PAX East 2011 Bands

BigRed

In case people didnt see news sites...

The list:
Jonathan Coulton
MC Frontalot
Metroid Metal
Paul and Storm
The Protomen
The Video Game Orchestra

Edit:
Adding press release

Spoiler:

Press release:

PAX East Brings Gamer Music Back to Boston

BOSTON – Jan. 13, 2011 – After a highly successful first year, PAX East is bringing back some of gaming’s most popular music artists to Boston. The show runs Friday, March 11 through Sunday, March 13 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

The celebration of all things gaming at PAX East will be highlighted by a wide range of music from hip hop to orchestral performances. The full list of acts includes:

Jonathan Coulton
MC Frontalot
Metroid Metal
Paul and Storm
The Protomen
The Video Game Orchestra

The music performances at the first annual PAX East were some of the best attended events at the festival.

“The first year reception to the music artists was phenomenal. We had packed crowds and had to turn a lot of people away at the door,” said Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade. “As long as we keep seeing that kind of passion and excitement we’re going to keep bringing the concerts back every year.”

The PAX East festival includes a wide range of gaming including pen-and-paper, tabletop, CCG, PC and console video games. Fans will attend panel discussions, concerts, tournaments and see the latest and future titles in a huge exhibition hall. PAX East launched in 2010 and brought in more than 50,000 attendees.

The pre-registration cost is $55 for three-day and $35 for single day passes. The passes are all-access for events, concerts, parties, panels and freeplay areas. PAX registration is at http://www.paxsite.com/paxeast/registration.php.

Rdr

Dang no Freezepop again. Hope they do another concert around PAX.

Coldbrew

Wow, no Anamanaguchi? Oh well, they had a good run.

Also glad to be able to see VGO again, hopefully they have a larger orchestra this time. And I agree with Rdr, I'll try to ask them if they plan to do that again.

KillerMcDead

PROTOMEN! YES!

papaprinny

8-bit frown for no Anamanaguchi.

Jim Jones

Wow, losing Anamanaguchi takes all the energy out of the pax concerts. Nice to see the Protomen in there though. They rocked the house last year.

daegan

I haven't seen this anywhere. But:

Coldbrew wrote: »

Wow, no Anamanaguchi?

Lindsey Lohan

Nice. I only did the Saturday show last year - I may try to do both this time. I hope Metroid Metal means we get another attempt at Coultron - maybe not cut short this year!

Rdr

Ya no Anamanaguchi makes me sad. But that all the bands that are playing are super amazing. The Paul and Storm followed by JoCo was seriously the best thing I've seen in a long time.

acumen101

I didn't go to any concerts last year (big mistake), so I plan on DEFINITELY going THIS year! I heard JoCo already has the Portal 2 song written and hoping he might play it....unless it spoils the game...and then I want to hear "Still Alive".

Coldbrew

acumen101 wrote: »

I heard JoCo already has the Portal 2 song written and hoping he might play it....unless it spoils the game...and then I want to hear "Still Alive".

I heard about him doing the Portal 2 song a while back so yeah that would be awesome. As far as Still Alive goes, as many times as I've heard it, it would be nice to have somebody like Felicia Day do the vocals again, because that was awesome.

Heleor

So from last year, we lost Anamanaguchi but gained Protomen? I didn't go to the Friday concert so wasn't sure.

Rdr

Heleor wrote: »

So from last year, we lost Anamanaguchi but gained Protomen? I didn't go to the Friday concert so wasn't sure.

Just Anamanaguchi. Protomen rocked PAX East last year!

Heleor

Wait, so who did we gain? Did we have 7 bands last year?

Rdr

Heleor wrote: »

Wait, so who did we gain? Did we have 7 bands last year?

Ya we did including Anamanaguchi.

We didn't gain anyone. We just just them. Same acts as 2010.

Wingedillidan

Bad news, we lost Anamanaguchi (yes, that's a little upsetting to some fans in my traveling group).

Good news, one less band (though an awesome one at least) to play means more time for whoever on X day concert (note that X is a variable of questionable variableness).

AND MORE time if the Video Game Orchestra takes less time to setup and less time for us doing a drawn-out wave in every break formation ever known (though it was pretty cool).

Arco

Any clue when bands will be playing each night?

Arco

My idea is to have as many people as possible shave their heads, paint their domes silver, and sit/stand/ROCK together during The Protomen set at PAX East. I will be doing this, provided the community response is high enough.

Will you stand with me, warriors of PAX? Will you stand with The Protomen?

