Papa Roach 2013
Papa Roach/ Pop Evil / Age of Days

10/16/2013 - Rodeo Music Hall

WhenI found out about this show I was psyched.
For a while I had been bummed about not being able to see PRoach.
They had been down in Pittsburgh on one of the festival tours, but it was a work day, it was expensive,
it was going to be a hassle to make the drive down and back, and not really excited about the rest of the line up.
So, sadly, I decided to pass.
Not an easy decision since I hadn't seen them since 2011. Last year they had to cancel out of the Uproar tour.
Which was a bummer, they were one of the main reasons I got a ticket. But when the singer has to have throat
surgury, there isn't much you can do.

So I heard this show announced and I jumped on a ticket for it.
Even though I knew nothing about the place. I had only ever been to Youngstown once. Like 10 years ago.
But it was Papa Roach, it was only around an hour away, and it was cheap!

I discovered that the venue is actually an old movie theater, converted into a bar. Which sits on the side of a
shopping plaza, right next to a bowling alley. The place only holds about 1100 people.
Turns out, it's a really great place to see a show. Nice and intimate. No seats, all GA but it's still cool.

Getting there wasn't too bad, until I got close to Youngstown. Then the rain started.
And let me tell you, it poured. Once I got off the highway in Austintown it turned into all kinds of fun.
Wipers on high, still trying to see through the water on the windshield, and manuver though the flooded streets.
I actually had to stop at an autoparts store and ask for directions because I couldn't read the street signs.
Turns out I had tried the correct road, just didn't drive far enough down it.

Got to the venue and it was easy from there.
Nice big shopping plaza parking lot to park in. I parked up near the front, not realizing that the big building nearby was
the bowling alley and the bar was down quite a bit farther. But still, it was a lot closer than many places I have been.

AOD was pretty good.
I really knew nothing about them before seeing them, I checked out a few songs via YouTube But you still never know.
I think they sound better live than studio. Studio sounds a bit more 'pop-y'
A good solid performace. Knd of a no-nonsense hard rock band. A little banter between songs. A few attempts to get
the crowd into it. But the singer didn't press it, which was good. Gave it a shot, and moved on to doing the song.
The playing was tight, and the sound was good. The songs weren't bad at all, but also not very memorable either.
When I listen to the recording I remember them, and like them, but otherwise not so much.
A very good, solid opener. Who's style was a perfect fit for the rest of the bill.
There is even a bit of a tour blog at this link.

After the set, I headed outside for a quick smoke. Which just reenforced how much I like this place.
They have an enclosed outdoor deck for smoking. No tickets to exchange, no doors to deal with. Even had tables
and chairs to relax on (if everything wasn't drenched from the rain previously)

When I came back in, I found a couple members of Age of Days at their merch table. Signing stuff, talking with fans, and posing for pics. Really nice to see them connecting on a personal level.

Pop Evil was everything that I had hoped they would be.
I liked a lot of their material. Had for years. Ever since I heard 100 In A 55.
So, it was great to find they were just as fun live as their music made them seem.

They had a nice mix of old and new materail. Of course, they played all the hits that I knew. As well as songs
from their most recent album. And a few others I didn't know, but enjoyed.

I only have 2 complaints about their set. First, was that the vocals were too low in the mix.
I have to believe it was the mix, as AOD and PR didn't have this problem. Don't know if that is the way they like
it, or if it was just a fluke.
The second issue has nothing to do with the band but the audience. I kept having to move because of clusters of people
just standing there talking and paying no attention at all to the show. I was having trouble trying to enjoy the show, due to them shouting back and forth with each other.
I mean, I can understand if you don't care that much about the band on stage and want to BS with your friends. But take
it to the back. Why stand there in the middle and ruin it for so many others?

Even with those issues, I still really enjoyed the set. Especially the end.
When the singer started doing 'Eye of the Tiger', the crowd went wild. Then they rolled right into their current hit Trenches and the place went crazy.
That is the way to end a show!

I was sooooo glad I finally got to see P-Roach do a full headline set..
This was the 3rd time I've seen them close a show, but the other 2 times were co-headline gigs with shorter sets.
They hit the stage full of energy and all fired up.
As always, they had a minimal stage set. No fancy pyro or props. Just the usual lighting effects, and their infectious energy.

They played a great mix of tunes. Old new, and in-between.
With Jacoby spending a lot of time on the walkway in front of the stage through the audience.
He also spend a lot of time getting the audience into it as always. Singing along, jumping, clapping, etc.
He worked the crowd up expertly.

It was so good to finally get to see the new songs performed live.
And they didn't disappoint.
Where Did the Angels Go?
Leader of the Broken Hearts
Before I Die
Were real highlights for me. As well as the intro for Forever. Seems like every time I see them, they have a new twist on the begining of that song.

It was great being part of a lively crowd too. A lot of people singing along. Especially to the classics.
There were several stretches where Jacoby just let the crowd do the singing and he conducted.
There were even a few points where the crowd drown him out, we were that loud!

Then, things got cranked up another notch, when Jacoby went out into the crowd before Hollywood Whore.
Took things to another level and made the crowd even more frenzied.
It was amazing!

Then the setlist found another gear. Hitting the mainstay rowdie songs. High energy and really brough the show to a fitting finish.

Then it was all over.

Stopped at the merch table to grab a shirt for my daughter. Made just the right birthday present for her.
Then I found another advantage to this venue.
There was no line waiting to leave the parking lot.
I walked to my car, got in, and pulled right out. I was in complete shock.

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