Our coverage of Bunbury 2018 Day 3!
Click on a band name to check out our review of the performance and photo’s!
| Jack White | Manchester Orchestra | Post Malone | |
| Dropkick Murphys | Kayla Rose | Coheed and Cambria | |
| The Commonheart | Sir Sly | Two Feet | |
| Lacrae | Black Pistol Fire | Lillie Mae |
Jack White
By Megan Randall
Washed in blue, Jack White took to the Nissan stage for the final act of the Bunbury Music Festival 2018. Known for being color-centric, the entire set was done in shades of cobalt, giving a beautiful eerie feeling to the well-rounded set list. Beginning his set with “Over and Over and Over” and quickly moving into a White Stripes song, “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” he covered everything you’d want to hear from a Jack White solo tour from the new, a lot of old, and even a couple Raconteurs songs.
Festival goers certainly got their money’s worth on this sold-out day; Jack White played an impressive 17 songs bringing the successful weekend to a close with a stunning performance of “Seven Nation Army.”
Did you miss this experience? He’s got one stateside date left before heading to Europe. You can find the details of his current tour dates on his website.
Post Malone
By Ricky Veeneman
Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte
Post Malone was not a new name to me. My kids introduced me to him via YouTube about a year ago. So I thought I knew what I was going to get when I saw his name pop up as a headlining act at this year’s Bunbury Festival. However, his performance was not at all what I expected, especially for the volume of people crammed toward the front of the stage chanting his name. When he strolled casually out onto the stage in an oversized prison orange shirt, khakis and sloppy man-bun I thought is this it? A heavily tattooed young guy looking fresh out and half drunk? Yup, pretty much, and the crowd was going absolutely insane for him. He has catchy hooks, booming beats and a very fluid vocal style. While I still don’t fully understand the appeal of his music I can understand why he was such a popular draw. With only 3 years, 2 albums and a mixtape (digital download only) under his belt, he has built a HUGE following of fiercely dedicated fans; for which he seems eternally grateful for. This showed clearly in the way he interacts and opens up to to them between songs. He’s witty, funny and did not seem to take himself or the performance too seriously. In fact, he boasted about his 10-0 championship beer pong win of the day about a song or two into the set and smashed a guitar toward the end. It was a sight to see. He is currently on tour in the US (on the west coast mostly) and will be touring Europe later this summer. With his latest album “Beerbongs & Bentleys” hitting number one on the Billboard Top 200 last month (as well as other record charts internationally) I’m certain we will be seeing and hearing much more from him. Hometown: Grapevine, Texas
Follow Post Malone online:
https://www.facebook.com/postmalone/
https://twitter.com/PostMalone
https://www.instagram.com/postmalone/
Dropkick Murphys
By Megan Randall
Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte
The slanted sun of late afternoon welcomed a stunning Irish folk aria intro for the Dropkick Murphys on the Nissan stage at Bunbury Music Festival “Day 3.” The beautiful calmness didn’t last, however, as the American Celtic punk band leaped onto stage belting out “Prisoner’s Song” with pure Celtic energy.
What can you expect from a Dropkick Murphys set? Screaming with harmony, unsexy instruments made super hot (accordions, let me tell you…), and a fist-pumping good time. All of the above was present and accounted for during the Massachusetts-based band’s Bunbury appearance. Drawing a massive crowd, including the only mosh pit this reviewer has ever seen at Bunbury, the guys belted out fan-favorites such as “The Boys are Back” and “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”
Fans unfamiliar with the group found the catchy refrains easy to sing-a-long to and experienced Dropkick fans screamed their loyalty when the band asked how many had seen them before. Lead singer Ken Casey dedicated a song to all those who have lost someone to the heroine epidemic in a touching moment between the band and their fans. Connections like this are why this band is so fantastic to see live; every show , this one included, they deliver a heart-felt performance that you will talk about for months to come.
If you feel like you’re missing some Celtic energy in your life, be sure to catch them on their nation-wide tour this summer.
Lacrae
By Megan Randall
Fans at the CVG River stage on “Day 3” of the Bunbury Music Festival welcomed the cool breeze as the hot beats of Lacrea captured their attention late afternoon. With an intro that included Montel Williams’s “This is How We Do It,” the entire set was the biggest dance party of the weekend.
Equal parts musician and activist, Lacrea shared the values that were pinnacle in his life throughout the set such as women’s rights and not taking blessings for granted.
