Surprisingly, though, it was a pretty great show. Full details below the cut (along with a couple of youtube videos).
So there were 4 bands up for the show: The Morning Light, Steel Train, The Cab, and The Hush Sound.
First band was supposed to go on at 7:30, so we figured it would be at least a couple of hours before The Hush Sound. But since I love going to gape at the potential horror that is opening bands, we got there before 8:00, with enough time to catch most of The Morning Light's set to start off the night.
I, uh, would like to follow the old adage about one's inability to say nice things, but I feel like some comment is in order. Umm, the drummer was really energetic, which was fun. And the lead singer got to use a tamborine, which he obviously enjoyed. So good for them.
Okay, it wasn't great - kinda like a Taking Back Sunday sort of vibe, crossed with some Death Cab, only not quite in tune, and not quite able to nail down the art of alternating between scream-singing and regular singing. But at least they were quick.
The delightfully named Steel Train was next, and I'm not even going to pretend to be objective here - I loooooved this set. I had never heard of these people before, but from the very first second the lead singer started up with his crazy eyes, they had me hooked. I am not kidding in the slightest. Dude looked about 2 degrees from just murdering everyone in the crowd, but damn if they didn't put on one of the best opening sets I've ever seen. Polished, musical, a little crazy, I was all the way onboard. And then there was the Mamma Mia singalong section which lost me for a moment, but their closer got me right back on track with enough heavy drums to shake the foundations of my brain. Complete love.
Then things got weird.
So, supposedly The Cab is next. Which I have heard of before, but in my mind I had associated a whiny emo band with this name. Instead we get an afro-ed Christian Siriano look-alike playing an acoustic guitar and an oily longhaired dude in a wifebeater, singing random warbling songs, interspersed with nsync covers. I swear to God, it was like the most unexpected thing.
Mostly because it turns out that they kind of are a whiny emo band (okay, less whiny than most, they aren't that bad) but they were missing half their members and all of the band part.
Whatever, it was weird, but not horrible. The guitarist was actually a shockingly great player with some nice pitch, and the Timberlake-wannabe had a pretty good voice, while doing hand gestures to mimic the lyrics he was singing. If questioned at gunpoint, I would admit that it was actually kind of entertaining. And when the guy behind us yelled "Do Sexyback!" I about lost my shit. Good times.
And then there was The Hush Sound. Who were actually really good, despite a bit of soundcheck issues (I swear the lead mic was too quiet by at least half). They're fun, and pretty energetic despite obviously being crazy exhausted. Various highlights:
- The drummer nearly killing himself with a microphone in the first song by being the most hyper drummer in the history of bands. I thought he was going to rattle the flimsy stage into pieces with his hopping and bopping around.
- The completely out of left field cover of Back in the USSR, which is just a great song in general.
- The attempt at bandmember banter, where the lead girl was obviously far too tired to care, and just stopped to stare at the bass player for 20 seconds rather than give a response to his zinger. I don't know if it was supposed to be, but it was damn hilarious.
- Oh, and the cover of the Jackson 5's Want You Back. A good night for covers (the nsync excepted) all around.
A few of videos from the night:
The weird Mamma Mia Interlude from Steel Train:
The Cab(ish) - I'll Run:
The Hush Sound and Steel Train doing I Want You Back:
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