10th Annual Arts, Beats, And Eats Fest 2007 Part 2
PART 2
The Unheard
The Unheard Took the stage @ 5:30, and proceeded to deliver the tight knit show that we are accustomed to seeing from these guys. When these guys plug in, you need to grab hold of your hat, because they bring it straight at you! What could be better on a hot sunny afternoon then drinking a cold beer and watching some straight up rock and roll. With a rhythm section that includes bassist Chris Biddle, drummer Gino Canale, and guitarists Steve Zornes and Wally Filipiak, Kenny Allen’s vocals shine through the bombastic beats that drive the Unheard’s sound. With big time songs like "You", "Unknown", "All Along", and my favorite “Helpless” (check out the video for this one their site…real cool) The Unheard knows how to rock Detroit Style! They’ll be @ the Emerald Theatre Sept. 20th in support of Critical Bill’s CD Release party. Hey it’s a free show so get there early and see The Unheard rock the Clem. Check’em out @ theunheardonline.com
Back To The Boom Boom Room
Ok, so now that my head is “Clear” and I cannot “Unheard” anything (or is it remember?), we can continue on up Pike Street and back to the Boom Boom Room. The Boom Boom Room, what an awesome name! Too bad it wasn’t an actual “Rock” club, where the Boom Booms could fly. Instead, it’s a Bar/Restaurant during the day that transforms into a “Dance Club” at night. Pretty awesome looking sound system by the way, as there were numerous JBLs & EV’s hanging about the place. As always, we love cold beer, and this place was selling them for $2 bucks and you could take them with you! Anyways, the Boom Boom Room was hopping all day (and night) long, with the Brian Schram Band holding their pre & after parties there. Even had the chance to meet up with Clear who had just finished performing on the Wrif Stage.One thing for sure is that was a wild sight in there, even had some “pole dancing” going on! If you missed the Boom Boom this year, then by all means stop in during next year’s Art, Beats, And Eats Fest (or sooner if you’d like).
Ugly
Ugly, and I mean Ugly! Just look at the way Kevin is dressed! Now that is Ugly! LOL. Actually with these guys, it doesn’t much matter how they’re dressed, they’re gonna rock you blind anyways! As soon as Ugly hit the stage, all hell broke lose. With Pike Street packed to the hilt, Ugly came out to show everyone why their latest single “Sex, Drugs, And Rock & Roll” is getting some pretty heavy air time on Detroit’s premier rock station Wrif. With charismatic front man Geo Teubl leading the party, Ugly literally lit the place on fire. Backed by Donnie Highland (drums), Frank Green (bass), and Kevin McCreey (guitarist), Teubl ferocious vocal resonated all the way to Saginaw Street. It even appeared that as Ugly continued to play, they drew more people in from across the fest. What a sight to see as the throng of people were swaying, pumping their fists, and singing every word of the chorus along with Teubl to “Sex, Drugs. And Rock & Roll”. Boy was that a fun set, and Dr2 could of took a double dose of Ugly that night, and would of listened to that set in it’s entirety again! Ugly seems poised to explode as they are set to drop their Debut Album “Ugly” on October 9th on Rock Ridge Music. There is a CD Release party scheduled in conjunction with Wrif October 19th in The Clem, but the exact site is TBD. Keep your eyes posted to Dr2 as we’ll post it as soon as it is released. In the meantime, to get your Sex, Drugs, or Rock & Roll, check out Ugly @.myspace.com/uglyamerica. I must say that this was one hell of a set by Ugly and we @ Dr2 are anticipating that CD Release Party!
The Matt Austin Band
So Matt Austin was once a Paper Street Saint, isn’t that ironic as The Matt Austin band was picked to replace Paper Street Saints who had a much bigger gig that night up at Pine Knob being hand picked by The Nuge himself to open the show. I’m Sure Matt’s ok with that as he has had his own success as of late. Not only did they get a great time slot for the Arts, Beats, And Eats Fest here, they also won the chance to open on the “Big Stage” up in Clarkston for none other than Styx & Def Leppard! These guys have also recently shared the stage with the Dirty Americans & The Romantics up at the St. Clair River Fest. Pretty busy summer for these guys, and it was great to get the chance to catch up with them before and after their set. Playing to an ever growing crowd, The Matt Austin Band actually recorded their set for a possible video. With the sun setting and the stage lights on, it really did create a unique look to their set. Cranking out their popular songs “World Wide Flight” & “Between The Lines” Matt & his rhythm section of Rob Morand & Adam Fox continued the onslaught that the bands before them created. Another excellent set from one of Detroit’s own, Matt Austin Band rocked it out, setting the stage for the day’s final act. Check them out @ myspace.com/mattaustinrocks
The Brian Schram Band
OK. This was what everybody was waiting for. With the stage being wrapped in their trademark “Crime Scene” tape, dozens of beach balls scattered across the stage and “Trouble D”, Dave Dion getting his last text message in (seriously, Dave was receiving and sending text messages on stage right up to the start of the set!), The Brian Schram Band was set to close out this awesome day of Detroit Rock & Roll! And close it out they did. Pike street now was overflowing with hordes of fellow Detroit Rock fans, as The Brian Schram Band launched into their set, sending all those beach balls into the crowd creating yet another crazed frenzy! Drawing completely from their latest CD “Disturbing The Peace” (produced by Ugly’s Geo Teubl), BSB band ripped off all the fav’s from “Your So Video” , “I Am My Own Man” , “Privacy” and even included their cover of “White Room”. With the amazing 12 yr old super kid, Jason Hartless, supplying the back beat, and Dave Dion laying down the bass lines, Brian Schram took control of the stage and never gave it up. As the craziness climaxed on stage, the crowd followed suit, with Schram finishing the set (and night) by unplugging his guitar, taking hold of the neck and appeared ready to smash it to pieces on the stage. Instead, much to the disbelief of all, launched his guitar into the air nearly 150 ft, and over the brick wall that was next to the stage, landing inside the closed day care center playground. Needless to say, after the shock wore off, the crowd erupted, as the guys left the stage. What an amazing end to an amazing day. Absolutely one amazing show, from one of Detroit’s best rock bands out there today. You can check these guys out @ www.schramband.com, As the light’s came up, and the crowd headed home, Dr2, with Crew in tow, headed on out of what was probably the best full day line up at this year’s Arts, Beats, And Eats Fest. We’ll definitely be looking forward to next year’s fest with even higher expectations from our favorite Local Rock Band’s. Be sure to keep an eye on Dr2 @ www.detroitrockreview.com for all the latest happenings in the area and from across the state. Till next time, over.