#15

#15

Energy
Defeater
Bad Habit
Above this Fire
2613
Belle Epoque

@ The Soapbox (upstairs) 03/22/09


Another one I was able to get into for free. Many thanks go to Ian, former bass player of Indifference, and current bass player of...well for this show, Bad Habit. Otherwise, I suppose he's just bouncing from band to band.

The first thing I noticed getting down there was how small the turnout was. I know Energy has a pretty large fanbase around the Carolinas, but I was just amazed at such a low turnout. Oh well.

Belle Epoque (whose name I still can't pronounce) was an interesting way to kick off the show. Kind of scene, kind of not, post-hardcore/light metalcore. Music-wise, it wasn't that bad, but nothing I'd care to listen to again. Oddly enough, I guess just because I took pictures of them, they threw out a song to me (after asking what my name was on stage). Nice of em thats for sure.

2613 is part of a small wave of hardcore that's coming from Fayettville, which is usually the laughing stock of North Carolina. I wasn't too fond of them the first time I saw them open for Outbreak, and after learning that the band consists of members of a deathcore band, who broke up almost immediately BEFORE this band formed, it made me question their validity behind doing this. It's not awful or anything, but it just seems like they're trying too hard. And those vocals....ugh...

I really can't remember much about Above This Fire, but I remember their bass player having an awesome moustache, and them covering At The Drive-In. Thats really it.

Bad Habit took the stage, and they said their set would over in the blink of an eye. Well, they were kind of right. Fast hardcore punk from MD, and pretty damn good too. Ian told me afterwards that they usually cover The Suicide File, but they didn't do it this time. I would have lost my mind (among the 30 people there) if they did do it.

Defeater was the main reason I wanted to hit this up. I like their record, and wanted to see if they could pull off their songs live. I wasn't disappointed. After their first or second song (sorry my memory is fuzzy), they made a request that made the show truly memorable: everyone get on stage. They mentioned that they had just played a basement show, so this wouldn't feel that much different to have every surrounding them. Oddly enough, the soapbox staff was fine with this and everyone surrounded the band as they continued their set. They did every track I wanted them to play, including the excellent "The City By Dawn" and the MLIW-ish "Cowardice."

Energy started off their set by saying "Defeater had a good idea, everyone get up here again!" So yet again, everyone got up on stage to surround the band. I remember this band being the bright spot on the Mongoloids/Kids Like Us show back from August and they shined here again. Great melodies, great singalongs, great covers (Misfits and Operation Ivy). Singer is a deadringer for Davey Havok though. I can only hope that the next time they come through, they play either at Luckys or book through another booker, since they seemed to be upset at the size and turnout not being appropriate for one another.