STITCHED UP HEART AT GRAMERCY THEATER IN NEW YORK CITY
Thanksgiving Eve is one of those nights that many people have their own traditions to follow. Mine was the New Jersey Devils game with a long time close friend B-Rock. This year, there was no Thanksgiving Eve game, but there was one hell of concert I was not going to miss! Stitched Up Heart was performing at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC. Stitched Up Heart has been around since 2010, and they have been growing in the industry ever since.
This was definitely a mixed crowd of fans. You had the extremely loyal fans and dedicated followers of the headliner Steel Panther, mixed in a room with the diehard fans of Stitched Up Heart. Now, if you know these 2 bands, this certainly is one unique mix! As Stitched Up Heart made their way out onto the stage, they hit it hard and heavy with one of their newly released songs “This Skin”. A soon to be hit from their upcoming album Darkness, this song was the perfect way to introduce themselves to every person in that venue. First off, the powerful (and meaningful) lyrics will surely relate to many standing in the crowd. This song has a hard hitting intro that releases into a catchy pre-verse with some light instrumentals in the background. The verse then kicks in with some awesome riffs, a solid beat, and lyrics that will give you chills. When the chorus hits, Alecia “Mixi” Demner (lead vocals & guitar) reinvents the sound and understanding of a female-fronted, hard rock band. Her voice is so idiosyncratic that any person within the area of hearing her sing will become mesmerized, as it does when this chorus hits. The sound in the venue was great (as Gramercy always is) and the lighting was just right for the fans to watch. Add the C02 Blasters going off at the perfect drops during each song, and we had ourselves one awesome start to the show!
Mixi, along with the rest of the crew, gave that high-energy stage presence needed to keep the viewers interested in seeing what was next. From one side of the stage to the other, they were all jumping around and switching up where they stood. Having the risers upfront, with C02 blasters and lighting underneath, truly made this set really shine for them. They made sure they interacted with all the fans in attendance by switching up locations. We can give James (drums) a pass on this since he was rocking the set behind the band! I can personally vouch for him with myself being a drummer: this is no easy task! It can be a bit much for the drummer to run around during the set! Merritt Goodwin (guitars), Randy Mathias (bass & backing vocals), and James Decker (drums & backing vocals) all fed off one another’s energy and positive vibes. I could see them all laughing amongst one another while playing, and I could see them all exchanging smiles while living in these unforgettable moments with each other. The band continued to rock hard with “Warrior”, “Catch Me When I Fall”, “Problems”, and their 2015 hit “Finally Free”. At one point Mixi took a seat on one of the risers and asked the venue to put on some lights to see the crowd. She gave a special thank you to Steel Panther for allowing them to join on their tour and of course a huge thank you to all the fans, both current and new. The band closed up their set with 2 huge hits, “Lost” and “Monster”. “Lost” features Godsmack’s Sully Erna on vocals, and since Sully was not available, Mixi invited out special guest and friend, Cody Carlton, to help cover those vocals with her!
This show was easily a 10 (on the typical scaling system 1 to 10) with 3 simple factors: amazing visuals to keep your eyes wide open and looking forward, intense ear drilling sounds of passionate music with heartfelt lyrics, and the amazing songs created and performed by Stitched Up Heart. What really made this Thanksgiving Eve so amazing to me was the time I spent after the show with the band. As many performers in the metal and rock community do now a days, Mixi told the fans that they would be hanging out by their merch table and to come on over and say hello! As I made my way down and over to the table to ask the crew for a group shot, I stood over to the side and just watched. Cody was working behind the merch table, and was joined by Mixi and James who stood in front engaging with all the fans. Mixi did not stop smiling, thanking each person, taking pictures, signing merch - you name it! James was telling stories to everyone there about how the show prior, he broke one side of his snare head, and then literally at the start of this show broke the other! I observed each person’s face as I waited. Seeing those fans smiling, crying with tears of excitement and being star struck, or laughing with Mixi and James made me feel incredibly happy. The joy and excitement that was being brought to each one of these fans lives at that very moment was just amazing to witness. While listening to everyone talk, the band to the fans and vice versa, it was truly sincere in each and every word exchanged.
I finally made my way over to Mixi and congratulated them on an amazing performance and asked if I could get the crew together for a few group shots. Without hesitation, she grabbed James and they got the rest of the boys over to snap some. I was able to get not only a great group shot, but some great in the moment shots of them joking around and just simply loving life. Michael Starr even jumped in to join the photo op! After that Mixi, James, Merritt, and Randy all thanked me for shooting their performance. I ended up hanging out a little longer with them, sharing some stories with James and Mixi while we hung out downstairs and then made our way outside for some NYC fresh air!
This show and evening definitely is one for my personal journal. Such an amazing night of music, and a great time making new friends and just living in the moment. If you see Stitched Up Heart is playing a show in your area, whether it be a headlining show or supporting act, performing at a festival or some special event, you need to go. You need to experience the band called Stitched Up Heart at one point in your life. I promise you it will be worth every second you stand there watching them! Thank you Mixi, James, Randy and Merritt for not only your gift of music, but for an amazing show and amazing time hanging after! Until next time… KEEP ROCKING!