Tag Archives: concert

PHOTOS: Rooney – Pub Rock Live 7-9-16

SCOTTSDALE Ariz. — Equipped with a new lineup after a six-year hiatus, Cali power-pop band Rooney’s first gig of their tour had the crowd sh-sh-shakin’ every moment of their performance!  The dimly-lit concert at Pub Rock was opened with local Americana/Pop band Luxxe, followed by Cheeto-tossing G-punk band New Beat Fund from Los Angeles.

The tour follows the release of Rooney’s new album “Washed Away“; and the first single from the album is “My Heart Beats 4 U”.

Rooney Album Art - Washed Away
Washed Away (Album Art)

“Rooney is my baby and I really love it and I miss it.  I came to a place where I felt creatively ready to make new Rooney music.  On Washed Away, I wrote, produced, engineered, mixed and performed all of the songs which, I hope, will serve as a direct line from me to you.  I hope you enjoy it.” – Robert Schwartzman, lead singer. (Source: RooneyMusic.com)

The majority of the crowd appeared to consist of young new fans , which is great for the future of Rooney! Robert gave a heartfelt thank you to those that have been loyal to the band from the very beginning.

Check out our photos (below) of Rooney performing at Pub Rock Live in Scottsdale, Arizona on July 9, 2016:

PHOTO ALBUM by Katherine Vega

Rooney – Pub Rock Live 7-9-16

Photography by Katherine Vega, © Kataklizmic Design
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO STEALING

REVIEW: No ‘Wasted Tears’ at Haley Reinhart Show 6-9-16

PHOENIX — Haley Reinhart played at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix on Thursday as part of her latest tour to promote her new album, Better, which hit record stores on April 29 of this year. The show opened with melodic vocals and soft acoustic guitar tunes from Miller James followed by a hybrid mix of soul and R&B songs by Jacob Luttrell who’s also Reinhart’s keyboardist. By the time Reinhart took the stage, the intimate venue was packed.

Jacob Luttrell © Kataklizmic Design
Jacob Luttrell © Kataklizmic Design

Reinhart started the night with “Talkin’ About” from her new album. “It’s a party in here tonight. I can feel it,” she said before continuing with “Behave.” With little persuasion, Reinhart had the room swaying and clapping to the beat. Reinhart followed it up with “Keep Coming Back” from her 2012 debut album, Listen Up!

Haley Reinhart © Kataklizmic Design
Haley Reinhart – Crescent Ballroom

Reinhart and the band had a great energy together. When the song didn’t end, Reinhart turned to Luttrell, “You just don’t want to quit this one, do you?” she smiled, then got the audience to dance with her while the band just kept jamming. “We’re having so much fun with you guys that we’re just making stuff up,” Reinhart laughed when the song finally ended. Afterward, she sang “Wasted Tears,” dedicating it to all the ladies in the house.

“It was so nice to meet a lot of you earlier,” Reinhart said during the concert. The former American Idol star seemed to genuinely enjoy engaging with her audience. She even held a meet and greet session with fans before the show. “She was really down-to-earth,” one delighted fan commented about the experience. When she finally sang the title track of her new album, “Better,” she changed opening lyrics to “Now I’m right where I want to be, out on the road to Arizona.” At one point, she brought a hula-hoop up onto the stage that had been given to her by a fan and hula-hooped while the band played.

Haley Reinhart © Kataklizmic Design
Haley Reinhart © Kataklizmic DEsign

Before singing “Love Is Worth Fighting For,” Reinhart spoke to the audience about having the courage to chase their dreams, something that you could say Reinhart has spent her whole life doing. “Channel whatever you’re feeling in life and follow that,” she told concert-goers. Despite being dropped by major record label Interscope Records in 2012 after the disappointing reception of her debut album, Reinhart has continued to pursue her musical career. Since then, she has expanded her agreement with her music publisher, Ole, and in March of 2016, Reinhart also signed with ICM Partners.

Haley Reinhart © Kataklizmic Design
Haley Reinhart © Kataklizmic Design

The playful and fun mood of the show lasted the whole night. When the room started to get uncomfortably warm, Reinhart and the band spontaneously broke into an interpretation of Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” for a couple minutes at one concert-goer’s suggestion. Reinhart also covered “Black Hole Sun” in her unique jazzy style, performing it as a duet with Luttrell. After singing “Bad Light,” a delighted Reinhart accepted a flower from a fan at the front of the stage and placed it in her hair. “If it falls out, just know that it falls out with love,” she said while she secured the purple daisy in her hair.

Other songs Reinhart performed included “Good or Bad,” “Check Please,” and “I Belong to You.” “It was like I was entranced,” Reinhart said of writing “I Belong to You.” “I felt all the kinds of emotions you feel when you’re falling in love,” she said before delivering a passionate performance of the new track. She finished with “My Cake,” ending the song by introducing the band, each with their own solo.

