Photography Reviews

BLE Masquerade Day 1 – Artist Showcase at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA 7/28/22

By Shannon Wilk / August 8, 2022

It was a sweltering hot weekend in Philadelphia, PA but the 2300 Arena was booming with the sounds of distorted guitars, banging drums, groovy bass and soaring vocals at the BLE Masquerade festival. Day 1 came with a late start and a light attendance for the Artist Showcase. It was sad to see the lack of support for these incredible new artists but it is really a result of the state of the music industry today.

Despite the small number of people in the audience, Shotgun Superstars came onstage with a vengeance and made this intimate rock show feel like an arena. This 5-piece rock band from Atlanta, GA same to Philly to showcase the music of modern European glam metal bands like Hardcore Superstar, Crazy Lixx and Santa Cruz as well as pay homage to some of the underrated ‘80s bands like Shotgun Messiah and Babylon A.D. Shotgun Superstars’ kickoff set was just a taste of what was to come from them over the weekend as they would be playing all 3 days of the festival!

Taking the stage next was a group of guys local to Philly, keeping rock n’ roll alive, Zenora! This band has played a couple different BLE events since their formation. At just 20-23 years old, these 4 bring fresh, classic rock n’ roll to the Masquerade stage. Frontman Dylan Graff brings energy like no other and his energy alone livened up the audience. 110%. Truly took it to 11. 

Next up was a group of 6 Christian rockers – John’s Crossing. While this set was filled with musical precision, it was also full of technical difficulties such as the singer’s mic and guitar cutting in and out, broken guitar strings, etc. Despite this, the band handled the hurdles like true pros and finished their set with ease and excellence. 

As the clock struck 7:00 it was time for another Philly-based band called Montecarlo. The band usually features Damian MonteCarlo (drums, vocals), Albert Lepore (vocals), Dan Parsels (guitar, vocals), Ahmed Smith (guitar, vocals) and Joe Mal (bass) however they were short one guitarist due to his recent surgery. They were definitely the heaviest band so far, which appeared to be to their benefit as the crowd banged their heads along with them. Montecarlo’s set included quite a few tunes from their debut full-length album “Super Double Fine” as well as their EP “Original Sin”.

Now it was time for Love In Chains. This band is based all around the country and has never played or rehearsed together until this festival! This melodic rock band is the brainchild of 4 guys with a love for classic, ‘80s-style rock music like Van Halen. Love In Chains brought the energy, the catchy choruses, the groove – everything a rock fan looks for in a new favorite band. Their debut album, Everyday Heroes, will be released to the world in a matter of weeks and this set just gave a bit of a taste for what is to come from this group. 

A curveball thrown into the lineup were indie rap-rock band Green Knuckle Material. This is a 4-piece group from New Brunswick, NJ. A young bunch of guys with great, dance-able tunes put on a groovy 30-minute set. GKM was an interesting choice to play a festival with a lineup chock full of ‘80s bands and ‘80s-influenced bands. But good music is good music and these 4 certainly prove just that. 

Following GKM was a killer hard rock trio Whiskey Grin. Hailing from South Jersey, these three guys brought their A-game. I have to give these guys major props for their electric stage presence and amazing musical chemistry. They’ve got this blues tinge to their songs that adds soul and depth that a lot of newer bands don’t have. Rocking out on the Masquerade stage with big grins and big riffs, Whiskey Grin are a MUST see!

Just after the sunset behind the 2300 Arena, Nitro Nitra was taking the stage with an iron fist inside the venue’s doors. She is a kickass frontwoman and vocalist with a talent-filled 5-piece backing band. Her vocals soared and filled that big room with such ease and poise but Nitra has this edge that makes her performance not just elegant but powerful and full of attitude. Her voice has been compared to Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Tina Turner and Diana Ross but at Masquerade she belted out Led Zeppelin classics as well as original material.

Next were Ryder, a hard rock band from Queens, NY. They dropped their most recent EP “Don’t Think Twice” earlier this year and have been full speed ahead since then and especially since the recent addition of bassist Erik Unkrich. They describe their sound as “respect for the inspiration of predecessors from Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, and the others, woven into a sound that is clearly alive with audiences today” and I’d say that shows in their live performance just as well as their studio releases. 

Headlining the night, kicking off full force at 11:30PM were All Or Nothing from Birmingham, AL. These guys were the band that everyone could not stop raving about the entire weekend. Their set included already released originals, tunes from their soon-to-be-released EP and covers of songs we all know and love. Brett Carlisle’s voice is the lovechild of ‘80s glam metal and death metal… and it’s perfect. Holding down the rhythm section is Skylar McCain on drums and Ian “King” Smith on the bass. Rounding out the lineup is the 6-string shredding machine Jacob Mann! These 4 are out there kicking ass and taking names. They’ve even been picked up as touring members of XYZ and played alongside guitar legend Dokken’s George Lynch! If that doesn’t show how talented these gentlemen are, I don’t know what will. All Or Nothing definitely put on the best set of the Artist Showcase!

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