HEVYDEVY FORUMS

Did you see this show with DTP, Scale The Summit, Cynic and Between The Buried And Me at Northern Lights in Albany, NY?

Please post your reviews, setlists, photos and video links here!

Thanks,

Mikey
hevydevy.com

So...

Got back from the show a bit ago and... in a nutshell... Awesome.

And loud. Very loud.

I was situated near the stage, on the right side (Dave's side) and it was quite the show. Dev is an extremely odd and immensely entertaining performer. The vocals during Kingdom were freaking awesome. Hearing Dev sing the verses to Supercrush was unexpected (after seeing other vids where he's chatting with the crowd), but was awesome. It actually sounded pretty darn good. Aww hell, why pick and choose... the whole show was great.

Even when the mic stand fell over, it was handled quite gracefully... as such a thing could be handled, anyway.

I have no pictures or videos because I'm lame and didn't bring a camera, but from what I saw there were several there who did, so hopefully there will be some great stuff online soon.

So... to everyone in DTP, awesome show, guys... and thanks for coming out

Also... hola to the folks I was hanging out talking to before the show, freezing our asses off... the two guys and gal who'd driven 2 hours to get there, the dude from Syracuse and the guy he was standing next to... Sorry, didn't get your names.

Scale the Summit was quite good! Reminded me a bit of a mix of King Krimson and Dream Theater... with some other influences in there that I can't place atm.

So yeah... there's my sorta review about it.

Great time.

Edit: hooray for improper word usage!

Just got back. It was a great concert, all the instruments sounded great. Only problem was that I got too damn close to one of the speakers so Devin voice sounded very screechy and full of static. I thought it was a broken microphone or speaker at first, but when I talked to some of my friends talking in the back they said he had sounded great. I must be getting old, I used to be able to go all the way up front and not have a problem lol. Devin is a GREAT performer though, holy shit, he was running around and making all sorts of hilarious faces. Disruptr and Kingdom were the highlights for me, both songs sounded so fucking HEAVY. Ryan was particularly awesome during Kingdom, his drumming was impeccable. The crowd was alright...not a lot of people seemed really into it, but they clapped and threw up the hands after every song so that was good.

I was really hoping to meet Dev and the band, but I didn't see them walking around and I figured they weren't outside because of the temperature. That was a bummer, but Dev mentioned something about being sick (he told a HILARIOUS story about having the runs) so I wouldn't have felt too comfortable bothering him anyway. Last thing someone wants to deal with when they are not feeling well is a star-struck, obnoxious fan lol.

Side note: As Devin was setting up he mentioned something about how cold it was,I yelled "THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE BALD". I don't think he heard me though.... I didn't mean any disrespect, it's just that I'm bald too, and I know just how much it sucks to have that problem up here in the North Country haha.

Hyperviolence wrote:The crowd was alright...not a lot of people seemed really into it, but they clapped and threw up the hands after every song so that was good.

That apparently depends where you were standing. Side Beav was a frickin' blast. The tall and the small all worked up a serious case of whiplash which only relented for a few seconds to readjust balance after the pit spilled over. Who knows? Maybe the mighty Rochester Posse (who need to youtube that video they took) combined with that of the omni-present Froghat Jones turned the little fishies into starving sharks.

I was really hoping to meet Dev and the band, but I didn't see them walking around and I figured they weren't outside because of the temperature

Be glad you left. I guess that security sporadically designated someone for "go and shout at potential loiterers in the bus area" duty. That would've posed a slight issue because in the unlikely event someone went outside when they didn't absolutely have to, anyone hanging around had to keep far enough back to avoid the ole "if you don't fucking move NOW I will call the cops and ban you for life" routine.

The only song I got on video. Sound is a little flaky because I was so close to the speakers.

[youtube]bRWC-9tWwfQ[/youtube]

And some of my photos.

First off, I recorded audio of Dev's entire set. If anyone's interested, you can download the MP3s or FLACs here - http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=3fb6 ... 85da44e881

Secondly, it was cold as hell standing outside! And it was even cold inside the place too. What an odd venue for a concert by the way... inside of a strip mall in what was probably a clothing store at some point. At least in my imagination.

Lastly, after having never seen Dev live ever before, I saw him the night prior in Boston and then again in NY. The road trip was only about two and a half hours. Definitely worth the trip even if it was just for a thirty-minute set! Absolutely cannot wait for Dev and the guys to tour again. A headlining tour would be sick, but I'll take what I can get.

Yeah it was freezing. What sucked worse was that me and my friend stood nearly 25 minutes in line...only to find out once we reached the end that we had to purchase the tickets in the OTHER line.

Thanks for the mp3's Hatredcopter. Sucks we didn't find each other but that place was way more packed than I expected. Didn't realize BTBAM had gotten such a big following.

