Concrete Prophet Newsletter – November 2008

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New Recordings Set For 2009

Alright gang, here’s the skinny. We’re currently in the finishing stages of writing new material. The basic plan is this… We want 2009 to be the year of Concrete Prophet new material. In December, we will be entering HCD Studios to record a 5-song followup to our 2007 self-titled EP. The stuff we have planned for this release will lean more towards the heavier and aggressive side of Concrete Prophet. But don’t fear, melody will be our number one priority.

I’d like to remind everyone that this will be our first official recording with Nicholas James, our very own vocal powerhouse. You’ve heard bits and pieces of him throughout the past few months, but rest assured you haven’t heard anything yet, and frankly neither have we! The anticipation is killing me. Haha. Our plans are to have CP2 to be released in the spring/summer of 2009.

So then what? Well here’s what. After finishing CP2, we’d like to go back and re-record the vocals to Mona Lisa, Just Call My Name, and The Conquest from the original 2007 EP. Cool?

Want more? In mid to late 2009 we will enter the studio again to record more material, probably around 4-5 songs. Our goal is to have CP3 out by late 2009 to early 2010.

Want even more? We also plan to offer remixable stems of our recordings.

Now for my favorite part…Both CP2 and CP3 will be mixed for 5.1 surround sound.

More details to come.

Here’s a picture of Kevin Boenning at HCD Studios with owner/engineer Brian Potts discussing recording details.

Stay tuned.

Brian Dobbs

 

The Solo Album Forum

Are you an independent musician? Do you have music that you would like to post online for others to listen to and critique? Wouldn’t you agree that the only way to start promoting your music is to go online and post about it yourself? Why? Because no one else will. Why? Because you’re not already famous. Why? Because no one is talking about your music. Why? Because you’re not already famous. ENOUGH!

Come and join the community at… www.TheSoloAlbum.com/forum

This is an online forum created specifically for you, the independent recording musician. Most members of the forum are also independent recording musicians themselves. Some are iRadio DJs while others are music reviewers. The community exists for your first level of support. Consider these members your peers. I wouldn’t consider them fans (yet), but conversely, they are certainly not your competition. You want to post about your music? Go right ahead. Post pictures, videos, blogs and obviously links to your music! We welcome it all. See you on the forum!

+

Brian Dobbs

 

RSS Feed Now Available

We’ve recently set up a WordPress blog to coincide with our monthly news releases. If you’re interested, you can now get your CP news via an RSS feed that you can subscribe to. Subscribe to our RSS Feed using this address…

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ConcreteProphet

RSS is essentially a great way of sharing information to a lot of people, much like an e-newsletter, but with RSS you don’t have to submit an email address. The subscription happens in reverse. For more on what RSS is and how you can subscribe, go here… http://www.whatisrss.com/

Brian Dobbs

 

Opera Boy – Part 1

Nick shared this with me a few months ago and I think it would be fun to include it with this month’s news release. Nick was a guest on the Ron and Fez XM Radio show almost three years ago on November 30, 2005. They nick-named him Opera Boy and asked him to sing in both an operatic and metal style. This kid makes a great personality, that’s for sure. He fit right in! Take a listen for yourself. I’ve split this up into two halves. I’ll post the second half of the radio program next month. Enjoy.

http://www.concreteprophet.com/newsletter/2008/11_01_08_opera_boy_1.mp3

Brian

 

Vote on November 4, 2008

Concrete Prophet supports voter awareness. Voter apathy is only remedied by accurate information. We strongly encourage all of our US readers to get educated regarding the major Presidential candidates and their positions so you can make an informed choice — to vote or not, and if so, for whom.

Kevin Boenning

 

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – October 2008

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New Video – “Freeze Frame”

To watch the video, please click the picture below.

 

“WE”
by Brian Dobbs

I’m going to let you in to a little secret. Maryland has some great bands. If you’re a musician, it’s so easy to ignore other bands and keep feeding your ego, telling yourself that your music is somehow ‘superior’ to theirs. Nonsense! If you’re in a band then I encourage you to take a step back and see who else is out there. This isn’t a competition. There is a common goal, shared by many, and can actually be achieved by many. It appears that most bands are out there working hard, but not necessarily working hard together.

In this 21st Century, most bands are trying new online tactics, concentrating their efforts on self-promotion. CD Baby, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter…Twitter? What the heck is that? Sheesh. It almost seems like everyone is shouting, but no one is listening. How many MySpace ‘friends’ do you have? How many of them are other bands? How many of them actually respond to what you post?

