I was so excited for this day to come. The lineup was stacked — State Champs, Our Last Night, The Dangerous Summer, and Grayscale. It was like a Warped Tour dream.

My friend Taylor and I had balcony seats at the House of Blues in Chicago, and I didn’t mind at all. The view was pretty nice, as we weren’t straining our necks to see them. The only drawback was that there wasn’t room really to mosh or jump, but nonetheless it was a great time.

The first band to come on stage was Grayscale, a pop punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They’ve been around since 2011, and got signed to Fearless Records in 2017. I’ve seen them a couple times before at Warped Tour, and their latest record Adornment is one of my favorites. Their setlist included six songs: “Atlantic,” “Beautiful Things,” “Slipping Away,” “Mum,” “Palette,” and “Fever Dream.” I only wish their set was longer. Their sound reminds me of a younger Mayday Parade, but with their own twist on it. If you haven’t seen this band live yet, you need to.

(Side note: Grayscale has awesome merch that you probably don’t need but you need.)

Up next was The Dangerous Summer. I’ve heard of this band before, but never really dabbled into their music before. To be quite frank, Taylor and I spent our time chatting and checking out the merch tables during this time. They sounded really good and the audience seemed really engaged, so I think it’d be worth it to check this band out.

Taylor and I were super excited for Our Last Night to come out. They’re a post-hardcore band that’s been around since 2004. We first saw them in 2014, and that was when we fell in love with their music. It’s the perfect blend of post-hardcore and alternative metal. Brothers Trevor and Matt Wentworth co-lead vocals together, switching back and forth with Trevor being the main screaming vocals.

I think this show was my fourth time seeing OLN live, and each time I do, they just keep getting better. They always have fun light shows and smoke effects. It’s impossible to stand still during an OLN set. For this show, they played all three of their new singles — “Bury The Hatchet,” “Demons,” and “The Leap.” These will all appear on their new album, Let Light Overcome, which is set to come out on March 8th, smack dab in the middle of this tour. Seeing these new songs live was so much fun. Their sound keeps evolving, incorporating somewhat EDM sounding music with their classic screaming and heavy guitars. And because it’s OLN, they of course had to play one of their covers, this show being “HUMBLE.” by Kendrick Lamar. If you haven’t heard their cover yet, you should definitely check it out.

And finally, my boys from State Champs took the stage. I think this is either the seventh or eighth time I’ve seen them — I’ve lost count. This tour, the Living Proof Tour, is named after their most recent album that came out in June 2018. They played the entirety of Warped Tour 2018, and then toured throughout the winter months before finally embarking on this tour. You wouldn’t guess that they hardly take breaks because they put so much energy into each and every one of their shows. 9 out of their 22 song setlist came from Living Proof, including my favorite off of that album, “Criminal.” Lead singer Derek Discanio has a perfectly blended voice, one that is sing-song-y and raspy all at the same time.

The boys kept the energy up the entire night, bouncing around the stage and high-fiving crowd surfers. Their light show was really bright, as it was pretty much pointed directly at the audience. While I wish I was down in the pit jamming out, it was probably for the best that I wasn’t — their shows are so high energy that I can’t really keep up anymore. However, if I could’ve snuck down to the first floor to crowd surf, I definitely would have.

All in all, the concert was one of the best I’ve been to in a while. If you can catch this tour, definitely go.

The post Concert Review: State Champs @ House of Blues Chicago 3/1/19 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last couple of months, then you know that the United States’ midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018. Midterms are held during the middle of the presidents current term of service — hence, “miderms” — and they are elections for the House and Senate, as well as governors.

So while we may not be voting for a new president just yet, the representatives that we put into office will really affect how “easy” the last two years of President Trump’s current term is.

So, yeah, you could say that midterms are pretty important.

To get in the spirit, I have created a top ten list of politically-motivated songs that I love and inspire me to get out and vote.

“Happy Judgement Day” by Neck Deep

“Happy Judgement Day” comes off of Neck Deep’s third studio album The Peace and The Panic. Hailing from Wales, UK, the pop punk band took their political stance on the political climate of the world shortly after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

There’s a strong, sarcastic tone throughout this song, seen in lyrics like “Oh, what a time to be alive! / Wake up and smell the dynamite.”

Themes that are touched upon include reliance on our phone screens, Brexit, the infamous Wall, and worshiping celebrities. There’s a lot touched on, but considering the enormity of what Judgement Day is supposed to be, it’s fitting to touch on that many themes.

The songs overarching opinion is that ultimately, we are f**ked, and we did this to ourselves.

“Building walls / dropping bombs / stop the world, I’m getting off / oh we almost had it / then we pissed it all away.” 

