NEW YEARS DAY: The Dawn Of A Real Live American Horror Story

Creeps Gather Together To Celebrate A Bad Romance Enjoining
The Mechanical Hearts of Living Dead Boys and Living Dead Girls

This is not a random headline but perhaps the epithet on a headstone.

The initiated understand.

The rest have yet to be baptized for they are not Dead yet.

It's the dawn of a new Day and it sounds like a day away from the Real World. It's a real live American Horror Story organically taking its toll.

It's the Dawn of the Dead on a New Years Day.

Almost exactly a year ago, I witnessed Orange County creep-rockers New Years Day deliver a raucous Roxy Music Horror Show. It was my first sip from the chalice. I've since drunk their divine wine several times including during the hot hot hot heat of this summer's Warped Tour.

Today, I'm hovering at 37,000 feet over this beloved country of ours en route Eastward and curiously wondering if I'm the first person to review a New Years Day concert at nearly the speed of sound, inhibited by a sense of weight and weightlessness. The gravity of it all.

I'm normally an idle aisle person but this morning I find myself staring out a window at the glorious beam of rising light as the sun begins to shine brightly upon the expanse of the Grand Canyon.

It seems as if the whole world is visible in front of me.

The sight of a new dawn is so enriching. It reminds me of the first ray of light on a New Years morning. But which morning of exactly which day am I referring to?

Toss out the Gregorian (January 1), Julian (March 25) and Chinese/Lunar calendars as this burgeoning New Years Day synchs up seamlessly with All Hallows Eve, Samhain, Day of the Dead and All Souls' Day.

At the throne of the crowning New Years Day is Countess Ash Costello, a heiress so intertwined with her allegiance to Haunting and Halloween and Knott's Scary Farm that it was a forgone conclusion that Revolver Magazine would anoint her "Miss October" for their annual spread of the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock.

The anointment was just one more feather adorned upon her mystical top hat. Since signing with Hollywood Waste Records earlier this year, Ash and her label operatives have worked tirelessly to devise creative marketing initiatives like the "Missing" campaign that served as a teaser for the stunning sensory decimation of "Two In The Chest, One In the Head (a new video for "Murder" shall soon foster mindcrimes):

But most importantly for the development of the band at this juncture is to put them on the road again, again and then some more.

Living Dead Girl Ash and her band of Living Dead Boys need to break bread and drink blood with as many of their "Creeps" as unhumanly possible.

Not since Hayley Williams of Paramore, has a female singer/poet/fashion icon been so beloved by devoted fans. It's a mutual love fest. Since day one, Ashley continually verbally expresses how blessed she is and how much her fans mean to her. She spends a part of every day making sure she answers and recognizes as many fans as she can via social media. She also takes as much time as necessary to meet, chat and take pictures with fans (even those in the media).

This attitude is a sure recipe for the foundation of success but there is something deeper brewing.

Paramore is a great American rock band with a charismatic superstar leading the charge. New Years Day can easily boast that as well though the energy, enthusiasm and vocal allegiance of their faithful portend to something deeper. It's as if a binding spell was cast from a consecrated secret circle...

Perhaps it's a confluence of the after-math of the great Recession that fostered a great deal of disillusionment and pent-up angst colliding head-on with the current wave of mainstream popularity of the supernatural but there's no denying that a new movement ignited by rock 'n roll is gathering steam and fervent followers.

Forget the political operatives that are staging "Occupy" rallies across America in a pre-Election year. This impending revolution of the underground will seep above ground to occupy Main street, Wall street, back alleys and rustic roads on a New Years Day.

That day is nigh...

Wine is fine but Whiskey’s quicker…
Getting Dead with a vicar capitular

Kicking off the second show of the All The Rage tour with Blood on the Dance Floor and Angelspit, a reformulated New Years Day jettisoned the night with new guitarist Nikki Misery, whom formerly wielded his wily axe for Hollywood hard rockers Stitched Up Heart.

In fact, it had only been three weeks prior at The Roxy, that Ash was on hand to witness Nikki's final Stitched Up detonation. During the band's last song, Nikki made his way on to the venue floor where Ms. Costello proceeded to try and playfully tackle him to the ground. She was unsuccessful in wrastling him vertical but nonetheless, a spot on Team Ashula was on the horizon.

Tix to Stitched Up Heart at The Roxy (Free; It was a Metal Monday)
Red Bull Energy drink ($)
Grey Goose Vodka ($$)
Seeing Ash Costello attempt to tackle Nikki Misery (Priceless)

It's off-the-cuff moments like these that are etched in time though watching the band grow over the past year and really come into their own is equally enticing. It's rare to get to see a band with cavernous reservoirs of potential organically build a buzz right before your eyes.

