Even More Outta Control Tour in PA (Nonpoint, Soil, Spineshank, HedPE)

I just saw Nonpoint and Soil in May, but when I saw that they were adding (Hed)PE and Spineshank I made it a point to get tickets to see them again.  Even though they weren't coming back to my immediate area, I'm on summer vacation and I was willing to go out of my way.  Even better was that I was able to meet up with an old friend on the way.  In fact, I brought a couple people and he brought a couple people and it made it the biggest group I have been to a show with which made it even more fun.  I had to recap this amazing night with another post!

On August 4th I picked up my college buddy Jeff, and his friend from the gym, and drove to meet my old friend Chris and some of his friends.  We took two vehicles to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsberg, PA.  On the way, Chris played us a few original songs as well as songs from the bands we were going to see to hype us up.  We pre-gamed a little in the parking lot and then got on line for the venue.  Inside this place was about the size of the Webster in Hartford, but laid out a little differently.  The long front hallway had the snack stand, merchandise tables, and a bar across the back.  Then entering the concert hall there were maybe 20 rows of chairs and then a big general admission floor space that was slanted toward the stage.  Even though some people were there early, we got near the front.  I was about second row for (Hed)PE who played first.  This was my 6th time seeing them live, but first with their new drummer and guitar player.  The drummer, Stephen Arango, just joined in 2024 and was pounding the skins. The new guitarist, Nathan Javier, joined in 2021 and seems cool. What stood out most is that everyone seemed to gel nicely and the band has ditched the reggae breakdowns that had been mixed in with a lot of the old songs. I was thankful to hear many songs from the Broke album the way they used to be, and this was the most the band has sounded like the classic record in over a decade.  They started right at 7PM with Jesus (of Nazareth). KB is still killing it on bass and Jared can still growl, rap, and command a crowd - and yes, he played his melodica including an outro to the 30 minute set at the end of "Bartender."

Just a short while later Spineshank came out and began with "Asthmatic."  I was most excited to see them because I hadn't seen them since 2003.  They are down to a four-piece after previously touring with two guitarists. Guitarist Jason Hager (Chimera) has been home since May to focus on his mental health. They still have their long time drummer, Tommy Decker, and his son Tommy Jr. is now playing guitar.  James Mills is currently covering bass and backing vocal duties while longtime member Rob Garcia is taking some time off as well.  Lead singer Johnny Santos is significantly heavier and doesn't have the same voice that he used to have.  He looks very happy to be back on stage though and he interacted well with the crowd.  It was still cool to see them again.  I heard many of the songs I wanted to hear as they covered four songs each from Height of Callousness and Self-Destructive Pattern.  There was a bit of moshing, but I'd say the pit was lackluster.  It allowed me to get some video and keep my spot at the front without getting slammed so I was fine with it.  Spineshank is the first band that I moshed to back in 2001, but I'm getting old for that now.

At the next break I got a refreshment and checked out the merchandise stands more closely.  Bands had reasonably priced t-shirts at $35.  HedPE members had appeared at their table right after their set.  Johnny said he would wait until after Nonpoint to join his table.  By 8:30PM Soil took the stage and kicked off with "Breaking Me Down."  Like when I saw them in May, they played only songs off of Scars and Redefined.  Singer Ryan McCombs as always had his Shure Super 55 "fat-boy" microphone that looks like a speaker.  He is still flanked by original members Adam Zadel and Tim King who are massive individuals that look even taller compared to the 5'6" McCombs.  TJ Taylor, formerly of Tantric, has been drumming for Soil since 2017.  Last show I caught a drum stick from him, or rather it went over my head and the girl behind me that caught it gave it to me because she said she didn't know them and I was obviously a fan.  This night the band sounded great and I thought Ryan was even stronger and more consistent than last time on songs like Unreal, Dirty Black Seven, and crowd favorite Halo.  After 8 songs and a little after 9PM they were done.  Less than 30 minutes later Nonpoint came out.  Gone are the days of hour long set changes.  Nowadays bands usually pre-load all of their gear and sound check early.  After each performer, gear is removed, opening the stage up for the bigger acts.

