PHOTO JOURNAL: Inner City Elegance @ The New Black

The New Black: Take the Shot w/The Artist Life

Take The Shot and The Artist Life hit the stage at the New Black Centre For Music and Art on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 12 to a crowd of a small devoted fan base.

The cover charge for the event was $5, doors opening around 7:00 p.m.

The New Black is situated on 9th Avenue and 9th street, in the trendy southeast community of Inglewood. Inglewood is minutes from downtown and has many convenient transit opportunities for commuters, especially concert goers. There was also parking spots available for those that drove to the event.

The show was held in an upstairs room, entrance at the back of the building. The Centre specializes in live and rehearsal spaces.

Take The Shot, a Calgary punk/hardcore band, are currently working on their debut full length record. Forming in January of 2009 with all but one of the current members, the band consists of Ashtyn Beaudette (Vocals), Ruel Gauld (Bass/vocals), Jon Garcia (Guitar), Alex Koebel (Guitar) and Jeff Oman (Drums). They have previously mentioned that their influences include All Time Low and Mayday Parade.

Opening the show, they played a bunch of upbeat and powerful songs, that included a crowd favorite Don't Tell Sarah which can be heard on their myspace (myspace.com/taketheshotmusic). Beaudette brought a needed strong and energetic female stage presence to counterweight the four guys that accompanied her. She also brought a unique vocal ability to the stage. The small crowd danced along to the songs, and a few hardcores were singing along.

Jessica Scott Pearson, a friend and fan of Take The Shot told us about her excitement on the show, and the venue::

{Fourfourbeat}: So you were here for Take The Shot?

{Pearson}: Yeah! I know some of the people in the band, so I came to see them and they opened up the show. Because of them I got to see the other bands, which I found that each of the bands had their own kind of twist to their music, which is really good. Just cause of the intimate environment here, everyone feels like really close to the guys, you get a chance to understand the music better, and feel more in the environment. Because there's less people here, you're in it more, just cause it's not that big, like stage lights and these famous artists or anything like that.

{Fourfourbeat}: Did you like the venue?

{Pearson}: Yeah for sure. The venue is sick! That's why I find these shows to become so popular, like little shows, even though there's not that many people you get that experience, and they become close with fans. I find they have a stronger fan base in the end just cause they've had those chances to get to know people, closer, and they take the time to meet the people after the show, so it's just a better experience all together, than going out to see some big famous band.

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The Artist Life followed with a fun set that showcased the band's newer and older material. A lot of the songs touched on the pop/punk vocals and melodies that got the crowd pumped. The sounds, filled with many 'whoa's', resembled that of a new age Blink 182 but with an old school feel.

The band was decked out, in black skinny jeans, black tees and converse shoes, a typical band outfitting.

One song played, a cover of the Ramones, Blitzkreig Bop was a highlight in the performance. The cover brought old school punk to the stage and showed true talent in The Artist Life, making it come alive all over again into a modern day show.

Go For The Eyes, the last band that hit the stage, brought a unique and heavy instrumental performance that also showed true talent with the lead singer and the band's songwriting skills. It was clear that they took influence from more classic rock acts, but they were able to bring a fresh and new sound to their material for the crowd.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/taketheshotmusic, www.myspace.com/gofortheeyesband or www.myspace.com/theartistlife

A Faber Drive-Thru

Pop/punk band Faber Drive, Mission B.C's proudest, jumped onto the music scene with their debut album Seven Second Surgery in May of 2007, signing with 604 Records.

Singles off of Seven Second Surgery give a taste of the "old" Faber Drive:
(1. Second Chance: An addicting love story crammed into 3 minutes and 42 seconds. (2. Tongue Tied: A foot tapping, slower beat song that touches on the trials of love. (3. When I'm With You: An emotionally charged ballad with string accompaniment. (4. Sleepless Nights (Never Let Her Go): Heartfelt vocals powerfully backed by instrumentals.

Their follow-up record is set to be released November 10th called Can't Keep a Secret.

The first single, G-Get Up and Dance, off the new album takes the band almost into un-chartered waters and is a 180 from what they brought to the table with hits from Seven Second Surgery.

