Between a poignantly awkward stage presence, a willingness to push a few songs to their sonic limits, and the hottest red shoes I’ve ever seen on a bassist, Silversun Pickups rocked Lupos on Wednesday (11/28). In fact, with the unlikely but awesome combo of Triangle Forest and Steel Train as the opening acts, this may go down as one of the best shows in Providence this year.

Taking it from the top, anyone who thinks they’re familiar with the Providence music scene and hasn’t experienced the mind-to-ass blowing beats of Triangle Forest should be pointed out and laughed at. Triangle Forest is a pretty good studio band that proves its pure sonic power time and time again when you see them live. It amazes me every time I see them that two guys and a girl, essentially working just with Casio Keyboards and an electronic drum kit, can produce such an amazing sound. My personal favorites from the night were Rockagon, Robot Sings for the Master, and their closing track, Ice Crystals. Before last night, I had never heard of Steel Train, the second opener. However, that being said, I was pleasantly surprised. In a style that lends itself to comparison with bands like Live, Collective Soul, and even an early U2, Steel Train definitely kept the crowd going after Triangle Forest. And who can argue with a band if Dj Travis feels the need to wear their pink band t-shirt… Read More

Triangle Forest will perform at the Silversun Pickups show this Wednesday night (11/28) at Lupos!!

Tickets are under $10 at etix.com. We’re celebrating our 38th birthday with a month of shows; consider Triangle Forest the spiked punch.

The dark-dance-rock powerhouse won our 2007 Rock Hunt with their awesome performances and catchy tunes. Triangle Forest’s myspace will give you a taste with songs like “Robot Sings for Master” and “Rockagon,” but you will only get the full picture of their awesomeness at their live shows.

You can get almost anyone who grew up in the 90s to go with you to a Third Eye Blind concert. When the possibility of seeing them at the Ryan Center arose, I knew a lot of people who wanted to go, and none were just casual fans – they each knew every word to every major song through their ten year career. Third Eye Blind had the large task of giving these fans a show that lived up to the expectations we had for a band that had been such a big part of our adolescence.

The Shorebirds opened the show. They were creative and fun, and for those of us that paid attention, they were a solid opening act. However, the majority of the audience was entirely oblivious to their performance; chatter filled the crowd as people recounted where they were the first time they heard “Semi-Charmed Life.”

From the moment Third Eye Blind entered the stage, they commanded the attention of the audience. Bassist Leo Kremer entered first and began playing, followed by drummer Brad Hargreaves, and then guitarist Tony Fredianelli. Finally, frontman Stephan Jenkins strolled on stage in a bright white suit. Those of us that had noticed the oriental rugs covering the stage now knew why; Stephan wasn’t wearing shoes. They began with “The Red Summer Sun” and powered through three songs while only the lights behind them were on, leaving them in silhouettes. “Wounded” brought everyone to their feet that wasn’t standing already, and at the breakdown of the song, the band was lit up and a huge sign behind them became illuminated, reading “THIRDEYEBLIND.” Read More

To be entirely honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Bright Eyes show this Saturday at Lupo’s. Upon walking in, I found an incredibly varied audience; older women and men filled the back while teenagers packed the front, an older woman and what looked like her young grandson looked on from behind me, and frat bro guys and emo girls stood side by side in a packed theatre in anticipation of frontman Coner Oberst’s arrival.

The show opened with Nik Freitas, followed by a sensational performance by The Felice Brothers. It was exciting to see a supporting act with more chemistry on stage than most lead acts, and their energy passed to the audience through resounding melodies on the accordion and trumpet. My excitement from their set only built my anticipation for Bright Eyes.

Finally, the band walked on stage, and opened with the calm sound of “An Attempt to Tip the Scales.” What followed was a strong set, occasionally interrupted by brief mistakes and intermittent noise from the audience. “Four Winds” sounded beautiful even without a fiddle, and “Poison Oak” was incredibly moving and heartfelt. Conor dedicated “Spring Cleaning” to his mother Nancy and promised to clean The Felice Brothers’ Winnebago next spring, and he and drummer Jason Boesel declared the Saturday before Thanksgiving to forever be “Providence Day.”

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WBRU’s third Birthday Month show with Against Me!, Sage Francis, World/Inferno Friendship Society, and the Cobra Skulls went down Thursday night, and I knew the moment I walked in it would be a little bit of a trip. I like nothing more than checking out the crowd and trying to get a feel for who is at shows I attend, and at first glance I saw a man in a penguin suit. I thought this was a pretty good indicator of what this show was for me: a hodgepodge of amazingly talented acts of different genres, all having a lot of respect for each other’s art. Just when you think someone might be taking themselves too seriously, Sage Francis strips down to his (all black) skivvies.

I got to see the tail end of a set from the wonderfully raucous World Inferno Friendship Society as well as a pretty amazing performance by Rhode Islander Sage Francis. From the first song in the set, heads were bopping along with the drum machine rhythms behind his sometimes bawdy, sometimes contemplative hip hop, and I was impressed by the span of genres and talent that this tour exhibits. In this first half hour I felt an urge to jitterbug, ska dance, and rockaway. And though you could certainly feel some home-town appreciation for Sage, when Against Me! took the stage, all bets were off. Read More

Zox returned to their beloved hometown tonight after almost a year of being away to promote their upcoming album, Line in the Sand, and had as much fun performing as the crowd had watching, dancing, and singing along. The catchy Johnny Lingo and mellow Pete Kilpatrick opened up the night in dimly lit Club Hell, an intimate setting decorated with Gothic statues, red lights, and even a portrait of the Mona Lisa.

