Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden & Oneohtrix Point Never | July 19, 2014 | Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, NV

Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden & Oneohtrix Point Never | July 19, 2014/Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, NV

   The 40^th year of life has been one with quite a few changes. Most have not been good changes but there have been special moments with good friends and family that will make life turning 40 worth remembering. 

    For example, my buddy Jesse and I continued to celebrate turning 40 by heading out to Vegas to enjoy life the best we can under personal changes and conditions we were both being directed into. Vegas is the place to let go of the bullshit in life and find good times. This trip was no exception but we both could feel a real absence of a certain soul in life that should have never left in the first place but you cannot dictate your desires for things to be as they were or are in life but this trip was an opportunity to let go and turn new pages and open doors into worlds ahead that were very unknown or expected to experience.

   As for the time in Vegas, it was all about enjoying new restaurants, bars, lounges, hotels or locations we haven’t necessarily been to or simply go back to some of the better spots we always enjoy best and tear shit up right there. Lots of discussions leading up to the trip always (to me) bring up going and doing something only in Vegas. A concert or an event you just may not see in your town. It turned out that a chance meeting with an funny little Irishman made that happen….

   Sitting at one of the center bars inside, I believe was the Hard Rock Hotel, we met this young kid from Canada, originally from Ireland who was in the country doing God knows what but I believe he was in America for school.  He was alone and spending plenty of money into the machine before him at the bar. The question came up, “what brought you to Vegas?” and he replied that he came to town to see Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden at Planet Hollywood. Somehow in my research I did not see that was going on the week we were there but with a little bit of liquor and fuzzy logic, Jesse and I both said, fuck it, let’s see if there’s tickets available. Off to StubHub at that very moment and with a little time, BINGO…tickets purchased! Finally something special to do while in Vegas!! Damn the costs! As for the young Irishman, we had him come with us over to the Hofbräuhaus for a stein of  tasty lager. The odd thing was, he didn't last long for he looked at the both of us, got up, walked backwards and kept looking then simply darted off into the crowd. The behavior was weird, who knows what he was thinking! By chance, a few days later, we found him once again sitting at bar in some casino and nothing really ever got answered as to why he left so abruptly but we let it go and drank with him once again for a brief time.

   After some issues getting the tickets printed at our hotel the day of the concert, we finally got that adventure done and then spent the rest of the day doing what we do best then making our way over to Planet Hollywood that evening. God bless StubHub for this concert because we got seats 10 rows back from the stage, dead center. The seats were beyond tight but we knew we’d be standing once the show began. Everyone around us were in the same frame of mind so it was all good.

   The opening act for the night was a DJ named Oneohtrix Point Never. The DJ made the most God-awful techno bass EDM bullshit noise on the planet. You fucking people who find this shit entertaining live are idiots! Sure, it's fine for clubs who have no taste but NOT for this show/crowd! There’s a douche up on stage, in front of a computer pressing buttons that repeat like a skipping record! No soul, just a computer programmed with a guy who said NOTHING! I don’t think he even introduced himself to the crowd because the people around me were just as unimpressed as we were with the WTF expressions on their faces as well.

   Up next was Soundgarden and damn were they good! It’s taken me 20 years to come around to enjoy Soundgarden for what they are and what they have made over the years. Even after this concert, I don’t think I could call myself a big fan but I would say I have grown to respect and value Soundgarden’s musical contributions to Rock & Roll. The passionate, painful voice of Chris Cornell along with the solid guitar of Kim Thayil and the rockin’ angry spirit of bassist Ben Shepherd gave Soundgarden a larger than life presentation on stage. Matt Chamberlain was the drummer from The Smashing Pumpkins played for Matt Cameron who’s on tour with Pearl Jam. Soundgarden played all the hits and plenty more from their impressive catalog of work. The stage production and lighting was beautifully integrated with the song that was performed. All in all a great experience witnessing one of the biggest rock acts in the country.

    I knew I couldn’t last the evening without trekking all the way to the top of the venue to drain the main vein. Talk about an exhausting adventure to get in, out and back to my seat before Nine Inch Nails hit the stage but I literally made it right in time as the lights went dim. Nine Inch Nails was beyond fantastic and I can probably hear some of out there saying well, what the fuck, Nine Inch Nails is full of computer-generated beats and EDM experimental l bullshit but I’ll tell you right now, Trent Reznor was one of the originals who took the style and created MUSIC with it! Yanno, lyrics, a vibe, a voice, a band, and a soul to the style. THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE why Nine Inch Nails is so successful and their style will never feel dated. It’s timeless music.