“Everyone Lies To Me” by Knuckle Puck

This track comes off of their latest release Shapeshifter. While the album in its entirety isn’t a political album, this track is one that comments on the nature of our current government.

The lyrics comment on how our current generation is undoubtedly listening to what the government is telling us, and how they make up our minds for us. There are lyrics in here that can’t be taken as anything but political — for example, “They’ll cut tax for crooked and corporate” and “Cause education only taught you what they want you to know.”

It’s on the angstier side of pop-punk, something that I’ve always really enjoyed about Knuckle Puck.

“Hands Held High” by Linkin Park

This song came off of their 2007 album Minutes to Midnight, and this track has always hit me right in the gut. The song criticizes rich men and politicians who use their power to further themselves in life.

There’s much speculation that this song directly comments on the Bush Patriot Act, by saying that Bush was taking away freedoms entitled to us as Americans.

Other parts of the song comment directly on the War on Terror, and certain scenarios that were happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What I like most about this song is not only the lyricism, but the simple snare drum beat that follows it. It reminds me of something that a marching band would play — and I’m sure it’s meant to sound like something a soldier would march to.

“Hero of War” by Rise Against

This acoustic track is always heartbreaking to listen to. The song follows a Iraq veteran looking back on the hardships that he endured during war.

The lyrics allude to a couple different situations, one of them being the human rights violations committed by American troops against detainees in Iraq.

“We took him away / A bag over his face / From his family and his friends / They took off his clothes / They pissed in his hands / I told them to stop / But then I joined in / We beat him with guns / And batons not just once / But again and again”

Another situation that arises is a woman or child that walks out during a firefight and how the narrator has to shoot them down, as they don’t know if they are an innocent bystander or a suicide bomber.

The song is meant to showcase the heartbreaking situations that our soldiers go through overseas, and to hopefully persuade people to not support the War on Terror.

“Dear Mr. President” by P!nk

P!nk is one of my favorite vocalists, and songs like this play a huge reason as to why that is. This song is so underrated.

This song acts as P!nk’s open letter to the president, who, at the time, was George W. Bush. The lyrics comment on the War on Terror, No Child Left Behind Act, the disapproval of homosexuality, lack of empathy for the poor, and Bush’s strong religious beliefs.

The lyrics are posed as questions, such as “How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? / How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?”

It’s a really moving song that stands the test of time; many comments on the YouTube video of this song suggest that President Trump have a listen.

“Still Waiting” by Sum 41

This song has a sick guitar riff that takes off in the beginning, which really drives this powerful anthem.

The song opens up with “So am I / still waiting / for this world to stop hating?”

Vocalist Deryck Whibley said in an interview with MTV back in 2002 that this song isn’t just about the war on terrorism, but “. . .the war on everything. It’s about the world as we know it.” He also said that the song was heavily inspired by the events of 9/11.

“American Idiot” by Green Day

Who would I be if I didn’t include “American Idiot?” This entire album of the same name was a concept album during the time of George W. Bush’s reelection in 2004. The song was heavily inspired by his politics, 9/11, and the War on Terror.

This song also comments on the affects that the media has on consumers, especially in the post 9/11 period where Americans were on edge.

This song is an absolute banger, in case you haven’t heard.

“A World Divided” by Our Last Night

This song doesn’t comment on politics the same way that the others on this list have, but it still shows a strong point of view: we are divided amongst ourselves by the color of our skin and our beliefs.

“Divided by the colors / Split by our beliefs / Forced against each other / nothing’s as it seems / But between white walls, we could forget it all / The fear would fade, we could start to change / A world divided and afraid”

I think it takes a good approach and is a little bit more timeless than the rest of the picks on this list. Segregation has always been an issue in our society and the way that we see each other.

“20 Dollar Nose Bleed” by Fall Out Boy

One of my favorite things about Fall Out Boy is that their lyrics are very much left up to interpretation — this song is no exception.

The song mostly refers to a drug called Benzedrine, an amphetamine that is known for causing nosebleeds. But there’s also some political references in the second verse:

“It feels like fourteen carats but no clarity / When I look at the man who would be king / The man who would be king / Goes to the desert, the same war his dad rehearsed / Came back with flags on coffins and said / “‘We won, oh we won!’”

It’s been speculated that this verse is about George W. Bush in his president-elect state (looking like fourteen carats but no clarity) and going to the same war that his dad had (George H. W. Bush also went to war in the middle east during his presidency).

“Imagine” by John Lennon

To close out this list, I figured I would bring back this gem. This has got to be one of the most political songs of all time, perhaps. This song came out by former Beatles member John Lennon in 1971. It was very anti-war, this war being the one in Vietnam at the time.