Nonpoint started with the energetic song "Ruthless" and lead singer Elias implored us to move.  They also seemed to be more "on" than last time.  The stage was smaller, but they all moved around jumping, headbanging, and even trading places on stage.  Most of the time I was in front of Rasheed which is cool because the last two times I was on Jason's side.  I also left out that by this point I had made it to the railing because my friend Chris and a complete stranger moved aside so I could get up front.  I must have earned my spot because throughout the set the guys next to me and behind me were slapping my back, fist-bumping, and singing with me.  A couple of songs in the guitarist from HedPE appeared on a balcony on the side.  Elias remarked how all the bands have history together, and the balcony was lit up as he thanked the opening bands.  They played new songs "Red Yeti" and "Is It" from their forthcoming album. After "Mindtrip," Johnny from Spineshank appeared on the balcony and Elias mentioned how they were friends since Ozzfest '01.  Drummer Robb got up from his kit and went over to fist-bump Johnny.  I was at that tour and remember that at our show at PNC Johnny even joined Nonpoint to sing a song during their set.  Seeing the camaraderie and feeling a part of the metal community was really special.  But wait, there's more!  Nonpoint rounded out their set with "What a Day,"  a hybrid of Victim and Endure which had me going nuts, an awesome version of "My Last Dying Breath," and closing as always with "Bullet With a Name." 

After about an hour from Nonpoint it was over.  I failed to catch a guitar pick or setlist, but just as I was about to walk away from the rail one of the stage hands called me out and handed me a setlist!  It has the wrong date and city on top, but it was the same songs.  He said "I saw you rocking out.  I watched you and you deserve this."  As I floated out of the stage area we passed the Spineshank table.  I called out to Johnny, but there was a line of people waiting to get pictures and merch so I wasn't able to talk to him.  A few minutes later Ryan from Soil was wandering around and I asked to get a picture with him.  He gladly obliged and then took pictures with my buddies as well.  Chris told him about seeing him back in the day.  He told us that the Nonpoint guys were showering and might not come out for a while.  He said he was drunk so he was going back to the bus after he signed some kids swords and whatever else people had.  Jeff ended up on the Sherman Theater website for his R2D2 Metal Head shirt.  Our whole party was visible in the picture taken from the stage after Nonpoint's set that appeared on their social media.  Nonpoint has been one of my favorite bands since I first heard them in 2000.  After seeing them for a dozen shows, they remain one of my favorites.  This night because of the lineup, the friends, the whole atmosphere, the sound and everything in total, will live in my memory for a long time.  Nonpoint has a new album called The Last Word due out September 18. (Hed)P.E. has an album Relapse due out October 2.  Spineshank said they are working on new music and hope to have an album out by the end of the year.  Soil has reportedly been sitting on new music and plans for its release have been delayed.  Nothing was mentioned of it at the last two shows, but some interviews say it is still coming.  Stay tuned for more rock from all of these bands and definitely catch a show if you are able.  Rock on!

90's Nostalgia Night: Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors

It's been too long since I made a blog entry and I feel compelled to write a review of my recent concert experience, the first of a handful of summer concerts I have lined up.  Two of the bands I had seen before, but never reviewed those concerts.  The third was a pleasant surprise to round out what is just being called "2026 Summer Tour" but harkens back to the mid 1990's when these bands were all at their commerical heights.  The event I attended was at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.  It's a great venue to see a show because it's easy to get in and out of and the arena is pretty well organized.  The only thing that bothered me was sitting in traffic for three hours on the way to the venue.  It used to take me that long from NJ and should have been half the time from my current residence.  Fortunately, I made it to my seat with minutes to spare before the first band came out.  As a casino arena, they do like to start on time and get you out early to hopefully spend some more money before you go home.

The Spin Doctors came out first at 6:05 and played seven songs in 50 minutes including a Purple Rain cover and three songs off of their most famous album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite (Jimmy Olsen's Blues, Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, and Two Princes).  The lead singer is still energetic and throws a few high kicks during the set.  The speakers were pretty loud and I am glad I brought my ear plugs after thinking I may not need them in the upper deck.  The band sounded balanced and strong, but not as good as I saw them last in 2020.  The reason I think is two-fold.  First, they didn't have long time bassist, Mark White, after he was fired in 2022 for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine and going MAGA.  Ironically, Spin Doctors were the last band I saw before the quarantine!  The second reason they weren't as impressive is likely that they were the opener and bands bring a different energy when they are the headliner.  Plus it is six years later and they aren't getting any younger.  Still they got a good reaction from the crowd that built throughout their set.  During the third song, Margarita, they had Blues Traveler keyboardist, Ben Wilson, play with them.  The Prince cover and song "Two Princes" were highlights.

