On April 1st Core 10 performed their first live show in years and the first ever show with new member David Silveria who was the (original) drummer of Korn. (1993 to 2006) This landmark show happened at The Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa with Skumlove and Anger the Giant opening and proceeds from the show benefiting Bridging the Gap to Recovery. A nonprofit organization that helps addicts with their living expenses while in treatment. It was April’s Fool’s Day, a fully entertaining evening and a full house. These three bands, all with their own style and character, made for an electric night of music and all for a good cause.
Core 10 was on fire, there was so much happening on the stage that it was impossible not to be entertained. The audience, myself included had no choice but to revel in the sights, sounds and action coming from the stage. The band is like a rad chemistry project, mixing and matching all sorts of sounds, emotion and styles of music namely metal, punk and rock. I would call these guys mad scientists of music. The first thing that caught my attention is the dual lead singers Sean Lenhoff and Duncan Nisbet who both sing on every song. It’s really wild to watch them duel on stage. They play off each other in a really unique way. I could have watched them in anticipation and amazement all night long but then I remembered, that’s David Silveria behind the kit. “I gotta check him out” so I spent some time watching Silveria beat the shit out of his massive drum set. Yep he’s back in action. Dave was into it and going all out and I could have spent the whole set just watching him play except that there was still more to check out. On the guitar was Joe Taback. Joe’s got all Core 10’s guitar needs taken care of. He captures the moment and is fully present when he plays, full of emotion, and has great tone. Chris Dorame completes the string action with his bad ass bass playing and master showmanship. Both these guys are valuable members of the Core 10 concoction.
Last but not least is the infamous Ronnie King on the keys. Wow, just wow! I loved watching him, he is so comfortable on stage and it’s obvious that he loves being up there. He makes an awesome musical and creative addition to the band. Ronnie King is a Multi-Platinum, Diamond Certified (more than 10 million units) Oscar and Grammy Nominated producer, composer, arranger, musician and philanthropist. This guy has a ton of album credits as a player and producer with Offspring, TSOL, Pennywise, Rancid, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dog, Tupac and many more.
It was just a few months ago that they began jamming in Silveria’s bedroom. First it was just David and the two singers getting together then soon after Joe and Chris joined making it super tight quarters. When they couldn’t fit Ronnie’s keyboards in the room they knew it was time to get a rehearsal space.
Three days before the show, the band put a song up on YouTube that they recorded during one of their warehouse rehearsals for the song Act of Valor. It was a raw recording done in one take with multiple video cameras. The video which was made as a teaser and posted on a whim, received nearly 40K views in three days. It has received mixed feedback and now a few weeks later has almost 60k views with almost 2000 thumbs up and 600 thumbs down. It caused quite buzz on social media.
Core 10’s music is not for everyone and some people may not understand it at first, or perhaps at all. It’s not for the person who is superficial or doesn’t think much beyond surface meanings. The shallow minded will not grasp the intellectual depth and curiosity that is the foundation of Core 10. The band is like an elaborate, unbelievable but true story ready to be shared with those who have an open mind, heart and sense of adventure.
Hook up with Core 10 on Facebook or core10theband.com so you can find out the latest. They are recording a single at Hybrid Studios in Orange County, CA. The tune’s called “Introspection” and it’s being co produced by Ronnie King and Ulrich Wild. Wild’s producing credits include Pantera, Static X, Deftones and a Grammy nomination for White Zombie. I’d say they are in good hands. They will be opening up for POD in Big Bear at The Cave on May 5th and playing a free show at The Slidebar on May 6th in Fullerton, CA.
Brenda Starr / BackStage360