If you’re in a band, ask yourself how you identify or relate to other bands in your area, or genre. Are they competing against you? No. Are they your enemy? No. They are your peers. They can even be your friends! Not MySpace friends, but actual real-life friends. Go check our top friends on MySpace though.

To my fellow independent musicians…let’s face it, the record industry isn’t what it used to be. But even if it was, would you want to be part of it? It’s a question most of you ask yourself from time to time. So who do you look to for support? Yourselves. It’s tough, I know! So ask yourself, “Could there be someone else out there in a position to help me?” What if that person is in another band like yours? Have you thought about how you could possibly help them? Have you thought about how you could work together? Why not send them an email?

To those musicians who are supported by a record label, what insights of the industry can you share? My gut feeling is that even if you are supported by a label you won’t be seeing the Pearl Jam record sales yet. In many ways, I still consider you to be of an ‘independent’ status. I think to myself, “Now there’s a hard-working band. Not to mention they have some great personalities and…….awesome music!”

Yes, it’s ok to appreciate music that’s not yours. Haha. Go ahead, try it. But only if you mean it. Lord knows we don’t need any more empty relationships like MySpace is cluttered with.

I will continue this dialogue in future newsletters. I’ll also feature some of my favorite music with you made by other bands, most notably in my area and genre. Not just any band though, just bands that I think deserve the attention. You’ll find these bands on my iPod (and probably on our website), because I’m a fan of their music. I think you should be too.

Let’s kick off with a few bands you might have read about before…

 

Pete Laramee – myspace.com/peterlaramee

    
 Over the past couple years I’ve been getting to know Pete on a personal level, which as greatly enhanced my appreciation for his outstanding guitar work. Pete’s got chops, but also a very distinctive guitar style and melodic structures.

What you have here is an instrumental album, comprised of guitar driven compositions. While Pete’s earlier work stemmed from a full band lineup known as Kurgan’s Bane, his latest disc shows maturity and mastery of his guitar style.

Pete has got some sick 7-string tone on this disc, enough to sink your teeth into. Him and I like to refer to it as “beefy”.

Do me a favor and download his song, “13 Stitches”, by clicking the link below.

Pete Laramee – “13 Stitches”

If you like what you hear, please support this wonderful artist by picking up a copy of his latest disc on CD Baby.

 

Iris Divine – myspace.com/irisdivine

 I’m simply amazed by the amazing songwriting ability this band demonstrates. What you have here is a four-piece band with two lead vocalists, who are also lead guitarists!

These guys sing harmony, perform complex polyrhythms and offer top-notch musicianship underneath extremely well-written songs. I find myself humming their tunes at work because they’re just so gosh darn catchy. They’ve spent a long time crafting their sound to be uniform across the board. They know exactly who they are and what they are capable of doing.

Warning – This stuff is catchy and easily digestible.

Do me a favor and download their song, “Intention Experiment”, by clicking the link below.

Iris Divine – “Intention Experiment”

Be sure to check out some studio footage on their MySpace webpage.

 

And here’s one that I have recently discovered…

 

Orphan Project – myspace.com/orphanproject

 
CP’s bassist Michael Passen first introduced me to Orphan Project about two years ago. I finally got around to purchasing one of their CDs because there was just that itch that had to be scratched. I dug what I heard online, saw them live, and convinced myself that this band was a worthy investment. Shane Lankford is the driving force behind this band, no doubt, and he’s backed by some great talent. Some mature talent. Michael once told me, “Shane Lankford commands the stage.” That’s a heavy statement. He was right too. After hearing Shane’s unique vocals, I’m sure you’ll start to feel the same itch I felt.

They have two releases. Their first, Orphan Found, is a complete album. It defines what an album-oriented band is supposed to be about. There’s a concept behind the music and lyrical significance. Their second release, pictured here, is a 4-song EP and is a fantastic followup. “Angel’s Desire” is worth the price of admission alone. They’ve done great things for themselves and recently have been signed to Open Grave Records. They plan to have new material in early 2009.

Here are some words from Shane Lankford himself.

“There are so many great humanity opportunities for all of us out there, and putting out a great cd is at the bottom of the list, but hopefully that will come about with our next offering “Spooning Out The Sea” (tentative working title) due out spring/summer ‘09! Please come out and see us play next year!”

Do me a favor and download their song, “Orphan Found”, by clicking the link below.

Orphan Project – “Orphan Found”

 

 www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – September 2008

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Live at Rock ‘n’ Register
Saturday, September 13th, 2008 – 2 p.m.

