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  1. Believers Never Die Part Deux

    April 2, 2009 by Charitie

    Believers Never Die Part Deux

    Wamu Theater, April 10, 200

    Hey Monday, Metro Station, All Time Low, Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy

    Photos taken by Charitie Myers

    For more photos, go to our Believers Never Die Myspace album

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  2. The Artist Life @ BarNone, Kingston, Ontario Canada

    March 4, 2009 by Guest

    The Artist Life is a pop punk band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who were signed to Underground Operations in September 2008.

    This was their second last show on their tour with the Delinquents, and they are expected to continue touring across Canada towards the west coast within the next few months.

    Make sure you check out the rest of the photo’s and check them out in a city near you!

    *Ian Blackwood (Vocals), Chuck Leach (Bass), Dean Richards (Guitar), Jake Parsonson (Drums)

    *Chuck Leach

    *Dean Richards

    *Ian Blackwood

    Check out the rest of the pictures on our myspace!

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  3. Hardcore Heaven

    December 12, 2008 by Steph

    It would be ridiculous for me to sit here and try to describe how amazing the show at the Knitting Factory was. Deemed “Hardcore Heaven” by Alternative Press Magazine, it was nothing less. Conveniently, two amazing tours converged at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles and to celebrate, the divider separating Main stage from Front stage was opened allowing us to pass through. While a band was playing on one stage, the next was preparing for their set in the other room. Hardly a lull in the excitement and seven bands in four hours, this night was pretty much the epitome of a great show.

    A loss for words was the first band with as much energy as a pack of wild banshees on Red Bull. Their harmonies were spot-on and they reminded me a bit of New Found Glory with their pop punk essence. Near the closing of his set, the lead singer called out something to the effect of “all the other bands with millions of dollars, I miss moshing. I’m not a rockstar and I never will be.” I guess it depends on what side of the “sell-out”/making money fence you lie on, but I don’t see much of a problem with supporting yourself doing something you love.


    We wandered over to the other stage and Broadway Calls was on next. Hints of an Alkaline Trio style with old New Found Glory/Yellowcard pop-punk surged from the stage. Against-Me vocals and heavy guitar riffs meshed and created a fusion of old punk and pop punk with hardcore break downs. They weren’t much for performing and they only talked to the crowd once but I can’t fault them much for that with how exciting their music was. Some lyrics that caught my attention: “War on drugs, war on you, lets pray, I’m up for anything.”

    This Is Hell played next—fast as fuck dominating the double bass. Their constant scream-like yells encouraged tons of hardcore dancing and massive crowd shout-alongs. A favorite was The Polygraph _____. These dudes are badass and could bring up the fists of the most mellow of scenesters.

    Polar Bear Club entertained the crowd with fun, wandering guitar riffs and heavy fast drums. These kids are more that just the typical hardcore band. Their yelling vocals remind me of Against Me singing intense lyrics like “by midnight my house is ablaze, we fucked up…” The crowd was crazy about these kids and there’s no doubt about the reason why.

    By the time I am the Avalanche took the stage, more girls littered the crowd. This band was rock with heavy bass and some songs even hinted at a dance beat, but the lead singer had the rapper attitude. They played songs from their self-titled album released last March like “New Disaster” and “I Took a Beating”, introducing one song saying, “this song’s about my restraining order.” Interesting… A little eclectic and more interesting than your average pop-punk-rock band, these guys knew how to rock the stage.


    Crime in Stereo was up second to last and I was anxious to see Four Year Strong. This quintet from New York rocked fun guitar riff melodies and jammed out fast as f*ck snare beats in songs like “XXXX.” A little hardcore and a little punk teamed up in this band to provide us with some ass-kicking, throw-some-fists jams.


    FINALLY! Four Year Strong took the stage after a long night of anticipation. They played a plethora of songs off their 2007 release Rise or Die Trying including “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Hell” “Prepare to Be Digitally Manipulated” and a personal favorite “Catastrophe.” They also covered Suicide File and busted out “Your Song” from their demo. Probably one of the best live bands touring right now, they’re a perfect mix of
    rowdy stage-dive music and sing-along worthiness. Pitch perfect vocals are teamed with heavy bass beats, and hardcore guitar melodies littered with synth. Kids were running around, climbing all over each other, and diving off the stage all set, ending with half the crowd on stage yelling with the
    band. If you have a chance to see any band in 2009 (or the rest of 2008, for that matter), make it Four Year Strong.

    Stay Saavy,
    Steph

    Many many more photos in our “Hardcore Heaven” album on our Myspace

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  4. The Involuntary Movement Tour

    December 1, 2008 by Steph

    I arrived to the House of Blues in San Diego slightly nauseated and feeling sick. It was either the tail end of food poisoning or the stomach flu – either way, I hadn’t eaten in two days and I couldn’t stand thinking about food. But I also couldn’t stand the thought of missing the Involuntary Movement Tour. So I toughed it out and got up to the front for one of the best tours ever.

    First up was a band called School Yard Heroes. Their sound was unique but also somewhat familiar. It had a vague No Doubt-y feel to it, but was a little darker pop rock. The singer seemed to have channeled all of the Amanda Palmer (of the Dresden Dolls) that she could manage, running out on stage in black, torn up fishnets and a cut up black dress that looked like it was a ball gown before someone hacked at it with a pair of scissors. The energy on stage, from the band, was mediocre. The guitar player attempted to engage the crowd by pointing a few times, and lead singer tried her best to serenade a few people in the front row. Their song arsenal was full of drum heavy songs like “Cemetary Girl,” which was, as the lead singer said, a song about the end of the world, when women rise and take over. They closed their set after four songs – they had failed really to catch my interest enough to buy a CD or visit their merch table. You may, however, become a fan if you are into the whole horror-pop, macabre genre.

    The next band on was The Status, a four piece pop outfit from Atlanta, Georgia. When these four boys came on stage, I had to giggle a little on the inside. They are the same kind of essential pop punk, fun music that I love as a little guilty pleasure, when I get tired of sounding elitist and listening to indie music. This wonder band was brought into the scene by Bayside’s Anthony Raneri, and has also garnered the attention and support of Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzarra. Their set was full of energetic, pop punk – something you just might want to jump around to. The messages of their songs were all positive, about growth and change, about never giving up on your dreams. In the middle of the set, they played their single, “So This Is Progress,” which features Anthony from Bayside – he came out during his part in the second verse and the crowd went crazy. The band played one more song and then bid the crowd farewell. I have to admit that their sound is very generic, and nothing I’ve never heard before, but something about them made me want to buy their CD – they were gracious on stage, thanking the crowd at every chance, smiling during songs and doing their best to engage the crowd, and that’s what impressed me most.

    The third band was a personal favorite of mine – Valencia. It was hard to come at this set objectively because I love them so much! It seemed like a good portion of the crowd was there in support of this band too, judging from the roar when they ran on stage, one by one to some “introduction” music.  After that, the set was strictly Valencia energy. Frontman Shane Henderson runs around on stage, shaking his head and belting out lyrics like nobody’s business. Guitarists JD Perry and Brendan Walters always do their best to pump up the crowd and interact, and bassist George C (I won’t torture you with his last name) leaned into the crowd frequently to sing along in the faces of fans. They played songs from the new album, like “All At Once,” “Holiday,” and “Where Did You Go,” as well as old jams like “The Space Between” and “Three Thousand Miles.” As always, their set was full of energy and emotion – these five guys really leave everything out on the stage when they perform.

    The fourth band was the highly anticipated band The Matches. This was the first time that I was going to see this band with their newest bassist. They kicked off their set with “Their City,” and the crowd was privy to lead singer Shawn’s somewhat eerie movements on stage, as well as guitarist Jon’s spastic, yet still entertaining dance moves. After that, they played other tracks like “Point Me Toward the Morning,” and “We Are One,” always with their quirky energy that leaves you thinking, “What drugs are they on?” They closed their set with “Papercut Skin,” as they usually do. Overall, their set was good – this band has amazing stage chemistry. Something about their weirdness just works.