    If you haven’t been following Nine Inch Nails’ music since The Downward Spiral, you may not have known a lot of the music played that night for they covered their entire catalog and then would do crazy industrial/techno solos of aggressive noise. The music in the last 15 to 20 years since The Downward Spiral has been fantastic, weird, unnecessary or wasteful but they played the best known tunes from those releases.  Being the first night of this tour, you could see some production issues that weren’t working on stage and it was somewhat acknowledged at a certain point during their set because some was that obvious. Nine Inch Nails overall was spectacular and the stage lighting that set the mood that was given during songs really made for a special event unlike no other. 

   A great trip to Vegas once again was closing down on July 21^st. By then, I was physically so exhausted and begging for sleep along with a smooth flight home that it was the possible trigger of what entails for the remainder of my life. I took my sweet time getting to the Las Vegas Airport that day and took my sweet time navigating to get where I needed to be once there. Keep in mind as well, it’s been over 100 degrees the entire time we were there and my body no longer holds up too well to the heat no matter how much I love it so it was all I could to walk, cool down, walk and cool down again. 
   The silver lining to the discomfort was as I had just finished going through security then I took a few moments to find the first set of chairs before you board the tram to take you out the gates to cool down. No one was around me and I was facing the window so I really wasn’t turning over my shoulder to see who’s coming by at that moment.  Then I heard a voice who was right behind me talking to two other people and the voice was instantly recognizable! HOLY SHIT, it was Vinnie Paul from the legendary gods of Metal, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN & HELLYEAH!  I couldn’t stop turning over my shoulder at that point and his assistant couldn’t help by recognize that I had become an audience to their discussion. I apologize to interrupting their conversation but I took my moment to thank Vinnie for all the years of fantastic music he’s given to the world and my life. We started talking more about his new band, HELLYEAH which I think he thought I didn’t know existed but just kept saying "Yah, yah yah, I know!" He pulled out a promotional postcard of the new album Blood for Blood from his personal bag and I gladly accepted. They went on their way and that was that. I didn’t not shake hands or take a picture, just a very low-key moment to say thank you for the all the great memories and music that man created and continues to create today! CFH always! 
    It will be hard to top Las Vegas, 2014 with so much going in life…so this time around what happened in Vegas, needed to be shared…well…perhaps still not EVERYTHING ;) 

Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails - early in show

Nine Inch Nails - The different lighting productions were astounding!

Soundgarden - first song in set, Shepherd made his way around the audience to get them engaged!

Soundgarden - Great stage sets/lighting throughout the performance

Soundgarden

 

Soundgarden - live n loud

The postcard handed to me by Vinnie Paul of Pantera/Damageplan/Hellyeah

Floater, The Finns and Jimmy Nuge | June 7, 2014, Knitting Factory, Spokane WA

A Saturday night concert! Almost a rare treat to enjoy the weekend in full with early morning work at home until it’s time to stop then get prepared for a night out on the town. Floater just keeps getting better and better for as a band that you can rely upon when it comes to pulling out any album from their catalog and every song does not disappoint. The songs are timeless and melodic with energy drawn from sources like The Doors, The Police, Pink Floyd, Tool, and Primus. Floater STILL deserves to be known EVERYWHERE but everyone along the West Coast gets the special treat of seeing Floater at least once in year in their towns. Next time you hear Floater is coming, go hear the music and get lost in the vibes.

The opening acts were some local talent, starting with Jimmy Nuge doing an acoustic performance and what a mess of fun it was. I like the loose vibe of just getting up on stage and breaking into song but since he’s apparently a local favorite from a local band, you think he’d come and be a bit more professional, cleaned up (apparently he just came from work) and show off his talents vs clowning around so much. Yeah, yeah, relax, it’s music not a personal audition for me (I can hear people whining already). I just wish when someone gets up there, they come to do their best, present themselves in the best light possible. You’re trying to build an audience, not just fill the time.

