Month: October 2013

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Revolution Live To Debut Newest Musical Collaboration Beer From Florida’s Rock Brothers

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[L to R]: Tony Casoria, Kevin Lilly (The Rock Brothers), JJ Grey, Joey Redner, Justin Clark (Pres. and VP of Cigar City Brewing) [Bottom] Wayne Wambles (Head Brewerfor Cigar City)

Beer and musicians are a union that goes back to the first bars that offered guitarists an open tab if they’d play all night.. It’s no surprise, then, that when musicians look for an interesting avenue for promotion, they look towards beer as a way to make their mark.

 

It’s not a new phenomenon, either: Hanson has a beer, GWAR has a beer, and so does Iron Maiden. The beer/musician relationship abounds so heavily, that there’s even a section in the Beer Street Journal, one of the online beer juggernauts, devoted to the cause.

This time it hits close to home, with a collaboration beer developed by musician JJ Grey, leader of the Jacksonville hailing band JJ Grey & Mofro, and brewed by Cigar City Brewingand Green Bench Brewing out of the Tampa area. The entire project is a product of the recently created Rock Brothers Brewery, who is seeking to expand upon the musician/beer synergy.

The beer being created is called Nare Sugar Brown, and though information as to the actual beer type being created, it sounds to be a coffee-based brown ale. And while it is scheduled for a small Florida distribution, the band plans on releasing it for South Florida during a concert at Revolution Live on November 2nd.

“I thought Cigar City would let me taste a couple of beers, pick one, then put it out,” Grey said of the beer-making process. “Instead, we sat down and talked about it for a while, and during that conversation I was educated on how artful brew mastering really is. We all put our heads together and then these guys went out and created the beer from scratch. The whole process was amazing and I feel really lucky to have been a part of it. In the end, I think I think they made a beer that somehow matches my music sip for sip (or chug) and note for note.”

You might have seen another Rock Brothers beer, High Road Ale, on tap at places like Riverside Market, American Social, and Laser Wolf. You’ll have recognized the microphone tap handle.That one was developed by Bradenton band Have Gun Will Travel.

Grey and Rock Brothers Brewery will donate five percent of net proceeds of Nare Sugar Brown sales to The Snook and Gamefish Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation that serves as a platform for anglers and conservationists to preserve, protect and enhance game fish populations. So with your beer purchase, you get a side of being awesome. Not bad.

Revolution Live is located at 100 SW 3rd Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. JJ Grey & Mofro will be performing November 2nd at 8pm. Tickets start at $22. For more information and ticket purchase, head over to Revolution Live online, or call (954) 449-1025.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2013/10/revolution_live_to_debut_newest_musical_collaboration_beer_from_floridas_rock_brothers.php

 

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Portugal. The Man, With Crystal Fighters – Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale – October 9

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By Michael E. Miller Thu., Oct. 10 2013 at 9:00 AM

Portugal. The Man, with Crystal Fighters
Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale
October 9, 2013

Better than: Taking acid and watching Yellow Submarine.

If your idea of a wicked Wednesday night is tripping balls to some psychedelic indie rock, then chances are good that you were among the sweaty, sore-throated masses at Revolution Live last night. Concertgoers were treated to back-to-back sessions of soaring guitars and trippy visuals thanks to Portugal. The Man and Crystal Fighters.

It was pop at its most unapologetic. Both bands skipped from one crowd-pleaser to the next with only the briefest detours into darker material. And both delivered strong sets that left fans satiated.

Crystal Fighters started the evening on a psychedelic note. Gilbert Vierich (electronics, guitars), Graham Dickson (guitar), and Andrea Marongiu (drums) launched into the synthy “Solar System” with no sign of lead singers Sebastian Pringle and Eleanor Fletcher.

Pringle and Fletcher sprung onto the stage in style a minute later. Both singers wore bizarre, sparkly outfits, but it was Pringle whose getup was the most absurd. He wore huge sunglasses, a rainbow sequined jacket and top, a black skirt, and enough bling to make Mr. T blush. His long hair was pulled into a knot, wrapped in a headband, and draped with a bedazzled scarf.

