AfterHaunt -

What's the deal with CDs?

Reviewing this album, I needed a consistent place to listen to it. I chose to play it on my car's CD player. I have a nice trip to work and back home. Most albums, I can listen to in their entirety in a single day. In my car, I can listen an uncomfortable number of times before changing it out. It's the ultimate stress test.

Why buy CDs in the download era? Two reasons. First, CDs take us on a carefully arranged journey from start to finish, where every track adds to the message, even if it's not a full song. Downloading songs to insert into a playlist doesn't offer that experience. The second reason is for object permanence. With digital downloads, you don't own a song or album, you subscribe to access it. Owning a CD, you have it pretty much forever if you take care of it. I'm not going to debate the preference between records versus CDs. Mostly because my car does not have a record player. Records are great also. Less portable, but higher fidelity. The physical touch of the needle on the vinyl in your room feels the same things the record in the studio felt when it was recorded. Listening to a record, you can almost feel the vibe in the room.

Reviewing CDs, I look for certain criteria to be considered. Does the band have a tight sound? Meaning do all the instruments hit the same beat at exactly the same time? Is it a studio quality recording? If those both hit, I'm less likely to get a headache, and into the car it can go.

Album Impression

The first time playing the album through, I was relatively impressed. For a part-time regional band, The Impurity has a tight sound, and a very listenable album. For the band's sound, think of Megadeth drums, White Zombie guitar, and Godsmack vocals. I did not feel the need to hit the skip button once, and as far as bangers go, the song Wolf was great. I instinctively hit the back button as soon as it was over to jam out one more time. As far as earworms go, Sometime is a great song to listen to one and hear over and over in your head. If this album was a concert, it would have been a great show. As a CD, I'd love to go to the concert.

As the album loops through a few more times, it's easier to take a critical listen to it. The first song I find myself skipping is The Flood. It's a decent song, it just didn't resonate with me, and it started to feel like a long, repetitive song. Ultimately, all the songs are long and repetitive with about 1–2 repetitions. Otherwise, they have a great flow, and it's as repeatable as any mainstream musicians.

What's Next?

As I mentioned in the beginning, they are a part-time band. So it takes them a long time to come out with more music. They do however tour extensively. Despite having day jobs, they put in the work, and they are open to booking gigs. I would love to see a second album released. One thing I'd like to see, which this album was lacking, would be a deep, emotional song that cuts through the soul and relates on a traumatic level. Also, every heavy metal band has to have at least one hard-hitting song people can just crank and scream along to. 4 out of 5 stars.

For song lyrics, visit https://www.lyrics.com/sub-artist/The-Impurity

What’s the deal with CDs? Reviewing this album, I needed a consistent place to listen to it. I chose to play it on my car’s CD player. I have a nice trip to work and back home. Most albums, I can listen to in their entirety in a single day. In my car, I can […]

A few weeks ago, I went and saw regional bands. This was my first time ever seeing bands in my hometown. I saw four out of the five bands that were playing that night. I left before the fifth band could play, because my ride was leaving. Bands of any type don't usually play in my hometown. So I was super happy. My favorite type of music came somewhere close to me, rather than the city.

This was a last-minute decision to actually go out for the first time since Halloween weekend. That's been a long time of me just hibernating away from the cold, even though on this day, it was freezing. I needed to get out and do something anyhow. I needed it really badly. I don't enjoy doing things alone all the time, but since I've been having to do it a lot more recently I've been getting used to it. Thankfully, my one friend, whom I'm in a group on Facebook with, was at this concert. I also made a few friends at this concert too. I'm still a little stand-offish and anxietal when I'm around several humans whom I do not actually know.

The show

I came at 6:00. Doors were at 5:30 pm apparently. I had to get cash to actually buy a ticket at the door. The bands were all very nice on stage, and were really good at getting the crowd riled up. It was a really good show. I didn't think my hometown had it in them to put on a really good show locally, so I was impressed.

The First band that played was Habits have Teeth, then Thinning the Veil, Among the Outcast, then An Easy Death. I left before I could see Katspo perform, but I heard they put on a really good show. Each performance was really good, and each band knew how to really get everyone involved. They wanted everyone to jump or clap their hands along.

Habits Have Teeth

I have never heard of any of these bands at all. I did check em out the night before to see what I was getting myself into. They had good energy, and they knew how to get the crowd going. I stood off to the side during this set quite a bit. I didn't really feel comfortable jumping in just yet.

Thinning The Veil

This was their second show ever which was pretty cool hopefully they become bigger they have a good vocalist. The singer actually said, "I should've taken a shot before I started." Then about three people bought him a shot. It was awesome to see. It helps loosen up your vocals to be honest, so it helps in a way. The lead vocalist has some pretty good vocals and has some good screams too. The whole band was a very good band and incredibly kind and nice. I enjoyed their set.

