In the heart of New York City, there is a tiny section named Pershing Square. However, in all of Manhattan, there is more asked of this little square than of any other neighborhood. Located directly outside Grand Central Station it serves as a gateway to all who exit the old, Art Deco designed train station. Emerging from it’s doors is like a trip back in time and a welcome to the modernity of the city all in a first glance.
ENTERTAINMENT
William Blake: Croonin’ the Blues for Etta James
William Blake delivers his songs with sass, sensuality, and soul—sometimes all three in one number! Manhattan Digest’s Ryan Leeds caught up with this explosive rhythm and blues artist about his upcoming Etta James tribute show at NYC’s finest jazz club, Birdland. Just don’t talk during his set- or he will call you out!
RL: This is the third engagement of your Etta James tribute at Birdland. What drew you specifically to her?
WB: My parents had great taste in music. R&B was really their “bag” so I grew up listening to Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Ike and Tina Turner, and others. I think what really attracted me to Etta James was the kind of woman that she was. She went through a lot of hardships and struggled for a long time in the music industry. I just really found her life story fascinating.
RL: What do you want your audiences to know about Etta James?
WB: That she had more songs than just her popular ones (“At Last, “Sunday Kind of Love”). More importantly is the pure joy that she had in performing. She was vivacious and captivating and really knew how to rouse an audience.
RL: Is there one particular song of hers that is your absolute favorite?
WB: Probably “Fool That I Am.” It’s a song that describes how it feels to love someone when they don’t love you back. We’ve all felt that way at one time or another. Anyone who says they haven’t is lying. So I think that this song really tugs at my heartstrings.
RL: Your show will have back-up from “The Peaches.” Tell me a bit about how they were formed and the origin of their name?
WB: The Peaches were actually Michael Thomas Murray’s idea. In addition to being my best friend, he is my musical director and arranger. Initially, it was just going to be a rhythm section and me. When we started working on “Echoes of Etta”, Michael was trying to create this “doo-wop” girl group so we decided to add them. Etta James had two backup singers known as The Peaches and I have three (Ashley Betton, Shira Elias, and Stephany Mora.) They will also be presenting some songs from their own tribute show to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
RL: Your background is primarily in theater . How did you get into the cabaret scene?
WB: I went to college for theater but left after my sophomore year. I was fortunate to be getting so many singing gigs. After I was on the fourth season of American Idol my gigs picked up even more. It’s really been rewarding to play such esteemed rooms. Returning to Birdland with this show is the biggest thrill we can ask for. We love playing this club so much because it’s our home and the best club in the world!
RL: What other music legends have you drawn inspiration from?
WB: In terms of contemporary artists, Kurt Elling and my great friend and colleague, Jane Monheit. Past artists would include Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
RL: What is your assessment of the popular singers today in terms of their style and techniques?
WB: I don’t really listen to newer artists. I’m really an “old soul” when it comes to music so I don’t get into “Glee”, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, or Lady Gaga. I think that those artists are still finding themselves and are growing up. But we’ll continue to find them interesting in adulthood if they stay in the industry. In terms of vocal style, leave the pyrotechnics at home because you know, if you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.
RL: Who is the absolute one singer you would give anything to meet and/or sing with?
WB: Nikka Costa. She is a funky, solid, well-rounded musician. I would give my right arm to be on stage with her!
RL: If you could go back in time and see any live performer who would it be?
WB: Judy Garland- either at The Palace or Carnegie Hall. Her Carnegie Hall recording is still in print. To have been a fly on the wall of that space for that concert would have been a dream come true.
RL: What is your advice to those seeking a career as a vocal artist?
WB: Stay true to who you are. Sing what you know and be passionate about it. The Etta James songs are songs I connect with. If you don’t connect, trash it and move on. Also, find a great musical director you trust.
RL: Do you have any pre or post show rituals?
WB: I don’t really sleep well the night before a show because I’m so excited. I put on a lot of music and jam out. And before my show, I have to have bourbon on the rocks- but just one!
RL: How do you take care of your voice?
