It was an early Sunday show for Upstate Concert Hall (formally Northern Lights). The first of five opening bands started at 6PM with headliner, “Woe, Is Me”, took the stage shortly after 9. There were two crowds at the show. The first group was obvious: young energetic kids in skinny jeans, crude t-shirts and blackened Justin Bieber haircuts. They were found bouncin’ around the room and thrashing away in the rather tame mosh pit. The second group were parents standing on the outskirts, watching their kids get their freak on and supporting the scene. Kudos to them for supporting live shows and buying an extra ticket so their under-aged concertgoer can enjoy one of their favorite bands!
As for the show, it was energetic. There were five opening acts including crowd favorite Secrets who will be back at UCH on February 23rd when they open for Silverstein. The last opening band was Chunk, No Captain Chunk from France. Who knew Paris Hard Core was a real thing? After seeing them, I’m still not entirely convinced. They came out playing “Gangnam Style” that led into a more metalcore performance that got the kids moving.
Headliner Woe, Is Me got their start in Atlanta back in 2009 and have had modest success on in the post-hardcore scene. They have two vocalists (one clean, one unclean) and a solid line-up surrounding them, especially drummer, Austin Thornton. Of the six bands on stage, there was no doubt who had the best stage presence, crowd control and energy. The stage at Upstate Concert Hall was left wide open for the band to move freely and get the audience excited. Crowd surfing started immediately, but with a mostly underage crowd and little-to-no alcohol involved the Step Up Presents security team handled it like the pros they are. The music was loud and some serious talent was blaring through the speakers. Bass lines were rich, guitars were shredded and the back-and-forth vocals were done as well as I’ve seen. I’m going to keep an eye out for the band and see where their Twilight induced fan base can take them and I hope that they can stand the test of time to produce more solid work like their new album, Genesi[s].
Comments are closed.