Wednesday, August 4, 2010

dredg tour dates supporting Circa Survive, Codeseven, and Animals as Leaders

OCTOBER 16, 2010 STONE PONY ASBURY PARK, NJ
OCTOBER 17, 2010 THE RECHER THEATRE TOWSON, MD
OCTOBER 19, 2010 CAT'S CRADLE CARRBORO, NC
OCTOBER 20, 2010 THE MUSIC FARM CHARLESTON, SC
OCTOBER 21, 2010 THE MASQUERADE ATLANTA, GA
OCTOBER 22, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL
OCTOBER 23, 2010 REVOLUTION FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
OCTOBER 26, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES NEW ORLEANS, LA
OCTOBER 27, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES HOUSTON, TX
OCTOBER 29, 2010 WHITE RABBIT SAN ANTONIO, TX
OCTOBER 30, 2010 WHITE RABBIT SAN ANTONIO, TX
OCTOBER 31, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES DALLAS, TX
NOVEMBER 4, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES ANAHEIM, CA
NOVEMBER 5, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES - SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO, CA
NOVEMBER 6, 2010 AVALON HOLLYWOOD, CA
NOVEMBER 7, 2010 THE REGENCY BALLROOM SAN FRANCISCO, CA
NOVEMBER 9, 2010 WONDER BALLROOM PORTLAND, OR
NOVEMBER 10, 2010 EL CORAZON SEATTLE, WA
NOVEMBER 12, 2010 THE COMPLEX SALT LAKE CITY, UT
NOVEMBER 13, 2010 THE SUMMIT MUSIC HALL DENVER, CO
NOVEMBER 14, 2010 THE BEAUMONT CLUB KANSAS CITY, MO
NOVEMBER 17, 2010 CABOOZE ON THE WEST BANK MINNEAPOLIS, MN
NOVEMBER 18, 2010 THE EAGLES CLUB MILWAUKEE, WI
NOVEMBER 19, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO, IL
NOVEMBER 20, 2010 ST. ANDREWS HALL DETROIT, MI
NOVEMBER 21, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES CLEVELAND CLEVELAND, OH
NOVEMBER 23, 2010 THE CHANCE POUGHKEEPSIE, NY
NOVEMBER 24, 2010 HOUSE OF BLUES BOSTON, MA
NOVEMBER 26, 2010 THEATRE OF THE LIVING ARTS PHILADELPHIA, PA
NOVEMBER 27, 2010 IRVING PLAZA NEW YORK, NY
NOVEMBER 28, 2010 IRVING PLAZA NEW YORK, NY

This is *that* tour that was rumored a few months ago; dredg apparently is not even co-headlining but a support act with those other 2.

The fact is, in 2005, Circa Survive opened for dredg. Reversals like this, are not supposed to happen, you'd think. Yeah I know, Circa Survive is on a major label, and has more fans, blah blah..especially after opening for Coheed, blah blah. Those facts frankly do NOTHING for me and how I feel about this.



"Circa"? as they are so often referred to as by the way. Did I miss something, or did the band change their name? "Circa" is the name of the Alan White (of Yes) and ex-Yes members Tony Kaye and Billy Sherwood side-project. Every time I see someone refer to Circa Survive as "Circa" I want to point this fact out, lol.

But here again, I have to live with the fact this band I am done with. Through, not-interested, and frankly sick as hell seeing their name. I have to deal with the fact they get stuck not only touring, but having one of my favorite bands in dredg, open for them.

I mean they just-won't-go-the-fuck-away will they? In 2007, they tour with Ours. And their crowd at more than one show, treat Ours like shit, throwing quarters and giving them the finger. Their were multiple accounts. All I would have to do is look up some of the history on the Killtheband forum to see.

And maybe almost as bad for me personally, the show in St. Paul that included not only Ours but The Dear Hunter as well, got canceled within a few hours due to someone in Circa Survive's band having a death in the family. Sure, it's sad and understandable for them, but it also meant both Ours and The Dear Hunter plus the other opener who I forget at this time, were not going to be playing that night either.

