Family Force 5Considered one of the premiere music events in the Northeast US, the Purple Door Arts and Music Festival is getting ready to celebrate its 15th anniversary on August 13th and 14th.  But these days when new large outdoor concerts come and go, what does it take to keep such a festival going each year?  We spoke with Chris Strayer, Festival Producer, to learn more.

So what does Purple Door do to keep people coming back?  “Well one thing we have going for us is longevity,” Strayer offered.  “We have people coming to the festival who came as a kid except now they are bringing their kids.  We have built a name for ourselves that many people are familiar with. We also offer such a diverse and yet different lineup.  At most festivals you will also not find such diversity of bands/musicians/performers.”

Earlier this week, I had a phone conversation with Owen Thomas, the lead singer and primary songwriter for The Elms.  The Elms started in the year 2000 on Sparrow Records and have released four full-length, studio albums over the years as well as a couple EPs and downloadable tracks.  Their last album, The Great American Midrange, released in September 2009 to great acclaim and instantly became one of my favorite albums of all time.

On June 1st, 2010, the band announced via their website that their final show will be July 30th in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Also, last week they released a digital box set containing 40 tracks comprised of previously unreleased studio recordings, alternate versions of album songs as well as live recordings and bootlegs.  It's called Stoppin' On A Dime: Live & Rare 2000-2010 and is available only on their official website, TheElms.net.  We talk below about their decade-long career, the transformation of the music industry and the way the Internet has changed our lives.

As folks begin to make plans for summer tours and festivals, we thought we'd dust off this exclusive interview with The Devil Wears Prada from the Warped Tour in 2008.  We spoke with Jeremy DePoyster and Andy Trick at the Scranton, PA stop.  Unfortunately a bad sound quality from the press area almost stopped this interview from going to print, but we were able to salvage some good conversation.

inReview: I'll admit, I am not a huge fan of hardcore music, but I like your sound.  Why do you suppose that is?

Jeremy: We don't approach it the same way, I guess, a lot of times ... I guess it all comes back to just trying to be as real as possible or whatever.    

Appetite for Construction
Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, PA
Friday November 16, 2007
Local Crew

I had the privilege of working local crew for this show so I decided to do a sort of photo journal about the experience to help others understand what goes on before and after a show. Before I start, my disclaimer is that I used my cheap camera and since I was working, I could not take a lot of time to get the best pictures. Stick around to the end of the article for photos taken during the concert with a better camera.

The work began at about 9 AM with unloading the first of two tractor-trailers. Before we began, the tour crew, normally holding some form of caffeinated beverage, assessed the stage area so they would have a better understanding how to set up for the show. Many of the crew looked liked they just woke up. They have long days as the load in begins early in the morning and load out ends early the next morning.

I first encountered this Birmingham, AL, band about a year ago at The Anchor, located in southern New Jersey, a spin-off of the official Anchor Venue in Nashville. They played in the sanctuary of the rather small church, filled with hardcore and scene kids windmill kicking and moshing. With the pews pushed to the sides of the room, I attempted to dodge the audience's thrashing arms and punches as I Am Terrified confidently took the stage.

Not being the biggest fan of hardcore music, I was already skeptical. But my skepticism soon turned to intrigue as I listened to the band's clear, crisp vocals placed strategically in between and overlaid among screams that weren't too high pitched to be annoying, or too low to resemble growling. To say that I enjoyed the set would be an understatement. High energy guitar solos and pounding, high-speed drumming were mixed with intense vocals, especially when the small crowd joined in on "I'll fly away oh glory, I'll fly away…" during the chorus of "Some Glad Morning."

Alright, close your eyes for a second. Imagine a hot summer day, surrounded by thousands of other sweaty, worn-out teen and college-age concertgoers. A guy sporting a slick hat steps up to the stage and begins to swoon the audience with a song that brings John Mayer to mind. He then  stands up, moves his wooden stool out of the way and somehow easily transitions into a hip hop track, jumping and bouncing all over the stage. Who else could do this, but Gotee’s fairly new artist, B-Reith.

During this year’s Purple Door festival, inReview caught up with Pillar for a few minutes aboard their air-conditioned tour bus. (A much appreciated break from the weekend’s heat). As we heard the female-fronted band, The Pledge, take the stage behind us, we were able to delve into the minds of the four band members and pick their brains about the past tour, new members, and an upcoming CD release.

Later that night we witnessed the crowd intensify as Pillar began their set. With such a great live show and dedicated fans, only greater things could possibly be in store for this hard rock act. Listen in on what they had to share, and be sure to pick up their new album when it drops on September 22nd, 2009.

Since we sat down with Matt Carter (guitar, vocals) and Josh Head (keyboards, vocals) of Emery at last year’s Purple Door Arts and Music Festival, the band has been busy.  Between touring and releasing an EP last fall, with a follow up full-length disc which hit the streets in June of this year, we wonder how they find time to spend with their families.  While inReview is getting ready to set sail on another Purple Door event, Emery is headlining a tour in support of their most recent release, … In Shallow Seas We Sail.  These veterans of the music scene spoke to inReview in this exclusive interview.

Some of the best interviews I’ve had the opportunity to conduct were completely on the spot and unplanned. This doesn’t happen often, due to the busy schedule of most bands; but I had the pleasure of happening upon one quite recently.

While attending a show on the Drop Dead Gorgeous tour, I was fortunate enough to run into a band that I hadn’t heard of before and that I immediately fell in love with. As they took the stage, tuned, and then began their first song, I inhaled a breath of fresh air. At a predominantly intense hardcore show, their heavy guitars and pounding drumbeats were lightened with melodic vocals. Two songs into their set, the piercing screeches of the venue’s fire alarms could be heard, causing the bewildered band members to cease playing their instruments as the crowd was ordered to exit the room until all was clear. Those two songs were my first introduction to Before Their Eyes.

Approximately six years ago, The Classic Crime was born. This alternative rock band provides a little bit of musical brilliance for everyone. With a mixture of powerful vocals, great instrumental compositions and thought-provoking lyrics, this West Coast act is gaining national ground. "I guess we don't have many fans on the East Coast," vocalist Matt MacDonald shared before our interview at a meagerly attended New Jersey show, that also happened to be inconveniently scheduled on Father's Day. But if my estimations are correct, that fan count will soon be changing as they play a few large festivals this summer, including Cornerstone and Creation East.

Matt, along with Alan Clark (bass), Robert Negrin (guitar), Paul "Skip" Erickson (drums), and Justin DeQue (guitar), comprise the five-piece band. Listen in to what Matt had to share with inReview: