{"id":14752,"date":"2018-03-20T09:16:43","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T13:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=14752"},"modified":"2018-03-20T09:16:46","modified_gmt":"2018-03-20T13:16:46","slug":"on-stage-spring-into-metal-with-big-show-tonight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=14752","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Spring into metal with big show tonight"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Allegaeon<\/p><\/div>\n

Fans of metal music will be in a state of ecstasy on March 20 \u2013 and not because it\u2019s the first day of spring.<\/p>\n

The reason for their delight will be mega-show at the Voltage Lounge (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602, www.voltagelounge.com<\/a>) featuring a sextet of top-flight metal acts.<\/p>\n

The \u201cDank Memes Tour 2018\u201d offers an impressive line-up with Rings of Saturn as the headliner. The other five acts on the bill for the all-ages show are Allegaeon, Entheos, Neckrogoblikon, Lorna Shore and Gloom.<\/p>\n

The current line-up of Allegaeon features Greg Burgess, lead guitar (2008\u2013present); Michael Stancel, rhythm guitar (2013\u2013present); Brandon Park, drums (2013\u2013present); Riley McShane, vocals<\/a>(2015\u2013present); and Brandon Michael, bass (2017\u2013present).<\/p>\n

Allegaeon has released four albums \u2013 \u201cFragments of Form and Function<\/a>\u201d (2010), \u201cFormshifter\u201d (2012), \u201cElements of the Infinite\u201d (2104) and \u201cProponent for Sentience\u201d (2016). All four are on Metal Blade Records.<\/p>\n

Judging by the album titles, this is not a typical gloom metal band singing about anger-fueled rebellion, animal mutilation or the impending end of the world.<\/p>\n

Allegaeon plays a wide variety of styles \u2013 mostly within the realm of metal music. The band plays death metal and incorporates technical expertise and a sense of melody without sacrificing the heaviness inherent in death metal.<\/p>\n

Listeners can hear many influences, including prog-rock, thrash metal, classical music and prog-metal. Lyrical themes are both heavy and intellectual \u2013 stem cell research, alien life, evolution, physics, artificial intelligence, cryonic experimentation and biology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a melodic death metal band that experiments with a lot of different genres and influences,\u201d said McShane, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Indianapolis, Indiana.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur last album had flamenco music and classical guitar. But, the foundation is always death metal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Allegaeon, a lot of metal fans can find something to identify with. Our song structure is pretty straightforward. Technical fans also can find a lot to like. There\u2019s something for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

With \u201cProponent for Sentience,\u201d Allegaeon presented fans with a musically complex, intelligent, and absorbing concept album.<\/p>\n

With a lyrical arc rooted in science-fiction yet uncomfortably encroaching upon the reality of the present, the record features the five musicians pushing the boundaries even further than on their three previous critically-acclaimed albums.<\/p>\n

According to McShane, \u201cWith this record we\u2019re bringing ideas to the table that corroborate the fact that, at this juncture, robotics as a field is moving forward at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis story is dotted with examples of real-life scientific advancements, and it is also perforated with details of humanity\u2019s flaws.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, the record tells a story that is still a bit too far-fetched to be based in reality but isn\u2019t too far beyond the scope of imagination to see occurring within the not-so-distant future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allegaeon got its start in northern Colorado in 2008.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still based out of Denver,\u201d said McShane. I live in Escondido, California, our drummer live sin Illinois and our bassist lives in Northern California. But, Denver remains our home base.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was living in Santa Cruz and was in a band called Son of Aurelius and we had an album that was Greg\u2019s favorite album ever. Allegaeon needed a vocalist so Greg hit me up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith every member change, the foundation of Allegaeon\u2019s sound is kept intact bur each new member brings something new to the table. I\u2019m really excited about Brandon Michael joining the band because he has such a versatile bass style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allegaeon has released an album every even year since 2010 and the pattern will hold true in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty much done making our new album,\u201d said McShane. \u201cOnce we get off tour, we\u2019ll finish it. We\u2019ll hit the studio on June 1. We\u2019ll be recording it in Denver with Dave Otero producing it at Flatline Studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreg and Mikey write most of the music and everybody else contributes their parts. I write all my lyrics. That\u2019s my responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been singing my whole life \u2013 since I was three or four years old. My brother who is 15 years older than me taught me how to harmonize with him and it progressed from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty comfortable with both clean and dirty vocals. There will be some clean vocals on the next record. We\u2019re already playing one new song in our love show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Allegaeon \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Kk6z3NQcoKw?list=PL287EF95A4FFE743F<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Entheos<\/p><\/div>\n

