#14
The Carrier
The Bonus Army
Ripper
A Shot Below the Belt
@ Luckys Pub 03/19/09
Another show that due to money issues, I was unsure of being able to attend. I ended up going around town to various record stores in order to make at least $10 for a ticket. Thankfully CD Alley gave me $20 for 6 cds (I had more, but they couldn't take the rest apparently). Not a GREAT deal, but a good deal compared to the other places' offers. Yellow Dog told me they'd give me $21 for about 15. Yeah, uh no. Your place still sucks.
The turnout was pretty decent, but could have been better considering how much hype the Carrier has. Having a few bands drop off (Indifference, for obvious reasons, The Hundredth and Digression for other reasons) didn't help either .
A Shot Below the Belt did well, their set seemed pretty quick though. Come to think of it, the show as a whole went by pretty fast. They had yet another new bassist this time (sup Sean?) but he did a good job.
I can't honestly remember much about Ripper, other than they had a LOT of college-age friends come out for them. Weird hearing mainly girls hoot and scream for a hardcore band. Not a complaint, just something you don't see every day. Music-wise, they almost reminded me of Nora at times actually, but less metallic.
The Bonus Army was solid as shit. Heavy, pissed, not straight-edge like I thought they were either. I remember they also being thrashier on their recordings, but that wasn't the case live. I was kind of a punching bag for some of their set, but I've come to expect these type of things.
I wasn't a fan of the Carrier's full-length, though I think the first half of that record gets better with repeated listens. I loved their 7" though. Thankfully, they stuck to mostly all of the previously mentioned material. Kids in the crowd seemed to know every single word and went apeshit for em. Maybe, just maybe, they might be worth all the hype after all. They shined brightly in the pub and I would gladly pay to see them again.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
#13
Suffocation
Whitechapel
Decrepit Birth
Veil of Maya
King
Morose Vitality
Acirema
@ The Soapbox 03/16/09
My buddy Aaron was gracious enough to buy my ticket to this one, seeing as how I was pretty broke and didn't feel like spending my own money for this one. I still withdrew $20 out of the bank just in case I spotted some cool merch. Suffocation's shirts were $25. Fuck that. I've made it a rule that I will spend no more than $15 on a band shirt. Decrepit Birth had shirts for $10-15, which I considered but decided its better to save it for something more useful.
We got there a little after 6:30 just in time for Acirema to start. Just like last time, they're still lacking a frontman and a bassist, but it still sounded pretty good. It's kind of hard to even talk about this band anymore seeing as how I've seen them far too many times to count.
Morose Vitality wasn't too bad, though I think their first two songs were the highlights of their set. Their sound mix was pretty bad, to the point where you could travel to whatever side of the stage to hear the instrument of your choosing. Not as bad as I've heard they are, but nothing I'd go out of my way to see. BTW, "Vomiting Cunt" is a terrrrrrible name for a song.
I skipped King, even though I could hear them from the back room of the soapbox. It sounded like Emmure with even worse vocals. Anything involving Chiodos is not likely to be good.
I skipped a good portion of Veil of Maya's set as well. I've seen them before and thought they were boring as hell, and this time it wasn't any different. Just dumbed down tech with more of an emphasis on breakdowns rather than on skill. I did find it funny that so many kids were dancing to them this time, seeing as how back in August when they came through, they couldn't get a single person on the floor to do ANYTHING. I feel this time kids were more or less doing it to piss off the metal fans who were there. Whatever.
There were two bands on this bill who I actually wanted to see: Suffocation and the tech death band Decrepit Birth. The latter was on next, and they certainly didn't disappoint. I had listened to them sparsely on record, but after seeing them live, I want to listen to them even more. It was like Death on steroids. Or like Necrophagist if they weren't boring as fuck. The singer was one hell of an entertaining fella too. Great banter, not just the whole "rahhh metal fuck yeah" stuff. Those solos were fucking great too. Bravo guys. Be happy to see you again whenever the chance comes up.
Just like the bands I HAD to see, there were two I was planning on avoiding like a crust kid avoids a shower: King, which I did good with, and Whitechapel, who I wasn't so lucky with. I caught the beginning of their set and it wasn't any better than they usually are. The main difference this time however, was the audience. My god I have never (and I repeat NEVER) seen a bigger bunch of douchebag fans in my entire life. Kids who didn't even give a shit about the music, but were just looking for excuses to fight or try to provoke some metalheads. It was lame, immature, and just made you wonder why they blew $15-18 just to come in and try this. The soapbox even flipped on their lights for a quick minute, threatening to shut the show down, if the fights didn't cease. Thankfully, the band themselves even threatened that they would never come back if it didn't stop. At this point on though, I had had enough of that collection of fans and went to sit down.
