Sunday, September 15, 2013

Live Music Vs. Live Tracks: September 13th 2013 Show at Papa Woody's Roadhouse

September 13th 2013 was my first outing to check out some bands that I have actually been wanting to see for a long time. It has been challenge for a student/retail/single gal in the city of San Antonio. I was so excited to go out, I decided to buy a new outfit. The Line up was Elora & Gasoline Alley at 9:30pm and Lacrimosa Followed after. I was introduced to Elora and her band with my network buddy, Michael Fernandez, who is a Marketing Representative for the Band. I told her this was my first show and how excited I was to see her and the band play at Papa Woody’s Roadhouse (which was my first night there as well). There First song was Journey Cover which blew my mind! I couldn’t get over how a little girl, blew me away with singing a Journey song, a classic on its own, was a kick twist of a new sound that I have never heard before! This young girl has talent! Everything was rocking from Bon Jovi songs, Guns N Roses, to Michael Jackson?! I did talk to Elora after the show to tell her how amazed I was to see this young woman and her band play flawlessly to the point that made me think of my brothers and I if we ever put a band together, we would have been like these guys. They love what they do and I will definitely recommend you guys check them out! You will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! I even gave her some pointers of what I thought of the performance as well (This girl does NOT kiss and TELL).
 As for the last band I check out, I was a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, Lacrimosa (a Evanescence tribute band), is a good singer, but the tracks that I heard over the Monitors, shocked me. I knew it was her voice singing but the echos, the harmonies, where were they coming from? So I did ask her about it Via Facebook, but I still didn't get a real answer other than its been going on for many years. I feel like this was an eye opener to me. When and where did REAL Music start? I know Pop, Rock, R&B musicians who ARE famously known DO have tracks, I understand that for a fact, BUT when musicians, who are known throughout San Antonio or just in there city limits, do they use tracks too? I for one, a fellow musician and singer, I never, EVER use a CD over my songs LIVE. I’m not a famous person, no, but I believe, the people who started from the bottom, your favorite musicians I am talking about, knowing they did all of the there music live with no tracks makes me feel they are true musicians. But if bands start having tracks behind them playing that are just known through Facebook, towns, counties, etc, is it considered Karaoke?
Overall, I’m giving myself the benefit of a doubt of what I saw with the last band and hope when I see other bands, I will for one be checking and asking them what their thoughts are on this subject. Please leave comments and as well Keep it ROCKING! -Kat
Check out the gals: 
Lacrimosa-Evanescence Tribute :

Elora & Gasoline Alley :

9 comments:

  1. Hello Kat,
    My name is Steven, nickname Sonic. I am the guitarist for Lacrimosa and I have read your Facebook message which you sent to my vocalist, Vivian. Your message, or should I say “review” as you used this word in the end of your message, seemed to single out our vocalist but then implied we are not “true” musicians. In addition, your Facebook message was plagued with grammatical errors, not to mention this online article, as well as vague questions. The response Vivian, singer of Lacrimosa, sent you did give you a “REAL” answer. What you summarized about that response in your online article of the September 13th show downplayed the thought and time which went into returning a “real” answer to your questions. Or should I use the word review? Majority of reviews I have read do not include questions. A review, by definition, is an assessment, an examination. As a musician I take offense to you insinuating I am not a "true" musician along with my band mates. You do not know my history as a musician in the scene. Our bassist plays in another cover band as well as an original band. Both projects do not use backing tracks. So, would you not call him a “true” musician? Our drummer plays guitar, piano and writes his own material. Would you not call him a “true” musician? I have years and years of original material where I have played the guitar, the bass, performed the vocals and created drum patterns. But you imply we are not “true” musicians. In your blog you stated "...the tracks that I heard over the Monitors, shocked me. I knew it was her voice singing but the echos, the harmonies, where were they coming from?" The response sent to you via Facebook stated we use tracks and the reason why. Yet, again, your online article painted us vague and also implies it would be okay for a band to use backing tracks if they were famous, interesting or understandable. You also state "..Lacrimosa (a Evanescence tribute band), is a good singer..." Lacrimosa is a band, a group, not an individual. Are you trying to single out one person of the band? Based on the previous quote and a picture of only the singer of lacrimosa on your online article, I can presume so. Review, article, a collection of misspelled words and grammatical errors, whatever you want to call it, it is amateurish, lacks intelligence and the accurate use of facts. Nonetheless, it is criticism which will share on our Facebook; for we welcome all criticism. Have a great day!
    =sonic=

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  2. Backing tracks help bring the full experience to the listener. You need to realize that none of us were pretending to play while a track played over us. WE PLAY OVER THE EFFECTS. Just because we can't find a keyboardist with the correct equipment or who can play each symphony note or each effect does not mean that we can not have that added in a performance. Technology is at our fingertips. Why should we settle for the lesser end?

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  3. Backing tracks are for support, not main exposition. There is not any lip syncing, drum syncing, bass syncing or guitar syncing!

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  4. One more thing... Does it not require MORE effort to program, record and time tracks and play to the accordingly vs just counting off into the song? Derp.

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  5. Brent, thanks for your comments, I believe you miss interpreted the opinions of the show. I did not say you guys are not a true band nor did I say it wasn't a bad review. I was not aware that bands now use background tracks and that it just makes me feel like it's karaoke. I know it was loud and as well you guys were live. I saw the Journey tribute band at the beginning of the year and they didn't have any back tracks. So seeing a band who has effects which is unusual to me, is a NEW thing to me.

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  6. Misinterpreted; it's easy to misinterpret something that's barely legible...sorry, but really.

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  7. Thanks for your comments Kelly, I do appreciate it and as well, this IS my first. I know I'm still trying to get the understanding of using blogger. I will make sure I have someone reread this before I post. :D

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  8. Wait, you had how many months to learn Blogger from SA Rocks? How many shows, cd's, etc did you blow off? Had this been on SA Rocks, I would've nixed it in 2 seconds.

    You used SA Rocks to start your own, same ole same ole. Good luck.

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  9. You know its YOUR BLOG, not mine Kelly. Thanks for trying to put me down but I'm taking this as a compliment and to move forward :D. Thank YOU for trying to help me.

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