Entheos, which is also billed as a technical death metal band, is a hard-hitting quartet featuring Chaney Crabb, vocals (2015\u2013present); Evan Brewer, bass (2015\u2013present); Navene Koperweis, drums (2015\u2013present); and Travis LeVrier, guitar (2016\u2013present).<\/p>\n

The band, which formed in 2015 in northern California, has already released two albums \u2013 \u201cThe Infinite Nothing\u201d in 2016 on Artery Recordings and \u201cDark Future\u201d in 2017 on Spinefarm Records.<\/p>\n

Like Allegaeon, Entheos has a link to Santa Cruz, California \u2013 the home of the UC Santa Cruz \u201cFighting Banana Slugs,\u201d top-caliber surf beaches, the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, redwood forests and a thriving multi-genre music scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band is based in San Francisco, but I live in Santa Cruz,\u201d said Crabb, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree of us have been together since the formation of the band and our new guitarist joined a year late. We wrote \u2018Dark Future\u2019 together as a band over a two-week period. It started with a bunch of skeletons and outtakes of songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe demo-ed it out and then everyone took it home. We do a lot of interweaving with our separate parts. It was a lot different than our last album which was written over the internet with Navene doing almost all the songwriting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album is unanimously our favorite project as a band. The album was much more cohesive because of the way we wrote the songs. It had more of a unique spin on things.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll three guys came in with riffs they wrote on their own. We started on the album in January last year and it was finished and ready to go in July.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s sophomore album featured more complex songs \u2013 songs that were technically advanced and, at the same time, extremely heavy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe evolution is never going to stop,\u201d said Crabb. \u201cOur earlier stuff was more death metal. On this album, the synth was there on every track. We\u2019ve all been in bands that were more prog-leaning. Entheos started as death metal and evolved into this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, Entheos was never supposed to be a band that recorded more than one album \u2013 or a band that progressed beyond death metal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, we were just looking to make a quick EP,\u201d said Crabb. \u201cNavene was touring on his solo material. He came back from Europe and wanted to do a metal record and asked me to do the vocals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew Navene because I had a band called Systems and he produced our album. So, we decided to work together on this metal EP. We just thought it would be fun to write a quick EP as a death metal band.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never intended to be a full-time band. But, people were really into it. Soon, we got offered a record deal and we got a booking agent. It all happened in four months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three years have elapsed, and the band is going strong. It has two albums, one EP and is now on its seventh national tour. Fortunately for fans of metal music, sometimes things don\u2019t go as planned.<\/p>\n

Video link for Entheos \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/4jLtE52TNaQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The all-ages show at the Voltage Lounge will start at 6:20 p.m. Tickets are $20<\/p>\n

This week, there will be another show in Philly featuring a female vocalist who moved from a successful prior band to a new, equally-impressive project.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Katie Toupin<\/p><\/div>\n

Katie Toupin spent a number of years as vocalist for the Indiana-based band Houndmouth and recorded several albums with the popular indie-rock band.<\/p>\n

Then, in spring 2016, the versatile singer\/keyboardist\/guitarist, who is headlining at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a>) on March 21, opted to leave the band to pursue a solo career.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had become very clear to me that it was time to leave,\u201d said Toupin, during a phone interview Monday evening from her home in Los Angeles. \u201cI had already been writing a little on my own.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the last couple years, I\u2019ve been working on trying to find what I sound like. Before that, I had been working with the same group of guys since I was 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still trying to figure out what I sound like. It\u2019s a process of evolution. I moved from Cordon, Indiana to L.A, in February 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got here, I was trying to figure it out \u2013Do I want to be a pop artist?\u2026Do I want to do electronics? I\u2019ve been finding the answers. It\u2019s coming together after a few years of developing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toupin\u2019s talents are evident with her well-crafted songs and solid vocal performances.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been a disciplined songwriter,\u201d said Toupin. \u201cIn the morning, I write from when I wake up until around 1 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toupin\u2019s current songwriting efforts can be heard on her solo debut, the self-released EP \u201cMoroccan Ballroom.\u201d \u00a0The EP is entirely live — recorded during a session at the Village Studios to film some of her newly-written songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe EP was an accident,\u201d said Toupin. \u201cI had done quite a few recording sessions, and nothing felt right. When I stopped trying so hard, it got better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Village Recorders \u2013 to the Moroccan Ballroom \u2013 to record and film some tracks live. I thought I\u2019d show them to industry friends or put some on YouTube.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Village Studios in Los Angeles boasts the only Moroccan Ballroom that doubles as a recording studio. This intricately-designed soundstage has housed Grammy parties, orchestras, video shoots, and music awards with flawless acoustics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn six hours in the Moroccan Ballroom, we recorded all the songs live and we filmed then all,\u201d said Toupin. \u201cIt turned out real vibey and real live. It\u2019s got a really cool sound to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t edit anything or do any overdubs. It captured my first effort as a solo artist. I got the first mixes and when I listened back two days later, I thought it would be a waste not to put it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was her start as a solo artist in the studio. Now, she is getting her start as a solo artist on stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did two shows so far in L.A.,\u201d said Toupin. \u201cMy show in Philly will be only my third solo show ever. I\u2019ll play nine or 10 songs \u2013 all originals \u2013 and maybe one cover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Katie Toupin \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/0cBZfGhGhjU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which has Philadelphia-based singer Hemming as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Marc E. Bassy<\/p><\/div>\n

