Dellacoma: Niagara Falls, NY at Evening Star Concert Hall April 17, 2018

Dellacoma Niagara Falls, NY[/caption]

Dellacoma Takes Niagara Falls: World Tour 2018

Dellacoma rolled up to Evening Star Concert Hall in Niagara Falls, NY on a very cold Tuesday afternoon to play the sixth show on the U.S. leg of their World Tour 2018. The unassuming venue hosted five supporting acts drawing in local music lovers who discovered what Dellacoma fans have known for years; the guys from Down Under know how to put on an extraordinary show.
The guys had already had a full day. They drove straight through the night from CT to NY for their first U.S. television appearance on Good Day Rochester. After a quick nap, they headed to Niagara Falls to load in. Then they stayed on site and checked out all five opening acts. One might assume their energy level would be a bit on the low side when it was their turn to entertain. Well, in doing so "one" admits they’ve never seen Dellacoma live. There is no low energy Dellacoma. They're fully committed to bringing high energy and maximum fun. Tonight is no different. They take the stage with zero fanfare, and then blow it up on the very first note. Dellacóma Rio (vocals) whips his body forward and back before seizing the mic and belting out the first line of “My Kind of Woman.” Jasin Todd (guitar) breaks out some classic back-bending gymnastics. The noisy bar goes briefly silent, then roars enthusiastically. Just like that, Niagara Falls is won over.
Dellacoma moves on to “Movin On to Something New” and follows with “Toys.” The interaction between these guys is always tight, but tonight “Toys” provides more camaraderie than my camera could handle. Dellacoma and Jasin stand face to face. Dell sings, Jasin watches intently, then Jasin riffs and Dell leans into him with a huge grin. Dell runs to the kit and cheers at Jarrod Medwin (drums/keyboard) before flying over to Tommy Sunset (bass) for a hug and hair tousle. The obvious tightness of this new lineup is not lost on the crowd. Grins galore pass from the stage to the attendees.
Next up is a rousing cover of “Let Me Out,” by Australian band (and Dellacoma friends) Electric Mary. Fans of both bands across the world got to witness it via Facebook Live. If you missed out, press play to see this and new song “Vampires (A Cautionary Tale).” It’s a rare treat. Devour it.

Dellacoma Live from Niagara Falls

We’re not even midway through the set and I’m exhausted from watching them give themselves entirely to the performance. The other bands and their fans are all against the stage. They cheer and move through the next five songs. When Dellacoma closes with “Til We All Belong,” (their new song recorded just last week at Dark Horse Recording Studio in Nashville, TN), the crowd can’t accept it. It’s after 11pm on a Tuesday night, well passed the venue’s bedtime, but they’re screaming for an encore.
The house lights come up, and all the fellas mingle and meet as many people as possible. They chat with everyone, sign anything, and stay until the room clears. Then they load out and make the two-hour drive to Rochester, NY for a brief sleep before the next day's gig at Pineapple Jacks. Stay tuned for photos and a recap of that show. In the meantime, click the slideshow below for Shockwave’s exclusive photos from Evening Star Concert Hall.

Dellacoma Slideshow

Dellacoma is playing The Looney Bin in Bradley, Illinois tonight (4/20) so if you’re anywhere near, come out and say hello. If you’re nowhere near, check out the tour dates below and do not miss the opportunity to reunite with your old friends Dellacoma. If you're not friends it's because you just haven't met them yet. This is one of the easiest bands to love in rock n roll. All you have to do is show up. They'll do the rest. Promise. 

Dellacoma Behind The Scenes: Dark Horse Recording Studio Sessions

[caption id="attachment_39198" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Dellacoma[/caption]

Dellacoma Behind The Scenes: Live From Dark Horse Recording Studio 

Written and photographed by Robin Ervolina
I'm sitting in Dark Horse Recording Studio in Franklin, TN where Dellacoma is recording their new CD. Dellacoma Rio is upstairs resting his voice. Jasin Todd is laying down guitar solos and riffs. Jarrod Medwin (drums) and Tommy Sunset (bass) sit nearby, nodding their heads, occasionally exclaiming "Oh my god," or "Fuck man, that sounds great." This is our second day in the studio and I've listened to this song grow from scratch vocals and clicks to a slick wall of sound. Engineer Sawyer Hudson has been brilliant in bringing the best of the band forward. We're all listening to Todd, swaying like cobras under the snake charmer's trance, when Todd lets out a yell. Something fell from his fingers he didn't like. "I'm trying to stay with the melody," he says. He leans back with eyes closed and says, "Let me just play with it." New ideas spill out of him until he bursts forth with an "Ah Fack." He starts again and it's just a storm of notes building epic Todd solos.

Magic Happened

After tracking a song for the better part of two days, the boys decide to play around with a CCR cover. Jarrod sits down at the grand piano, and Dell lays down scratch vocals, or so we think. The first run was so near perfection we cannot imagine it can be replicated. Sawyer sets up the mics and promises it will be worth it. With chills running down my spine, I can testify. Something special happened in that "second" run, akin to lightening in a bottle. With so much vulnerability in his delivery, Dell sings me to tears. One take and it's a wrap. Magic happened.
The creative energy in this room is a testament to Dellacoma's ability to collaborate with absolute respect. Ideas fly as freely as "facks" and no suggestion is disregarded. Each member of the band takes their turn at the wheel. No one is shy. No one is a diva. It's an awesome priviledge to be here. There's never been a front row seat like this. There is no VIP, no rail, no backstage pass that can compare to this experience. My job is to tell the story, and all I've got is a soul full of sound. Words fail, but Dellacoma delivers.

