shows looming, we caught up with drummer / KISS fanatic / metal DJ / heavy metal nice guy, Will Carroll, just before their headlining tour overseas with Arizona’s own Sacred Reich.

Death Angel and the brand has been growing at an insane rate since COVID. What do you attribute that to besides more people wanting to get out of the house, etc?

I think most bands are “going for the throat” so to speak in terms of exposure and getting their name out there as much as possible since the pandemic. Being dormant for two years really showed everybody how quickly everything you love (concerts, movies, restaurants etc.) can be taken away and the possibility of it happening again is a reality. There’s a huge demand for live music, new albums, merchandise, meet and greets, etc.. Any band worth their weight should be supplying it.

You and Damien first recorded on 2010’s ‘Relentless Retribution.’ Since then, the band only released (3) more records. You seem to have boundless energy. Do your own aspirations ever clash with DA’s release timetable?

Not really. I have plenty of other musical outlets to keep me busy (Old Grandad, Hellhunter, Scarecrow, AC/DZ) when DA aren’t touring or recording. And they’ve been really cool about me doing other projects or jamming with other bands. The schedules always end up working out. All my other bands know my situation and know that DA is my #1 priority so when I’m unavailable for 5 or 6 months at a time it’s no surprise.

If you had to rate just the records you played on, would ‘Humanicide’ top the list? Any records you wish you could have recorded or mixed differently.

Actually ‘Humanicide’ would be at the bottom. My list from favorite to least favorite is 1. Dream, 2. Evil, 3. Relentless, 4. Humanicide. I’m not really happy with the snare sound on ‘Humanicide.’ It’s not bad, but It just doesn’t sound like me. The drum sound overall lacks a uniqueness. They sound great, but also sound like a million other metal drum tones out there today. There’s a lot of great material on ‘Humanicide.’ but there are a few moments where it seems to be not up to par with everything on the other 3 albums. It felt like we maybe played it safe whereas the other 3 albums very much have their own personality in the production, songwriting, performance and just overall vibe. I’m very proud of all the albums I’ve recorded with DA and think they’re all awesome in their own way, but one of them has to be at the bottom, right?

What is the working title of the new yet-to-be-released record? How many songs are finished?

There’s no working title as far as I know. We have a handful of songs demo’d and are working on more. We keep getting these amazing tour offers which slows down the album making process. I can think of much worse situations to be in.

If Nuclear Blast has a re-issue campaign, do you guys have unreleased bonus tracks and special live versions?

I believe there is only 1 song this current version of the band has recorded that has never seen the light of day. I think it’s called “Spiral” and was recorded during ‘The Evil Divide’ sessions. It’s a complete song, mixed and ready-to-go. We have a shit ton of live stuff. Our sound guy, Thilo records our shows almost every night. Usually during soundcheck, he’ll blast some stuff from the night before to get his levels. It’s neat to hear last night’s performance at that volume and it’s also a great way to keep tabs on my playing.

You’ve had a terrible experience with COVID on the first round. How bad was your most recent? Knowing you had pretty much experienced death via visions, hallucinations, etc, are you worried when you go on lengthy tours?

Obviously my second bout with COVID was nowhere near as intense as my first but it kicked my ass for sure. I was down for about a week. Right after we got back from our Japan/Philippines trip. I was getting weird recall of how I felt the days leading up to my coma. Not a pleasant experience. As I do this interview, I’m packing for our European co-headlining tour with Sacred Reich. It’s obviously going to be an amazing tour and I’m excited about playing for all of our Euro fans, but I’m not going to lie, a part of me is dreading going across the pond. I almost died from a virus/disease I contracted over there so I will always equate Europe with my COVID ordeal, which is unfortunate, as I love Europe.

You play drums quite differently than Andy Galeon yet bring a whole new ambiance and sound to the records he played on. Do you consciously think about the original beats, fills, and cadence when doing a song like ‘Evil Priest.’

I definitely pay attention to the original beats and do my best to keep them true to the original recording. I like adding more double kick to certain spots of the old songs. As far as fills go there’s a number of key fills that I have to do but, for the most part, I do it my way. It’s a delicate thing. On one hand, I want to keep it true to the original but I also want to keep it up to speed with our current sound since Damien and I joined. That’s where the extra double bass and more Thrash metal related drum fills come in.

Who are your current sponsors. Any ones you’re chasing that you’d love to represent?

I’m endorsed by Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Czarcie Kopyto Pedals and Low Boy beaters. I’m very happy with all of them. However, there may be a change coming in the not- too-distant future. That’s really all I can say about that. The one company that I’ve wanted to represent since I was a child is Ludwig, but I know that’s next to impossible.

The annual Christmas shows at GAMH sold out immediately. Any chance of adding another GAMH show? Very excited to see you’ve added The Catalyst this year.