For the Rock ‘n’ Register event at Harford Community College Gymnasium
401 Thomas Run Road
Bel Air, MD 21015

$6 advance tickets or $8 at door

 

Live at Baltimore Music Conference
Friday, September 19th, 2008 – 10 p.m.

For the Balitimore Music Conference event at Hour Haus in Baltimore, MD
135 W. North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21201

Visit the BMC on Myspace

 

Spotlight On…

Name – Bill “Progman55″ Mangold
Hometown – Colorado Springs, USA
Occupation – IT Systems Engineer / Internet Radio Broadcaster

“I’ll start off by addressing my internet radio stream at www.ProgRockandMetal.net. I broadcast some of the most intelligently created progressive rock and progressive metal music from very talented artists from all over world – at least in my opinion anyways! It’s a very important hobby of mine I need for my well-being in life!!!

The music heard on PRM stream is truly “listening” music. You don’t find this on your radio dial! I am a member of my son’s band, Metro Society, which produced and published our first release in early 2007 titled “A Journey in Paris”. I played guitar in my earlier years (I mean a LONG TIME AGO) and I still tinker around with it, but have focused more on drumming. I’ve been messing with guitars and drums for over 40 years now (crap, I pretty much gave away my age there – LOL). I’m not sure what this world would be without music. Let’s say it this way. It would be a very, very scary world to live in without music – no matter the style.

I grew up in an awesome little town in Montana called Chinook. After high school, I entered the US Air Force with wife in tow. We’ve been married coming up on 35 years in November! I worked hard to get my bachelors degree (computer science) and masters degree (computer resource management) while in the Air Force and eventually retired from the Air Force as a Captain. During my early life in Chinook, I played in a band that traveled all over the state playing for proms, bar dances, basketball tournaments, and high school dances. WOW what great memories of those years and times. The money was awesome for the time.

I’ve been an avid listener of the more modern prog rock/metal since the very early 1990’s (THANK YOU DREAM THEATER!). I like classic prog favorites such as Queensryche, Kansas, YES, and so forth, but there are so many talented and impressive newer artists out there that I focus more on my constant, neverending search to find the best of them for my internet radio station. My radio station is a tribute to ALL the great artists I have on the station and it clearly inspires me to continue pursuing on my son’s next release (Metro Society – “The London Affair”).

As I alluded to, I track down and find new artist’s snippets and MP3 tracks constantly with hopes of finding yet another great find for the station. I cannot remember where I first heard Concrete Prophet, but when I heard “Mona Lisa”, it hit the sweet spot for me. The three track EP were a must have for the station. It’s driving metal sound PROX (I coined that word to apply to the sounds that are a cut above the rest!). CP has that heavy prog sound I tend to lean more toward, but yet, they rock with the best of them. I’ve been keeping my eyes (and ears) open on the next release from CP and look forward to their continued success. PROG ON!

SO — Tune in at your Progleisure sometime and put in some requests, especially for the CP team!”

Bill (Progman55) Mangold
www.ProgRockandMetal.net
www.myspace.com/prmradio

If you’d like to be featured in a future “Spotlight On…”, send us an email and tell us about yourself! Those selected to be featured will also be archived on our fans page. 

Iris Divine

Alright everyone, time to spread the word about another awesome band called Iris Divine. I first wrote about some of these guys back in our January newsletter.

Let me list the reasons why I like these guys so much.

1) They write great songs.
2) They are fantastic musicians.
3) They are down-to-earth, friendly people.
4) Their bass player is also named Brian Dobbs! No joke.

Take a listen for yourself and tell me that these guys don’t ROCK. My favorite song of theirs is titled, “Halfway to Nowhere.”

Members include…

Tanvir Tomal – drums
Navid Rashid – vocals, guitar
Brian Dobbs – bass
Farhad Hossain – vocals, guitar, keyboards

Below you will find some words written by Farhad Hossain himself…

Brian Dobbs

“Hey there guys, I wanted you all check out my new project Iris Divine!

After I called it quits for my band Encompass, I had initially planned to take a little break from being in a band and maybe pursue something solo, however this changed when Navid Rashid approached me to start a band with him. A Farewell Mercy (his band) had their last show a day after Encompass’ so it must have been fate… no?

We have talked about being in bands several times in the past and even recorded side projects together but we were too busy with our bands to start a full-time band… until now. (Plus Navid has been bugging me for so long that I finally had to succumb to his shenanigans). I decided to gather the rhythm section of Encompass and bring them over to this project for several reasons such as.

1) Tanvir is a genius on the kit.
2) Brian is awesome on the bass
3) They both have played with each other and vibe off of each other well. I am a sucker for a super tight rhythm section in a band and so this decision was rather obvious to me. This would also allow us to start right away by having a full lineup. To anyone who has not heard Navid sing and play guitar, wanted to let you know he is a force to be reckoned with!