Among The Outcast

By this is the band, where I was starting to get a little more comfortable. I was standing next to a friend I met from a music group on Facebook. We started talking some, then other people I'm friends with started to introduce me to several others. Slowly, I'm starting to get to know the names to the faces of these people. During this set, I was standing front and center with this friend.

The band came out and started their set. They started off with saying, "how is everyone?" and "thank you for coming out and supporting everyone." Their set went quite a bit harder than the other two did. They definitely weren't new to this performing thing, but that is just my point of view. This is a band I'd recommend looking into and checking out. They were coming closer to the end when they said one more time, "thank you for the support!" Then they got off the stage.

An Easy Death

This is where I met more people and more names to faces before the band came on stage. I was chilling with that guy still up front near the stage and then a bunch of people came over to us, and he started to introduce me to a bunch of other humans whom I'd never met. I can usually just go up to people, compliment them, and say stuff. Other times, I don't know why, but I'm just stand-offish. I end up getting in my own head or worried. It just happens. I get a weird pit in my stomach, then I'm like, "Eh no let's go." Then, I need to find someone, I at least know their name and face, you know.

The lead singer was very energetic in this band. This is also another great band and started out by asking everyone how they were. Then they started their set, so the lead vocalist even got down from the stage and got into the pit with some of us and also walked near us and tried to involve us all. He then got back up on stage and then finished the set list, and then he said, "thank you for coming out and supporting us. We appreciate it. Get home safe. If you're drinking, be responsible. Have a good night." This is also another band I'd recommend looking into. They went pretty hard, and they really wanted the audience involved.

Merch Tables

There was like three small merch tables with a few t-shirts, stickers, a beanie on one, and on another a small flag on the other. It wasn't a crazy amount of selections, but it was enough to be good.

Final Thoughts

I know there's not to much going on in this, but not only was it my first time seeing Regional type bands, it was the first time ever having a concert in my area. I wasn't sure what to expect, so it was all very new to me. It was clearly a more social environment than bigger events. Phantom Entertainment put on this show, and they do these quite a bit. So I will be keeping my eye open for more shows in my home town for sure. I'll be going back to them. I've got more shows coming up. I can already feel it my summer is going to be booked at this rate. ha-ha I'm very excited. This summer is going to be a big one.

Some History of Me

So, this band is really close to my heart. When I was younger, this band was first introduced to me by my friend who lives in Australia. I met her through a reading and writing app. We became friends on other social media apps, and haven't stopped chatting since. This was the first band she recommended listening to when I was starting to explore different music. She was there all through the changing phase. She recommended this band, and she said, "Here listen to Pierce The Veil, King for a Day." So that was the first song I listened to by them. Since that song, I have loved the band. Then I found similar artists and bands. Nowadays, I constantly find new bands. My headphones are glued to my neck pretty much every day. Music means a lot to me. So that's probably why, all through middle school and high school, I always turned to music for everything. It's probably why, to this day, I still turn to music when I need to calm my anxiety, something is going on, or I just need to focus in general. I love listening to music. Music helps with so many things.

Anyway, so when I was 14, I went through a lot, in school and out. I was then diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and a chronic illness called Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO). To sum this up, it's a mitochondrial disease that makes me weak and tired quicker than a normal person. I get so weak, so fast and tired quickly from standing for long periods of time. I can't walk for long either without losing my breath, then needing to catch my breath afterwards, the list of downsides to this disease goes on and on. Anyhow, I was born with this and got diagnosed, I believe, at age twelve or age thirteen. So dealing with this defiantly sucked the life from me because I didn't know how to cooperate with this or the fact that my eyelids droop constantly.

I was also getting bullied a lot. So I started to turn to these types of bands and loud music. The heavier, the better. The more screaming, the better I felt. I finally felt like I wasn't alone. I had found something that made me feel at peace. Then I started to wear the big chunky rubber bracelets, and people started to bully me more. So, let me just say, I'd heard every name you could think of by the time I was sixteen. All because of the music, the way I dressed, my hair, my eyes, etc. I was also having major self-confidence issues to the point that I, at one point, isolated myself in my room for six months. I had to start going to therapy at a young age due to all the stuff I was dealing with. I didn't know how to deal with anything. I was young, so I turned to these bands.

Back to Pierce The Veil

One day, I came across the song called Hold on Till May, by Pierce the Veil. This song will probably forever hold a special place in my heart. There's a direct line that'll forever hit home for me, which says, "Darling, you'll be okay." It isn't anything too big or major, but it was to me when I came across this song. I needed to hear this more than anyone would ever understand. At this age, going through what I was, I needed it. So when I found this song, I think I had it on repeat for several days. I remember listening to it on the bus, on the way to school, and falling asleep with it ringing through my ears. At this point, though, they weren't touring near me. I needed to see them live. I knew I had to see them, even if I had to wait years and years. I'd eventually see them.

