Produced by one time Nine Inch Nails live bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen, the new release made it’s mark on the US Billboard charts last October and has been helping sell out venues ever since. They have acquired fans worldwide by opening for such bands as Kings of Leon in the UK , The Killers in America , and Depeche Mode during their last European tour. They are now headlining worldwide and have even been confirmed for Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in North America this spring in Indio, California.

Thursday was the first of two back to back nights at the mid-sized downtown club venue and it started with a calm but enthusiastic turnout. The first opener for the night, Big Black Delta, was no disappointment. This solo project of Mellowdrone’s Jonathan Bates, woke up the crowd. Two drummers on opposite sides occupied the stage while Bates commanded from the center working with a laptop used to manipulate synths and vocal fx. It was a split symmetrical view with a center display of moving LEDs sometimes behaving like mock equalizing fader bars. Lighting on the band themselves was pretty minimal. Even though the majority of Big Black Delta’s set was dark, it did not hinder any bit of emotion from Bates’ passionate dance and energy on stage. Stabbing synths and vocal noise were sometimes indistinguishable as this raw performance left open room for some creative live improvisation. The audience had become more animate by the time the band was finished.

After a very brief breakdown and setup of equipment, the stage lights dimmed and all eyes were drawn forward. Carefully placed tall slim vertical lights began to fluctuate in brightness. Colors changed as the soft synth sound swelled to anxious fans allowing each band member time to go to their respective positions. M83, named after a barred spiral galaxy millions light years away from Earth, brought glowing stars along with dazzling diamond shaped illuminations lit across the stage. The experience was deliberately extraterrestrial. Steady hands holding camera phones lifted up trying to catch this moment of anticipation. It was no surprise “Intro” was the song starting off a diverse set which included old and new. Unlike their last show in LA though, a few months earlier at The Music Box, Zola Jesus did not appear for the introductory song. All of the backing vocal duties as well as synth and percussion were handled by fellow band member Morgan Kibby, a talent of her own right. Kibby’s voice was confident and strong which complimented Gonzalez’s familiar falsetto intonation quite nicely. She also banged out an impressive cowbell during the evening’s climax, a very saxy rendition of “Midnight City”.

The songs, arranged in a way to prevent any lull, progressed from cheerfully optimistic tunes like “Year One, One UFO” culminating to a powerfully distorted conclusion with the instrumental “A Guitar and A Heart”. Even though this was opening night, all of the players were energetic showing enduring poise. Toward the end of the night their guitar player stood up on top the kick drum to rouse fans. Their encore of “Skin Of The Night” and “Couleurs” ended the night putting an exclamation point on everything a guiltless pop performance should be. Audiences will wait until April for their return to the states when they perform at this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival with a full US tour to follow.

San Diego duo AIMON(also spelled Aaimon) started the evening with a sinister downtempo set. Despite there being a slight volume issue with the house sound, the music still managed to grab it’s audience. I kept thinking how I wished the songs would sound a bit louder. That might have made it easier to define the mood and atmosphere. Loudness didn’t seem to bother any of the patrons who were close up to the front of the stage. What stood out the most for me during their performance was Nancy Lutz’s ethereal vocals and how well they mixed with all the noisy droning texture created by Brant Showers(the other half of this duo). Aaimon often performs on the west coast and is definitely worth checking out if your curiosity for the Witch House genre has been piqued.

The room became considerably louder when Element took the stage. Bodies moved closer to the dance floor as Shane Talada, lead singer and one of the founding members, stood in front clutching his microphone. It was obvious who most people came out to see. Movement among the audience increased while intensity grew with each song. Underlying tribal toms thumped their way through the wall of bass and synth pads as chiming guitars provided a counter balance to Talada’s gripping vocals. At times this performance felt like a war of sounds. Each sonic element knew it’s proper place but still fought each other trying to fill every dark corner of the club. The sound in this space wasn’t ideal for a live band, but having more acoustic instruments proved to have the advantage over a mainly electronic act. Though the audience wasn’t the most enthusiastic, they warmed up as the night went on. It was definitely not bad for a Tuesday night and $3 discounted cover.