WB: I have an ENT I see once or twice a month, especially since I suffer from allergies. I also stay practical in rehearsals by not over singing and try to stay quiet on the day of the show.
RL: Cleary your audiences love you, but are there any particular pet peeves from a live audience that really annoy you
WB: Not really. I’ve been heckled by the best of them. I will just heckle right back. I remember one night, there was a loud audience member who kept yelling from his seat. After every song he would say, “Oh my gosh! This is the best show I’ve ever seen!” It was flattering, but he was pretty obnoxious. At one point, I looked at him and said, “I know this is the best show, right?!!? Now will you please sit back and just be quiet!” The audience just loved it. Talking during my set is also a pet peeve. But I know how to deal with it; I just call them right out on it!
RL: So what’s on your docket after the Etta James show?
WB: I started out singing in piano bars at 19 years old. Next month, I’ll be returning to do that again on a week long cruise to the Mexican Riviera. I’m really excited about it because I need a vacation! After that, I’ll be performing private engagements through the end of the year.
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WHAT: Echoes of Etta II featuring William Blake, Mike Murray & The Peaches – 7PM, Doors open at 5PM
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 28th 2013
WHERE: Birdland Jazz Club, 315 West 44th Street New York NY 10036.
Price: $30 Cover, $10 minimum
WEB: http://www.birdlandjazz.com/event/396675-william-blake-michael-thomas-new-york/
Reign Recap: No History was Harmed in the Making of This Feature
Reign. You might have seen the posters of it around town, with some woman who almost looks like Kim Kardashian sitting with two generic CW hotties behind her. Once I realized that it was about Mary, Queen of Scots, I knew that it was going to be a hot mess, and I should totally jump on that train. So, join me as I recap “Reign.” Warning, you might need a bottle of wine to go with this. [Read more…] about Reign Recap: No History was Harmed in the Making of This Feature
NYC Food and Wine Festival’s Meatpacking Uncorked 2013
New York City’s Food and Wine Festival took place this weekend. Every event has its highs and lows and as did the Meatpacking Uncorked presented by Cupcake Vineyards. This was one of the few events that was affordable for the average Jo who wants to swim with the big food fishies.
Twenty-two food vendors and thirty-two wine stops filled NYC from West 16th to Horatio street between 9th and 10th Avenue. Now if your thinking where exactly, then you and I are on the same page. I found myself constantly needing to find a seat to look at the map, my maps app and the food and wine key found in the materials you received from the welcome center. Thank god for wearing flats…ladies I hope you wore the same if not, I recommend ice and sipping on that vino you picked up somewhere along the way. Of the twenty two food vendors I was able to hit ten of them; Bagatelle, GOBurger Truck, Gorilla Cheese NYC, Korilla BBQ, Luke’s Lobster, Macelleria, Mac Truck NYC, Old Traditional Polish Cuisine, Rouge Tomate’s Cart in the Park and STK Meatpacking. Of the ten vendors I truly enjoyed 5, found two to be okay, and three I would not eat again. My top 5 included Bagatelle, Luke’s Lobster, Macelleria, Mac Truck NYC and STK Meatpacking.
Bagatelle’s Tuna Tartar was delicious. It was perfectly spiced with the lime juice bringing the whole spoon together and the taro chips to add the right texture to the succulent bite. The only issue with the spoon (aside from there not being more) was that the beautiful tuna was cut in advance and had started to oxidize and give that grey color…good thing it was dark out. Regardless this was still my favorite bite of the night, again too bad it was just a bite.
Luke’s Lobster served deliciously sweet shrimp roll on buttery toasted half hot dog rolls. Your traditional sweet shrimp roll was served quickly and eaten easily while listening to the blues grass quartet play on the city street. They did not let the experience part of the evening get away from them. It was one of the more enjoyable stops of the night.
Macelleria served a delicious Polenta Crostini with Bolognese Ragu and Pecorino Toscano. The Polenta was nicely salted and seasoned and served as a nice vesicle for the Bolognese Ragu, expect someone must have forgotten to order the forks for the event or really scere off the Polenta because it fell apart when you picked up the solidified cornmeal cup. The serving looked whimsically like a piece of bone with the marrow ready for your to suck it out. The Bolognese Ragu was also very nicely seasoned and had that fresh from grandma’s stove feel to it; warming me from the inside. But, I did not get to enjoy the Pecorino Toscano as advertised. Not I’m not sure if it was just too little to be noted or if my tray did not get that hit of cheese before leaving the busy kitchen.
