That being said I was quite pleasantly surprised at the turn of events over the past few months. I was approached my Dare Media Group to host the Pretty In Ink 2011 Calendar Contest this summer. And by the way, is there anything hotter than a room full of beautiful tatted women? Doubtful! Through agreeing to host the event, dawned photo shoots and filming for promotional purposes. When I saw the pictures I was blown away, and I owe this in part to the amazing staff that worked the shoots as well as my tattoo artist, Bobby Williams from Anything’s Possible in Charlotte, NC. I will be in the calendar and will let all of you know when and where you can purchase the calendar!

Since the photos I have been approached by more photographers and have had some amazing shoots, including one this past Wednesday for the 2011 Custom Guitar Builders Calendar. Talk about a good time; I got to pose with guitars! Now being the silly dork that I am, I bounced around the set yapping my jaw and making silly faces, and I believe everyone at the shoot had a blast. Once again, I’ll let you all know when and where you can purchase the calendar! I will share some pictures from the shoot once I get them- I know you guitar enthusiasts will appreciate them!

Below are some pictures from my previous shoots. You can view more my going to Rock Fist’s Facebook page as well. Hope you enjoy!

Click on picture to enlarge. Credits for photography, hair, make-up, and location in captions.

Here’s a video to give all our fans a quick peak at our Host and Editor, Kris Melton, at her photo shoot with Brent Walker of Lucky Pin Up for promo pics. We look forward to airing episodes in Spring 2010 and hope all of you are equally excited!

Special Thanks to:
Tim Daust of Reel Mind Studio
Brent Walker of Lucky Pin Up
Brittany Palermo- Heaney (Stylist)
Bobby Williams (Tattoo Artist)

You may have heard the phrase “The Best TV Show You’re Not Watching” used to describe great shows that either haven’t received much attention or that viewers haven’t yet discovered. With that mentality in mind, I bring up Atlanta band Bury Me Breathing as “A Great Up and Coming Band You Haven’t Heard Yet”. This band blew me away the first time I saw them play at Winston’s in Marietta, GA; a venue that can not do this band full justice. Between the dual guitarists, whose fingers move at the speed of light and completely in-synch with one another, and the amazing drummer, this band is a must see on your to do list.

I had planned on reviewing their performance at The Masquerade on December 9th; however hear is my story as to why the review did not happen, and what happens when a potential review goes wrong.

As tends to happen, their set time was switched last minute from 9pm to 8:15pm putting the pressure on for me to hurry my ass along as quickly as possible to make it on time. I managed to leave the house, by some miracle, on time and would have made the show…. had a massive pile up on 400S not halted the interstate to a complete halt. My trusty companion however turned into my personal GPS, and we maneuvered our way on back roads to 85S. Although we knew we’d still be late, I raced in my little Eclipse faster than the law allows to catch as much of their set as I could. When I reached the venue however I discovered that my pass was given to the lights guy, who was working in the middle of the set. That meant no way was I getting in. Although seeing as how they only had 2 songs left of their set, I at this point wasn’t going to miss much. So after a Masquerade worker yelled insults through a loud horn as I turned around (can we say rude?), and me stepping in a wad of gum (thank you person for spitting it on the sidewalk, real considerate) I walked back to my car with a feeling of a defeat.

Some could end the story here, but some are no Kris, who seems to find an adventure at every turn. As my gum covered shoe stuck annoying to both my gas and brake pedals, making for an interesting ride, we decided that we didn’t come downtown to leave empty handed.

Our destination: R Thomas, a restaurant that my roommate insisted was going to blow my mind with their fabulous Portabella Mushroom Sandwich. Less than a mile away as we were listening to Project 9-6-1, my buddy Knox played one of my favorite Tool songs. I had to text to thank him, to which he invited us to come see him at the station. Why not right? We requested Pantera’s “Respect” (those who heard it you are welcome!) followed by me sharing my Gwinnett County story on air ( a story involving a high speed pursuit, a Latina woman punching her boyfriend in the face as he drove, and driving a 1950’s fire truck after almost being mauled by a dog… tis true folks, tis true). I have to say Knox is one cool guy and if you haven’t checked out his show, you should!