I had been looking forward to that show for months. And really hoped to get some kind of photo perhaps with both Casey Crescenzo and Jimmy Gnecco together.

All this within a few hours of the start of Thanksgiving weekend for me too.

Then a couple of years ago, with all the effort I put into helping spread Kaddisfly's name and having people hear their monumental record Set Sail the Prairie, they end up getting in some kind of showcase for some major label representatives in NYC. The details and circumstances aren't exactly black and white, but what I have read and seen others say was the label were going to sign 1 band, and it was between Kaddisfly and Circa Survive. And of course Circa Survive is the band they chose.

The parallels to The Galactic Cowboys and Nirvana thing back in the early 90's are kind of scary with that. The label chooses the annoying less-talented band, while the other is left to wane into obscurity.

THIS SHIT IS NOT FAIR.

And now they have dredg, of all bands, a band whose been around a lot longer and they once opened for, ends up opening for them.

Look, I have nothing against the people in the band Circa Survive, as I don't know them personally, etc. I know Anthony Green is a good friend to Casey Crescenzo and I imagine some of the guys in dredg given it was him and maybe some of the other members who I guess discovered the whole El Cielo/Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind thing a few years ago.

I have friends who enjoy their music of course.

And I know some of the members of Circa Survive are fans of bands I like, including Ours, given one of them (not Green) ended up chewing out one of the feeble-minded kids at one of those shows on that tour. Saying they were longtime fans of Ours, etc and I recall he made him apologize at that show. And there was a long-winded apology made by the same member of Circa Survive online, embarrassed by their fan base.

But I don't care for their music.
I tried with their new album, and had some optimism with David Botrill working with them. But it didn't matter. I can't stand the way Anthony Green sings. The sound of his voice. The tone of immaturity has not gone away, and frankly, I suspect it may never.

And with that, I am really sick of seeing them left and right, touring-with bands I really am into.

However, it's not to be overlooked, Circa Survive being on this tour is not the only head-scratcher for me. Animals as Leaders being added is another. While I suppose I could stomach their music a bit easier than Circa Survive, there is a reason why their album from last year ended up on my Turkey List from 2009.

And I just checked out the new album from the band Fleshwrought, an album that included Animals as Leaders drummer Navene Koperweis (playing drums and guitar among other instruments). But other than some of the saxophone parts, I don't think I can say much positive about it, including his drums and guitar work.

I mean perhaps their music could be better live, but I'm skeptical. Instrumental prog-metal? I wonder if that drummer-turned-guitarist was trying to replicate the guitarist from Animals as Leaders style on that Fleshwrought album, because there were a few sections that the Satriani/Vai long-winded + pointless wanking sounded all too familiar to me.

It was really fucking boring, not to mention bad 4C and muddy production, and not an album I foresee wanting to listen to again to be honest.

So, dredg, who have been on some cool tours in recent years (even with the RX Bandits debacle from last Summer), are on tour with 2 bands I probably don't desire to give 5 more minutes of my time.

And then there's Codeseven, I guess who could be the wildcard on this tour as I honestly don't remember them all that much from a few years ago when I 1st saw their name. I mean I know/knew them, as they have been a popular band among dredg fans especially, really since I got into dredg back in 2005. I know I checked them out once or twice, but I don't remember enough about them to now know how I feel.

I do know, some of the members are in Telescreen, a band who opened for dredg a few years ago. And Telescreen actually has Jared from Distrails, a band who I really do like a lot, and want to see have a lot more success. But I don't think Jared is with Codeseven unfortunately. Although, maybe they'll be selling Telescreen and/or Distrails stuff at this show given the connection.

I guess I probably should revisit Codeseven now to see, especially given this is some kind of reunion for them I guess. And it may be a 1st/last time to ever see them.