Limbs has announced a fourteen-date run in February with Dark Divine, Vagrants (2/2-2/12), and Colorblind (2/10-2/19). As an added bonus, this lineup will be supporting Famous Last Words on February 10th, 11th, and 12th! You can find tickets at whoislimbs.com.
Awesome Ray Ray is an artist that knows no creative boundaries. Filled with energy, promoting positivity, and crossing a wide range of genres, he has something to offer for everyone. I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Awesome Ray Ray about his start in music, what inspires him, his recent appearance at Blue Ridge Rock Festival, his latest single, and what’s on the horizon for him.
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MM: First and foremost, can you describe your sound in your own words?
R: Sometimes it’s like this raspy, bluesy southern gospel rocker vibe, then mix that in with rap, trap, and hip hop, sprinkle a little bit of heavy metal, R&B and EDM, then you have a “never really know” what to expect mix that is “Awesome Ray Ray”.
MM: Who are your biggest influences?
R: Limp Bizkit, LL Cool J, Jelly Roll, Drake, Linkin Park, Korn, Post Malone, Slipknot, Kendrick Lamar, Gym Class Heroes.
MM: With such a wide variety of genres mixing in your sound and your list of influences, who would be your dream touring mates? Or just a dream lineup that you’d be on?
R: Definitely Limp Bizkit, Jelly Roll, Travis Scott, Gym Class Heroes
MM: That would be a killer show. So, on to another standard question. What made you want to pursue a career in music?
R: I’ve been a lover of music since I was a little kid. I picked up my first pair of drumsticks at the age of three, and that’s all she wrote. Listening to music has always been therapy and a way of coping with stresses of life. And writing/performing it literally does the exact same for me.
MM: In regard to drumming, was there anyone in particular that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
R: Gene Krupa, Quest Love (The Roots) John Otto (Limp Bizkit )
MM: Describe your songwriting process, and where do you draw most of your inspiration for songs?
R: Normally I hear a melody or I’ll hear a guitar riff, or a beat/instrumental and my mind will just start going crazy. I usually have to write it all down quickly. My inspiration normally comes from real life experiences, or whatever I’m feeling in that exact moment.
MM: Tell me about your experience performing at Blue Ridge Rock Festival.
R: It was absolutely life-changing. For that being my first show ever as a solo artist,I felt a lot of pressure but was extremely thankful for the opportunity. The second my foot hit that stage and I opened my mouth and saw the crowd reaction, I knew immediately this was home. Every aspect from driving down, to parking my tour bus, to meeting the stage managers, sound engineers, staff, security, helpers, fans, national acts, regional acts, etc. Just the general reception that I received from everybody, it was absolutely amazing. Not a lot of artist or bands get that experience for their first show, so I’m incredibly grateful, and Blue Ridge will forever have a special place in my heart. I absolutely look forward to going back and performing again.
Awesome Ray Ray at BRRF (2021)
MM: For anyone who was unfortunate enough to miss you at BRRF (like myself), what can concertgoers expect from an Awesome Ray Ray live show?
R: A lot of energy, positive vibes, positive reinforcement, a mix of different styles of music, some serious moments, and definitely some funny moments. I’ll crack a joke in a heartbeat. Lots of smiles and laughs, and a lot of high fives and hugs.
MM: It sounds like a very positive, feel-good experience, and we can all use a bit more of that. While I have you here, I wanted to be sure to touch on your latest single. Can you tell me the inspiration behind “Last Desperado”?
R: Absolutely. “Last Desperado” was originally a hip-hop song that I wrote a few years ago. I produced a hip-hop instrumental, and wrote it about being cocky/confident, while still trying to encourage people and spread a bit a of a positive message. I know those two seldomly go together but I decided to give it a shot. One of my good friends, and one of the most amazing, talented, producers/guitarists, and overall human beings, that I’ve ever met by the name of William Baker (formerly of Hallow Intent), reached out to me after playing Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2021. [He] was taking on some production projects, and I sent him this and said “Hey bro, can you add to this? Throw in some guitars and heavy metal? You know? Do ya thang?”. And WOW did he! It turned out awesome! Like I knew it was gonna be good, but I didn’t know it was gonna slap so hard. And perform this well stream-wise. I’m incredibly thankful for his friendship and help/support on this record. And there will definitely be more where that come from soon!
MM: I really like that message. So often we think of confidence in ourselves and empathy for other people as separate things when in reality, you can have both. And now we come to the final, all-encompassing “What’s next for Awesome Ray Ray?”
R: I have a lot of music/videos that are gonna be coming out soon, booking shows, being a part of other projects hitting the road, and just straight up following my dreams while inspiring and encouraging others to do the same.
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There you have it! Awesome Ray Ray has a lot of exciting things for y’all to look forward to. You can find his social medias and the streaming services that have his music at the link below! And be sure to check out “Last Desperado.”