Helping the band achieve such an ecstatic atmosphere was their undeniably tight performance. The trio nailed their vocal harmonies on tracks like “Tell Me” and “Just Another Day” and the energy each member exuded was contagious. Their exuberant audience was instantly captivated yet seemed to fall even more in love with the music as the show progressed.

The entire group stood at the front of the stage, enhancing the intimate vibe of the show. Even percussionist Tim Arnold appeared comfortable up front standing above his drum kit, maybe just preferring to perform beside his band mates rather than shrouded in the shadows at the back of the stage.

Good Old War had no problems connecting with the crowd throughout the show, but they took it a step further during the encore when they ventured off the stage and into the middle of the floor for an unplugged singalong. There was something touching about punks with holes in their ears so big you could fit your fist through and indie kids adorned in plaid encircling the band, all singing along to the same song.

Relatively few bands can claim to have such a diverse and devoted fanbase.

The band strummed the chords to their last song surrounded by their fans. It was the perfect note to end on and an even more personal show because of it.

- Sean MacKay

My Bonnaroo story began after a 21-hour road trip from Ottawa. Our first order of business was to set up all our tents and meet the neighbors. A huge part of The ‘Roo is meeting all sorts of different people and, since your neighbours set up camp a car’s length away, that’s not very hard. Between the hippies to our right and the Texans to our left, I figured we were in for a good weekend. Canadians never seemed to be in short supply either. The maple leaf could be seen flying all over Centeroo and the concerts. My most memorable performance of that first night was Band of Skulls. I had been waiting quite a while to see them live and they did not disappoint. Donald Glover (known at Bonnaroo as The Childish Gambino) also put on an impressive show, being backed up by a few amazing musicians.

The 35 degree Celsius heat was there to wake me up the next morning. The tent became a furnace after 8:00 am, which can be a bit of a problem when you’re already a little dehydrated following the previous evening’s festivities. In true Bonnaroo style, my breakfast consisted of eating rice crispies out of a plastic cup under a makeshift tarp we had created using the trunk of my van, a tent rain cover, some broken tent poles and wooden stakes we found lying around. Needless to say, it was the shabbiest thing I had ever created. I took advantage of Bonnaroo’s early morning yoga being offered on the solar stage. I thought Bonnaroo would be a fitting place to try yoga for the first time; I found it oddly refreshing and a nice cure for my hangover.

First show of day 2 for me was Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. This mostly instrumental, jam band seems to belong at Bonnaroo. They drew quite a big crowd at the Which stage. I was very excited to see Victor Wooten play as he is unbelievable on the bass. I’ve never seen a bassist who looks to be having as much fun as Wooten, as it makes for a great show. Matt and Kim was the next concert for us. Playing at “This Tent,” the pair managed to garner a lot of energy from the crowd and besides playing awesome music, the two are absolutely hilarious on stage. One show that really stuck out for me was seeing Civil Twilight on the smaller solar stage. One of the great things about Bonnaroo is its contrasts. I caught the aforementioned band playing an amazing and intimate show in front of no more than 100 people, right before moving on to see Arcade Fire on “That Stage” with at least a 60,000 person capacity. I had very high expectations for Arcade Fire going into Bonnaroo and they blew my mind. Their light show and use of the massive stage was just incredible.

