“They’re trying to beat you down, they want you on the ground.” Truer words have never been spoken, especially when discussing 80’s/90’s star Corey Feldman. I only refer to him that way as that’s the way most of you know of him. In my mind, he’s “Current Genius, Corey Feldman”. Let me start this off by stating that the words spoken in this review are my genuine feelings towards the shows mentioned and Feldman himself. I’m not being sarcastic and I’m not here to make jokes, unless otherwise noted.
In recent years Corey made his switch from acting to music; in fact, he released his fifth album, Angelic 2 the Core, just last year. On September 16th, Feldman found himself back in headlines after giving an interesting performance on ‘The Today Show.’ There were people lambasting him all over the internet, in a way I honestly didn’t understand. When watching the performance myself I saw it as no different than something Kanye West, or even Justin Timberlake would do. The album itself sounds just like that; an admittedly unpolished pop record. It’s chock full of catchy lyrics and head bobbing beats. The only complaint I have about the record is that the music is a bit overbearing making the lyrics rather difficult to hear. I just didn’t understand the hate he was receiving, and still currently receiving. Listen, I’m all in on the Felddogg train. The guy does what he wants to do and gives his heart and soul into everything he accomplishes.
With all of that being said, you know that as soon as Corey announced his Angelic 2 The Heavenly US Summer Tour us at IconVsIcon were all over it! The only problem was figuring out which date to go to. Do we make a weekend trip of it and head out of town? Do we stay in town and catch the local show in the middle of a week? What does anyone do in a situation like this? We did both! That’s right, we got a chance to not only enjoy catch Corey and his Angels in Reading, PA but we also caught the tour right around the corner in Baltimore, MD. It was 100% worth it! Here are my thoughts.
Let’s kick off our journey in REVERB in Reading, PA. While the venue was not sold out, it was fantastic to see so many people show up to support Corey. To set the perfect mood, the opening band warmed up the audience by playing 80’s hit after hit. It was 9:45 and the Feldogg was about to come on. To our surprise we were joined by Poeina, the costume designer for Feldman and his angels. She stated that they were taking a little bit longer getting ready so she was here to play a few songs. Understandably we were a bit annoyed but she shut us up real quick. This girl has pipes! I will not be surprised when she’s popping up on the radio shutting it down! That’s when I realized that Corey doesn’t surround himself with people — he surrounds himself with true artists. Every single person involved with this show, regardless of the facet, is an incredible artist.
It wasn’t until about 10:30 when the main attraction made its way to the stage. Surrounded by his “Angels”, Feldman commanded the audience like no other. It didn’t matter that the crowd was smaller than the sold out show he had played the night before, he gave it everything he had. The show began with a few tracks off the new album, killer tracks! We were then informed that throughout the night each Angel would be showcased, and dammit did they shock the crowd. These women were incredible. Each of them brought their own talent to the show and sent chills down our spines. You had women from all walks of life here to put on a fabulous show.
As the night went on Corey performed hits from his film career and even an incredible cover of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”. Corey informed the crowd that his birthday the following day, which immediately led to us leading the crowd in heartfelt rendition of “Happy Birthday”. This show was incredible! The show ended with the Angels covering Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited”. My only complaint was that it ended prematurely on an odd note. Feldman checked the time and quickly exited the stage. No encore. While the ending was abrupt, it didn’t ruin the short but incredible journey we had just been on. It’s also important to note that easily 85% of the crowd on this particular night took advantage of the meet and great opportunity following the performance. With an awesome night of music in the books, there was no doubt that we would be catching the show again that Wednesday in Baltimore.
Honestly, Baltimore was a whole other ballgame. The venue was packed compared to the last show and Feldogg pulled out all the stops. I chalk up the weird ending of the last show to a late start because there were at least 4-5 songs added to the set this time around. Songs added to the Baltimore set were “Cry Little Sister”, a medley from “Rock N Roll High School Forever”, and the smash hit, “Go 4 It”! It’s important to note that Rams Head Live in Baltimore is a state of the art venue, which allowed Feldman to unleash his full vision for the show by adding a video package which spans his entire career and an epic arena quality laser light show to the mix. While the Reading show may have been the more intimate of the two, the Baltimore show this was definitely far more rambunctious. Fans even got a chance to see Feldman bust a move on his hover board (which he made look remarkably easy). The sound at Rams Head was also amazing and brought an added punch to Feldman’s passionate performance and the already stellar solos by The Angels. Not one person in our group was disappointed in making these treks to catch both shows because each night were completely different and satisfying entities. It was extremely cool to hear the buzz of excitement from the fans recounting their favorite moments from the show as the exited the venue. Corey and The Angels are definitely blowing minds and converting naysayers with ever show the play. The momentum Corey and The Angels are building is undeniable and nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Long story short, if you have a chance to see this show live then go! Do not let others deter you. They’re out there to stop people from having a good time. That’s what this show is all about, having a good time! You’re gonna hear songs from your favorite films and a few incredible tracks from incredible artists. I have to take this time to say that I’m super proud of Corey Feldman for continuing on his journey and doing things his way. He truly lives the message he preaches. I guess I’ll end this the only way I know how. “You gotta reach for the sky. Ain’t no problems to hide. Go for it!”
For the latest information on tour dates on ‘Corey’s Heavenly Tour: Angelic 2 The U.S.’ and beyond, visit Angelic2theCore.com or www.CoreyFeldman.net. Follow the continuing adventures of Corey and the Angels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
