ISSUE 4 | AUGUST 2015
featuring
Never Shout Never Vans Warped Tour, Neon Trees, Hit The Lights, Colbie Caillat, + More
in collaboration with
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Table of Contents Staff Editor in Chief Acacia Evans Art Directors Alyson Coletta Andi Rogers Contributing Photographers Acacia Evans Nolan Knight Lupe Bustos Stephanie Masters Jeff Roach Kyle Somers Hannah Jones Contributing Writers Acacia Evans Nolan Knight Jeff Roach Curtis Vadnais Ian Kendall Lexi Fields
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Third Eye Blind: Show Review
Get Social with BCT Website: bigcitythoughts.com Instagram: @bigcitythoughtspress Facebook: facebook.com/ bigcitythoughts
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Vans Warped Tour 2016
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Photos of Pierce
the Veil
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PVRIS: Live Photos
{ 44
Hope For the Day: A Day In the Life
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04 - Third Eye Blind: Show Review
68 - ADITL: James Morris
06 - Vans Warped Tour 2016
80 - ADITL: SayWeCanFly
42 - Louder than Life Dates
88 - ADITL: The Kenneths
44 - Hope For the Day
98 - RYLI: Interview + Photos
43 - HFTD: Beartooth
102 - Feature: Never Shout Never
44 - HFTD: Bebe Rexha
108 - Feature: Head Injuries
50 - HFTD: Knuckle Puck
116 - Colbie Caillat + Rachel Platten:
57 - HFTD: Simple Plan
Show Review
60 - HFTD: Neck Deep
124 - Shot Boys of Summer: Photos
62 - HFTD: Christmas
136 - Neon Trees: Photos
64 - ADITL: BoyMeetsWorld
}
An inside the lives of Head Injuries: Interview + Photos
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third eye blind
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SHOW REVIEW
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edicated fans of all ages braved the heat and humidity that was closing in on The Woodlands Mitchell Pavilion on July 2nd to see Third Eye Blind with Dashboard Confessional and Augustana. I’ve loved and respected all three of these bands for years but I’d never had the privilege to see any of them live, and I can tell you that a privilege is exactly what it was. First up was Augustana, a five piece alternative rock band from California. Although they were the opening band, a good majority of the crowd seemed to know most of the songs, and the ones who didn’t were still having such a good time. Dan Layus’s voice rang through the tented pavilion beautifully. I don’t think anyone in the band stopped smiling through the entire set. It was contagious to say the least. They played their famous song, “Boston”, which was the first song I’d ever heard from them a long time ago. 6 songs later, they finished their set with the powerful track “Shot in the Dark” and I think I can speak for everyone who attended when I say I was sad to see them go. Next up was Dashboard Confessional. The lead singer, Chris Carrabba, said “The sun is setting…in my face. It’s beautiful, dusk and summer”, which is a reference to one of Dashboard’s albums “Dusk And Summer”. The energy that this band put into every song was inspiring. Everyone was singing their hearts out the entire time, which kept a smile on Chris’s face. You almost couldn’t even hear him during “Hands Down” or “Vindicated” because the crowd was singing so loudly. It gave me chills, I can only imagine how great it made the band feel. So much respect for those guys and the passion they have for their music and fans. Finally, the sun had gone all the way down and every seat was full as people waited eagerly for Third Eye Blind. The lights went off and everyone was up and going wild with anticipation. When the band came out, the crowd just lost it and that’s when I knew it was going to be a good show. They opened with “Graduate”. Despite the exhausting heat, this was one of the most energized crowds I’ve ever heard and witnessed. Every single person was screaming the lyrics, and you could make out the words perfectly. It was almost surreal. There was never a quiet moment, if the crowd wasn’t singing then they were just cheering with excitement. In between songs, frontman Stephan Jenkins said, “We’re always so excited to come to Texas. Something great always happens when we’re here, and I can just feel it, I’m waiting for it. Everyone on this stage is so stoked to be here with you tonight. This is the best time we’ve had on this tour so far.” Of course that got a great reaction from the crowd because everyone loves to hear that a band loves their hometown, even if he does say that to every city, ha. During one of the songs, Stephan stopped and said, “shake hands with someone you don’t know and tell them to have a great summer. Doesn’t that feel amazing?! You’re all amazing.” He really knew how to talk up the crowd. From wicked drum solos, to acoustic ballads, Third Eye Blind is not a band that you want to miss out on seeing live. PHOTOS & REVIEW BY STEPHANIE MASTERS
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Augustana
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PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE MASTERS
Dashboard Confessional
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE MASTERS
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WARPED TOUR For the few of you who might be unfamiliar with the topic, Vans Warped Tour is an annual music festival founded by Kevin Lyman in 1995. Warped is something unlike any other summerlong festival seen before. This tour represents the punk rock and alternative scene across the nation (and even in Canada) by bringing to you tons of bands from all over the rock spectrum. Kids and teens, even some adults, are brought together to celebrate the music that indirectly brings these strangers closer and closer together. Warped Tour is almost like Christmas for most, getting the chance to see all of your favorite bands in one day. When does that ever happen? Each band on the tour is allotted somewhere between about 25 and 50 minutes, depending on popularity and crowd feedback from each date. Warped Tour has multiple stages provided by various sponsors who are brought along the entire tour. Lyman also brings out many non-profits along with independent clothing companies, university representatives, record labels, and more Warped Tour provides an endless amount of perks and excitement for fans.