To an explosion of cheers, he mentioned he’ll drop a new single, “Get Back Right” featuring Zaytoven, in the near future. He ended his set with the wildly popular, “I’ll Find You.” His most recent album release, “All Things Work Together,” is available through Reach Records and Columbia Records.
Coheed and Cambria
By Cathy Moore of Moore Rock Shots & Reviews
Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte
Coheed and Cambria doesn’t waste time with a lot of fanfare or bullshit. When they perform they just give the crowd a full set of raucous rock and roll. And that is exactly what they delivered at the 2018 Bunbury Music Festival on Sunday, June 3 in Cincinnati, OH.
Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitar), Travis Stever (guitar), Josh Eppard (drums), and
Zach Cooper (bass) brought their blend of badassery to festivalgoers under a bright sun and clear skies. They kicked things off with their brand new single “The Dark Sentencer”. The song, which will appear on the band’s forthcoming LP expected to arrive later this year, is the first new music to be released by Coheed and Cambria since the acclaimed 2015 LP, The Color Before The Sun.
The New York rockers played several of their absolute biggest hits including “A Favor House Atlantic”, “The Suffering”, and “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3”. They also performed an ingenious version of the 1988 Danzig hit, “Mother”. They ended their set with the epic song “Welcome Home” from their hugely successful 2005 release Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness.
It was not the first time I ever saw Coheed and Cambria, but it might have been my favorite performance. The guys are hitting the road with Taking Back Sunday and The Story So Far for a US tour that starts on July 6 in Miami, FL and wraps up on August 12 in Phoenix, AZ. You can find all the dates and ticket information online.
Connect with Coheed and Cambria online:
Website: http://www.coheedandcambria.com/summertour/?ref=Typed/Bookmarked
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coheedandcambria/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coheed
Manchester Orchestra
By Katie Morton
Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte
Manchester Orchestra is an American Indie Rock band hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. Current Band members include Andy Hall (vocals, guitar), Robert McDowell (lead guitar), Andy Prince (bass), Tim Very (drums).
As Bunbury Music Festival began to wind down Sunday evening, Manchester Orchestra took the stage late in the day to throngs of fans. But the crowd didn’t seem weary after 3 days in the hot Ohio sun, instead they were invigorated by the warm afternoon breeze and pounding beat of opening song “Pride.”
While labeled Indie Rock, Manchester Orchestra pulls an eclectic mix of spectators from emo fans to the hard-core hard rock crowd. The setlist included a wide variety of fist pumping hits from their catalog such as, “Shake It Out,” “I’ve Got Friends”, “Simple Math,” and crowd favorite, “I Can Barely Breathe.”
Be sure to check out Manchester Orchestra on tour this summer and fall at a venue near you :http://themanchesterorchestra.com/tour/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManchesterOrch
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterOrchestra/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manchesterorchestra/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/manchesterorchestra
Website: http://themanchesterorchestra.com/
Kayla Rose
By Megan Randall
Hands up in the air for Kayla Rose! This Aussie traveled far to appear on “Day 3” of the Bunbury Music Festival and stormed the acoustic stage late afternoon. Her hauntingly smooth original harmonies “Toxic” and “Warm Without You” drew spectators to the alcove and gained ample applause.
Her songs can be found on Spotify and Apple Music, and she’s currently working towards releasing her first full album. Rose is not currently on tour, but you can follow her for future updates on her Facebook page.
Sir Sly
By Megan Randall
The decision to put Sir Sly on the Riverfront stage instead of the more expansive Nissan stage at Bunbury Music Festival didn’t consider the pure star power of this popular group. Fans were literally climbing over each other to catch a glimpse of this rock trio out of Los Angeles.
Thankfully, there was enough space for each spectator to bust out moves as they listened to fan favorites such as “Welcome the Pressure” and “Gold.” Vocalist Landon Jacobs led the expansive crowd in singing along with popular numbers, and showed his skill when supporting on guitar. Speaking of skills, I can’t help but mention Jason Suwito and his constant switching between keyboard and guitar. He’s truly an asset to the band. Hayden Coplen kept the beats rolling on drums.
If you were one of the select few of the sold out crowd on “Day 3” of Bunbury who didn’t fight for a spot to watch this set, you can still catch the guys on tour this summer.