Mac Truck NYC; what can I say about Braised Beef Short Ribs served over mac and cheese. Except for maybe, “More, Please!” The mac was al dente and creamy and would be missing a serious amount of salt; except for the incredibly tender and rich short rib that was on top. I was ready to turn in for the night, if someone was to give me a vat of that, I would high tailed it home to cuddle up on the with a deep zinfandel and just manja! It would have been very had to get anything to-go, since they ran out of food early.
STK Meatpacking provided such a nicely seasoned and sceared hanger steak with a outstanding earthy mushroom puree. The only problem I had was with the size of the piece of steak. I wish it was cut down further so that I could really sop up all of that mushroom puree with the steak in a couple of bites. Instead I enjoyed that one big juice bite with as much of the puree I could get in there while still trying to save face and not completely embarrass myself. (Which I think I would have if I started licking that plate) Not for the not so great news; Old Traditional Polish Cuisine and Rouge Tomate’s Cart in the Park. Old Traditional Polish Cuisine; Well, i’m a Russian Polish woman, I have eaten my fair share of traditional perogi, and I left here a bit disappointed. I was lucky enough to not have to choose between the meat and cheese preparations; but I could have skipped the meat one all together. The question I have is, well, what type of meat did I just eat. That’s not what I want to wonder about. The meat was dry and had lots of other flavors or onions and spices, but I just could not get past how dry the filling was. The dough for both of the perogi’s was very good. A little greasy, but all and all the was a nice texture and feel to the wrappings. The cheese perogi was very good; rich and creamy, just greasier than I would have wanted.
Rouge Tomate’s Cart in the Park disappointed me. I love their restaurant, I love their summer time cart by central park, I love how the treat and respect the food. The problem here was not with the chefs if was with the way the Squash Soup was handled. Despite the speed in which people were able to get through the line at their food truck stop; the soup was too cold to taste the flavors that were really in there. I am almost positive that if they were able to keep the heat on the soup much closer to serving it the soup would have been delightful. Instead it was very one noted by the time the not at all steaming cup got to my mouth. This was the ONLY one stop along the way where water was provided. You had a choice of water and or iced coffee, which I greatly appreciated.
Now for the stops that did not fare so well; Korilla BBQ, GO Burger and Gorilla Cheese NYC. Now it might be surprising to see Korilla BBQ on this end of my list. But they are here for one reason and one reason alone. I am allergic to RAW red onions. So whenever I go somewhere where red onions are a main part of the cuisine (Mexican, Thai, etc) I always ask, “Does this contain any RED ONIONS?” I was told no. And thankfully waited to get onto the next line to eat this dish (where there was light), because the first thing I saw were diced red onion. I went as far to ask about their salsa and if that had any red onions. The answer was no, but what they really meant was yes. We have red onions layered throughout the dish. I handed my dish off to the ladies in line with me and they were happy to have the food. But as far as I am concerned, you put my health at risk. I do not appreciate that, and I believe it is a big problem in the food industry. Chefs, waiters and management need to work together to make sure that people with food allergies, intolerances and other pathologies do not have to fear eating; they should be able to enjoy food nearly just as much as anyone else.
GO Burger NYC was just way, way, way to dry to enjoy. They said the burger was going to be dry BLT Dry Aged Beef Sliders. They would have benefited from serving water. But I did not see anything resembling a BLT, as in no bacon, no lettuce and no tomato was provided. I enjoy dry aged meats but I do not enjoy dry meat. Too bad we got dry meat with nicely caramelized onions on a very bready slider role. All and all I got dry out of this bit and it was certainly not worth the time spent on the line.