Getting to the Concert

Flash forward to 2022 when they announced they were going to be touring again finally, after quite a few years of not. I was so excited, I got tickets immediately. Flash forward again to the day of the show. It was supposed to happen the weekend before Thanksgiving on the 20th, but we ended up getting a crap ton of snow. So they had to postpone the show to November 22nd, a couple of days before Thanksgiving. It was nice that they didn't just cancel it. I was a mess for days because this band means a lot to me. I knew I was determined to get there, one way or another. A lot of my plans had to change that day. The day of the show finally came around. I didn't really eat. I got into a big argument with my father that day, which resulted in me getting even more upset. Just about everything this day was a lot. Thankfully, everything finally got figured out, and I ate something small and got ready.

My dad's friend and her boyfriend were giving me a ride. The boyfriend enjoys this type of music, so he hung out with me during the show. The ride there was good until we came closer to the venue. Then, it was backed up for a bit. We eventually got parked and headed in. It was freaking freezing.

Fit for a King

We got in and found spots pretty close to the stage which I loved. The show had two openers, and Pierce the Veil was one of them. Fit for A King was the other one. I have not listened to too many songs by Fit For A King. They started to play, but unfortunately I didn't know any of the songs. I loved the energy though! So after the show was completely done, and I was at home, I defiantly checked them out. If you need a new band go check them out, they are perfect. Then it was finally time for the second opener, which was Pierce the Veil.

Pierce the Veil

Anyways, PTV came out on stage. They started off their set with May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight, and then they continued their set list. To my surprise, they played not one, but all of my favorite songs by them, including Hold on Till May. When they announced they were playing this, I started to cry. It brought me back to being that small girl who needed someone, and they were there for me. It also brought back floods and floods of my teenage years. I just stood there crying and singing along to this song. I screamed as loudly as I could. I was an emotional wreck for a bit. Like I said, it'll always hold a special place in my heart. They finished their set with King for A Day, which also had special memories attached to it.

I'll forever be happy that I got to see them finally. That little girl would be so proud of me today, and I would hug her now. If I could, I'd go back and tell her don't give up. I'm pretty sure it would've helped to hear that at that age. She deserved better than what she went through. Looking back though, if I didn't go through most of the stuff I did, I wouldn't be who I am today. The headliner for the show was I Prevail check them out if you haven't heard of them along with PTV. All three of these bands are so good and so talented in their own ways.

I Prevail

I can't fully remember if this was my second or third time seeing I Prevail. They are a good band. The first time I saw them, they went so hard. I saw them at The Rapids Theatre. That is my favorite venue. If you need a new band to check out, go check them out. I recommend listening to Stuck in your Head by them first before you listen to anything else by them. Start with their older stuff, then check their newer stuff out. It is all excellent. They were headlining this show. I Prevail has always been a great band. They played some older songs. Not super old, but older. They started with their song 0:00. Then it was There's Fear In Letting Go, and then they played through the rest of their set. They left the stage briefly after the set, then they came back out and played two encore songs. One was Gasoline, and then they ended with Bow Down. These songs are all really good.

The Mosh

All three of the bands had to stop their sets to get people out of the pit because they weren't doing so well. One person left on a stretcher. I don't remember why, but it was scary. I am very glad that people got security's attention or the band's attention so they could stop and get the person out. Everyone around spread out to give the EMTs room to get to these people and get them out, so the bands could resume. It's pretty scary to see these things, but I'm glad people did get the attention of others. The problem got fixed asap, and then we resumed with having a great night. I Prevail definitely deserves to be known more than they already are.

The Merch

Finally, it was time to go to the merch table before going home. There was a bunch of merch including tee shirts, sweatshirts, and all three bands had beanies, stickers, CDs, drum heads, flags, and one band had a draw string. All I got was a Pierce the Veil sweatshirt. It's all I wanted due to the fact I had a bunch of merch from them already. Fun fact, my first band merch piece was a Pierce The Veil tee. I didn't need anything from either of the other two bands either. I have seen I Prevail once before, so I was good. I wasn't an avid listener of the other band, Fit for a King, yet. So I got my sweatshirt, my dad's friend's boyfriend got his merch, and then it was time to go home.

The Great Escape

As we are leaving the venue, it was packed as always. I have barely a voice left, and my ears are ringing. Regardless, it's always worth it going to a show. I have got to invest in really good earplugs eventually. I will to wear to these shows. But for now, it is what it is. The drive back was smooth and quiet. I finally got home and ate something for real this time. I was starving, finally, and I needed food. It was all worth it to finally get to see Pierce the Veil live. It was a dream come true. If they come back to Buffalo or the area, I recommended you go check them out at least once in your life.

Some History of Me So, this band is really close to my heart. When I was younger, this band was first introduced to me by my friend who lives in Australia. I met her through a reading and writing app. We became friends on other social media apps, and haven’t stopped chatting since. This was […]

Discovering Metallica

So I've been a fan of Metallica since I was younger. I first heard Enter Sandman playing in my uncle's car as we were driving somewhere. I don't remember exactly where, but I know I was younger sitting in his loud as can be car. He had one of those chunky iPods hooked up to an aux cord through his radio. We were listening to his playlist, and that song came up. Then I started wanting that song on my mp3 player. So I ended up getting that song downloaded on there with some help from my dad.

