{"id":812,"date":"2012-06-01T20:00:02","date_gmt":"2012-06-01T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=812"},"modified":"2015-10-13T16:51:55","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T16:51:55","slug":"shiny-toy-guns-the-panic-division-josabis-helotes-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/06\/01\/shiny-toy-guns-the-panic-division-josabis-helotes-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Shiny Toy Guns &#038; The Panic Division &#8211; Josabi\u2019s &#8211; Helotes, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\" width=\"70%\">Written by Robert Johnson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Jun 01, 2012 at 09:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Shiny Toy Guns<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before the show took place, I had a chance to sit down with Shiny Toy Guns for a while. Here is the video of that exchange.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j-co66XN0Vk\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If you fancy yourself a hell of a performance when you attend a concert, look no further than the Shiny Toy Guns experience.<\/p>\n<p>Since I last caught up with Shiny Toy Guns in March, the band has had some ups and downs.\u00a0 Notably,\u00a0they have officially finished\u00a0their latest album, III, and Daniel Johansson has left the band.\u00a0 When a band loses a member, many might assume that the live event would suffer.\u00a0 Or worse, a a rift would divide the band.\u00a0 Not so!\u00a0 Jeremy Dawson, Chad Petree, Carah Faye, and Mikey Martin have an undeniable chemistry, and appear closer than ever.\u00a0 And for good reason!\u00a0 After more than three years of blood, sweat, and tears, Shiny Toy Guns is finally poised to release the aforementioned new album. With the studio work behind them, Faye and Dawson have been traveling the country capturing video content to accompany the release.\u00a0 Running on nothing but coffee and Cheez-Its, Faye and Dawson met up with Petree and Martin for a one-off gig in the blistering heat of San Antonio, TX.<\/p>\n<p>The atmosphere at Joasabi\u2019s is unique.\u00a0 A blend of relaxing bar and amphitheater, Josabi\u2019s is set about twenty miles outside of San Antonio proper, in the city of Helotes, Texas.\u00a0 Although a bit of a drive, the fans made it out for a night of spectacular music that even included local favorites, The Panic Division.<\/p>\n<p>Just after 10:30PM. Shiny Toy Guns took the stage to\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RBmBDc3TVcY\"><u>&#8220;Together<\/u><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RBmBDc3TVcY\"><u> Again\u201d<\/u><\/a> and immediately jumped into the first release off the new album, \u201cThe Sun.\u201d\u00a0 Unlike the studio version, the band plays a broken down version of \u201cThe Sun\u201d for the live set.\u00a0 The changes are most noticeable toward the end of the song, when the drum pattern transforms the song into a rhythmic masterpiece, suitable for moshing, stage diving, head banging, or however you prefer to enjoy your favorite rock anthems.\u00a0 Even with the subtle differences from the original release, fans were engaged, singing in unison as Faye and Petree conducted the crowd like a symphony.\u00a0 Although the original lineup, it is evident that this is a new Shiny Toy Guns, loving every minute of their time together yet performing with a maturity not shared by many of their contemporaries.<\/p>\n<p>After playing an opening that was familiar, yet new, the band threw a catapult of enthusiasm into the crowd with the pulsating introduction to \u201cStarts With One.\u201d\u00a0 Singer \/ Guitarist Chad Petree didn\u2019t even need to open his mouth.\u00a0 The crowd already had the lyrics covered.\u00a0 Although never a single, \u201cStarts With One\u201d was a standout song from the Grammy-nominated We Are Pilots.\u00a0 The song is the elegant blend of energy and catchy, which is why this song fits so perfectly at the beginning of the set.<\/p>\n<p>After a dazzling performance of \u201cRicochet!,\u201d Faye took the fans on a journey into the heart of their new album.\u00a0\u00a0 Arguably the catchiest Shiny Toy Guns song of the catalog, \u201cSomewhere to Hide\u201d beautifully highlights Faye\u2019s vocal prowess.\u00a0 Dawson started the song with a melodic combination of synths.\u00a0 Moments in, Martin set the beat (which gradually builds throughout the song).\u00a0 Finally, Faye started in with a delicate vocal that exploded to an all out fireworks display by the chorus.\u00a0 If I was a betting man, I would double down on this song to be the first single off III.