Two shows at the GAMH is good enough. I think there was talks about possibly doing a third night but we decided it would be fun to play Santa Cruz the night before. We’re doing two different sets for the SF gigs so we’ve been rehearsing a lot of songs.

The newly-reformed Forbidden play support on both shows. Frolic opens Thursday night’s billing and Tornadic opens Friday’s festivities. Doors open at 6pm and the show starts promptly at 7pm. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $35. However, both shows are now now sold out. A handful of tickets may be released day of show. See venue for details and updates at https://gamh.com. The Great American Music Hall is located at 859 O’Farrell St. in San Francisco.

(Capital Chaos TV)

Trick or Tribute: Halloween covers back at Phoenix

Eddie October 24, 2023 No Comments

The Phoenix Theater, besides being a safe haven for teenagers and adults alike, has been producing annual Halloween shows that feature some of the greatest talent in the area.

For the uninitiated, it’s an all-night affair featuring some of the best local musicians from a handful of different eras. Each group of musicians picks their favorite band and plays a spirited handful of songs of their choosing and adds their own distinctive flair.

Featured acts this year include The Killers (as interpreted by Brandon Hendrickson & Trebuchet), The Adolescents (Tiger Brown and friends), Lady Gaga (Tisha Coates and friends), Stone Temple Pilots (Gas Money), The Cure (James Ryall, Michael Weldon, Derek Nielsen, Tony Ferronato, Campbell McIntosh), Alice in Chains (The Jellyfish Method), Ozzy Osborne (Eric Lee, Lance Brown, Billy O’Donnell and more), Gwen Stefani (MOGGS) and Pink Floyd (Dylan Baltazar, Alex Fabian-Davies and friends).

Phoenix Theater’s talent buyer Jim Agius offers some background on the tradition.

North Bay Bohemian: When was your first Halloween Covers Show?

“Our first Halloween Covers Show took place in 2016. It was originally booked to be a house show in Santa Rosa, but the venue could no longer host it, so we took the lineup at the Phoenix and then started booking it ourselves as an annual tradition. This will be our eighth year,” says Agius.

Highlights of that first show included Cara LP doing Post Malone, which Agius calls “a wild one.” Down Dirty Shakes doing Spice Girls was “a lot of fun,” according to Agius. And Bad Thoughts doing Sex Bob-Omb “is our most popular YouTube one, with over 150k views,” Agius continues.

“We like to do a mix of older and younger bands. We have veterans of the show who are pros who always get a slot if they want it. Tisha Coates/Moon Sick, Trebuchet, Brandon Hendrickson and James Ryall are among them and have some incredible moments on our YouTube playlist,” says Agius.

Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased at thephoenixtheater.com. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the show starts promptly at 7pm. The Phoenix Theater is located at 201 Washington St. in downtown Petaluma. All ages are welcome. Costumes are encouraged.

Each group of musicians picks their favorite band and plays a spirited handful of songs of their choosing.

(North Bay Bohemian)

Just say Yes: Classic rock giants in Napa on Halloween night

Eddie October 24, 2023 No Comments

Fans of progressive rock staple YES, have suffered through myriad line-up changes due to health issues, death, and personal issues. Whatever the case may be, the end reward has always been the same: new music and touring by YES is always good news. 

The band is currently knee-deep on their ‘Classic Tales Of Yes’ that finds the band revisiting some lesser-known but equally compelling YES tracks. What started in Bethlehem, PA, towards the end of September will carry on until the first week of November in Riverside, CA. 

The current line-up is original member Steve Howe (guitars, vocals), along with mainstays and longtime members Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals, acoustic guitar), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals), and new (er) member Jay Schellen (drums). Together, they will be also supporting YES’ latest record, ‘Mirror To The Sky,’ on InsideOut Music. 

Additionally, each show will commence with a presentation by English artist and designer Roger Dean, whose striking art has been featured on classic album covers by YES and, of course, Asia (which featured Howe and Downes). 

North Bay Bohemian: There were many skeptics but also many who rallied for you. What kind of pressure did you feel even though Jon Anderson had been out for some time?

Jon Davison: On day one of agreeing to join Yes, the press announcement widely spread online. Right away, there were heated discussions among Yes fans. I remember thinking there was really no need to pay attention to it all. I was more concerned with getting my voice trained up and fit to go onstage and give the music everything I could give. That’s really the only “pressure” worth applying. Such discipline transforms into motivation, whereas the pressure you referred to can only be limiting.

North Bay Bohemian: Your newest album is a massive leap from the ‘Heaven & Earth’ LP. What made this album better than ‘The Quest’ aside from possibly preparation time?

Jon Davison: Since the making of the ‘Heaven and Earth’ album, we’ve greatly evolved as a performing and writing unit, having grown from so much personal loss, inside and outside the band. We lost Chris and then Alan. Steve had an extremely tragic personal loss as well. As a result, the band has found a renewed strength, and its creative efforts are exponentially expanding toward greater heights of productivity. 