I remember this one conversation I had with my uncle as this song would be playing. I had this conversation with him a lot actually, about how I never wanted to get piercings, or dye my hair, or get my ears stretched. If you looked at me today, all that went south! (ha-ha) He would always say that would change, and for sure that did change.

When I was younger, I never really liked heavy metal, but I started listening to it with my uncle a lot more. He was also in a band at this point, and they did a lot of heavy metal music. So, I would always sit outside my grandpa's barn door as they were practicing for hours at a time. It was just a core memory of how me getting into Metallica arose.

My mom started playing heavy metal in the cd player in the car, and any time Enter Sandman would come, on I'd scream it at the top of my lungs. Now mind you, I'm like almost 12 at this point. It is just crazy how things can change so fast. Flash forward to the year 2022. I just now turned 22 that past July, and I was told as kind of like a late birthday gift from my Mom's boyfriend that he wanted to take me to go see Metallica live with him and my Mom.

Preparing for the concert

Fast forward to almost the day of the concert, which is August 11, 2022. Yay, another summer concert! If you can't tell yet, summer concerts are my favorite. It always makes me so happy having summer concerts. Summer in general is the best. Anyhow, the day of the concert is finally here. I woke up pretty early, made my bed, then started getting ready. I needed to be ready, I believe it was by 3pm, so we could get to my mom's boyfriend's house. So we could leave from there to get to the concert.

Before we went to the concert, we stopped at a bar called Winfield's Pub in Lackawanna, NY and had some food and drinks before heading to the actual concert cause venue prices for food and drinks can get expensive especially after one or two or three drinks and food of any type and if you plan on buying merch too it all adds up real quick.

The Drive In

So, the drive to the Venue was horrific because it was so busy. It usually is, especially at this venue. This is where the football team, the Buffalo Bills, call home. So during football season, it gets so backed up with traffic. So this didn't surprise me, not one bit. I'm just glad there were a bunch of cops and traffic directors to direct traffic to where parking was at the venue. Others were trying to drop people of, and people were walking everywhere, even on the road just trying to get into Highmark Stadium.

The Openers

After we finally parked, we got out of the car and started walking in. Once we checked in and got our tickets, we made a quick pit stop at the restroom and headed to our seats. Then, the first of the openers opened up, which was Ice Nine Kills. I've seen them quite a few times now. They are crazy good. Check them out if you haven't. If you like horror films, you will like this band very much. Then, we decided after they were done to run to the bathroom one more time. Because I was with a group of people. We were also stopping at the merch table, which is where I got a Metallica shirt, a beanie, and an Ice Nine Kills t-shirt. My mom and her boyfriend got matching t-shirts, from what I remember.

We headed back to our seats just in time for the second opener, which I am not a fan of at all the lead singer has good vocals I'm just not the biggest fan of Greta Van Fleet they have good songs, but I wouldn't consider myself a fan. Anyways, they played. I truly wasn't too into it, but his vocal range is pretty insane.

Metallica, the Show

Metallica finally walked out around Nine pm. We were up pretty high, not in a bad section though. I could see everything. They open by playing Whiplash which is a good song. It's not one of my top favorites, but it's good. Then, Creeping Death. When they started to play Enter Sandman, I literally was like, yes! I screamed that to my mom and her boyfriend. I was so excited. Enter Sandman has always been my favorite song so when they started playing it I started screaming along. I was screaming so loud I started to feel like I knew I was going to lose my voice by the end of tonight. Then, they continued playing through their two hour set list.

Metallica, the PSA

I remember during Fade to Black where James Hetfield, the lead singer, was talking about Suicide. "We've all had struggles. We've all had dark times. We've all known friends, or family members that have taken their own lives. They've committed to a permanence to a temporary problem. We've all been touched by it. If you're feeling like you're struggling, there's people who will listen to you. There's people that love you, I love you. You're not alone, remember that. You are not alone!" he said before continuing to play the song. He stopped midway to speak up on this topic. It defiantly hit home. It tugged at my heart strings to be honest, still does to this day.

I lost someone to Suicide back in 2020. They say it gets easier, that's true it does, but that doesn't mean that even on the most random days, grief can't still creep up on you. It doesn't matter how or when, sometimes it's just something someone says. It's the fact that they talked about this before starting to sing again is what makes it even more impactful of a statement.

This song is actually about being in a bad place mentally. So this is a full circle moment. So many people in this world can agree and connect to this . It was a lot to take in. I just cried through the rest of this song. The whole time, after he said that, all I can remember is that the moment he said that, my tears just started flowing. It's crazy what music can do to you, and how certain topics or certain emotions can just bubble at any time. Mental Health is a real thing. It's crazy how our brains can react to certain songs and cause goosebumps, crying or many other emotions. It's just bizarre how our brains do this.

