Review by James Stamper
It’s a very spooky evening in the Commonwealth as I find myself travelling to Manchester Music Hall in Lexington, Kentucky to experience some amazing heavy metal by four tremendous acts! I knew this show would be superb, but what took place was impressively splendid. The sound was top notch, well mixed, with crystal-clear vocals. With that being said, let’s get more in detail about the bands and the show itself.
First up was Black Star Rising. The members of this band are all from Lexington. The four members are, Roland Tankersley (vocals and guitar), Ellis Sexton (lead guitar), Emmanuel Pugh (bass) and Daniel Pugh (drums). Each of them, except Roland, had bandanas around their faces like outlaws which I found unique. Most of the time, bands wear masks to hide their identity (an example would be Ghost) but however, Roland wanted his identity to be known. Doing songs such as Judas Kiss, Ghost of Remembrance and All These Lies, Black Star Rising had the crowd moving and grooving during their set! These guys had a real heavy, melodic metal sound. From a personal standpoint, I noticed some hints of Black Label Society with a touch of 80’s metal. When I heard some of this mixed in, I was overwhelmed with excitement! They had their own sound, but to include some Zakk Wylde inspired guitar squeals/riffs along with some inspiration from 80’s metal, made the music come to life! Very impressive! They are worth checking out.
Next up was Deepfall, from the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan. They came on stage wearing leather jackets with chains hanging on their pants ready to show Lexington how metal is done in Michigan! If you mixed some elements of groove metal with a heavy Nu metal sound, you would receive Deepfall. The team of Rich Hopkins (vocals), Max Carrillo (guitar), Anthony Battista (guitar), Taylor Brandt (bass), Nick Gray (drums) and Tim King (keyboards) made Manchester Music Hall super excited and pumped for the rest of the night! They did a special cover that honestly caught me off guard, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey! This made a huge impression on the audience! Deepfall did their own metal touch on this Journey classic. On top of that, they performed mostly originals such as Wasted and Ghost. This band made an impact on me and I highly recommend you go and catch this band in action! You will not be disappointed!
Next on the bill, was Very Alora, from Poetry, Texas. It being Halloween, she came on stage dressed as a “metal” little red riding hood with her band members being the lumberjack, the granny and the big bad wolf. I thought it was a brilliant idea. Very Alora did something unique at this show. She performed a mashup of Bad Guy by Billie Eilish and Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. I thought it sounded spectacular. Her voice was strong on this mashup. She also did one of her latest singles Mama Don’t Make Me. Overall, Very Alora had it together at this show. Everything was right on point, the band was tight, everything was in her favour. She gained a new fan at this show and I’m 100% positive there were many others! This is another act you will for sure have to check out in concert! No disappointments whatsoever!
Now, it’s time for the main attraction! It’s time for what everyone in Manchester Music Hall had been waiting for. Ladies and gentlemen, Texas Hippie Coalition! Big Dad Ritch had his double-barrel shotgun mic stand ready to show Lexington, Kentucky how a band from Texas rocks! To start with, they performed Hands Up which I think is a tremendous opener for a show. Just the title itself says it all. THC was getting everyone in the Texas spirit!
They also performed Turn It Up which is by far one of my most favourite Texas Hippie Coalition songs. The energy felt from that song was outstanding! Everyone was going ballistic! The lineup of Texas Hippie Coalition includes Big Dad Ritch (vocals), Cord Pool (guitar), Nevada Romo (guitar), Rada Romo (bass guitar) and Devon Carothers (drums). Texas Hippie Coalition always puts on an astonishing show! They played some songs from their latest album High in the Saddle including Moonshine, Bullseye and Stevie Nicks. If you have not listened to Texas Hippie Coalition, that needs to change RIGHT NOW! Do yourself a favour and check this band out! Southern Metal at its finest! They don’t have a bad album or song! If you think they’re good in the studio, wait until you see them live! You’ll be wanting to catch them every show! I guarantee it!
Get out and support rock n roll! See shows, buy albums, buy merch, even a sticker will do. The more support these artists get, the more killer music will flow. A world without music is like a dog without a bone.
All photos by Tom Biggs at TRB Photography LLC
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