The lyrics are asking the listener to just imagine what life would be like with no religion, no countries, no possessions. It’s a really interesting thought. The simple piano that flows throughout the piece carries the lyrics from one verse to the next.

It’s a sugar-coated, optimistic, hopeful song. That’s something that we might need more of sometimes.

I hope you enjoyed my picks! Let me know what yours are!

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Favorite Political Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It was announced this past week that Warped Tour will be making its last cross-country tour next summer. In 2019, there will be some sort of 25th anniversary thing, and after that, Warped Tour will be dead.

Vans Warped Tour is a summer-long festival that kicks off every year in June and runs through August. Warped Tour focuses on the rock scene and has been touring around the United States every year since 1995. Over one hundred bands hop on the tour each summer, varying from up and coming bands to the leaders of the punk rock scene. The most popular genres played at Warped are pop punk and metalcore, although there are many hardcore, street punk, and even hip hop acts that are thrown in.

Warped Tour was always so special to me because it was a festival like no other — Warped travels across the country, setting everything up and tearing it down every day in a new city. Every day is different: bands play at different times, some bands hop on the tour for a couple dates, etc. And not to mention, it was a rock/punk-rock/pop/metalcore/electronic/hip hop tour. The lineup was always diverse, the general admission tickets were no more than $60, and there was pretty much a guarantee that the tour would travel somewhere near you.

I started going to Warped Tour in 2014, but I remember begging to go since 2012. I was a junior in high school, and my friend and I were finally old enough to go (according to our parents; Warped is an all ages event). I was super excited to see some of my favorite bands, like Mayday Parade, Echosmith, and We The Kings. That day I discovered so many of my favorite bands: State Champs, Real Friends, Neck Deep, The Story So Far, Beartooth.

I knew from that first time at Warped that I had to go back the next year.

My best friend, Ily, and I snagged our tickets early on for the Denver date again. We got to see a handful of great bands again, like Neck Deep, Our Last Night, PVRIS, Beartooth, and Man Overboard. We met one of our favorite band photographers, Adam Elmakias. It was a fun year, despite not knowing as many bands as I did the year before. I discovered so many new bands.

Ily and I went again in 2016, and I think that was probably one of the best days of my life — no joke. You can read my festival review of that here, but long story short I got to see literally all of my favorite bands and meet them as well. Pictured below is me with one of the bands, Real Friends. It was so fun to be able to see so many of my favorites in one day — something that would be impossible had it not been at Warped Tour.

And then of course, 2017. This year, I decided to go twice — once in Denver with Ily, and again in Minnesota with my friend Taylor. I thought for sure that since 2016 was so good that 2017 had a lot to live up to. You can read my entire festival review of 2017 here. Honestly, it didn’t even matter to me that there weren’t as many bands that I knew — I still had a fun time discovering new bands and jamming out to old ones.

I’m pretty bummed about Warped ending, to say the least. But I’m grateful that for the past 4 years, I’ve made some of the best memories of my life. I’ve discovered so many bands, been introduced to the alternative scene, met some of my favorite bands, and seen countless performances.

You can expect to find me at the last Vans Warped Tour next summer, and also expect some Top Ten’s lists about the final Warped.

RIP Warped Tour.

The post RIP Warped Tour: The End of an Era appeared first on KRUI Radio.

My alarm woke me at 7 am on Sunday, June 25th, 2017. Honestly, I probably didn’t need it — you know that feeling you get on Christmas Eve when you can’t fall asleep because you’re too excited for the day to come? Well, that’s the feeling I get every year before the Vans Warped Tour. Let’s be real, I’m more excited for Warped than I am for Christmas (which is when you know that Warped is legit).

If you don’t know how the Vans Warped Tour works, check out my last Warped Tour review, where I pretty much explain all that you need to know.

We arrived to the venue early again, and got in the Express Entry line. As soon as we got in, we bought the schedule and planned out our day. Honestly, there weren’t that many bands that I was dying to see this year (unlike last year), so everything pretty much worked out in our favor. We took a lap around the venue, figuring out where all the stages and stuff were, before we arrived at our first stop for the day: I Prevail.

I Prevail is an American metalcore band from Michigan that formed in 2014. It’s pretty impressive that after only being around for about three years, they’re already playing one of the main stages at Warped Tour. They kicked the day off at 11:50 am, and I can guarantee that there wasn’t a still person in the crowd. While I’m not super familiar with their music, it was easy to jam out with them. Their type of metalcore sometimes leans on the lighter side, which attracts fans more on the rock/punk side of the spectrum. They played most of their popular songs, such as “Stuck In Your Head” and “Scars“.

