Top 5 Shows of 2006
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Modern Life is War, Permanent, Police and Thieves, Claws Out, Phillip Uster and the House Floor
Where: Henry's House, Blacksburg VAWhen: Oct. 2006
Henry's basement in Blacksburg is windowless, has no real ventilation system, and is therefore hot as hell. Add in three explosive hardcore bands and the best promoted show Blacksburg has seen in years, and you get a cauldron ready to explode. The first two bands, Phillip Uster and the House and Claws Out, are both up and coming local bands and weren't all that memorable. Police and Thieves, a fast paced hardcore band from DC, played next, and the hot basement soon got a lot more energized, as lead singer Carlos started jumping up and down, shoving the audience and giving me an unexpected elbow to the ribs. The set was just what the show needed, and the tension grew higher as the crowd got more into the show. Permanent was up next, and they played a slower and more pissed off version of hardcore then Police and Thieves. As Permanent was playing Modern Life is War arrived and started setting up, and the crowd knew what they had in store. This was my first live exposure to Modern Life is War, and I was absolutely floored. I had to hang on to the rafters above my head to avoid being shoved on the ground, and became hoarse from yelling along with the music. The highlight of the set was with "D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S." when the microphone was hung over the rafters directly in front of myself and a large portion the crowd, and we screamed the end chorus until the song was over. I left the show completely shocked, and realized I had just seen one of the best live bands to come around in years.
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Who: Ultra Dolphins, Dynamite Arrows, Rager
Where: The Brodello House, Blacksburg VAWhen: Oct. 2006
The room used for shows in the Brodello is about the size of two small dorm rooms combined with the ceiling only about eight feet above the ground. With a keg tapped upstairs and three bands who love to party, this was one of the most fun shows I've seen. Rager, a thrashcore band from Chicago, played first, and although they played a fun set, the majority of the people were still getting beer, so the set never reached full potential. Dynamite Arrows, a post-hardcore band from New York that play a style of music comparable to At the Drive-In, played next. Most of the crowd had moved downstairs, and with beers in hand they were ready to party. The singer from Dynamite Arrows spent most of his time on the ground, standing and sharing the microphone with one of the members of Rager on his back, or in the air as the crowd passed him along the small room. The set was full of energy, as beer and bodies were flying all over the room. As Ultra Dolphins began to set up, half of the crowd was drunk and many others were on their way, and as the band began to play a circle immediately formed with dancers. Ultra Dolphins played numerous songs of their EP, covered a song by Yes, and their set concluded with all three members playing drums as the crowd passed around the guitar and bass, leading to a wall of chaotic noise filling up the room. After their set I went outside and had a cigarette with the guitar player from Ultra Dolphins, thinking it was time to go home. However, my friend Corey, who booked the show, told me to stick around as he had convinced Rager to play a second set. At 2am, with a crowd that consisted of myself and less than ten other people, Rager played a second set as we all danced and sang along. They ended their set by covering a Los Crudos song three times in a row, and I left sweaty and happy.
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Who: Converge, Some Girls, Modern Life is War, Gospel
Where: Guzman's Resturant, Harrisonburg, VAWhen: Nov. 2006
Guzman's is a buffet in Harrisonburg that doubles as a venue. They have a small stage set up and a huge space to watch the show. I had previously seen Gospel the year before and had just seen Modern Life is War less than a month ago, so I knew what to expect coming into the show. Gospel played a pretty short set that consisted of one new song and a few off their LP, and as talented as they are I still think they are better recorded then they are live. Modern Life is War played next, which got the crowd very energized. People began to stage dive and a circle with dancers opened up as the band played for a half hour. After Modern Life is War played Some Girls took the stage. I've never been a fan of Some Girls, and the crowd didn't seem to be either. Wes looked pissed throughout the entire set, and the band came off as very pretentious and ungrateful towards the crowd. Converge came on last to the delight of the crowd, and played close to an hour-long set. I stayed in the back with the girl I was with, and watched in amazement as the crowd reacted to the band. There were a sea of people, dancing, singing, stage diving, and going insane for Converge. The band mainly played songs from their latest LP as well as Jane Doe, but went back as far as their split with Hellchild for songs. The band left as the crowd chanted for an encore, and I left with a much greater respect for Converge than I had entered with.
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Who: The Catalyst, Liza Kate, Hope and Anchor, New Idea Society, des_ark
Where: The Warehouse Next Door, Washington D.C.When: July 2006
This was the second day of Exotic Fever Fest, and I was excited to be able to see all the bands together in one night. des_ark open up the show, playing a solo acoustic set instead of with her normal band. The set was very heartfelt, bringing des_ark to tears as she played. New Idea Society was up next, and I was floored by his talent. It is rare that a performance makes me simply watch and smile, but this set did, as New Idea Society played acoustically and used a harmonica as he played. On the last leg of their tour, Hope and Anchor was next up, and they played a very emotional and intimate set. Band members exchanged instruments and played very slow and soft folk music. Liza Kate, the third solo acoustic act of the night, came on next. She interacted well with the crowd that sat at her feet, joking around with them between songs. Liza plays very beautiful and simple music, and I felt a sense of comfort as I listened to her. The Catalyst was the last band to play, and joked around before their set saying, "You guys can sit back down again, we're another acoustic band." The opposite is true however, as they opening up with a blistering cover of Nirvana and then played the songs from their split with Mass Movement of the Moth. I left the show with my heart beating fast from the intensity of their set, and my friend, having just seen his first hardcore band, told me he wanted to go to another show the next week out of the fun he had.
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Who: Afterthought, Dawn Treader, The Summer We Went West, Hobis
Where: Henry's House, Blacksburg, VAWhen: Sept. 2006
Unfortunately for the bands playing and fortunately for the crowd, the show was poorly advertised, so there were never more than 20 people in attendance at a time. Hobis played first, blistering through three mainly instrumental tracks. The band I was most excited to see, The Summer We Went West, played next with a three song set. I sang along to every song, and after the set got Erik to prank call my friend who is also a fan of the band. With Erik doing guest vocals, Dawn Treader played next, and I was blown away with the emotion the band emitted. Jeremy and Erik screamed their hearts out as myself and a few others watched, and after the set Erik came by and gave each of us a very sweaty hug. Afterthought, a local rapper, was the last to play. He set was very smooth and he has some great lines and good beats, and everyone left at the show danced and sang along to his set.
(Cory)