When Reinhart returned to the stage for an encore, she gave concert-goers just what they had been waiting for. “I have a question for you. Have you ever seen an Extra gum commercial that made you cry?” she asked before singing her cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Reinhart initially recorded the cover for a Wrigley’s Extra gum commercial, which exploded on YouTube, garnering over seven million YouTube views and more than 78 million Facebook views within a week of its digital release. By the time the song ended, there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

Haley Reinhart's Setlist - Crescent Ballroom
Haley Reinhart’s Setlist – Crescent Ballroom
Click to Enlarge

Fortunately, Reinhart didn’t end the night with sniffles. “We’ve got one more song for you, and it’s kind of important too. We live on a beautiful planet, don’t we?” Reinhart asked. “It’s up to all of us to protect it. We’re all in this together,” she said before singing, “Listen.” The upbeat rhythm had the room dancing and swaying one last time before the night was over. Afterward, Reinhart stood arm in arm with the rest of the band on the stage and bowed to thunderous applause.

PHOTO ALBUM by Katherine Vega

Haley Reinhart & Jacob Luttrell – Crescent Ballroom 6-9-16

Photography by Katherine Vega, © Kataklizmic Design
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (THAT MEANS NO STEALING)

PHOTOS: We, Beloved – Shady Park 5-28-16

Photos of We, Beloved performing at Shady Park in Tempe, Arizona on May 28, 2016. We, Beloved was the first opening band for Jane N’ The Jungle at their music video premiere and concert.  (Check out our photo albums of second opener Korbe in the Moment, and headliner Jane N’ The Jungle!)

We, Beloved – Shady Park 5-28-16

Photography by Katherine Vega, © Kataklizmic Design
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO STEALING

PHOTOS: Korbe in the Moment – Shady Park (5-28-16)

Photos of Korbe in the Moment (Korbe Canida) performing at Shady Park in Tempe, Arizona on May 28, 2016. Korbe in the Moment was the second opening band for Jane N’ The Jungle at their music video premiere and concert. Coming next: Photos of the first opening band We, Beloved!

Korbe in the Moment – Shady Park 5-28-16

Photography © Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.

PHOTOS: Jane N’ The Jungle – Shady Park 5-28-16

Photos of Jane N’ The Jungle’s “Shake Me Out” music video premiere and performance at Shady Park in Tempe, Arizona
on May 28, 2016.

Jane N The Jungle, Music Video Premiere – Shady Park 5-28-16

Photography by Katherine Vega, © Kataklizmic Design
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO STEALING

Check out our review of Jane N’ The Jungle’s new “Shake Me Out” music video, and watch the video here!
REVIEW: Jane N’ The Jungle ‘Shakes Out’ New Video

PHOTOS: Nate Ruess – FestivALT Phoenix (4-23-16)

Photos of Nate Ruess (fun., The Format) performing at ALT AZ 93.3’s FestivALT in downtown Phoenix, Arizona on April 23, 2016.

Nate Ruess – FestivALT Phoenix 4-23-16

Photography by Katherine Vega, © Kataklizmic Design
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO STEALING

CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO
OF NATE COVERING “LET’S GO CRAZY”
BY PRINCE! – PRODUCED BY KATAKLIZMIC DESIGN!

ORDER NATE RUESS’ SOLO ALBUM!

REVIEW: 4-24-16 CHVRCHES Cuts Its “Sermon” Early in Tempe but Saves the Faith

TEMPE, Ariz. — CHVRCHES, Scottish synthpop / indietronica band, began their set at Marquee Theatre with the first track of their Every Open Eye album, “Never Ending Circles”. The power of their performance was a force to be reckoned with. Lauren Mayberry’s vocals were very impressive and unique, which could especially be appreciated live. The show was sold out, and the energy of the crowd was beautiful. The high-production light show behind the band was dazzling.

CHVRCHES at Marquee Theatre 4-24-16
Mobile Photo of CHVRCHES performing at Marquee Theatre

It was during only the second song, “Keep You On My Side”, that something seemed to be amiss; as Lauren’s vocals started cracking suspiciously early into the show for vocal strain to be an issue. In the midst of “Empty Threat”, Lauren stopped singing for what one might have assumed was exacerbation about an equipment failure. Her band mates continued playing a bit longer, until it was clear that she just wasn’t having it. They looked over at Lauren with clear concern and made haste to put the show on pause, explaining that she was very sick.

If a vocalist pushes to perform when they are truly too sick to be singing, they can permanently damage their voice. Any true fan, or person with a shred of compassion for that matter, should be glad that she was taking care of herself instead of running that risk. It must have sucked for the band and crew too, since they were producing a motion picture about the band at this concert; as indicated by a print-out at the box office window.