    The last band was, of course, Bayside. The crowd went nuts when they took the stage. I was a bit weary, because I had heard on their previous headlining tour that they played a very short set – if they were to do that this night, it would have surely incited a riot. But not to fear – the band ended up playing nineteen songs and left the crowd pleased. They opened up with “Boy,” and covered all of their popular songs including “The Walking Wounded,” “Carry On,” and “Duality.” The crowd was full of energy and the band seemed to be feeding off of this – Anthony jumped around on stage when he wasn’t glued to his mic and Jack and Nick, the guitarist and bassist, respectively, did their part to “rock out” as well. I really enjoyed their set – but from afar, because the crowd was wildly jumping around and my fragile stomach just couldn’t handle it that night. The band closed with “Devotion and Desire,” and then left the stage leaving the crowd sweaty, tired, and satisfied.
    -Kristyn

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  5. Hedley @ K-Rock Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    November 19, 2008 by Guest

    Hedley is a four member band originating from Abbotsford, British Columbia, who is most known for their frontman, Jacob Hoggard, who placed 3rd in Canadian Idol in 2004. The K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario was Hedley’s last stop on their cross Canada tour.

    Hedley filled the arena with energy as they performed songs from their self-titled first album, Hedley. Halfway through the show, Hedley left the stage in darkness, only to return to 4 stools in front of the stage where they performed acoustically for the mellowed out crowd, as an “intermission”. Hedley then finished off the last half of the show, with as much energy, by playing songs from their new album, Famous Last Words.

    Hedley will commence a World Tour in 2009, and is expected to be back in North America in early 2010.

    Jacob Hoggard (Lead Vocals)

    Photobucket

    Jacob Hoggard (Lead Vocals)

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    Dave Rosin (Lead Guitar)

    Photobucket

    Jacob Hoggard (Lead Vocals)

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    (l-r)Dave Rosin, Jacob Hoggard & Tommy Mac (Bass)

    Photobucket

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  6. The Academy Is… on Bill and Trav’s Bogus Tour

    November 11, 2008 by Cassie

    The Bill and Trav’s Bogus Journey Tour was a tour a lot of people were definitely stoked on. With opening spots given to Hey Monday, Carolina Liar, We The Kings, and headlining going to The Academy Is…, there was a good sampling of good old pop alternative at this show. Coming in, I had only thoroughly listened to was The Academy Is… but I was excited anyway because they are definitely one of my favorites.

    My show-buddy and I pull up to the House of Blues, Sunset Strip just in time for the doors to open. There was a pretty impressive line but things seemed pretty calm until someone yelled “Cassadee!” and there was some screaming and carrying on. It wasn’t until later that I realized this was the singer from Hey Monday.

    I couldn’t have been more excited for Hey Monday to come on because it’s pretty rare that you hear a rock band with a female singer. As they started their first song, Josey, I realized I had seen a band like this before…I felt like I was staring at the brunette version of Haley Williams from Paramore. Even her mannerisms on stage were similar. Let me just clarify, there is nothing wrong with looking or sounding like Haley Williams. I am a huge fan of Paramore, but I felt like it was nothing new. One treat during the set was when William Beckett came out and performed during Hey Monday’s “Homecoming”. It seemed as if they were really enjoying themselves and I, in turn, enjoyed myself. Just goes to show that if you look like you’re having fun up there with your band mates, the crowd will have fun too.
    Cassadee whipped out an acoustic guitar for the beginning of “Candles” and the crowd was impressed with her abilities for sure—the guys next to me trying to act cool in the back even perked up a little.

    While I feel like Hey Monday on stage resembles Paramore a lot, I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with that. Both are perfectly respectable bands. I enjoyed watching Hey Monday on stage and I would definitely seem them again.

