Flyleaf

I've done it yet again, I've attended yet another one of my concerts and now I believe it is time to write a well worded review, no?

This concert was held at a smaller staging are in downtown Salt Lake at a little place called the Venue and the concert featured three bands all together. The place was hardly full when the first band came out on stage which gave me an excellent front stage spot to watch.

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Stars and Stereo, a five member band from LA, opened with a band that seemed to get the crowd reeling and excited. They presented themselves with confidence and ease even though this was their first tour and their sound was positively amazing.

They somehow managed to incorporate a number of different musical properties into their songs, which is an expectation of any band that can be remotely considered good. They seemed to be a mix of rock, metal, and a bit electronic, making them appealing and interesting to listen to.

The band together also had a very pleasing on stage personality and knew how to interact well with their crowd managing to include them in each of the songs. If it wasn't clapping it was singing along or jumping around.

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Drowning pool was the second band to come on stage and let me just say now, they were the reason I brought the ticket in the first place. This was a band that I am very familiar with because of their most well known song, Let the Bodies Hit the Floor.

They came on stage reeling and ready to preform in all their edginess and crude music. This was the first time that I also got to see their new singer and hear a few songs off their new album and let me just tell you now, they did not disappoint.

Jasen Moreno, the newest vocalist of the group showed the crowd that he was ready and prepared to fill in the roll of the countless number of singers before him and he did a fantastic job.

He connected well with the audience and gave the illusion that he actually knew you personally instead  of him being up on a three foot high stage in front of you playing you some music.

Drowning Pool, though always changing has remained a great band nonetheless and they actually were my highlight of the entire concert.

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Flyleaf was the last band to preform that night, and by this time I was starting to get tired and my feet were starting to kill, but they still managed to keep me interested and incorporated...For most of the time.

They were also sporting a brand new spanking singer, Kristen May. She took a safer and more similar approach to the music and kept the same sound and rythme as the old singer which was familiar and appreciated but a bit of a let down.

Flyleaf were pumped and ready to preform and gave it their all out on stage, and a few of them even jumped down and joined the crowd near the end of the setlist they were playing, which proved they were not only willing to join the restless crowd, but also how dedicated they were to their fans.

They played their hearts out and made sure that the concert went out with a bang! When they played their last song, with flashing lights, heavy music, and a singer who's lungs wouldn't quit, I found myself happily jumping along with the music, much to my feet's complaint.

The concert was a splendid one and I can't wait to see who I will see live next.

Tattoos

Recently I have been seeing people more and more sporting their tattoos around like trophies and who could blame them when they all look so cool. Growing up, I was use to tattoos; both my mom and dad had more than one. I always found myself tracing them with my fingers and wondering who could produce such amazing artwork.

It wasn't up until I turned about twelve that I started to realize that, though each tattoo is different, they all follow a sort of style depending on the artist. I had always thought that you asked the tattoo artist for what you wanted and they just tattooed it the way they wanted. I had no idea that there were actually different style groups.

Groups I am going to explain.

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The first style of tattoo to come around is what we today call "Ol'School" style. Ol'School is a semi-realists/dreamlike concept that incorporate a lot of symbolistic artwork. The art concept is a Western-American style that incorporates thick, bold black and blue lines as well as a handful of bright colors.

The first people to start getting tatted were usually navy sailors, hence the fab of sparrow tattoos. When A sailor hit a certain mark they were aloud to show off their sailor expertise by getting a sparrow on one of their shoulders.

Ol'School tattoos almost look cartoon like with their simple detail and bright coloring, but this just gives them the charm and effect that makes them so appealing to most people. Ol'School tattoos usually incorporate some sort of message of remembrance for the canvas (person with the tattoo). Either they are trying to give remembrance to a certain event or person they held dear in their lives.

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Next, we have one of the more well known and appealing tattoo styles. The intricate design above is a Japanese Traditional tattoo that are highly popular among most canvases. Opposite of the Ol'School style, Japanese Traditional are very highly detailed and use what is referred to as white space.

