popwreckoning

The time has come to update your Google Calendars and fill out your vacation and time off request forms. It is very important that you be free and in Kansas City’s historic Westport area on both April 8 and 9 for the first ever Middle of the Map Fest.

Taking place within the music venues of The Record Bar, The Beaumont Club, The Union and The Riot Room, festival goers will be given access to four different musical choices. Tickets can be purchased on day to day basis ($20 for either Friday only access or Saturday only access) or both days for a mere 5 additional dollars, of $25 total.Tickets can be purchased here.

With the lineup due to be announced soon (which PopWreckoning has not only seen, but is 100 percent in support of) keep checking back for more news on this exciting hometown event. The festivals’ twitter has confirmed that Two Door Cinema Club and Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s are some of the many bands playing the fest.

Are you dreading being cooped up in the familiar choke hold of your family home over the holiday season? Worried Aunt Betty might ask you about your falling GPA or Grandma might accidentally fart in front of of your new hot girlfriend? You can shake off your anxiety with one last bash before Christmas by joining us at The Beaumont Club December 22, 2010 (at 7:30pm) for a serving of local bands five courses deep.

Bands preforming will be Apples for Archers, J Boozer, The Cherry Tree Parade, Anything but Joey and Pomeroy.

How do you win you ask? That’s pretty simple.   Scroll to the bottom of the page and leave a comment on the site stating exactly how you think your family will embarrass you this holiday season. All comments must include your first and last name as well as your email address. This is so I can add you to the venue’s guest list and contact you informing you of your victory! All comments lacking this information will be considered void and unable to win the contest.

Contest will end December 22 at 3 p.m. CST. You will be emailed of your victory by 4 p.m. CST. PopWreckoning will choose at total of 5 winners, who will receive 2 tickets to the show. The show is all ages and anyone can attend.

CONTEST HAS ENDED!

Lastly, Happy Holidays from all of us here at PopWreckoning!

Circa Survive are one of those bands that I loved in high school. I had a copy of Juturna and played it constantly in my car while driving around. Since I had never seen them, of course I jumped at the chance.

Although I was a little late arriving to the Beaumont (right before Dredg took the stage), I wish I could have caught Animals as Leaders. I’ve heard great things about those guys and plan on catching them the next time.

Not much of an avid listener to Dredg, I was both a little weirded out and impressed. They’ve got some strange fillers and samples but overall, put on a good show that I enjoyed from the back while crowd watching. There was such a wide variety of people in attendance for this; from the newer Circa fans, i.e. suburban scenesters to the long-time Circa fans.

Circa Survive finally takes the stage and starts out strong with “Strange Terrain” off their newest release, Blue Sky Noise. In fact, their first three songs were off this album. Oh, reverting back to the start of their set, they had confetti guns which shot out in the middle of “Strange Terrain.”

I overheard a couple talking about how the last time they saw Circa, vocalist Anthony Green, was absolutely ridiculous with energy; hanging from the rafters and all. He definitely didn’t let up on energy this time around either. However, he wasn’t the one in the rafters – there was a guy filming the entire set from up there. Even his button-up proved his energy, it was soaked by the fifth song.

Almost halfway through the set – MORE CONFETTI! Oh, and so many strobes!

They calmed things down a bit with an acoustic version of “Spirit of the Stairwell,” dedicating it to his son.

One thing that stuck out about this show is the crowd and the way they received it. They are so completely into it, almost in a worshipping manner. Green stood on the barricades, practically standing on top of the crowd, using them to balance. During this, people were pulling on his shirt and arms, just trying to touch him as he had them sing the song back to him. Now, I’m all for crowd involvement but during every single song it is slightly excessive, except for the obvious gang vocals or well-known spot. It seems as though it takes away from the moment of the song.

Something really great about Circa Survive is that they encouraged everyone to buy merch from the other bands. You don’t see that enough anymore.

More confetti during “Imaginary Enemy.” There’s a pattern here. TUH-DUH – huge see-through balloons with confetti and glowsticks! IT’S A BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Best part of the show was when the bassist, Nick Bear, ninja kicked one of the balloons off stage. Those rather entertaining balloons popped just as quickly as they were. Only one left and Green encourages the crowd to hit him in the face, whoever can – gets a free t-shirt!