Thankfully it seemed like it was over quickly, and Suffocation was going to come on next. As expected, a good portion of the crowd left, seeing as how it isn't cool to like old death metal anymore. Pfffft. I didn't let that ruin my feelings of excitement though. Lemme tell ya, for a band thats been playing death metal for 20 years straight (minus that period where they broke up), they were on fucking fire! Sooooooo heavy. This is how live death metal needs to sound. Frank, their singer, also had something most DM vocalists lack: a personality. He was having fun talking/bullshitting with and riling up the crowd. Their sound was also on par as well. For once, a really heavy band sounded like you wanted them to sound at the soapbox. I really didn't have a strong preference for what they played that night, but hearing "Infecting the Crypts" made me bang my head like I was 19 again.
Managed to snag a pic with Frank and talk with him briefly afterwards. Couldn't be a nicer guy. Was trying to talk with Mike Smith as well but didn't get the chance. Dude damn near invented the blastbeat. Gotta give him some props.
Overall, I had a really fun time minus a few stupid moments with the crowd that almost made me regret being a regular concertgoer in this town. Suffocation cemented themselves as probably the best death metal band I've seen live.
Whitechapel
Decrepit Birth
Veil of Maya
King
Morose Vitality
Acirema
@ The Soapbox 03/16/09
My buddy Aaron was gracious enough to buy my ticket to this one, seeing as how I was pretty broke and didn't feel like spending my own money for this one. I still withdrew $20 out of the bank just in case I spotted some cool merch. Suffocation's shirts were $25. Fuck that. I've made it a rule that I will spend no more than $15 on a band shirt. Decrepit Birth had shirts for $10-15, which I considered but decided its better to save it for something more useful.
We got there a little after 6:30 just in time for Acirema to start. Just like last time, they're still lacking a frontman and a bassist, but it still sounded pretty good. It's kind of hard to even talk about this band anymore seeing as how I've seen them far too many times to count.
Morose Vitality wasn't too bad, though I think their first two songs were the highlights of their set. Their sound mix was pretty bad, to the point where you could travel to whatever side of the stage to hear the instrument of your choosing. Not as bad as I've heard they are, but nothing I'd go out of my way to see. BTW, "Vomiting Cunt" is a terrrrrrible name for a song.
I skipped King, even though I could hear them from the back room of the soapbox. It sounded like Emmure with even worse vocals. Anything involving Chiodos is not likely to be good.
I skipped a good portion of Veil of Maya's set as well. I've seen them before and thought they were boring as hell, and this time it wasn't any different. Just dumbed down tech with more of an emphasis on breakdowns rather than on skill. I did find it funny that so many kids were dancing to them this time, seeing as how back in August when they came through, they couldn't get a single person on the floor to do ANYTHING. I feel this time kids were more or less doing it to piss off the metal fans who were there. Whatever.
There were two bands on this bill who I actually wanted to see: Suffocation and the tech death band Decrepit Birth. The latter was on next, and they certainly didn't disappoint. I had listened to them sparsely on record, but after seeing them live, I want to listen to them even more. It was like Death on steroids. Or like Necrophagist if they weren't boring as fuck. The singer was one hell of an entertaining fella too. Great banter, not just the whole "rahhh metal fuck yeah" stuff. Those solos were fucking great too. Bravo guys. Be happy to see you again whenever the chance comes up.
Just like the bands I HAD to see, there were two I was planning on avoiding like a crust kid avoids a shower: King, which I did good with, and Whitechapel, who I wasn't so lucky with. I caught the beginning of their set and it wasn't any better than they usually are. The main difference this time however, was the audience. My god I have never (and I repeat NEVER) seen a bigger bunch of douchebag fans in my entire life. Kids who didn't even give a shit about the music, but were just looking for excuses to fight or try to provoke some metalheads. It was lame, immature, and just made you wonder why they blew $15-18 just to come in and try this. The soapbox even flipped on their lights for a quick minute, threatening to shut the show down, if the fights didn't cease. Thankfully, the band themselves even threatened that they would never come back if it didn't stop. At this point on though, I had had enough of that collection of fans and went to sit down.