Day 3. I haven’t showered, I’ve barely slept, it’s 37 degrees outside and I’m having a blast. Early in the afternoon I stopped by “The other Tent” to see the Mongolian folk band Hanggai. I had no idea what to expect but something about them piqued my interest enough to check them out, and I’m really glad that I did. The music was a blend of traditional Mongolian folk (as far as I know) as well as more modern music as well. After cruising around Centeroo seeing a couple more shows including Portugal. The man, it was time for Mumford and Sons. I loved watching them play some of their new material. One thing I really liked about Mumford and Sons was how modest and down to earth they seemed to be with the crowd, promising to get home and work on a new record for all to enjoy. Next stop was “the What” stage for the Black Keys, also an awesome show and one of my favourite of the entire festival. Dan Auerbach is wild on the guitar and Patrick Carney hits his drums like he’s trying to kill them. Now, the positive reviews take a back seat as I saw Eminem. I liked the light show that he was using but I just couldn’t seem to get pumped up by his show. I didn’t like the use of a vocal backing track during his show either, although to be fair I dislike their use at all concerts. I ended up leaving his show quite early to take a nap in order to prepare for the impending craziness that was the Girl Talk at show to be played later that evening. On the way back to the taking that nap was probably the best decision I made at Bonnaroo. Girl Talk started at 2:30 am and I honestly had no idea when it ended. The excitement at Girl Talk was unreal. Everyone had crowded under then and inside you felt like you were going to melt. The show was a haze that lasted for hours, great music, great lights and a great time.  One of the last things I remember that night was watching a naked man run wildly through the campground on his own psychedelic adventure. I wonder how his morning turned out.

The final day had arrived, it was still hot as hell however, after recovering from the girl talk show, spirits where still high. The big shows for me that day were Black Dub, the Cold War Kids and the Strokes. Black Dub had a very intimate feel to they show. They used very little lights and seemed to be enjoying themselves so much up on stage that you couldn’t help but enjoy yourself too. The Cold War Kids Concert was quite similar. They managed to get a lot of energy out of the crowd, especially me. My last show of the day and of Bonnaroo as a whole was the Strokes. Keeping up with their nonchalant personas, they arrived 15 minutes late to a crowd that was ready to hear them. I really enjoyed the show overall and it was a fitting end to great festival. I hope to see you all there next year.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010. It was a glorious night to be in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The weather was fair, with music lilting over the sidewalks from venues participating in this year’s CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival. Clutched in my hand was my spandy-new CMJ press badge, a laminated card boasting not only the EastScene name, but my own. I felt legit.
At that moment in time, I was cruising down Wythe Avenue, en route to Brooklyn Bowl’s free Yo La Tengo show, with Screaming Females and Dom as opening acts. The fact that Yo La Tengo was not only playing CMJ (often seen as a showcase for up-and-comers, much like South by Southwest) but they were playing a free show. Free. Zero bones to get in the door and enjoy a performance by one of indie rock’s hugest success stories.

Brooklyn Bowl is tucked among the many warehouses that line Williamsburg’s East River waterfront. It’s a sprawling venue, consisting of a full-service restaurant, two bars, a bowling alley as well as their performance space. Being in the business of telling the truth, it’s a newer venue with a not-entirely-hip clientele. Clientele that most Brooklyners refer to as “bridge and tunnel”, meaning visitors to NYC who access the city via bridge and/or tunnel. No self-respecting local spends any time there, unless there is a show worth seeing. Ahem.

When I arrived, there were two lines forming at the entrance, well-guarded by bouncers with headsets. After showing one of the doormen my press badge, I was directed towards a short line (approximately 10 people). All right! I thought. Yay for being press!

Soon enough I was the next in line for entrance. I presented a different doorman my press badge/ID, who then passed it onto a girl with a clipboard. I hadn’t noticed her initially. She flipped through the her papers.

“Sorry,” she said.

“What? What do you mean?” I asked.

“You’re not on the list,” she informed me, handing my credentials back.

“A list? There’s a list? This is a free show!” I replied, now feeling slightly miffed.

“Yeah. There’s a list.”

“Ok. Uh. What do I do?”

Clipboard girl then gestured to the much bigger general admission line. There had to have been at least 300 people waiting to get in.

“Thanks,” I said somewhat bitterly, and dragged my feet to the end of that line, which wrapped around the street corner.

And I waited. And waited. For thirty minutes, I stood in the same place. The line didn’t move. I glared at my press badge, as it seemed to wink sheepishly in the glow of streetlamps. I checked Twitter from my iPhone for the #CMJ tag, and learned Screaming Females had already taken the stage. And yet, the line didn’t move.

So, dear readers, I gave up. I shouldered my gear bag, and with a “screw this, I’m going home!” to my linemates, I left my place in line.

I then proceeded to the nearest dive bar and got deliciously buzzed with a friend. Because I was all dressed up, and there were still so many places to go.

But in all seriousness, I don’t understand being granted press credentials and then not having the ability to gain entrance to a show. There was no mention of a required RSVP for press or guests on the Brooklyn Bowl website. I’ve heard of this kind of ridiculousness happening at South by Southwest; maybe I should have expected a situation like this.

As the only writer from EastScene covering CMJ, I had to very carefully pick and choose what shows I wanted to cover. When I picked up my press badge, CMJ officials gave me no press packet or information of any kind about the festival. If I had known about the Yo La Tengo list in advance, I could have picked a different show that night. In short, there seems to be a huge lack of organization for a festival which spans multiple boroughs and dozens of venues.

Which leaves me, the journalist, unable to do one simple thing: my job.

And if the one item which is supposed to help me- my press badge- isn’t enough to help me gain entry to venues, I ask this:

What’s the point?

Lisette Voytko
lisette@eastscene.com

After hearing the security bitch and moan about having to check coats in as soon as we enter the venue, I was extremely stoked to get my ticket and photopass and GTF in there. I see a fellow photographer at the front of the coat check, and he informs me that we must pay the 2.25 to have our shit hung up in a sketchy walk in closet. I can already hear There for Tomorrow storming the stage, and I’m thinking “shit, seriously? I have to wait in this long ass line just to have to walk back down it to get to the stage?” Yes, I’m that lazy. Don’t screw around with me and unnecessary distances to be made by foot. Upon paying up and having my heavy coat handled, I happily made my way into the concert hall. And then I thought, “great. I already missed a band for coat check.” As I made my way across the back end right before the barricade restrains the underagers from the legal, I remembered how excited I am to be turning 19. SERENITY AND SCREWDRIVERS NOW! Anyway, a security guard of great stature looks extremely fed up. “The Coat Check is NOT HERE! You guys are not even in the right line! Fuck, you might as well just join the crowd.” Following that bold statement, a rush of adoration YAYs fills the 10 metres in my immediate vicinity. I squeezed my way through avid fans, avid eaters, and avid statue-imitators. For Christ’s sake, you’re at a concert. Expect to be pushed around. Don’t mind a 5’4 girl who’s half your size trying to smoothly pass through, k? As a slew of girls cheer, chant, holler and make extremely sexual sounds as they await the next band’s jump to the stage, A Rocket to the Moon takes the platform. I quickly maneuver my way through the packed house to get to the photo pit, a place where your dreams are made or broken. Yea, I’m talking to you, bass player. Nobody’s ever going to get a good shot of you if you stay in that secluded corner with horrible lighting. The gravity defying fans cause the floor to shake as the band tears up the stage. They played crowd favourites “Annabelle” and “Dakota” and I can assure you, every member of that audience wishes either of those songs were named after them. Their reaction was enough evidence to prove that these boys have a pretty decent following. I think it’s safe to say that without such a strong and positive reaction from the fans, ARTTM would not have put on such a pleasing set. After break, Mayday Parade hit the stage, prompting the faithful to once again take action and go nuts. Derek Sanders piloted the band through tracks from the highly acclaimed A Lesson in Romantics and new songs from their most-recent album Anywhere But Here. Though a fan, I think it’s safe to say that my fellow part-takers enjoyed the old hits a little more than the new.
I might add, the last time I made it out to the Take Action Tour was in March 2008, with a completely different group mentality. Though all were there to have a good time, I wasn’t one of the goers prepared to be thrown into the mosh pit. In case you don’t know, the line-up was much more intimidating and brute. The Human Abstract, The Bled, From First to Last, August Burns Red. Need I say more? Yeah, people rushed the stage while Every Time I Die tore it up. The boy to girl ratio must have been 5:1, whereas tonight’s concert was just the opposite. The tour may be going into a separate direction, but it’s still got a solid following. The most important thing is that proceeds go to a good cause. Take Action, everyone. Don’t be passive. Be Active!

UPDATE:

The recently completed ninth annual Take Action Tour just wrapped up with one last triumphant hurrah in Dallas on March 2, 2010. The tour, whose mission is to create a better world, continues to inspire and make change in a proactive manner.

The Impact of the 2010 Take Action Tour:

• Over $60,000 raised to help further the mission of Patrick Pedraja and his organization Driving For Donors

• Over 30,000 fans in 31 cities proved that the world can be made a better place

• Tour reaches goal enlisting over 2010 fans to sign up for the National Marrow Registry!

• Nearly 8,000 copies of the Take Action Volume 9 compilation sold

Headlining band We The Kings, along with Mayday Parade, A Rocket To The Moon, There For Tomorrow, Stereo Skyline, and Call The Cops united an impressive amount of fans across the U.S. and Canada that cared about more than just attending a great show. The active and engaged audience stood up to make a difference by raising funds, awareness and actual life saving donor volunteers for Driving For Donors (an organization started by now 14-year-old Patrick Pedraja who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 10) whose mission is to sign up people to the National Marrow Registry.

Take Action 2010 raised over $60,000 for Patrick Padraja’s mission through the unique model of donating 10% of each ticket sold to charity, along with other fundraising efforts including donating 5% of the suggested retail price of each Take Action Volume  9 compilation sold.

Hopeless/Sub City would like to thank all the bands and labels involved this year that brought the message directly to fans that each one of us can take action and make the world a better place.

Take Action looks forward to continue to support Patrick Pedraja and Driving For Donors’ mission of saving lives and everyone at Hopeless Records & Sub City Non Profit is grateful for the opportunity to organize this tour to benefit him and be involved in such a great cause in even a small way. Hopeless Records & Sub City Non Profit is hard at work on the next Take Action Tour and will be announcing the next benefiting charity soon. All The latest information can always be found at Takeactiontour.com.

5:30 and doors open, the huge line of people gladly make their way into the venue and out of the cold New York winter. Upon entering it was clear that the venue would soon be packed, and the energy coming from everyone was remarkable. Ian Walsh and his band, the Sober Riots, were the first to grace the stage at The Chance. Ian Walsh, once a solo artist, and band member Wiley Esten, sang multiple songs from Ian’s two albums, Please Remember and Seeing Stars. The guys rocked the stage and definitely set the mood for the rest of the night.

Member of the Fearless Records family, Sparks The Rescue, came next. Anyone who loves All Time Low’s live shows would love Sparks’ as well. Lead singer Alex Roy sang songs, such as “Skeleton”, off of their album Eyes To The Sun. The energy of the crowd only heightened as Sparks’ played. The crowd and the band alike were extremely pleased with what went down. After leaving the stage, the very personable members worked their way through the crowd selling CD’s and chatting it up with anyone who’d share a word. Really rad dudes, for sure.

Completely out of their element of the scorching sun and sandy lawns, Arizona’s The Summer Set bared the cold for this show and rocked it out right after Sparks the Rescue. The Summer Se opened with “Punch-Drunk Love” off of their first full length album, Love Like This. Most the crowd knew all the words and the some what inappropriate and humorous antics of the band made for a great environment. The band continued to plays new songs and also a few off of their first ever EP, such as “She’s Got the Rhythm.” TSS’s set was some what short, but 100% pleasing.

The Audition graced the stage next. The crowd, which included All Time Low’s Vinny Vegas and Glamour Kill’s Marky, were thrilled in anticipation of the upcoming set. Vinny tweeted that he “love[s] the audition” and I’m sure any who saw their set would have to agree. Front-man, Danny Stevens, was clearly intoxicated, which only made the show better. Not only was the band hilarious, but they played their music fantastically. The dancing and stumbling to “Warm Me Up” not only got the crowd off their feet, but made them scream the lyrics as well. To conclude their set, a celebratory birthday shot was toasted to Vinny Vegas as the whole venue chanted.

Sparks the Rescue label mates and headliners Every Avenue were finally up. The band came on with great spirits and it only got better. Between playings songs off of their newest album, “Picture Perfect”, lead singer David Strauchman took the liberty of crowd surfing. Soon enough, other fans followed suit. Even though alcohol was clearly in the band’s system set went great. John Gorham, whom also graced the stage during The Audition’s set, made everything much more interesting. Donning green “Get Low” booty shorts and no shirt, he did his fair share of dancing and joke making.

By the end of concert, every band was joining Every Avenue on stage. It was clear that they all really enjoyed being on tour with one another. As always, the bands all hung around afterward, chatting it up with fans and taking plenty of pictures. The venue closed earlier than anyone would have liked, meaning the crowd made their outside and suffered the cold for some face time. A small celebration took place outside the venue to celebrate Ian Walsh and Jesse Devine’s upcoming birthdays, cake fight included. All in all, the concert was a great success. It’s highly recommended to see any of these bands on their upcoming tours.

Sparks The Rescue- The Revolution and Resolutions Tour, Warped Tour 2010

The Summer Set- The 2010 AP Tour, Warped Tour 2010

The Audition- The Revolution and Resolutions Tour

Every Avenue- The 2010 AP Tour

Yet, when the recently reunited trio took to the stage at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida on September 26th, it seemed as if it were just yesterday that “All the Small Things” was taking over every alternative radio station. The music was loud, the fans were rowdy, and Tom Delonge’s sex jokes were in abundance, as he claimed that every boy who took their girlfriend to a show was only hoping to get a handjob afterward.

The band opened their lengthy set with the first track off of Enema of the State, “Dumpweed,” causing fans on the floor to mosh and fans in assigned seats, such as myself, to wish they were on the floor adding to this nostalgia-induced frenzy. However, whether you were on the floor or looking through binoculars on the lawn, the energy that radiated from the band was felt by everyone as the pop-punk veterans ran through fan favorites such as “Rock Show,” “What’s My Age Again?,” and “Josie”. The trio even played such infamous songs as “Blow Job,” and “Family Reunion,” which the latter they claimed to not have played in seven years. Moms and dads throughout the venue were kicking themselves as their pre-pubescent kids sang along. This concert was proof that with this reunion came a whole new generation of Blink-182 fans who probably recently stole their older siblings’ old cassette tapes.

But it wasn’t just the sing-a-longs that had fans such as myself squealing with delight. Towards the middle of the set, Mark told Tom that his guitar was out of tune, prompting Tom to smash his instrument against the stage a few times and then hand it off to a lucky fan in the crowd. And, to top it all off, during the beginning of the encore, Travis and his drumset were secured to a platform which, much to the fans’ surprise, was lifted above the stage, tilting and spinning as he performed an about-five-minute drum solo. The show ended with a mock-rendition of “Every Rose Has its Thorn,” which followed “Carousel” and “Dammit,”-an ode to the hardcore fans who have been there since the Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch days.

As I exited the venue with my fellow concert-goers, I noticed many fans sporting newly purchased tour t-shirts, emblazoned with the following: “CRAPPY PUNK ROCK”. Sure, Blink-182 is crude and they definitely aren’t musical virtuoso’s, but they’ve come a long way since their Buddha days, proving that even a “crappy punk rock” band can sell out an amphitheatre. It took years for Blink-182 to make amends and reunite musically, but if this show was any indication of what’s to come, then I think it was worth the wait.