Devin's set followed the very talented "scale the summit" youngsters, who's music was of the technical progressive metal instrumental medley variety. it was the first time I have ever heard, or heard of them. They really set the Progressive mood well with some great melodic atmospherics. No vocals. When Devin came on he was all charm and presence. Cracking a few jokes and getting some interaction with the audience. I heard the bald head joke made by the previous poster! I was up front and to the right. Directly infront of the speaker. The sound was unbeliveable loud. It was nothing like ever heard before. I'm pretty conscious of saving my sense of hearing, and immediatly regretted not bringing ear protection. I'm not faulting the volume, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. After getting my fix of being up close I ducked out to the back of the venue and enjoyed the show from afar. He surprised me with kingdom and "by your command." his set was produces well and was super brutal. No quiet stuff. The anneke vocals were phoned in, synths too. His voice was the best part of he show for me, really impressive sound, crazy transitions from clean belting to those famous growling screams. It was all there, everything you've grown accoustomed to on the albums was there. I was surprise. To hear he was under he weather. I'm guessing a lot of new fans were formed that night.

God that was loud!

Also, I was supposed to see the show I'm boston, but got snowed in in ct. Come to the Webster in Hartford dev! And play it all next time!

Hatredcopter wrote:First off, I recorded audio of Dev's entire set. If anyone's interested, you can download the MP3s or FLACs here - http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=3fb6 ... 85da44e881

Well, shucks, I didn't get you anything.

Thanks a bunch for this!

What a fun freaking show!
As if no one has made this point, it was completely freezing in Albany (or Clifton Park) that evening!!! I got to the venue at about 5:00 (since I was coming from Syracuse I didn't want to show up and have a line be 300 people long to a show where I came to see the second act! I saw a couple people go to the door, so I said, why not! After I realized it was 2 degrees, i understood why and promptly returned to my car! The venue was in a peculiar spot, in the middle of a strip mall sort of place. When it was about 545 I got out and waited. My god was it cold are all the word i need to say about the weather. While in line I heard Dev doing a little soundcheck, hearing the samples from Truth through the speakers got me giddy as hell, since it was the first time seeing Dev solo, IE without Strapping.
When we got inside, I was in my fanboy state and ran to the front. We proceeded to wait a good hour before any music began. The intro band was ok, nothing I haven't heard before. Then Devy and the boys came out. It's a blast to see Dev go from his goofy covered in snow gear look to his stage presence, but what a presence it was, as always. Being right up front is always the biggest treat because you get to connect with the band in a way where you don't give a care about anyone who isn't as into the music. Amazing set for the given time frame, getting to finally hear Truth live marks off one of my life goals..! Being so into it was a bad thing for a little bit because I had plenty of moments where Dev felt the need to jam right in front above me, giving me an eye full of crotch, but hey, some people enjoy that so i can't complain.... right?
Amazing set, got a slight video of Kingdom to remind myself how close I was, but it was shotty because, damnit, the set was to short so I am right there singing along!
After the set, I headed to the merch table, got myself a sweet dtp belt buckle and figured I'd try to meet the crew. Having met Dev in the past, I just wanted to say hey and thank him for touring again, and be all giddy. I left the venue, and realized it was in the middle of the damn strip mall again! Since I wasn't there to see the other bands particularly, i said fuck it and walked all the way around the thing! Feeling nothing short of a stalker walking through the darkness around this building, I came across two buses, and no one was there. I hung out a minute when a couple came veering in to a parking spot by the buses and a couple came out waiting to meet the band also. I wasn't alone! A couple minutes pass, and we see the guys loading the bus. We offer to help, but they had a set system, which makes sense. A couple minutes after, RVP and Dev come around and chat with us for a minute. Obviously in this weather and with Dev's illness, I didn't expect to say too much, as I said, just wanted to show my appreciation, and the guys just as appreciative to have us, it seemed. So we got some signatures, took some photos and headed out!

Me with Dev:


My crapass video of Kingdom, Don't mind the horrible sound, as everyone said. It was loud.
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Miek wrote:What a fun freaking show!
As if no one has made this point, it was completely freezing in Albany (or Clifton Park) that evening!!! I got to the venue at about 5:00 (since I was coming from Syracuse I didn't want to show up and have a line be 300 people long to a show where I came to see the second act! I saw a couple people go to the door, so I said, why not! After I realized it was 2 degrees, i understood why and promptly returned to my car! The venue was in a peculiar spot, in the middle of a strip mall sort of place. When it was about 545 I got out and waited. My god was it cold are all the word i need to say about the weather. While in line I heard Dev doing a little soundcheck, hearing the samples from Truth through the speakers got me giddy as hell, since it was the first time seeing Dev solo, IE without Strapping.
When we got inside, I was in my fanboy state and ran to the front. We proceeded to wait a good hour before any music began. The intro band was ok, nothing I haven't heard before. Then Devy and the boys came out. It's a blast to see Dev go from his goofy covered in snow gear look to his stage presence, but what a presence it was, as always. Being right up front is always the biggest treat because you get to connect with the band in a way where you don't give a care about anyone who isn't as into the music. Amazing set for the given time frame, getting to finally hear Truth live marks off one of my life goals..! Being so into it was a bad thing for a little bit because I had plenty of moments where Dev felt the need to jam right in front above me, giving me an eye full of crotch, but hey, some people enjoy that so i can't complain.... right?
Amazing set, got a slight video of Kingdom to remind myself how close I was, but it was shotty because, damnit, the set was to short so I am right there singing along!
After the set, I headed to the merch table, got myself a sweet dtp belt buckle and figured I'd try to meet the crew. Having met Dev in the past, I just wanted to say hey and thank him for touring again, and be all giddy. I left the venue, and realized it was in the middle of the damn strip mall again! Since I wasn't there to see the other bands particularly, i said fuck it and walked all the way around the thing! Feeling nothing short of a stalker walking through the darkness around this building, I came across two buses, and no one was there. I hung out a minute when a couple came veering in to a parking spot by the buses and a couple came out waiting to meet the band also. I wasn't alone! A couple minutes pass, and we see the guys loading the bus. We offer to help, but they had a set system, which makes sense. A couple minutes after, RVP and Dev come around and chat with us for a minute. Obviously in this weather and with Dev's illness, I didn't expect to say too much, as I said, just wanted to show my appreciation, and the guys just as appreciative to have us, it seemed. So we got some signatures, took some photos and headed out!