Please check out the first 4 songs we have written and recorded. Spread the word and add us if you like it!

You can also read along to the lyrics which are also posted in the music player!

www.myspace.com/irisdivine

ADD us if you are on myspace and spread the word! I hope everyone is in the best of health and doing well.

Much love, peace.

Farhad”

Otakon 2008
Commercial for Cartoon Network

Earlier in the summer, friends of ours were hired to produce a commercial appearing on the ‘Adult Swim’ block of the Cartoon Network (notorious for shows such as Family Guy, Futurama, Metalocalypse, Venture Bros., etc). The commercial was for Otakon, a gigantic Anime gathering that happens annually in Baltimore. The goal was to catch the attention of potential attendees and generate excitement amongst hardcore anime fans by conveying the intensity that comes with an international convention that attracts 20,000+ people. Tina Boyle, a member of the production team who created this video, contacted us and asked if we were able to provide about 10 seconds of music. Specifically, she was looking for “all guitar and relatively fast…Something a bit speedy that’s a bit overdone.” They had come to the right place.

I labored around for a few days and composed something a bit speedy that’s a bit overdone, which we proudly offer here for free download (be warned, it’s more over-the-top than requested…). You can also check out the full commericial below. We’re very excited to have been a part of this project and (hopefully) will be able to contribute to additional projects like this in the future. Enjoy!

Kevin Boenning

To watch the commercial, please click the picture below.

To hear the unedited audio clip, click the note below.

This commercial is also on YouTube.

Pictures From EJ’s Landing
July 18th, 2008

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – August 2008

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Live at Harford Community College

Saturday, September 13, 2008 – 2 p.m.
Rock’n’ Register at Harford Community College Gymnasium in Bel Air, MD
$6 advance tickets or $8 at door

Thanks to those who voted for us in the Rock ‘n’ Register Event. We got the most votes! We couldn’t have made it in the show if it weren’t for you.

Spotlight On…

 
Name – Rick Hancock
Hometown – Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Occupation – Firefighter

“I became interested in Concrete Prophet when I found a DVD-Audio disc by Concrete Prophet’s drummer, Brian Dobbs. I found his disc The History Of Recorded Music to be very interesting, which led me to further investigate Brian’s music.

I was excited to find out he also was involved in a progressive metal band, Concrete Prophet. I was lucky enough to receive a personal email from Brian and found out Concrete Prophet would be performing in Baltimore at about the same time I would be visiting the area for specialized firefighting training.

My firefighting career began in 1978 with the Louisville Fire Dept where I retired from in 2003. I am currently a member of the Worthington Fire Dept (www.worthingtonfire.com, also in Louisville, KY) and am in charge of Community Risk (Fire Prevention).

About the only think I enjoy more than the rush you get from ‘facing the dragon head-on’ (firefighting) is some good rock ‘n roll music. Concrete Prophet might be progressive metal, but it’s still rock ‘n roll to me. Enjoy!”

 

If you’d like to be featured in a future “Spotlight On…”, send us an email and tell us about yourself! Those selected to be featured will also be archived on our fans page.

 

Pete Laramee – Childhood Memories
 Michael Passen & Derek Sherinian featured on Pete Laramee’s latest release

Our good friend Pete Laramee has just released his new solo album titled, Childhood Memories. This album contains twelve killer guitar-based instrumental tracks, and features Luis Nasser on bass and Pete’s brother Jeff on drums. Two of the songs, “Running With Scissors” and “Snow Day,” feature our very own Michael Passen on bass.

Derek Sherinian also makes a guest appearance on “Red Rocks.” Sherinian, best known for his keyboard work in Dream Theater, Planet X, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Kiss as well as his own solo career, lended some signature synth solos for what makes for a killer cutting head breakdown.

In Pete’s own words…

“Knowing this cd was going to be recorded in 4 different studios in 3 different states and was I planning to record all the guitars in my home studio I was afraid this was going to be a chore. I was wrong. Recording all the guitars myself at my own leisure gave me time to experiment without the pressure of wasted time and/or money.

I’m excited because Jeff Laramee and Luis Nasser (both with Kurgan’s Bane and Sonus Umbra) came through with great performances. I’m also happy I was able to get two bad-ass guest players like Michael Passen and Derek Sherinian. They recorded some great tracks which seemed to bring the whole project to a new level. As a result we ended up with our best sounding disc to date.

If I had to do this all over again I’d do it the same way.”

