Tony MacAlpine plays Saint Rocke May 27, Baked Potato May 28+29 Photo: Alex Solca.

MacAlpine is kicking off his latest tour for the new 12 song LP, Concrete Gardens, with three Southern California shows, one at Saint Rocke May 27 and two nights at the Baked Potato May 28 and 29. Joining MacAlpine on tour are Aquiles Priester on drums and Bjorn Englen on bass.

“I am looking forward to getting the new music out on the road with the trio,” explains MacAlpine. “The music grows in a live setting with a live audience.”

There are not many new musical accomplishments Tony MacAlpine can add to his extensive list of creative endeavors over the last three decades since his 1986 first solo album, Edge of Insanity. Best known as an instrumental rock solo guitarist, MacAlpine can now add live performance collaboration with EMGtv entitled “Square Circles” that features his new album Concrete Gardens filmed live in its entirety.

“This is the first time I have performed new songs in a live visual setting,” said MacAlpine. “I think this set a precedent for me. I would like to make more live recordings of new works in the future.”

Trading solos with Tony on the EMGtv’s live performance “Square Circles” is special guest guitarist Jeff Loomis. Loomis is also featured on the new album along with Priester on drums, Pete Griffin on bass and Nili Brosh on guitar. Concrete Garden’s audio was mixed by Adair Daufembach and engineered by Greg Wurth.

“It was so much fun to have Jeff play live with me during the recording of the EMGtv video” says Tony, “When we worked on the track ‘Square Circles’ he recorded his solos at his own studio, so it was really exciting to be able to experiment together in a live setting.”

MacAlpine is no stranger to touring with other heavy hitters in the very progressive instrumental genre having recorded and toured along side other talents like drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Billy Sheehan and keyboardist, Derek Sherinian, and bassist Bunny Brunel’s fusion group CAB and Ring of Fire, featuring Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Nearly a decade later, in June 2011, he released his self-titled eleventh studio album through guitarist Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label.

MacAlpine has been highly influential in the neoclassical metal genre, becoming known for his instrumental rock style of playing that displays highly advanced shred and ‘sweep tapping’ techniques, which is a variation of sweep picking. He has incorporated elements of classical, jazz, fusion, hard rock and heavy metal playing both guitar and keyboard.

MacAlpine’s twelfth studio album, Concrete Gardens, was released on April 21 of this year. For more information on the ‘Square Circles’ sessions on EMGtv and his upcoming tour dates, check out his website at www.tonymacalpine.com.

FOLLAKZOID plays Desert Daze May 2; Photo Ion Rakhmatulina

Started as a trance experience between childhood friends Diego Lorca, Juan Pablo Rodriguez and Domingo Garcia-Huidobro in Santiago, Chile seven years ago, Föllakzoid now finds these friends jet setting to showcase their sound to fans worldwide. Their 2013 breakthrough album II, filled with intensely loop-heavy, psychedelic and groove-riddled sounds now coming from South America, help bring Föllakzoid to the global following they are now enjoying on this current tour with stops at Desert Daze Indie festival in Mecca, CA on Sat, May 2.

Their grooves are heavily informed by the heritage of the ancient music of the Andes and techno, amongst other influences. According to Garcia-Huidobro the music has to do with very ancient Armonic and rhythm patterns that are used for ceremonial music across the Andes Mountains, which go almost entirely across South America. It is hard to describe with words but it sort of resembles trance-like Tibetan sounds.

After the success of II the group toured more than ever, playing across the world and taking in festivals such as Primavera, ATP, Lollapalooza and SXSW. This time spent playing and experimenting solidified a deep-set musical bond that would ultimately act as the foundations for their upcoming recording, III.

After recording and mixing the new album themselves in their own studio, which is a part of BYM Records (BYM stands for Blow Your Mind and also a record label that bassist Rodriguez runs with his brother Nes from the band LA Hell Gang), they partnered with German electronic master Atom TM. Atom TM is a musician and artist the group has a great deal of respect for, and unbeknown to Domingo, Atom was living just around the corner to him and it was a mutual friend who let on he was a fan of the band.

Keep an eye out for this trio as they bring their Latin American twist to dance music and check out their Facebook page for their full US tour schedule.

