Feature: The Other Side tour with Echosmith, For the Foxes, The Downtown Fiction and Tonight Alive

Previously, I’ve said how much I’m impressed with pop-rock sibling-siege band Echosmith’s career so far. So when the band came into town on Oct. 27 in Orlando on The Other Side tour with Tonight Alive, The Downtown Fiction and For the Foxes, I knew it was time to pick their brains in an interview.

Watch the interview below and listen to the band talk about their writing process, the reception to Talking Dreams and how the band formed. They also get really passionate about Chipotle. Then, take a peek at the photo gallery from the show.

Photo gallery: The House Party tour (A Day to Remember, All Time Low, Pierce the Veil, The Wonder Years)

 

Last week, one of the best tours of fall ended in Orlando. Check out our gallery of photos from the final stop of the House Party tour featuring A Day to Remember, All Time Low, Pierce the Veil and The Wonder Years below.

A Day to Remember

Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember

Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember

Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember

Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember

Kevin Skaff of A Day to Remember

A Day to Remember

Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember

Josh Woodard of A Day to Remember

Josh Woodard of A Day to Remember

Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Zack Merrick of All Time Low

Zack Merrick of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

All Time Low

Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low

Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low

Jaime Preciado of Pierce the Veil

Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil

Jaime Preciado of Pierce the Veil

Jaime Preciado of Pierce the Veil

Tony Perry of Pierce the Veil

Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil

Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil

Tony Perry of Pierce the Veil

Jaime Preciado of Pierce the Veil

Jaime Preciado of Pierce the Veil

Echosmith: They’re talking dreams, baby.

Your summer wasn’t as good as Echosmith’s.

The four-piece Sierota sibling siege straight out of Hollywood are objectively cooler than you or me (especially me).

Why? Most of them are high-school aged and spent their summer playing Vans Warped Tour. Can anyone say “opportunity of a lifetime” for young, aspiring musicians?

It’s not necessarily just going on the tour that’s impressive – it’s having the resolve to be in the Warped Tour trenches while at the same time playing great music and not losing their minds while so young.

I first met the group at the St. Petersburg Warped Tour when the sky looked like it was going to open up with torrential rain. It was only the four of them at their merch table handing out their Summer Sampler E.P. and signing posters. I had missed their set that day, but I planned to see them the next day.

Noah and Sydney Sierota of Echosmith.

Review: Tonight Alive’s ‘The Other Side’

Let me set one thing straight: Usually when it comes to an album and I don’t like five tracks off of it I would cross it out as a miss and move on. But something about Tonight Alive’s album The Other Side made me sit down and listen to it.

The first track is “The Ocean,” which I reviewed a few months back, and I fell in love with the song. The power of the vocals and the refusal to allow anything keep you down amazed me. Hearing the song again a few months later, I was afraid that I would have fallen out of love with the song and the emotion that I felt initially would be gone. But that was not the case. The emotion was still there. The chills that I got from the first time I heard the song had returned and there was no questioning it. “The Ocean” is a powerful song.

Sparks the Rescue at Backbooth on Aug. 3

Check out our photo gallery from Sparks the Rescue‘s Orlando show at Backbooth on Aug. 3 on the Taking the D-Tour. Also check out the openers:

Kingsfoil

Lion in the Mane

Alive in Standby

Shout London

Why Try?

Toby McAllister of Sparks the Rescue

Alex Roy of Sparks the Rescue

Mat “Peach” Petrin of Sparks the Rescue

Toby McAllister of Sparks the Rescue

Alex Roy of Sparks the Rescue and Jon Masters of Lion in the Mane

Toby McAllister of Sparks the Rescue

Sparks the Rescue

Toby McAllister of Sparks the Rescue

Alex Roy of Sparks the Rescue

Sparks the Rescue

Sparks the Rescue

Alive in Standby

Alive in Standby

Alive in Standby

Shout London

Shout London

Shout London

Shout London

Shout London

Why Try?

 

 

Photo gallery: Warped Tour Florida, part two

 

Check out our second set of photos from Warped Tour in Florida. These are from the July 28 show in Orlando. We’re releasing them in collaboration with our old friend ConcertWeirdos, so be sure you send them some love.

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Jess Bowen, Brian Dales and John Gomez of The Summer Set.

The Used fans.

Bert McCracken of The Used.

When it started raining, kids huddled into whatever shelter they could find.

The Summer Set played just as the sun went down.

Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens.

Brian Dales of The Summer Set.

Jess Bowen of The Summer Set.

Stephen Gomez and Josh Montgomery of The Summer Set.

Brian Dales of The Summer Set.

Brian Dales of The Summer Set.

Josh Montgomery of The Summer Set.

John Gomez of The Summer Set.

Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive.

Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive.

Whakaio Taahi of Tonight Alive.

Jenna McDougall and Cam Adler of Tonight Alive.

Jake Hardy of Tonight Alive.

Cam Adler of Tonight Alive.

Matt Best of Tonight Alive.

Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon.

The crowd at Bring Me the Horizon.

Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon.

JT Woodruff and Matt Ridenour of Hawthorne Heights.

Micah Carli of Hawthorne Heights.

Eron Bucciarelli of Hawthorne Heights.

Matt Ridenour of Hawthorne Heights.

JT Woodruff of Hawthorne Heights.