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Along with parents being granted free entry, fans can donate cans of food to Feed our Children NOW! in order to cut the line. Cutting the line is a huge deal considering many tents and vendors offer special prizes and benefits for those who come first. This may include anything from a free gift from Vans to even meeting your favorite band. You might also get chosen to volunteer in catering and serve some of your idols! It’s near impossible to explain how much work and effort is put into this tour. Press, catering, and volunteering are just some of the aspects Vans Warped Tour works very closely and carefully with. Making sure that everything goes exactly as planned to make each and every day as easy as possible for the workers is something that is extremely important in keeping this tour intact. It is also up to security and first aid at every date to take care of those impacted by the Warped Tour heat. Be sure to bring your sunglasses, water bottles, and sunscreen if you plan on attending Warped Tour in the years to come, it’s one heck of a day!
AUGUST BURNS RED
photos by acacia evans
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photos by lupe bustos
riff raff
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Attila photos by lupe bustos
photos by lupe bustos
attila
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photos by acacia evans
emarosa
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emarosa
photos by acacia evans
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the wonder years photos by lupe bustos
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the wonder years photos by lupe bustos
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photos by lupe bustos
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while she sleeps photos by acacia evans
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while she sleeps
photos by acacia evans
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blessthefall
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blessthefall
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photos by acacia evans
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blessthefall
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pierce the veil photos by acacia evans
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photos by acacia evans
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pierce the veil
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pierce the veil
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pvriss i r v p photos by acacia evans
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pvris
photos by acacia evans
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we came as romans photos by nolan knight
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photos by nolan knight
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www.bigcitythoughts.com
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"It's something that we try and make people aware of: that it's okay to ask for help. We get tons of kids that relate to the songs. It's definitely something we take very seriously. There's a stigma about [asking for help], and we've come a long way over the years, but there's still a lot of work to be done. Sometimes just having somebody to talk to is make-or-break for somebody else." - Taylor Lumley of Beartooth on suicide prevention
beartooth
INTERVIEW BY ACACIA EVANS
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“I feel like a lot of people are afraid to talk ... But if you’re afraid to speak out about what’s going on inside you, there’s only so long that that outer shell can last.” - Taylor Lumley of Beartooth on suicide prevention
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beartooth
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BEBEREXHA ...IT’S ABOUT SAVING KIDS’ LIVES IT’S ABOUT SPREADING THE WORD... MAKING KIDS FEEL NOT ALONE... story by ian kendall interview by acacia evans
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t’s a muggy summer day at the Vans Warped Tour, and droves of black-clad, dehydrated teenagers roam across a blacktop sea of food trucks and merch tents. Sonic booms from scattered stages drift past the crowded pathways and into an exclusive bus area, where Bebe Rexha walks down to backstage with BCT’s own Acacia Evans for an on-the-spot interview. Bebe walks in her dark stage clothes, flipping her signature jet-black hair with a frizzy, fresh-out-of-the-mosh-pit look. Though her music paints a self-portrait of a “loco, maniac, sick bitch, psychopath”, her appearance is genuine, and her voice is calm and uplifting. It’s almost strange to hear that same voice shriek and roar in “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy”, Bebe’s newest single, which has already earned two million hits on YouTube. In fact, it’s Bebe’s immense popularity that has landed her a spot on her first Warped Tour, an event usually reserved for hardcore and pop punk artists. It’s a daring move for Bebe, but she’s since proceeded confidently, as if to ask “so what if I’m fucking crazy?”