Thankfully it seemed like it was over quickly, and Suffocation was going to come on next. As expected, a good portion of the crowd left, seeing as how it isn't cool to like old death metal anymore. Pfffft. I didn't let that ruin my feelings of excitement though. Lemme tell ya, for a band thats been playing death metal for 20 years straight (minus that period where they broke up), they were on fucking fire! Sooooooo heavy. This is how live death metal needs to sound. Frank, their singer, also had something most DM vocalists lack: a personality. He was having fun talking/bullshitting with and riling up the crowd. Their sound was also on par as well. For once, a really heavy band sounded like you wanted them to sound at the soapbox. I really didn't have a strong preference for what they played that night, but hearing "Infecting the Crypts" made me bang my head like I was 19 again.
Managed to snag a pic with Frank and talk with him briefly afterwards. Couldn't be a nicer guy. Was trying to talk with Mike Smith as well but didn't get the chance. Dude damn near invented the blastbeat. Gotta give him some props.
Overall, I had a really fun time minus a few stupid moments with the crowd that almost made me regret being a regular concertgoer in this town. Suffocation cemented themselves as probably the best death metal band I've seen live.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
#11 & #12
#11
Madball
Reign Supreme
Call to Preserve
Patriot
xDie Alonex
@ The Soapbox 03/12/09
Another gig I was a little hesitant to go to, due to not wanting to deal with a majority of the crowd and once again, I was low on cash. Not broke, but just lacking sufficient money to spend on anything but the ticket and maybe a few beers. Oh well. I got there at about 6:15 or so, and immediately saw that this crowd wouldn't look like most hardcore crowds around here have looked like. Lots of bigger guys, most PCM and skins, but it wasn't a problem.
Die Alone went on first, and I found out it was their first gig. I don't think they were bad, but there wasn't really anything that stood out to me. Some guy got on stage during I believe either their second or third song and helped contribute vocals to a Nourish the Flame cover.
Patriot went on next and man did they play for a loooooong time. They were really good though. Nice to have some good ol' street punk on a bill like this. Eddie, their guitarist and singer, is a great guy. Heck he even tattooed my mom.
I didn't like Call to Preserve. Just too much mosh. I had some hope when I saw that their guitarist was rocking a Tragedy shirt. Alas, that turned out to be the only thing about their set I didn't hate. I also noticed they were selling a shirt that said "JASON VOORHEES IS STRAIGHT-EDGE." I think that's open to debate, seeing as how in the most recent film, he apparently kills anybody who dares venture towards a weed batch near Crystal Lake. I'm not for debating right now though.
Reign Supreme did a damn good job. I haven't seen them for about a year or so, and even then it was in the back of a crowded dive bar in Baltimore, so you couldn't get a great view. Not this time. I don't think I left the front, and I was screaming every word I knew as loud as I could. They did a good mix of material, 3 from the EP, 2 from the demo, and about 3-4 new ones. Jay gave a pretty amusing/demoralizing speech about how the people who told you in your younger years lied to you about having potential to be the next president. I didn't like that their guitarist had a Winds of Plague shirt on though. Blechhhh.
Msot of the younger moshers moved towards the back for Madball, probably out of fear. I can't say I blame them. I moved to the sides of the room occasionally if I started to feel uncomfortable. That aside, Madball were awesome. Opening with "Set it Off" couldn't have been a better decision. The floor was pretty ridiculous for them. I can't give an exact setlist, but they did a prettty good mix of old and new. I remember hearing For My Enemies, Demonstrating my Style, and Down by Law. Unfortunately, towards the end of the set is when we started seeing our first fights of the evening. I'm not sure exactly who got beat up and I'm not sure over what either, but regardless it brought down the vibe of the room. Madball stopped playing a couple of times because of it, and Freddy had to tell folks to chill out. It eventually all got settled, and they finished up. Wish I had gotten the chance to talk to Freddy or Hoya afterwards, but they kind of vanished. Maybe next time.
After the show, out of the kindness/stupidity of my heart, I gave a ride to some lady at the Hardee's drivethrough, since she said her car was nearby and it would take a minute. Once in, she told me her car was actually on I-40, and she also asked that I give her $10 extra for AAA or some bullshit. I told her no, and she then even asked if I wanted any sexual favors (I told her I was abstinent, which I'm not. This chick looked kinda like Janice from the Muppets, so noooo thanks). Some small talk happened here and there, which resulted in me just driving her across the street to Travel Inn and basically just ditching her there. Then I went to Waffle House afterwards and just ended up bullshitting with the dudes from Patriot for a while.
