Last Thursday First Angel Media threw its first show, Sacrament. In past years there have been First Angel sponsored shows, as well as shows put on by promoters in the area working with FAM, but this was the first of what is meant to be an annual event, run completely by First Angel, and the outcome was a success!
Martian Rockatansky, emcee
For a Thursday night in the Pittsburgh area music scene, a show was a gamble from the start. Added to that, the whole thing came together in under two months… and it may have looked more like a crazy idea than a show. Honestly, a few folks asked me if I was sure we could pull it off. A genre blending show, one band being from out of town, burlesque dancing, costumes, and our Cupcake vendor doesn’t really sound like your typical Thursday night event. That was the key though, if you’ve been a member of the First Angel crew, you know we don’t do anything that’s typical. So, in true FAM Fashion, we threw in an emcee for the night by the name of Martian, dressed him as “Little Nicky’s” Adrian, brought in a local soap maker, Sinister Sister Goods, and off we went!
First, a little about the venue. The Sub Alpine is one of those hidden gems to some. Often seen as a metal stage, they actually have quite a collection of genres and bands from all over that have graced their stage. Bands on tour, local to New York, and so many more have been there and back again a few times. During the time the world stood still they took that as an opportunity to upgrade their stage, lights and sound. Being the only venue FAM backs for any event they choose, and considered our only sponsored stage, they were the first choice for where to hold this new step along our path.
The Mary Lous at Sacrament
As our Cupcake and soap vendors stocked their tables, people started to mosey in, and we started with The Mary Lous, whom only one of our crew was familiar with. The two person crew of The Mary Lous is part of The Destruct Principle, whose music I was very familiar with, but they were a delight and a surprise with their on stage banter, great tunes and catchy lyrics. I may never stop singing “Dead Girls Don’t Say No To Donuts,” and if that throws you for a loop to read, you should probably go check out their YouTube Channel to see what I’m talking about. Seriously, I’m now a fan of The Mary Lous. They made us laugh, we cried, we… suddenly had a craving for fried dough….and most of all, we loved them!!!
Trainwrecked
Next down the pike came Trainwrecked, a much loved metal band who brings the freaking noise each and every show. These guys are a ball of energy that you’d never expect if you met them in the crowd beforehand. Brother Eamonn, or was it possibly Friar Sweeney that night (??), rocked out on guitar as the bassist, apparently some young kid they picked up from a farm on their way to the show (No judgment, he was great!!) lost his straw hat from the starting chords. I’m pretty sure they grabbed the drummer from a Slipknot cover band, but the guy could have been THE drummer as hard as he was going. Some wolf guy, Caleb? Lo? Lough?? Hmmm…. He looked like our model Caleb, but I don’t know, pretty sure our model Caleb can’t scream or do gutturals like that. Really certain he doesn’t look like a total beast on stage. Maybe it was a doppelganger? It was close to Halloween after all. If it was our Caleb, we may need that version of him to come out during a photo shoot, wolf eyes and all! What I do know for certain? The moshing began, all hell broke loose, and if you haven’t seen these guys live, you ain’t living! At least not the metal life.
Crash Army
Up next for the first half of our fun little evening, came Crash Army. Don’t know the name yet? Get familiar with it soon. In the past year alone these guys have had a music video out that garnered over 60,000 views on Facebook, that platform that’s so eaasssyyyy to get attention on (Please note the sarcasm), they’ve taken a trip to L.A. to hit the recording studio and play the historic Whiskey A-Go-go, and they made it to the semi-finals to play a gig at the Orange Bowl. For a local band doing some punk rock things in Pittsburgh, that’s quite the pedigree. They brought the energy to the stage in a way only they can, with a rather cool mix of the old and new, as well as some fan favorite covers and some “Top Secret” new material. Yes, that is a total play on something I can’t reveal yet, guess you have to go watch their pages to find out the rest. What I will tell you is that these guys rocked their….. socks off. The new material had everyone vibing along, and lead singer, Corey /Krueger/ Barr may have gotten a little wild on guitar. Seeing as it was kinda covered in blood by the end, maybe a little more than a little wild actually. These guys brought the blood, sweat and tears, quite literally!
Miss Red
On the non-music side of things, we had raffles, a costume contest judged by the crowd and hosted by our models, and a gorgeous redhead on stage in pasties. Oh, wait, yeah, you were probably interested in how that whole burlesque thing went right?? Well, let’s just say, Miss Red killed it! The crowd stood transfixed by her spider themed song and dance, and the only murmurs in the crowd were, “This was worth every penny on its own!” I could put more, but, I feel like explaining how a redhead in a dark robe took the stage and danced her way to her pasties and panties would turn this into something way off the pathway of a review of an event. I will say that you should probably check her out on any other night she performs though. It’s an amazing thing.
The Destruct Principle
After the fun, dancing, and so much more were through, the final ritual of the night came to be. The Destruct Principle took the stage in darkness, lit mainly by the candles of their altar, and called forth the spirit of all who stood before them. While, leading up to the event, many of my friends found themselves unable to stop listening to their recorded music, a Destruct Principle Ritual live is on another level from anything I’ve experienced. This gathering of four humans goes beyond the normal, reaching out into a primitive part of all before them, the music seeming to rise from within our souls. If you have ever felt compelled to dance, to move and sway, then you know the magic of music itself, but with ancient vocal intonations, beats of drums and accompanying cries, this becomes magic in a base form. A language beyond anything learned. This is sound from the days the Earth was young, brought to life in a modern time, and spellbinding all in attendance that night.
And suddenly, it was over. The First Angel Sacrament had rang out its last note, ending as suddenly as it began. Friends stood together, amazed that it had all come together, planning for the next year, and putting away what little remained of their wares. Yes folks, if you weren’t sold on the idea of cupcakes at a metal show, you might want to try it. Ms. Amanda Baker is an amazing… well… baker. Actually, the woman is an artist with all things food. Her plates had been bought out on so many things, and small bakery boxes were in most hands as they headed out the door. The soaps of Sinister Sister Goods had the place smelling more like a spa than a venue, and the donated basket on its own brought in over $100 in raffle tickets! All told, this night raised $371 that has already been donated to the Extra Life Charity to give kids, and their families, at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals electronics to still have some fun, stay connected, and just be kids. This charity was near and dear to all of us. Many members of First Angel Media, First Angel Modeling, and Nexev wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for these hospitals. Thanks to the Children’s Miracle Network, I was able to take the senior photos of a young man I consider my family. Next year, we’re doing it all again, but this time on a weekend, and I bet we’ll throw in even more surprises! Until then though, you may want to keep an eye on the First Angel Media pages. We may have taken a liking to these event thingies… and may already be planning more.
Want to help support the cause? There’s still time to donate through our Nexev Extra Life link!