Download “13 Stitches” from Pete Laramee’s Childhood Memories by clicking the note below!

(.MP3 at 160kbps – 4.72 MB)

Watch a live performance of “Below The Belt” on YouTube.

To listen to full length clips from this album, please go to the Pete Laramee SoundClick webpage.

To purchase this album, please visit Pete’s Childhood Memories webpage on CD Baby.

For more information on Pete Laramee’s solo album and other recordings, please visit Pete Laramee’s MySpace profile.

Brian Dobbs

 

Master Class Reflection

Michael and I would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all the attendees of the first Concrete Prophet Master Class! I think we had a great group of players and we’re looking forward to coming back. Thanks again to Reisterstown Music Center for working with us to make this a possibility. See you all next time!

Kevin Boenning

 

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – July 2008

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Prepare yourselves! This month’s newsletter is packed with updates! Let’s get rolling with the latest show information…

Concrete Prophet Live

Friday, July 25, 2008 – 9 p.m.
EJ’s Landing in College Park, MD
No cover charge!

EJ’s Landing is located inside the College Park Inn. It is located off Interstate 95 and 495 at exit 25B, just inside the Washington Capital Beltway.

8601 Baltimore Avenue
College Park, Maryland 20740

 

Master Class with Concrete Prophet

Kevin here…

We are proud to announce the kickoff of a Master Class series presented by members of Concrete Prophet. The first seminar covers guitar and bass technique and will be conducted by Michael Passen and Kevin Boenning at Reisterstown Music Center on Sunday, July 27th from 4 to 6 p.m.

The focus of the seminar will be “Different Colors Through Different Chords” (getting the most from conventional and unconventional chords and how chords relate to bass) and ‘It’s All in the Right Hand” (a close look at developing solid right hand technique). We’ve worked diligently to ensure that these seminars are distinctively beneficial to any player, regardless of their experience level.

Each class will involve:

- Hands-on involvement from all attendees
- Real examples from classic and modern songs from artists like AC/DC, Aerosmith, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Audioslave, Coheed & Cambria, Rush, Disturbed, etc.
- Lesson packet with all examples (in tab & standard notation)
- Web address to download an expanded packet and audio clips of all examples

 

Topics for future seminars include:

- Multi-finger Tapping
- Exotic Chords
- Secrets of Picking
- Songwriting
- Guitar and Bass: Counterparts
- Rhythm Technique
- Correct Posture
- Creativity Exercises
- Solo Construction
- Understanding and Using Odd Meter
- Good Practice Habits
- Band Dynamics
- Scales/Modes
- Pentatonics
- Riff Creation

Michael Passen and I both have a lot of experience studying (Peabody & Berklee), writing, recording, performing and teaching, and we’re very excited to bring our experiences to the classroom. A big “Thank You” goes to Mark Zlatich and all the people at Reisterstown Music Center for helping us put this together.

Stay tuned for further details!

Kevin Boenning

 

New Photography
by Enoch Chan

 

New Website

Our website has been updated! All new photography by Enoch Chan. Below you’ll find a brief description of each section of the website.

Events – Show Information & Big News

Band – Biographies & Portraits

Media – Audio Samples, Video Clips, Newsletter Archive, Photos, Press, Desktop Wallpapers & Lyrics

Fans – Fan Comments & Fan Photos

Store – CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, & Posters

Support – Web Team / Street Team & Donations
(earn FREE stuff by signing up for our Web Team or Street Team!)

Contact – E-mail, MySpace, Related Websites & Friends of Concrete Prophet

 

Reflection – 1st Mariner Arena

A Glimpse into the Future?

As I pulled up to 1st Mariner Arena the evening of Friday May 30, 2008, I had quite a few thoughts running through my head: “How many people are actually going to show up to this game? Will we be able to have a good sound-check? Will anyone CARE?” Metro Rock University was my first venture with this enterprise known as Concrete Prophet, and it was about as good as it got… or so I thought.

I parked my car, walked onto the loading dock, and behold… my eyes gazed upon the arena, the vast, larger-than-life arena. True, 1st Mariner Arena is considered, by 21st Century standards, a “small” venue (seating capacity for concerts stands at 13,700). But, to us, this was epic! Just being able to stand on the stage where The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Elvis Presley performed is enough to fill one with wonder and amazement.

Sound-check went very well, thanks to the expertise of Mr. George, who was on hand to make sure we sounded our best! As the game played on, we became more and more anxious. Rumors started circling that we would be performing at Halftime as well – which didn’t end up happening. Finally, the final seconds of the fourth quarter ticked down, and we were ready. When the game ended, fans came onto the field, took pictures and got autographs from their favorite players, threw footballs around… And the band played on!

