The World is Watching
Angels & Airwaves broadcast peace and love from Nashville
by Trace William Cowen

photo by Trace William Cowen

Mathematically, I had to do it. Angels & Airwaves, free show (the annual Journey’s Backyard BBQ), three-hour drive to Nashville, so-so shopping mall – it made too much sense to ignore. So, after a quick Waffle House breakfast (honestly, the atmosphere alone can fill your stomach) perfectly complimented with four cups of coffee, I turned my girlfriend’s Camry gently in the direction of Nashville…well, Franklin, Tennessee. Thankfully, I kept a mildly detailed mental journal of the day ahead and will do my absolute best to transcribe it here.  Read more...

Alkaline Trio and American Steel @ The Catalyst on April 6, 2008.  Read more...

Yellowcard…and Four Other Bands: An Observation

by Trace William Cowen

Photo by Seth Cowen  Read more...

October 24th, 2007—The 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C. A high-ceilinged, cavernous room, equipped with the relatively small stage, ample floor space, and spacious balcony seating well-suited for the intimate big band shows the 9:30 Club is known for are all part of the setting visible to the plethora of young rock fans awaiting the headliners of the Sleeping with Giants Tour. It’s approximately 9:00, and after enjoying, and inevitably singing and dancing with and moshing to, the four other bands in the diverse lineup offered to fans on this tour (The Rocket Summer, Sherwood, Armor for Sleep, and the recently added Cobra Starship), the audience is restless, some migrating to the close by merch tables and others even daring to venture to the club’s sports bar.  Read more...

At the beginning of the month at the renowned venue Merriweather Post Pavilion one of the most highly anticipated musical events in the DC area so far this year occurred. On June 4th, 2007, the artists featured in this year’s Honda Civic Tour, an annual tour generally featuring rock-genre bands, performed in Columbia, Maryland. This year’s lineup featured The Academy Is…, Cobra Starship, +44, and Paul Wall, with the headlining act of the recently famed band Fall Out Boy: a diverse artist selection that certainly attracted a diverse, not to mention large, crowd.  Read more...

I had been anxiously awaiting May 14th for weeks. I could not have
been more excited about seeing the Damnwells team up with Ari Hest at
the Troubadour in Los Angeles. I have been a long time fan of the
Damnwells and just recently within the past few months have become
very intrigued by Ari Hest, who is not at all new to the folk rock world and
has been releasing albums for a few years now. His latest release
Break In on Columbia was released on May 1st of this year (you need a copy!) and has been quickly gaining the attention of many.  Read more...

This review of The Bamboozle 2007 was conducted by Andrea Hubbell for Driven Far Off.

On Saturday, May 5th, 2007, a plethora of people from all over the East Coast and possibly US gathered at The Meadowlands Sport Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. However, this particular event wasn’t sports-related. All of these people traveled from however far to see an annual two day New Jersey, rain-or-shine gathering of various bands and performers known as The Bamboozle.  Read more...

Switchfoot at the Avalon Theatre
March 30th, 2007
Hollywood, CA

The Foreman brothers, Jon and Tim, and good friend Chad Butler started the band Switchfoot in 1996 in San Diego. Now six albums and countless world tours later, the band has been nominated for a grammy, and won several Dove awards. With the release of Oh! Gravity, the band has begun to regain the commercial success that was somewhat lost with the harsh reception of their last album, Nothing Is Sound.  Read more...

Anberlin, Bayside, Meg & Dia, Jonezetta
March 10th & 17th, 2007
Pomona, CA at the Glasshouse & Seattle, WA at El Corazon

As you can tell by the above information, I got to do something not many people get to do with this tour. Due a pre-arranged trip, I discovered I would have the opportunity to check out this tour a second time while at home in Seattle. So this review is from two different shows.  Read more...

Underoath
March 11th, 2007 at the Orange Pavilion
San Bernardino, CA

Last summer I returned home from an international trip with the expectation of attending the Warped Tour the next day and finally seeing one of my favorite bands play songs from their new album. With my best friends thinking I was joking, I solemnly read the announcement that Underoath had dropped off of the Warped Tour, and that no one was really sure of the status of the band. Devastated, I waited patiently, hoping that the band was not set for the untimely demise so many others were encountering.  Read more...