Clifton Park is about a three hour drive from my Montreal apartment.  The earliest I could leave was 4:15, and for one reason or another, the show started at 6:15, so I burned rubber all the way down the I-87 to try and make it in time.  The drive wasn’t without its finer moments.  I had to stop once to let a friend throw up in a gas station in the middle of nowhere, because apparently McDonald’s and long car rides induce nausea.  I almost got pulled over for doing 85 in a 65 zone, but luckily, there was a truck next to me matching my speed, and he got the ticket.  After an arduous journey we arrived at the venue, Northern Lights, a little later than I had hoped. Unfortunately, we missed the local openers, and a couple songs from the first touring band, but I was assured that they were great.

Already on stage when we walked in, it was obvious that Kiros had the crowd buzzing. The Albertan-quartet has a way of energizing a room with their rock anthems and happy-go-lucky attitude.  Their set was a great mixture of driving sound and uplifting melodies, keeping the crowd on their feet and in the moment. Towards the end of their set, lead singer Barry took a moment to talk about his sponsor child and invite people to sponsor a child of their own, as Kiros donates half of their merch table to World Vision.  Not only do they put on a mean show, but Kiros are a bunch of good guys trying to make a difference! They absolutely nailed their closing song “Heaven”.

After a brief changeover, Ivoryline were up on stage.  This up-and-coming band off Tooth & Nail has a tight pop-rock dynamic, and when frontman Jeremy picked up a guitar a few songs into the set, the sound really filled out nicely.  It was clear that certain members were stiff on stage, but the crowd was digging it nonetheless, especially during “Remind Me I’m Alive”, off their latest album There Came A Lion. Also, Jeremy has a great mustache.

Next up were Australian progressive rockers Closure in Moscow, whose sound is reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria. Lead singer Chris De Cinque started the show by saying “We’re Closure in Moscow, from the planet earth”, but nothing seemed further from the truth.  Throughout the show, he twisted and contorted his body, which he must have thought was dancing, but was more disturbing than anything.  He constantly mocked the crowd’s size and its response to the band, which dwindled as the set went on. The quintet packs a very aggressive musical punch, blending bizarre rhythms, crisp guitar tone and unusual vocals.  Drummer Beau McKee played like a savage, his hair blowing in the wind from a large on-stage industrial fan.  Unfortunately, the good was overshadowed by the frontman’s apparent lack of tact. It didn’t help that guitarist Michael Barrett had a red stain on his wife beater, leaving me wondering the entire set whether he had Smuckers on his toast that morning, or if he had a serious nipple-bleeding problem.

Finally, after a quick browse of the merch tables, Emery jumped onto the scene full of energy.  They kicked the set off with Cutthroat Collapse, the opening song to there newest record In Shallow Seas We Sail.  Although there were clearly a few technical difficulties (we could barely here keyboardist Josh Head’s screams), the small crowd of New Yorkers was totally enthralled, hanging on co-frontmen Toby Morrell and Devin Shelton’s every word.  The issues were quickly cleared up and the sound was incredible.   Emery proceeded to play a huge variety of songs, making sure to appeal to fans both new and old by playing from each of their releases.  The crowd energy level remained high throughout the generous set, singing along to classics like “Walls” and newer tracks like “Edge of the World”.  The height of the set was clearly when they played In Shallow Seas We Sail’s title track, where they were able to show off their signature overlapping vocal style.  The crowd stuck around and demanded an encore, and Emery did not disappoint, finishing the night off with a couple of great tracks.  I was lucky enough to catch up with Devin after the show and asked him about Emery’s live show, and why it is dramatically better than many of their industry counterparts.  He told me that they made the decision to play to a metronome in their in-ear monitors, and it made a world of difference in keeping them together, especially vocally.  It was clearly a good decision, as Emery is, in my humble opinion, the most underrated touring band in the genre.

Waking up the next morning with a sore back and heavy eyes, all I could think was that it was more than worth the drive.

Full Set List:

Cutthroat Collapse

The Party Song

The Smile, The Face

Rock-N-Rule

Edge Of The World

Walls

The Ponytail Parades

Listening To Freddy Mercury

In Shallow Seas We Sail

Playing With Fire

Encore:

Butcher’s Mouth

Studying Politics

I showed up to the venue at about 4:30 pm and the fact that these bands are fairly small was very noticeable. First thing you see is The Cab and The Summer Set just hanging out with their friend and unloading their own gear, something I haven’t seen in some time. I was excited knowing that yes, even though The Cab were the headliners, all the opening bands had almost equal time slots. The wait was long, but enjoyable.