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So, tell me how Warped Tour has been so far! Warped Tour has been incredible! I’ve been meeting tons of new people, my fan base has just been growing, and it’s just been kind of insane; I feel like I’ve been growing as an artist and as a person as well. I feel like you’re a different artist than we usually have, and that’s awesome for the tour. Yeah, I was really scared in the beginning but I think that a lot of these fans have welcomed me with open arms—even a lot of the other artists, because people can easily hate on you, and be like “fuck off!”— that’s, like, a Warped Tour vibe— it’s all or nothing. But they’ve welcomed me, and it’s been awesome. How do you use your creative platform to spread the word regarding suicide and mental illness? To me, that’s really important, because I’ve gone through that before. When I was in my early twenties I had panic attacks, felt like I was going to hurt myself, got freaked out, went to a lot of therapists. My song, for example, “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy” (currently her top seller on iTunes) is about
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me seeing a therapist and trying to accept myself. And even though it sounds like it’s a song to the therapist, it’s really a song to myself, like, “what are you so scared of?” So understandable. With me, it’s like, I’ve put that into my music, and I try to be as positive as possible, and I try to promote self-love on stage—loving yourself and believing in yourself. That’s what I think this generation needs. I think we’re missing that right now, to be honest with you. When I grew up, we had Christina Aguilera doing “Beautiful”, and P!nk, and now I feel like we’re missing that, whereas a lot of the stuff right now is, “I gotta stay high” or, “I gotta get fucked up”. There’s nobody saying, “love yourself” and I hope to be that voice. Tell us more about your personal story. I think what people don’t know is that I’m struggling to love myself every day, and I’m growing as a person every day. And I think whenever I grew up watching pop stars, singers, and shit, they always looked so perfect—and to this day I think there are some artists that look so good that they’re untouchable. And that’s great; but I want fans to know that they can always reach out to me, use my music as their therapy, and know that I’m just like them. It’s hard to connect with every single body, so I try to put it into my music to help people as much as I possibly can. Why is it so important to start the conversation about suicide and mental illness? I think it’s important to spread the word about suicide and mental illness because I feel like a lot of people don’t really recognize it. For example, when I was having anxiety and panic attacks, I really didn’t know what was happening to me, I just felt really weird. I remember being a little girl, so worried and scared, and I had no idea what was wrong with me... I thought it was normal. And then as I got older, I was like, “fuck! This is not normal.” And then when I first found
out I had anxiety, I was like “wow, my whole life makes sense”. Knowing what it is and being able to label it makes you feel more at peace. So I feel like it’s really important for me to spread that word, because a lot of people really don’t know that they’re going through something, and a lot of times they get depressed and don’t know how to fix themselves. A lot of these kids tend to hurt themselves and alienate themselves from the world. I feel like if they know why this is happening, they won’t be hurting themselves as much, and they’ll know what to do and where to go. I just try to give kids an outlet through music, and tell them where to put all that anxiety and panic—and try to help them find help. How do you think they can find help? It’s tough, because sometimes it’s not really easy to find help—people around you might say that you don’t need help. A lot of times, the best help you can get is yourself, but sometimes you do need a friend, family member, or you can even speak to a teacher—just talk to somebody about how you feel. Make sure you talk to a couple of people, not just one person, because sometimes that information is wrong or skewed, so I think talking to people and finding help is really important. Just have someone to speak to, and you can build from there. What is the importance of nonprofits on Warped Tour? The nonprofits are just important as the music. I think it’s about saving kids’ lives, it’s about spreading the word, and most importantly, you’re making kids not feel alone, just in the way the music does. They’re really a blessing; they give kids hope. I walked a fan over to the Hope For a Day tent, and he seemed just happier, and to me that is everything.
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IT’S AN EXCITING TIME FOR WOMEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC RIGHT NOW, AND I’M HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS WAVE
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story by ian kendall | interview by acacia evans Minutes before Knuckle Puck took the stage to a deafening Warped Tour crowd, guitarist Kevin Maida sat down with BCT’s own Acacia Evans for a brief Q&A about Hope For The Day, and what it meant to share the spotlight with the organization itself. “We usually have someone from Hope For The Day talk before our set. We’ve never really done anything like that before. It’s a good way to start the conversation about [suicide and mental illness]. It just lets people know that it’s okay to feel the way you’re feeling, and you’re not some kind of freak for feeling the way you feel. “It’s cool to use our platform at a place like Warped Tour, where we’re playing to a lot of new kids and people are really impressionable. Even if they don’t like our music, at least they learn something at the beginning of the set.”
