Red Sun Rising bring current tour to The Underground

Red Sun Rising at The Underground in Charlotte North Carolina

By: Michael Bragg (Photo Gallery & Review) of MJBragg Photography

Charlotte, NC (April 3rd, 2019) – Red Sun Rising is currently out on the road for their “The Peel” tour in support of their March 22nd, 2019 EP release of the same name. Bringing along with them guests Goodbye June and Dirty Honey the trio of rockers has made its way to Charlotte, NC this evening. Waiting in anticipation for show time fans lined the sidewalk out side of The Underground at The Fillmore.

Los Angeles based group Dirty Honey was first to take the stage. Although only a short 30min set the band made a big impact on the crowd. Playing their newly released self titled EP in its entirety the group came to prove a point. For me It’s like Aerosmith and The Black Crowes had a baby and out comes Dirty Honey. A sound that is especially prevalent on the tune “Rollin’ 7’s.” There is also a good mix of southern rock influence with an old school rock sound reminiscent of the likes of Led Zeppelin. Now although the group may draw me to make comparisons to such notable acts in no way does it take away from their originality. From start to finish this group never let up. The bluesy rock grooves of opening song “Scars” and gritty guitar riffs of “When I’m Gone” from John Notto followed up by the solid foundation of Justin Smolian on bass and Corey Coverstone on drums provide solid foundation for Marc Labelle’s powerhouse vocals. Dirty Honey played a set of music that showcased an eclectic range of the bands abilities from full on rock to the soulful “Down The Road” and “Heartbreaker” that had the crowd of new fans singing along before it ended. With a stage presence to match the energy of the music it’s easy to see why this 4 piece has been invited to play on over a dozen of the biggest music festival line ups this year as well as a return invitation to join Slash on his summer tour also.

Goodbye June followed up next keeping the momentum going. With a set of songs spanning the groups releases “Magic Valley” and “Secrets In The Sunset” the band filled the room with their brand of raw rock ‘n’ roll. Having gained the endorsement of Rolling Stone and over 30 million Spotify listens I was eager to see what this group is all about. From opening song “Man Of The Moment” to the closer “Oh No” you could hear the trio of cousins influences from southern rock to gospel in songs filled with real experiences of life’s ups and downs. Consisting of vocalist Landon Milbourn, Brandon Qualkenbush on guitars/backing vocals and Tyler Baker on lead guitar Goodbye June showcases a blend of rock/alternative music in a refreshing style. Where everything tends to sound the same on mainstream radio Goodbye June breaks the monotony. Vocals that go from raspy to falsetto on songs like “Daisy” to the sonic sounding guitar work mixed with some enthusiastic guitar work on “Blindly Follow Blindly.”

Finishing out the evening are the Akron, Ohio natives Red Sun Rising. Consisting of Mike Protich (Vocals/Guitar), Ryan Williams (Guitar), Ricky Miller (Bass/Vocals), Dave McGarry (Guitar/Vocals) and Pat Gerasis (Drums) the band has earned a loyal following with consistent touring and chart topping success. Opening the show with a three song run of “Imitation,” “Amnesia” and “Veins” the band instantly gave the crowd what they came for…in your face, loud rock ‘n’ roll.

Following up with a personal favorite of mine was “Emotionless” with its bluesy based rock riff. Based off of what lead singer Mike says was a nightmare the song starts with a simple guitar and vocal arrangement as it builds into a full band composition. One of those songs that showcases the “less is more” approach but definitely takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion building up intensity until a sigh of relief upon the ending.

A standout moment of the set was the breakdown acoustic performance of the new song “Blister” from “The Peel” EP. Explaining that acoustically is how most of the groups songs start off in the writing process Mike said he felt Blister was the perfect song to showcase that element. Red Sun Rising filled their show with fan interaction and plenty of high energy stage action. The band went on to play other songs like “The Otherside” and “My Muse” from their debut album “Polyester Zeal” along with “El Lazo” and finishing up with “Deathwish” from the 2018 album release “Thread.”

Red Sun Rising’s current tour continues on through mid April ending with a stop in Oklahoma City, Ok.

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Copyright – Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography

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