A personal opinion: The experience of the first 2 and 1/2 songs alone was enough to satisfy.

The crowd waited in anticipation for a few minutes, before CHVRCHES came back on stage. Determined to give their fans a show worth their time and effort to make it out, Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty traded places. Martin sang “We Sink”, which is normally sung by Lauren, and he BROUGHT IT! This was Martin’s time to shine, as he saved the night owning the performance with magical energy and ear candy vocals. Concert-goer grins were huge as they were cheering him on for taking  the role, and the roar of the crowd was deafening!

That atmosphere carried through as Martin fronted two more songs that he regularly sings – “High Enough to Carry You Over” and “Under the Tide”. We were all thrilled and united in heartfelt support, and didn’t feel shafted.

Lauren came back to sing for the last song on their set that would be cut short. She told us she would be taking measures to avoid vomiting on stage. Speaking of her performance up until then, she shamefully confessed and apologized that she didn’t have pitch due to the illness. Fans nearby could be overheard speaking in a tone of surprise about how they hadn’t noticed. She gave a heartfelt monologue expressing their gratitude to fans, and assuring that their tickets would be good when CHVRCHES comes back to Arizona in October.

CHVRCHES closed their concert with “The Mother We Share”, after which the crowd quickly funneled out. In my opinion, this wasn’t a terrible time to finish, considering it was Sunday night… Any 9-to-5ers can typically relate to this sentiment. Of course CHVRCHES was, without a doubt, worth coming out. And even though they gave us 7 songs vs. their full set, that sentiment certainly rang true to the dense crowd.

No regrets. We are grateful that CHVRCHES did everything they could to satiate hungry fans, and their live concert was incredible regardless of the length (…which really wasn’t that short). Get well soon Lauren! We appreciate your professionalism, and you don’t need to apologize. You are human – take care of yourself! Arizona will eagerly anticipate your return!

Update: The make-up show is Thursday, October 6. Your ticket from the April 24th concert will be accepted for entry.

If you would prefer to have a refund issued, contact the Marquee box office by phone at 480.829.1300 (M to F, 12p-6p) or by email at [email protected] no later than May 18 to process a refund. Have your ticket confirmation # handy.

A special thank you to Dustin Mitchell for contributing the setlist for this review.

REVIEW: Lacey Sturm at Pub Rock (4-7-16)

Scottsdale, AZ — Lacey Sturm is a girl after our hearts, with a clearly compassionate desire to heal them through her music. Her graciousness and gratitude for her fans and career were impossible to go unnoticed throughout her performance at Pub Rock last night.

Lacey Sturm at Pub Rock
Lacey Sturm
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

You can tell that all of her heart pours into her songs, and I suspect that it is a very emotional and therapeutic experience. She is one of those musicians whose live vocals sound just like her produced music, if not better due to the live emotion. And you could tell the live band genuinely loves playing this music, and has a real bond with one another.

I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Lacey before her performance, and was able to express to her how her tracks “Vanity” and “Rot” really resonated with me, having previously been in an abusive relationship. Lacey thanked me for telling her, and gave me a tight and loving hug before being pulled away. You can tell Lacey has some loving people in her entourage who can see how precious she is and want to safeguard her.

Later on, I picked up her book The Reason: How I Discovered a Life Worth Living from the merch table; and read the back blurb about how she was once a suicidal atheist who had been abused, depressed, and disgusted with Christianity. Whether you are Christian or not, a story of someone’s experience with hitting bottom and recovering is inspirational and sorely needed for many of us to hear; I can’t wait to read it!

Lacey Sturm at Pub Rock
Lacey Sturm
Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega © All Rights Reserved

The essence of Lacey as she is performing transcends human. She truly feels like a little angel with immense power. It is really fascinating to see this meek woman transform into a “rock princess”. Before playing “Faith”, Lacey said that it was one of her favorites; and it was really magical to see her bright grin as she danced and jumped around while performing the song. It is no doubt that Lacey Sturm has a vast amount of fans who are thankful that she is with us to share her wisdom, her gift, her hard work and talent, her massive voice.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Katherine Amy Vega

Lacey Sturm & Openers – Pub Rock 4-7-16

Photography © Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.

PHOTOS: Coheed and Cambria – Marquee Theater (3-21-16)

Photos of Coheed and Cambria performing at Marquee Theater on March 21, 2016.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Katherine Amy Vega

Coheed and Cambria – Marquee Theater 3-21-16

Photography © Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.

PHOTOS: Vance Joy – Marquee Theatre (3-1-16)

Photos of Vance Joy performing at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona on March 1, 2016.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Katherine Amy Vega

Vance Joy – Marquee Theatre 03-01-16

Photography © Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.