‘The Quest’ was a rewarding experience for us, but to a large degree, one of uncertainty. Because it was created during the Pandemic—which was such an incredibly strange time – it meant not being able to convene much and only writing remotely. There was a lot of file sharing from our respective places of isolation. 

Nonetheless, the process was successful and it therefore gave us the confidence and momentum to then leap into the creation of our latest album, ‘Mirror to the Sky.’ Whenever I listen to it, I can smile and hear that we were truly inspired. I feel we possess a renewed sense of appreciation for being in a band and having the ability to express ourselves creatively.

North Bay Bohemian: You have written songs with Howe, Sherwood, Squire (RIP), White (RIP), and Downes. Does any particular member make the songwriting process easier? 

Jon Davison: As a true Yes fan, I can say all the varying writing processes with different members past and present have all been fulfilling in their own unique ways. It’s thrilling just to be invited to the creative table with those you have deeply admired. I also love the challenge of taking on another’s musical style which is so unique to that of the others, and finding a voice or character in that style. For example, the mood and shades of Geoff’s writing are very different to that of Steve’s, yet as the lead vocalist, I’m the common denominator. This allows me to wear slightly different hats of compositional approach. I really enjoy having that challenge of creative diversity. 

North Bay Bohemian: Were all the current members of YES involved in this year’s ‘Classic Tales Of Yes’ setlist?

Jon Davison: What generally happens is Steve will first propose an outline of a set which we can all then help tweak. For the longest time he’s had a heartfelt desire of doing a ‘Tales of Topographic Oceans’ medley. He played a massive role in the conception of the four-song double album and therefore wanted to find a way of portraying much of its musical essence without taking up too much of the show. The rest of us wholeheartedly decided to take on this endeavor and help realize his vision. Currently on tour, the medley has really been a fun experience to share with so many surprised and delighted fans.

As well, we all voted on what new songs we should perform from our latest studio effort, ‘Mirror to the Sky.’ I also suggested we do “Turn of the Century” which is one I had missed singing since it last appeared in a set in 2014.

North Bay Bohemian: Any songs you particularly enjoy playing / singing live more than others from the classic YES years? What about songs from the last three studio records?

Jon Davison: It’s been a real rush to perform the new material and witness just how supportive audiences are. Then of course, I love singing all the classics as well. As I mentioned earlier, “Turn of the Century” is one that is so rewarding to sing. I’ve also been enjoying singing and playing guitar on, “Time and a Word,” which is from the 60’s album of the same name. 

North Bay Bohemian: How do you cope with the long travel days and 22 hours you’re not playing?

Jon Davison: It can all feel quite grueling a lot of the time. The secret for me is to stay engaged in diversions which help for a time to escape the pressures of tour life. Hopefully to this end I can enjoy watching inspirational or often humorous films or series. Lots of rest is vital, as is moderate exercise to help boost the immune system. Then at other times, I feel inspired from performing and so desire to create music. I actually work in GarageBand on my iPad, which means I can create music during the long hours of riding in the back of a car or van. 

It’s a mad life, I realize. Although it can also be one of excitement and adventure. I reckon, once a road dog always a road dog. 

YES plays The Meritage Spa & Resort located 875 Bordeaux Way in Napa. Live Presentation and Art Gallery outside at 850 Bordeaux Way. Tickets can be bought in advance at www.bluenotejazz.com/napa/shows starting at $69 for Bronze seating and topping out at $244 for the YES VIP Tour Package – Gold Ticket. Doors open at 5:30pm and the show starts at 7pm. Ages 8+ are welcome. No babes in arms.

(North Bay Bohemian)

On the eve of her Oct. 12 show at Golden 1 Center, a Sacramento music writer recalls working with Pink in her early days

Eddie October 9, 2023 No Comments

Pink. Photograph by Andrew McPherson

Back in 1999, I was Pink’s BMG distribution representative and involved with promoting her debut record on Laface / Arista records, “Can’t Take Me Home.”

To help launch it, Pink visited one of the biggest record one-stops, Valley Media in Woodland, where I walked her around the marketing and sales departments. She carried no instruments but, rather, sang acapella versions of songs from her yet-to-be-released collection for anyone who would listen. A handful of employees brushed her off, staying on their phones to take orders from accounts instead of giving her a minute of their time. It was a tough task for the then-20-year-old, but she barreled through it.

Nearly six months later, after her album blew-up on the radio, Pink played a sold-out show at Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa. Upon arriving backstage to say hello to the newly-minted pop star, she immediately said, “Hi Eddie, thanks for coming out” before I could even get a word in. I could not believe that, with her busy tour and record promotion schedule, she still remembered her Sacramento BMG rep.

That is the kind of artist who Pink was and still is today.