#12
Faith Collapsing (performing "Master of Puppets")
God of Lambs (as Lamb of God)
Champion of the Sun (as Iron Maiden)
Temple Destroyer (as Slayer)
@ Lucky's Pub 03/13/09
My first "tribute/cover" show was one of the most fun times I've had at Luckys in ages. First off, for a metal gig, people actually showed up. For the first time ever at Luckys, I actually couldn't move towards the front due to the amount of people blocking my way. Irritating, but still kind of cool. The amount of people I recognized, by face, by name or by both, was staggering. How come touring bands don't get a crowd like this?
Temple Destroyer was on first, playing as Slayer. They opened with Seasons in the Abyss and the crowd went pretty ballistic. Kids were stagediving, moshing, and circle pitting, all within the first two minutes. I couldn't help but smile. They went into Ghosts of War next, followed by Disciple, then the last three tracks from Reign in Blood (Epidemic, Postmortem, and Raining Blood). I couldn't hear the vocals all that well, but then again I didn't have a great view as it was. I also gave up trying to get pictures, due to not being able to navigate around people and someone spilling some of their beer on my camera. I'm sure its fine, but it still ticked me off. The set was pretty cool though.
Champion of the Sun went on next. I didn't even realize they took their name from "Dayman" until recently. Oh how I am slow. They went on as Iron Maiden. Heck of a band to cover. I hoped they had the vocal chords to pull that off, and they did a pretty commendable job. They played: Number of the Beast, Wrathchild, The Trooper, Dio's "Holy Diver," The Wicker Man, and Run to the Hills. It was awesome. I was standing near my buddy Daniel the whole time and we were just screaming our lungs out the whole time. I felt like shit after their set was over, but oh it was worth it. I might have to actually agree with my friends who said they stole the show.
To my surprise, Faith Collapsing were on next, whereas I thought they were going to close the show. After all, Mark from Luckys put THEIR name and their tribute front and center on the flyer for the show.
I suppose Mark didn't want to feel tired his set and still have to run sound, which is understandable. As you can see above, Faith Collapsing were doing Master of Puppets in its entirety. That was my main reason for coming, seeing as how MOP was one of the first real metal albums I ever got into, and it still stands as my favorite Metallica record. For the most part, they nailed every song. The vocal timing was somewhat off for the first two or three songs, but that was fixed pretty quickly. The tuning was also different, but again, its forgivable. I do have to say, I couldn't help but crack a smile when I saw some "holier than thou" hardcore kids sing to some classic Metallica (specifically the title track). I wished more kids had tried to start another circle pit, but I think most were beat from the Slayer set. It was heck of sight to see something like this, even though I know Metallica still plays their old stuff live.
About a good half of the crowd left afterwards, probably due to fatique or lack of interest in seeing a cover band do Lamb of God. I stood around, since I knew this was Mark from Luckys and the kids from Death Machine Weapons, who I always liked. Mark did a pretty damn good job as a frontman, and the kids seemed to be having fun (one of their guitarists also helped out with FC's set the same night). Robby Gill and I also seemed to have the same idea for this set: Mosh for Mark! So some kids got their chance to dance to Lamb of God, which is something that is nearly impossible to do these days. They played the first 5 songs from Ashes of the Wake, and closed with Vigil. Pretty good job guys.
Overall, I had a hell of a fun time at this gig. It always makes me happy to see Luckys packed, even though it means navigating and grabbing a good parking space is a pain.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure about the gigs I planned to attend this week. I'm trying to make Suffocation/Decrepit Birth on Monday, and the Carrier/The Bonus Army on Thursday, but due to lack of money at the moment, its looking highly unlikely for both.
Madball
Reign Supreme
Call to Preserve
Patriot
xDie Alonex
@ The Soapbox 03/12/09
Another gig I was a little hesitant to go to, due to not wanting to deal with a majority of the crowd and once again, I was low on cash. Not broke, but just lacking sufficient money to spend on anything but the ticket and maybe a few beers. Oh well. I got there at about 6:15 or so, and immediately saw that this crowd wouldn't look like most hardcore crowds around here have looked like. Lots of bigger guys, most PCM and skins, but it wasn't a problem.
Die Alone went on first, and I found out it was their first gig. I don't think they were bad, but there wasn't really anything that stood out to me. Some guy got on stage during I believe either their second or third song and helped contribute vocals to a Nourish the Flame cover.
Patriot went on next and man did they play for a loooooong time. They were really good though. Nice to have some good ol' street punk on a bill like this. Eddie, their guitarist and singer, is a great guy. Heck he even tattooed my mom.