Gorilla Cheese NYC did not do much better. Their bread was soggy and the cheese was cold, despite being melted and just tasted like your typical processed American cheese on soggy buttery white bread. The only redeeming quality from this stop was the greasy tater tots. They were crisp and flavorful despite leaving my fingers, and tongue with a little layer of grease after consumption. All and all if you were going with your friends for a food and wine scavenger hunt in NYC, this was the place to be. But, if you went for the food; you may have been seriously disappointed with the large wait times and confusing materials provided by the food and wine festival creators.
Album Review: Darkside – Psychic
Darkside: Psychic
Similar Artists: Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Ricardo Villalobos, Nicolas Jaar
Genre: Experimental, Downtempo, Blues, Psychedelia
Label: Other People/Matador
I’ve spent a good deal of time wondering whether Psychic, the debut album from Darkside — a collaborative project between experimental electronic wunderkind Nicolas Jaar and blues guitarist David Harrington — should be compared to Jaar’s previous work. This question specifically relates to the album Space Is Only Noise, which in recent years has become something of a classic among downtempo electronica. It must be said, the music these two are making here is pretty out there, and it’s clear Jaar is trying to escape his already unorthodox roots by immersing himself in something that is even harder to put your finger on. Why someone would want to escape the near unanimous praise of their debut album is another question all together, and probably one worthy of a separate article.
Darkside is an odd pairing not because it can’t be compared to the artists’ previous work, but because Jaar’s psychedelia inspired electronic noodling is paired against such traditional 6 string guitar riffing that it is at times laughable; the Clapton-esque “Heart” is particularly hard to take seriously. This feeling comes out from Jaar’s vocals as well — which by the way have never sounded as gorgeous — and his tone carries a sense of intended irony on tracks like “Paper Trails”. It’s not off-putting, just curious, as it makes one wonder if the entire project is intended to be a parody of Pink Floyd records.
This intentional self-parody is not a consistent force through the length of the album though. Most of the album — including the 11 minute opening track, “Golden Arrow” — is dead serious, and it can at times be forceful enough to throw you out of your chair. Before I get nitpicky, I must state the album’s most obvious claims: the production and mixing here are utterly flawless. The sounds are palpable in their thickness and magnitude, and although the tone is often “dark”, every element is enshrined in a warm and radiant overcoat. At it’s best, Psychic is an album with loads of personality.
Unfortunately, the album as a whole can’t be called very personable. It’s an album that’s just begging for you to listen to it while under the influence, because once you are, you’ll likely be sucked in from the first note to the last. Unfortunately, it doesn’t impress quite so easily in our native world. Although the 60’s inspired guitar lines are easy to poke fun at, there could actually be more of them, as too often are we suspended among suspecting ambience. It’s during the most maximalist moments — where the heavy baseline pours in and the groove sticks to a solid 4/4 — that turn out to be the most arousing. “Freak, Go Home” might be the track that is most relatable to the Nicolas Jaar of yore, with its slyly delectable house motifs and morphing Villalobos inspired backdrops. “Greek Light” is another highlight, and we see Nicolas Jaar’s yearning falsetto take on a new role as his voice becomes looped within itself and draped against sun-drenched guitar chords.
The album is filled with great ideas such as these, but it’s only “Golden Arrow” that can rightfully stand on its own. It’s a beautifully evolving track that evokes mystery and entrigue amongst carefully thought out musical dynamics. If the rest of the tracks are the sound of Nicolas Jaar And Dave Harrington jamming and experimenting in the studio, “Golden Arrow” feels like a thoughtfully planned out spectacle of musical precision.
When I first heard of Darkside, I wasn’t particularly excited for the project, and their initial 2010 EP didn’t happen to raise many of my hairs either. Psychic, however, makes it clear that the project can work wonders if enough thought is put into the compositions. Nicolas Jaar has succeeded (again) in remaining an unpredictable musical figure with a bountiful array of talent. As this channels a new kind of energy than his previous work, it also shows the importance of collaboration in terms of broadening an artist’s longevity. While it’s just shy of being a complete statement, it does nothing but complement its creators attributes. For those who think that Nicolas Jaar is one of the most important producers of our time, this does nothing to change that.
