- Aug 18, 2002
- 9,421
- 16
- 38
Eclectic and eccentric, that pretty much sums up this show. Four bands playing four different styles and bringing fans from all walks of life together for one simple purpose: rock n roll.
First on the stage were a local rock band called Try Cognition. This three piece had a unique blend of rock and progressive influences that surprised a lot of people. Their bassist really impressed me with his creative use of chords and tapping, both usually left to guitarists. But while the music was catchy and interesting, the band lacked stage presence. And while I understand playing and instrument and singing at the same time limits your mobility, you can still look like youre passionate about your music. And lets face it, you cant sing every second of a song. Stagnant stage show aside, this band picked up a new set of fans that night, myself included
Next we have a band that can be summed up as A.D.D. on stage, Schoolyard Heroes. Stage presence is no problem for these guys. From the first note singer Ryann Donnelly was making laps around the stage, getting in peoples faces, and bassist Jonah Bergman was right along side her. Now someone correct me if Im wrong, because Im not too familiar with this style of music, but their sound seemed like a combination of hard rock with retro sensibilities. Almost like taking Try Cognition and sending them back a few decades. Im sure its called something, I just dont know what. And I have to admit, this was quite an entertaining idea to me. Everything fell into place musically. Miss Donnelly really has a good voice, though she often goes for an out of control sound. But a well placed shriek never hurt anyone, right? None the less, she knows what shes doing, and thats great. Too many people claim to be singers, and call their lack of talent style. But lets not ignore the rest of the band just because they have a good singer. The melodies laid out by Bergman and guitarist Steve Bonnell were top notch. They sounded well written and more importantly sounded fun to play, and listen to. Now, one thing I really like about these kinds of bands is the gear they manage to find. For example, Bergman was playing a vintage Gibson Grabber bass. As a matter of fact, he has three of them. And while many people may just think hes playing whatever he could find in a pawn shop, many of these musicians know exactly what they are looking for and simply wont compromise for garbage. A truly quality instrument is hard to find in this day and age, and anyone willing to spend the time in researching their instrument of choice gets two thumbs up from me.
Next we have Creature Feature, a weird electro/rock 3 piece dedicating their sound and lyrics to the lost art of horror movies. Yeah, I said it. Most people wouldnt know a good horror flick if it kicked them in the face. But the guys in Creature Feature are working hard to fix this horrible problem. The band features a drummer, synth player, and guitarist who was playing a Gretch guitar that Im pretty sure was autographed by Brian Setzer. Notice something missing from the band? Yup, no bass player. If Im not mistaken, keyboardist Erik X was covering both bass and synth duties. Im not sure if thats by design or not, but it didnt seem to matter. Their performance was rock solid and the music was great. Im not sure where Erik X found that old Korg synth, but it had the perfect sound, replicating the weird sounds found on classic horror movies from the 70s and 80s. A delightfully old school vibe that was probably lost on the emo kid in the front row, but completely understood by the kids father standing next to him. In a day and age where Hollywood monstrosities and pathetic remakes of classics are raking in the cash, someone needs to stand up for the O.G.s of horror, and Im glad bands like Creature Feature are out there fighting the good fight.
Last up were Stolen Babies, the band who drew me to the show in the first place. I love weird metal, and I couldnt wait to see what they had in store. For those who arent aware of this band, Stolen Babies mix metal with burlesque and circus music. Complete with a sexy little accordion playing clown vocalist with a vicious growl. If only we could hear the accordion in the mix. Its an odd phenomenon, accordions in metal, but it seems to be happening more and more. And while were all familiar with it being used in folk metal, I was eager to hear it used in Stolen Babies oddball style of metal. Oh well, maybe next time. The accordion was not the only irregularity of this metal band. Stand up bass, which I wish there was more of in the set, and an oil drum and other metal percussion instruments were used. Now, please dont start relating them to Slipknot, because they couldnt be further from it. Just a band looking to add some extra flavor to their sound. And in a world where everyone sounds the same, a little flavor goes a long way. But to sum it all up, Stolen Babies are impressive live. They played flawlessly and they look and act like they belong on stage. A top notch performance by a band that is bound for metal stardom.
Its rare to have people from different scenes unanimously support every band on stage, regardless of genre. Too many times have I seen people shun other bands because they play in a major scale instead of a minor scale. People need to focus more on quality and this show was a testament to that.