I didn't like Call to Preserve. Just too much mosh. I had some hope when I saw that their guitarist was rocking a Tragedy shirt. Alas, that turned out to be the only thing about their set I didn't hate. I also noticed they were selling a shirt that said "JASON VOORHEES IS STRAIGHT-EDGE." I think that's open to debate, seeing as how in the most recent film, he apparently kills anybody who dares venture towards a weed batch near Crystal Lake. I'm not for debating right now though.
Reign Supreme did a damn good job. I haven't seen them for about a year or so, and even then it was in the back of a crowded dive bar in Baltimore, so you couldn't get a great view. Not this time. I don't think I left the front, and I was screaming every word I knew as loud as I could. They did a good mix of material, 3 from the EP, 2 from the demo, and about 3-4 new ones. Jay gave a pretty amusing/demoralizing speech about how the people who told you in your younger years lied to you about having potential to be the next president. I didn't like that their guitarist had a Winds of Plague shirt on though. Blechhhh.
Msot of the younger moshers moved towards the back for Madball, probably out of fear. I can't say I blame them. I moved to the sides of the room occasionally if I started to feel uncomfortable. That aside, Madball were awesome. Opening with "Set it Off" couldn't have been a better decision. The floor was pretty ridiculous for them. I can't give an exact setlist, but they did a prettty good mix of old and new. I remember hearing For My Enemies, Demonstrating my Style, and Down by Law. Unfortunately, towards the end of the set is when we started seeing our first fights of the evening. I'm not sure exactly who got beat up and I'm not sure over what either, but regardless it brought down the vibe of the room. Madball stopped playing a couple of times because of it, and Freddy had to tell folks to chill out. It eventually all got settled, and they finished up. Wish I had gotten the chance to talk to Freddy or Hoya afterwards, but they kind of vanished. Maybe next time.
After the show, out of the kindness/stupidity of my heart, I gave a ride to some lady at the Hardee's drivethrough, since she said her car was nearby and it would take a minute. Once in, she told me her car was actually on I-40, and she also asked that I give her $10 extra for AAA or some bullshit. I told her no, and she then even asked if I wanted any sexual favors (I told her I was abstinent, which I'm not. This chick looked kinda like Janice from the Muppets, so noooo thanks). Some small talk happened here and there, which resulted in me just driving her across the street to Travel Inn and basically just ditching her there. Then I went to Waffle House afterwards and just ended up bullshitting with the dudes from Patriot for a while.
#12
Faith Collapsing (performing "Master of Puppets")
God of Lambs (as Lamb of God)
Champion of the Sun (as Iron Maiden)
Temple Destroyer (as Slayer)
@ Lucky's Pub 03/13/09
My first "tribute/cover" show was one of the most fun times I've had at Luckys in ages. First off, for a metal gig, people actually showed up. For the first time ever at Luckys, I actually couldn't move towards the front due to the amount of people blocking my way. Irritating, but still kind of cool. The amount of people I recognized, by face, by name or by both, was staggering. How come touring bands don't get a crowd like this?
Temple Destroyer was on first, playing as Slayer. They opened with Seasons in the Abyss and the crowd went pretty ballistic. Kids were stagediving, moshing, and circle pitting, all within the first two minutes. I couldn't help but smile. They went into Ghosts of War next, followed by Disciple, then the last three tracks from Reign in Blood (Epidemic, Postmortem, and Raining Blood). I couldn't hear the vocals all that well, but then again I didn't have a great view as it was. I also gave up trying to get pictures, due to not being able to navigate around people and someone spilling some of their beer on my camera. I'm sure its fine, but it still ticked me off. The set was pretty cool though.
Champion of the Sun went on next. I didn't even realize they took their name from "Dayman" until recently. Oh how I am slow. They went on as Iron Maiden. Heck of a band to cover. I hoped they had the vocal chords to pull that off, and they did a pretty commendable job. They played: Number of the Beast, Wrathchild, The Trooper, Dio's "Holy Diver," The Wicker Man, and Run to the Hills. It was awesome. I was standing near my buddy Daniel the whole time and we were just screaming our lungs out the whole time. I felt like shit after their set was over, but oh it was worth it. I might have to actually agree with my friends who said they stole the show.
To my surprise, Faith Collapsing were on next, whereas I thought they were going to close the show. After all, Mark from Luckys put THEIR name and their tribute front and center on the flyer for the show.
