The Load-Out: May 26, 2011

While everyone in the music industry is scrambling to find new ways to stay afloat, Ace Enders, the mastermind behind I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business, is keeping his head above water with his first installment of the Pay What You Want Tour. Hitting cities all over North America, fans can pay as little as five dollars to see a full set by Enders. Could this be a potential model for other bands in the future? Judging by the turnout of the May 18 show at Webster Hall, I would confidently say, “yes.”

An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the venue to see Enders perform songs spanning his whole career. Gems from his former band, The Early November, were sprinkled through the set, including fan favorites “Ever So Sweet” and “Baby Blue.” After fans eagerly screamed for a performance of “Sunday Drive,” one of the first songs Enders ever wrote, the performer appeased them with an amazing live rendition! Tracks from his other side-project, Ace Enders & A Million Different People, along with selections from his newest release, Gold Rush, were included.

The most astonishing thing about the evening was that he played every instrument himself. Switching back and forth between percussion and guitar, he did it all with the help of a loop machine. As the night went on, his technology of choice took a foul turn and malfunctioned. Without missing a beat, Enders joked at his own expense and performed the rest of the set acoustically. The show proved to be a success for Enders and his “Pay What You Want” model. Keep an eye out for more shows like this in the future, because this new model will definitely help spark the future music scene.

Saturday, May 21, marked the 2011 opening of the PNC Bank Arts Center. We will be there all summer long working the Live Nation Promotion table. Enter-to-wins, upcoming show information, and tons of giveaways will be at every show date, so be sure to stop by and say hi!

The summer concert season was kicked off with Sugarland for the second year in a row. Cowboy hats, flannels, and tailgating were all staples for those who made it out. Despite the sprinkle of rain that covered the Arts Center, the crowd was not phased, and went on to enjoy the country music that they love!

Warped Tour, a summer tradition for the past 17 years, has launched the careers of Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, Taking Back Sunday and countless others. This year, Sarah Saturday started the Earn it Yourself Tour. Hitting several cities in North America, its purpose is to help bring Warped Tour to a local level. To do that, meet-ups and a showcase featuring four bands were organized. Getting to talk with different people involved in different aspects of the music scene was definitely a great educational experience. The showcase on May 23 at Mexicali Live also featured four great bands: The Vinyls, Lift The Decade, Lost Blue, and A Balance Between. This definitely got me pumped up for this year’s Warped Tour and made me realize how many great, still-up-and-coming acts there are in the Jersey area.

This week we’ll be filming a Project Greenroom segment with The Knight Owls, from Fords, NJ. After a Memorial Day weekend filled with barbecues and lots of lounging around, we’ll be hitting the PNC Bank Arts Center for two nights with jam-band extraordinaire Phish on May 31 and June 1! Until then, have a happy and safe holiday, and be sure to check back on all of the Load-Out mayhem and see what the Aquarian crew is up to!