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+ story by lexi fields | interview by acacia evans Simple Plan, a Canadian rock band, has been writing teen anthems since 2002 when they released their first album No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls. You may remember them by their angst filled song “Perfect,” a single dedicated to telling your parents that they were wrong about you. After playing on Vans Warped Tour for a number of years, they toured with big names such as Avril Lavigne, Green Day, and Good Charlotte. The guys have dedicated their success for more than just themselves though...they have their own charity named The Simple Plan Foundation. “Basically, one of the biggest goals of the foundations is to help young people who are going through tough times.” They explained. “Especially with all the teenage problems like depression, anxiety, the kids who are feeling sort of ostracized or bulied.” After spending over one million dollars on their charity, Simple Plan has put a lot of effort into spreading the positive effects of music. “We support a lot of programs for music and everything. The programs really get kids to feel empowered because of music. That’s been our main direction with the foundation and it’s going great. We’re proud of the work we’ve done so far.” The band feels so strongly about helping those that are going through tough times that we began to wonder what caused those feelings. Asking them if their personal life had been
affected by these issues, they responded “I think we’ve been pretty lucky in the sense of none of us went through a super dark period. We’ve all had our challenges and been through rough times. I think it happens to everyone, you know, when you’re fourteen, fifteen, sixteen... just growing up and find what you want to do in life. It’s not easy and older people look at it like it’s just a phase but when you are in it, it’s definitely challenging.” They also took a moment to discuss the stigma that surrounds mental health issues. “The key is to talk about it. You realize that you’re not alone; there are a lot of people going through the same stuff. There are some bad things about the internet but you can find very similar people going through the same thing and it’s a little easier to reach out to them. It’s online so there is some protection in not being as out there and being face to face. I think that’s helping.” “It’s all about finding people to talk to. I think more and more that people are less embarrassed by mental health, they’re less weirded out. It’s kind of more accepted. It is changing a lot and I think social media has a lot to do with it. Like I said, there are some bad sides to it but it has really done positive things. I think that it’s the best way to try and communicate. When something is wrong, don’t try to keep it inside. Reach out to people who can help you and know what you are feeling.”
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Q & A WITH HOPE FOR THE DAY, LEXI FIELDS We are Hope For The Day and we are here with... Simple Plan – Chuck and David. How do you use your creative platform to spread the word regarding suicide, mental illness, depression, etc.? We’ve definitely written songs about the subject matter. On our last record we had a song called “This Song Saved My Life” about feeling lonely and feeling like you’re a little bit on the outside, that people don’t understand or get you. Beyond just the music, our first record has “Perfect” and “Welcome To My Life.” We always had those kind of songs and we’re lucky enough that they resonate a lot with our fans and it means a lot to them and you know, they get the lyrics tattooed on them and I think it helps them out. Beyond just writing songs, I always felt like it was important to go a step beyond and start our own foundation called The Simple Plan Foundation. Basically, one of the biggest goals of the foundations is to help young people who are going through tough times.
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That’s amazing. Thank you. Especially with all the teenage problems like depression, anxiety, the kids who are feeling sort of ostracized or bullied. So we’ve done a lot for that and so far we’ve given out 1.5 million dollars back to kids in Canada. It’s something that is really important to us and we want to go beyond just making music but actually doing something, you know, that has a direct link to all that. It’s really cool when you go to the shows and kids are like “Hey man, your music helped me or your foundation really helped me out. I was able to start my own band because of you” because we support a lot of programs for music and everything. The programs really get kids to feel empowered because of music. That’s been our main direction with the foundation and it’s going great. We’re proud of the work we’ve done so far. Has your life personally been affected by any of these issues? Maybe yourself, a family member, a friend? I think we’ve been pretty lucky in the sense of none of us went through a super
...THAT’S BEEN OUR MAIN DIRECTION WITH THE FOUNDATION AND IT’S GOING GREAT. WE’RE PROUD OF THEWORK WE’VE DONE SO FAR... dark period. We’ve all had our challenges and been through rough times. I think it happens to everyone, you know, when you’re fourteen, fifteen, sixteen...just growing up and find what you want to do in life. It’s not easy and older people look at it like it’s just a phase but when you are in it, it’s definitely challenging. I think for us, the band, music kind of gave us a direction or a way to go and things to do. It sort of gave us hope after you felt like crap after a long day at school or if you got into a fight with your parents or maybe your friends. Go back and play your favorite record or song and it kind of gave you a way to escape, you know? So that’s what has been important to us and we’ve been lucky enough that we were able to make that a career. That’s awesome. So there is a lot of stigma regarding mental health. Why is it so important to start the conversation about it?
The key is to talk about it. You realize that you’re not alone; there are a lot of people going through the same stuff. There are some bad things about the internet but you can find very similar people going through the same thing and it’s a little easier to reach out to them. It’s online so there is some protection in not being as out there and being face to face. I think that’s helping. It’s all about finding people to talk to. I think more and more that people are less embarrassed by mental health, they’re less weirded out. It’s kind of more accepted. It is changing a lot and I think social media has a lot to do with it. Like I said, there are some bad sides to it but it has really done positive things. I think that it’s the best way to try and communicate. When something is wrong, don’t try to keep it inside. Reach out to people who can help you and know what you are feeling.
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neck deep
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CHRISTMAS
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Ain theDay life BoyMeetsWorld
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Ain theDay life James Morris
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james morris story by acacia evans
PRESS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR UP AND COMING BANDS, IN ORDER TO GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
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elmont University student and science fiction author James Morris is no stranger to entertainment industry. With his trilogy Sky Bound, four albums, and multiple national tours, Morris has done more in his young life than many will do within all of their years. Being on a couple weeks of Warped Tour in the past, James is no stranger to the way this lifestyle works. James got the opportunity to play the Nashville date of Warped Tour this year with his band mates also from Belmont. Acacia, also a Belmont student, followed James and the gang around from start to finish. James was set to play the Ernie Ball stage along with some other talented local acts. Before doors, it was James’ responsibility to attend his stage meeting along with hanging up posters promoting the time of his set. The stage meeting consisted of all rules the bands must know before the day started. This consisted of anything from set duration to time to prepare equipment in between bands. Afterwards it was time to hang up posters. This part is especially important for up and coming bands. Hanging up posters anywhere from the porta potties to other stages is key for new fans to catch your set if they can. The next step after doors open is to head to production and see when your interview times are. Press is extremely important,
especially for up and coming bands, in order to get your name out there as much as possible! The production area is also where catering is held. Catering provides meals to the tour workers and bands everyday, giving them plenty of healthy options to choose from. After production was time for James’ set to start. He and the band played an amazing show, bringing in fans that were walking by with their upbeat music and heart-filled lyrics. After their set, James had his own acoustic set at the Music Saves Lives tent where he jammed out with some more dediated fans. Unfortunately at this time it really started to rain, putting a dark shade over the venue. It was then time to pack up all of their things and bring them to the truck, which was parked on the other side of the venue. One thing that fans don’t think about at Warped Tour is that the bands have to lug all of their belongings all on their own, each and every day. Buses and vans could be parked close or very far, depending on the location. After a long and eventful day, James and the band were able to enjoy the rest of their day seeing some of their favorite bands as well! The band had a fantastic day filled with meeting new people, spreading their music, and more. For any students looking to play shows and follow their dreams while juggling school, James is the person to talk to.
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Ain theDay life SayWeCanFly
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“SUCCESS COMES FROM THE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE, BUILDING A NETWORK, DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND SEEKING OUT GOOD MENTORS.”
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ayWeCanFly, also known as Braden Barrie, had an undoubtedly thrilling summer on Vans Warped Tour. Only having two crewmembers, Braden and the gang had a lot going on daily. Though Braden had multiple signings everyday, some at their neighboring Hope For The Day tent, he had fans come up to meet him at any point in the day. If Braden were at his tent, there would be fans there until he left. Braden played Full Sail’s Acoustic Basement tent and would always have it filled to the edge. With fans singing back lyrics from his latest album “Beneath The Roses” and his cover of “Drown” by Bring Me The Horizon, it was sure to make an echo. I think the neatest part about SayWeCanFly’s time on Warped Tour were his daily TEI, The Entertainment Institute, classes. TEI set up workshops all summer long with various artists on the tour so fans could get up close and personal lessons on specific topics in the industry. The Entertainment Institute believes that, “success comes from the combination of experience, building a network, developing relationships, taking advantage of learning opportunities, and seeking out good mentors.”
That being said, TEI hopes that they can contribute towards this connection process. Braden’s class in Scranton, Pennsylvania consisted of a young girl and her mother. Being such an intimate group of people made this experience the best it could’ve been. Braden confessed having some personal struggles growing up which lead him to writing the music that he does. He talked to us about being on the road, meeting fans, and all other aspects of Warped Tour and his role in the music industry in general. SayWeCanFly’s Braden Barrie is about to take off on The Conversations Tour next month presented by Hope For The Day and The Entertainment Industry. This tour will be hosted by TheLedaBunny and supported by Wind In Sails, Casey Bolles, and Sounds Like Harmony. Braden will also be doing TEI Workshops throughout most of the tour! You can access tour talk and general admission tickets at www.thinktei.com/saywecanfly. Hope to see you there.
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Ain theDay life The Kenneths
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RYLI
interview by nolan knight, photos by acacia evans
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ith an array of talents ranging from singing to acting, and from dancing to even modeling, one could say that Ryli is a rising star with the “full package.” Based out of New York, she’s a solo female artist whose talents bloomed at an early age. At the young age of only four, she expressed interest in music beginning with the violin. Music, however, wasn’t her only interest as she started out a dance career with modern ballet, jazz, and hip-hop. This later turned into her joining the North Virginia Dance & Theater. Even through her experience with music and dance, it wasn’t until she saw the iconic Janet Jackson perform that she knew that the stage was the place she needed to be. Throughout the next ten years, her dream only progressed more as she spent countless hours rewriting lyrics. She discovered that music is her favorite activity out of her many talents. Her writing style progressed and she loves to collaborate with other artists.