It’s been a minute since I shared one of these posts, but I’ve been needing a pick-me-up and I figured I could share another song that’s helped me over the past few years.
I really love the message behind “Alone in a Room,” because it focuses more on coming to terms with yourself, your flaws and mistakes and all of the things we don’t exactly want to face. Sometimes, we only have ourselves to blame, and that’s a hard pill to swallow.
Back in my darkest days, when I was convinced I’d never shake my overwhelming sense of unhappiness, I heard this song for the first time. And it woke me up to a few things I had to work on, things no one else could fix for me. I played it on repeat, along with the other tracks I’ve written about, and it granted me a light at the end of the tunnel.
I’ve been away a little while Sometimes I just can’t help myself When my mind’s running wild I seem to lose grip on reality And I try to disregard The crazy things the voices tell me to do But it’s no use I tried to own it, write songs about it Believe me, I’ve tried; in the end, I needed to breathe Find inspiration, some kind of purpose To take a second to face the shit that makes me, me
All I needed was the last thing I wanted To sit alone in a room and say it all out loud Every moment, every second, every trespass Every awful thing, every broken dream A couple years back and forth with myself in a cage Banging my head against the wall, tryna put words on a page All I needed was the last thing I wanted To be alone in a room, alone in a room
I saw the world a couple times Tried to cure the ache with absence But that hole was still a hole And my mind kept playing tricks on me Feeling older every day Took everything I had to not crash and burn But I’m starting to learn Sometimes I’ll fall down, sometimes I’ll lose hope But those days will be few if I keep my feet on the ground I might be lonely, but I ain’t alone here So I keep pushing the limits of what makes me me
All I needed was the last thing I wanted To sit alone in a room and say it all out loud Every moment, every second, every trespass Every awful thing, every broken dream A couple years back and forth with myself in a cage Banging my head ‘gainst the wall, tryna put words on a page All I needed was the last thing I wanted To be alone in a room, alone in a room
I can be better than I was I can be better than I am All I needed was the last thing I wanted To sit alone in a room
All I needed was the last thing I wanted To sit alone in a room and say it all out loud Every moment, every second, every trespass Every awful thing, every broken dream A couple years back and forth with myself in a cage Banging my head ‘gainst the wall, tryna put words on a page All I needed was the last thing I wanted To be alone in a room, alone in a room
Kingdom Collapse is heading out in October-November for several dates with special guests The Funeral Portrait and Versus Me. Tickets available at kingdomcollapse.com.
10/14 – Destin, FL – Club LA
10/15 – Winter Park, FL – The Haven
10/17 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
10/18 – Johnson City, TN – Capone’s
10/20 – Mechanicsburg – Lovedrafts
10/21 – Frederick, MD – Cafe 611
10/22 – Frenchtown, NJ – Artie’s Bar & Grill
10/23 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
10/26 – Urbana, IL – Canopy Club
10/27 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
10/28 – Des Moines, IA – Lefty’s Live Music
10/29 – Sioux Falls, SD – Bigs Bar
10/30 – Iowa City, IA – Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon
11/1 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
11/3 – Great Falls, MT – The Newberry*
11/4 – Billings, MT – Pub Station*
11/5 – Cheyenne, WY – The Gaslight Social*
11/8 – Greeley, CO – Moxi Theater
11/9 – Denver, CO – The Black Buzzard
11/11 – Lincoln, NE – 1867 Bar
11/12 – Kearney, NE – The Other Side
11/13 – Overland Park, KS – VIVO Live Music
11/14 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
* Supporting Saving Abel // Kingdom Collapse and The Funeral Portrait only!
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is teaming up with Attack Attack! for the When We Were Emo tour, and they’re bringing along Kingdom Collapse and Astoria State. Tickets are available at theredjumpsuitapparatus.com.
7/13 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean*
7/14 – Iowa City, IA – Wildwood Saloon
7/15 – Minneapolis, MN – Fineline Music
7/16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Bigs Bar
7/17 – Fargo, ND – The Hall @ Fargo Brewing
7/19 – Sioux City, IA – The Marquee*
7/20 – Kearney, NE – The Other Side*
7/21 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
7/22 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
7/23 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
7/24 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
Alesana will be touring this summer alongside Palisades, Vampires Everywhere!, and a special guest still to be announced. Additional dates and cities will be added, so keep an eye out for updates, either here or via the band’s Facebook. Tickets and VIP meet-and-greets are available at meetandscream.com.
Papa Roach and Falling in Reverse are hitting the road this summer with epic support – Hollywood Undead and Bad Wolves. The twenty-four date tour will span the end of July and all of August. Tickets and VIP available at rockzillatour.com.
7/27 – East Providence, RI – Bold Point Pavilion
7/29 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre
7/30 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
The second single from Falling in Reverse’s Neon Zombie EP, which doesn’t yet have a release date. Fingers crossed we’ll get our hands on it soon, though!
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