Wingedillidan

That sounds GREAT AND DEDICATED! But on the extremes for me

If anyone has something less extreme for JoCo or Paul and Storm, I'm open :3. Not cosplaying so I got options

BaconSandwich

Is that a Protomen thing? Cause I was just thinking about getting a helmet like this:



and painting it to make it look like this:

Arco

BaconSandwich wrote: »

Is that a Protomen thing? Cause I was just thinking about getting a helmet like this:



and painting it to make it look like this:

Yeah, silver face paint is a Protomen thing. Most of the band has it, and fans very frequently do it. The shaved head part is just to make it extra awesome.

arsonisfun

Coldbrew wrote: »

Wow, no Anamanaguchi? Oh well, they had a good run.

Also glad to be able to see VGO again, hopefully they have a larger orchestra this time. And I agree with Rdr, I'll try to ask them if they plan to do that again.

Anamanaguchi is playing here this Sunday for anybody in town

ChronoHawk

arsonisfun wrote: »

Coldbrew wrote: »

Wow, no Anamanaguchi? Oh well, they had a good run.

Also glad to be able to see VGO again, hopefully they have a larger orchestra this time. And I agree with Rdr, I'll try to ask them if they plan to do that again.

Anamanaguchi is playing here this Sunday for anybody in town

I will be there, I think I might ask them whats going on with that. I won't believe it until I see it on the main site. They're on tour atm, but it's also 2 months from now/one of their biggest venues. Also I was hoping I'd get to see Luke's Side stuff with Knife City (I think he was at Prime?)

Also, I'm glad everyone else is back. VGO needs to have an Encore ready so they don't end up playing Bombing mission twice (Not that it wasn't great, but I kinda facepalmed when it happened)

*EDIT* Don't get me wrong, I loved VGO. I still wear my VGO wristband that I got last year. = D

yanksrul5

wow! no Powerglove...Boston natives and probably the best video game metal music ever. Probably not allowed cause it is metal.

Rdr

yanksrul5 wrote: »

wow! no Powerglove...Boston natives and probably the best video game metal music ever. Probably not allowed cause it is metal.

I love Powerglove and they'd be cool at PAX. Have you noticed that Metroid Metal is playing and is a huge hit?

yanksrul5

Metriod Metal is really awesome but they aren't as super heavy as Powerglove is. I talked to Powergloves bassist about playing it and he said he was working on it but I'm not sure what happened there. Cause they only have a show at Magfest tommorow and then they open until April so timming can't be an issue.

Rdr

yanksrul5 wrote: »

Metriod Metal is really awesome but they aren't as super heavy as Powerglove is. I talked to Powergloves bassist about playing it and he said he was working on it but I'm not sure what happened there. Cause they only have a show at Magfest tommorow and then they open until April so timming can't be an issue.

I'm guessing something happened. Who knows though. They could always do a show somewhere around PAX during the weekend like Freezepop did last year. Maybe mention that to Nick. (I've met them a couple times when they played near me)

BigRed

Pretty sure PA handpicks bands. Maybe they didnt feel they would appeal to a large number of people or didn't like them or whatever. Theres likely a good reason

Jim Jones

I love Frontalot but he needs to fire whoever mixes his live audio. The music needs to go down and his mic needs to go up. Here's to hoping they get the balance right this year so we can actually hear him flow!

Moe Fwacky

Front doesn't hire somebody to mix his live audio, that's ALWAYS handled by the venue.

ScottyMoFoSho

I'm kinda shocked Anamanaguchi isn't on the list this year. Those guys and Penny Arcade introduced me to the chiptunes scene and I'm engulfed in it now.

I can understand keeping the line-up fresh, but why not at least put another chiptunes group/artist in the line-up?

wafflezombie

Personally, I'm a little disappointed. I loved PAX East and the concerts last year, but I don't want to have the exact same concerts. Get a little variety in there. Take the opportunity to introduce people to new bands. The only suggestion I'd really have is I Fight Dragons, but I'm sure there's plenty of other awesome bands that would fit into the lineup.

Masquerade78

I'm surprised at no Freezepop again considering they have a new album they are promoting -- maybe they are still on tour at the time?

ScottyMoFoSho

wafflezombie wrote: »

Personally, I'm a little disappointed. I loved PAX East and the concerts last year, but I don't want to have the exact same concerts. Get a little variety in there. Take the opportunity to introduce people to new bands. The only suggestion I'd really have is I Fight Dragons, but I'm sure there's plenty of other awesome bands that would fit into the lineup.