Fourteen songs, tons of confetti, a lot of sweat and one almost-satisfied crowd later: before exiting the stage, Green tells everyone that this show was the best show they’ve played here in Kansas City. I completely believe it.

Wait just one second, the lights are still off. Know what this means? ENCORE.

Started out with an extremely long, slightly unrecognizable intro to “Dyed in the Wool.”

Second song of encore: “I Felt Free.”

Voila! MORE BALLOONS AND CONFETTI! A birthday party, a six-year-old’s birthday party!

And scene. Gone for good this time.

I haven’t felt the urge to stage-dive in years and this show made me want to. That, to me, is a good fucking show.

It seemed a little bass heavy at times, but isn’t that what makes a show like this? Where everyone in the building can physically feel the beat in their body.

You know those bands that are all performance, but absolutely suck live? Then there’s the other bands that are great, but don’t have any stage presence. Circa Survive is a blend of the two, I highly suggest you see them if the chance ever comes up.

Set List:
Strange Terrain
Get Out
Glass Arrows
Mandala
In The Morning And Amazing…
Holding Someone’s Hair Back
Frozen Creek
In Fear And Faith
The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is in the Dose
Spirit of the Stairwell
Imaginary Enemy
Through the Desert Alone
Invalid Litter Dept. (At The Drive-In Cover)
Stop the Fucking Car
//
Dyed in The Wool
I Felt Free

Who likes free stuff? Well, Circa Survive certainly seems to. The group recently reached out to PopWreckoning regarding the November 14, 2010 rock show at The Beaumont Club in Kansas City (in which Dredg, Codeseven and Animals as Leaders will also play). The results of said conversation was 2 sets (4 total ) giveaway tickets to the show. So if you’re available that Sunday night at 7 p.m. and are wanting to catch the show you should latch on to this tickets. With a lineup like that the only way to lose is by not entering.

How does one win tickets from us? It’s simple enough really. All you have to do is be the first person to name 3 of the 6 total singles that Circa Survive has released. Do so and two tickets are yours. However, winning those remaining 2 tickets becomes a touch more challenging as the second winner must name the REMAINING 3 singles, not previously mentioned by the first winner. Once all 6 single are named, contest is closed.

Winners will be named by Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock central standard time. Please be sure to enter both you FULL name and e-mail address in the comment block so that you can be added to the band’s list and notified of your victory. Otherwise, we don’t know who the hell you are.

Now go! Win! Mark your territory.

Like Metal? How about free shows? We’ve got both.

PopWreckoning is giving away 10 sets of  5 tickets for Hammerween 2010 at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City for October 30, 2010. Bands performing will be Hammerlord, Troglodyte, Diskreet, Serated, Koktopus, The Cast Pattern and At the Left Hand of God. This show is ALL AGES! Doors will open at 5:00 p.m.. The bands will begin melting your face at 6:00 p.m..

How do you win you ask? Simple? The first 10 people to comment with the name of their favorite metal band wins. However, if you do not give us your first and last name and email address I can not give you tickets.

So, what the fuck are you waiting for? Go.

I have been a big fan of The Graduate and Ludo for about 5 or 6 years now, so I was really excited to see them play at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City on October 12.

The show started off with Tommy and the High Pilots, a pop-rock band that had a hinting of Ludo’s quirky style. In a surprise for the crowd, the High Pilots had two members of Ludo playing with them on keys and drums, so they definitely fit the overall sound of the band. The High Pilots had a huge energy that seemed to engage the entire crowd to listen and dance along. Their use of harmonies is definitely one thing that stuck out in my mind. The harmonies were so well done and executed that it sounded like I was listening to a CD rather than a live show.

Next up was (my personal favorite) The Graduate. The vibe their set gave off is always so hard for me to put into words. I have seen them numerous times, coincidentally they always seem to tour through KC with Ludo, and I first found out about them at a show. Their energy, catchy hooks and ambient riffs, along with driving intricate drum fills, reel the crowd in. Even if you don’t know the songs you will try to dance and sing along with Corey Warning. Though at this particular show, they seemed to lack the part where two or three of the guys (along with a few member form other bands) run out into the crowd with various drums and break down mid song right in the center of the crowd… You almost just have to be there to experience it for yourself. However, I was really disappointed at the shortness of their set. If I can recall correctly, I believe they only played 6 or 7 songs, which I guess is an appropriate amount for an opening band. Needles to say, I wanted to hear more.