    Considering the other bands on the tour, Carolina Liar was absolutely not what I expected as far as image. They were long-haired, cowboy boot-wearing, guys who reminded me of Kid Rock. I didn’t know what to expect from the performance. I was actually pleasantly surprised. I was impressed when the vocals were super clear too, actually reminding me of Brandon Flowers from the Killers at some points. Usually I can’t tell what a band is singing unless I already know the words, and this was a different story.

    One song they played, “Show Me What I’m Looking For” was introduced as a song for anyone who is confused. I was also impressed with “Coming to Terms”, a tragic song about lost love. The fact that not all their music sounded the same is something I admired immensely. They gave me something to be surprised about. They finished their set off with “I’m Not Over”, a song that more people knew due to it’s exposure on MTV and Vh1. It is definitely a fun song with a very catchy chorus that people can sing along to and a great way to end the set.

    Although I must admit I wasn’t looking forward to We The Kings due to their what seemed like overly-fanatical fan base at Warped Tour this year, they put on a pretty good show. No matter how hard I tried to contain myself, I found my head bobbing during most songs and doing a little dancing of my own. You could definitely tell this band was well-liked by the crowd due to the amount of teenage girls swooning and asking the band members to marry them…very entertaining but not for the faint of heart.

    They opened with “Stay Young” which was a fun, poppy song that really got the crowd going. They also included a cover of the Gorillaz “Feel Good, Inc.” to a crowd of mostly confused individuals. I, on the other hand, was quite excited. Some other well-known songs they played were “Skyway Avenue” and the closing song, “Check Yes Juliet”. I must admit, We The Kings put on an entertaining show, jumping around the stage and being crazy.

    By the time The Academy Is… came on, I was pumped. The way that William Beckett, the lead singer, struts around the stage gets me every time. They started off the set with “Summer Hair = Forever Young”, a release off their newest album Fast Times at Barrington High to get the crowd going.

    I was very impressed with the way they mixed up old and new songs. It was a fear of mine that we wouldn’t get to hear anything from their first release Almost Here but I my fears were calmed with “Slow Down”, “Checkmarks”, “Classifieds”, “The Phrase That Pays”, and more. In addition to the faster, dance-y songs they played, William played an acoustic guitar for “The Test”, which was absolutely amazing, as I think it’s one of the less-known songs off the new album.

    Several times during the set, William decided it would be a good idea to get on the barricade and let all the fans grope him. Whether that’s your bag or not, try to avoid getting caught up in the current if you go see them. Chaos will ensue. Even so, the amount of talent these guys have is even amazing live. If you haven’t ever seen them live, do it now; the tour continues until late November.

    -Cassie

    *More photos available in our Myspace albums

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  7. Rock Band Live Tour in Los Angeles

    October 28, 2008 by Steph

    The Rock Band Live tour was one close to my heart. Having been a big fan of Dashboard Confessional for years and never seen them live, I bought two tickets as soon as they went on presale for over one hundred bucks and dragged along a lackluster friend on my dime. That’s how bad I wanted to go. It was a bit of a surprise to find out that Panic at the Disco was headlining over Dashboard Confessional, considering that these bands probably grew up listening to Dashboard just like I did. But you know, I guess that’s how things go.

    The Cab was the first band to hit the stage and I was a little taken aback. The last time I saw these kids was in Chain Reaction when they only had an EP. They weren’t much different than any other young band—lots of enthusiasm and a good sense of groove. This time, things went a lot differently. Apparently a year and a half of nineteen-year-olds being performing musicians creates a band full of divas. Lead singer Alex and his unkempt hair now reminds me of Russell Brand. [more]

    His vocals were over the top at points but the music had a good groove. They’re danceable and entertaining and although the lyrics lack much complexity, they’re enjoyable. They played the favorite jams—”Seventies Song,” “Bounce,” “Risky Business,” and my personal favorite, “I’ll Run.” To me, they’re the N*Sync of 2008; the dancier Jonas Brothers. If that’s what you’re into, go right ahead and get their LP Whisper Wars.