As soon as I Prevail wrapped up, we headed to the Full Sail stage to see Trophy Eyes, a punk rock band from Newcastle, Australia. While I wasn’t suuuper into them before today, they definitely put on a show that convinced me to check out the rest of their discography. They opened with one of their most popular songs, “Nose Bleed“. If you haven’t already, I would definitely check out their most recent release, “Chemical Miracle” which came out in 2016.

Up next was a band that I was really looking forward to seeing: Our Last Night. The last time that I saw them was at Warped Tour in 2015, and I was stoked to see them live again. OLN released a 7 song Ep titled “Selective Hearing” on June 9th, 2017. They opened with a new kick ass song, “Broken Lives“.

One of the things I like most about OLN is that their music is a hard rock/alternative with some thematic/borderline electro elements to it. Their last studio album, “Younger Dreams“, is definitely the most thematic of what they have released, but “Broken Lives” definitely sounds familiar to their music on “Younger Dreams.” Their stage presence was also very thematic — lead vocalist Trevor Wentworth danced all around the stage as water cannons sprayed the crowd. They finished their set off with their popular tune “Sunrise“, as Trevor and guitarist Woody jumped out into the audience.

Right after OLN’s set, they held a signing at their tent. We briefly got to meet the guys, who were humble as hell. I would definitely recommend checking them out.

At 2:45, we headed back to the Full Sail stage to check out one of my new favorite bands, Microwave. Microwave is a rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. They played fan favorites, such as “Lighterless“, “Stovall“, and “Vomit“. Microwave offers a refreshing sound that still has the angsty and disenchanting lyrics that we all love. Microwave is SUPER underrated, so if you check out anyone that I’m talking about in this article, make sure it’s Microwave.

After sitting down to eat and regain some energy, we headed over to the Journey’s Right Foot stage to see one of my favorite pop punk bands, Neck Deep. Before Neck Deep stepped up to the stage, a speaker from the nonprofit organization Hope For The Day came out to speak about suicide awareness. Every year, they hop on the tour and talk about the importance of speaking up and seeking help (for more information, check out their website here). The crowd takes on a somber tone, until the speaker prompts the audience to chant for Neck Deep.

The crowd chanted “Neck Deep” and then erupted into applause as the guys jumped on stage. One of the things I love most about seeing Neck Deep live (which I have now seen them live 4 times) is that they have so. much. energy. Lead singer Ben Barlow always seems super happy to be performing, as seen in his goofy facial expressions. Their setlist contained mostly songs from their most recent record, “Life’s Not Out To Get You“, with the addition of their two newest songs, “Happy Judgement Day” and “Where Do We Go When We Go“. This was definitely one of the best sets of the day, considering the enthusiasm and adrenaline coursing through everyone.

I was glad that after Neck Deep we had a couple hours to spare, because they definitely wore us out. We sat at the Full Sail stage, waiting for the next band, Movements. Movements is a post-hardcore/emo band from SoCal. And boy, did this set make me emo as hell.

“If you guys don’t already know, we don’t really make happy songs,” lead singer Patrick Miranda said as they jumped into a new song about Alzheimer’s disease. What makes them stand out to me is their mix of singing and spoken-word vocals. You can really feel the angst, hurt, and desperation in Patrick’s voice when he performs the spoken-word portion of their songs. I recommend checking out “Vacant Home“.

We finished the day off with Counterparts, a melodic hardcore band from Canada. I’m not too familiar with their music, however I enjoyed myself during their angsty, head-banging music. Their set made me forget about my aching feet, the dried up sweat, and the fact that the day was wrapping up. I’ll definitely be listening to more of their stuff, especially with their new album coming out in September.

The best part of the day was definitely this punk rock lady who had to be somewhere in her 60’s. She’s my idol, my inspiration. This is gonna be me at Warped when I’m 60.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Festival Review: Vans Warped Tour 2017 @ Denver 6/25/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Growing up, I’ve always heard the phrase (and I’m sure you have too), “Don’t judge a book based on its cover!”. Let’s be honest… I definitely do that. Not only with books, but also with music. So in this article, I’m gonna be talking about some of my favorite album artwork, and of course I’ll say a few things about the album as well.

1.) Believers Never Die by Fall Out Boy

This greatest hits album from FOB is one of my favorite album covers. As you can see, it features two skeletons that appear to be hugging each other. There’s various things around the room, including musical instruments, clothing, and books. Paired with the title, “Believer’s Never Die”, this album offers a solemn vibe. The concept of this art is really cool, because clearly the skeletons represent the absence of life, and the title leads us to believe that the music follows us beyond just living. (Kind of a big concept to wrap your head around, I know. Just my interpretation!)