Please remember you are not alone. If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to people. A loved one you can trust, a good friend, a teacher, or trusted adult. You are not alone. People do love you and care about you. I love you and I am so proud of you.
- Emmaly -

Metallica, the Finale

Anyhow, they played Master of Puppets, which some of you would only know from Stranger Things. That still blows my mind to this day. You've got to expand your horizons folks! ha-ha Anyways, the artwork they used when they played this song was awesome as can be. We are getting closer and closer to the end of the show. They start shooting off fireworks for their last song, and fire blasters went off, and even though we were nowhere near it, you could still feel the heat off of these things. It was crazy, but so cool. I'll never forget being able to check this band off my list too.

All the songs, all the artwork, and the lights matched up so perfectly with the songs. The sound was amazing too, no technical difficulties or speakers not being right. At the end of the night, I did lose my voice like it was gone getting to experience things like this make it all worth it in the end. I was so happy that I got to hear this song live finally, forever grateful I was raised on good music ha-ha.

The End of the Line

Finally, as we were leaving, Police were directing everyone, making sure traffic was flowing good, and everyone was being safe. Which I'm thankful for. So thanks to them for doing this, and making sure everyone got out of the parking lot safely. To end this, I finally got in my mom's car. Her and I were finally on our way home. I lost my voice, this time fully, and my ears were ringing like crazy. I definitely recommend wearing earplugs if you go to a show. Even though I don't, you should. I am so happy though that I went, and I got to experience something like this. It will never be forgotten.

Discovering Metallica So I’ve been a fan of Metallica since I was younger. I first heard Enter Sandman playing in my uncle’s car as we were driving somewhere. I don’t remember exactly where, but I know I was younger sitting in his loud as can be car. He had one of those chunky iPods hooked […]

So I would like to start this article off by just introducing myself. I am Emmaly, but I prefer to go by Em. I just wanted to give a small background of myself. I started going to concerts when I was like ten or eleven. I would like to say, I actually saw Taylor Swift as my first Concert ever. From there, my experiences with concerts started changing into heavy metal, and listening to music where screaming is all you can hear. That's also when I started going to Warped Tour until they cancelled it. That's where I first crowd surfed, and I got into a few mosh pits. That's when my music and concert experiences really started to pick up. Since then, I've been on a journey to see so many as many concerts as I can (which are on my long list of artists I need to see.)

Getting Started

So finally to actually start this article. On my experience of seeing JINJER live, I'd like to say, I found this band from a friend who lives in Pennsylvania. Sadly, him and I don't speak as much as we used to, but when he first showed me this band, I was completely blown away at how good the lead singer's vocal range is. She can go from singing normally, then to doing the screaming parts all on her own.

I have always wanted to see this band live and I am forever grateful that they came to Niagara Falls back in August of 2023. On concert days, my usual go to is make sure I get ready, get makeup, my bag ,and everything else all ready to go. So when it is a little closer to the time, I just need to leave. I can just grab everything, run out the door, and I'm on my way to the concert. During this time, I go to eat and drink some water so I'm full and hydrated. Because during events it really sucks to have to leave your spot. Especially if you try to go barricade like I do all the time. Usually, I go to events with older friends who hang out in the back, and I go to the front as close as possible. I'm small, so I squeeze my way to barricade, and I'd much rather be close to the stage and engaging with the crowd. The other thing is, the older people who I do go with tend to not want to get up close. So I don't like risking losing my spot. So, for bathroom breaks and everything, try to do them before a show starts. It helps in the long run, and then do merch at the end of the show. It helps not having to hold it all night long.

PSA: Wear deodorant! it is key especially when packed into small venues or just in general with concerts and having your arms up especially if you go barricade.
- Emmaly -

Anywho, sorry for getting off topic for just a second there. Anyways, the night of this concert was just amazing. First off, not only was it at my favorite venue, but it was also during the summer which made the night even better. Summer concerts are just where it's at to be honest. I absolutely love The Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls. It is such a beautiful venue, and its crazy its not too far from where I live outside of Buffalo. The art and design of that venue just always blew me away. It is marvelous, and it always will be.

Until I Wake

The Openers for JINJER were all really good to get everyone pumped up for the main event which is JINJER one of the openers was actually UNTIL I WAKE from Buffalo NY actually which is freaking awesome I actually know quite a few of those members now the vocalist that used to be a part of this band is no longer there in the band but the new vocalist is really good from I have heard but if you need some new bands to check out check these guys out they are amazing.

Jinjer

Anyways, JINJER is a Ukrainian metalcore band from Donetsk. If you've heard of this band, that's awesome. I'm glad you do, because this band is incredible. They formed in 2008, but none of the founding members are still in the band. The band JINJER is made up of Tatiana Shmayluk, who is the lead vocalist, and guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov. The band has since added bassist Eugene Abdukhanov and drummer Vlad Ulasevich. Tati is a very talented artist. If you haven't checked out this band yet, check out Pisces, Teacher, Teacher!, and Sit Stay Roll Over first, then get into the rest of their music. They are amazing.