Next were The Finns and I swear this ranks right up there with some of the worst I’ve seen live. AGAIN, they are up there trying and doing way more than I would do and showing more balls than most in this world but appeared to come from a high school music competition. Two young men and two young women with NO character or presence on stage. Staring at your instruments making sure you hit each note correctly comes off poorly. I’m sure they are brand new in the area as a band and have MUCH to learn to be a better band so perhaps years from now they will look like they know what they are doing up on stage they blow the doors of the room. There’s always hope.

Floater

Floater

Floater

The Finns

Jimmy Nuge

DevilDriver, WhiteChapel, Revocation, Carnifex, Rivers of Nihil, Fit For An Autopsy | May 26, 2014, Knitting Factory, Spokane Wa.

Tonight’s concert was a long one considering there were six bands playing. New bands are not necessarily a bad thing, of course and you’re always hoping to discover something special but if the bands get repetitive with sound and/or presence then the night can go long and the audience can fall apart by the time the headliner hits the stage, which in this case quite a few people decided they had enough after WhiteChapel had finished. This was their night, since they were currently hitting the charts with the song entitled “The Saw is the Law.” The crowd that left missed out on another fantastic set by one of the most prolific bands in heavy metal, DevilDriver, fronted by the now reborn Coal Chamber of the ‘90s.

The night started off with Fit For An Autopsy which did show me much regarding a sound all their own, nor did Rivers of Nihil but they got the crowd warmed up some for the long night of thundering noise and cookie monster vocals.

Next, was the band called Carnifex and I found them entertaining musically and visually. I swear the lead singer looked like a spitting image of Crispin Glover as the legendary George McFly from the Back To the Future. He had the same shaved side, slicked/combed over haircut, same slim body presence and profile of Crispin Glover. I heard some great potential I them and I know they’ve been around a while now but it’s still in general a band that makes for a great opening act.

Revocation played next and they were a good blend of metal and hard driving, straight ahead rock and roll. Their lead singer is really talented and is the glue to the success of that band. It’s rare you get great guitar solos that aren’t just metal-type solos, Revocations solos were filled with more soul and depth and draws you in to hear more of the complexity that they bring to their music. It’s almost too bad they are thrown in with metal bands with crazy text for a logo/brand. Their music is simply better than their marketing shows.

The highlight for many people that night was to bear witness to WhiteChapel. This band has been around for a little while now and are just hitting their stride with their latest release entitled  “Our Endless War.” I must say their light show and aura are impressive. The guttural vocals almost can frighten and the pounding the audience takes is quite impressive. I can see why and respect why people are digging this band at this time. There was some resemblance of witnessing Lamb Of God for the first time and being mighty impressed with the vibe but Lamb Of God have more range/depth than WhiteChapel.

As some of the crowd decided that WhiteChapel was their reason to come and were simply worn out after five bands played before DevilDriver hit the stage, the remaining audience were given another fantastic show by one of the best bands in metal music. DevilDriver played some new cuts off their latest release “Winter Kills” along with a plethora of classics along with a taste off their music catalog. Being one band that never disappoints, gets to your town at least once a year and releases new music more often than not in this day and age, I highly suggest you get into DevilDriver!

Carnifex

DevilDriver

Fit For An Autopsy

Revocation

Rivers of Nihil

WhiteChapel

Static-X, Otep, Dope, Smile Empty Soul, Thira, Thirion X, Club 412, Spokane, WA, May 15, 2014

Thursday night seemed to be a walk down late nineties/early 2000s nostalgia street, but I beg to differ on some levels. This particular show brought about a diverse and hard core following to the headliner and the band that preceded them (which in my opinion ruled the night).  

This was the first time I have visited Club 412 in downtown Spokane. As you enter the venue, you see a nice little bar where people were enjoying their beverage. The twist on this place was that it had a huge menu of shots in which you could partake in. Perhaps some night where I’m not driving, to sample some of the shots would be a great evening out. You’re looking at a very narrow, old style bar on the first floor of the club, but as you walk in, you notice a stairway to the main floor of the venue where the stage is located. Upstairs is quite impressive with plenty of space to host such an event. Pool tables, merch booths and then there’s the main room where the stage and floor are to enjoy the concert. I suspect capacity would be around 500 people or less. There’s also a two–sided bar on the venue floor where you can order everything under the sun. As a first timer to this place, I was impressed again; there’s another venue to hold such a fantastic lineup of bands. Spokane is very blessed with great locations to promote the music scene locally and internationally.

