Headrush TV had the chance to sit down with Andy Oliver of I See Stars to talk about the band's new album Treehouse, life of a Warped tour artist, and the band's history. 

by Jordan Lindley

Sublime with Rome’s Summer 2016 tour came to visit Boston on Tuesday night at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. The iconic reggae/punk band has been traveling with a remarkably strong list of bands that, with the material in their sets, couldn’t possibly fail to get the crowd moving through every song. The stage was shared by the likes of up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll group Bleeker, reggae group Tribal Seeds, and the well-known and well-loved The Dirty Heads.

Bleeker lit the fuse that would be the explosion of rock ‘n’ roll at the start of the event, playing selections from their brand new self-titled EP, released earlier this year. The four-piece group’s fiery energy made the performance a joy to watch, as lead guitar riffs and drum fills flowed through each member, and got the early birds of the audience on their feet. Next up was Tribal Seeds, showing off their newest single, “Surrender,” alongside the rest of their reggae repertoire. The relaxing vibes the Seeds gave off were perfect to set up the next act. When The Dirty Heads came onstage, the crowd fell into a trance, singing along to hits like “Spread Too Thin,” “My Sweet Summer,” and of course, “Lay Me Down,” featuring Sublime with Rome’s very own Rome Ramirez. The stage lights were certainly not the only dazzling piece of this night’s performance, as front men Jared Watson and Dustin Bushnell poured heart and soul through their microphones and PAs and into the ears of eager attendees.

Lastly, Sublime with Rome took the stage to a tsunami wave of applause and screaming fans. Not a single song began without the whole of the audience cheering at what was to come next. Through the noise of one of the most passionate audiences I have yet seen, Sublime with Rome cranked out iconic song after iconic song, such as “Wrong Way,” “April 29, 1992,” “Pawn Shop,” etc. The show was a treat in and of itself, but the powerhouse punk group kept on treating the fans during their encore, featuring mega-hit songs “Santeria” and “What I Got,” and even included the stellar Watson and Bushnell of The Dirty Heads in the extra post-set showcase. Tuesday night in Boston was loud, energized, and full of nothing but love for the music in the air, and I am certain that each audience member wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.

By: Lauren Hampton

Gone is Gone is a rock group based out of Los Angeles, California. The band itself may be recent, but the members are all seasoned musicians. Gone is Gone is comprised of Troy Sanders (lead vocals and bass) from Mastodon, Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar) from Queens of the Stone Age, Tony Hajjar (drums) from At the Drive-In, and Mike Zarin (guitar and keyboard), founder of Sencit Music. The band is getting ready to release their self-titled EP on July 7th .

The first song on the EP, “Violescent,” is a powerful beginning. With a beat that you’ll want to head bang along with, this song definitely sets the mood and the bar high for the rest of the EP. Next, “Starlight” starts off with an eerie and ominous tone that pulls listeners in right away and keeps them on the edge of their seats as the piece builds the whole way through. Gone is Gone gives the feeling of “searching for starlight” with this song. The tone of the EP changes drastically with the intro to “Stolen from Me”, but then returns back to the mysterious vibe with Sander’s deep vocals. As “Character” begins, a bone chilling sensation sets listeners up for something big, but then they find themselves suddenly listening to something that is not too common on a rock album. Reminiscent of a meditation, “Character” is a track that is a bit disconnected from the EP. The next song, “One Divided” starts off with a driving drum beat, then halfway through the song everything falls to chaos. While some might find this off putting, others would agree that it helps to add to Gone is Gone’s mysterious tone. The highlight of the EP, “Praying from the Danger” is by far the most exciting. Musically, this song is the most diverse which sets it apart from the other songs. “Recede and Enter”, like “Character”, is another track that has a meditation feel to it. “This Chapter” ends the EP and ties all of it together. The song starts off slow, but in true Gone is Gone fashion continues to build until the end.

Gone is Gone has more than mastered the sense of writing ominous and mysterious music, and this is a constant theme that flows through their EP. Overall the EP is good and is, for the most part, consistent. If you are looking for a new band to follow, Gone is Gone would be one to check out.