The Show

The band JINJER came out and started around 9 pm. So it was a late show, which is fine. That doesn't bother me at all I'm a night owl. I really enjoy the peace of night and the moon, especially in the middle of summer. The soft breeze, the night sky, everything just adds up perfectly with late night concerts. They opened up their set with the song Perennial. Tati started dancing around, whipping her hair every which way, and head banging. You just knew this night was going to be one crazy night, and it was. I'd say if you ever get the chance to see them, take it. You won't regret it.

After the show finally started, everyone in the building was screaming and head banging. The energy was crazy. I was also very glad that where my spot was, I was close to the stage like always, and there was no crowd surfers going towards me. There were a few I thought were going to come, but they didn't thankfully. I'm a tiny 5 foot 3 woman who also isn't the strongest. I can only lift so much as it is. So keeping crowd surfers up is a lot, but it turned out to be a good spot where no-one came through, and I got to enjoy the full show. That doesn't aways happen with crowd surfing and mosh pits happening. You've got to be aware of everything when you are at these types of concerts. If someone is hurt, get someone's attention or the security guards attention. Get them on the issue as soon as possible.

Also, the entire set list was to die for. Absolutely an amazing set in general. The lights and everything fit along great with the songs, and her outfits matched everything too. At one point I almost touched her hand. It was cool to even just be smiled at by her up front. As we were nearing the end of the show, she asked everyone how were doing, and thanked us all for coming. All that stuff artists tend to do. Then she left the stage before coming back to do one bonus song for everyone. It was just perfect. She performed Sit Stay Roll Over, then thanked us all again and blew kisses.

Merchandise

Then it was time to find my friends and head up to the merch table. Then, head for the restrooms again since I had an hour long drive back to where I was cat sitting at the time. So for merch, there was a bunch of good stuff. The merch I got was stickers, a tee-shirt, and a signed poster from the band. Then, my two friends whom I came with got their merch. Then we headed back to the car.

Final Thoughts

I lost my voice partially, and I was tired. However, every minute of the ride there, every minute of the show, and every minute of the ride home was worth it. I'd defiantly do it again if I could. That was probably one of the more amazing concerts I've been to recently. To End this, I'd just like to say that if this band returns to the area a hundred and one percent, I recommend jumping on a chance to see them. Don't go through life missing out on really cool concert opportunities.

It was a very cold night. The snow was falling down. We had to drive all the way to Syracuse NY which is somewhere between Rochester NY and NYC I believe. The venue was called Funk 'n Waffles. I did not know what was meant by this. Are there waffles? Are there funk? I was about to find out.

The War Lovers are a street punk duo from Syracuse, NY. The War Lovers are Jamie Pickslide on guitar and vocals and Thao Crash on drums. They have an I don't give a fuck attitude, with a witty sense of humor. With songs like Beers not Bombs- a political song about how you should drink alcohol instead of dropping bombs on people. Then there's steal shit from Walmart- hilarious with a great message! And of course SPDS (Syracuse punks drunks & skins) which is amazing to see live, because the entire Syracuse punk scene, and others, get on stage and sing along and know all the lyrics. It is very heartwarming to witness.

They know how to get the crowd moving. Expect the fans to be jumping off the stage, pushing people around, piggy back rides, pogoing and partying! At this show they did a song for a professional wrestling company called Total Fucking Chaos, and believe me it was total fucking chaos. People were breaking shit, children were attacking each other, Only Fans star Gravy Jones and burlesque queen Roslyn Noir were rolling around on stage making out, and everyone was just going absolutely nuts. It was a beautiful site to see.

If these spikey haired, studded out, loud mouth punks ever come to your town I would highly recommend checking them out. Thao will say something snarky to you, and Jamie will tell you jokes and feed you meatballs! They are a fuckin' rad band and amazing people who do so much to keep the punk scene alive.

There were waffles. Funk 'n Waffles had a a wide variety of savory and sweet ones which were delicious, and the entertainment was fantastic. I left with more questions than answers. I suppose that's a good representation of what Syracuse has to offer.

Note: Photos used in this article were obtained directly or indirectly from The War Lovers' social media. If you are the original photographer or know who it is, please contact us for photo credit.

It was a very cold night. The snow was falling down. We had to drive all the way to Syracuse NY which is somewhere between Rochester NY and NYC I believe. The venue was called Funk ‘n Waffles. I did not know what was meant by this. Are there waffles? Are there funk? I was […]

Background

This was the first meet-and-greet event at Eclipse, and we couldn't have started with a more chill couple of metal heads. I just want to put it out there that I am one of the owners at Eclipse Boutique. I highly encourage anyone else who was at that store for the grand opening to leave a comment below. We've been wanting to start our meet-and-greet series for a while now. As the largest goth store in western New York, Eclipse has been serving music fans since 2020. With the sheer number of goth and metal bands that come near our store, we should be the go-to place for this sort of thing.