Black Pistol Fire
By Ricky Veeneman
Photo Credit: Nikki Forte
Holy hell! If you want to see a amazingly raw, high energy, true rock performance that will have you asking yourself “what did I just witness” for days after, then you must see Austin, TX based rock duo, Black Pistol Fire . It will be worth every penny and leave you wanting more. They came out on stage at this year’s Bunbury Festival guns blazing from the very first beat till the end. Drummer Eric Owen pounds his kit like it owes him money while singer/guitarist Kevin McKeown literally jumps, kicks, stomps and throws himself to the ground while strumming dirty, bluesy, classic rock and roll tunes. Their latest album “Deadbeat Graffiti ” is available on all the normal digital music platforms as well as CD and Vinyl! Which has to sound pretty amazing. They are currently touring Canada and Europe, but I hope to see these guys again as soon as possible. Hometown: Toronto, Canada Members: Kevin McKeown – guitar/lead vocals Eric Owen – drums
Follow Black Pistol Fire Online:
https://www.facebook.com/blackpistolfire/
https://twitter.com/BlackPistolFire
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5b35K2PYpW3QLKMdC8apw
https://www.instagram.com/blackpistolfire/?hl=en
The Commonheart
By Megan Randall
Photo Credit: Nikki Forte
If the Blues Brothers and Clutch had a baby its name would be The Commonheart (I was expecting them to whip out a more southern version of Psychic Warefare any minute!). The band took the Nissan Stage at the Bunbury Festival on a sweltering “Day 3” decked out in band-themed black jackets. This bluesy band featured funky guitar riffs, earnest vocals, and the backing of 8 musicians playing a jumble of supporting instruments.
Lead singer Clinton Clegg’s heartfelt melodies mixed perfectly with the amazing work of guitar player Michael Minda. Minda showed off his extreme talent by flipping the guitar behind his head while playing one of his multiple solos. Speaking of solos, within the first few songs keyboardist Lucas Bowman unleashed a fury of sound with an impressive feature.
The Pittsburg band localized their tunes by incorporating Cincinnati into songs and feeding off the sizeable audience. The band boasts a purpose of “invoking emotion through tone and energy” on their Facebook page, which couldn’t be clearer than when Clegg introduced a song dedicated to all the single moms.
This band is definitely an experience worth (re)living. If you haven’t seen them yet, you can catch them at various dates throughout the region.
Two Feet
Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman
Lillie Mae
By Cathy Moore of Moore Rock Shots & Reviews
Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman
When I think of Jack White a lot of things come to mind: musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. However, Americana music is definitely not something I associated with the Grammy-winning artist until I saw Lillie Mae at the 2018 Bunbury Music Festival on Sunday afternoon.
Jack White produced Lillie Mae’s debut album Forever and Then Some after discovering her immense talent when she played mandolin and fiddle on tour with him over a six year period. And on Sunday, Lillie Mae wowed the crowd on the Nissan Stage just hours before her producer and friend took the same stage.
Lillie Mae seemed confident and comfortable as she belted out songs from her solo album while also playing violin or guitar and leading the rest of her band like a true professional. She is a tiny, young woman with a cool sense of style and magnetic personality. I started listening way back in the field and by the end of the second song I was all the way up on the rail entranced by her talent and charm.
Lillie Mae is talented far beyond what one might imagine from a 26-year-old. She has been singing and performing for almost her entire life. She wrote all of the songs on Forever and Then Some, and she has performed everywhere from malls and RV parks to sold-out stadiums and festivals. Her unique upbringing and lifelong immersion in music has led Lillie Mae to create an authentically original sound all her own.
The chemistry of the entire band was apparent and impressive, but the bond (professional and personal) between Lillie Mae and her mandolin player and sister, Scarlett Rische, was absolutely phenomenal. The two of them, backed by other incredibly talented musicians, created a unique sound that a little country, bluegrass, folk, and blues all mixed together with impassioned lyrics and ardent energy.
Though I’ve never been a fan of anything resembling country music, I’m a new fan of Lillie Mae. There is no questioning her talent, her originality, and her charisma. Lillie Mae is taking her talent to Australia for several performances in July, but she will be back in the USA on August 10 for a performance at Miller Plaza in Chattanooga, TN and then she will perform at the OYO Arts & Music Festival in Ashland, KY on October 13. Catch her if you can!
Connect with Lillie Mae online:
Website: https://www.lilliemaemusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilliemaemusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilliemae_music
