We’re not even through the first quarter of 2007, but who cares: We’re gonna say the year belongs to the Used. After rockin’ the 2005 Rockstar Taste Of Chaos International campaign, the band—singer Bert McCracken, guitarist Quinn Allman and bassist Jeph Howard—spent the last year taking a break from each other, reconvening to write songs and then recording the “riffalicious” tracks for their third, as-yet-untitled new album (most of which you are going to hear tonight). While McCracken is excited about new Used music, as well as other projects (like the recently released longform live DVD, Berth), he’s as totally amped for RTOC 2K7 as your annoying younger siblings were for the holidays. “It really is like Warped Tour,” he says, enthusiastically. “Minus the heat, the sweat and the porta-pottys. It’s got that community of rock, roll, piss, shit and good times. As a music fan, I’m totally stoked. I want the bands to keep it sweeeet, you know? It doesn’t matter who has the best lighting rig or stage props: My favorite bands should be able to rock my face off without that shit. Period.” —Jason Pettigrew |
The trajectory of 30 Seconds To Mars over the past year has been out of this world. (Get it? Mars? Out of this world? We slay ourselves.) After the release of their second album, A Beautiful Lie, which was fueled by the anthemic single “The Kill,” the prog-emo outfit wooed audiences and critics alike and ended up taking home a bunch of heavy and important statuettes. (MTV2 Award and Fuse Chainsaw Award are just two that come to mind.) Plus, the quartet was the first American rock band to ever shoot an entire video in China, which resulted in The Last Emperor-esque clip for “From Yesterday” and clocked in at nearly 15 minutes. Not too shabby for a bunch of dudes who have had to fight for every inch of success. So what can fans and members of the Echelon—30STM’s rabid street team—expect from the band’s run on Rockstar Taste Of Chaos? Their lips are sealed. “The experience should be left up to each person’s own interpretation,” insists drummer Shannon Leto. What about any dream duets? Shannon, can you drop us a hint? “I would like to see Jared [Leto] sing with Jesus Christ.” Hmmm, WWJD? —Leslie Simon |
Senses Fail’s Buddy Nielsen may’ve been all tied up in the band’s video for “Calling All Cars,” the first single off their latest album Still Searching, but he managed to break free just in time to participate in this year’s Rockstar Taste Of Chaos. Hallelujah! And if you happened to miss the Jersey boys on Warped Tour this past summer, then you better gear up for the madness sure to ensure during the third edition of “winter Warped.” “Taste Of Chaos is a great winter tour,” gushes bassist Mike Glita. “It’s put together well, it’s easy, and you get to go out with five or six awesome bands that you’re usually friends with. I’m really excited to be doing Taste Of Chaos again this year cause we had such a great time two years ago.” But, isn’t Senses Fail going to be tired of the dudes in Saosin after playing together for the past 10 years—okay, actually it’s only been four, months but you know what we mean. “Honestly, we enjoy each other’s company,” admits Glita. “We have become like brothers, which makes it really easy. And I enjoy watching them play, so it’s all good.” Sniff, sniff… Now everybody bro hug! —Leslie Simon |
While their full-length debut only came out in September, California’s post-screamo sensations Saosin certainly aren’t new to the game; in fact, the band were an opening act for 2005’s Rockstar Taste Of Chaos. How will this time around be different? “Well, we won’t be opening the show, and we won’t be in a van,” says bassist Chris Sorenson. “We crashed our van in Canada on the first Taste Of Chaos, and then did 13 shows in a row in an RV on Warped Tour in 2005, which was just grueling. I think with being in a bus, it’s gonna really help us concentrate on meeting fans and playing well; also, we plan on writing some new stuff.” Considering it took about a bajillion years for Saosin to come out, we’re ready to buy these boys a whole fleet of buses if it means LP2 will be out before 2010. Of course, Senses Fail might kill them before then: “This will be our fourth tour in a row with Senses Fail, so I’m sure we all won’t be sick of each other by then,” jokes Sorenson. “Mike Glita, their bass player, can turn people to stone with one look. He’s like a possessed demon child—he may look innocent and quiet, but under that big ol’ butt, he’s got some secrets no one wants to uncover.” —Scott Heisel |
Let’s face it: The men of Chiodos apparently have a remarkable amount of energy. Somewhere between touring the country with Atreyu, writing material for their new album scheduled to drop later this year and covering Mr. Big’s “To Be With You” on AP’s XM Radio Show, the fiery, keyboard-toting, Shakespeare-spouting hardcore act are adding to the, um, chaos on the 2007 installment of Rockstar Taste Of Chaos. Fans shouldn’t fret that the band have too much on their plate, though, because Chiodos have a plan. “We will be writing as much of the album as possible before [Taste Of Chaos], and then playing some of the new songs while on tour,” says frontman Craig Owens. “We jump immediately into recording after the tour wraps.” They also have a strategy for all the 30 Seconds To Mars fans who may not have heard their music before. “We will play just like we always do,” says Owens. “Hopefully those kids will see what we do and connect to the music we make… [We’re] trying to kill it every night.” —Rachel Lux |
AIDEN Rockstar Taste Of Chaos isn’t just another tour for Aiden. It’s a mission. Forming in spring 2003, the horror-infused emocore outfit have risen from the post-flannel Seattle scene to solidify their lofty place in the bleeding hearts and message boards of rabid fans across the globe with their Misfits-inspired brand of theatrical rock—whether you buy into the constant AFI and My Chemical Romance comparisons or not. But even after the Halloween release of their Rain In Hell EP, their inclusion on the Underworld: Evolution soundtrack, and the band’s recent Australian club tour, vocalist wiL Francis knows there are still fans to be swayed. “For a band our size who doesn’t have radio or MTV airplay, Taste Of Chaos is a great way to show people who we are,” he says. “We only have a half an hour to try and win over as many new fans as we can, so expect a high-energy, explosive performance.” Does that mean their first big arena tour will give them space to unveil any high-concept stage-show theatrics? “Well, that would ruin the surprise now, wouldn’t it?” —Tim Karan |
Four years ago in California, Used guitarist Quinn Allman was signing autographs for some fans after a show when some guy pushed a CD-R into his hand. He figured it was some kid who downloaded a disc of Used tunes off the ’Net winding him up, but he signed it anyway. The kid piped up, “No! That’s my friend’s band! I want you to listen to it!” That’s how the Turlock, California-based Evaline got on the rock radar with their caffeine-imbued, yet melodically rich pop. At Allman’s invitation, singer/viola player Richard Jonathan “R.J.” Perry, guitarists Christian Lewis and Dominic DiCiano, drummer Steven Forrest and bassist/synth op Steve Pedersen traveled to Salt Lake City to record Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait Of Skin, a collection of tunes that would hold their own alongside the moody atmospheres of bands like Thrice and Dredg, than any kind of Warped-sanctioned mosh-fest. Sure, Evaline will cop to blasting Radiohead in their tour van, but when they hit a stage, their universe is tweaked significantly. “I tend to get pretty messed up from show to show,” singer Perry says. “I’ve got a lot of split-open headwounds from flying headstocks of guitars and basses. Once, I got hit in the temple and I split my eye [socket] open. It’s kinda hard to capture that stuff on a disc.” —Jason Pettigrew |
THE USED
30 SECONDS TO MARS
SENSES FAIL
SAOSIN
CHIODOS
EVALINE