The impurity came out January 28th ahead of their show at the Montage Music Hall on January 6th. Frontman Jeff Young came with percussionist Peter Kazmierczak to play in improvised acoustic set, meet some folks, and overall hang out. The goal was to promote their show and draw some attention to our Grand Opening.

Let's Start the Show

Everyone was excited to see the duo arrive no later than any normal show starts. In all actuality, they were initially delayed by a car accident on the NY Thruway near Buffalo. When 2pm arrived, there was about a dozen people anxiously awaiting them in our little Monroe Ave satellite location. There were friends of Eclipse, dignitaries from Monroe Ave, Vertex Nightclub, and more well-wishers. After waiting about a half hour without any word from the band, people started filtering out. After checking out their facebook page, they had posted they would be there. However they had the wrong address. They ended up at the Bug Jar at the other end of Monroe Ave. They finally arrived around 3pm and started setting up immediately.

The Band

The Impurity formed in 2012 with frontman Jeff Young. They have kept busy over the years playing hundreds of shows including an east coast tour in 2019 and Blue Ridge Rock Festival in 2021 with Lamb of God and Megadeth. There's a lot more bio info available on their website https://www.theimpurityofficial.com/ I definitely encourage you to check it out.

The best part of the meet and greet is the meeting. They are fantastic at greeting customers, don't get me wrong. They were just super chill to hang with. Peter is a relatively introverted drummer. In case you're not sure what introverted means, he's not likely to fire up a conversation out of thin air, and small talk is a form of torture. If you open with a direct question, you've got a great conversation on your hands. We had a nice chat about how he would book hotels requesting framed pictures of various celebrities left on the bed. Frontman Jeff Young, however, was happy to start conversations. I don't know if I'd call him an extrovert, but I would call him a friend. He had a story for everything going wrong playing his song, In The End, where he came up with an alternative version on the fly, and he talked about bringing cucumbers on tour to stay hydrated and forgetting to eat them.

The Music

The music was a great mix for an acoustic set. They played a few of their originals including Wolf and In The End, spent some time just jamming riffs, and played a bunch of 90s grunge songs. The two of them have a very tight sound. I mean to say tight on a professional level. Listening to other regional bands, they usually struggle with sounding like one cohesive band playing their part of the same sound. The Impurity has that on lock. This coupling with a unique vocal sound for the metal scene. It's like hard rock you can headbang to. If you want to hear more, their CD is now available at Eclipse Btq.

Background This was the first meet-and-greet event at Eclipse, and we couldn’t have started with a more chill couple of metal heads. I just want to put it out there that I am one of the owners at Eclipse Boutique. I highly encourage anyone else who was at that store for the grand opening to […]

Ghost Imperium Tour 2023 with Amon Amarth

Starting off our series of haunts, it only seems appropriate to start with a Ghost. Of course Syracuse probably is haunted, but the haunt we're starting with is the Ghost Concert with Amon Amarth at the St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater (now the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview) in Syracuse, New York on August 18th, 2023. I put that date in bold because it's worth noting that it was barely 60 degrees with rain and 10-15mph winds blowing right into the amphitheater. Papa Emeritus IV referred to it as, "surprisingly autumnal." Before we get ahead of ourselves, Let's cover the ultimate question. How was the drive? How is premium parking? What is the VIP experience like? How was the show? Okay, so there are a lot of questions to answer, but ultimately, was it worth it?

The Drive In

When TicketMaster tells you to expect heavy traffic, they are not kidding. It's only partly because of how packed it was or how much of the audience was coming from the Rochester or Buffalo area. All of the traffic from the west has to go past the fairgrounds exit to the next exit, drive through a few intersections past the exterminator, and get back on the highway to get off at the same exit.

I didn't get to leave as early as I would have liked. I had to work at Eclipse, the largest goth shop in western New York, for a partial day because everyone who worked there took the day off for this very concert. I was able to get out of work at a reasonable time, toss my wife in the vehicle, and head out for the trip that never seems to end. Seriously, kudos to our customers who drive to Eclipse from Syracuse. I respect your dedication, and I really hope we made the trip worth it. Ultimately, we arrived at the venue 45 minutes before the opener, Amon Amarth, was to take the stage. We just had to park and walk in.

Premium Parking

Is premium parking worth it? Sort of. There are a few solid benefits, while at the same time, it's literally the exact same thing as regular parking.

The first benefit to premium parking is that we got to pull out of traffic to the left and head up a driveway with very little traffic. We showed our pass on the way in, and got to park relatively quickly. The parking spaces, however, are not for full size vehicles. We were in a standard issue crossover which was right on the line on both sizes. The people next to us has to climb out the back of their vehicle.

One would expect parking was closer though right? Not actually. It might have actually been further away. The premium parking and regular parking were the same lot split long-ways by a fence. However, the second benefit would soon come into play. The traffic jam getting into regular parking was forming a mob of a line getting checked in through security. At premium parking, there was a shorter line after a longer walk following a flag saying "VIP Entrance". Thank goodness we had VIP! We could check in quick, get our bag of merch, see the Ghost museum, and meet the legend himself. Right?

