Tonight’s performance by Academy of St. Martin’s in the Fields chamber orchestra was quite enjoyable. Before the first notes began, I was delighted to discover that director Julian Rachlin would be playing a 1704 Stradivarius violin. Antiquity always fascinates me, especially historical items which are still functional in the modern era. As the orchestra members began the evening’s music, I was struck by the splendor of sound that emanated from this thing of beauty. I couldn’t help but be awed by this instrument which was created before most of this country’s forefathers were even born! As the orchestra played the first few pieces, I imagined what this world was like when both the violin was created and the music that now flowed from it was composed. It was an intriguing thought, introducing an element of enjoyment into the evening I was not expecting. However, as enthralled as I was by the violin, its handler was exponentially more impressive.

A musician who demonstrates passion for his art cannot help but make a positive impression on me. Mr. Rachlin handled the lovely violin with both grace and enthusiasm. He was expressive in movement, coaching the orchestra of violin, viola, cello and bass through each classical piece. He played Beethoven with poise, and attacked Piazolla with glad abandon. While my eyes strayed to the other members of the orchestra as the concert progressed, it was hard to not fixate on the talented director. As he tenderly coaxed the breathtaking sounds from the ancient violin, the joy he felt in his work could not have been more apparent.

I am not traditionally a lover of classical music, but I can certainly appreciate any art that evokes emotion. Tonight, from the moment bow first touched string, I was transported a happy realm where nothing exists but beautiful sound. When it comes to the world of music, I cannot ask for anything more than that.

My husband and I caught the Echoes of Red tour last night at the Library in St. Louis, Mo. The show featured Joan Red and Echovalve, two of my favorite bands. I’ve been listening to both bands for a couple of years now. I’ve seen Joan Red several times, and they never fail to impress in concert. I’ve tried to catch Echovalve as well, without any luck. Last night’s show was one of the best shows I’ve been to in awhile.

We arrived at the venue a little early, as we hadn’t been there before and hadn’t any idea what the seating or crowds might be like. I met the drummer for Echovalve outside, as we tried to figure out the will call situation. He joked around a little about Joan Red sucking, then said he would be singing a song with the band tonight. We made it into the bar, and checked out the venue a little. The setup was pretty cool, with the bar situated just about twenty feet from the stage. We sat at the bar and kicked back, waiting for the first act to begin.

The local St. Louis band Defibrillate kicked off the show. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they were actually pretty awesome. The music itself was a little reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria mashed with a little Avenged Sevenfold, but the vocalist was pretty unique. In spite of a small crowd (only about 15 people were in the venue at the time), they put on a very decent set of about seven songs. My husband and I clapped and cheered as much as we could to give them some encouragement.

About halfway through the Defibrillate set, Joan Red finally arrived. Apparently their trailer had broken down on the way to the venue, causing them to be late for their set. However, they got set up in no time, and were ready to start the set within about 20 minutes. Before they started, Mike, the founding guitarists, came up and chatted with us about the van and the new merch they were offering. I hadn’t spoken to Mike before – he is really personable and seems like he would be a blast to hang out with. He couldn’t hang out long before it was time for the show to start. They started off the set with a new song off the debut album, following up with the more familiar “Tortured”. All the band members were putting their all into the performance in true Joan Red style, even though they seemed understandably tired. Anthony did seem to struggle a little bit on a couple of the songs, almost as if he was fighting off a cold or lack of sleep. He kept trying to get people to come up to the front of the stage, mostly to no avail. I headed to the front of the stage for the second song, and hung out there for a good portion of the set. Anthony rocked from one song to the next with the same dynamic presence and energy I remember from my previous experiences seeing the band. The new band members fit in seamlessly with the band, including Brandon, the awesome bassist I voted for in the recent competition. They blasted through “Show me the Way”, “Sorry it’s Over” and “Prayer for Rain”, attacked “Can’t Let Go” and were joined by the drummer from Echovalve for “Crush”. When Brandon headed to the stage, he yelled that my husband should get up to the stage, because he has an awesome beard and should be up front punching people in the face. My husband joined me for the last two songs as I sang along and cheered for the band. For the last song, Anthony refused to continue after the first few notes until the crowd headed to the front. Once he finally kicked off “You be the Hero”, he jumped into the crowd and onto the bar. The band wrapped up the final song with a bang, a great set from a band that always delivers in their live performance. After the set, Mike gave me his personalized pick from the show! Still love Joan Red, and can’t wait to see them again!!

Joan Red’s Setlist (in no paticular order):
Changes
Tortured
Prayer for Rain
Show me the Way
Can’t let Go
Sorry it’s Over
Crush
You Be the Hero

During the intermission, Mike from Joan Red hung out and drank with us a bit, while Echovalve was preparing for their set. Again, I have to say I was impressed by how friendly Mike was. He even asked me to take a picture of him posing with his Jager shot. :)

Echovalve finally kicked off their set as I headed to the corner by the stage so I could enjoy the show from only a foot away. They started off with the single off the HelloAgainGoodbye album “Dirty Little Secret” followed by my favorite song off the album “Loathe to Remember”. The lead singer (Matt) winked at me when he realized I was singing along with all the songs. With a nearly empty venue (which surprised me), I wanted to give them all the support I could. I gotta say, Echovalve was just as impressive as Joan Red last night. The vocals and music were both awesome. The lead singer has plenty of energy and charisma, playing to the crowd and putting his all into the songs. The vocals really seemed effortless to him, and I think they sounded even better live than recorded. The band sang all my favorites off the album including “Suffocate” and “You Don’t Want me Anymore”. My husband joined me back at the stage as Anthony of Joan Red joined Matt on vocals for a cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways”. It absolutely fucking rocked. The drummer tossed his drumstick to me – my first drumstick from a show! The band closed the set with their latest single “Because of You”. I was extremely impressed with the band’s performance; I will certainly be catching another Echovalve show in the future.

Echovalve’s Setlist:
Dirty Little Secret
Loathe to Remember
You Don’t Want me Anymore
Soffocate
Intoxicating
Separate Ways (Journey Cover)
Because of You

My husband and I chatted with the lead singers of both Echovalve and Joan Red after the show, as I got autographs and photos with both. I gotta say, the members of both bands were very friendly. Anthony of Joan Red actually remembered me from back in the day when the band used to come to my town and play, and talked about some of the awesome stuff that happened back then. Pretty fucking cool if you ask me.

The night closed with the band “Defiance Pointe”. They were OK, but I was tired and honestly not paying that much attention after three hours in the venue. The drummer for Echovalve had me cracking up when he came over to offer his signature on the drumstick, amusing me with stories about hitting this chick in the head with one by accident during a show.

Overall, I had an amazing night. As we left and made our way back to the hotel, I was truly on cloud nine. The venue was awesome, the bands were kick-ass. It was a welcome break from reality and a perfect beginning for the spring.

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