At a recent Calgary show at the Gateway Restaurant and Bar, Krikit (Jeremy Liddle), bassist for Faber Drive and a member that's been in the band since the beginning said that fans can expect the new album to be a combination of newly inspired electro-pop, G-Get Up and Dance esque rhythms, but also original pop/punk vibes.

The single, G-Get Up and Dance successfully hits all the right notes with melodies filled with light beats, electronic edges and sing along, catchy lyrics that anyone can dance to. With such catchy and relatable lyrics for listeners, it shows that underneath the new album they still posses the"old" Faber Drive, that their fans love to love.

Another new transformation that is a biggy for the band is the recent addition of Jordan Pritchett on guitar and Andrew Stricko on drums with the absence of Calvin Lechner and David Hinsley.

It's been debated if the new additions of Pritchett and Stricko were the main inspiration for the upcoming album's melodic direction, but what can be said is that in anticipation for the album out in early November, fans will not be disappointed by any means.

To find out more information, visit www.myspace.com/faberdrive !

A True Rock 'N' Roll Show

4/4 beats

Edmonton-based rockers Social Code hit the stage at The Back Alley on Sunday, September 27^th, their last date on the Rev Theory tour w/guests The Armchair Cynics.

The Calgary nightclub set the scene for the live show with a definite “back alley grunge” atmosphere, filling up quickly with attendees before the first act hit the stage. Tickets for the show were under twenty dollars, making the three-act event well worth the price.

Social Code recently released their third studio album, Rock ‘N’ Roll following their 2004 album A Year At The Movies and their 2007 self-titled release. Their first single off the new record, Satisfied, is currently climbing the rock charts and was one of the later tracks played during their set.

Even by putting the name of the album out of your mind, it was clear from their performance that the new album contains more of a “rock ’n’ roll” vibe. Tracks played off of Rock ‘N’ Roll such as Nothing Left To Lose, Buy Buy Baby and Real Girl captured the essence of their newly discovered direction. Surprisingly, the set was packed full of songs from all three records, and focused evenly across the board. This gave fans the chance to experience the new album live, but also hear their favorite songs such as Bomb Hands, Beautiful and Whisper To a Scream, returning to their pop-punk melodies, whereas new listeners were given a taste of what Social Code have been, to what they are currently.

Lead singer, Travis Nesbitt brought his never fading high-energy and strong vocal ability to the band's performance. His signature emotional facial expressions also got the crowd pumped throughout each tune. A highlight in the performance was Social Code’s spin on the song I Believe In a Thing Called Love where Nesbitt’s high-pitched vocals got the audience into a “bopping frenzy”, adding a pink boa and an over the top pair of sunglasses to his attire. Backing him up were Morgan Gies on guitar, Logan Jacobs on bass, Ben Shillabeer on drums, and newly acquired guitarist Steve Faulkner, who never missed a beat. After the set, most of the members were available throughout the venue or by their merchandise booth where fans were able to obtain signatures, buy cds and shirts or get pictures. The band truly did not disappoint.

Following Social Code’s explosive performance, Rev Theory received a thunderous welcome onto the stage and rocked the house down with heavy rock anthems and a devoted bar audience. The night was a true rock ‘n’ roll show that brought something for everyone with the presented line-up.

For more information on Social Code visit their official site, socialcodemusic.com

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Brand New Eyes

3.5/4 beats

Tennessee-based band Paramore released their third studio album, Brand New Eyes, on Tuesday September 29th.

The album boasts melodies and intricacies that were not seen on their previous records, All You Know Is Falling, and Riot! It begins with Careful, which pulls the listener into the harsh and emotional concepts that surround the 11 track album. Such songs as Ignorance, Turn It Off and Playing God reinforce these struggles, as well as showing the triumphs the band mastered in getting them to where they are now. The Only Exception, Looking Up, and Where The Lines Overlap bring a more positive spin to the record.

Hayley Williams, the band’s lead singer, took a more stripped down and raw approach to her vocal performance. Jeremy Davis, Josh and Zac Farro, and newly acquired guitarist Taylor York, successfully back her up with their edgy guitar riffs, pounding bass lines and unique drum beats.

You definitely need to listen to Brand New Eyes from beginning to end to appreciate the strong messages behind it. Fans of Paramore are able to get an inside look into what the band was going through, and new listeners will truly experience Paramore at their best.

For more information on the band, visit their official website, paramore.net