The first band of the night was Thirion X which continue to disappoint with every time they open a show.  They have not improved and live off of the local following so they will never grow to anything special until they have more to offer the audience (update: this band is not even a year old yet and are still working out the concept of who they wish to become but they need to work on setting themselves apart in a sound that blends in with so many bands today that look and act the same on stage.

Then, it became interesting…..a band called Thira hit the stage. Imagine a band that had the stage look of Mushroomhead and enough sound of Meshuggah and you have yourself a very interesting opening act. I will be digging into these guys a bit further in the future to hear what their soul really captures.

Next, was Smile Empty Soul and they are stuck in the Nirvana-era of sound and granted they aren’t too bad of a band as a three piece, they just put the crowd to sleep waiting for the next three bands to wake them up again. They played their big hit, “Bottom of a Bottle” and the crowd was pleased…otherwise bored.

Then the fun picked back up again as DOPE hit the stage. This band has been pretty silent for years but apparently have 2 albums coming out in 2015 so I look forward to hearing the new material.  Dope has evolved a bit, for the last time I saw them, they simply were younger and more mobile. Don’t get me wrong, with age comes wisdom so the hits they played just kept coming and the crowd response was intense and craved for more DOPE. They still are a very energetic band that brings the goods! They were my draw to this show in the first place and I was not disappointed one bit. Their montage of songs that have to do with the word FUCK still blows anyone away with how powerful each of those songs are individually but mixed together make them even more significant in power and message. Watch out for DOPE in 2015 for they will destroy once again!

The overwhelming majority of the crowd was there to see OTEP, for they are still relevant to today’s metal/alternative scene. OTEP has been on the map for YEARS and it seems like they are now more than ever relevant and disturbing than ever before to the scene. The lead vocalist, Otep Shamaya has drawn a very devoted and hardcore audience now more than ever before. Being a female lead vocalist in a male-dominated genre means nothing when it comes to OTEP for they surpass SO many bands that are on the radar of the metal scene. OTEP keeps plugging away with fantastic new albums and digs deep in the dark mind of anyone who goes through heavy shit in their lives. If you ever get a chance to see OTEP live, do it, Otep Shamaya will captivate and mesmerize you to the point you cannot help yourself but embrace the moment to dance and sing along.

One thing I have not mentioned was the temperature of the venue. Holy Shit, it was HOT! Club 412 had not set up their A/C yet so the venue was beyond warm. I spent my evening at the bar, kind of isolated and behind a door so I could be left to enjoy the show (I had a fantastic view of the stage from that location). I must have had 5 or more glasses of ice water and an early soda that evening and did not pee a thing all night. It was like a sweatshop in there.  Other odds and ends from the night…as I waited for the doors upstairs to be open, I waited on the first floor, sipping on bottled water and meeting some locals and overhearing some conversation from someone who called himself the director of operations at the club and some Chinese investor guy who seemed disgusted at being there. I wanted to chime in and discuss with them about what they do and perhaps crowbar my design skills to help them out but it didn’t seem too appropriate for they seemed simply shady characters. There was some dweeb club manager or something that kept coming around to make sure those two guys were enjoying themselves and I just thought, the first firing was to get rid of that dweeb for he was such a goober/kiss-ass. Alas, it made for interesting people watching/listening while waiting to go upstairs. Also, to top off the night and kind of expected, I parked in the closest parking lot to the venue which was a bank parking lot and sure enough, I earned a parking ticket. I did the same thing as I felt out the Knitting Factory so it was simply no biggy. I noticed as I left the other parking lots near the club so if there’s a next time, I will know where to park without getting a ticket.

Thirion X opened the show...local band

Thira..best opener of the night

Great stage presence

Wayne owning the stage

Great to hear the classics

the evil disco continues

Most boring band of the night

The band that ruled the night

Otep, singing her her heart out.

once a truly stellar live act.

Blackberry Smoke with Jones & Fischer, April 19, 2014, Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA

This particular night out was a special one. I felt relatively myself for the first time in long time living up here in Spokane. I was in my element, sharing stories and laughs with good friends about music and life. Alas, this night was not about the music for me at all, it was to feel a bit in a loop again amongst people of like mind and interests. People who have much to say who are so very kind, giving and wonderful.

