Nothing warms up a cold winter’s night on Long Island like going to a rock concert. Pop Evil brought their winter tour to The Space at Westbury in Westbury, NY on February 1st. This tour is something special as it is blended with comedy, something you do not usually see as they are on the road with Don Jamieson.
Reach
Getting the night started off was a local band, Reach, who were the winners of Pop Evil’s Be Legendary contest, a contest in which a different local band will warm up the show in each city they play. Led by lead singer Rene Meta they put on a really tight set. Reach had just reunited after a long departure but you would never know that they had missed a beat. They played a seven song set and got the crowd revved up from their first note. Some of the songs were “Drive,” “New Scar,” “Chasing Yesterday” and “6 Years,” which they dedicated to Chester Bennington. It is good to know these guys are back on the scene, definitely keep a watch for them.
Savage After Midnight
After a short intermission it was time to kick it up a notch with Savage After Midnight. SAM formed back in 2009 in Memphis, TN. Through trials and tribulations they kept working toward their goals and kept their eye on the prize. Next month, on March 8th,they are releasing their long awaited debut EP 11:59.
Shi Eubank (vocals), Jeremiah Lipscomb (guitar), Landon Fox (bass), James “JT” Thomas (keyboards/vocals) and Zack Pate (drums) hit the stage and wasted no time getting down to business. Their energy was savage, and it was way before midnight. They played songs off their upcoming EP, including their single “10 Feet Tall” and the powerful “Heartless.” They also performed a couple of covers that had the crowd singing along, Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” and the aggressive Alanis Morissette song, “You Oughta Know.” With only a month to wait for the new EP, it gives much to look forward to, so be sure to check it out.
Don Jamieson
Giving the fans just enough time to cool off, now it was time for some good belly rolling laughter. Don Jamieson walked on stage to a roar of cheers and had everyone in the palm of his hands from the get go. Most of the audience was definitely familiar with him through his 14-year tenure as a co-host on VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show.That being said he shared his comedic take on all things rock and roll but also his view on many other things including the overdone political correctness of today’s society. As he put it, “Lets not be so politically correct!” He had everyone’s full attention, and laughter, for his twenty minute long set. Having him do his show was an interesting combination with the musical setting but it really went great together.
Pop Evil
Without further ado, it was time for the climax of the evening and Pop Evil immediately took the stage. With the fog machines cracked up on high and the lighting just right, Leigh Kakaty (vocals), Davey Grahs (guitar), Nick Fuelling (guitar), Matt DiRito (bass) and Hayley Cramer (drums) kicked the night off with “Boss’s Daughter.” Then a couple of songs off of their 2018 self titled release, “Colors Bleed” and “Ex Machina.” They kept it rocking with “Deal With the Devil” and a snippet of a Drowning Pool cover, “Bodies.” Then “Torn To Pieces,” “Last Man Standing” with another cover snippet of “Eye of the Tiger.” Another song off the latest release, “A Crime to Remember” had the fans grooving along with fists in the air. After playing “Ways to Get High” and “Be Legendary,” Kakaty talked a bit about the band’s history and how they used to regularly play cover songs. Now they only do pieces of covers sprinkled in their set. But they made exception to this one cover, Live’s “I Alone,” where they played it in its entirety. Keeping it fresh, they performed a couple of newer tunes, “Rewind” and “When We Were “Young.” After the following threes songs “After Last Man,” “Footsteps” and “Take It All” they took a quick breather while the fans screamed for more. Not to disappoint them they did a three song encore with “100 In A 55,” “Waking Lions” and concluded the show with “Trenches.”
Pop Evil put on a fantastic show and overall this tour package was awesome. It was filled with lots of energy, excitement and laughter. Their North American leg of the tour will continue till the middle of this month and then Pop Evil head off to Europe. Keep watch for another opportunity to catch this band live, as they definitely do not disappoint.
