"Morning-after" review.
Got there around 7:45 (doors opened at 7) and managed to get me a hoodie (glee). Got downstairs just as Mnemic was starting (I think). They were alright - a little too Americanized for my tastes, but not awful.
My friend and I moved forward for Hypocrisy. I don't know too much of their stuff, but their set was pretty damn good, in my opinion. He's a big fan, so he told me what the songs were and such - I recognized a few on my own. At this point, I'm standing in the lower section, left of center, about halfway deep. There's two guys next to me with about a 20' diameter circle of empty around me because they're being asses and punching anyone that gets close.
So Hypocrisy finishes, and as I expect, a few people start coming out of the crowd. I figure "Hey, I'll be able to move right up front". Uh-huh. I had no idea DT had gotten so popular in NYC - I wound up 5 people deep a little right of center in a huge mash of bodies that was more tighly packed than a rush-hour subway
before the sound check even occurred. By the time they did come out, it became a massive, roiling sea of bodies in which I was actually suspended above the floor once or twice by the shear pressure of so many people pressing against me - I'm not that light anymore, either.
A few notes about the set: Best I've ever seen. Dude next to me who kept putting his arm around my neck because I knew all the words, you were pretty cool. You kept pushing me into your really big, scary friend who kept threatening to "beat my ass" because he thought I was trying to push ahead of him. Stanne, again, is the coolest/best/outright funniest frontman out there. I really wanna know what that little dance he did between songs was. And his facial expressions were hysterical as well
He came up to my section and actually held the mic pretty close for a few seconds, and wasn't afraid to get right up close with the fans (About halfway through the set, I wound up about 3 people from the front due to osmosis, and the fact that human sweat seems to lubricate one's movement through a crowd. Yeah, ew.). One thing I have to ask - Did we beat out Chicago as best show?
I extracted myself afterwards, somehow, and stood by the bar in the middle for all of Soilwork. They were pretty good, although the smoke machine was a little... over the top. That and the rave lights - didn't really need those. Overall, definitely the best show I've seen
.
I saw the band walk back and forth a few times, but didn't get a chance to talk. I did hang around afterwards and almost talked to Nik, but someone else got there first. I laughed when said person was asking if they'd headline when they came back in the fall, but then left, because I realized that I wasn't on the line to talk - like 30 people were lined up for sigs and stuff. I figured I could always say hi here.
Met up with r2 and plintus, both really cool people, even if I did probably scare plintus a bit with my constant staring ('that guy looks so oddly familiar!'-style). Of course, I completely missed John. One would think you could pick out your twin in a crowd.
Anyway, I can't speak, can't hear out of my right ear still, and I'm wearing my hoodie. Ah fun. Except that now I have class. At least my Acoustics teacher will like hearing about the concert.
~kov.
