Appearance Had Been Rescheduled

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It was a hot and steamy day in July, but the beer was cold and BOBAFLEX was in town to get the party going. The first time I saw BOBAFLEX was about eight years ago when they were first on the bill of the inaugural Gigantour. I have been hooked ever since. Their antics on stage accompanied by their knack for blending melodies into crunchy metal with excellent vocal harmonies made them stand out. The boys from Point Pleasant, WV have been tearing up the road ever since. I was anxious to check them out with their new guitar player, Dave Tipple. During the last few years BOBAFLEX has had quite the turnover of guitar players, but I think they have finally settled on one.

got things going with "Chemical Valley", an up-tempo track that really sits well as an opener. The band really kept the setlist recent, blazing through songs from their last album Hell In My Heart as well as their yet-to-be released album Charlatan’s Web. I was slightly disappointed when they refused to reach back and pull out something from their earlier stuff, but I get it, they are trying to sell albums and reach out on radio and need to keep it fresh. Nevertheless, I would have loved to hear "Sellout" or "Doom Walker".

The music that BOBAFLEX brings to the table is really diverse. From hard rockers like "Bury Me With My Guns On" to haunting ballads like "Home", their catalogue is very dynamic and displays their talents and influences so well. One of the highlights of the evening was hearing their cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL’s "Sound of Silence" I really love how BOBAFLEX was able to take such a delicate song and turn it into a rocker without destroying the integrity of it.

Despite the sparse Thursday night crowd at the new downtown Akron concert club, "The Rock Factory", BOBAFLEX went on to put on an energetic, entertaining, and tight show. Brothers Marty & Shaun McCoy trade off playing guitar and vocals throughout the entire set. Bassist Jerod Mankin never seems to stop moving and is very entertaining on stage. Their albums are great, but to me, it is their live show that gets you hooked. I always love it when these guys come to town. If you get the chance to catch a BOBAFLEX show you will not be disappointed. Look for their new album Charlatan’s Web due out on September 10th.

facebook.com/bobaflex

Setlist

• "Chemical Valley"
• "Low Life"
• "Rise"
• "Slave"
• "Vampire"
• "Home"
• "Bad Man"
• "Sound of Silence" (SIMON & GARFUNKEL cover)
• "Bury Me with my Guns on"
• "Pretty Things"
• "Glad You’re Dead"
• "Losing my Mind"
• "Last Song"

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