We knew that every seat in the joint was not going to be filled – we were the closing act for a minor league indoor arena football team, for Pete’s Sake! But, just having the chance to set up our merchandise booth, hand out flyers to all of the fans coming into the doors before the game, and perform at this historic venue was enough to make us realize that yes, the future is filled with many, many possibilities.

Concrete Prophet truly thanks all of those who made this gig possible, especially Alex and the Baltimore Mariners Staff, the amazing sound and tech crew at 1st Mariner Arena, and to our family and friends who came out to support us.

On to College Park…

Nicholas James

Download the Concrete Prophet medley from the 1st Mariner Arena by clicking the note below!

(.MP3 at 256 kbps – 6.39 MB)

Includes audio clips from The Conquest, Show Me A Sign, Learning To Crawl, Freeze Frame

Photos by Cat

Show
click to enlarge

Show
click to enlarge

Mid-Game
click to enlarge

Drum Kit
click to enlarge

Concrete Prophet!
click to enlarge

 

Spotlight On…

Name – Nico Bruinsma
Age – 34
Hometown – Harmelen, The Netherlands
Occupation – Cast Technician

 ”I live in a small village near Utrecht in The Netherlands. For all you Americans….that is close to Amsterdam I am married for almost 3 years and me and my wife are expecting our first baby! It will be born at the end of July or early August. We don’t know what the gender is, so we will be surprised…

My work is at the hospital in a town nearby. I work there as a cast technician. People with broken bones, ligament injury’s or other problems to the skeleton or ligaments and muscles will be helped by me, with cast bandages or tape. When I am at home, I try to play the guitar. I have a second hand Ibanez RG 320 FMAM and a Les Paul copy by Richwood. I do have an acoustic guitar, also an Ibanez. If I had the money I would buy a Gibson Les Paul 59 or a Ibanez JEM type.

But I don’t practice that much, so I don’t make very much progression, hahaha. But I do know some chords and can play some tunes, and that’s fine by me. I love music very much. I always try to go to some concerts or festivals in Holland. Last weekend I saw KISS for the first time live, and that was very cool!! I also like to play games on my PC or surf on the internet and look for some interesting music. And that brings me to Concrete Prophet.

Everybody knows the progressive metal of Dream Theater, Queensryche or Symphony X. And some time ago, I discovered a website called CD Baby and they have a very true slogan; “let’s find you some great new music….” And the thing I like very much about this website, is that they tell what kind of music a band plays and when it’s recommended if you like similar other bands.

This is how I ‘found’ Concrete Prophet. The description was that it was progressive metal with a modern perspective. So I bought the EP and I started to listen immediately. I knew from the first minute that this was music I liked very much. Interesting music structures, excellent guitar and drums and a very good singer.

I think CP has the potential to become a great progressive metal band and I hope that they will make some more great music. If they can hold on to their own musical style it will be one of my new favorite bands… That’s why I am very curious how Nicolas James sounds with the band.”

If you’d like to be featured in a future “Spotlight On…”, send us an email and tell us about yourself! Those selected to be featured will also be archived on our fans page.

 

New Video

What’s up everyone? 2008 is the year of Nicholas James! Watch this video and see how we reflect on how we found Nick as well as a quick behind the scenes look into one of our early rehearsals. By clicking the picture below you will be taken to Progressive Rock Radio Morow.com. The video is located directly on their homepage!

Brian Dobbs

p.s. Thanks for Bruno Dubois and Arnaud De Mouhy at Morow.com for the continued support!

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – June 2008

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Concrete Prophet Live

Friday, May 30, 2008
1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Mariners Post-Game Concert

Friday, July 25, 2008 – 10 p.m.
EJ’s Landing in College Park, MD
No cover charge!

New Interview

Greg Szeto interviewed us for his blog on Aural States. Go here to read his blog, listen to a new sound clip and view the video interview with us.

Brian Dobbs

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – May 2008

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Introduction By Nicholas James

When one enters into a new situation, be it a new job, marriage, or what have you, there is always a feeling of uncertainty, of trepidation, and of thinking “what the hell have I just done?” Most times, we feel like we don’t have any control over what is happening, and what will happen. I felt that way driving down to meet the band for the first time. “Are these guys for real? And will they be in possession of chainsaws in a room with no windows once I get there?”