I met up with my friends inside the restaurant attached to the venue but it was a bit tricky to get things correct in order for us to actually meet up in the restaurant. With no reservations (never expecting the restaurant to be that busy), I happen to get in and acquired the seating needed by the skin of my teeth. I was given 5 places to sit/stand along the wall. That was all that was available (nonsense, there ultimately was a table for ten we could have sat at but it didn’t matter in the end). I texted my friends to let them know I was in the room and where I was located. When they came in to the restaurant where to find me by telling the hostess which section I’m at. Well, the friends became a bit delayed and did not check their phone too soon because they were pushed away at the door when they initially arrived, being told they cannot come in. When they did show up after explaining to them that I got in and have the seats need, they were still being told they could not come in. So I walked up to the door where I see them standing outside with some dipshit bouncer fuck who doesn’t understand what they are trying to do. I had to explain it to the hostess and the dipshit bouncer that HELLO, I am here and seated and have reserved the seating for these people, let them in! You could see the mice on fire in both of these peoples’ brains trying to compute the words coming out of my mouth.  Finally, they were allowed entrance where we shared a few moments before the show with a few beers. Keep in mind, I had ordered a beer about a half hour after getting in the door and it never arrived. I was ignored by the server until he acknowledged my existence, that’s when I ordered the beer that never came.  Their service is beyond pathetic unless you’re at the bar itself. Since they do not write orders down, they forget or ignore if too busy.

As for the music review, there was a huge delay in the start of this show which under regular circumstances would fire me up having to wait that long for the show to begin (these guys aren’t Axl Rose). But with the company with me, the time flew by. The Delta Saints were supposed to be there that evening but clearly something didn’t work out and they never played. The only other opening act was Jones & Fischer. I’ve never heard of them before but they sounded pretty good for a country, high energy sound. It’s hard to get into this type of music unless a little tipsy and after those few beers, Jones & Fischer sounded like a good time of hoein’ down.

Blackberry Smoke was quite entertaining. This was the last show in the Fire In The Hole Tour. The varying degrees of Southern Rock they play kept me interested in hearing the next song for quite a bit of the set. I began to slow down a bit by mid end of the show for eventually all Southern Rock sounds the same. I will give these guys credit though, they have a loyal following and a good time vibe where anyone with half an open mind could have a good evening out and I must say, I felt very blessed.

Fire in the Hole Tour, 2014

Jones & Fischer, opener for Blackberry Smoke

Thank you, friends…I will never forget.

The Sword, Big Business, O'Brother, The Hop, Spokane, Washington, March 15, 2014

Finally, a show at The Hop! I have heard about this club for a while now and they are doing their part to keep the punk, metal, underground rap and more vital to the area. This was a busy evening for myself, for I attended the 2014 Inland Northwest Motorcycle show earlier in the evening. Before going to the concert. I wanted to drive around The Hop to see where’s the best place to park, considering the building reputation that the Hop is drawing nothing but trouble to the area. BULLSHIT, as always! The people that tend to end up at this club are enlightened, piggish, punk and God bless them for their lifestyle choices. It makes people like myself have something to entertain myself with while enjoying the music on stage.

I found a very close parking spot near the Hop’s back entrance, where everyone enters, for obvious reasons (being right on a main street in Spokane). As I approached the venue, I took a few pictures of a local church that was lit along with the natural light of an early setting of the spring forward time change. It was a beautiful site, very gothic and quite appropriate for entering a new venue.

Upon entering The Hop, there was a guy taking money and checking off will call patrons (that was I). As you got past that area, very near was the merchandise area for bands’ goods. From there, you turn right and enter a very unexpected and narrow standing floor to watch the band. There was a second story where there’s a bar and places to sit/stand to watch the show on three walls. The fourth wall is nothing but brick. As you enter, there’s also an area to sit down at tables to visit with friends and concert-goers. The main floor area where people file into like cattle is so small! But, you’re right on top of the band and it’s quite an intimate setting. There’s also doors that lead to an oudoor patio so people can cool down and smoke. It tends to remind me of the place Ducky met Molly Ringwald and the woman from Ghostbusters in Pretty In Pink. It also took me back to other seedy clubs in Sacramento and Redding where you would see fantastic bands rip through amazing sets and think, MY GOD, the band deserves to be heard by more than this! Keep in mind, The Hop was full that night with about 300 people and everyone was there to absorb the music. It’s also St. Patrick’s weekend, so we were all warned to be careful because the local fuzz was waiting for us all to bust.