Jess Bowen of The Summer Set.

Jess Bowen of The Summer Set.

Justin Hills of Sleeping With Sirens.

Jack Fowler of Sleeping With Sirens.

Jesse Lawson of Sleeping With Sirens.

Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens.

Jesse Lawson of Sleeping With Sirens.

Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens.

Jared Warth of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Elliott Gruenberg of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Eric Lambert of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Elliott Gruenberg of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan and Matt Traynor of Blessthefall.

Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Elliott Gruenberg and Beau Bokan of Blessthefall.

Matt Traynor of Blessthefall.

Noah Sierota of Echosmith.

Sydney Sierota of Echosmith.

Graham Sierota of Echosmith.

Noah and Sydney Sierota of Echosmith.

Jamie Sierota of Echosmith.

Sydney Sierota of Echosmith.

Sydney Sierota of Echosmith.

Bert McCracken from The Used.

Jeph Howard of The Used.

Bert McCracken from The Used.

Bert McCracken from The Used.

Jeph Howard of The Used.

Bert McCracken from The Used.

Dan “Soupy” Campbell from The Wonder Years jumped on stage for part of a Mixtapes song.

Mixtapes’ bassist.

Ryan from Mixtapes.

Photo gallery: Warped Tour Florida, part one

 

Check out part one of our photo gallery from Warped Tour in Florida. Photos are from  July 26 in Saint Petersburg, Fla. at Vinoy Park and July 27 in West Palm Beach, Fla. at Cruzan Ampitheatre.

The crowd at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Water – the elixir of life during the hot summer days of Warped Tour. At Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

One of the many great tip jars. at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Fans at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Dancing at the Truth Truck. at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Mixtapes’ bassist at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Mixtapes’ merch at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

London-based rapper Itch rapping in the crowd at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Itch’s band had someone doing a live painting during his set. at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Itch at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Guest freestyle rappers during Itch’s set at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Guest freestyler rapper at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

The long line of semis that move the tour at Warped Tour at Vinoy Park in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Jasontyler guzzling some Peace Tea at Warped Tour at Cruzan Ampitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla.

A fan at Warped Tour at Cruzan Ampitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla.

A couple at Warped Tour at Cruzan Ampitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Jasontyler at Warped Tour at Cruzan Ampitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Review/Photo gallery: Anberlin Lite tour with Aaron Marsh of Copeland and Polyenso

Stephen Christian (vocals) of Anberlin

Light melody rockers Anberlin are a rare combination of prolific and talented. When I heard that they were going on a “Lite” tour and playing their catalog in a stripped-down acoustic format, I knew it was time to make the jaunt to see them.

That “lite” moniker is not just conceptual: The band’s onstage ambiance was heightened by the presence of flashing bulbs synced to the music.

Since I last saw the band in the battlefields of 2008 Warped Tour (a performance unfortunately lacking in vocal clarity), they’ve released five albums: Three new LPs (New Surrender, Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place and Vital) as well as two compilations (Blueprints for City Friendships: The Anberlin Anthology and Dancing Between the Fibers of Time).

Prolific indeed.

And, as last night’s concert showed, still talented. Anberlin returned to their home town of Saint Petersburg, Fla. to play at the State Theatre, bringing Aaron Marsh from Copeland onto the bill to play his first show in three years.

Warped Tour survival guide

Now that Warped Tour 2013 is in full force, I thought it would be beneficial to give all of you newbies a handbook to surviving the sunny, musical jungle of the greatest day of your life. This guide, updated from last year’s version, contains tips compiled from the Internet, Warped Tour’s own information and my own experience going since 2007.

Jordan Eckes and Tay Jardine of We Are the In Crowd
July 21 at Uniondale, New York. Warped Tour 2012

Before the show:

• Have a hotel or place to stay after the show if your drive is considerably long. Staying out in the sun all day drains you physically and mentally. After a Warped Tour day, you’re going to be shot-to-hell tired. Because of this, find somewhere to sleep (hotel, friend’s place, etc). For me, it’s at least a two-hour drive to the nearest concert venue, and many people drive much longer than that. Making that drive after a Warped Tour day is not enjoyable.

5 bands to check out at Warped Tour (redux)

Last year, in anticipation for the great lineup of Warped Tour, we ran a list of the bands you needed to check out. Here’s the list for 2013.

#5 Juliet Simms

Juliet Simms is one of the women from the scene who aimed to take on America’s heart by appearing on NBC’s The Voice. She had, in her arsenal, a voice you have to learn to appreciate: A soaring grittiness similar to Janis Joplin of decades earlier. Whether it’s her work with Automatic Loveletter or her solo content, she delivers. Don’t miss her live performance. Those vocal chops aren’t studio effects, and you’ll get to hear it an intimate session with just her and her guitar.

#4 The Summer Set

Back in 2009, The Summer Set hit Warped Tour in support of Love Like This, an album that fit in perfectly with the music of Warped Tour. Now they’ve grown up with the less pop-punk sounding album Legendary. But don’t get us wrong: It’s still great, full of sing-along anthems and the youthful energy that marks the band’s catalog. Not only is the band solid live (singer Brian Dales’ vocals are above par), but they’re also sharp-looking and involved with the crowd. I’ve dragged myself around for enough The Summer Set shows for a lifetime, and these guys just don’t disappoint.