I suppose Mark didn't want to feel tired his set and still have to run sound, which is understandable. As you can see above, Faith Collapsing were doing Master of Puppets in its entirety. That was my main reason for coming, seeing as how MOP was one of the first real metal albums I ever got into, and it still stands as my favorite Metallica record. For the most part, they nailed every song. The vocal timing was somewhat off for the first two or three songs, but that was fixed pretty quickly. The tuning was also different, but again, its forgivable. I do have to say, I couldn't help but crack a smile when I saw some "holier than thou" hardcore kids sing to some classic Metallica (specifically the title track). I wished more kids had tried to start another circle pit, but I think most were beat from the Slayer set. It was heck of sight to see something like this, even though I know Metallica still plays their old stuff live.
About a good half of the crowd left afterwards, probably due to fatique or lack of interest in seeing a cover band do Lamb of God. I stood around, since I knew this was Mark from Luckys and the kids from Death Machine Weapons, who I always liked. Mark did a pretty damn good job as a frontman, and the kids seemed to be having fun (one of their guitarists also helped out with FC's set the same night). Robby Gill and I also seemed to have the same idea for this set: Mosh for Mark! So some kids got their chance to dance to Lamb of God, which is something that is nearly impossible to do these days. They played the first 5 songs from Ashes of the Wake, and closed with Vigil. Pretty good job guys.
Overall, I had a hell of a fun time at this gig. It always makes me happy to see Luckys packed, even though it means navigating and grabbing a good parking space is a pain.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure about the gigs I planned to attend this week. I'm trying to make Suffocation/Decrepit Birth on Monday, and the Carrier/The Bonus Army on Thursday, but due to lack of money at the moment, its looking highly unlikely for both.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
#9 & #10
#9
Steel Nation
No Truce
Run Ashore
@ Soapbox (upstairs)
Somewhat reluctantly, I attended Friday's show with Steel Nation, No Truce, and Run Ashore. I say reluctantly because I was incredibly low on cash and didn't want to waste some of my last bit of money on a show that was sort of overpriced anyway. I decided to suck it up though, due to not wanting to miss Steel Nation. I got there early and chatted with various folks outside before going up to catch Run Ashore. I was never too huge on their old material, plus the preaching got tiresome the last time I saw them. The music has certainly improved a LOT since I last saw them. The strong religious overtones are still there, but it isn't as annoying as before. Mind you, I don't have a problem with people being religious, but when you're breaking out a bible on stage, and telling kids to come up and "worship with us," well, that's a little lame. Be interesting to see how they turn out with more gigs under their belts.
Digression is a new band featuring Chip (ex-Gloves Off) and McKenzie (ex-He is Legend) who were supposed to make their debut performance tonight. Mind you I said SUPPOSED TO. After Run Ashore was done, people at the venue, employees and non, were puzzled as to where they were. Turns out they decided not to show up. Oh well. So No Truce went on next, and the band's singer rivaled Buddha from Blood for Blood in terms of obesity. Holy hell. Their music seemed to be a little too reliant on "mosh" for my tastes, but they sounded pretty cool on record. Not a bad performance, but nothing I don't think I'd be talking about for a while.
I was bummed to find out Steel Nation still doesn't have a permanent frontman to replace the one who quit some time ago. As of now, one of their guitarists and their bassist trade off vocal duties. I don't think most of the kids let it deter them, seeing as how they got the most moshing out of the 3 bands I watched that night. They sounded pretty spot-on and played most of what I wanted to hear. I would hope that they come back sometime whenever they have a real singer again.
I decided to bounce after they were done, due to not really being in the mood to watch the other two bands (Saints Never Surrender and the Hundredth). I know both will be back soon and since The Hundredth are from Myrtle Beach, they'll probably be back within a month or so.
#10
Graves of Valor
The Classic Struggle (kinda)
@ Luckys Pub
Another one I wasn't sure about going to see, due to having seen every band on this bill numerous times and not being in a show mood after the gig the day before. I instead went to watch the UFC fight at Buffalo Wild Wings. Out of boredom, I texted Garrett from Lucky's and asked him when he thought GOV would go on, and he estimated around 1am. I figured that if the card ended early enough, I could make it. Surely enough, Jackson knocked out Jardine and I bolted after that to Luckys. Mercifully, this gig was only $5. I caught the last two songs of TCS's set and they sounded pretty heavy. This band always has parts I like, but just as many that kind of bore me. They seemed to be having fun though.
On another note, this show was almost EMPTY. I think there might have been maybe 30-40 people in attendance, which is odd when you consider that only a year or so ago, these bands would have packed out the place. Lame.
