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SOLD OUT: Drowning Pool w/ Signal Rising, Hindsight & Wellborn Road
December 7, 2014 @ 8:00 pm - 11:55 pm
THIS CONCERT IS SOLD OUT AND NO MORE TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.
THIS CONCERT WAS MOVED FROM BOULEVARD 217 IN COLLEGE STATION TO GRAND STAFFORD THEATER IN BRYAN.
Tickets for this concert are on sale here.
DROWNING POOL
At this point, absolutely nothing can stop Drowning Pool. The platinum selling Texas quartet continues to roll forward fearlessly on their fifth full:length album and third for Eleven Seven Music. Their patent arena ready, fist:pumping hard rock remains intact even as they welcome new singer Jasen Moreno into the fold. Make no mistake about it. This is Drowning Pool at their most focused, fiery, and fierce.
Upon the end of 2011, the three original members—C.J. Pierce [Guitar], Stevie Benton [Bass], and Mike Luce [Drums]—decided to release their third singer, Ryan McCombs. Instead of folding up and simply going away as many artists would, they dusted themselves off and began searching for his replacement
immediately. It didn’t matter what anyone said or thought. Drowning Pool would continue making records and playing shows. They had already survived the tragic passing of founding vocalist Dave Williams in 2002 and parting ways with his successor in 2005. The music still beckoned them to forge ahead.
“This business is a marathon not a sprint,” says Benton. “You’re going to have a lot of ups and downs. That’s how life is. There are no more surprises because we’ve survived all of these disasters already. We’re more of a unit than ever before. We’ve become adept at rolling with the punches, and we’ve always got each other’s backs.”
“Giving up has never been an option for us,” affirms Pierce. “It’s frustrating we have to go through the singer switch, but that’s the hand we were dealt. Mike, Stevie, and I have been friends for 20 years, and we love writing, recording and playing music together. Why would we stop now? After we parted ways with Ryan, I jumped on the guitar and started writing songs again as soon as I could. A handful of them reflect the frustration we experienced, and a handful of other songs are about moving on to better times.”
Those better times began when Moreno sent an audition tape to the band. Even though they’d known him for over a decade and toured with his band Suicide Hook, he humbly and unassumingly contacted them as numerous other singers did.
For the vocalist, the opportunity to simply try out for one of his favorite bands was an honor enough. “I just tried my best,” remembers Moreno. “Back in the day, there was a clear moment when I knew these guys had something special. My band was opening for them at an outdoor festival. They had this wall of
sound and thunderous energy so I turned around and looked at the stage. Dave had this shovel, and he was banging it on the stage as hard as he could in time with the snare drum. It was awesome visually and you could feel it. I’ll never forget that. I kept moments like that in mind going into this.”
After “putting him through the ringer”, as Pierce puts it, Moreno nailed the audition. His range and talent also enabled the outfit to perform songs such as “Told You So” and “Follow” from 2001′s Sinner, which haven’t been performed live since the death of Williams.
“He’s really a singer for the fans,” continues Pierce. “We haven’t had this kind of advantage in a long time. He’s got the widest vocal range of anyone we’ve worked with, but he’s also got his own sound. We actually had to go back and learn some of the songs he suggested to us. We have more freedom now to do whatever we want.”
Benton elaborates, “It’s exciting to have new blood. He’s on fire about being a part of this, and that’s contagious. It’s like we can’t stop writing songs now. Jason lives and breathes it. We can play any song we’ve ever written and he can sing it like the day it came off the record.”
However, the new music packs the biggest punch. In early 2012, they retreated to “House of Loud” studios in New Jersey to record with Kato Khandwala again. The producer also helmed their 2010 self titled effort, which spawned their highest:charting radio hit to date, “Feel Like I Do”. Everything was amped up for the new album though.
The heavier moments hit harder, while the melodic moments are even more poignant. From the double bass drum stomp at the beginning of “Anytime Anyplace” to the razor sharp riffing of “Die For Nothing”, which Pierce likens to “A super heavy 2012 version of ‘Tear Away’,” Drowning Pool bare their teeth.
