This past weekend, I virtually attended School of Rock's Winter of Rock festival, which was broadcasted on their YouTube. Acts included The Jacks, almost monday, and DREAMERS. It was a fantastic experience and a much needed break for this holiday season.
The Jacks
for fans of: The Pale White, The Black Keys, & Cage the Elephant
The Jacks are a four-piece rock band from Los Angeles, CA, consisting of Jonny Stanback (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tom Hunter (lead guitar/vocals), Scott Stone (bass guitar/vocals), and Josh Roossin (drums/percussion). They're a rock n' roll band through and through, with their influences of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and The Black Keys shining clearly in their sound.
The Jacks opened with "Who Are You," followed with "Threw It All Away," "Understand," "Walk Away," and ended with "Just A Little Bit." They blew me away. The Jacks are everything I love in a rock band - they've got that 70s-British Invasion, bluesy, guitar-driven sound and it's amazing. That's the kind of sound I love, the kind of sound that rock definitely needs more of.
They're the kind of rock band making music that I can see myself falling in love with. The Jacks have something really special about them, and I am extremely excited to see where they go.
almost monday
for fans of: The Wombats, AJR, and The Killers
almost monday - a indie pop trio from San Diego, CA, that consist of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Luke Fabry (bass), and Cole Clisby (guitar), making songs that remind you of warm sunshine and happy nights with friends. Their songs are complete with funky basslines, danceable grooves, and lyrics that everyone can relate to, ones that celebrate the idea that you're perfect as you are, promoting self-love & acceptance.
almost monday opened with "live forever," a track that's not been released on streaming services yet, followed with "come on come on," "don't say you're ordinary," "parking lot view," and ended with "broken people." I love them. These songs make you want to get up and dance, make you feel glad to be alive. almost monday make exactly the kind of uplifting music that we all need after a year like 2020.
They don't have many tracks out yet, and that's okay - I'm very excited to see what's next for them in 2021.
DREAMERS
for fans of: Bad Suns, The Wrecks, & The Unlikely Candidates
DREAMERS are a pop-rock trio from Manhattan, NY who make a unique brand of music that combines grunge, art-school eccentric, and the 70s punk scene. Members of DREAMERS consist of Nick Wold (lead vocals, guitar), Marc Nelson (bass, keyboard, vocals,) and Jacob Lee Wick (drums, vocals).
DREAMERS are one of my personal favorite bands, their music is infectious and I absolutely love it. This performance was amazing. They opened with "Desensitize," a recent track from their This Machine Kills Fascists EP, released earlier this year, that offers commentary on how society is becoming desensitized to the horrors of the world. Following "Desensitize," came "The Last Love Song," "Teddy Bear," "Heatseeker," a fantastic modern rock rendition of The Cranberries' "Zombie," "Wolves (You Got Me)," "Die Happy," and ended with "Sweet Disaster."
I love DREAMERS' music so much, and any chance to see them perform live is always an unforgettable one.
Overall, School of Rock's Winter of Rock festival was an amazing early Christmas gift, a truly wonderful, enjoyable experience. I got to see DREAMERS, a band that I already adore, and was able to check out two new bands - The Jacks & almost monday, two bands that I can already tell will soon become my favorites.
Listen to The Jacks, almost monday, and DREAMERS on Spotify. Follow School of Rock on Instagram to stay informed about more events by School of Rock like this one in the future.
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