From my vantage point, she’s one of the hardest working ladies in the business and brings a magnificent stage-show and band when she tours. The now-44-years-young Alecia Beth Moore Hart, a.k.a. Pink, released “Trustfall,” her ninth studio album, in February. It has already yielded four singles and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200.

In a recent article in Women’s Health, Pink said of her new album, “I had time, because of a worldwide pandemic, so I went really, really slowly.”

She added of the three-year endeavor, “I was able to take more chances. COVID slowed down life in a ‘what matters’ kind of way for me. Now all I want is to put things in the world that are meaningful and see my kids grow up.”

To date, Pink has sold a whopping 135 million records worldwide and is one of RCA Records’ biggest acts. Additionally, she won numerous accolades, including a couple of Grammy awards and coming in 10th on VH1’s Top 100 Greatest Women In Music.

Pink brings her show to Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center on Thursday, Oct. 12. Grouplove and KidCutUp open the show. Doors for this all-ages show are at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m Visit www.golden1center.com or www.livenation.com for tickets. Golden 1 Center is located at 500 David J Stern Walk in Downtown Sacramento.

(SN&R)

Sacramento Philharmonic director talks teaming up with Harry Potter for performances on Oct. 6 & 7

Eddie October 3, 2023 No Comments

It’s been 22 years since the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in theaters across the globe. The fantasy series has been a huge success for all involved.

For those Harry Potter fanatics who can’t ever get enough, the initial film will get some special musical treatment this week from Sacramento’s own Philharmonic orchestra, which will perform John Williams’ original score for a limited run this week at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.

SN&R reached out to Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera’s executive director, Giuliano Kornberg, to get the lowdown on the upcoming show.

SN&R: As executive director, do you have as much pull for the film choices?

Kornberg: In January 2023, we were approached by the promoting company of the Harry Potter series, Innovation Arts & Entertainment, to see if there might be the possibility for the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera to provide the live music for the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. After a bit of back and forth, we agreed and got to work. We’ve developed a great rapport and collegial collaboration with them, both with production planning and marketing, that has everyone excited about the concerts taking place. I think those that will attend are in for a real treat.

For this concert, we were approached with the choice to participate on this film specifically, and generally, for partnership opportunities such as this, the movie, music, production, etc. is pre-determined. That doesn’t make it any less interesting – this concert will be a great way for our musicians to get more performance opportunities, our organization to get a little more exposure, and most importantly, our community to engage with amazing music in this manner for the first time that I can recall.

SN&R: What are some of the past movies that have included the Sacramento Philharmonic?

Kornberg: While we haven’t performed other full movie concerts like this Harry Potter opportunity (to my recollection), we have performed other movie soundtrack performances featuring music by John Williams; superhero music (we performed a ‘Superhero Scores’ concert in June 2022); and other film concerts such as ‘Hooray for Hollywood.’ These performances are quite fun and great for both musicians and concert attendees, and I’m confident that everyone will really enjoy themselves with the full HP1 movie.

SN&R: How many members of the orchestra can we expect for the Harry Potter installation?

Kornberg: There will be about 80 musicians on stage – a full complement of string instruments (12 first violins, 10 second violins, 8 violas, 8 cellos, 6 basses), 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 5 percussionists, harp, piano, and 2 synthesizers. It will be one of the biggest orchestras that we’ll have ever put on stage at one time.

SN&R: Have you ever considered doing a horror, sci-fi, or dystopian drama score like The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey or 1984?

Kornberg: Possibly. With the Harry Potter performances taking place next week, I’m really looking forward to seeing how they go, what the audiences and our community think of the performances, how our musicians enjoy performing this music, etc. These sorts of performances and partnerships are a wonderful way for our subscribers, patrons, and donors to engage with our music in a different way than our other performances at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, and are a wonderful point of entry for families, younger individuals, and first-time attendees. From people that I’ve spoken with, there is a great buzz around these Harry Potter concerts, and if they’re the hit that I think they will be, we can certainly explore the potential for producing more performances like these.

SN&R: What other performances are you looking forward to in 2023 and beyond?

Kornberg: This Harry Potter concert will be a great way to start the season, but there a quite a few other musical opportunities for the community to engage with this season. Our Opening Night concert will be on October 21, just a couple weeks after Harry Potter; November will be our first performance with Maestro Ari Pelto as our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor; we’re providing live music for all performances of “The Nutcracker” in December 2023 with the Sacramento Ballet; and we’ll again produce two operas with Die Fledermaus in February 2024 and Don Giovanni in May 2024. We’re also already sketching out what our 2024-25 season will look like, and are assessing if we can produce other concerts like these Harry Potter performances.

The show plays on Saturday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, October 7 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets start at $47 and premium seats are $150 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com in advance. SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center is located at 1301 L Street in Sacramento.

(SN&R)