Then was There for Tomorrow. I’ve seen them live a few times and each time I am really impressed by how much they put into their set. They seem to give 110% for every show they play and that is something I really respect. A friend of mine who was at the show with me mentioned that they make up a big part of his “workout” playlist on his iPod and you can definitely see why. There for Tomorrow’s set was full of high energy, beat-pumping rock tunes that definitely upped the overall energy of the show. Their use of lights and smoke was not too over the top and actually provided an appropriate effect for their style of music. They have added a little ambient edge to their set that really illuminated their great chord changes and melodies.

Ludo‘s performance was amazing as expected. From the first time I have seem them (not initially being a fan) to the 7th or 8th time, they always seem to…lack for a better phrase… bring it. One of the more memorable moments of their set was when they whipped out one of their new songs, “Whipped Cream,” complete with pelvic thrusting choreography (like in there hilarious music video). The entire crowd spent each and every stanza of the chorus pelvic thrusting and fist pumping to the left, then to the right along with the Ludo guys. They are one of those bands that you simply MUST see live, even if you think you may not be the biggest fan of their music, their performance will reel you in. They are entertaining and amazing musicians. I had the chance to see them perform an acoustic set several years ago at the Apple Store on the Plaza (random place for a show, but it was perfect!) before their set at the Beaumont, and I was amazed.

I had an amazing time at the show and all four bands catered to a decent sized crowd at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City. As for the lack of an extended Graduate set… until next time fellas… perhaps a headlining show would be more than over due…

Written by Sarah Hassan and Andrew Dunlap. Photos by Andrew Dunlap.

Yep. More tickets from Popwreckoning. This time we’re giving away 3 sets (6 total) of tickets to The October 12th, 2010 Ludo show at The Beaumont Club in Kansas City. The show is set to start at 7 o’clock p.m. (doors at 6:30) and is open to individuals of all ages. Also playing that night will be There For Tomorrow, The Graduate and The High Pilots.

Winning can be done in three steps. However, it is very important you complete ALL steps. They are as follows:

1. Use your twitter to post the following comment: @popwreckoning is giving me the chance to see @ludorock @thegraduate @thehighpilot & @THEREFORTMRW in Kansas City! Hell yes!

2. Follow Popwreckoning (@popwreckoning) on twitter.

3. Send us a direct message letting us know you’ve completed the above tasks.

Seriously, how simple is that?!

Now go! Get to work! Score free things. And be sure to check back with us for more free tickets in the future.

Due to a family emergency, KC natives Pomeroy has canceled their upcoming show at the Beaumont Club.

The show was scheduled for Saturday, September 11. Fellow local bands the Roman Numerals, the Cherry Tree Parade and J. Boozer were set to open.

Refunds are available at point of purchase.

The Kentucky rockers in Cage the Elephant, popular for hits such as “In One Ear” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” played Kansas City’s Beaumont Club with a high energy set filled with big guitar solos and bluesy vocals. Photographer Todd Zimmer captured the event:

by Todd Zimmer

by Todd Zimmer

When I started PopWreckoning a little over two years ago, one of the main goals I set for the site was for it to be used as a tool to help bands succeed. It was very important to me to always remember what it felt like to play in a smaller do-it-yourself type band. Unlike web sites like Pitchfork and Absolute Punk, I wanted PopWreckoning to always keep a grasp on how thankless it can be to keep putting everything into music. I also wanted to reach a place with my project where I could take bands under my wing and offer them a larger stage than they otherwise might not have had. We wanted PopWreckoning to become a part of the Kansas City (and national) music scene, rather than just covering them.

I believe the 2010 PopWreckoning Pre-SXSW showcase, which will be held March 5, 2010 at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, will help us take a major step towards that goal.

The lineup will be as follows:

6:00 pm – Dreams are for Rookies
7:00 pm – The Grisly Hand
8:00 pm – Olympic Size
9:00 pm – Capybara
10:00 pm – Roman Numerals
11:00 pm – Thieves

Tickets will be ten dollars at the door. A $2 minors fee will be added to anyone 18 and above, but under the age of 21.

Tickets can be collected in three locations. They are as follows:

1. They can be purchased at the door on the day of show.
2. They can be purchased on Ticketmaster here.
3. They can be purchased directly from PopWreckoning by email joshua@popwreckoning.com.