The VIP Experience

Short answer, there was no experience. I'm not sure what we did wrong. I never got the email with special instructions, but I would have thought checking in with a VIP ticket at the VIP entrance would have been enough. There was no merch, no museum, no legend. The walking path simply merged with the people coming in through the regular parking entrance. Then, there was just a short half mile saunter up hills, down hills, through the mud, past merch tents and food vendors, in the cold rain, to the entrance to the Amphitheater itself.

The Show

Ultimately, the VIP price tag did land us some decent seats. Off to the right a bit (directly in front of the speaker stack) 3 rows behind the pit. The view was fantastic. We could see everything right of center stage well, and we couldn't complain about the left.

When Amon Amarth came on, they hit hard with dark and heavy energy right off. The drums hit so hard and fast, I couldn't tell if I was experiencing a full body percussion massage, or tachycardia. Sitting in front of the speakers with these nordic metal heads is not for anyone who isn't 100% certain of their cardiac health.

The set was somewhat brilliant. They had two backdrops that they used during their set. The two statues on the stage were actually inflated. They were able to change the entire set during the concert without affecting the flow. The statues deflated, the backdrops changed out, and a sea serpent rose from the floor.

I really enjoyed Amon Amarth way more than I expected to. They put on a great show with personable commentary, sword fighting, viking tales, horns, and rowing. All set to a performance that is way better to experience than to listen to on an album. If this concert was about them, I'd definitely go into more detail.

After their set, they tossed their picks, drumsticks, and arm bands into the crowd and left the stage. We sat there in the cold rain for what seemed like about an hour, sorry I didn't keep better track of time. It was cold, and my phone was mainly in my pocket to I could be immersed in the experience.

Stage hands hung up a very large white curtain while they changed sets. Remember in the beginning of the article when I mentioned 10-15mph winds? That was more than the curtain could handle. They struggled for a while to keep it tacked down to the edge of the stage so others could change the set. Ultimately, it fell and all but one stage hand abandoned it. Let's just say, I had a feeling going to a Ghost concert, I would at some point see a guy dressed up in a white sheet. I wish I had my camera out for that one... It was to much. He freed himself from the curtain ultimately, and we got to watch the entire process of breaking down Amon Amarth's set and setting up Ghost's set, which was mostly behind Amon Amarth's backdrop.

Ghost, the Concert

Finally, we hear the religious chanting that tells us the show is about to begin. Imperium begins to play as the nameless ghouls enter the stage and take their places. As the track ends, guitars rip out Kaisarion and Papa Emeritus IV takes the stage. The crowd roared with screams as the much anticipated 1.5 hour theatrical performance has finally begun.

The ghouls did great hyping up the crowd, bantering with each other, working their stage presence, even the tambourine player was giving it all she had. What we didn't get enough of? Papa! It seems like every instrumental portion of a song, he had gone off stage for another unnecessary wardrobe change. Often, it was just a jacket. We don't care of you dance awkward, we still love you Tobias Forge! Mick Jagger danced awkward and they made a whole song about it.

Papa, if you didn't want to feel awkward, maybe a bit less with the jokes between songs. Saying that if it wasn't so cold out, you'd f*** everyone outside the venue just feels weird when such a large portion of your audience is under 16 years of age, married, or just not into being lined up like cattle for our poking. As the concert came closer to the end, he tries some interaction again asking how many more songs he should sing. We've all looked up the setlist. We already know what songs you're going to play, and that some of your most popular songs like Mummy Dust or Life Eternal will not be making an appearance. Don't make us try to go through the setlist in our head to figure out what songs are left, just play them.

There are other ways he could have made it more interactive with the crowd that make sense. Maybe comment on some regional observations you've made. Maybe stop in at the largest goth shop in western New York for a brief appearance (screw you Nick Storch, it would have been awesome for everyone.) Actually play your most popular songs.

Papa Emeritus IV performing in Syracuse NY August 18, 2023

Was it worth it?

In the end, we all had a great time. Premium parking saved us some time, so it probably was worth it. Express parking would have been a better name for it. The VIP experience, maybe we did something wrong, but ultimately, it seems like it was a complete rip-off. We did end up getting a credit for a future VIP experience to try again, but as it stands now, I would not pay for it, nor would I recommend anyone pay for it. At least, if it's being provided by Future Beat.

The concert itself was definitely worth it. As I said, we had a great time. The performances were spot on. A longer Ghost set would have been great, and more Papa time on stage would have been excellent. If you have to change your wardrobe, make sense with it. Something more than a different color jacket. Jokes were cringe, but didn't ruin the experience. I would 100% see Ghost every time they come to a town near me.

Ghost Imperium Tour 2023 with Amon Amarth Starting off our series of haunts, it only seems appropriate to start with a Ghost. Of course Syracuse probably is haunted, but the haunt we’re starting with is the Ghost Concert with Amon Amarth at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater (now the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview) in […]