DESERT DAZE FESTIVAL at Sunset Ranch Oasis in Mecca, CA May 2

Year four of the desert festival imagined up by the same crew of Southern Californian musicians turned promoters that bring Moon Block Party to Pomona’s streets commences on Sat, May 2 at Sunset Ranch Oasis in Mecca, CA. Desert Daze is a one-day camping and multi-music event showcasing some of the best Indie acts, both just starting out and groups that have been bringing hipsters a new sound since the mid-90s, and set deep in the middle of the California desert.

Don’t miss musical favorites like Minus the Bear, Failure, Warpaint, RJD2, Chelsea Wolfe, Dan Deacon, Mystic Braves, Gap Dream, plus many more taking the stages surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, lakes and miles of palm trees. Moon Block Event organizers’ hail from a growing collective of artists and musicians from bands like JJUUJJUU, Deap Vally, Fever the Ghost and other local California musicians and artists.

Concert Guide Live was able to chat with Moon Block organizer Phil Pirrone about what goes into putting together a festival in the desert. Pirrone also plays in a local experimental progressive-rock band called Casket Salesmen that he formed in 2005 with bandmate Nathan Lindeman after they both left the band, A Static Lullaby.

CGL: How did you get involved with the Moon Block Party events? What inspired you to start your own festival?
PP: After touring and playing in bands for many years, we threw the first Moon Block Party in Pomona. We wanted to do it because it sounded like a fun thing to do. We had an urge and a desire to organize this huge project for some reason. We were definitely pulled towards doing it.

CGL: Why did you decide to do a festival in the California Desert?
PP: Someone asked us to throw some Coachella parties in 2012 and we said yes because we wanted to throw shows out there and we absolutely love the desert. I think most people that grew up in southern California feel the same.

CGL: How do your own experiences as a musician playing festivals contribute to what you are doing as a promoter and festival organizer?
PP: In all kinds of little subtle ways… We just make every decision a little differently having the knowledge we have from playing festivals and touring.

CGL: Do you always want to stay in a specific genre or styles of music with each event or do you like to bring in different styles from year to year?
PP: We have really wide musical interest so that shit is going to keep changing. We’re going to keep you all on your toes.

CGL: What is unique or new about this year’s festival that has not happened in the past?
PP: The new camping village will be awesome with afterhours entertainment, more live bands, food, shade, and more. Camping and parking is laid out a little differently this year. There are some improvements throughout the festival. We’re getting excited. More food, more bars and more restrooms. It’ll be sweet.

CGL: What have been the craziest or most unexpected experiences or bands so far and why?
PP: I don’t know, it’s all a blur of constant damage control. It’s all crazy… all the time.

CGL: If you could join any of the bands and play a song or two with them at this year’s festival, which band would it be and what song(s) would you want to play?
PP: That’s a fun question. Probably Budos Band but I’d be sweating. Fever the Ghost… because I love jamming with those guys. I do it a lot actually. Mason from Fever plays in JJUUJJUU as well.

Tickets are on sale now and all ages are welcome. Various camping packages are available but there is a limited capacity. Visit desertdaze.org for tickets and more information.

GATES rock Chain Reaction May 1 and The Roxy May 2

New Brunswick, New Jersey-based five-piece group Gates are currently on the road promoting their first full-length album, Bloom & Breathe. They will be making two southern California stops on Fri, May 1 at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim and on Sat, May 2 at the Roxy in Hollywood.

After releasing two well-received EPs (2011’s The Sun Will Rise And Lead Me Home and 2013’s You Are All You Have Left To Fear) the band painstakingly began work on their new album. According to the group, they wanted the music to convey a vast scope of emotions that all people struggle with when trying to survive milestone moments of life and inspire awe while the listener also questions the meaning behind life itself.

Original band-members include guitarist Dan King, bassist Mike Maroney and drummer Daniel Crapanzano, who were all in a previous band and decided they wanted to start a new project in 2011. Eventually they hooked up with guitarist Ethan Koozer — who had moved to New Jersey from Nebraska — and guitarist/vocalist Kevin Dye, who had recently relocated to the East coast from Michigan.

Bloom & Breathe also marks the first time that this incredibly self-sufficient act — who handle everything from their artwork to mixing — brought someone else into the fold in the form of Mike Watts (As Tall As Lions, As Cities Burn), who co-produced the album with Dye during a six-week recording session at Vudu Studios in Port Jefferson, New York.

Concert Guide Live had the opportunity to speak to Dye during a brief break on their multi-city, national tour about the new album and what goes into their live shows.