\u00a0 Not only the the song supremely catchy, but it also perfectly suits Shiny Toy Guns as a band, born again and ready to reach new heights.<\/p>\n<p>For the next song, Petree assumed lead vocal duties.\u00a0 In his performance of \u201cRainy Monday,\u201d it was clear that Petree\u2019s voice has continued to fill out.\u00a0 On this night, his voice had astonishing depth and substance.\u00a0 Many guitarist \/ vocalists have a tough time taking advantage of their vocal range while fully mastering their guitar licks.\u00a0 Not Petree.\u00a0 He performs in a way that allows his voice and guitar work to be independently outstanding, and outright masterful taken as a combination.<\/p>\n<p>When Shiny Toy Guns\u00a0recorded a cover of Peter Schilling\u2019s \u201cMajor Tom,\u201d they probably had no idea how popular their version would become.\u00a0 After Lincoln decided to use the song in an advertising campaign, the song became a massive hit.\u00a0 During the song, the band and the audience were one.\u00a0 With their hands in the air and their bodies moving to the beat, the audience sang every word of the song along with Faye.\u00a0 By mid-set, the band had already fostered an energy and enthusiasm with the crowd that is usually only seen during an encore performance.\u00a0 Yet, only seven songs in, the crowd was already begging for more.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy Dawson\u2019s talent simply can\u2019t be overstated.\u00a0 Throughout the set, he frequently jumps from one instrument to another.\u00a0 In some instances, he takes on multiple roles at once.\u00a0 In \u201cMercy,\u201d Dawson performs the opening keyboard parts with his bass guitar strapped across his body.\u00a0 As soon as he completes the opening, he swings his bass around and thrashes around on stage in all-out rockstar mode.\u00a0 After he exerted an unbelievable amount of energy with the performance, he once again assumed the keyboards before the end of the song.\u00a0 Covered in sweat with his bass dangling at his side, Dawson flawlessly executed a complete shift in the song\u2019s dynamics.\u00a0 Right when you think the song is about the end, the song is stripped of all guitar and drums, leaving only Dawson to play the way through.\u00a0 For certain songs, it is apparent how critical each member of the band is to the overall product.\u00a0 In my opinion, the live performance of this song illustrates just how important Dawon is to this band.\u00a0 For a band filled with immensely talented people, Dawson is a certain standout.<\/p>\n<p>Over the course of the evening, it was clear that the band was having a blast.\u00a0 Throughout the set Petree would stalk the stage, taking the time to toy around with Dawson\u2019s keyboards or simply pay a visit to Martin\u2019s drum set.\u00a0 It was during the band\u2019s performance of \u201cRocketship\u201d that the fans really got a glimpse into the band\u2019s lighter side.\u00a0 Faye grabbed a bottle of water, took a giant mouthful, and proceeded to spray Petree, Martin, and Dawson relentlessly.\u00a0 No guitar, keyboard, or drum was safe.\u00a0 Everything was getting soaked.\u00a0 Even the audience.\u00a0 It was clear they were having a blast, and that infectious enthusiasm spread throughout the crowd like wild fire.\u00a0 By the time the band left the stage, the crowd wasn\u2019t ready to let go.<\/p>\n<p>With the crowd chanting \u201cwe want more\u201d and \u201cS.T.G.\u201d, the band took the stage again for two more.\u00a0 Although it was nearly 100 degrees at this outdoor event, Dawson, Petree, Faye, and Martin performed \u201cDon\u2019t Cry Out\u201d and \u201cYou Are the One\u201d with the same level of precision, control, and energy you\u2019d expect from the first song of the set.<\/p>\n<p>Shiny Toy Guns exemplify everything that is right about music today.\u00a0 They LOVE their fans.\u00a0 Their music has meaning.\u00a0 Their live set is filled with heart and soul.\u00a0 According to Faye, the band is filled with and surrounded by \u201cpositive energy.\u201d\u00a0 It certainly shows.<\/p>\n<p>Setlist:<\/p>\n<p>Intro (Together Again) The Sun Starts With One Ricochet! Somewhere to Hide Rainy Monday Shaken Major Tom Mercy Ghost Town Stripped Speaking Japanese Le Disko Rocketship<\/p>\n<p>Encore:<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t Cry Out You Are the One<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Panic Division<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Back in 2005, The Panic Division took the alt \/ indie \/ punk scene by storm with the release of their debut album Versus.