“I feel like this record goes back to the band’s roots,” comments Luce. “Even before Dave joined the band, C.J., Stevie, and I used to just step into a room, jam, and see what happened. Jasen does that with us now. He brings a lot to the band, and it’s three:dimensional now. This album is faster and heavier than Sinner, but it’s equally melodic. After a decade, we know what we can deliver.”
In a career earmarked by radio hits such as “Bodies” and “Step Up”, first single “Saturday Night” wields the mightiest hooks and grooves the band has ever cooked up. It’s a raucous, rowdy, and rousing headbanger about touring life. Moreno reveals, “It’s about living your life in the moment, going for it, and not worrying about the future. You can’t overthink it. You’ve just got to do it.”
“A lot of our music can be very aggressive,” Pierce goes on. “We’ve never done a fun song. Being out on the road, every night really is like Saturday night. We always have a good time. This describes the lifestyle for anybody who’s ever wondered.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Pierce penned a heartfelt dedication to Williams and others who have died with the emotionally charged and searing “In Memory Of…”
“After Dave passed away, I wanted to write a special song,” the guitarist adds. “Initially, it was meant to be a ‘hats off’ to Dave. A few years later, it incorporated Dimebag Darrell, who we were very close with. Then, Paul Gray passed away. At that point, I decided to make the song more general. It’s a dedication to all of the people we’ve lost. Now, it was the right time for this. Jasen sang on it, and it just came alive.”
Drowning Pool continue to deliver on record, on stage, and beyond. They’ve toured Kuwait, Iraq, Korea, and Guantanamo Bay, performing for the soldiers. They championed the Lane Evans Health Act, emphasizing the best health care for veterans, even introducing then Senator Obama to the bill at Capitol Hill. Obama pushed it in the Senate, and it became codified as law for returning heroes. They’ve kicked asses on high:profile tours such as Crüe(Fest and OZZfest, sharing bills with everyone from Mötley Crüe and Papa Roach to Ozzy Osbourne and System of a Down. At radio they continue to get even stronger, “Feel Like I Do” reached #2 on the active rock radio chart, giving them their greatest success yet, even besting “37 Stitches” which landed at #5.
Ultimately, this new album isn’t a new beginning or an end. It’s a continuation of the Drowning Pool legacy—and a fitting one at that.
“In the immortal words of Dimebag Darrell, we’re trying to ‘Keep on keepin’ on’,” concludes Luce. “Drowning Pool is alive and kicking and in some respects more than ever. We’re lifers.”
“Drowning Pool is still Drowning Pool,” assures Moreno. “Even though there’s a new element involved, I’m not here to change anything. I have tremendous respect for the guys and the fans. This band will always be Drowning Pool.” — Rick Florino, December 2012.
Shinyribs on Facebook | Official Website
SIGNAL RISING
Rock that will snatch you up….draw you in! Signal Rising (formerly Linus) came together to create music that our fans connect with. We are a regional touring rock band based out of College Station, TX. Signal Rising has exploded on the scene over the last three years playing dates with national touring acts Ten Years, Fair to Midland, Earshot, The Hectic, Flyleaf, Static X, Pat Travers, Skidrow, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Last Place You Look, Deuce,New Medicine and Saturate. Using monstrous guitar riffs, explosive drums, enthralling bass lines and soaring Vocals to draw in new fans at every concert, club gig, and acoustic show!
Signal Rising on Facebook | Official Website
HINDSIGHT
The riff and percussion driven hard rock band “Hind§ight” formed in Sugar Land, Texas at around the turn of the millennium with a group of young musicians desiring to make music that would both rock hard but melodically inspire the minds of an audience. Hind§ight’s music is focused on the life experiences of each of the band members. So, if you are at a Hind§ight concert, feel free to ask them about some of the stories behind the songs. If you are looking for disingenuous Disney pop music written by industry song writers for pop singers who need auto-tune just to get out of bed in the morning, this is not your band and may god have mercy on your soul. If you want some rock music that you can jam to and relate to in your daily life come and rock out with us.
Hindsight on Facebook | Official Website
WELLBORN ROAD
Established 2005, Wellborn Road has carved its name as one of the heavy weights in the Texas hard rock and metal scene. The band was formed in College Station, Texas. Their debut album “Home” proved to be an uncompromised, raw, and unique record. The band is currently jamming everywhere possible and working on their sophomore album.