    The MC of the night ‘Ridiculous’ informed the crowd that anyone who wanted to “perform” Rockband on stage between sets need only compete in the lobby. That was pretty entertaining—between each set, “bands” came on stage and “performed” rock band. It definitely made the set changed pass more quickly.


    Plain White T’s came on stage next. Here’s the problem with Plain White T’s: they were a good band pigeonholed by one great song which has since determined their style. Revolving an entire style around one song that gets featured on two LPs and its own single… it forces the band down this rabbit hole to nowhere in search for the next “Hey There Delilah.”

    Their album Big Bad World came out this past September and they played songs off the album “Big Bad World” and “1, 2, 3, 4”. Both were misses for me. “1, 2, 3, 4” was like a child’s sing-a-long morphed into pop rock. I found myself singing along but with “1 thing 2 do, shoot me will you?” They did play an older favorite “Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)” which has some semblance of ingenuity. All in all, there was nothing wrong with their performance but all was swallowed up by their success with one great single. If you want to hear some pre-Delilah PWTs, check out Stop. It’s good stuff, I swear.

    Finally, it was magic. No, really. Chris Carabba, wearing his signature fedora, and band sauntered on stage and got down to business. There was a great mix of old and new favorites. Off of the newest album Shade of Poison Trees, Dashboard played “These Bones” and “Thick as Thieves” which Chris told us is about magic as card tricks played on the big screen behind the
    band.


    Some of the best and classics he played were “Again I Go Unnoticed,” “Saints and Sailors,” “Screaming Infidelities,” and “Vindicated.” Dashboard also played a great classic by a great band they toured with—”El Scorcho” by Weezer. It seemed that I was one of the few who knew the words. If you’re unfamiliar with Weezer’s Pinkerton, you should go enjoy this great ASAP. A favorite he’d never forget, he prefaced “Hands Down” with telling the crowd this is a song about the best day of his life. Fireworks and beautiful bright images flashed behind him through this uplifting song.

    This is what Dashboard Confessional has always been perfect at—music that you can sympathize with and then make you feel better. The music understands you and then reminds you of everything beautiful. Whether their acoustic guitar heart-wrenching ballads or their swelling big soft rock songs, Dashboard Confessional creates beautiful music only enhanced with their performance and the video playing behind them. It was fantastic and worth every penny.

    Panic at the Disco… oh boy. I have such mixed feelings about them. Pretty. Odd. and A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out are definitely two of my favorite albums. I would even place Pretty. Odd. on my top 5 of 2008. But live, they are never as good as you’d hope. I saw them in May of 2006 on The Academy Is…’s Truckstops and State Lines Tour and was so put off Brendan Urie’s strained and uncontrolled vocals, it took me two years to see them again. 

    So impressed by Pretty. Odd. I was certain that the Rock Band Live Tour would be a different story. While I definitely think Urie’s vocals have improved, he still has this tendency to go off-script, flailing the notes around and hoping to hit ones that work with the song. His vibrato can get a little wild, but generally his vocals were enjoyable. Famous for their stage theatrics, the boys seemed to have tamed those tendencies slightly and relied more on their music to impress. That it did. Clean and bright re-productions of the best of Pretty. Odd. and A Fever rounded out the last set of the night—”Northern Downpour,” “When the Day Met the Night,” “Lying Is the Most Fun…” and “Nine in the Afternoon” to name a few. Lead vocals Urie was even able to impress the crowd with his stint on the ivory keys and drums. They closed out the encore with a rendition of “Shout!”

    Overall the performance was fun, entertaining, and got plenty of people dancing. Musically impressive and vocally mostly, Panic at the Disco are not the best band live, but they did help make Rock Band Live a great tour!