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Not only does she enjoy the process of writing, but also she believes that there is something special about directing her own vision as an artist. As Ryli works to create her own style, she believes that all of her talents work hand in hand with each other. Music videos are a huge deal to many singers, and Ryli is able to incorporate her girl of acting to her videos to express her music. Ryli quotes, “There is a melody in acting. Through all the lines you are reading and reciting, there is a melody in your voice that changes how the character is portrayed.” Ryli proves that working hard as an actress can help her in other areas of her life. With this being said, Ryli has released two music videos. Her newest video is her her song, “Tell Me,” off of her new EP, Enter.
conduct their career path. She shows her ambition to keep grinding and to never stop working. These positive vibes of Ryli had a huge impact on her signing to Capitol. With Ryli’s busy schedule, she plans to continue grinding this next year. She has grown tremendously through the release of her first project and even her role in the hit Netflix original series, “Orange is the New Black.” From acting, writing, and performing, she is hustling and learning to balance. Ryli’s sophomore project will be in the works and she would love to head out on tour soon. We cannot wait to see where Ryli goes this next year as such a talented and beautiful individual.
Ryli relased her first EP, Enter, in May of 2015. Enter is what she wants to portray as the entrance to her world. With this being her first project, she wanted to create something simple, but also give listeners a taste of her style. Enter is a 5 song EP that was premiered with the song and music video for, “Tell Me.” The concept of the video is to take the viewer into a dream state, which portrays being with a lover only in a dream. With Ryli’s new EP, we can see the hard work she is putting in to put her name out there. Not only has Ryli released a new EP, but she was also recently signed to Capitol Records. She became part of the Capitol family after she met her new manager. He was impressed by Ryli’s views on the music industry and how artist should
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...there is a melody in acting, there is a melody in your voice...
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ever Shout Never is no stranger to the legendary Warped Tour. When we sat down with them on the tour, they spilled that this was their fourth year since the band formed in 2007. Warped Tour is considered one of the most physically demanding tours that most bands have ever been on – but Never Shout Never is getting the hang of it. “We’ve gotten more accustomed to the tour now. We know how to get through it. Before it was kind of about half-way through we would usually be dead from all the partying and from the lack of sleep and what-not. But we’ve kind of figured out a nice system to get through it and keep our heads about us.” Warped Tour is one of, if not the biggest tour in the United States. Its huge following is predominately teenagers and young men and women in their early to mid-twenties. A lot of the kids who come to the shows on Warped Tour are there because they find comfort in the scene’s music. Never Shout Never embraces that fact with open arms. Drew says “People taking comfort in our music is the reason that we do what we do. We make music to make people feel good and to encourage people to be the best they can be.” The band extends that same sentiment to all other bands that they cross. “We probably get the most respect out of any other band on this tour just because we’re so different and because we’re not afraid to take chances and to be the odd guys out… we’re just being ourselves and hopefully encouraging other groups to take more chances,” said Drew when he was asked about gaining respect in the music industry. The band’s most recent record, Black Cat was released in early August and is the band’s most thought-out and most full sounding album to date. Christofer Drew says, “We tried to kind of go full circle with it. We took a lot of our old sounds and combined them with some of our new sounds and made a full-sounding record. It’s definitely our most contemporary record which is exciting because its music that I feel can connect with a bit of a larger audience than what we’re used to making records for.” In addition to touring and taking a huge chunk of time out in order to make Black Cat a record that both the band and their fans would be proud of, Never Shout Never also has their own record label. Although they’ve been signed to Warner Brothers since 2009, Drew also wanted to realize his dream of running his own label on the side. One of the conditions of his deal with Warner was that Drew would have his own label for side-projects of his and also for other bands that he believed in. He says “it’s a very nonchalant label at this point but as time goes on, I’d like to make it into a real thing and start scouting artists and help develop people that I believe in.” Drew closed the interview with, “Everybody should find love in their hearts and live and let live. We love you.” That is a true testament to the kind of person he is. PHOTOS AND INTERVIEW BY ACACIA EVANS
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Taylor Swift Brings ‘The 1989 World Tour’ to Sold Out Levi’s Stadium