After a 30 minute set change Gin Blossoms came out announcing themselves as "your favorite band from Tempe, Arizona."  They launched right into one of their biggest hits, "Follow You Down" which is my favorite of theirs and sounded incredible.  After that, lead singer Robin Wilson quoted Roddy Piper from They Live when he said "We came to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and we are all out of bubblegum." He also later commended the people standing in front and told them not to let the people behind them tell to  sit down.  This is a rock show, after all.  I've heard this from Jacoby of Papa Roach and others in the metal community.  I didn't expect it from the Gin Blossoms!  They went on to play a dozen songs in total, spanning five albums in one hour.  Lead guitarist Scotty Johnson rotated between three different guitars, changing after each song.  Before playing "As Long as It Matters" from Congratulations I'm Sorry, Wilson quipped tongue in cheek, "We're very proud that this song hit number one . . . in the Phillipines."  For "Hands are Tied" Blues Traveler's Ben Wilson again performed on keyboards.  This one was a nice upbeat track in the middle of the set.  Robin then said "Now we're going to play the rest of the hits," leading into Found Out About You, Allison Road, featuring his very animated and talented son on lead guitar, Hey Jealousy, and closing with Til I Hear It From You.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this band only being familiar with their radio singles, but I thoroughly enjoyed them.  At the break I used the restroom and got a hot dog and a beer.  The concession stands built to long lines, but they moved pretty fast and there are multiple places along the concourse to do your business.  I thought that they might stretch the break to 9PM, but at exactly 8:50 "Team America" played as Blues Traveler took the stage.

They quickly began with 2012's "Things are Looking Up."  The song features John Popper's harmonica playing and a guitar solo.  It appeared at one point John had a problem with one of his harmonica's because he called for a replacement and then tossed one into the audience.  One or two other times it looked like he was playing but the microphone wasn't catching it.  Other than that he still sounds great and the harmonica playing is a highlight of their show along with extended jam versions of songs.  Speaking of which, the second song began as Devil Went Down to Georgia, but John sang "Devil Went Down to Stamford" and changed a few other words as he played to the Connecticut crowd while telling a bit of his origin story.  This led into their big hit "Run-Around" and then they finished "Devil Went Down to Georgia."  Next John left the stage as the rest of the band played a trippy jam.  John returned to launch into their first popular song, "But Anyway."  John then continues his story about how in 1983 he moved from Stamford to Princeton, NJ.  It was there he met some of his bandmates and Chris from Spin Doctors.  I didn't know this, but John and Chris played together in a band called Trucking Company before John started Blues Traveler and the old band evolved into Spin Doctors!  Chris is invited up on stage and they talk about how Sandford and Son inspired a song about alcohol called Champipple.  It sounds like the main melody to Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" with funny lyrics.  The song was actually released by John's side project with the Duskray Troubadours and recently returned to the Blues Traveler set list in 2025.  They then played "Look Around" from album Four which is like an emo ballad featuring a keyboard solo and saxophone and lyrics like, "You'll get no answer from me; About what I get or what I want. That was enough to make her leave. She's not the first one come and gone."  Next came an extended jam version of Carolina Blues with Eric Shenkman from Spin Doctors on guitar.  At 9:50PM They closed the set with fan favorite "Hook" and then said "This is normally the part where we leave and pretend we're not coming back, but we're just standing over there on the side of the stage and you all know we're coming back for one more song so we're going to skip that.  Do you want one more song?"  They invited Robin Wilson up for the encore and did a cover of Tom Petty's "Breakdown". At about 10:05PM it was over.  The lights came up and I still had time to go get a burger from Bobby's Burger Palace and donuts from Krispy Kreme.  When I saw Blues Traveler in 2011 at the Wellmont in Montclair I was more impressed with the harmonica playing and the set was longer with about twice as many songs.  However, they still sound terrific and are worth seeing if you get the chance.  I could have listened to another hour of them easily, but I think the venue likes to get you in and out as quick as possible.  Check out clips of several songs on my YouTube channel, and let me know if you have suggestions for more blog posts.  Keep rockin'!

Spin Doctors 7/31/26

Gin Blossoms 7/31/26

Blues Traveler w/Chris of Spin Doctors

Veer Union - Reinvention

Veer Union just quietly released their 10th studio album.  I say quietly because the Canadian quartet currently is not touring and it was released on a small international independent label, Arising Empire.  Although 2024's Welcome to Dystopia and 2022's Manifestations showed growth, they didn't exactly blow up either.  The band recently went live on social media with their new bass player, Glen Clarke, to do some shots for St. Patrick's Day and publicly launch a Go Fund Me campaign for a reliable RV so they can hit the road again.  Newest member Glen doesn't just bring the bass, but he also brings "unclean" screaming backup vocals which gives the new album a different sound and a harder edge then their previous material.  Crispin's smooth crooning and powerful alt-metal style is still ever present, but the backup vocals, tempo changes, and breakdowns bring elements of screamo and metalcore that could bring Veer Union more attention from a new audience.  At 32 minutes, Reinvention is easy to consume and I quite enjoyed it.