    Stay Saavy, Steph

    *More photos available in the Rock Band Live album on our Myspace

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  8. National Product and 1997 with Polaris at Noon, Inverse, and Daybreak Ends

    October 17, 2008 by Steph

    The Knitting Factory wasn’t too populated and even after the opening band, Daybreak Ends, started jamming on stage much of the attendees seemed unaffected by the noise emanating from the stage.  Two girls ventured to get up close and sing along while the rest of the audience formed a semi-circle ten feet back.

    Daybreak Ends is a dark metal rock band that seemed to be heavily influenced by H.I.M. via minor key sweeping vocals, heavy bass, and ethereal guitar riffs.  Somehow, strangely enough, the vocals also remind me of Adam Pascal, “Rodger” from Rent the movie.  Peppered by screaming here and there, this foursome put on a good show and were good musicians, but lacked anything interesting enough to make them memorable. [more]

    Inverse strut out next sporting long, flowing hair straight out of a Guns N’ Roses video.  They were a little pop/dancier than their look let on, but it was definitely enjoyable.  Not a small number of hips were swaying to this heavy-bass dance rock with clean tenor vocals.  Songs like “Sweat My Love” even got some real dancing going on in pockets of girl groups.  Showing off their ballad skills, they played “The Last Night” which got some cell phone swaying to “This is the last night we’ll dance, the time has gone so fast so just put all your breath in me.”  A pretty decent guitar solo shredded up the song and chorus resumed.

    With fun and straightforward music, they were great showmen and commanded the crowd with every song, even though it seemed as though everyone was seeing them for the first time.

    Polaris at Noon…Oh, man.  Really, your pop-rock was pretty decent.  I mean, no less enjoyable than what’s getting radio play these days.  And if I had heard you first on your Myspace, I think I really could have been into you.  But live, your vocals sound untrained and uncontrolled.  For your age, I have to give you guys credit.  Judging solely on your vocals I would say you weren’t far out of high school.  And musically, what you have goin’ on is pretty great.  On the intro to songs like “misfire,” although lyrically uninteresting are musically entertaining.  So keep up with those vocal exercises and I’ll come see you in a year or so.

    Oooo finally we get into the nitty gritty of the night!

    Co-headliner National Product was up next and they blew me away.  Having never listened to them before, I half expected them to be another All Time Low or The Main, but these guys really brought the heat!

    “Medicated” is definitely radio single worthy with spunky pop-punk melodies and bright pop-rock vocals. But this band is not a one trick horse. They busted out some acoustic, some screamy goodness, some alt rock and some great solos. Their influence is as diverse as their list their favorite albums: AFI’s Black Sails in the Sunset, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, and Maroon 5’s Songs about Jane. Great performers, great musicians, great set.

    Last to perform was 1997.  This band I first heard on a random compilation with Driver Side Impact and their single “Garden of Eden” invoked music-tingles in all the right places.  By the end of their set, I had decided that I had just entered into a little 1997 romance.  This band: guitars, keys, drums, male and female vocals had just the right amount of “umph” and “awh.”  This indie power-pop quintet had an undeniable chemistry that pervaded the music and all of the venue.  “Waters Edge” starts with heavy distorted guitar and lightens into what sounds like a playful xylophone and then continues to dance between the two throughout the song.  A battle between the airy male vocals of Kevin Thomas, bright and in-your-face vocals of bassist Nick Coleman creates a perfect balance.  The song breaks down into perfectly harmonized “do dos” followed by a heavily distorted guitar solo.  Many of the songs utilize this strategy of soft versus bright, heavy versus light and it’s a formula for perfection.

    Arthi Meeri, temporary female vocals, was a poor substitute for former singer Alida Marroni if only because I could hardly hear her.  When I could hear her, her smooth soprano falsetto blended in but didn’t add much to the balance.  On the album, the sometimes airy sometimes bright and passionate vocals of Alida are the third layer of flawlessness.

    Although the crowd had shrunken sizably since National Product left the stage, those who remained were awestruck and completely consumed with the music stage presents of these five (myself included).  Most of the crowd seemed to know every word.  That, to me, is a sign of something good.

