Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #156: A Tale of Two Shows, Crobot w/ Chase the Comet & Galactic Reptile w/ Calling Monster Island

September 27th, 2024

The Winchester Music Tavern, 12112 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107

The Five O’Clock Lounge, 11904 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107

Good evening my friends and welcome back to my metal mental chum bucket aka the Rustbelt Rock Review. Tonight I sit ready to recall and regurgitate that which transpired this Friday night. My evening began with a couple pipes of Sour Oreos as I waited for Chen Killingsworth to arrive at my domicile. Once he did we loaded up and headed west toward Lakewood. This particular Friday had provided us with a conundrum. Specifically there were two shows going on and we wanted to be at both. The first was over at the Winchester where CKY was appearing with Crobot and Chase the Comet. The second was up at the Five O’Clock Lounge where Galactic Reptile was throwing down with their cohorts in Calling Monster Island. Now here’s the issue: We don’t particularly care for CKY. However, Chen and I absolutely love Crobot. We have seen them numerous times in the past, always in arenas. For the opportunity to catch them in as intimate of a setting as the Winchester... well that was something we simply could not pass on. It initially seemed that we would have to miss the Galactic Reptile show, if we were intent on catching Crobot. Or so I thought… until I took a look at the start times and had an epiphany. The CKY show started at 6:30, while Galactic Reptile didn’t kick off until 9:00. I did some quick math in my head and, taking into account that Crobot played second and that shows at the Five famously run behind schedule, I estimated we could do both. Chen agreed to attempt the maneuver and so we put our plan in motion. Arriving at The Winchester, we entered the club and found the room already significantly packed and the music well underway.

Our first musical offering of the evening was Chase the Comet, a band formed in Los Angeles by a group of Russian musicians. This would be their first ever performance in Ohio. They are female fronted and consist of Vocals, Guitar and Drums, with some background effects and Vox being pumped in via the PA. I was immediately impressed with the Vocalist’s pipes: She could definitely sing. I found the performance to be rocking enough to stay interested. That was largely to do with the bands impressive stage presence. The Vocalist and Guitarist both moved continuously engaging with the crowd and performing with each movement and gesture. On the second song after we arrived, she revealed laser finger gloves, dazzling the eyes of onlookers. Their sound was built around heavy riffs and poppy hooks. Their Guitarist would hammer out his chords while the Vocalist belted out clean well polished notes. On the fifth song in she asked everyone to please take out their cell phones and turn on the lights. Many people present obliged her and they swayed to the music with their illuminated devices above their heads. For their final song, a number called “Young and Beautiful,” they delivered a rocking rhythm, a solid riff and a powerful shot of energy. At one point during the song the band began to sort of “hunker down,” squatting on the stage. They encouraged everyone in the crowd to do the same and a number of people joined in. Together they got low and eventually jumped back up in time with the music. Chase the Comet finished up and the fans cheered. The crowd reaction was extremely positive and to be honest, the kids at the Winchester seemed to eat them up. Personally they weren’t for me, but who the hell am I? Just one dude in the middle of a cheering crowd. Everyone else seemed to really dig them, so I suppose I am in the minority here. With Chase the Comet now finished, we could on with the business at hand… Crobot was about to take to the stage.

This was the set I was most excited for in our evening. Like I said earlier, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to see Crobot in a small club setting. They have always been incredible performers and I looked forward to seeing what they would bring to the Winchester’s stage. For those of you who are not familiar with Crobot, allow me to illuminate you. Hailing from Pottsville, Pennsylvania they are a four man group constructed from Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. Taking to the stage like a wild fire they opened up with a new one, entitled simply “Metal.” They exploded into the set with amazing stage presence. Each member of the band Rocked out hard, headbanging and moving. I saw the Bass player climb to the top of some speakers and leap off without missing a note. Their frontman also delivered a whirlwind performance. He danced and grooved swirling and swinging the mic stand as if it were an extension of his body. The crowd exploded with applause, fans screamed their heads off all around me… and it was just the first song. Yes, it was obvious that Crobot came to bring it hard, and that this was a crowd built to Rock. Next they jumped into “Dizzy,” which had the fans howling. Now the Guitarist climbed the speakers, delivered a killer solo and spun his guitar around his neck by the strap. Then the broke into a new one, “Ancient Druid Crown” followed by and old one, “The Necromancer.” Yet Crobot was just getting started. Next they kicked things into high gear when they dropped “Gasoline,” which had the crowd singing along at top volume. The title track from the new album, “Obsidian” followed and it absolutely killed. During this one I felt a strong hand fall on my shoulder, and I was sure that security was about to shit on me over my vape pen. Low and behold, it was not security, but rather my friend and accomplice, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor from Roxxxstarradio. I greeted him with a big hug, he handed me his vape and together we turned our attention back to the show.

