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Substream Magazine •

Lollapalooza 2019: In Portraits

Journalist, Self-published author of five books, and photographer since 2014, Murjani "MJ" Rawls has been stretching his capabilities of his creativity and passions, Rawls has as a portfolio spanning through many mediums including music, television, movies, and more. Operating out of the New York area, Rawls has photographed over 200+ artists spanning many genres, written over 600 articles ranging displaying his passionate aspirations to keep evolving as his years in media continue.
Substream Magazine •

FEATURE: Welcome To The Allan Rayman Show

Allan Rayman prefers not to do many interviews. With the marketing of music that makes an emphasis on visibility, Rayman chooses mysticism. In some ways, being a mystery can be a gimmick in itself, but for the Canadian-based singer/songwriter, there’s a real authenticity in pulling back the curtain and leading with his art. No marketing ploy, just artistry.

Rayman’s show at Warsaw had a sign emblazoned “The Allan Rayman Show” in the background. Like his music, the performance was more of a way
Substream Magazine •

LIVE REVIEW: LÉON celebrates her creativity and consistency in New York

There’s a specific part of a concert where the crowd is settled down and an artist has them right in the palm of their hand. You get over the initial rush of the beginning and the whole building comes into a hush as an artist gets into a really emotional moment. In the middle of her sold out show at New York in Irving Plaza, Swedish-born singer LÉON began to sing “Body,” a song off her 2017 EP of the same name.

It’s a song that LÉON has expressed as a composition of nostalgia. Summer love, in p
Music Mayhem Magazine •

PHOTOS: Radio.com Presents ALT 92.3 FM’s ‘Not So Silent Night’ at Barclays Center

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY welcomed the first annual ‘Radio.com Presents Not So Silent Night’ in conjunction with Alt 92.3 which graced the New York airwaves in November 2017. A particularly frosty December 6th night was a who’s who regarding the top artists in alternative music. From AJR, CHVRCHES, Florence + The Machine, and Muse, it was something for everyone. Check out the action from the night below:
• None Foster The People at ALT 92.3 FM’s ‘Not So Silent Night’
• None Foster The
Substream Magazine •

PHOTOS: Mike Shinoda honors a friend and heals with friends during 'post traumatic' release show

Every concert has their own moments that will always stick to you. It’s a feeling that is better told as a story than captured on a device. Every album cycle or every tour leg has its own unique experiences, but the Post Traumatic EP release show in New York was something different.

Linkin Park had been a staple in the fabric of alternative rock for close to 20 years before the tragic suicide of Chester Bennington on July 20th, 2017. When you revisit most of the material now, the songs have a d
Substream Magazine •

PHOTOS: Paramore dances through the pain with purpose on tour five

“Forget the bullshit that’s going on outside of here for two hours and be here with us.” lead singer Hayley Williams of Paramore proclaimed to the packed Barclays Center crowd in New York.

A little over a year ago, Paramore’s fifth album, After Laughter was released. For a band that is always known for being transparent and honest with their emotional state, the album couldn’t have been more timely. If you take a look around, things seem very heavy. Whether it’s with the current political disco
Substream Magazine •

PHOTOS: Governors Ball 2018 featuring Eminem, Jack White, Halsey, and more!

On the last night of Governors Ball, I stood at near the main stage as people funneled in about thirty minutes before Eminem appeared. The crowd demographic was seemly split into two halves. There were some older people who showed up right before who bought a ticket just to see him.  Then, there were younger fans, seemingly around 18-21, that tried to fit in like tetris pieces. Some fans camped out at the main stage most of that Sunday only adding to the Khalid main stage crowd that was one of t
Substream Magazine •

LIVE: Hailey Knox Brings Flavor and Confidence To Her Hometown Show

An hour before showtime, I met NY’s very own singer/songwriter Hailey Knox for a brief portrait session before she was due to go on the sold-out show of her support of the Ruth B tour. Usually, with portraits, you only has such a finite amount of time. It’s craziness of soundcheck and a musician trying to get into a mental head space to perform. Sometimes, you get lucky and there’s a vibe that permeates. Sometimes it’s anxiousness, even nervousness. Each of these emotions is understandable – giv
The Pop Break •

Imagine Dragons Put On An Inspired Performance In New Jersey

Lead singer Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons glanced out into the crowd while a single spotlight covered his body after the second song of their set, “It’s Time” from the 2011 EP of the same name. The band, who are from Las Vegas, NV were particularly emotional due to the October 1st mass shooting that claimed the lives of 58 music lovers. It was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history in a medium that’s been inclusive and a safe haven to millions.