    This night at The Knitting Factory was definitely a successful one.  The bands who I wasn’t completely in love with still surpassed my expectations and I came away craving at least two CDs. (I’ve yet to buy either, but I definitely will).  You should too.

    Many more photos available in the National Product/1997 Album

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  9. The Rocket Summer with Phantom Planet, The Secert Handshake, and The Morning Light

    September 22, 2008 by Steph

    (videos available in Myspace blog)

    Last Saturday fellow writer Cassie and I headed up to Hollywood to the Henry Fonda Music Box to see one of our favorite bands—The Rocket Summer. We were a little surprised at the small crowd. Rumors were that only 500 tickets were pre-sold to this 1200-capacity venue.

    First band went up about 8:00.  The Morning Light is a pop rock group from Pittsburg.  Generally their music was pretty typical of their genre—some keyboard,  lots of cymbal, and some tenor vocals.  Except that their voices constantly sounded like they were reaching to grab the notes and while they probably did it intentionally to imply determination and musical perseverance, it sounded like they were having a hard time controlling their scratchy vocals.  Fortunately they were able to make this work on the album, but live, not so much.  The lyrics they were singing didn’t help them out.  Nothing memorable, really.

    The Secret Handshake, a pop-electronica brain child of Luis Dubuc, came on stage next with a bang.  Exploding on stage to Punk Goes Crunk’s “I Wish,” he turned The Music Box into a dance floor.  Some of the scene too-cool kids stood awkwardly but some caught on and got into the groove.  Heavy beats and electronica mixed perfectly in this cover.  As his set went on however, a few of his songs seemed a little more rock with clearer vocals and suitable for the crowd.  Others seemed unfit for the venue.  Some tracks felt like they could only be enjoyed accompanied by some glow sticks and acid.  Vocal effects and electronic tracks made some lyrics difficult to understand and, especially with some of the tracks too slow to dance to, the songs un-relatable to the crowd.

    Next to take the stage was Phantom Planet.  Best remembered for their theme song to the hit teen drama, The OC, these guys are much more talented than said single could possibly lead on.  A fan of the band since the release of The Guest in 2002, they have continued to make great music and pump out dance-worthy indie rock hits since.  Their stage presence, full of big rock ego and big rock beats, got the crowd rowdy.  They played big hits including “California” and single off their new album “Do the Panic.”  They even did a mashup of The Guest’s “All Over Again” with “Phantom of the Opera.”  I constantly wondered how this great band has managed to continue making amazing music for at least the past decade and stay relatively under the radar. Awesome set from this Los Angeles band.

    And last up, headliner of the night, The Rocket Summer.  The workings of Bryce Avary, performed by Bryce along with his touring band, the night’s set was fantastic.  Pop rock at it’s best, The Rocket Summer’s music is contagious musically and inspired lyrically to create this dance-along sing-out-loud force-you-to-smile sensation.  Switching between the guitar and the keyboards, Bryce catered to the small crowd on their first headlining tour since the release of their album Do You Feel in summer of 2007 playing all-time favorites.  “Cross Your Heart” and “Saturday were among the oldies-but-goodies and “Save” and “Break It Out” the newer favorites.  Mid-set Bryce appeared at the back of the venue at a small stage with just an acoustic guitar and a mic to play “Goodbye Waves and Driveways,” a personal favorite after which he solicited the crowd to help him crowd surf all the way back to the main stage.  Surrounded by fans who couldn’t sing the words more enthusiastically or jump higher during the choruses with eyes fixed on a man on stage who couldn’t shine brighter as an example of loving what he does—the music, the fans, and the love—this set was one that would leave any music-lover with a smile on their faces.

    Each set only getting better and leading into a great culmination of the night, anyone who missed this tour should definitely kick themselves and if it hasn’t come around to you yet, there’s still time!

    (Some photos sited from the respective bands’ myspaces)

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