MACH 22—Philadelphia, PA
The band that won the Philadelphia Bon Jovi opening band contest a couple of weeks ago really piqued my interest, and this Friday night (3/31) at the Wells Fargo Center, they will be performing their second biggest show of their careers opening for Bon Jovi. Why did I say second biggest? Well, because last summer they won a contest to open for Guns N’ Roses’ “Not In This Lifetime” Tour. That one seemed to be a little bit bigger! Anyway, I’m talking about the band MACH22! These guys are awesome and with all of the opportunities these guys are getting, I’d love to see them with some sort of deal soon!
According to their bio, when MACH22 hits that stage, they perform and sound like seasoned professionals, which is what every local musician wants to sound like, right? That’s because each member has an incredible history in music that makes this even possible. Singer Lamont Caldwell is an all-around musical force, with several instruments and bands under his belt. Back in 2001, Lamont was asked to join soul singer Bilal Oliver’s band as a saxophonist, which quickly led to tours with Erykah Badu, Common, Kirk Franklin, Dave Matthews Band, The Roots, and most recently Jay-Z. Guitarist Sebastian LaBar was born into a life of rock and roll. He’s the son of Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar, whom he was personally trained until he broke out on his own to tour the East Coast. The other guitarist, Ric Haas, the baby of the band, plays the guitar with more season than his age even reveals. Bassist Jaron Gulino holds down the anchor of MACH22 with his thunderous bass tone and unique grooves. He’s also filled in for Baltimore rockers, Charm City Devils. Music has been in drummer Damian MonteCarlo‘s life for as long as he can remember. The multi-talented musician has performed on all parts of the stage, opening for many multi-platinum acts before joining MACH22.
When it comes to pure rock and roll, MACH22 is as authentic as you get around these parts. Their songs span the emotional spectrum, capturing that classic feel with a modern rock edge. I got to listen to the songs “Go Ahead,” as well as their latest EP, Working Off The Clock, featuring the songs “Get Away,” “No Good News,” and “Stuck In My Head,” and I’m almost jealous that they wrote songs this good! These killer riffs and bluesy rhythms with the soulful delivery from Lamont can keep any audience from walking away! You have to check these guys out! And if you’re headed to Philly this Friday to see Bon Jovi, get there early to check these guys out! They will be worth it! For more on MACH22, visit Mach22music.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My brothers from Lethal Affection have unleashed their new song to the World Wide Web in the form of a lyric video called “Taste of Anarchy,” their debut single off of their upcoming CD, Choose A Side. The song is awesome! It had this Avenged Sevenfold feel to it and this might be the best I’ve heard singer Noah Simon’s voice. It sounds strong and developed. Noah’s been with guitarist and my Armenian brother (no I’m not Armenian, but my wife is half), Nick Kashmanian, in many versions of Lethal Affection and I’ve heard them all, and trust me, Noah’s voice is now ready to lead this band to the next level. For more info on Lethal Affection or to hear “Taste of Anarchy,” visit LethalAffection.com.
Speaking of new lyric videos, my bud Kore Rozzik has a new music video out for his song “Bitter Rat.” Say what you want about Kore Rozzik and his Kore Locos, this guy knows how to entertain. He’s spent this month traveling down to SXSW to give them a taste of NYC hard rock and now you can get a taste with the new video for “Bitter Rat.” The song definitely rocks! For more on Kore Rozzik, catch them live in July with Dokken and my brothers from Spread Eagle up at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh, NY or visit Reverbnation.com/KoreRozzik.
And finally, my bud Tim Barbour, guitarist for the band Blameshift, has a new side project he recently started with original Blameshift drummer James Miller, and this time Tim is singing! Tim wrote in a Facebook post, “What started off as some fun heavy jam sessions led to full songs and now soon a band name.” He then asked fans to drop some names in the comment area. I can’t wait to hear this project. For more on Blameshift, visit Facebook.com/Blameshift.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
3/29—The Devyl Nellys/Switch Mob/Cory Singer/Catch Me If You Can—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
3/30—Full Scale Riot/Fury Within/Happy Hawthorne/Black Lagoon—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
3/30—The Shaking Trees/Broken Angels/Prodigal Sons—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/31—Lane Six Presents: Tim “Ripper” Owens/Ghost of War/Lethal Affection/Fragile Sky—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
3/31—Canamara/The Silverhounds/Our Fears—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/31—Bon Jovi/MACH22—Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
4/1—Broken Past/High Octane/Mark Mayer/Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/2—A Boy Named John/The Rose Monarch/Nominee/Sundressed—William Paterson University Student Center, Wayne, NJ
4/7—TheMusiciansRockNetwork.com Website Release Party featuring Pocketful Rialto!/Pyramada/Miss Demeanor—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/7—JOHN 5 and The Creatures/Panzie*/Ryder/Another Days Armor/Common Wealth/Juney/Signals of Bedlam—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
4/8—Voodoo Terror Tribe/Binary Code/Seas of Wake/Orbynot—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/8—Steel Panther/Citizens Zero/Rahway—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
4/8—PB Street Gang/York Town/Uncrated/Mikell’s Plot/Doug Diettman—Al Cibelli’s Restaurant and Bar, Perth Amboy, NJ
4/12—The Breakout/The Break Lights/ProPain/The Jersey Panic—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/13—One Hundred Thousand/EchoLab/Red Hymns/Pralaya/Behind The Grey—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/19—Doyle from The Misfits—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/24—Gothic Knights/Delain/Hammerfall—Stage 48, NYC