Reynolds looked out into the Prudential Cen
Mind Equals Blown •

Incubus Continues To Put Their Longevity On Display With Live Show

There’s likely a song in Incubus’s long storied career that you can relate to on a personal level. Perhaps you used “Stellar” to mark how you felt about a significant other. Maybe you played “Drive” during that epiphany moment where one life choice brought you to a new horizon. The alternative rock, five-piece from Calabasas, Calif. has found a way to stick with their fans, no matter the age or the album cycle.

You would think that a tour with Incubus and Jimmy Eat World would be a no-braine
The Pop Break •

WWE RAW: The Road To GBOF, Makeups to Breakups and You Can't Teach That

We are coming off a rather rocky version of Raw. The Brock Lesnar/Samoa Joe confrontation was done well, but the show was rather lukewarm. This weeks episode of Raw did have some good m​moments where they developed feuds for the Great Balls of Fire PPV in July (I still can’t believe I’m calling it that) including a good swerve at the end. However, there were still some head scratches.

Roman Reigns Announcement | Match vs. Samoa Joe: What do you do when your universal champion is not on Raw ever
Music Mayhem Magazine •

Radio 104.5’s Birthday Show Pushes Through the Rain On Weekend One

It was a very rainy and uncharacteristically cold Saturday during the first weekend of Radio 104.5’s 10th annual birthday celebration at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ. That did not stop the many droves of fans equipped with ponchos and umbrellas from all over the tri-state area. Now, unfortunately, due to the excess rain, most of the artists on the New Music Discovery Stage could not play, but Texas’ The Unlikely Candidates was able to play during a brief reprieve on the outside stage.

In a g
Music Mayhem Magazine •

2017’s MMRBQ Shines A Light Through Tragedy With Music

Music is a conduit for love and understanding. It brings us together in these large stadiums, either indoor or outdoor to show appreciation for it like a form of prayer from time to time. Earlier in the week, legendary front man, Chris Cornell for bands such as Soundgarden and Audioslave was found dead in his hotel room after a show after Soundgarden’s show at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. He was only 52 years old. Sometimes, it’s hard to fathom people with such gifts that help us alleviate our sadness
Mind Equals Blown •

Ghost @ Kings Theatre

Ghost is a sight to see. A Ghost concert is like an even more theatrical version of Alice Cooper or King Diamond. I recall seeing Ghost for the first time at Lollapalooza 2013 — although seeing them in an early day time slot may not have been the most ideal viewing experience.

The Swedish band ended their Popestar Tour with a sold-out show at the Kings Theatre — one of the most elegant venues in all of New York. In retrospect, the antique look of the venue almost fits perfectly to the aesthe
Mind Equals Blown •

Icon For Hire @ Webster Hall

From the days of gracing the Warped Tour stages to their latest headlining tour, Icon For Hire has been through quite a journey fighting for themselves and the creativity that they stand for.

You Can’t Kill Us, the third full length from the Decatur, Illinois duo sees the band back fully independent – YCKU itself in result of a Kickstarter campaign that lead to the album’s inception.The title itself A perfect match of reciprocation between the love of the fans and the band who is literally p
Mind Equals Blown •

Evanescence @ The Wellmont Theater

It’s been five years since Evanescence has released their last album and four years since the band has gone on tour. Since that time, lead singer/pianist Amy Lee has done music for the 2014 film, War Story and released her own EP of covers. Around November 2015, Evanescence performed in the Japan iteration of Ozzfest and some wondered if the band would return for new music – perhaps, this was another one off performance.

Recently, there has been some signs of life in the Evanescence camp. Re
Mind Equals Blown •

The King and Queen of Hearts Tour @ Madison Square Garden

For some people, music is a form of escapism, and for others, a rite of expression that can both repel the bad and enhance the good. Given the heavy-hearted election season, many needed that same medium to be an getaway — even if it was just for one night. Madison Square Garden was full of romantic couples, some maybe weeks into their union and some that had been together a long time before. This was the King and Queens of Hearts tour, co-headlined by R&B singers Maxwell and Mary J. Blige.

B
Mind Equals Blown •

The Devil Wears Prada / Memphis May Fire / Silverstein @ Webster Hall

It was 2010 at a little concert venue called the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. The venue was a bit cramped, a bit steamy, but just a right amount of space for a chaotic show The Devil Wears Prada embarked on the Back To Roots Tour, where they played songs from their 2006 debut album, Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord. I had gone to a few TDWP shows in the past, but something about this show exhibited that no matter how big the quintet from Dayton, Ohio got, there was always a semblance
Mind Equals Blown •

Marian Hill / Verite / Shaed @ Webster Hall

Sensual. Seductive. Old school flavor. These are some of the things that come to mind when you think of Marian Hill’s debut album, Act One. In many ways, New York was primed for a show like this. This show in particular was like one of those nights in a club where an interesting person catches your eye. Maybe it’s their eyes, perhaps the aura about them, or even in the way they move — you just want to know more about their story.

SHAED, a threepiece from twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst a
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