Zack is someone you’ve seen around even if you have no memory of the occurrence, nor have any idea who he is. Zack handles booking and promotions at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls – a venue that has hosted so many iconic bands of genres across the board for many years now. Most recently, however, Zack introduced “The Fracture” to the WNY music community – a smaller stage erected inside Rapids Theatre for the sake of underground band bills with a smaller venue capacity. These kinds of shows were originally done at the venue without a smaller stage, but with the smaller cap back in 2021 during the pandemic, but once Zack saw just how successful consistent underground shows could be at the venue, plans to build the smaller stage began. Thus, “The Fracture” was born. The debut “Fracture” show took place on Saturday February 18th, 2023 and anyone who is anyone in the scene was in attendance to scope out the venue and lay claim to future event dates.
For all the more specific details of “The Fracture” and more, here’s Zack…
1. How’d you get into booking and promoting?
I always booked/ promoted my own bands. So it was almost Like second nature.
When covid hit, I received the call that all our shows were cancelled at the rapids. This led to the staff leaving and me calling the owner with a proposal to do Covid safe shows.
This took me on a tedious journey, of not only booking acts. But a world were I am constantly jumping through hoops and finding the loopholes to stay open.
I spend countless hours on the phone with lawyers, city representatives, health representatives, etc. To make sure I was abiding by all the rules, seated, 6feet apart, food, sanitizing stations and deep cleans after each show.
I ended up doing a a ton of shows through Covid, including 3 sold out 550 cap Covid safe/ compliant shows.
So I just kept going with it, started booking national acts, but always made sure to toss a regional show together so I could bring the local scene to our stage.
Because before Covid, The rapids never opened its stage to local acts.
2. How did your relationship with Rapids Theatre start?
My uncle who worked for Bose audio, and was friends with the owner. He initially got me a job as a cleaner, when I left my job making drumsticks/ fixing machines at regal tip.
I jumped at the chance to work in a venue. I had been in bands since I was 14 years old and there’s just always been something about a gear and venues that just make me happy.
I then worked my way up from a cleaner to a stage hand and eventually through persistence, this eventually led to me doing every job in that building and becoming the Production manager.
3. What are some of the most noteworthy shows you’ve booked at Rapids? I’m talking about shows you’re solely responsible for.
STEVE O, Cold, In Flames, All that Remains, Stemm, Sirens and Sailors, Diver Down, The Bunny The Bear, Monuments, just to name a few!
4. What show announcements are you at liberty to discuss right now? List them here.
Right now currently announced Rapids schedule we have:
March 3rd: Rapids Goth Night
March 7th: Angel
March 18th: Fourhorsemen & Stupify
March 24th: Washup and Clay Kickers
April 8th: Shrek rave
April 15th: Sugar “nu metal party”
April 16th: Clutch
April 18th: August Burns Red & TDWP
April 21st: Albee Cummings
April 26th: Sleep Signals
May 4th: TBA
May 13th: Stand Abandoned
May 14th: Kreator & Sepultura
June 2nd: TBA
June 17th: TBA
June 24th: TBA
July 8th: TBA
July 14th: TBA
July 22nd: TBA
July 29th: Buffalo Metal Festival
August 5th: TBA
December 1st & 2nd: TBA
5. If you’re currently in an active band, discuss it here. Give us your full online presence, and plug your shows, merch, genre, etc. If not, do all that for your most recent band, and then…
I’ve filled in for a ton of bands as a hire on guitarist here and there.
My very first band was a death metal band called, Heaven’s Blood, followed by a bunch of no name jam projects.
Then we had sins of victory we were a Niagara Falls based rock band unfortunately we parted ways due to the bassist moving away and an issue with the drummers commitments.
Then we have my metalcore band Forget the Sorrows. I had a ton of huge things for us lined up, until our first drummer didn’t want to put the effort in and our second drummer (who was blessing!) moved to Australia 🥲
6. Talk about your most memorable performances and what made these gigs so special.
Some of the most memorable times I’ve had on stage were.
I was playing a show at The Matchless in Brooklyn NY and I went to jump, and the cable wrapped around my foot and almost toppled the vox backline we were using.
A few others, where with Forget the Sorrows opening for Dragged Under at stamps. Fluff had been a huge influence for a while so it was epic to share the stage with them.
Last but not least, playing with forget the sorrows at The Rapids Theatre. There’s truly something magical to play with on a stage with real lights and a line array. Its truly a feeling no bar can ever match.
7. When it comes to gear, nerd out basically and talk about all the guitar stuff you’re most fond of when it comes to both live setups and in-house recording, demoing, etc.
Oh man, well I was a dead set PRS player for a long time, I had always felt there build quality just couldn’t be matched. Until I discovered Music man guitars. I liked it so much, that on the way to a gig.
My drummer had to stop and pickup his new bundle of sticks so I went to browse the used section of guitar center. Saw this JP signature, once I felt the next. I walked back out to the car grabbed my back up prs for the night and traded it on the spot.
When it comes to tone, if your talking digital, I feel the quad cortex is the icing on the cake right now. I own a headrush Fx and and axe fx. Both are amazing in there own right. But I would trade both for a QC,haha.
If your talking tube amps, I’ll have to go with EVH 5105 iii (white), those things are aggressive and tight right out the gate. I own a 6505+ I bought it for the main reason of every posthardcore/ metalcore band in 2006-2008 had one. But with our pedals in front of it, if leaves something to be desired.
9. Give me your top 5-10 albums of all-time without putting too much thought into it.
In no particularly order:
Counterparts- Prophets
Alexisonfire- Crises
Fit for a King- Creation/ Destruction
Mayday Parade- ALesson in Romantics
Sum 41- Chuck
State Champs- Around the World and Back
In Fear and Faith- Your World on Fire
Secrets- Fragile Figures
Bring me the Horizon- Count your Blessings
Wage War- Blueprints
10. Name your favorite local bands out of WNY as the scene stands right now.
Top 3 locals killing it right now in no order:
Grizzly Run
Fight from Within
Perspectives
Thank you again for having me!
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