On March 21, Marc E. Bassy will be one of four acts on the bill when the \u201cTy Dolla $ign: Don\u2019t Judge Me Tour\u201d touches down at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Marc E. Bassy\u00a0is the contemporary R&B and rap alias of San Francisco-born artist Marc Griffin. The singer\/songwriter was previously a member of\u00a02AM Club, a band that released an album in 2010 on the RCA label and split a few years later.<\/p>\n

Feeling boxed-in creatively during his time in 2AM Club, Griffin\u00a0looked for a different approach to the next phase of his career. He adopted Marc E. Bassy\u00a0as his performing name and uploaded tracks to his SoundCloud page.<\/p>\n

In 2014, he released the single \u201cRelapse\u201d (featuring Iamsu!) and the mixtape \u201cOnly the Poets\u201d through EO Entertainment.<\/p>\n

In the next phase, Bassy signed with Universal Music Group division Republic and followed with the release of his EP \u201cEast Hollywood\u201d in 2015. The nine-track release featured appearances from Ty Dolla $ign, G-Eazy,\u00a0Bobby Brackins, and P-Lo.<\/p>\n

In 2016,\u00a0Bassy\u00a0became the hottest new voice to rise from the Bay Area music scene. His\u00a0\u201cGroovy People\u201d\u00a0EP\u00a0spawned the smash hit\u00a0\u201cYou & Me\u201d which featured Bay Area rapper\u00a0G-Eazy.<\/p>\n

In August of 2017, Bassy released \u201cPlot Twist\u201d (featuring Kyle) and followed with \u201cPlot Twist (Remix featuring Hailee Steinfeld).<\/p>\n

In October, Republic Records issued Bassy\u2019s debut LP \u201cGossip Columns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bassy wraps up his time touring with \u201cTy Dolla $ign: Don\u2019t Judge Me Tour\u201d after the show at TLA Wednesday night and then continues on with his \u201cGossip Columns Tour,\u201d which will run through mid-April.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started working on \u2018Gossip Columns\u2019 about a year-and-a-half ago,\u201d said Bassy, during a phone interview last Tuesday from a tour stop in Detroit, Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took my time putting it together. It even has a few songs I wrote when I was very young. I\u2019m writing all the time. I have a nice studio in the Bay Area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making music is something that developed naturally for Bassy, who also has a link to Santa Cruz.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to UC Santa Cruz and started making music,\u201d said Bassy. \u201cI had no idea what my life was going to be. I decided to drop out of school and make music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Santa Cruz, I learned about The Clash and punk and college reggae. Then, I dug deeper into classic soul. I wasn\u2019t listening to rap when I was growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once he discovered rap and hip hop, he was on his way.<\/p>\n

Bassy is a prolific writer who has also penned songs for a variety of other artists, including Ty Dolla $ign, Azure Kill J and G-Eazy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I write for other people, I don\u2019t change,\u201d said Bassy. \u201cI just try to be always working on songs. I just did some sessions with a younger boy band. For them, I found songs I wrote that didn\u2019t work for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m writing, usually the melody and lyric pop in my head. Sometimes, it\u2019s random gibberish over a melody. Frequently, the melody tells you what the lyric should be.<\/p>\n

\u201cSongwriting is easy \u2013 to a certain level \u2013 and then hard to get over a threshold. It\u2019s easy for me because I have a lot of natural talent. Now, I want to be bigger. I want everybody to know my songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Marc E. Bassy — https:\/\/youtu.be\/VvdwkzhI5mQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the TLA, which also features Ty Dolla $ign, Dre Sinatra and Toni Romiti, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $34.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Fans of metal music will be in a state of ecstasy on March 20 \u2013 and not because it\u2019s the first day of spring. The reason for their delight will be mega-show at the Voltage Lounge (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602, www.voltagelounge.com) featuring a sextet of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[6800,6801,3162,6802,6803],"class_list":["post-14752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-allegaeon","tag-entheos","tag-featured","tag-katie-toupin","tag-marc-e-bassy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14752"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14753,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14752\/revisions\/14753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}