Dellacoma World Tour 2018

Dellacoma heads out on tour tomorrow, kicking it off at Suck Bang Blow in Murrell Inlet, SC. Run your fingers down this tour date list and make sure you come out to hear the new music. We'll be bringing you lots of exclusives from the road, so stay tuned!

Click for Slideshow

Hungover: Wilt CD Release Party at Soundbar - Orlando, FL 3/31/18

Hungover Wilt CD Release Party

Written by Robin Ervolina
Hungover, the Orlando quintet that recently stole my heart, held a CD release party at Soundbar last Saturday night and I made the four hour drive (one way) to celebrate with them. After listening to Wilt for hours on end, nothing was going to stop me from seeing it performed in a live setting. In a word, it and they, were brilliant. If you haven't spun the collection that lit up my world, please check it out. For a short time it's streaming free here. Instalove galore.
The doors at Soundbar opened at 7pm, but Orlando traffic prevented me from making it on time, so I missed first act, Bad Year. I arrived just in time to hear the last bars of their closing song, and tons of fan screaming. I looked into them later and was all the more sorry for missing their set. This "DIY pop punk" outfit from Orlando is now on my list to check out as soon as possible. I suggest you do the same.

Father Mountain

Taking the baton from Bad Year, Father Mountain continued to raise the energy at Soundbar. They have an interesting fusion of pop and alt rock, with some space/atmospheric tones peeping through. Lead singer Zane Martin's voice is likewise a blend of rock and alt, and very reminiscent of some of my favorite singer/songwriters like Chase Huglin or Jason Mraz. The result is captivating, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from them in the future!
Father Mountain slide show

Felicity

You know how you listen to a band and think you have a sense for who they are? You know how it feels to be WAY off? So that's me when Felicity took their turn. I've rarely seen a band so confined by a stage they appear to be on the verge of tearing it up. Lead singer Damien Fasiolino was difficult to photograph as he leaned into the crowd and out of the light for the majority of their set. Bassist Mike Alosa succumbed to the temptation and joined the circle pit mid-song, never missing a note. When Felicity noticed a fan sign in the audience requesting to sing with them, of course the band obliged. I say "of course," because this band has an obvious bond with their fans, and it drives their show. The amount of enthusiasm and energy Felicity brought to Soundbar converted me to fan status.
Felicity slide show

Capstan

[caption id="attachment_38963" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Capstan[/caption]
If there's one word for Orlando's Capstan, it's unbridled, and I seriously was not ready for the chaos they brought. From note one, the crowd pressed against the stage. Fans were singing along, fists in the air, while a mosh pit broke loose toward the center of the room. Forced to take cover, my camera and I stepped off to the side to just enjoy this progressive post hardcore wonder. I'm struck at this point in the night with the realization that Orlando is breeding some amazing bands. The mouse may have swallowed Old Florida, but the rock scene in Central Florida is thriving. There's a reason for the insanity. Check out Capstan now, and make sure you see a show as soon as possible. Their music is infectious.
Capstan slide show

Hungover

It was finally time for Hangover to step under the lights and pick up their instruments. Well, I mean Marc Cortes carries his instrument with him at all times. If you read my review of their CD Wilt, you'll know I locked into Cortes' vocals immediately. He's been compared on many occasion to Patrick Stump, and while those comparisons are valid, it undersells him tremendously. His voice is strong, his range is wide, but his tone and inflection separate him from the likes of Stump or Brandon Urie. He has all the power but he is not an imitator. Or, in the words of my good friend and vocalist for Blessing a Curse, Joshy Singer, who was in attendance for the release, "I really think he's the next Patrick Stump." The key word here is "next." You see, Stump defined a genre with his innovation and creativity. It's within the realm of possibility that Cortes will as well. So of course I wanted to be there for the birth of a new genre.
Hungover walked on stage and the crowd greeted them as old friends. Release parties are often that way, and the demographic of the crowd bore witness to the effect the band has had on family, friends, and music lovers. Aged hands went in the air next to those with black Xs denoting their under age status. Cortes thanked the crowd for coming out, then broke into "Three's Company," the first song on Wilt. Yes, most of us in the front of the house knew every word, even though the CD just came out the day before. Before the second song ended, I was once again compelled to leave the floor and let the fans have their time with their band.

It Only Takes One

It wasn't long into their set that the first body flew up on stage. A young woman in a yellow dress scrambled her way to the front of the three foot platform, and with hands in the air, dove into the crowd. You know that expression "It only takes one?" The rest of the set was marked by stage divers and crowd surfers. Burley men and tiny women, all diving into a crowd of welcoming arms, to be carried over the surface of an audience singing at the top of their lungs. Finally, as Cortes launched the last note of Wilt closing song, "Sleep Alone" he leaned back and fell, letting the crowd take him for a ride.
I heard Cortes say later, "I've never crowd surfed," and I thought that was the perfect way to end the Wilt CD release party. He trusts us with his words, his story, and his back. This is the front man we crave.
Hungover slide show