CGL: How did the band form? Are you all from the same area in New Jersey?
KD: I’m actually from Michigan originally, and was living in upstate New York working as an intern at Levon Helm Studios when I got in contact with the guys. I was getting ready to move to New York City and thought finding a band to play with would be a good way to meet some like-minded people. I really didn’t have any intentions to be in a band at the capacity we’re at now, and was more or less looking for bands to record. I had never been a lead singer for a band prior to this, just a guitarist, but I sent them a demo regardless. Here we are, five years later, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve accomplished so far and what lies ahead.

CGL: Did any of the members play in other bands before forming Gates?
KD: Ethan performed in the band Lydia during their Illuminate album cycle, and the rest of the guys were originally in a band called Bears & Bright Lights in New Jersey. I’ve been playing guitar in bands since I was in 8th-grade, but nothing anyone outside of my hometown would have heard of.

CGL: New Jersey has such a large music scene, what are the group’s biggest musical influences from the area?
KD: There are so many different facets of the New Jersey music scene that have influenced us over the course of our lives. I think if you asked each member of our band, we’d have much different answers. One band that’s been super supportive of us is The Gaslight Anthem. Knowing those guys, how genuine and rooted in the scene they are, and how much they do to continue to support and grow music in New Jersey is inspiring. It’s really awesome seeing such amazing and talented people become successful. We’ll forever be grateful for the tour they took us on.

CGL: Although the group has put out recorded material in the past Bloom & Breathe is considered your debut album, how has the band developed since its first recorded material to the first full-length LP?
KD: I think the most notable thing that we’ve learned as we’ve moved from writing the first two EPs to Bloom & Breathe was to play to each other’s strengths. In the past, we kind of all played everything at once, and although I think that created a really cool sound for our EPs, we really wanted the standout melodies to be more audible and create more depth by playing in different frequency spectrums. We also wanted to make songs that really translated live and I think we accomplished that.

CGL: What is the band’s creative process for writing new material? Do you write on the road, does every member bring material to work on; do you just get into the studio, and jam and write as a collective?
KD: Our writing process at this point is super collaborative. We’ve never really written on the road (except for lyrics, which I’m always working on), but it usually starts with a riff or a few parts that someone has, and we flesh the song out together in a room. Three of the guys live together in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and for Bloom & Breathe, we got together two days a week in that basement on a more minimal setup to work on the individual parts, and then each Sunday we’d get together on our full gear and work out the dynamic aspects of the songs. A few parts have come out of jamming, but for the most part it’s a more cerebral process.

CGL: How has this recent tour been different than past tours across the U.S.?
KD: This is our first full-US tour where we’re support for the entire run. Playing first every night is a challenge in that you really have to put on a show to elicit a crowd response. I’ve definitely liked being able to play, and then cool down and enjoy Loma Prieta and Pianos Become the Teeth’s sets afterwards as opposed to playing later in the night, since I typically have to physically and mentally prepare for the performance.

CGL: The group has developed its live performances over the years, what have you added that is new on this tour?
KD: On this tour we’re using an LED light strip that we haven’t used on a full US tour before that adds a bit more to the light show we’ve always incorporated. We’re also playing mostly Bloom & Breathe material. I think this is the first set we’ve ever played that doesn’t include material from The Sun Will Rise, and we’ve been playing the much requested “At Last the Loneliest of Them” which has been fun. That song is extremely cathartic to play live.

CGL: What does the band look forward to when touring the west coast that they do not get back home?
KD: I really enjoy hearing our guitarist King call everyone and everything “mad Chili Peps” every time we’re in Los Angeles. I also somehow manage to hear an Incubus song every day when we’re in southern California, which is awesome. We saw a drunk wanderer get punched in the face while a cover band played “The Warmth” off Incubus’ seminal album Make Yourself last time we were here with Tiny Moving Parts and Frameworks. I can only hope for an escalated version of the same scenario this time around.

CGL: If the band could put together their dream tour, what other bands would be on that tour and why?
KD: Pianos Become the Teeth is a band we’ve always wanted to tour with, so it’s really a dream and an honor for us to be able to do so for our longest tour so far as a band. I’d love to tour with Nine Inch Nails, Tycho or Death Cab for Cutie one day because I love those bands and would just want to be able to see them play every night for a month straight. If I could assemble my dream tour, our friends in Vasudeva would definitely be on it.