Nice! So ya got your belt buckle after all then, eh? We were chatting outside before the show... I was the guy who'd been introduced to Devin twice before and never quite "caught on" either time... etc. etc.

Was cool to meet ya... awesome photo and vid... and damn I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt a bit odd with Dev's crotch looming overhead... esp. with his talk of "balls" being a theme for the evening. Was indeed a great show.

Very cool that you got to meet him after the show. I wanted to add that I was surprised he played "truth" it was awesome!

thanx for the mp3 links!

I was so happy to see Devin live. I discovered SYL in late 2006 and Ocean Machine in early 2007, so I never had a chance to see him live before this concert. When he went on hiatus in 2007, I was afraid I might never see a live performance. I consider Devin's music a gift and am extremely grateful for it.

The first band - Scale the Summit - was very good, I though. Truthfully, I only went to the event to hear Devin and was not expecting anything from the other bands, but Scale the Summit was a welcome surprise. Cynic didn't do much for me, but my brother liked them. BTBAM gave a really good performance, but was not quite my style.

The one thing that really hurt my experience was the extreme loudness of Devin's set. I brought ear plugs in case things got painfully loud, so I don't think I destroyed my hearing, but it was a bit much. I was pleasantly surprised that Scale the Summit was mixed so well; I did not wear my earplugs through their entire set and felt quite comfortable. After that experience, I resolved not to wear earplugs for Devin's set, figuring it would be about the same level and wanting to take in all the DTP goodness I could get. Oh, how wrong I was. I felt like my ears were dying in the middle of Supercrush!, so I put in the plugs. Devin, if you want your fans to enjoy your material - not only now, but ten years from now - please find someone who will run a console without deafening your fans.

My fiance and I only stayed till the end of DTP's set, and for no other reason than to witness the absolute genious I listen to every single day, that is the Devin Townsend Project/Band. I have been waiting a long time for this and we were both very excited for the show. It was an incredible performace no doubt, I love the attitude and and playing was top notch! I have a long and lasting respect for what DT does and always will, and we were glad to be able to witness this event! The song selection for what was unfortuately a 30 minute set was perfect, adding a little bit of the old, and a little bit of the new. I am truly looking forward to the next time they come around and play, and hopefully a headlining set. Great show!

Now... I must say that I was disappointed with one thing. And I say this humbly because I know what it's like when people say shit like "I can't hear the vocals" or "It's too loud!" Being an audio engineer myself, and also being 28 years old (i know i still have my hearing) that's not cool for people to say, especially when there are things beyond "our" control. Like this gentleman put quite clearly...

The one thing that really hurt my experience was the extreme loudness of Devin's set. I brought ear plugs in case things got painfully loud, so I don't think I destroyed my hearing, but it was a bit much. I was pleasantly surprised that Scale the Summit was mixed so well; I did not wear my earplugs through their entire set and felt quite comfortable. After that experience, I resolved not to wear earplugs for Devin's set, figuring it would be about the same level and wanting to take in all the DTP goodness I could get. Oh, how wrong I was. I felt like my ears were dying in the middle of Supercrush!, so I put in the plugs. Devin, if you want your fans to enjoy your material - not only now, but ten years from now - please find someone who will run a console without deafening your fans.

... I couldn't agree with this more. I did take a walk around at the second song just to make sure where I was standing wasn't the reason for the pain in my ears. Unfortunately it didn't help.

Devin... you are a true professional and I am sorry to say that your engineer did you and your entire band a dis-service by pushing the level too much out front. I would hope that in the future you will find someone to help represent and recreate your music as well as your entire band does, out at FOH. Someone who would be as serious as the business is. Because in my very honest and humble opinion (which im sure really doesn't matter), and with all due respect, your FOH engineer did an extremely poor job.

Good luck on the rest of the tour, and we're looking forward to seeing you again!