After chatting with a few people here and there, I went up to the front to watch Graves play. So odd that these cats are on Relapse now. Damon was WASTED. I don't think I've seen one frontman so drunk in my life. It was funny to see him stumble here and there. They played 2-3 songs from "Famine" and the rest was new material. I was somewhat content, but came out thoroughly satisfied when they closed with what I told their asses to play at Thanks for Nothin' Fest: their cover of "Crawl Away" by Buzzov*en. Bravo gents. Unfortunately, from what I overheard, the cover will only be released overseas, so alas, most over here won't be able to listen to it.
And thats about it. Here's an idea of what's coming up this week:
Thursday: Madball, Reign Supreme, Call to Preserve, Patriot @ Soapbox
Friday: Metal tribute night at Luckys (Faith Collapsing doing Master of Puppets beginning to end)
Steel Nation
No Truce
Run Ashore
@ Soapbox (upstairs)
Somewhat reluctantly, I attended Friday's show with Steel Nation, No Truce, and Run Ashore. I say reluctantly because I was incredibly low on cash and didn't want to waste some of my last bit of money on a show that was sort of overpriced anyway. I decided to suck it up though, due to not wanting to miss Steel Nation. I got there early and chatted with various folks outside before going up to catch Run Ashore. I was never too huge on their old material, plus the preaching got tiresome the last time I saw them. The music has certainly improved a LOT since I last saw them. The strong religious overtones are still there, but it isn't as annoying as before. Mind you, I don't have a problem with people being religious, but when you're breaking out a bible on stage, and telling kids to come up and "worship with us," well, that's a little lame. Be interesting to see how they turn out with more gigs under their belts.
Digression is a new band featuring Chip (ex-Gloves Off) and McKenzie (ex-He is Legend) who were supposed to make their debut performance tonight. Mind you I said SUPPOSED TO. After Run Ashore was done, people at the venue, employees and non, were puzzled as to where they were. Turns out they decided not to show up. Oh well. So No Truce went on next, and the band's singer rivaled Buddha from Blood for Blood in terms of obesity. Holy hell. Their music seemed to be a little too reliant on "mosh" for my tastes, but they sounded pretty cool on record. Not a bad performance, but nothing I don't think I'd be talking about for a while.
I was bummed to find out Steel Nation still doesn't have a permanent frontman to replace the one who quit some time ago. As of now, one of their guitarists and their bassist trade off vocal duties. I don't think most of the kids let it deter them, seeing as how they got the most moshing out of the 3 bands I watched that night. They sounded pretty spot-on and played most of what I wanted to hear. I would hope that they come back sometime whenever they have a real singer again.
I decided to bounce after they were done, due to not really being in the mood to watch the other two bands (Saints Never Surrender and the Hundredth). I know both will be back soon and since The Hundredth are from Myrtle Beach, they'll probably be back within a month or so.
#10
Graves of Valor
The Classic Struggle (kinda)
@ Luckys Pub
Another one I wasn't sure about going to see, due to having seen every band on this bill numerous times and not being in a show mood after the gig the day before. I instead went to watch the UFC fight at Buffalo Wild Wings. Out of boredom, I texted Garrett from Lucky's and asked him when he thought GOV would go on, and he estimated around 1am. I figured that if the card ended early enough, I could make it. Surely enough, Jackson knocked out Jardine and I bolted after that to Luckys. Mercifully, this gig was only $5. I caught the last two songs of TCS's set and they sounded pretty heavy. This band always has parts I like, but just as many that kind of bore me. They seemed to be having fun though.
On another note, this show was almost EMPTY. I think there might have been maybe 30-40 people in attendance, which is odd when you consider that only a year or so ago, these bands would have packed out the place. Lame.
After chatting with a few people here and there, I went up to the front to watch Graves play. So odd that these cats are on Relapse now. Damon was WASTED. I don't think I've seen one frontman so drunk in my life. It was funny to see him stumble here and there. They played 2-3 songs from "Famine" and the rest was new material. I was somewhat content, but came out thoroughly satisfied when they closed with what I told their asses to play at Thanks for Nothin' Fest: their cover of "Crawl Away" by Buzzov*en. Bravo gents. Unfortunately, from what I overheard, the cover will only be released overseas, so alas, most over here won't be able to listen to it.
And thats about it. Here's an idea of what's coming up this week:
Thursday: Madball, Reign Supreme, Call to Preserve, Patriot @ Soapbox
Friday: Metal tribute night at Luckys (Faith Collapsing doing Master of Puppets beginning to end)
Friday, March 6, 2009
#8
Bridge and Tunnel
Mouthbreather
Red Collar
I wasn't sure if I wanted to attend this one or not, due to having a job interview in the morning and not being in a real mood for a show (which is rare for me). I figured that most likely this could be a little quiet gig (not literally though) and it was $5. Give it a go.