O' Brother was the first band that came on stage and they kind of reminded me of many bands…but the lead singer seemed to have a Kurt Cobain complex and the bassist in his silly ski cap tried to hard to be someone I’d see in Blind Melon. A sound that was trippy, bland and boring overall.

Big Business started off interesting and then fell into the category of their headliner that night, which was disappointing. At a certain point, during the evening, I got tired of staring and fighting with people to move out of my line of sight as they stepped in front of me. For a while, I was near the kitchen where orders were being taken and then delivered, so for The Sword, I made a point to move to the opposite side.

The Sword were quite fantastic! Unfortunately, they have no stage presence nor did I have a desire to watch them do their thing, but their music is incredible. Perhaps it was the size of the stage, but I have seen them before and they haven’t learned much when it comes to dynamics on stage. Unfortunately, views the closer you are to the stage are harder to come by and I must learn the best place to be at the Hop for future shows. The Sword played everything I wanted to hear and more (which gave me more appreciation for their talent). I was fascinated with the crowd at many times throughout the evening because they actually knew the lyrics and at times, the crowd drown out the band.

There's a growing loyalty building for The Sword...please to go see them play, buy the albums and hear fantastic music!

O'Brother, opening for The Sword.

Big Business opening for The Sword @ The Hop

The Sword, @ The Hop, March 15, 2014

Soulfly, Soblivious, Thirion X: January 31, 2014

Here I am again, at The Knitting Factory, after work, at the show a bit early so I can take my time and enjoy a solid meal and tasty beverage in the nice bar attached to the concert venue. I order off their recently updated menu and enjoy a decent, but not the best burger one can get. Their previous menu was much better, not so gourmet, more traditional for bar food on an upper level of quality, if you get my drift.

I happen to engage in a conversation with a long-bearded fellow who is deep into the heavy metal/punk rock lifestyle. I always wonder how one exists walking around looking that way (shaved head, a beard about a foot long, black rimmed glasses with all denim attire and the appropriate patches/studs to complete the look/stereotype rocker). But alas, I live in such a different sheltered world, there are other norms that work just fine. Who's to judge? It's a bit out of my norm to engage with anyone at the shows unless forced but I could tell he was much like me, in respect. We both could talk about our musical favorites and concerts we've attended for hours. Music means the world to him as much as myself.

Onto the music! Thirion X is a local band that seemed to have improved a bit over the last time I saw them, but with all due respect, they present themselves like everyone else and I probably would need to hear the CD in order to write them off completely.

Soblivious, on the other hand, was a bit better! They come out and give me the impression that the lead singer is a heavy metal Sting with a bit of flair for the dramatic. It definitely makes for a better stage presence. Their music was decent and I'd look them up more verses Thirion X any day!

Soufly, my goodness, what can you say?! If Slayer music are the anthems to hell, then Soufly are the anthems to war! Song after song, the brutality of the their riffs are incredible. The guitarist always amazes me when you see them live. You almost think he has a machine gun in his hand and can whip your ass with his spinning kicks if you got too close. Max Cavalera brings the verbal assault with his cookie monster growl and if I'm not mistaken, his son was on drums thundering through the high-energy grooves. Tony Campos, from Static-X fame is now the bassist and he's such a bad ass motherfucker! The band is currently on the road promoting their recent release Savages, but you can see everyone came to hear the classics from his days in Sepultura to his ground breaking rhythms from the early days of Soulfly. The new album is fantastic and the new tunes played live where spectacular. It's one of their better albums, for sure.

If you like your ears assaulted and your pulse quickened, go see Soulfly!

Soblivious, opener for Soulfly, January 31, 2014

Soulfly @ The Knitting Factory, January 31, 2014

Soulfly @ The Knitting Factory, January 31, 2014, a bit closer to the stage, like feet.

Thirion X, opener for Soufly, March 31, 2014