Kevin Costner @ Walmart

Many know Kevin Costner as an actor, but he is now a pretty well known musician as well, but the real question is what was he doing in walmart?. It was at 3:00 in the afternoon and there was a line wrapping all throughout Walmart just to get an autograph and many screaming ladies. Luckily, I finally got through for mine at about 4:30.

Kevin Costner and Modern West is the name of Kevin Costner’s country/rock group. They have been together since 2008 and had released their debut album, Untold Truths, on November 11, 2008. The band will be on tour on and off throughout the year. Be sure to go to a show near you and you never know, you might be able to meet him in a place like Walmart like I did.

To see pictures from his signing, be sure to visit the gallery.

Hello, My Name Is… Tour (review)

Overall:

Wow, three amazing bands, only if it was to have lasted longer. Cash Cash was first and they were great. They played 2 songs and were worth seeing. Hey Monday was next, they like Cash Cash, played 2 songs. They had a pretty good following with the people that were there. We the Kings were last. They were lucky and got to play 3 songs and a majority of the people came to see them play. All of these bands are great live as well as acoustic.

Cash Cash:

I had previously seen these guys play with Metro Station and they were once again great. When they played There’s  A Party In Your Bedroom almost everyone was singing along. It was so cool seeing them play an acoustic set where everyone was sitting down and got into the music with the band. Their debut album, Take It To The Floor, is out now so go and get yourself a copy!

Hey Monday:

This had been my 3rd time seeing these guys and watching them play acoustic was more than amazing. Only having time to do 2 songs, Homecoming and How You Love Me Now, they nailed them and got many people hooked. Singer, Cassadee Pope’s vocals are amazing and sound just as if the cd is played, if not better. Hey Monday’s debut album Hold On Tight is available now, so next time you’re out, be sure to pick up a copy!

We the Kings:

Having seen these guys multiple times, it was cool seeing them play acoustic. We the Kings played their 3 biggest songs, Skyway Avenue, Check Yes Juliet, and Secret Valentine. For being awake for more than 33 hours, their performance was great. They are soon to be heading out with The Maine, The Cab, There For Tomorrow, and Versa Emerge starting February 6. Be sure to find a city near you and pick up a copy of their self-titled album!

To view pictures from all the bands, feel free to visit the gallery.

Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (review)

Overall:

This tour was just great. I had interviewed all 3 Fearless bands at some point and it was just great to see them all again. Since All Time Low wasn’t at the show, a local Des Moines band played. Finding the One was pretty good and had a good following. They played for about 20 minutes and got the crowd all riled up. Every Avenue was next and they really got the crowd’s attention and got a ton of crowd participation. After Every Avenue was The Maine. As soon as these guys came on stage, the crowd went crazy. I have never seen anything like it. Lastly, and headliner, was Mayday Parade. It had nearly been a year since I had seen these guys and wow, they know how to perform. All of these bands were great and it was just an fantastic show.

Finding the One:

I had truthfully never heard of these guys. They are a smaller, local band from Des Moines, IA, but I thought that they were pretty good. They got the crowd dancing and the had their loyal, local fans there to support them. It was cool to see a local playing at such a great show.

Every Avenue:

Opening their set was the song Days of the Old. Right away, the crowd began dancing and the whole place got crazy. These guys are just amazing to watch. They started out with a group huddle around the drum set then got right into playing. If you haven’t yet, go and check these guys out. They had released their debut album Shh. Just Go With It earlier this year, so go and pick up a copy!

The Maine:

Truthfully, I think these were guys were who most people came to see. Starting with Girls Do What They Want, and playing a 30 minute set, the crowd went wild. By the time these guys ended with Everything I Asked For everyone was left wanting more. Seeing these guys for the 4^th time, they were as amazing as they were the first time. The Maine had released their debut album Can’t Stop Won’t Stop earlier this year as well. Pick up a copy today and give these guys the support they deserve!

Mayday Parade:

The headliners of the show! It had been nearly a year since I had seen these guys and I nearly forgot what they were like live, but as soon as they begun opening song Walk on Water Or Drown I remembered exactly how great they were. The whole crowd went wild and since we were on the third floor of People’s Court, Derek (singer) had the entire crowd do a floor stability test by jumping and just plain going wild. Mayday Parade ended the show with Jersey and left an impression in everyone’s head of what Fearless bands are like. Mayday Parade’s debut album A Lesson in Romantics is on sale now!

All of these bands are beyond great. I had previously gotten the chance to interview all of the bands at this show (except for local band Finding the One). All of these bands are amazing live and are just great guys. The tour is going on now until November 29, ending in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Find a show near you and check all of these bands out!

To view pictures from ALL of the bands in this review, be sure to visit the gallery.

Dance Across the Country Tour (Review)

Overall:

The Dance Across the Country Tour… All I can say is wow. I went into the show with an open mind and the show just blew me away. The Morning Light was first and they were great. During the performance, they had some technical difficulties with their keyboard and some of their microphones, but they sure did make up for it with the amazing song choice. Steel Train was next, no one knew completely what to expect, but they were really great. They really got into their music, and so did the crowd. The Cab was after them. Seeing The Cab for the third time, they still seemed to surprise everyone. Singer Alex DeLeon really got the whole place going and had plenty of crowd interactions. Last but not least was The Hush Sound. They began with Greta coming out to do an intro song and the rest of the band coming out after her. This whole show did nothing, but impress.

The Morning Light:

During the first couple of songs, there were some technical difficulties. For the guys, it seemed to get a little frustrating, but as soon as they got everything figured out, the music was even better than before. I have seen these guys one other time before and they were great then, but they did nothing but surprise everyone. The Morning Light is soon to release their self-titled album on September 23 of this year.

Steel Train:

Truly, I went into this show not knowing who these guys were, but they were great. They played many great songs, and to my surprise, I knew several of them; Kill Monsters in the Rain, I Feel Weird and even a Momma Mia cover, just to name a few. What I thought was great about these guys was how they didn’t only play their music and they got into it while performing. These guys are truly great and you need to really go check them out.

The Cab:

Wow, these guys are just amazing. I have now seen them three times, and every time has been very different. Starting with I’ll Run and ending with Can You Keep A Secret?, these guys really got the crowd going. With their catchy beat and amazing lyrics, these guys are great live. It seems that they’re on tour a lot, so if you haven’t yet had the chance, check them out. They also had released their debut album, Whisper War, earlier this year, it’s completely worth buying, so go pick up a copy today!

The Hush Sound:

The Hush Sound started with Greta on keys and ended with Bob on guitar. These guys are just great to see live. Both of the singers have amazing voices and they work very well together. When on stage, these guys seem to have so much fun. Like The Cab, this was me third time seeing The Hush Sound and it was very different than the two times before. The Hush Sound played songs from all three of their albums, including their newest Goodbye Blues, and had almost the whole crowd singing along at one point. It was just overall a great show.

All of these bands did a great job and looked as if they were having so much fun playing for the crowd. You can catch all of these bands on the Dance Across the Country Tour until August 25, so try to find a show near you and check it out.

To see pictures from ALL of the bands in this review and on this tour, be sure to visit the gallery.