\u00a0 In 2007, the band avoided the sophomore slump with the phenomenal Songs from the Glasshouse.\u00a0 Littered with radio-ready tracks, Songs from the Glasshouse was destined for success.\u00a0 Only one problem &#8211; the band couldn\u2019t stick together long enough to enjoy that success.\u00a0 Shortly after the release, The Panic Division went on an indefinite hiatus, effectively ending a promising future in the industry.\u00a0 By 2009, Colton Holliday had taken matters into his own hands.\u00a0 Although always the primary songwriter for the band, the time had come for Holliday to embrace the full responsibility of that role.\u00a0 Holliday dabbled in that role with the release of his first solo effort, Sleepwalker.\u00a0 After the release, Holliday assembled a groups of friends to perform sporadic live sets under The Panic Division name.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to June 1, 2012.\u00a0 It had been years since the band\u2019s last live performance.\u00a0 On the heels of the The Panic Division\u2019s latest release, Eternalism, Holliday had once again assembled a group of talented musicians to perform live sets in support of the album.\u00a0 Thankfully, I was lucky enough to catch the band\u2019s first live set in years as an opening act for Shiny Toy Guns at Josabi\u2019s in San Antonio (Helotes), Texas.<\/p>\n<p>New live ensemble or not, The Panic Division sounded great.\u00a0 Holliday and crew took the stage at Josabi\u2019s to perform a smattering of songs from the latest record.\u00a0 Right out of the gate, the band played the third song off the latest record, \u201cMiracle In You.\u201d\u00a0 In the same vein as \u201cThe Pieces That Mattered,\u201d \u201cMiracle In You\u201d is an upbeat track that lends itself well to the live setting.\u00a0 As the crowd continued to gather around the stage, Holliday commanded his vocal and guitar work like a freight train headed directly for the audience.\u00a0 After all these years, Holliday hadn\u2019t lost a step.\u00a0 With his undeniable stage presence and charisma capturing the crowd\u2019s attention, Colton performed an Eternalism standout, \u201cSilver Rings.\u201d\u00a0 Written about losing some of his rings at the lake, \u201cSilver Rings\u201d has everything major record executives look for in a radio hit.\u00a0 Catchy guitar licks, great song structure, beautiful vocal hooks and seamless transitions.\u00a0 Throughout the performance of this song, Holliday\u2019s passion for his music is apparent as he belted out every syllable with purpose and meaning.<\/p>\n<p>After playing a couple more off the latest album (including must-listen \u201cMelody Ave.\u201d), Holliday and co. played their 2007 hit, \u201cBig Day.\u201d\u00a0 The first (and only) single from Songs from the Glasshouse, \u201cBig Day\u201d in a larger-than-life rock song with both depressing and uplifting lyrics.\u00a0 Although the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lp0yiwblXm4\"><u>music<\/u><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lp0yiwblXm4\"><u> video<\/u><\/a> for the song perfectly captures the inherent energy and emotion of the track, it is even better in the live arena.\u00a0 The fans got to take a look into Holliday\u2019s soul, as he experienced and then translated to the crowd every emotional up and down of the song\u2019s lyrical content.<\/p>\n<p>It was refreshing to see a band with so much potential get back on track.\u00a0 Despite performing only five songs and playing live for the first time in years, The Panic Division put forth an unbelievably good show.\u00a0 Hopefully, it was only a small taste of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n<p>Setlist:<\/p>\n<p>Miracle In You Silver Rings Labor of Love Melody Ave. Big Day<\/p>\n<p>Contact Robert at <a href=\"mailto:robert@starsandsatellites.com\"><u>robert@starsandsatellites.com<\/u><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Robert Johnson Jun 01, 2012 at 09:00 PM Shiny Toy Guns Before the show took place, I had a chance to sit down with Shiny Toy Guns for a while. Here is the video of that exchange. If you fancy yourself a hell of a performance when you attend a concert, look no&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more navbutton\"><a href=\"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/06\/01\/shiny-toy-guns-the-panic-division-josabis-helotes-tx\/\">Read More<i class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-concert-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":813,"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions\/813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}