After chowing down at R. Thomas, we made our way home with one detour. Now most folks would think stopping at Shell to pump gas couldn’t possibly be interesting. Never underestimate me and my shenanigans. Yes I am blonde, and no this has never happened to me before, but there’s a first time for everything. I finished pumping gas and before I could remove the pump I was stopped by a chick for directions. After relaying the only 2 turns she needed to know about 50 times, I had completely forgotten to remove the pump from my car. Needless to say as I drove off I heard a very loud bang behind me. It was then that I realized what I had done. I quickly put the now completely broken pump, which was ripped out and ruined, back in place and quickly sped off out of both embarrassment and not wanting to be charged with… well ultimately stupidity.

I apologize for not being able to review Bury Me Breathing, but strongly urge everyone to check these guys out. The next show they schedule I will be there and I hope you will too. Should the forces of nature deter me yet again, rest assured I’ll have another typical Kris story to share with all of you.

COMING SOON:
-Review of Legend Has It’s “Driven” Album

Since creating Rock Fist Reviews, and collecting more ink, I’ve been the proud face of the company. In an entertainment scene dominated by men, I take pleasure in the respect I’ve gained from my peers, as well as the shock value when bands realize Kris is a girl. Shocker! Seriously, it makes me smile, but lets me know I’m on the right track. Here at RFR we have some exciting new things that will be hitting the site in the future, and now more than ever we want to get a buzz around our name, who we are, and what we do.

I was lucky to have our promotional photos taken by Brent Walker of Lucky Pin Up yesterday, in a shoot that was both sexy and comical. While he usually does Pin Up style shoots, he’s also expanding his expertise to other avenues and helped me come up with some edgy shots. Having been a major Tom-boy when I was younger and coming from a family with six brothers, I’m not exactly used to being a life size Barbie doll. However, I highly recommend that every girl gets this experience at least once. I started off feeling extremely awkward and self conscience. But between Brent, who made me feel completely at ease and offered great direction, and Brittany Palermo-Heaney, who joined us as my stylist and did a fabulous job, I think the shoot turned out great. I can’t wait to share my pictures with all you fellow rock fisters! Joan Jett eat your heart out, there’s a new bad ass in town…er, something like that.

As far as the future of Rock Fist, we will share more when we can and hope you continue to enjoy our site in the mean time. Be the first to know when we add new posts by subscribing to our email updates. You can find out more information about Brent and Lucky Pin Up by going to our Other Artists column under Photography, and we will have information on Brittany and her services soon.

COMING SOON:
-Review of Elevation’s “Razoreyes” Music Video

Halloween means something different to everyone. Some celebrate the opportunity to wear costumes from the unique to the super slutty (it’s a female’s right this one day of the year). Some celebrate the awesome excuse to party for 2 weeks straight (drinking and debauchery are a package deal). For us here at Rock Fist Reviews it means local shows, local shows, and more local shows! There was a ton of options last weekend, and hopefully everyone took advantage! We’d like to hear about your experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly). The stories we like we’ll post on the site for others to read, and hopefully introduce some new bands to our fans. If you include pictures, well… that’s just even more kick ass!

So with that in mind, where was I on Halloween you may ask. The answer: Uptown Loft with The Bastard Suns and The Blacksmithz. Both bands rocked the fairly new venue which was packed with drunkards, zombies, slutastic woman, and Waldos- seriously, there were two of them! I took full advantage of the woman rule on this festive occasion, and although the fear of bending just a tid bit too far over and exploiting my rear was in the forefront of my mind, I must say it was fun to step out of character for the night. Some awesome costumes of the evening included: A Saved By The Bell Group (Kelly, Jesse, and AC Slater), Magnum PI, Jax from Sons of Anarchy, Slash, Peggy Bundy, and Cherry from Planet Terror.

With turkey day and Santa’s reindeer coming soon, we hope you still continue to rock out at shows and support the local music scene. Hopefully the onslaught of horrific holiday albums and songs overwhelming shopping arenas of all kinds will give you the push you need to drop $5 on covers to local shows. That is… if your eardrums don’t burst first.