Thankfully, the Spanish band had the songs to back up its style. Pringle and Fletcher led the audience from one folktronic hit to another; “LA Calling” and “At Home” were crowd favorites. As Pringle pranced on stage and Basque flags waived in the audience, Vierich and Dickson took turns pounding on a giant wooden percussion instrument called a txalaparta.

It was a hard act to follow, but Portugal. The Man didn’t disappoint. Lead singer and guitarist John Baldwin Gourle took the stage in a suit jacket, buttoned-up dress shirt, and slim gold chain. The combination made him look like a cross between a college T.A. and a preacher’s son.Crystal Fighters provided the perfect opening mix of dreamy alt-rock and up-tempo pop. The band borrowed two members from Portugal for its finale: a barnstormer that ended with bare-chested guitarist Dickson climbing onto a table. The result was a screaming Spanish fangasm of spectacular proportions.

His music was anything but uptight. Gourle sang baby-making rock ballads with devilish lyrics like these from “Modern Jesus”:
Don’t pray for us/We don’t need no modern Jesus/To roll with us/The only rule we need is never/Giving up/The only faith we have is faith in us.

The progression from one song to the next was nearly flawless as Portugal opened with the ode to ecstasy “Purple Yellow Red and Blue,” only to then come back to it at the end of the set. The only problem was technical trouble Gourle seemed to having with his pedal board early on. “Fucking technology,” he griped.

The Alaskan band with a European name was aided by a giant four-peaked projection screen. For most of the set, the screen was splashed in psychedelic patterns. But during some songs, the screen transformed into a canvas for strange anatomical animations: brains with mouths, blinking eyeballs, demon hands with pink claws, and what looked like a pair of green, throbbing testicles.

Somehow it all worked. Portugal. The Man progressed through its excellent new Danger Mouse-produced album, Evil Friends, while tossing in the occasional oldies like “So American” and “Got It All.”

Portugal played for a solid two hours, but, in all honesty, the set could have been shorter. The band lost the crowd a little during a mazy, 20-minute encore capped by a kitschy cover of “Hey Jude.” But the initial set had been so seamless and soaring that not even a stumble at the finish could mar an otherwise kickass Wednesday night.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/countygrind/2013/10/portugal_the_man_with_crystal_fighters_review.php

 

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Review: Portugal. The Man at Revolution 10/9

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OCTOBER 11TH, 2013 – 

If ever there was a night in all of 2013 to see some good live music, it would be October 9th. Three fantastic bands decided to voyage down to the ol’ South Florida, including Portugal. The Man, whose eighth album Evil Friends has permeated the airwaves and blogosphere with it’s increasingly radio-friendly sound. This angle of creating accessible yet quality pop music was evident at the show, as the crowd flooded Revolution Live!’s every corner. Composed mostly of eager teens and twenty-something year olds, I feared the show would just turn into a spectacle to be recorded on the likes of Instagram, Facebook, etc etc. Thankfully though, the audience shook off my expectations and found themselves really living the show, for the most part.

First up were Crystal Fighters, and I’m not going to lie, when they arrived I was so ready to hate them. The guitarist ran up, already topless, basking in the cries of sexually frustrated front rowers. Holding them firmly in place, I really had to try hard not roll my eyes. Then the two lead singers, Sebastian Pringle and Eleanor Fletcher pranced in with glittered and bedazzled cloaks over their faces. Did I mention I really wanted to hate them? But the truth is, putting away any pretentious judgements I may have had, they did put on a really fun show. A good portion of the crowd seemed to be pretty hardcore fans of both Portugal. The Man and their openers, so the venue really came alive to their tunes. And why not? Though they’re not the next voices of our generation, or are not making any real musical landmarks, they had a vibrant onstage presence and played danceable tracks well suited to the audience’s demographic-on the outskirts of indie, with toes dipping more into the mainstream. With their easy to remember choruses and melodies pleasant to the ear, it wasn’t hard to jam out with the Brit rockers. Set standouts included “At Home” and their club dance-y “I Love London”, which found Portugal. The Man’s Zach Carothers on percussion.