CGL: What is the craziest thing that has happened on this tour so far?
KD: Someone got shot a block away from the Demo in Saint Louis and the gunman was on the loose during the entire show. In Chicago, a guy cased our van while Arms and Mike were inside of it, and proceeded to jump a fence and run away when he realized it was occupied. A very crimey tour so far, a trend I hope does not continue.

Common Sense plays Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach Dec. 31

Tightrope Entertainment is bringing back the exclusive New Year’s Eve bash to ring in 2015 at the beautiful Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach. Former home of old Hollywood character actor, Slim Summerville will be tranformed into supper club venue with local headliners Common Sense on Dec. 31.

Guests will be transported into a Great Gatsby-like New Year’s party with a special VIP lounge and live intimite entertainment from Addie Hamilton for guests from 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There are only 110 General Admission and 60 VIP tickets available with limited VIP table service. This is a 21 and over event.

Driftwood Kitchen was formerly the home of old Hollywood character actor Slim Summerville, this building has been a staple in Laguna Beach for nearly 90 years. This is where the best party in Laguna Beach will be taking place to ring in 2015.

This NYE event is in the location of the old Beach House Restaurant and opened its doors in June 2014. Driftwood is a beautiful restaurant nestled right up against the sand and beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. With a large open-air patio serving as the main space of the venue, breathtaking views and an enchanting ambiance are central to the experience.

General Admission tickets are currently available for $50 and VIP tickets are available for $95. There are only a limited number of tickets still available before the event is sold out, so don’t wait! Limited VIP table service is also available. Contact Tightrope Entertainment for additional details.

To purchase tickets online go to http://driftwood.bpt.me. For more information and updates on the event follow Tightrope Entertainment on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TightropeEntertainment.

Bass Player Live two-day clinic comes to S.I.R. Studios on Sunset Blvd. Nov. 8 and 9

Bass Player Magazine’s seventh annual Bass Clinic and Convention “Bass Player Live!” returns to Los Angeles at S.I.R. Studios on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood Nov. 8 and 9. This year’s event features two full days of clinics and exhibitions from System Of A Down’s Shavo Odadjian, Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, Blue Oyster Cult), and Rhonda Smith (Prince, Jeff Beck) and a special appearance by Gary Willis.

Saturday’s sessions run from 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Sunday’s from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Bass players of all ages, levels and styles are invited to attend.

“The first rule of the event is to have a variety of players from different genres come together to support the bass player’s community,” said Senior Editor of Bass Player Magazine Chris Jisi. “It is great to see the respect and dynamics that comes together when bassists from different styles share their talents with each other and their fans.”

Saturday evening will be highlighted by a special session from 6:30 – 9 p.m. featuring the presentation of Bass Player’s Young Gun Award to Henrik Linder of Dirty Loops and the Lifetime Achievement Award to session legend Abraham Laboriel.

“Every year it’s a unique event and you never know who is going to show up to play. Many musicians like guitarists, drummers, keyboardists around LA show up to jam with either a bassist from their band or to get the chance to play music with a bassist they want to play with but normally would not get the opportunity to do so,” Jisi says. “We are always at the whim of the artist and the industry with regards to who is available to attend the clinics.”

During the evening, award recipient Linder will perform with Tribal Tech’s bassist Gary Willis, keyboardist Scott Kinsey and drummer Kirk Covington. In addition, Abraham will perform with his group Open Hands, also featuring keyboardist Greg Mathieson, saxophonist Justo Almario and drummer Bill Maxwell. Additional special performances and jams will be announced in the coming weeks.

“It has always been the goal to get the public involved in the events and participating in the clinics with some of their favorite bass players,” explains Jisi. “We really credit drummers and the New York City Drummer’s Collective who partnered with us in the late 1990s in NYC who helped give us the idea to do a two-day weekend clinic event.”

According to Jisi, the New York event became too expensive to find a suitable location in the city and a lot of the players lived in LA so it seemed like a better fit to move the event to California. Although he is based still in New York and the Bass Player Magazine is ran out of San Francisco, the LA event produces a good turnout and has done really well providing the general public access to some of the world’s best bass players.

The wide-ranging clinics for bassists of all styles and skill levels also include the Bass Player LIVE! debuts of Gary Willis and Chuck Rainey, TV’s “Face of Bass” Rickey Minor, prog/metal hero DUg Pinnick, a bass education roundtable led by Steve Bailey, a bass set-up panel clinic that includes master Luthiers (string instrument makers) Roger Sadowsky and Mike Tobias, and more.