Happily, my fears subsided once I walked into the rehearsal space and started jamming to some familiar tunes. It wasn’t before long that I realized what was occurring – true musicality and genius was at work right before my own eyes. I thought, “Well, this might not be so bad after all!” Now entering the third month at the wheel of this machine called Concrete Prophet I feel, without a doubt, that this has thus far been a highlight of my short life. The energy that I feel when I’m around Brian, Kevin, and Michael is an energy that can only be experienced firsthand – the energy one feels through true musical collaboration. I am very excited to be a part of this group, and I know that the future is truly ours.

Nicholas James

Metro Rock University

On behalf of Concrete Prophet, I would like to thank all those who came to see us at the Metro Rock University. Also a HUGE thank you to all who picked up a copy of our EP and signed up for our mailing list at the gig. Your support means the world to us! We would also like to thank the staff at Metro Rock University for making us feel truly welcome. We hope to play there again soon. Please enjoy a sound sample and some photos of the event below, and we’ll see you all very soon.

New Audio Clip on MySpace – Freeze Frame (live excerpt)

Nicholas James

Kevin Boenning
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Brian Dobbs
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Kevin Boenning and Brian Dobbs
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Michael Passen and Brian Dobbs
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Nicholas James and Kevin Boenning
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Nicholas James
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Post Show
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Post Show
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Odin’s Court

We would like to take this opportunity and send congratulations to East Coast prog veterans Odins Court for their recent inclusion on ProgRock Records. I’ve seen Odin’s Court perform a few times and have gotten to know founder Matt Brookins over the past few years. He’s one of the hardest working individuals in the scene and I have a lot of respect for his professionalism and dedication towards the band’s artistic endeavors.

Look for their newest release, “Deathanity” out on ProgRock Records this July. 

 

Brian Dobbs

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – April 2008

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CONCRETE PROPHET WELCOMES NEW FRONTMAN
Regional Search Unveils Vocal Virtuoso

Concrete Prophet proudly announces the addition of professionally trained vocalist Nicholas James to the lineup as the new lead singer. “Nicholas brings an unbelievable amount of power and finesse to some very challenging material,” says drummer Brian Dobbs.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Opera Performance from the University of Maryland at College Park, James still finds time to perform with nationally recognized establishments such as the Washington National Opera and the Baltimore Opera Company. Consistently landing prominent roles in shows such as La Bohème and The Flying Dutchman proves that James knows how to captivate an audience. “He has a true talent for performance. When Nicholas sings, people pay attention. He knows exactly how to blow people away. Nicholas contributes an added depth to the music of Concrete Prophet,” says bassist Michael Passen.

“We felt we needed to evolve our music in a different way,” says guitarist Kevin Boenning regarding the replacement of Mike Newberry. “Mike’s musical contributions will be missed. I will always remember the great moments we shared on stage and I wish him well.”

Concrete Prophet blends progressive metal with a modern perspective. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, they consistently make headway in their genre with tight live performances and impressive technical showmanship.

Stay tuned for more information about Nicholas James.

 

We thought it would be interesting from time to time to showcase a hand picked Concrete Prophet fan by giving them a little recognition for their support of our music. Our fans are so important to us and we’d like to share some profiles of people throughout the world who make up our fanbase. If you’d like to be featured in a future “Spotlight On…”, send us an email and tell us about yourself!

Brian Dobbs

Spotlight On…

Name – Kevin Kauffman
Age – 21
Hometown – Portland, Oregon
Occupation – student

 

 

 

For going on four years now I have lived in the City of Roses to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. I am currently a senior at the University of Portland. GO PILOTS!!! However, I was born in Eugene, OR and will forever be a hardcore Duck fan – it’s in my blood. After graduation in May I hope to get a job in the computer manufacturing field. Most of my time now is spent in the metal shop at school. For my senior project some friends and I are building a custom, single-person off-road vehicle to compete in the SAE Mini Baja competition in Illinois – many a late night have been spent rocking out to Concrete Prophet while working on the car. The fabrication of the car takes up most of my free time, but when I’m not working on the car I love to watch and play almost every sport there is. When there are no sports to be played or watched on TV, I will sit back with my roommates and my PS3 and do some gaming. Concrete Prophet needs some Guitar Hero love.

The thing I like most about Concrete Prophet’s music is their versatility. Unlike some bands, all of Concrete Prophet’s songs sound different. Each one is unique, and none of them are boring. They don’t need to sacrifice their music creativity in order for the EP to sound uniform. It is amazing how they can blend together such complicated musical runs and make songs that not only sound good, but tell a story. I can’t wait to hear more songs with wicked guitar and bass riffs packed on top of stellar drums!!!

 

If you’d like to be featured in a future “Spotlight On…”, send us an email and tell us about yourself! Those selected to be featured will also be archived on our fans page.