When the headliners finally took to stage at around 10:30pm, the audience went downright crazy. Prior to this show, I could never really imagine how music fans lose their heads for a band like Portugal. The Man. It’s not that they’re a bad band or anything- in fact I don’t have anything against them, and upon interviewing Carothers, found him to be a swell dude. But they’re not a band that scream “die hard following” like Radiohead, or more pointedly older bands with cult like devotion, such as Fugazi or Elliott Smith. I couldn’t ever wrap my head around the fact that they could be someone’s favorite band, even though I know a few people who think of them that way. I now know why.

The thing with Portugal. The Man, is that they are undoubtedly consistent, never deviating from their goal of making music that appeals to a progressively broader and broader audience. They are aware of this. They aren’t blindly “slipping” into the mainstream, they are consciously making it a goal- and if their Fort Lauderdale show proved anything, it is that it’s working. Throughout their lengthy set, kicking off with “Purple Yellow Red and Blue” fans danced and shouted along to nearly all of their lyrics. The band threw in some covers, spawning from mid-set jam sessions, including “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd and “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. The audience knew these songs, and could easily sing along. The band is smart. A lesser known cover, their rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James, which I actually praised in our interview having heard it on their soundcloud, proved that the band is quite malleable in their approach to music. All in all, Portugal. The Man is doing exactly what they set out to, one show at a time.

http://www.musicobsessed.com/2013/10/review-portugal-the-man-at-revolution-109-fort-lauderdale.html

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Crystal Fighters and Portugal The Man Take Over Revolution Live

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PHOTOS AND WORDS BY MARISA MATLUCK

Posted: 10/11/2013 12:00 pm EDT  |  Updated: 10/11/2013 12:00 pm EDT

Crystal Fighters opened up for Portugal. The Man at Revolution Live Wednesday night, bringing the crowd to their feet with their upbeat songs! They played fan favorites “Swallow,” “Champion Sound,” “You & I,” “Follow,” and “Plage” to name a few. Towards the end of their set, Portugal bassist Zachary Carothers came on stage to jam with them on the bongos. Portugal’s set lasted about two hours, and had everyone mesmerized by their music and the cool graphics projecting behind them. They played their own music as well as a few covers by Pink Floyd. The crowd cheered for an encore for about five minutes before the band came back onstage along with Crystal Fighters’ Graham Dickson for another three songs. After the venue cleared, all that was left were a few groupies waiting along the stage for guitar picks. The light show was amazing! — Marisa Matluck

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/11/crystal-fighters-photos_n_4085395.html

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SOCAVIVOR 13: International Flag Night

Hosted by Gieselle The Wassi One, Walshy Fire, DJ Smallie

Music by: Supa B, Steelie Back, Barry Hype, Redman Vibes Man, GBM, Jah Baba, Mac 10, DJ Stephen, D-Life, Pan Trin Vybz, Jester To., Cancer High Power, Bashment Kid, Jah Stream, Massive B, Steelie Bashment, Young Chow, Platinum Kids

$20 if you bring a flag before 11PM.

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Rusko with Tonn Piper, RoniSize, Dynamite

Long considered one of the pioneers of mainstream UK dubstep, Rusko has remained a convincing leader in the resulting U.S. movement since its birth a few years later. Rusko’s ultra-heavy brand of reggae- and dub-inspired bass music shakes dancefloors from LA to London and brings dubstep fans out in sheer numbers rivaled by few other Djs. Rusko offered fans a lighter side of the very dark and damp sound of dubstep, which significantly boosted his following outside the immediate community. His first big hit, “Cockney Thug” appeared on lists and sets by DJs the likes of Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and others. In 2010, he released his hugely popular debut album O.M.G.! featuring huge tracks like “Hold On,” and “Woo Boost.” In 2012, he followed up with the anthemic “Somebody to Love,” the first single on his second album, Songs. The same year, Rusko embarked on a massive solo tour of 19 cities across North America and released yet another set of tracks, the KAPOW EP, this time available free for download via his site. With new material surfacing at a near-constant rate, this pattern is likely to continue and Rusko will remain on the forefront of the ever-evolving scene of electronic music.