And it's so rewarding to see a band as focused and determined as New Years Day were as they gunned down the crowd at The Whiskey with Two In The Chest and One In The Head. A blow-torch of unmitigated passion and precision. Incendiary.

The ferocity of the show was to be expected, especially with the talented Mr. Misery locked and loaded but a moment that has stuck with me is one that actually happened before the razor-sharp onslaught.

During the changeover, NYD band members were busy setting the stage (unfortunately not behind a Wizard of Oz curtain) and as Eddie Murphy's innocuous but infectious 80's anthem 'Party All The Time' blasted overhead, I looked up to the balcony to see Ashley sitting cross-legged on the floor just behind the railing bopping to the music and singing along.

Other fans noticed her as well and soon she stood up and smiled, acknowledging them enthusiastically. Mind you, this was mere minutes before she would shred the audience like Jack The Ripper.

It's just a subtext from chapter one of a real live American Horror Story.

What you see is what you get. It's in black and white. It's a genuine moment from a person alive in every moment, every time.

I wish Ash and Nikki and New Years Day all the oxidized AB Positive in the world. It's only a matter of time (and a million more tweets) until an army of mechanical hearts fulfills the valves of their every dreams.

I look forward to forthcoming futuristic erect-a-sets and elaborate theatrical interplay and will one day look back fondly upon the Go-Go show on the All The Rage tour and reminisce...I sipped the blood red Whine, I drank the Whiskey and I Got Dead quicker than with liquor on Haunted Mansioncore.

NEW YEARS DAY
Whiskey A Go-Go
Hollywood, CA
October 16, 2011
1. Two In The Chest, One In The Head
2. My Dear
3. Let's Get Dead
4. I. Machine
5. Murder
6. Haunted Mansioncore
7. It's Alive
8. I Was Right

All The Rage Tour w/ Blood On The Dance Floor, Angelspit, New Years Day
10/14/2011 - San Diego, CA @ Epicenter
10/15/2011 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
10/16/2011 - Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
10/18/2011 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro Operahouse
10/19/2011 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
10/21/2011 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
10/22/2011 - Spokane, WA @ A Club
10/24/2011 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
10/25/2011 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
10/27/2011 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
10/28/2011 - St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
10/30/2011 - Madison, WI @ The Loft
10/31/2011 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Bar
11/01/2011 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies Rock Club
11/02/2011 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
11/03/2011 - Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
11/04/2011 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement
11/05/2011 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's Downunder
11/08/2011 - Hartford, CT @ The Webster
11/09/2011 - Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock Café
11/10/2011 - Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
11/11/2011 - Manchester, NH @ Rocko's
11/12/2011 - Teaneck, NJ @ Mexicali Live
11/13/2011 - Wilmington, DE @ Harmony Grange
11/14/2011 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Shaka's
11/15/2011 - Evansville, IN @ Boney Junes
11/18/2011 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
11/19/2011 - Dallas, TX @ The Door Dallas
11/20/2011 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
11/23/2011 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rock

"The Wake Up!" Tour with
Me Talk Pretty, Madina Lake, Hell Or Highwater, New Years Day
11/26/2011 - Baltimore, MD @ Sound Stage
11/27/2011 - Reading, PA @ Reverb
11/29/2011 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
12/01/2011 - Des Moines, IA @ House of Bricks
12/03/2011 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
12/05/2011 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
12/06/2011 - West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
12/07/2011 - Santa Clara, CA @ The Avalon
12/09/2011 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
12/10/2011 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
12/11/2011 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
12/12/2011 - Idaho Falls, ID @ Shilo Convention Center
12/14/2011 - Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee
12/15/2011 - Wichita, KS @ The Scenery
12/16/2011 - Joliet, IL @ Mojoes
12/17/2011 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small's
12/18/2011 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
12/22/2011 - Rochester, NY @ The Club @ Water Street

Me Talk Pretty Madina Lake Hawthorne Heights Get Scared New Years Day
01/22/2012 - Orlando, FL @ Plaza 'LIVE'
01/29/2012 - Austin, TX @ Antone's

NEW YEARS DAY - FACEBOOK | TWITTER
ASH COSTELLO - FACEBOOK | TWITTER

(Arigato: Ash Costello, Nikki Misery, photographer Michelle Xstar & James Zahn @ Kik Axe Music)