Track Listing:
1.) Golden Arrow*
2.) Sitra
3.) Heart
4.) Paper Trails*
5.) The Only Shrine I’ve Ever Seen
6.) Freak, Go Home*
7.) Greek Light*
8.) Metatron
Album Highlight – *
Reign Mixes Prestige And Popular Like Oil And Water
Reign: Thursdays at 9 Eastern on the CW
There’s something about the period piece in both film and television that innately whispers in your ear the word prestige. Part of this is because such films are often rolled out this time of year in an attempt to collect large numbers of Oscars (Shakespeare in Love and last year’s Les Miserables being two such examples). However, in the recent past, period pieces have also been a staple of the cable networks in their attempt to steal eyeballs and critical regards from the big four (HBO had Rome and now has Boardwalk Empire, AMC built an empire on Mad Men). So needless to say, it was to my surprise when the CW elected to pick up Reign, an attempt on mixing the period piece with the CW standard box of tropes.
Reign follows the teenaged Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) as she goes to France in an attempt to secure a political marriage with the dashing Prince Francis (Toby Regbo). Things, however, are made more complicated when Francis is not ready to sign such a deal due to both his uncertainty of an alliance with Scotland as well as a desire not to be committed to marriage at this point. The rest of the royal family complicates matters further, as Francis’ brother Bash (Torrance Coombs) has a crush on Mary, while Queen Catherine (Megan Follows) fears that the arranged marriage will ultimately kill her son.
In very many ways, Reign is exactly what you would expect from a CW show if it took place in a castle in 1500 ‘s France. It focuses on the emotions that come with a being a teen, there will be random outbursts, and they’ll even tease a supernatural angle because, well, it’s the CW. Furthermore, it’s pretty evident that the show is using its’ Scots as a proxy for modern sensibilities (nothing like a Mumford and Sons knock off when Mary decides to smash custom when she dances with her maids!) up against the staid French court. This modern re-imagining extends out to other characters, as Nostradamus is treated as a more malevolent force, mixing his traditional prophet and apothecary role with what could loosely be described as shades of Rasputin.
Unfortunately, this CW-ification of history also mars so many of the show’s dramatic scenes. A climactic argument involving the complicated political entanglements ends up coming off with the same raw emotional nerve that one gets when a teen argues with their parents (but I don’t WANT to be in an alliance with Scotland!). In a lot of ways, it’s mildly disheartening that a show focused on the French Court and political intrigue fails spectacularly at producing any sort of intrigue whatsoever (I blame this as much on a network forced excising of a racy scene as I do the writing, which tends to awkwardly embrace two part storytelling – there’s point A and point B, but there’s no road between the two).
Everything else, in terms of both the technical and acting, is best described as competent without being particularly mind-blowing. The scenery, particularly inside the castle is lush and opulent, as one would expect of the French court, however, the insistence on both of Henry’s sons running around in leather jackets was fairly off-putting.
The Final Verdict: How one will feel about Reign is dependent on what you’re looking for: If you want a prestigious period piece, Reign will suffer horribly. However, if you view Reign through the lens of the network it’s on, you get a nice fit in terms of what CW programming is all about (with more mature themes and some dubious history thrown in for good measure). I would probably advise one to check it out if they’re into that CW mold, but skip it if you’re looking for some Game of Thrones lite.
2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees – A Completely Biased Look
If that title sounds a little on the nose, than it should be. I don’t regularly know jack-shit about the annual results of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction process, nor have I ever desired too. Seeing that my I-pod basically functions as a second phallus for me, however, a lot of people seem to think I keep up to date with developments in popular music like this, but frankly I’m too busy listening to (insert relatively obscure 90s indie band here) to care what’s playing on the radio these days. So when my editor asked me if I wanted to write an opinion piece on who will get into the Hall of Fame this year…I immediately jumped at the opportunity! So here is my (minutely researched) views on 2014’s nominees!
Who Will Likely Get In…
Nirvana
Whether it’s out of sympathy for Kurt, or the fact that they were the most important rock band of the 90s that wasn’t named Pavement or Radiohead, the Seattle grunge trio is pretty much the only sure-fire bet
Yes
For years people have been saying how unjust it is that the progressive rock god-fathers King Crimson have never even received a nomination from the institution, so maybe placing a more successful prog rock band in their ranks will silence the haters….or actually potentially make them even more angry!