The soapbox had two different bills that night, with this one taking up the lounge downstairs. Upstairs was Bleeding Through, The Acacia Strain, As Blood Runs Black, and Impending Doom. No thanks. I kind of felt bad for the ASBTB guys seeing as how they had to open and play to kids who were only there for the br00tul breakdowns and good cop/bad cop vocals. There were also reportedly a lot of fights that night, which isn't a surprise.
Downstairs was a total contrast though. I got there to see a rather chill/fun looking group of people gathered. Good sign. It took forever for our show to start though. By the time Bleeding Through, the headliners, were done upstairs, our first band had just finished their set. Ugh. Red Collar were cool though. Kinda reminded me of that whole late 80s post-hardcore/post-punk sound (Fugazi and all that stuff). Some good energy from the group and some nice little fun grooves. I'm curious as to how they sound on record.
I caught Mouthbreather up in Richmond last year when they opened for Modern Life is War's final VA gig. Band had a good punk f'n rock vibe and some great old hardcore attitude. Vocalist reminds me of Wes Eisold a tiny bit, with a seemingly endless amount of energy. They were loud as shit and played incredibly tight. Probably my favorite performance I've seen this year so far. I only wish they had played longer. Come back gentlemen. You slayed.
I know a lot of people dig on Bridge and Tunnel but I had never really given them a proper listen. I'm glad I decided to stay for their set since I was thoroughly impressed. Another post-hardcore/punk band with 3 members trading off vocals or singing at the same time. They had some truly great melodies that brought to mind another band I absolutely loved: Holy Roman Empire. The music was more Polar Bear Club/Hot Water Music than HRE though. Speaking of vocalists, man that girl guitarist was cute. I wanted to hug her. But uh, anyway, yeah the band was good.
Afterwards, I got to chat with the singer for Mouthbreather for a quick minute. Nice guy. Bought their LP as well as B&T's LP. Both records are clear and come with digital downloads too. Score!
I hope all of these bands come back to Wilmington some time in the near future. It's always fun to try and expand your taste by attending gigs you would never usually give a chance.
Mouthbreather
Red Collar
I wasn't sure if I wanted to attend this one or not, due to having a job interview in the morning and not being in a real mood for a show (which is rare for me). I figured that most likely this could be a little quiet gig (not literally though) and it was $5. Give it a go.
The soapbox had two different bills that night, with this one taking up the lounge downstairs. Upstairs was Bleeding Through, The Acacia Strain, As Blood Runs Black, and Impending Doom. No thanks. I kind of felt bad for the ASBTB guys seeing as how they had to open and play to kids who were only there for the br00tul breakdowns and good cop/bad cop vocals. There were also reportedly a lot of fights that night, which isn't a surprise.
Downstairs was a total contrast though. I got there to see a rather chill/fun looking group of people gathered. Good sign. It took forever for our show to start though. By the time Bleeding Through, the headliners, were done upstairs, our first band had just finished their set. Ugh. Red Collar were cool though. Kinda reminded me of that whole late 80s post-hardcore/post-punk sound (Fugazi and all that stuff). Some good energy from the group and some nice little fun grooves. I'm curious as to how they sound on record.
I caught Mouthbreather up in Richmond last year when they opened for Modern Life is War's final VA gig. Band had a good punk f'n rock vibe and some great old hardcore attitude. Vocalist reminds me of Wes Eisold a tiny bit, with a seemingly endless amount of energy. They were loud as shit and played incredibly tight. Probably my favorite performance I've seen this year so far. I only wish they had played longer. Come back gentlemen. You slayed.
I know a lot of people dig on Bridge and Tunnel but I had never really given them a proper listen. I'm glad I decided to stay for their set since I was thoroughly impressed. Another post-hardcore/punk band with 3 members trading off vocals or singing at the same time. They had some truly great melodies that brought to mind another band I absolutely loved: Holy Roman Empire. The music was more Polar Bear Club/Hot Water Music than HRE though. Speaking of vocalists, man that girl guitarist was cute. I wanted to hug her. But uh, anyway, yeah the band was good.
Afterwards, I got to chat with the singer for Mouthbreather for a quick minute. Nice guy. Bought their LP as well as B&T's LP. Both records are clear and come with digital downloads too. Score!
I hope all of these bands come back to Wilmington some time in the near future. It's always fun to try and expand your taste by attending gigs you would never usually give a chance.
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