I definitely vote for I Fight Dragons. They would get people jumping around for sure.

To be completely honest, I don't understand why Metroid Metal is still on the bill. They are awesome musicians, but since I'm not a fan of Metroid I can never get into their music. But that's me. With that in mind though, I feel like they meet a smaller audience than other videogame-related artists.

I guess I'm just a bit bitter because the only line-up change for this year was replacing Anamanaguchi with someone else, and Anamanaguchi was my favorite act from my first PAX experience at PAX East last year. But I'll still enjoy the bands this year regardless.

Local H Jay

ScottyMoFoSho wrote: »

I'm kinda shocked Anamanaguchi isn't on the list this year. Those guys and Penny Arcade introduced me to the chiptunes scene and I'm engulfed in it now.

I can understand keeping the line-up fresh, but why not at least put another chiptunes group/artist in the line-up?

gotta agree, aside from VGO i'm not too pumped for the other acts, but anamanaguchi or a similar band (starscream, oh please) would really give the show the energy it needs.
the chiptunes sounds is amazing, and i hoped after hearing so much in PATV that it might mean some more bands for PAX

Arco

Local H Jay wrote: »

ScottyMoFoSho wrote: »

I'm kinda shocked Anamanaguchi isn't on the list this year. Those guys and Penny Arcade introduced me to the chiptunes scene and I'm engulfed in it now.

I can understand keeping the line-up fresh, but why not at least put another chiptunes group/artist in the line-up?

gotta agree, aside from VGO i'm not too pumped for the other acts, but anamanaguchi or a similar band (starscream, oh please) would really give the show the energy it needs.
the chiptunes sounds is amazing, and i hoped after hearing so much in PATV that it might mean some more bands for PAX

There isn't much more energy to be had after The Protomen's set.

Jim Jones

Moe Fwacky wrote: »

Front doesn't hire somebody to mix his live audio, that's ALWAYS handled by the venue.

Yeah, I'm aware. It just sucks that you can hear JoCo so clearly but the Front is always inaudible. And it sounds so good on the dvds. I hope they sort that out this year.

ChronoHawk

I was at the Anamanaguchi show in Boston this morning/last nigh (It was amazing). Talked to Pete (The guitarist). He said that they (Anamanaguchi) wasn't invited back this year. Didn't sound like he was too upset as his response to me being upset was "Hey. Maybe next year."

TBH I'm a bit concerned with the concerts if there will be no replacement for them. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the concerts last year. And as much as I would enjoy the live performances again, fresh material is a concern for me. Ironically, the one band with the most new material is the one not invited back:

Anamanaguchi - New album (Scott Pilgrim), All their summer singles (Minus My skateboard will go on since it was played at Pax last year), 3 new songs on their most recent tour which ended at the concert I just attended (all of which are awesome btw)

The Protomen - Haven't heard of any new material, but they could do more of act 1, or other parts of 2 they didn't play. Otherwise no new stuff.

Metroid Metal - Great, but No new material to my knowledge. And I bought Varia Suite last year. Wasn't much new music from other M

MC Frontalot - Has other stuff, most of the new stuff being from Zero day .but I imagine the classics will be used (PA Song, Bizarro genius baby, final boss)

VGO - I don't expect much, if anything new tbh.

Paul and Storm - Plenty of other material. IDK if anything will be new but id expect several of the fun songs again (opening band, captains wife's lament, etc)

JoCo - Also has plenty of other material. I Wouldn't mind seeing the zen drum again. Perhaps stuff from the Joco cruises?

Again, I enjoyed all the concerts last year... I just hope they aren't repeats from last year

/rant

Kirby Pufocia

ChronoHawk wrote: »

Metroid Metal - Great, but No new material to my knowledge. And I bought Varia Suite last year. Wasn't much new music from other M

We brought a new album to PAX West, and have had 2-3 new free releases on our site since then.

Other M sucked for music though, good call - we probably won't be doing much with it, but anybody who's been to a MAGFest show knows by now that we don't just do Metroid stuff anyway =)

nitnit

Any idea what order the bands will be playing in?

Also people shouldn't complain, I'd honestly play 35$ to see the Protomen alone.

Kirby Pufocia

nitnit wrote: »

Any idea what order the bands will be playing in?

Couldn't tell you the whole order, but JoCo always headlines his night, and Protomen are always first on their night (they do soundcheck last and just leave their gear on-stage to avoid having to spend a couple of hours moving it all around more than once - hopefully nobody thinks they play first because someone doesn't think they're good enough to headline, I'd be honored to open for those dudes).