*In this series we pose the age-old question to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music, most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*
Former Still The Sky’s Limit frontman John Barthelmass, better known as ‘JB’ or Johnny B, has been quickly making waves in the music community with his solo career under the name Ten Two. The singer/songwriter uprooted himself from his home in Orange County, California and relocated 3,000 miles away to Orlando, FL to further pursue his music career and his upcoming solo debut release ‘Forth’ is slated for release January 5, 2018. According to the Ten Two Facebook page, “JB focuses not on what could have been but instead choosing to focus on the future—all that is and can be. It’s this mantra that he channels into his upcoming solo debut release Forth. Encompassing the loud, the calm, and everything in between, it is a two-sided album through which he explores a unique musical and emotional duality by juxtaposing his alt-rock past with his present as a budding acoustic singer/songwriter.” Sounds to me like the makings of some good quality songs, as I’m not too keen on focusing on the past myself – look to the future and make your own reality.
Metal Nexus got a chance to get in touch with JB for our ‘Bucketlist’ segment, which most of you are probably familiar with. For those who are not, this segment’s focus is to shed light on your favorite artists’ favorite artists and who they would like to see live in concert. Since we all have our own bucket lists, it’s a pretty cool change to dig into the interests of today’s hottest and upcoming artists, and getting to it, here is The Bucketlist with Ten Two!
“As far as musical bucketlists go, there are several bands and other musical acts that I would very much enjoy watching, simply to be able to experience the intensity that each brings to their performance. The music itself is one aspect of a show, but the method by which it is presented actually interests me more. In terms of being ‘active’ within the musical world, some of these acts are more semi-active, as they go on tours here and there, but aren’t necessarily full-time bands anymore. I’ve actually seen most of the contemporary bands that I’ve wanted to, most of them being fairly underground acts like Emarosa, I The Mighty, Picturesque, and Memphis May Fire; but it was the bands that shaped my adolescent self that I have not been allotted the opportunity to watch in person.”
- The Early November
“The absolute top of my list is The Early November. This band shaped my youth. I was absolutely entranced by Ace Enders’ voice and the songwriting of the band captivated me for years and years. The kicker here is that I actually purchased tickets to Warped Tour in Fullerton, California one year when they performed just to see them, and as I was standing in line to get into the venue, of which the entrance gates were not even open yet, I could hear them performing in the distance. They do reunion tours and shows here and there, and now that I am living on the East Coast of the U.S. I feel it would most likely be much easier for me to catch a show as they are from New Jersey and don’t tend to go west very often.”
- Dashboard Confessional
“Directly below T.E.N. is Dashboard Confessional. Again, this is mostly based upon vocals and lyrical content. I jumped on the Dashboard Confessional bandwagon very early on into Chris Carrabba’s solo career. I have always had a soft spot for the simplicity of the acoustic singer/songwriter. Something about just having a guitar and a voice. I would rather go to one of his solo shows than to go to a full band edition of a Dashboard Confessional tour, but either way, I know I’d enjoy the experience.”
- Saosin
“While I love the vocal intensity, the next band I would be in awe of watching is Saosin. This is far more based on their guitar prowess, which is easily the most inspirational aspect of my own guitar playing. To aspire to be as ridiculously talented as those guys on guitar is something that keeps me writing songs. I actually was late to the party with Saosin. My first experience hearing their magic was from their self-titled Capitol Records release. I have been absolutely hooked on their guitar hooks ever since. Granted, I would want to see them with their original vocalist Anthony Green, his vocal delivery is spot on. Lucky for me it could be possible, as they reformed, released a record, and toured. So, there’s still hope.”
- Taking Back Sunday
“The 4th band in this list is much more specific than the others in terms of my desire to watch them because technically I have seen them perform in the past. Actually, I was fortunate enough to perform on a show that they played many years ago. Taking Back Sunday is an inspiration musically, lyrically, and stage performance wise. The caveat here is that I would like to watch the original line up of the band perform. The time I was able to watch them perform was during the middle period in which the original guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper had left the band. Now that they have reconvened and release albums as the original line up once again, I would like to see the greatness that they’ve captured in live performances since circa 2002.”
- Eminem
“I realize this is a band discussion here, but really the only other active act that I would like to watch live just to feel the intensity of the performance is Eminem. His passion for the lyrics and messages that he portrays in live performances is emotionally inspiring. I’ve only seen videos on YouTube and different music television channels. Eminem’s vocal cadence is phenomenal. I would love to be able to just stand in a crowd and not only watch and hear his passionate performance, but also feel the passion of the crowd at one of those shows.”
“The common denominator I feel within my desire to bucket list these acts is their intensity of delivery via the live shows they perform. Inspired acts performing inspired acts.”
In support of ‘Forth’, a brand new lyric video for “Raise Your Hand” has been released. JB states, ““Raise Your Hand” is a song that captures the sickness that is domestic violence. The story tells the point at which it has finally become too much, that break out moment when one being abused allows that swing in mentality from being the quiet victim to saying “enough is enough”. I’ve known too many people that have had horrendous experiences; the mental anguish and feeling of hopelessness, helplessness, and not being worth better than the situation they have found themselves in. Enough is enough before it even begins. Love is not supposed to flinch.”
Check it out below!
As mentioned before, look for the new Ten Two debut album ‘Forth’ on January 5, 2018! It’s sure to be one hell of a way to kick off the new year! Also be sure to follow Ten Two for news, releases, and upcoming shows near you!