COMING SOON:
-Review of Pour Habit’s “Suiticide” Album

Last night I had the privilege of interviewing Jake Kiley, guitarist from Strung Out, at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA. About a year and half ago I got the opportunity to meet Jake, as well as Jason and Bill of Authority Zero, during their tour with Pennywise. The guys are humble, down to earth, and uber cool. They invited me to hang out with them backstage and even hooked me up with some free CDs and merch. It pays to know the band! As if I wasn’t already enough of die hard fan of both bands, after meeting the guys I declared my undying love. Since the guys tour almost constantly, and are always meeting new friendly faces, I took it as an honor that they remembered me and Rock Fist. I touch base with Jake from time to time, so when I saw that Strung Out was coming to Atlanta I had high hopes for obtaining an interview with Mr. Kiley himself. Lucky for me, I’m unforgettable (if nothing else my emails and phone calls make me so), and I once again had the honor of sitting down with the icon himself.

Murphy’s Law: What can go wrong, will go wrong. This was my motto for the evening, initiated by the inconvenience of having my camcorder fail me. Technology must be repelled by my touch, because up until yesterday it worked just dandy. Of course when its go time, the thing doesn’t even want to turn on! However, this wasn’t my first rodeo so I came with back up: the trusty ole tape recorder. This explains why (much to my dismay) the interview wasn’t captured on film, but typed. The silver lining to this predicament is Susie Cuerto of Shock and Awe Photography who was there to take pictures of the bands performing, and was also able to snap some photos during our interview. To add insult to injury, I had left all my business cards at home in my other purse. Amateur mistake! And while everyone I met last night seemed understanding, my biggest fear anytime I’m working a show is to come across unprofessional. Needless to say I will double check my bag before my next show.

The Masquerade was buzzing with people, thus giving the opening bands an enthusiastic crowd to entertain. They were amazingly talented and well received by the crowd. I highly recommend checking out Pour Habit from Long Beach, CA and Flatliners from Toronto, Canada- you will not be disappointed. Reviews on both bands will be coming to RFR soon! Strung Out delivered a high-energy, interactive, and enthralling performance. Because I’m only 5’1”, which meant about 99% of the crowd was taller, I kept to the side of the stage and watched as mosh pits, crowd surfing, and utter chaos ensued.

After the show I met up with the guys from Flatliners and Jake to check out the haunted house that was set-up behind the venue. This had to be a unique treat for the guys, as usually they only see the venue and where they eat while they’re in town. I was glad Atlanta could offer up some added and unexpected fun (although we did discuss the possibility of visiting the notorious Clermont Lounge). If we weren’t friends before the haunted house we certainly were after, as the scaredy cat in me unleashed itself at the sound of a chainsaw chasing me through the dark. I probably tackled half the Flatliners’ band as well as screamed like a slut in a horror movie when one of them appeared through the chokingly thick fog. Good times were had by all, with maybe the exception of the Masquerade employees who were probably wondering when we would finally leave. All in all this was a great night for Rock Fist Reviews, and for me personally. Nights like this one remind me of how much I love my job and how lucky I am to have stepped up to the plate.

COMING SOON:
-Interview with Jake Kiley, guitarist of Strung Out
-Review of Pour Habit’s “Suiticide” Album
-Review of Flatliner’s 10.12.09 Performance/ Album Review
-Performance photos of Strung Out, Flatliners, and Pour Habit by Shock and Awe

Kris Melton- Editor in Chief

Here’s a list of some of my favorite locals that you should check out. They are all guaranteed good live shows and have albums you’ll love! (in no particular order)

The Bastard Suns (Atlanta, GA)

We Won’t Stop (Atlanta, GA)

Groove Stain (Atlanta, GA)

BPM (Montgomery, AL)

Bury Me Breathing (Atlanta, GA)

Six Pack Deep (New Orleans, LA)

Flatliners (Toronto, Canada)

Liquid Cheese (El Paso, TX)

Whole Wheat Bread (Jacksonville, FL)

Pour Habit (Long Beach, CA)

Eleven Standing Still (Atlanta, GA)

FERVoR (Atlanta, GA)

Dead Confederate (Atlanta, GA)

Twilight Gunfight (Atlanta, GA)

Dear Enemy (Atlanta, GA)

No Fuego (New Orleans, LA)

Chris Unck & The Black Roses (Atlanta, GA)

Martians See Red (Atlanta, GA)

Colossick (Atlanta, GA)

The Tips (Atlanta, GA)

Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun (Atlanta, GA)

For The Wait (New Orleans, LA)

Jungol (Atlanta, GA)

Attention System (Atlanta, GA)