The hometown favorites arrived on-stage to a hip-hop beat, then stood with their backs to the audience while they each took turns playing their respective instruments. Instead of kicking things off at a fast pace with something like “Thirsty”, as they usually do, Zox opened with the slow “I Am Only Waiting”. However, they soon followed up with the upbeat “Carolyn”, getting everyone excited for the massive set that was to follow. Mixing in a lot of new material for their eager fans, Zox did not forget to play favorites off of Take Me Home and The Wait, including Homebody”, “Starry Night”, and “Can’t Look Down”. During “Little More Time”, a small fistfight and flubbed lyrics briefly interrupted the song, but after telling everyone to calm down and offering hugs on behalf of bassist Dan Edinberg, frontman/guitarist Eli Miller got everyone back on track and continued on with the show.

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Papa Roach stopped by the station on Tuesday, on the way to Lupo’s for WBRU’s 38th Birthday Month concert, for an interview and acoustic session. Along with live acoustic performances of “Forever” and “Time is Running Out,” they talked about their affinity for a raw sound that stole the show from Hinder when they toured with them earlier this year and that fans could surely expect from their performance that night. They also shared ghost stories from the Paramour Mansion in Los Angeles, where they recorded their most recent album, The Paramour Sessions, and mentioned their recent acoustic performance in their hometown in support of breast cancer research. For more about their changing music style, what it’s like to be a rock star and a parent, and lead singer Jacoby Shaddix’s new show Scarred on MTV, listen to the full podcast below!

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Last night was not the first time that Papa Roach celebrated WBRU’s birthday, and with good reason. For our 38th Birthday, Papa Roach did not disappoint. Lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix opened the act in a solo version of “Roses On My Grave”, appropriately lit with ambient purple lights. Before we knew it, the band leapt into “…To Be Loved”, sizzling hot, and the audience felt it. The opening bands were strong (10 Years and Meriwether), but when Papa Roach came on, hands started waving, bodies surfed the crowd and fans proudly sang along. Shaddix owned the stage and raised energy levels all around by interacting with the audience, slapping hands and aiming the microphone in our direction.

It was impossible to get bored: songs just kept coming. Most came from their most recent album The Paramour Sessions, and three songs from each of their earlier albums: Getting Away with Murder, Lovehatetragedy and their debut album Infest. My favorites included “Forever,” to which lighters and cell phones were waved enthusiastically, and “Alive,” where the guitarist Jerry Horton stole the spotlight for a great solo and Shaddix took the lyrics literally by getting “out of control” and joining the crowd. Old school fans were rewarded with classics such as “Between Angels and Insects” and “She Loves Me Not,” as well as the explosive closing song, “Last Resort.” Read More

Avenged Sevenfold played a great show at Lupo’s yesterday to kickoff WBRU’s 38th Birthday Month. I could feel the excitement when I entered the building. While the opening acts (Black Tide, The Confession, Operator) all sounded good, everyone seemed a little impatient in anticipation of Avenged Sevenfold. The fans began chanting “Sevenfold, Sevenfold, Sevenfold…” as soon as the opening acts ended.

Avenged Sevenfold walked onto the stage and immediately jumped into “Critical Acclaim” off their new, self-titled album released a few weeks ago. M. Shadows, the lead singer, said to the crowd, regarding the new album, “I don’t give a f**k if you download it as long as you enjoy it.” The crowd certainly enjoyed the show, which featured songs from Waking the Fallen, City of Evil, and Avenged Sevenfold. Nearly everyone sang along to “The Beast and the Harlot,” “Burn It Down,” “Afterlife,” and “Bat Country.” The band seemed to be having a great time too. The guitarists and bassists were constantly moving around the stage, jumping up onto platforms, and acknowledging people in the crowd. Read More

I went into this concert knowing that Jimmy Eat World was one of the few bands whose show would always leave me unsatisfied because they could never play all the songs I wanted to hear. It turns out I was half right. Jimmy Eat World did not in fact play every song I desperately needed to hear (I’m looking at you “Authority Song”) but they came pretty damn close and their explosive energy and ridiculous library utilization definitely made this an enjoyable concert. Read More

This month, WBRU is celebrating its 38th birthday in a special way. Rather than one show, we’re having FIVE CONCERTS, all month long!

• Avenged Sevenfold at Lupo’s, November 12th (Review)
• Papa Roach at Lupo’s, November 13th (Review)
• Against Me! at Lupo’s, November 15th (Review)
• Silversun Pickups with Triangle Forest at Lupo’s, November 28th (Review)
• Cake at Lupo’s, December 6th (Review)

Brought to you by Dunkin Donuts… pick up two pounds of coffee for only $10.99 or a Dunkin gift card, BOTH perfect for the holidays!

Come celebrate our birthday with us!

Also, if you make a video in the spirit of our birthday, post it on YouTube, and send us the link (birthday@wbru.com), you can win tickets to see our birthday shows! We’ll even put them up here! Click here to see some videos!