Official Stolen Babies Website
Official Creature Feature Website
Official Schoolyard Heroes Website
Official The End Website
Official Sumerian Website
Official Stolen Transmission Website
First on the stage were a local rock band called Try Cognition. This three piece had a unique blend of rock and progressive influences that surprised a lot of people. Their bassist really impressed me with his creative use of chords and tapping, both usually left to guitarists. But while the music was catchy and interesting, the band lacked stage presence. And while I understand playing and instrument and singing at the same time limits your mobility, you can still look like youre passionate about your music. And lets face it, you cant sing every second of a song. Stagnant stage show aside, this band picked up a new set of fans that night, myself included
Next we have a band that can be summed up as A.D.D. on stage, Schoolyard Heroes. Stage presence is no problem for these guys. From the first note singer Ryann Donnelly was making laps around the stage, getting in peoples faces, and bassist Jonah Bergman was right along side her. Now someone correct me if Im wrong, because Im not too familiar with this style of music, but their sound seemed like a combination of hard rock with retro sensibilities. Almost like taking Try Cognition and sending them back a few decades. Im sure its called something, I just dont know what. And I have to admit, this was quite an entertaining idea to me. Everything fell into place musically. Miss Donnelly really has a good voice, though she often goes for an out of control sound. But a well placed shriek never hurt anyone, right? None the less, she knows what shes doing, and thats great. Too many people claim to be singers, and call their lack of talent style. But lets not ignore the rest of the band just because they have a good singer. The melodies laid out by Bergman and guitarist Steve Bonnell were top notch. They sounded well written and more importantly sounded fun to play, and listen to. Now, one thing I really like about these kinds of bands is the gear they manage to find. For example, Bergman was playing a vintage Gibson Grabber bass. As a matter of fact, he has three of them. And while many people may just think hes playing whatever he could find in a pawn shop, many of these musicians know exactly what they are looking for and simply wont compromise for garbage. A truly quality instrument is hard to find in this day and age, and anyone willing to spend the time in researching their instrument of choice gets two thumbs up from me.
Next we have Creature Feature, a weird electro/rock 3 piece dedicating their sound and lyrics to the lost art of horror movies. Yeah, I said it. Most people wouldnt know a good horror flick if it kicked them in the face. But the guys in Creature Feature are working hard to fix this horrible problem. The band features a drummer, synth player, and guitarist who was playing a Gretch guitar that Im pretty sure was autographed by Brian Setzer. Notice something missing from the band? Yup, no bass player. If Im not mistaken, keyboardist Erik X was covering both bass and synth duties. Im not sure if thats by design or not, but it didnt seem to matter. Their performance was rock solid and the music was great. Im not sure where Erik X found that old Korg synth, but it had the perfect sound, replicating the weird sounds found on classic horror movies from the 70s and 80s. A delightfully old school vibe that was probably lost on the emo kid in the front row, but completely understood by the kids father standing next to him. In a day and age where Hollywood monstrosities and pathetic remakes of classics are raking in the cash, someone needs to stand up for the O.G.s of horror, and Im glad bands like Creature Feature are out there fighting the good fight.
Last up were Stolen Babies, the band who drew me to the show in the first place. I love weird metal, and I couldnt wait to see what they had in store. For those who arent aware of this band, Stolen Babies mix metal with burlesque and circus music. Complete with a sexy little accordion playing clown vocalist with a vicious growl. If only we could hear the accordion in the mix. Its an odd phenomenon, accordions in metal, but it seems to be happening more and more. And while were all familiar with it being used in folk metal, I was eager to hear it used in Stolen Babies oddball style of metal. Oh well, maybe next time. The accordion was not the only irregularity of this metal band. Stand up bass, which I wish there was more of in the set, and an oil drum and other metal percussion instruments were used. Now, please dont start relating them to Slipknot, because they couldnt be further from it. Just a band looking to add some extra flavor to their sound. And in a world where everyone sounds the same, a little flavor goes a long way. But to sum it all up, Stolen Babies are impressive live. They played flawlessly and they look and act like they belong on stage. A top notch performance by a band that is bound for metal stardom.
Its rare to have people from different scenes unanimously support every band on stage, regardless of genre. Too many times have I seen people shun other bands because they play in a major scale instead of a minor scale. People need to focus more on quality and this show was a testament to that.
Official Stolen Babies Website
Official Creature Feature Website
Official Schoolyard Heroes Website
Official The End Website
Official Sumerian Website
Official Stolen Transmission Website