Among the participating manufacturers at Bass Player LIVE! 2014 are Warwick, Aguilar, Sadowsky Guitars, Tech 21, Kala, Ashdown, D’Addario, Ampeg, Paul Reed Smith, Dunlop, Eden, GHS, Ibanez, Lakin Basses, N.S Design, Spector, TC Electronic, EBS, Carvin, and Mayones Basses.

“We are happy with what we are doing with the clinics and jams,” said Jisi. “We give the general public the opportunity to see musicians play together in a once in a life concert setting and have even made history with bringing players together for a show in front of live audience that would not normally happen.”

Tickets are on sale now at http://bassplayerlive2014.eventbrite.com. Both single day and weekend packages for the Bass Player LIVE! clinics and exhibits are available and priced as follows; S.I.R. Studios day pass for Saturday or Sunday –$37.50 plus fees and S.I.R. Studios weekend pass – $52.50 plus fees. Sunday only special is kids 13 and under get in free with each adult ticket purchase. (Limit one child per adult ticket)

Each day pass purchase includes a complimentary subscription to Bass Player magazine. All Saturday and weekend passes include access to all award presentations and performances during the special Saturday evening session.

Alien Ant Farm plays the Whiskey A Go Go Oct. 17
Photo by: Dimitry Mac

SoCal hard rock group Alien Ant Farm who are best known for songs like their 2001 Michael Jackson cover “Smooth Criminal” and “These Days” (2003) are hitting the road after a long hiatus armed with new tunes. Three of the original bandmates, Dryden Mitchell (vocalist), Terry Corso (guitarist), and Mike Cosgrove (drummer), and new comer Tim Peugh (bassist) will be kicking off a national tour of select cities in Hollywood at the Whiskey A Go Go Fri, Oct. 17.

Over the course of their four studio albums, cumulative sales have surpassed the five million mark, which has earned the band a Grammy nomination and four Top-10 singles. The group released a new single “Homage” in earlier October 2014 and fans anticipate a new full-length recording by the beginning of 2015.

With a massive following on the road, Alien Ant Farm continues to stretch their tour legs across the country on their ANTarchy tour this fall. The OC Concert Guide spoke with the group’s vocalist, Dryden Mitchell, about their new recordings and getting back on tour.

OCCG: Do you feel growing up in Southern California contributes to the groups sound and the groups you started performing and touring with in the 90s?
DM: I’d have to say yes. A little at least. Our surroundings affect everything we do, but I can’t say that we are this sunny/feel good band either. There’s a lot of angst in there, which will come no matter where you live, I suppose

OCCG: The group just released a new single after a long break. Why has it been so long to get back in the studio and why did the group release just a single at this time?
DM: We were in the studio a couple years ago. We’ve just been dealing with ridiculous legalities surrounding singing with someone we shouldn’t have signed a deal with. It’s sad really. To just be sitting on your livelihood

OCCG: Can we expect a full album soon?
DM: Album Will be here at the very beginning of 2015

OCCG: What are some of the different influences in the music the group is making now compared to in the past?
DM: I would just say that we are open to anything, and I feel like we always have been. Influences come in weird ways. A conversation seems to spark my influence most easily. I steal from great things said to me, Not played to me.

OCCG: There have been some lineup changes in the group. How has that affected the music? Tell us about the group’s process for finding new members.
DM: We have a new bass player who didn’t record the record with us. He’s done a lot of touring with us in the past as a tech and he knew most of the songs right out of the gate, so that helps. Just getting along with somebody is huge, Right?

OCCG: Alien Ant Farm is the only hard rock band to have paid tribute to Michael Jackson although Michael liked to play harder rock music, why do you think that is and how has that been for the group?
DM: Maybe some folks wanna cover what is more their band’s style. I don’t really know. There certainly is a lot of Bitchen stuff of his to pick from. In fact… I’m covering ABC in my Bathtub as I type this…

OCCG: What is the group’s favorite song to jam out live?
DM: I can only speak for myself… I love a song that we have called Attitude. It’s mellow and if the vibe in the room is right, it’s just a perfect moment. Real Shit

OCCG: Who has the most eclectic musical taste in the band?
DM: I’d have to say Mike Cosgrove, Our drummer. He’s always introducing me to interesting stuff. Of course, Latin rhythms are a big thing… you know… California

OCCG: What is the craziest experience (good or bad) the group has had on tour?
DM: I Bit My Drum Techs Dick Once… Only Once