Between The Buried & Me w/The Contortionist & Nick Johnson
Details
- Date: 7/16/2019
- Time: 7:00 PM
Between The Buried And Me
The Contortionist, Nick Johnston
Tue, July 16, 2019
Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:00 pm (event ends at 10:30 pm)
The Windbreak
Fargo, ND
This event is 21 and over
Between The Buried And Me
The
men of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have once again charted an expedition
into undiscovered country. Colors, BTBAM's fifth and newest release, is a
continuous, sonic labyrinth of savage metal, lush prog-rock and
uninhibited emotion. "It's the ultimate BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
record," says vocalist Tommy Rogers. "It's definitely the most musical
thing we have ever written. It goes through so many shifts and moods but
still feels very organic and comfortable."
"Comfortable" is exactly where BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME should be right
now. After countless tours, nearly 250,000 records sold, and recording
four of the decade's most celebrated albums, BTBAM have every right to
feel invigorated. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME began in 2000 when Tommy
Rogers met Paul Waggoner and agreed to craft a style of hard rock that
would defy categorization. Their impressive, self-titled debut was a
widely heralded collection of stomping, progressive metal and hardcore
filled with brutal breakdowns mixed with intricate musicianship and
shifts in mood.
The band signed with VICTORY RECORDS shortly after and followed suit
with another pivotal release within the metal/hardcore underworld
entitled The Silent Circus. This album was another chapter in the
ever-evolving band and put them on the map of today's modern wave of
forward-thinking American metal. After several line-up changes, the band
finally found their footing with 2005's Alaska. New members Dan Briggs,
Dustie Waring and Blake Richardson immediately clicked with Rogers and
Waggoner and gave BTBAM the kind of foundation that would allow them to
take their unique brand of rock to the masses.
"Alaska was written together and it was really us, with the newer
members, Blake, Dustie and Dan just finding our sound," explains Rogers
of the new family members and their third full-length release. "After
that record, we really felt that we found our niche."
"I had just joined the band and they had the title track already
written," says bassist Dan Briggs. "We didn't know each other and we all
had new ideas in writing more for that record. We went on tour right
after it was completed." The touring went non-stop and brought them face
to face with the heavy metal summer camp known as Ozzfest. The Anatomy
Of…, their fourth release, contained renditions of classics by
Metallica, Queen, Depeche Mode and Faith No More and was released just
as Ozzfest kicked off that summer. The response was phenomenal and
helped open BTBAM up to an even wider audience, giving the world a
closer idea of the broad creativity that resides in them. But it was
hardly an indication of what was yet to come. The demanding summer and
fall of 2006 was the catalyst for the band to begin work on what would
become Colors. They felt inspired and enthused by the challenge ahead of
them.
"This is the best that the band has been since day one," says vocalist
Tommy Rogers. "We wanted a much more epic feel to the record and make it
clear that this would be a complete album, not just a collection of
songs," Rogers explains. "You have to listen to this all the way through
to really get it. Today, music is all about singles and videos and the
other songs are just filler. We really did something that we are all
very proud of and feel this is opening a whole new chapter for us"
Colors is not just an ambitious piece of music, it is a monolithic step
forward in the advancement of hard rock. This record affirms that the
music of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME is as emotionally engaging and
beautiful as it is brutally empowering and complex. So it seems only
fitting that such a groundbreaking studio album would be just as good,
if not better, live. In October of 2008, Colors Live was released to the
public. The two disc CD/DVD set offers live footage of a performance in
Nashville, as well as special features.
The Contortionist
Bottom
heavy open chords that resonate strong enough to shake the core of the
earth. Skyrocketing bursts of oscillating guitar leads layer an ominous
and dark undercurrent of rhythm. While hardcore punk may be the sound
that rules the day in The Contortionist hometown of Indianapolis, it is
the band's signature brand of forward thinking heavy metal that has made
them stick out as hometown favorites. The band worked hard to amass a
following beyond Indiana though consistent regional shows, coastal
touring, and two self-released EPs. They clearly began to define their
sound and grow as musicians on their EP titled "Apparition".
The songwriting and progression on "Apparition" smacks of a group of
musicians who are locked deeply into a remarkable place of expression
and creativity that is usually reserved for bands with multiple albums
under their belt. While it is not uncommon lately for bands in the world
of metal to experiment with melody and progression, many times these
breaks from the brutal end up sounding forced, too contrived, or way too
over the top in shred. What could have been an opportunity for the
listener to settle into some depth, winds up missing the mark. When The
Contortionist venture into the realm of ambiance it actually raises the
level of the song above the crushing breakdowns and demands the listener
stay put for the ride. More impressive than their ability to write and
record such material, is how big it all plays live. The room seems to
expand and fill with spacious tones just in time to be leveled with
ferocity. The band is razor sharp while nailing every bit of nuance
their ambitious songwriting offers. It is this ability to dole out their
sounds in epic proportions through a live performance that piqued the
interest of record label Good Fight Music. The band had already
distinguished themselves to Good Fight with a penchant for creating a
distinct style of heavy music that has plenty of room for the listener
to breathe and settle into. So in early 2010, shortly after the staff
had caught them live, a deal had become imminent.
Nick Johnston
Canadian guitar virtuoso.