Up on the stage Crobot was still killing it. They got into more of the new material. I believe the next song was “From the Ground” which they followed with “Disappear.” After that they made my night and blew my mind when they broke out “Drown.” This was an epic concert moment to be sure and I ate up every minute of it. I wasn’t alone ans the crowd absolutely howled upon it’s completion. The singer then asked us “Have y’all seen Bigfoot?,” before breaking out “Nothing.” From the side of the stage a Sasquatch emerged and began running about the stage. It danced, headbanged, and in general molested the band while they blasted us with more of their stellar new material. Drawing near to the end of the set, Crobot treated us to perhaps their most well known song, “Low Life.” The crowd sang along word for word as the band laid out this all powerful jam. They extended the song for a while as the singer performed some on stage acrobatics. Running across the stage he jumped and landed on the Guitarists shoulders! The Guitarist played on and they continued the song with the singer riding like in an old school “chicken fight.” The fans again lost their shit as the song finished up in a big way. Finally closing out the set they performed the epic piece, “Without Wings.” This one is amazing. It truly rocks and comes across so much heavier live than on the album. With their fists in the air the crowd chanted “Hey! Hey! Hey!” in time with the beat. The song climaxed and with it so did the fans shouts. The set ended and the screams reached new heights. It had been an incredible set. Playing a total of 12 songs, Crobot, fully satisfied my needs and exceeded my wildest expectations. But our night wasn’t over yet. No we had a second stop on out evening agenda. Parting the crowd of the Winchester, Chen, Jimmy and I walked out into the night and headed North toward the Five O’Clock Lounge.

Eric Stevenson: Official Tattoo Artist of the Rustbelt Rock Review

Arriving at the Five we scanned the room and made our way to the rear patio. There we encountered the boys from both Galactic Reptile and Calling Monster Island. We settled in and shot the shit, most importantly we wished a happy birthday to Mr. Nick Lewis (Guitar/Galactic Reptile). Nick sparked a doobie, and Jimmy followed suit. The sweet aroma of reefer filled the air and we kicked back, enjoying the fine September evening. In time the joints burned down and lucky they did… it was nearly time for Calling Monster Island to take the stage. Heading inside we settled in. There was a projector aimed at the stage playing “Apocalypse Now” and Calling Monster Island was just gearing up. This is a four man band formed from Guitar/Vocals, Bass/Backing Vocals, Guitar and Drums. The Vox were rough and gravelly, the guitars were noisy and the tempo was fast. I was impressed with the Bass work right off the bat, finding it to be the most interesting part of the mix. Their second song I noticed had a sort of old school British Punk influence and I made yet another note about the Bass work. Third was the best one yet. It was the sort of song that makes me want to drive fast; to roll the windows down and really put the accelerator to the floor. Following this Calling Monster Island changed gears and began their flagship song, aptly named “Calling Monster Island.” This one begins with a long instrumental intro that slowly develops. When the vocals return it is with a hypnotic cadence, set over thundering percussion. The lyrics seem to paint a picture of a scene right out of King Kong. I imagine witch doctors raving, warriors dancing around roaring bonfires and virgins being sacrificed to some sort of horrible monstrosity. This song is long, trippy and loaded with heavy ass breaks. It slogs along, lulling the listener into a groove then violently shakes them out of it with explosions of distortion. Suffice to say it is a killer piece of music. They closed out the set with a melodic number which might be called “Just Another Modern Love Story.” It begins soft, relaxed and almost pretty in a way. In time however it tears open and becomes a wall of heavy noise. The Vox become a ranting and raving shoutfest, bringing the song to a close in a cacophony of Rock N’ Roll fury. The fans applauded and cheered, sending Calling Monster Island off in style. We returned to the patio where The Dook produced another joint which we blazed with glee.

