KILLSWITCH ENGAGE AND ANTRHAX IN ST. LOUIS, MO ON MAY 1, 2017

Monday, May 1st I arrived at The Pagent in downtown St. Louis, Mo and quickly noticed how many people were also arriving for the show. Rock fans did not care that it was Monday night, they were ready for a great show, no matter how much they would regret it the next morning.

The heavy metal openers, Code Orange definitely woke the crowd up. The band was running from one side of the stage to the other, making it nearly impossible to take pictures, but their energy and performance was so awesome, that it wasn't a let down. Later this year, they will be touring Europe with System of a Down.

The Devil Wears Prada was up next, they did an awesome job of keeping the fans on their toes. As fans continued to flood in for the show, the pit got more and more packed, which of course means a mosh pit is bound to break out. That is always a fun thing to see, fans not only enjoying music by singing along with the songs, but physically RAGING with their favorite bands.

By the time Killswitch Engage took the stage, The Pagent was full of screaming fans. Every song fans were singing and banging their heads along. Their set included many familiar tunes including, "My Curse", "The End of Heartache", "Arms of Sorrow", and "This Fire". KSE even rocked a couple of new songs for the fans, which is always very cool. One of the highlights of their performance was when Adam D approached the mic and dedicated "My Curse" to tits and proceeded to tell the crowd that if anyone wanted a body like his, all they needed to do for exercise was masturbate. The crowd erupted in laughter. Their closing song for their evening they did a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" with a special guest, none other than Joey Belladonna, the lead singer of Anthrax. It was amazing and the crowd absolutely went crazy.

Last but not least, the headliners, Anthrax, took the incredibly dressed up stage. These boys always show so much energy, and this show as no different. Their set included performances of "Madhouse", "I am the Law", and of course…"Indians". The fans kept singing along with them all through their incredible set. Before leaving the stage, Anthrax threw their drum sticks and guitar picks out to the audience and took a bow.

Photos and article by Jennifer Pinckney for Bloodrock Media

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ADELITAS WAY W/ LETTERS FROM THE FIRE & MORE - DENVER, CO ON MARCH 21, 2017

A Tuesday night show usually means a light crowd, but March 21st,hundreds of Adelitas Way fans showed up to the Marquis Theater despite it being a week day.  The line-up for the evening was Manafest, The Black Moods, Letters From the Fire, and headliners Adelitas Way.

Four-time Dove Award nominee, Manafest opened the show.  Bringing to the stage an energetic mix of rap and rock, a perfect way to warm up the audience for the night ahead.  Next up, The Black Moods, it is almost impossible to define The Black Moods genre, as they blend rock music from the last four decades, creating a high energy, infections, and unique sound that is like a combination of Foreigner and Soundgarden. An insane mixture, that just works and the audience loved every minute of their performance.

Female fronted, Letters From the Fire, kicked off the second half of the show.  The crowd pushed closer to the stage, ready to rock, even those not familiar with the hard rockers, left that night new found fans of the sultry, rock vixen Alexa Kabazie. As this was the last night of the tour, Letters From the Fire was pranked by the other bands with eggs, which was quite the sight to see.  

Alexa Kabazie of Letters From the Fire in Denver, CO on 3/21/2017

Finally, Adelitas Way took the stage to close out the night, starting off their set by performing their upbeat popular songs including:  "Sick", "Alive", and "The Collapse".  They slowed it down a bit with "Closer to You" from their self titled first album, Adelitas Way.  This song is probably one of the first most fans heard from them, so the lyrics hold special meaning, and they performed it beautifully. Adelitas Way came back for an encore and the other bands got a little prank in on them, part of the drum kit was removed from the stage and Robert Zakaryan, lead guitarist for Adelitas Way, had a guitar playing partner.  His reaction was priceless.  

Robert Zakaryan of Adelitas Way in Denver, CO on 3/21/2017

Written by Jennifer Pinckney on March 25, 2017 for Bloodrock Media
Photos by Jennifer Pinckney for Bloodrock Media
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3 Doors Down, Pop Evil, & Red Sun Rising - Memphis, TN on 9/21/2016

Written by Jennifer Pinckney on September 22, 2016 for Bloodrock Media

On September 21, 2016 in downtown Memphis, TN, I had the opportunity to see 3 Doors Down, Pop Evil, and Red Sun Rising at the Orpheum Theatre. The venue, classic and beautiful, typically hosting plays and musicals, is ready for a night of good ol’ rock n’ roll with a stellar line up of Red Sun Rising, Pop Evil, and 3 Doors Down.

Red Sun Rising kicked off the night with some serious energy.  Being the newest of the bands playing it took the crowd a few songs to warm up to them, but by their last few songs the crowd was engaged and really enjoying their performance.

Pop Evil never disappoints. In May 2016 they announced their new drummer, Hayley Cramer, and I had yet to hear them live with the new addition. And boy was she impressive!  Their entire set was mind blowing, each song performed with precision and an enormous amount of energy.

The headliner, none other than 3 Doors Down, has been around since the late 90’s, but they still rock the stage with absolute perfection. With line-up changes over the last few years, I thought maybe they wouldn’t bring it, but the new members click extremely well.  The crowd was eating out of their hands by the end of their set, as they should have been, their entire set was flawless. Their positive vibes and overall generosity and love for our service people oozes from them.  It was so refreshing to have their positivity when there is so much negativity in the world.

Overall, I loved the experience.  I was introduced to a new band, Red Sun Rising, and I was able to see two of my favorites perform, Pop Evil and 3 Doors Down.  Check out our other pictures on our website (bloodrockmedia.com), facebook (facebook.com/Bloodrock Media), or Instagram (instragram.com/Bloodrock Media).

Marianas Trench with Skylar Stecker - Nashville, TN

It’s a Wednesday night and I get to see a very talented 14 year old star Skylar Stecker along with the very entertaining Marianas Trench.

First on the agenda was meeting Skylar for a quick interview to learn more about this up and rising star. She was such a fun person to interview and a very sweet personality. You can tell how passionate she is about her music, and she is only fourteen! I was lucky to hear her doing sound check as well, but her performance on stage was breath taking. Her showmanship was very professional and her vocals very impressive. The crowd cheered loud for her. Her set involved her playing the keyboard and singing along with a guy playing acoustic guitar. She sang a familiar tune for the fans “Cake by the Ocean” which amped up the crowd for Marianas Trench.

Marianas Trench was ready to come out and the fans screamed with joy. It had been three years since they have been to Nashville, TN, so their fans were ready to see them again. They came out on stage and brightly began their set with their lit up guitars and very impressive production set. The fans sang along with every song and kept jumping and their hands up throughout their set. They showed amazing skill and I was so honored to get to photograph them. I will definitely have to see them again next time they come around.

Written by Jennifer Pinckney for Bloodrock Media

August 3, 2016