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even-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift brought ‘The 1989 World Tour’ to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California this past month on Saturday, August 15th, 2015. Over a span of two sold out shows, Taylor brought her latest masterpiece of a record that is ‘1989’ to life as she performed for the hearts of 50,000 fans (or as she refers to them, Swifties) coming from all across the Bay Area. The show opened with Canadian singer/songwriter, Shawn Mendes, who had released his debut album ‘Handwritten’ earlier in the year. Shawn brought an energy only he could produce as he drew people into the stadium with only his teenage boyish charm, smooth vocals and acoustic guitar. Shawn busted out hits such as “Stitches,” “Life of the Party,” and even threw in a few covers such as Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah.” Vance Joy took the stage around 7:30pm, and the stadium continued to fill in. By this time, the stadium had almost doubled in the amount of people. It was very clear Vance was here to make an impression, and based on the crowd, I’d say that he did. If there’s one thing that reigns true about Vance Joy, it’s that he puts his heart and soul in each performance. He proved just that as he performed hits off his debut, Dream Your Life Away, such as “Georgia,” “Mess is Mine,” a beautifully done rendition of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” and set closer/fan favorite “Riptide.” As Vance Joy’s set begins to clear, videos involving the creation of ‘The 1989 World Tour’ fill the massive screens on both sides of the stage. The stadium lights go down, and the stage lights go up as we now see a stage set-up reminiscent of the famed streets of Broadway in New York City. It’s clear Swift wants to take you to a different time and place, as she makes her appearance amongst her dancers to perform the opening track to ‘1989,’ “Welcome to New York.” During this time, light-up bracelets placed on each of the seats in the stadium prior to the show, lit up perfectly in sync with each beat as Taylor strutted her way to the catwalk. The bracelets were the perfect way to provide an interactive element to the show, and truly united the fans as one. “Hi! I’m Taylor,” she proudly proclaimed. Now there’s a way to make an entrance! Swift proceeded into the show with the second single off ‘1989,’ “Blank Space.” “Boys
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only want love if it’s torture. Don’t say I didn’t, say I didn’t warn ya,” she sang as the instruments became dead silent in the background. 50,000 fans joined in on this and it was quite the sight. Swift stayed true to the title of her tour, as the setlist was composed of the majority of songs off ‘1989.’ She even performed an exclusive bonus track, “New Romantics,” following “Blank Space.” Swift took it back to her Red era for the following song, as she performed “I Knew You Were Trouble” with a much more edgier sound, and rocker-type feel. In this performance in particular, you could tell Swift was really pushing the lyrics and the emotions felt throughout. Swift brought out a couple of surprises for the evening, which she has been known for throughout this tour, including a performance with English Pop girl group, Little Mix for their single, “Black Magic.” She also brought out Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts and folk singer/songwriter Joan Baez for her ‘1989’ hit “Style.” The three ladies danced down the runway for the latter half of the song, before saying a quick goodbye. Swift, going back to her country roots before her pop crossover, took the mood to a more intimate setting for “Love Story,” inspired by the classic tale of Romeo & Juliet off her second studio album, Fearless. Her catwalk transformed into a rising platform that propelled her to the middle of the stadium, bringing her closest to those who truly care about her: her fans. Swift also made the show a little bit more personal during this time, as she performed a ballad off her third studio album Speak Now titled “Never Grow Up.” This was the first time Swift had introduced the song on the tour, and she dedicated to her newly born godson. "I wrote it when I was like eighteen or nineteen, but my friend just had a baby and she made me godmother of it. I was holding this little baby the other night and I was just thinking differently,” she explained, referencing actress and friend Jaime King’s newly born son. Swift is a genuine performer through everything, and she didn’t take one moment for granted while she was out on stage. Crowd interaction is one of the key parts of a show that can either make or break an experience, and Swift took several moments to express her appreciation that so many showed up to see her. “There are a million things you could be doing on a Saturday night. Do you realize how many things you could be doing tonight? And you chose to spend it with me,” she thanked the crowd. Swift closed out the night with “Bad Blood,” a rocked-out version of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” her latest single “Wildest Dreams,” indie-inspired “Out of the Woods,” and a firework-filled finale for “Shake It Off,” in which Swift made use of the platform again alongside her dancers, making her way to the middle of the stadium. Swift’s ‘The 1989 Tour’ will continue to run through December 12, 2015, just before Swift’s 26th birthday. This is a tour you absolutely do not want to miss! The production alone makes this tour a contender for the best show of the year. Tickets are available on www. taylorswift.com, and you can purchase ‘1989’ on iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon MP3 now. A special thanks to Tree Paine and Dana Lobb at Premium PR for providing us the amazing opportunity to cover the show. We hope the rest of the tour is more than successful and look forward to working with you in the future. REVIEW BY CURTIS VADNAIS
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HEAD INJURIES interview by nolan knight
Tell me some history about the band? Jared - Head Injuries started in 2012. We recorded our first self-titled record in Denver with Chris Fogal at Black and Bloom Studios. We later on went to record a 4 song EP in Fremont, California called “One Night Stand.” This year, we have recorded our sophomore album, “Bail,” at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado. For those of you who don’t know, that is Bill Stevenson from Decedents studio. It was an incredible experience.