Favorite track: “I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me and You)”

2.) Put Yourself Back Together by Real Friends

Real Friends is a Chicago-based pop punk band that has really been growing in the past couple of years. This EP, released in 2013, is kind of a concept album, in a way. Almost every song on this record mentions being broken, specifically broken hearted. This album art really backs up this album concept brilliantly. As you can see, there’s nothing in order in the picture. The phone is destroyed, the shoes look worn out, a glass lamp appears to be shattered. This album really deals with feeling lonely, broken, abandoned, which is perfectly illustrated by the album art.

Favorite track: “I’ve Given Up On You”

3.) Youth by Citizen

This indie-rock/emo album features a heavy and sometimes overwhelmingly somber tone, the lyrics dealing with isolation, angst, and self-doubt. A lot of people in their adolescence deal with emotions similar to this, which is why I think this album is titled “Youth”. The roses, which provide a small range of pinks and reds with the occasional yellow, might possibly represent the entire concept of youth. When roses, die, they shrivel up. In the same token, this could apply to adolescents. They’re budding roses, but paired with the deep concepts of this album, they can quickly shrivel up when exposed to these real life emotions. I think it’s a beautifully simple album cover.

Favorite track: “The Summer”

4.) White Noise by Pvris

A repeated theme throughout this album is a love-hate relationship, as well as supernatural spirits.

This album cover is a little bit more difficult to interpret. The black background could represent darkness. White noise is defined as “noise containing many frequencies with equal intensities”, so I think that the concept of looking in this mirror shows that there is many different “frequencies” and intensities within yourself, within a relationship, within spirits, or whatever else you interpret it to be.

Favorite track: “Smoke”

5.) Stories For Monday by The Summer Set

“Stories For Monday” is a collection of songs that are just that: post-party anthems that you can’t wait to tell your friends about when you get back to school or work on Monday.

The artwork features a single photo of a party, with the only people looking at the camera being the band members. The photo displays everything about your typical party — drinking, people mingling, a crowded room, and that one guy who’s always wearing something USA themed. A lot of the themes in this album deal with living in the now and not giving up. Typically, people at parties tend to let loose and live in the moment. The album and the artwork go together perfectly.

Favorite track: “All Downhill From Here”

6.) The Finer Things by State Champs

State Champs is a five man band that’s made their way up to the top of the pop punk scene. With two EP’s under their belt, they produced this kick-ass record driven by guitars and lead singer Derek Discanio’s incredible voice. This album demands to be played during the summer with all of the windows rolled down. The cover of this album reflects it: the warm color scheme, the person skateboarding down the road, the brightness of the photo. It’s a warm and welcoming cover that previews an amazing pop punk album.

Favorite track: “Nothing’s Wrong”

7.) The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New

This album art never fails to give me the chills for obvious reasons. The music on this record itself is chilling, with death and illness being the main themes. What intrigues me the most is that there can be many different interpretations of this photograph. The chips in the house’s paint could take on a homey-vibe, or a feeling of abandonment. The berries could be food or poison. The masks are scary, but one of them is also wearing slippers. Overall, it’s an amazing album with intriguing artwork that opens the mind for exploration.

Favorite track: “Jesus Christ”

8.) Younger Dreams by Our Last Night

“Take me back to younger dreams / when times were easier and we believed” are the lyrics belted back on the title track of this album.

As seen in the picture, a young boy is holding a toy plane and is wearing a mask over his head. A theme in this album reminisces about the dreams and aspirations they had when they were younger. This photo is simple yet powerful paired with the music.

Favorite track: “White Tiger”

9.) You’re Gonna Miss It All by Modern Baseball

What captures me most about this is how simple this cover is. The white space around surrounding the photo leads our eye to the center of attention: the grayed out photo of a little girl walking away from a boy. The title of the album acts as a caption, and the music tells the story.

Favorite track: “Your Graduation”

10.) I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time by Moose Blood

Best for last! This is probably my favorite album cover of all time. I’ll be honest, the band’s name “Moose Blood” didn’t really appeal to me all that well. But when I saw this album artwork, I knew that I had to give it a listen.

What I love most about it is how candid it is. It’s a real photo of a woman sitting by a campfire poking at the fire. The dark colors mixed with the bright fire are very aesthetically pleasing. Of course, it’s a great listen, but I think my favorite part about it is the album cover.

Favorite track: “Cherry”

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Favorite Album Artwork appeared first on KRUI Radio.