It wasn’t long before we found ourselves back in front of the stage, amped and ready for Galactic Reptile. Yes, we were ready but apparently Galactic Reptile was not. They were experiencing some sort of technical difficulties with their guitar pedals and it took a team of men to finally get the affair settled. Once the problem was resolved the set was primed and ready to fire. It was time! But before we get to that, I must report that Galactic Reptile has updated their lineup since they last graced the pages of the RbRR. Galactic Reptile is now a FIVE piece band. They are forged together from Vocals, Guitar, Guitar/Vocals, Bass and Drums. (It is also worth noting, that Galactic Reptile and Calling Monster Island share a Singer) They play a style of aggressive Rock N’ Roll, with flashes of Punk and Metal that makes their sound sizzle. They opened up with a number called “Pain” that my notes describe as “Rumbling and Apocalyptic. Fire and Brimstone.” Second was a track called “The Abyss.” This song displayed the first of many ripping Guitar solos. I made a note here about the incredible stage presence of the Bass man, who was throwing down hard. Around this time I notice Damien Perry (Nosewig/Great Iron Snake) paling around with The Dook. I paid my respects then returned my attention to the stage, where the band had just begun “Dance of the Reptile.”

The vocals roared and the drums hammered. The Guitarist was wild eyed and alive with motion, while delivering superior soloing. “This Life” absolutely Rocked me! I was blown away by how good it sounded. Next came “Crazy” which had great energy. Following that we got a new one called “Let’s Be Real.” This was low and rumbling with a pounding riff. On “Nothing Given” we got great dual vocals between Singer and Guitarist. The back and forth conveying excellent energy. “Rock U Baby” was pure, unapologetic, bitchin’ Rock N’ Roll that had the crowd banging their heads. “MEK” brought rapid fire vocals along with some searing Guitar work. This gave way to a long outro that developed into the beginning of “Candyland.” This one is always a treat to see live and it has an absolutely magnificent Guitar solo. Drawing near to the end of the set Galactic Reptile broke out “Shadows/Ride Devil Ride.” With more incredible riffage coming from both Guitarists I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Here we had a quick chorus of “Happy Birthday” aimed at Nick. When the song concluded the broke out one final track, a song I believe was called “Figure it Out.” We banged out heads and rocked one last time as Galactic Reptile laid it out with magnificence. The song ended and the crowd cheered. Galactic Reptile said goodnight and soon after so did I. Chen and I headed to the car and made a dash to the nearest drive through for some desperately needed cheeseburgers.

Then is was Eastward bound, and home sweet home. As I said earlier, shows at the Five tend to run late. It was well past one when I finally made it to bed and I was exhausted. Four bands spread across two clubs was a night worth remembering. I didn’t really dig Chase the Comet but a lot of other people did. They definitely played hard and gave it their all which is commendable. Crobot was incredible. They exceeded all expectations and left me utterly floored by both their performance and their excellent song choices. Calling Monster Island was good and I always enjoy the opportunity to watch them play their title track. Finally Galactic Reptile rocked my socks off. They are one of my favorite bands in Northeast Ohio and I love to watch them perform. And that my friends concludes my Tale of Two Shows. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for continuing to support the RbRR and our local music scene. Bang your heads, wear your earplugs and...

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

9/29-9/30/24

Links:

Crobot

https://www.crobotband.com/

Chase the Comet

https://chasethecomet.com/home

Galactic Reptile

https://www.facebook.com/p/Galactic-Reptile-100076374691384/