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Zach - This is our fourth tour and our first east coast tour. This is also our first full U.S. tour. Nate, our drummer, is touring with us for the first time on this tour. Jared - People have been great out on the east coast. I cannot stand the humidity though; I want to melt right now. Have you guys been friends for a long time? Jared - Zach and I have been playing in a pop
punk band for 10 years. We constantly change up things and learn new things, so it has taken a while for us to finally come together and tour. We have been friends with Nate since we were kids as well. His band played shows with our band. Cody just showed up at my house one day and he has been playing bass ever since. What was the process of writing “Bail?” Zach – We had been writing songs for the full length since we released the EP. There were a lot of thoughts going through our head. We didn’t know if we wanted to go on tour or come out with a new album to “reinvent”Head Injuries since we lost two members last summer.
We decided to go all out and release a new album. Most of the songs were written within 3 to 4 months. Jared – It’s crazy. There is one intro of a song that I wrote when I was 16. Then there’s some that I wrote a few days before we went into the studio. Sometimes the better songs are written quickly and you just go with the flow. We definitely spent more time on some of these songs. There are some heavier parts, technical parts, lighter parts, and we just wanted to do a big album, and I think we accomplished that. What was the writing process of the new album? Jared – We came up with the name “Bail,” because this is what we have been doing for 10 years now, and music is something we are going to go for. It is not a concept album, but definitely a themed album. Lyrically the album reflects our lives out in Fort Collins, our lives on the road, and what that means to us. It’s difficult, but it’s always worth it in the end.
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Nate – I think each song has a different meaning to each of us and anyone can interpret the songs the way they want to. Jared – I love that about writing music. People can interpret a song on what it means to them. I try to think about that when I write songs. Where would you guys like to see yourself in the next year? Zach – Eating as much Cookout as possible. Jared – We have a fall tour coming up. Towards the end of this year, we would like to start writing a new record, but we want to tour as much as possible. Maybe sometime make it out to the UK by the spring or summer of next year. If we are capable of doing it, we are going to do it.
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Colbie Caillat
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Colbie Caillat
review and photos by jeff roach
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Rachel Platten
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have always been a fan of the very talented Colbie Caillat, so when I saw that her tour was coming to Orlando I knew I needed to go check it out; I am so glad that I did. When I arrived at the House of Blues and saw the line stretching around the building, I knew the show was going to be awesome. As I went to pick up my tickets for the evening, I saw on the ticket window that this show was indeed SOLD OUT! The show started at 8 o’clock when up and coming artist Rachel Platten took to the stage. She has had a huge summer with the release of her newest EP and hit single “Fight Song,” which has been on the top 5 iTunes charts and constantly playing on radio stations for the last few months. She came out and pumped up the crowd with her catchy lines and energized flow. Rachel balances her animated performance by also playing the acoustic guitar in one song and then the keyboard in another. I was drawn in by the way she performed and can see her becoming an even bigger pop star as the days move along. Platten ended her set with
her hit single of the summer “Fight Song” and had the crowd on their toes, singing the lyrics back to her, “This is my fight song, take back my life song, prove I’m alright song.” I can’t wait to see what the future has for Rachel and I look forward to hearing any new music she might be releasing! Colbie Caillat then took to the stage and completely blew me away; it was almost like I was listening straight off an album. She had one of the cleanest voices I have heard from a live musician in quite sometime. She played all the songs I grew up on, which includes “Bubbly” “Realize,” and “I Never Told You.” Caillat is recently engaged and dedicated her song “I do” to her fiancé. The crowd went wild. She also incorporated Jason Mraz and Common by ways of a giant screen to accompany her on stage for a song or two. I’d highly recommend seeing both of these very talented musicians if they hit your town. I can guarantee you will enjoy the show!
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Shot Boys of Summer Tour BIG CITY THOUGHTS | 128
ARTIST: HIT THE LIGHTS PHOTO BY HANNAH JONES
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Hit The Lights PHOTOS BY HANNAH JONES
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Let It Happen
PHOTOS BY HANNAH JONES
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Northbound PHOTOS BY HANNAH JONES
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State Champs PHOTOS BY HANNAH JONES
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Tiny Moving Parts PHOTOS BY HANNAH JONES
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NEON TREES
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coin
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