White space is when the tattoo uses the Canvases' skin is used to accent shading and detail in the tattoo, as well as extort the high detail of thing black lines used.

Original Japanese Traditional tattoos were used for religious and spiritual beliefs, and some say that they style of art concept could dat back all the way to the Jomon period.

Also unlike the Ol'School style, Japanese traditional are much more realistic and sharp cut to make the tattoo look like old japanese artwork from different eras. Japanese Traditional tattoos are one of the more highly popular styles used, not only because of the amazing look they have to them, but also because of the time and effort that goes into the creation of the tattoo.

It becomes a sort of pride for the Canvas.

Image Source: www.jessesmithtattoos.com

New Skool tattooing is a concept that seems to be taken right out of cartoons themselves. Usually with a New Skool tattoo, dull colors will be used for the basic shadings and areas of the tattoo, and later on brighter colors will be added to make the tattoo as a whole pop.

This style of tattooing has only recently become popular, and anyone who was raised around the first two types of tattooing sometimes see the New Skool take on the art as a bit of an insult.

New Skool tattoos are usually sported on a wider area of the canvas such as their back or arms to get all the cartoon-like detail visible to anyone who sees the tattoo. Everything about this style seems almost unreal, but this is what makes it just all the more interesting to look at, to the point where it's hard to look away.

Image Source: www.actionrecon.com

Our friend above (rico the zombie) is sporting a style of tattooing that could be called all three styles combined. As scary as he looks, I don't think anyone could help but to marvel at the glorious artwork that has been imprinted upon his skin my countless artists.

Black Veil Brides

Two days ago I stood in line, in the freezing cold, for two and a half hours to see the best concert that I have been to as of now. The line stretched nearly around the block and out into the street, but luckily my group and I had gotten a good place in the middle of the line.

Who were we waiting for you might ask..

None other than Black Veil Brides themselves.

Image Source: Themetalresistance.com

The concert started at approximately 7:00 and by the time I made it to the doors of The Complex, I was being crammed into a tiny room with a billion of other people. Imagine having an inch of personal space for two seconds then all of a sudden being pressed up against three people without enough room to move your arms.

That's how crowded it was.

As soon as the opening band came on stage everyone was rushing forward with screams that nearly punctured my ear drums. The opening band was a crunk-core band that went by the title of I Capture Castle. A local band from Salt Lake City, whom I found myself loving every second of each song they played.

I Capture Castle worked the crowd up and got the energy flowing and the vibe reverberating. The crowd was screaming their lyrics and jumping around like there was no tomorrow. Mosh-pits riled up and people were surfing through the crowd. I couldn't believe all the amazing madness, what with this only being the opening band and all.

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My feet had begun to hurt by the time that William Control took over the stage and I must admit right now that his music didn't really intrigue me, though his fashion sense was actually very interesting. His music was a mix of screaming and electric beats that, for some reason, just made me want to cover my ears.

However, he was dressed like an old school vampire, what with his posh brittish-punk clothing style and funky up-do that made him seem just the slightest bit aloof. He did, though, have a very excited and upbeat on stage personality that kept the crowd dancing and screaming for Black Veil Brides to come onto the stage.

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....Finally the time had come...They were finally coming on stage...

C.C. (drummer for BVB) was the first to appear on stage, and just the mere raise of his fist made the crowd wail like a bunch of lovesick girls. I clearly remember that tears sprung to my friends eyes when Ashley Purdy (bassist) walked on stage and formed a heart with his hands.

The band did not disappoint. They played a number of great songs, including a cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" with an interesting 80s metal twist. They made me laugh and scream and jump around, as well as wish that the concert would never end - no matter how bad my feet had started to hurt by this time.

The concert, songs, and band members of all three bands were amazing and worth the money and time spent on going to see them, and even the fan-base (audience/crowd) were a very interesting bunch of people to hand around.