It's been a long time since their breakthrough single "Seasons" in 2008.  More recently they've gained followers from their covers of Linkin Park and collaborations with bands like Defending Cain and Stealing Eden.  Reinvention could be the rebirth the band needs and if you like heavy music, I urge you to check it out.  Get more from the band at their website https://theveerunion.net/home

Standout tracks: Sea of Fear, Venom in My Veins, Feel Again

Megadeth - Final Album review

Megadeth's self-titled, and alleged final studio album, has arrived!  Dave Mustaine says they will tour for about three years and then retire.  Singles have been getting slowly released for months and the full album, with white Vic Rattlehead on fire logo, was released officially on January 23, 2026.  It's the first album with guitarist Teemu Mantysaari (Wintersun).  For those interested in physical copies there are CDs and multiple versions of vinyl which appear to be different colors depending on what retail store you get them from.

Here's my impressions:  If you like Megadeth already, you will like this album.  There's plenty to celebrate.  If you don't already like Megadeth, this album is not likely to change your mind.  There's nothing groundbreaking that they haven't done before.  Overall, it is a great album.  I was hoping for a masterpiece to go out on and I think it falls a little short of that.  I would rank it 5 out of 17 in the Megadeth catalogue. 

1. Tipping Point - The album starts off with signature fast riffing and what sounds like a commentary on the current political climate without getting too detailed in the lyrics.  This was the first single, released October 3, 2025.

2. I Don't Care - Talky, scratchy vocals with an angsty early 2000s vibe and lots of ripping guitar licks.  Personally, I could see myself playing this one often.  It's a vibe.

3. Hey God?! - This one is a poem or prayer to God.  It's introspective and honest about feeling insecure and trying to find one's relationship with a higher power.  I didn't expect this kind of song at this point in Mustaine's career, but I really appreciate the sentiment.

4. Let There Be Shred - Listening to these songs from start to finish in the album track order you start to notice that this is Mustaine's final opus and he is making no apologies about showing off his guitar skills and staking his claim to being a thrash godfather.  He was never known for his vocal ability, and on this album he ranges from cringy to passable as a singer.  But the riffs are in your face and this one has a fast driving rhythm to propel the album forward and provide a nice soundtrack for a roadtrip or run on the treadmill.

5. Puppet Parade - This sounds like vintage 90's Megadeth.

6. Another Bad Day - A self pity song that some people will love and others will skip.

7. Made to Kill - An uptempo anti-war song that mentions drones and blood-soaked kings.  Crunchy riffs in the verses and a few shredding solos to break up the repetitiveness.

8. Obey the Call - A slower song about the "pawns" rising up against the "false crusaders" until the the final minute which melts faces.

9. I Am War - Another slower anti-war song that is pretty basic until you get to the solo.  At track 9 it seems like a filler, but it certainly shows there is a theme to this album.

10. The Last Note - A reflection on a musical career, and frankly, a goodbye opus.  With lyrics like "And now it's time for me to say the long goodbye" and " if I ever play again then let this last note never die," the message is clear. He ends it by saying "I came. I ruled. Now, I disappear."

11. Ride the Lightning (Bonus track, all releases except Target edition) - But wait, there's more!  - the bonus track that many Megadeth fans have been waiting years for.  A song to bring Mustaine's career full circle is a reimagined cover of the famous 1984 Metallica track in the style of Megadeth.  The first thing that stands out to me is the bass.  The singing is certainly a different vibe, and while not particularly good technically speaking, it gives the song a much darker tone.  The vocals with Hetfield are actually too airy in my opinion due to the echo effect.  Then the guitars take over with a Dragonforce type of riffing four minutes in, and then the drums take the forefront while the Pantera-like rhythm parts play before the final crescendo.  For those curious, James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich get official co-writing credits on this song.  I personally prefer this version, but not everyone will agree.

11. Bloodlust (Bonus track, Target edition cds and vinyl only) - This song by Mustaine, Mantysaari, and Mary Evelyn Clement sounds like a throwback in that it isn't overproduced and has shades of early Megadeth.  It also sounds to me like the most balanced between song lyrics and musicianship.  It's definitely worth looking up this track if you are a fan of the band and don't have the Target release.