So, picture this, a bunch of excited concert-goers and a room not much bigger than most people’s living rooms, including the smallest stage that I have ever seen. I could vouch for  any high school and say that their stage is at least 4 times its size. Honestly, it was a little scary at first, but things changed quickly. I was lucky enough to be right up against the stage, thanks to showing up pretty early.

The first to take the stage was My Favorite Highway. I hadn’t heard much of them before the show, so I had my doubts and quite frankly, they killed it. Front-man David Cook, for sure, took the crowd’s attention with his great vocals and the solid band to back him up. The crowd proceeded to sing their songs word for word, true fans for sure. By the end of their set, their catchy chorus’ and upbeat tempo took away all my skepticism.

Then came Eye Alaska. Now, Genesis Underground, their latest album, wasn’t quite up to my pleasing at first. It definitely has a different spin when you first hear it. The band set up and lead singer, Brandon Wronski came on, apple in hand, which sort of threw me off. I couldn’t help thinking who in the world this guy thought he was, eating an apple and clearly intoxicated by something. Despite his numerous stumbles and one of a kind antics, the music impressed me much more than the band’s new CD. Strangeness and all, the crowd loved them. I wasn’t entirely enthused, but you can’t please everyone and that’s okay.

3rd in line was my personal favorite, The Summer Set. Now, I’ve been listening to this band since right after they got together in 2007. The Summer Set is a group of  best friends from Arizona; 4 boys and 1 girl. And let me point out, contrary to most bands where the girl is the lead singer, Jess Bowen rocks the drums. I was extremely excited to hear the lyrics that had been the soundtrack to my life for almost two years. With all of my anticipation I was most likely in line for some upset. They played almost every song off their MySpace player and a new one called “The Boys You Do (Get Back at You)” which made me even more anxious for the new album. Everything sounded absolutely awesome. All the members clearly had a ton of fun and the crowd played off that. Lead singer, Brian Dales, wasn’t about to let anyone stand still and the crowd obeyed. TSS was anything but a disappointment.

Enter The Secret Handshake. These guys make some of the most mood-boosting music I’ve ever encountered. Luis Dubuc’s lyrics plus synths/beats courtesy of his macbook and some back up from other band mates made for an A+ show. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone happier than the girl next to me jumping and singing and much of the crowd seemed to follow suit. TSH was surely a crowd pleaser and a great opener for The Cab.

And finally, the headliners: The Cab out of Las Vegas, Nevada (which I now know thanks to the boy next to me in line, who gave me a dirty look when I asked why there was a trailer from there). It was obvious that many people came out to the concert to see these guys. Fans were screaming from every direction, one girl even got kicked out for merely being too loud. The Cab came on and played an amazing set, including “Bounce”, “Take My Hand” and “High Hopes in Velvet Ropes”. “Vegas Skies” seemed to be the one the fans loved the most, played acoustic by the band with everyone singing along loud enough to be heard at the front door of the bar. After many, many songs, Alex Deleon announced that it was too hot and that the concert was moving outdoors. An acoustic set proceeded. Considering the band was working with new guitarist Bryan Dawson and it was their first big national headlining tour, nerves didn’t show and the set would have pleased the toughest of critics.

I won’t say that this show was the best, most amazing one I’ve ever been to, but it was amazing the talent that shared the stage that night. 22 awesome musicians and about 4 hours of music proved to make a great night. Each band was clearly gracious to be touring with each other, throwing thanks around like it was nobody’s business. Every single band member hung out for such a long time afterward, taking pictures and just simply talking to their fans. I met some of the sweetest people that night, and many kid’s years were made by what this tour brought to Buffalo. I’d recommend anyone to see these bands.