Peter Gabriel
Well Genesis already made the cut…
Cat Stevens
Ricky Gervais loves him, so why can’t we all?
The Zombies
They’re a British Invasion band…why the fuck aren’t they inducted already!?
Who Should Get In…
The Replacements
They picked up where the Buzzcocks left off and made punk even more accessible to the masses, but they did it in an even more mature and refined way. Thing is…it’s not likely they’ll get in before The Smiths do.
N.W.A.
It would be a great double whammy for hip-hop heads if N.W.A. got in this year as Public Enemy did last, but the west coast gangsta pioneers are a little too violent and profane to grace The Hall just yet.
LL Cool J
Certainly an odd choice amongst this year’s nominees, but I feel he’d fit nicely in the hall’s progression towards incorporating hip-hop into their historical component. It’s important that people realize he was the first rapper to…sell-out?
…and Who the Fuck Are These Guys?
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Chic
Hall and Oates
Linda Ronstadt
Link Wray
Easiest post I ever wrote. As David Bowie would say: “Wham, bam, thank you Ma’mm!”
The Lone Bellow – Debut Album
Listening to my “OLD FAITHFUL” radio station 90.7 WFUV one autumn afternoon, a voice came through the speakers of my car. I said to myself, “Is this some sort of compilation featuring Steven Tyler?” I listened hard and still couldn’t figure out and reached for my Shazam app for assistance. THE LONE BELLOW – YOU DON”T LOVE ME LIKE YOU USED TO.
After a little research, it turns out that Steven Tyler has nothing to do with THE LONE BELLOW. The group is actually from Brooklyn, NY who formed after the lead singer Zach Williams, wife suffered temporary paralysis. He learned to play the guitar and discovered that his vocal range was extraordinary and began to pursue his career. THE LONE BELLOW now consists of Brian Elmquist on Guitar and Vocals, and Kanene Donehey Pipkin on mandolin and vocals.
The harmonies created by the group are clean and cut. Replicating the sound of a fine trained choir while beckoning the American Folk Rock genre. To have such a clean sound with this genre really makes THE LONE BELLOW stand out with the best.
In their opening track “Green Eyes And A Heart Of Gold”, they set the mood with a train like enthusiasm of getting up and going. He keeps his lyrics simple but not boring. Where some groups simply repeat their chorus, verse or bridge (middle 8), Zach Williams recreates it. During the first half of this track, he has a sub chorus / verse that starts of as “We’re Broke in NYC…”. It is sung simply with the standard melody of the song, and then in the last half of the track he breaks it out again but almost as a bridge, where you can’t even distinguish that the two sections are one in the same aside from the lyrics being identical.
Probably my favorite, and I think their first single is “Bleeding Out”. Harnessing the power of the three to create a beautiful trio of harmony, in a Vienese Waltz, while having a more rock edge with a folk sound. The literal beating of the drums lets you feel the emotional beating that Williams experienced while his wife was suffering. I imagine him walking down the streets with the weight of the world on his shoulders expressing
All the buildings, they lean and they smile down on us
And they shout from their roof tops, words we can’t trust
Like you’re dead, you are tired
You’re ruined, you’re dust
Oh you will amount to nothing, like tanks full of rust
But we scream back at them
From below on the street
All in unison we sing, at times, been redeemed
We are all of the beauty, that has not been seen
We are full of the color, that’s never been dreamed
Well, nothing we need ever dies, yeah
The group is full of passion, harmony and simplicity. THE LONE BELLOW is on the radar to be one of those break out groups and with a little bit more promotion, touring and street cred, this group has the potential to share the spot light with groups like Mumford and Sons and The Punch Brothers. Tomorrow night the debut their first show at Carnegie Hall. So if you’re in the area, I’d grab tickets and get the full LONE BELLOW EXPERIENCE.
