Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Venue: Pub Rock, Scottsdale, AZ (https://pubrocklive.com/ )
Date: Saturday July 23rd, 2022
It has been almost 8 weeks since I went to a concert. I was scheduled to go to Ecuador for a wildlife photography tour back in 2020 just days before the Covid shutdown. Like so many other things over the past 2 years, this trip has been on hold. Finally in July I was able to go on this trip. I just got back from the trip and I saw that one of the bands I like, VARKAN was playing and I decided to go to support them and get back into concert shape and work out any bugs for future concerts.
There is both good and bad about seeing bands at a small bar. The good is that you can see a number of different local bands at one time and determine which of those you like. It also usually only cost $10 to $20 to see 3 or 5 local bands and 1 touring band. After hearing about the asinine fees that Live Nation is charging for a Bruce Springsteen ticket (> $500), these bar concerts are a steal. The other really nice thing is that you get to talk to the band members and might even get them to sign merchandise they have for sale. The bad is that the lighting is poor (bad for us photographers), the stage is low and the sound can be difficult (Too loud or mixed wrong). You might also have to suffer through bands that you don’t like to get to either the band you came for or the headliner.
I have tried to go to more of these bar concerts to discover more local bands. Over the past year I have discovered a number of really good local bands and even tonight I found a new band that I like, Show N Tell. Will these bands ever become touring bands? Your guess is as good as mine, but many bands had to start out this way including Alice Cooper, Gin Blossoms, The Tubes and the new hot band from the Phoenix area, The Black Moods.
EvilDead
When I first heard that EvilDead was headlining this concert, my mind went to Bruce Campbell in the Evil Dead movie series. For those not familiar with this series, it consisted of 3 movies in the 80s and early 90s, Evil Dead, Evil Dead II and one of the greatest “B” movies ever, Army of Darkness.
Evildead is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1986. Over the past 25 years the band has broken up and reformed. EvilDead is currently consists of Juan Garcia on guitar with fellow guitarist Albert Gonzales, bass player Karlos Medina, drummer Rob Alaniz and lead singer Phil Flores.
As with all thrash metal bands, the music was aggressive and fast tempo. Thrash metal erupted on the music scene in the 80s with the Big 4 – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. It is experiencing a rebirth in the 2010s. Riding the new wave, Evildead reformed in 2015 and in 2020 they released their 3rd album, United States of Anarchy. The majority of the songs from tonight’s show were from this new album. However, they did dig back into their roots and played songs from their debut album Annihilation of Civilization. They ended their set with their most popular song, “Annihilation of Civilization”.
It was a small crowd, but the ones that were there were very energetic. There was even a mosh pit of about 6 to 8 people. Overall, everyone seemed to have a very good time and enjoyed the show.
You can find out more about Evildead and their upcoming concert dates on either their website or Facebook page.
Website: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/75940-evildead
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Evildead.Official
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
EvilDead Setlist: (Album)
A.O.P. <> Descending (United States of Anarchy)
Future Shock (Annihilation of Civilization)
Blasphemy Divine (United States of Anarchy)
No Difference (United States of Anarchy)
F.C.I. / The Awakening (Annihilation of Civilization)
Bathe in Fire
Word of God (United States of Anarchy)
Greenhouse (United States of Anarchy)
Slow Death (Annihilation of Civilization)
Napoleon Complex (United States of Anarchy)
Gone Shooting (Annihilation of Civilization)
Annihilation of Civilization (Annihilation of Civilization)
We Steal Copper
We Steal Copper is a local band from the Phoenix, Arizona area. They combine punk and thrash metal to create a unique sound. I have never been a punk rock fan, so this band was not interesting for me. They were good, but seemed to not draw the same level of crowd enthusiasm as the prior bands. However, those individuals that were upfront were extremely enthusiastic and seemed to really enjoy the music. The last song they performed include guitarist XXX from EvilDead.
You can check out We Steal Copper on their Facebook page and YouTube.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/westealcopper
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIxQZNcRjf4
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
Intent
Intent is a Thrash Metal quartet from the wasteland of Mesa, Arizona. From their website: “Inspired by decades worth of heavy and underground music, Intent combines powerful rhythms and insightful lyrics to bring about an experience that is few and far between.” They have produced 3 albums including Vox Populi, Intent and Elephants in the Room.
Intent is fronted by Jeremy Lambert on vocals and guitar, Laithan Bellavance on guitar, Patrick Murphy on bass and drummer Garrett Loper. I was impressed by this group. They were extremely good and they can really thrash. Their onstage excitement was infectious and the crowd responded in kind. It was the start of the mosh pit for the night. If you like thrash metal then I would recommend seeing Intent when they come to a venue near you.
You can discover more about Intent by going to their different websites. Check out their YouTube channel to see videos of their different songs and concerts.
Website: https://intentthrash.com/index.html
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Intentbandaz
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9McqR3Xfl7wV-bLwrTK3Mw
Intent Set list:
Victims of Conquest
Network Failure
Shallow Earth
Verbatim
Number 12 (Looks Just Like You)
5th Column
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
Show N Tell
This is the second time I have seen Show N Tell. To be honest, I did not remember seeing them before until I saw them on stage. Then it was impossible to forget the bushy haired lead singer and guitarist David Rodriguez that looks like a throwback to the 80s hair band days. I originally saw them in May when they were on the underbill for Quiet Riot. At that show I thought they were very good. But tonight, I was even more impressed by their performance. They had an energy that was infectious. The crowd picked up on this and really got into the music. I usually watch the crowd when I see a new local band to see how they react. If the crowd really gets into the music, then I know that this might be a band to watch in the future. From the reaction of the crowd, we should watch this band for good things could happen for the.
Show N Tell consists of lead singer and guitarist David Rodriguez, guitarist Daniel Dobbs, bass player Cade Gardner and drummer Mike Thomas.
You can find out more information and upcoming concert dates on either their website or Facebook Page. You can laso see videos of the band on YouTube.
Website: https://www.show-n-tell.band/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialshowNtell
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
Varkan
This is the band I really came to see. I have seen them perform multiple times and I have interacted with Alec (the lead singer and guitarist) multiple times. From their Biography: “Hailing from the Arizona desert, Varkan combines elements of NWOBHM, thrash, and extreme metal to create hard-hitting, melodic, and technical power metal. The Phoenix power-thrashers deliver theatrical, high-energy performances that hearken back to the glory days of heavy metal.”
Varkan consists of lead singer and guitarist Alec Damiano, drummer Michael Rodriguez, guitarist Dominic Scarano and bassist Salvador Barragan. Together this group of musicians generate a unique sound of thrash, power and melodic metal. Both Dominic and Alec provide a heavy sound with classic riffs and deep rhythm licks. Add in the thundering heart pounding drumming of Michael and the masterful bassline from Salvadore, this band drives the audience to an intense state.
Their set was short, only ½ hours like all of the other underbill bands, but it was a powerful set. Two of their better songs are “Butcher” and “Filthy Human Race” which they end their set with.
If you get a chance to see Varkan I would highly recommend it. They are extremely good.
You can check out Varkan on their website or Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Website: https://www.varkanofficial.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/varkanofficial
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMAGZnGmaTvC2IzaQmCMQZg
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
Thrashcan
Unfortunately, I missed the first couple of songs because I showed up when they hit the stage. Thrashcan is a raccoon thrash band (???) out of Phoenix, Arizona. They seem to be a cross between a Thrash band and a Punk band.
Be careful in searching for this band. They combine the names into 1 word, Thrashcan. There is another band with the same name but “can” is a separate word. To discover more about Trashcan, go to their Facebook page.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Thrashcanband
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