Concrete Prophet Fan Page

CD Baby

I wanted to share some pictures of a field trip I took last month to our CD distributor, CD Baby. I had to drop off more Concrete Prophet EPs because they were temporarily out of stock, so I decided to bring the camera along and snap off a few pictures. CD Baby is a world renowned distributor of independent music, and just recently owner Derek Sivers sent out an email saying how they celebrated the tenth anniversary of CD Baby’s inception. Here is an excerpt from the Derek Sivers CD Baby email…

“Friends will tell you that for the past 10 years I’ve spent most waking hours, 7 days a week, doing nothing but CD Baby. Last year I just slept on the couch at the office for 6 months, usually working from 7am to midnight. So today seems like a good day to tell you that I don’t work at CD Baby anymore, and haven’t in months.

I’m still the owner, but haven’t been to the office since May. The crew there is running things better than I ever could. They know more than I do, and do a better job. I’ve made that transition from self-employed to business-owner. (You know you’re a true business-owner when you can leave your business for a year, and come back to find it’s doing much better than when you left.)”

So I guess that’s why I wasn’t able to meet Derek when I dropped our CDs off. Oh well. That would have been a cool photo. For those of you who would like a glimpse into CD Baby’s facility, here are the pictures I took of their warehouse. It’s huge, but it’s really well organized. The staff there were really accommodating by letting me browse around for a few minutes. I was even able to find my solo album, The History of Recorded Music. Really cool!

Photos by Brian Dobbs

Pulling into CD Baby
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CD Baby Warehouse
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CD Baby Warehouse Banner
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CD Baby Warehouse – Front Door
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CD Baby Warehouse – Front Door
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CD Baby Shipping Department
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CD Baby Shipping Department
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CD Baby CD Shelves
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CD Baby CD Shelves
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Brian Dobbs – The History Of Recorded Music
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Brian Dobbs

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – March 2008

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Pete Laramee

Pete Laramee, guitarist for Kurgan’s Bane, is currently recording a new instrumental CD entitled “Childhood Memories.” It will be the follow-up to his 2002 disc “Alone, But Not Lonely”

Pete’s brother Jeff (drummer for Kurgan’s Bane and Sonus Umbra) and Luis Nasser (bassist for Kurgan’s Bane and Sonus Umbra) will be joining Pete on the project. There will be some guest players, including bassist Michael Passen from Concrete Prophet. Pete asked Michael to play because of his versatility and says it’s simply because he’s “one of the baddest bassists on the planet.”

“I’m really flattered that Pete would ask me to contribute,” says Passen. “I used to sneak a listen here and there to Pete’s practice room at Orion Studios back when I rented a rehearsal space there. You couldn’t help but be drawn down the hall toward it because the shred emanating from the room was amazing!” Speaking about the two tracks on which he’s been asked to play, Passen comments that “there’s no room for slouching here, this is demanding stuff!”

Expect a summer release date.

Pete Laramee live at Orion Studios in Baltimore, MD.

Sick Puppy Beau’s Best of 2007

Concrete Prophet is proud to announce that we’ve been included in “Sick Puppy Beau’s Best of 2007 List.” Sick Puppy Beau operates a great metal Internet radio station. He’s been around for over 10 years and features a lot of talented up and coming artists. Visit his myspace page at www.myspace.com/sickpuppybeau and make sure to go to www.sickpuppybeau.com and sign up for the podcast. Congratulations to all the other bands that made the list. We hope to see you next year!

Kevin Boenning

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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Concrete Prophet Newsletter – February 2008

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Deviated Theatre

Enoch Chan, Concrete Prophet’s official band photographer, has created a new website that showcases his latest production titled, Aspiro. The site, Deviated Theatre, has promotional images and information concerning Aspiro. Any other bands out there looking for a rock solid photographer? Look no further. The man is ridiculously talented when it comes performance photography.

Aspiro premieres on July 5th and 6th, 2008 at Dance Place in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information.  Click the photo below to see more photos on Enoch’s new site.

Brian Dobbs

Have Your Voice Heard

While we’re working on new material, we’d like to encourage our U.S. fanbase to be active in the upcoming presidential elections. Be sure to check when your state will be holding their primary elections in the upcoming weeks. As we are from Maryland, we’ll be casting our vote on February 12th, 2008!

Michael Passen 

www.ConcreteProphet.com

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who encouraged, supported or contributed to our music education. We support education in the fine arts and we strongly oppose any measure or action that would limit or eliminate music programs in the public school system.

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to concreteprophet@gmail.com indicating your preference in the subject line.

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