A Newbie At Comic Con Part 1
New York Comic Con. Not affiliated with San Diego Comic Con, for those of you keeping score. Now, I’ve never been to ANY cons, since 1) I’m lazy and 2) have been broke for a long, long time. Basically, that meant that, back in Texas, I was constantly telling myself that I was totally going to go to A-Kon in Dallas, but never getting my stuff together to actually GO to A-Kon. Well, this year, all that changed and I was able to make my way to NY Comic Con. Pretty big way to start, right? [Read more…] about A Newbie At Comic Con Part 1
Guild Wars 2: Is It Really “Play The Way You Want?”
Guild Wars 2, developed by MMO savant ArenaNet, released back in August of 2012 and offered enough alternatives to the traditions of the genre that it almost broke the mold. Gone was the “holy trinity” of in-game parties. For those who don’t know, this entailed making sure that your party had at least one tank (someone to draw and maintain the enemy’s attention), one healer (self explanatory), and the rest DPS (damage per second, or damage dealers) characters. Guild Wars 2 set out to allow every class in the game the ability to perform roles in their own three-way setup: damage, support, and control. Allow me to explain the way ArenaNet intended this system to work:
- Damage is effectively the same as it is in other MMOs. People with a damage setup will oftentimes have gear that improves their power, precision (increases critical hit chance), and critical damage bonus. Sometimes they will also have gear that improves their damage on conditions (i.e. burns, bleeds, torment, and confusion applied to enemies), but this is not necessary.
- Support is meant to heal, remove conditions from allies, and apply boons (buffs) to them as well. Generally a support character will have stat bonuses to vitality, healing power, boon duration, and toughness, as they are largely defensive characters. Their job is to keep the DPS upright and chip in damage of their own when they have nothing better to do.
- Control characters are the condition appliers. They will often use skills that effect a wide area in order to both damage and inflict statuses on enemies, namely stun, daze, immobilize, or any other skill that would normally interrupt attacks. These characters will usually have condition damage/duration builds, with bonuses to other stats as needed.
Now, I’m sure ArenaNet meant well when they came up with this system, as based on any given party there are certain merits to each setup. However, the game has wound up being fairly unbalanced and has led many to discover that damage builds are the only viable setup when doing high-level or endgame content, such as dungeons.
Speaking from my own experience, my main character is an elementalist. Elementalists are the resident “jack-of-all-trades” class, because they can do a little bit of everything reasonably well. Changing weapons grants varied skill sets, ranging from high single-target damage to full melee to massive area damage and control. However, they have the lowest health pool of all eight classes, are light armored (meaning they get squished quickly), and have a steep learning curve. Over the course of my time playing the game, I’ve tried different builds. First I went with a full offensive build, known within the community as a “glass cannon” setup. I put everything into maximizing my damage. However, as I still wasn’t very good at avoidance and such, I died a lot… to the point that I changed it up. I kept all my gear the way it was, which was for the most part offensive, but instead put my traits into defense. I had more health, better toughness, and could stay alive longer. However, my damage effectively cratered, as I was down 300 points in power and precision, and I even noticed that my group heals were still inadequate. That’s when I realized that the best builds are the offensive ones.
This is not to say that you can’t succeed playing some other way. Open world content and player vs. player are still there for those who prefer more balance or full support, but against the toughest of monsters, one needs only to remember the following: a dead enemy does no damage. The quickest method for ending the threat of getting killed by a boss is to kill it first. While you can mitigate the damage and keep removing conditions all you want with support builds, it’s only going to take you that much longer to eliminate the target, and more time defending means a greater chance of a mistake or having to wait for your heals to cool down. Is the hardest content still doable with a non-glass cannon setup? Sure, given enough skill and tenacity.
ArenaNet pounded the “play the way you want” mantra into everyone’s heads leading up to the release of Guild Wars 2. Over a year after its release, the verdict I give is that their statement is partially true. If you’re simply trying to complete the content at hand with no regard to time spent or loot gained over time, then yes, you can certainly play the way you want. However, if you’re a hardcore gamer who wants to maximize the potential of your character, well, you’re going to have to play the way the game rewards most and deal with it.
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