Just turn up our soundtrack and we'll keep singing out loud.

(July 29, 2009 Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's)

Every once in a while, a tour comes along that's too good to pass up (see my last post, about the New Deal tour). Gig Life didn't seem like one of those to me initially. A friend and I planned on attending, I for Fireworks and Set Your Goals, who co-headlined the tour with Four Year Strong, the band he wanted to see. Some problems arose just a few days before the show, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to attend. But had that happened, you wouldn't be reading this, would you? Everything worked out, and I found myself at Small's door in the rain on a Wednesday night.

Grave Maker, a hardcore band (no, not the kind of 'hardcore' you listen to) from the UK, came out first and absolutely killed it. I've seen so many generic bands that claim the term 'hardcore,' but this was the first real hardcore band I've ever seen, and they won't be the last. The crowd/band interaction, the band's energy, the aggression in their sound, it all created this really crazy mood that can't be duplicated. I don't really have any other experiences to compare it to, but if I ever - scratch that - when I see another hardcore band, I'll let you guys know how Grave Maker compares.

The second band to play was a band from Michigan (they congratulated us as Pittsburghers about the Stanley Cup) who go by the name The Swellers. They play an infectious brand of a workingman's pop punk, if you will [your girlfriend wouldn't really care for it, but they couldn't play with three other Grave Maker's either (that term will never stick)], and with their recent signing to Fueled By Ramen, have a hard-earned slot opening for Paramore. This was one of those sets that made me really regret not being more familiar with the band's material, they put on a great show, had a ton of fun, and made it fun for us. They set the bar for the rest of the night, in retrospect.

One of the two bands I was looking forward to most, Fireworks, was up next. They came out swinging with "Detroit," the first single off of their fantastic new album, All I Have to Offer is My Own Confusion. Dave, the band's vocalist, does not sound very good live though, as evidenced throughout the whole set. Sometimes though, it's more about having a good time than sounding good while you do it, and I had a pretty darn good time throughout. The set was filled with songs I, along with several others in the crowd, knew every word to, and the band was really energetic. The atmosphere was just really upbeat. Given the chance I'd definitely go see them again, just to have a great time.

set list:
Detroit
I Support Same Sex Marriage
Michigan Boys Need To Get A Clue
Closet Weather
Show Me Your Vanishing Act One More Time
Geography, Vonnegut And Me
2923 Monroe St.
From Mountain Movers, To Lazy Losers
When We Stand On Each Other We Block Out The Sun

Before the show started, I found out (to my disappointment) that Four Year Strong was headlining, and Set Your Goals would be direct support. More than anything I was worried about set times, but clearly that was nothing to be concerned about. I gave my phone and my glasses to my friend and headed for the pit by the end of "The Fallen..." and spent the next 45+ minutes having the time of my life. This mosh pit ran the gamut, complete with several circle pits, standard moshing, pushing, and several crowd surfers. Did I mention singing along at the tops of our lungs? If I could do it every night of my life, I'd be the happiest guy alive. SYG wasn't the best band I've seen live or anything (don't take that the wrong way, they sounded really great), but they were the funnest band I've ever seen live, without a doubt.

set list:
This Will Be The Death Of Us
The Fallen...
Work In Progress
We Do It For The Money, OBVIOUSLY
Look Closer
Summer Jam
Echoes
Goonies Never Say Die!
To Be Continued...
Gaia Bleeds (Make Way For Man)
This Very Moment
Our Ethos: A Legacy To Pass On
Dead Men Tell No Tales
Mutiny!

My night was already complete, but Four Year Strong had yet to play, and my logic was that I paid to see five bands, I might as well stay for all five. I've never been a big fan of FYS though. For a while I never listened to any of these other bands because they drew comparisons to FYS, the first hardcore-pop-punk/easycore/positive hardcore/whatever-you-want-to-call-it band that I'd heard. I'm just not a fan, don't ask why, but their live show didn't sell them to me at all. The crowd was really boring, and the band felt like robots. The set was exactly what I expected, and while they sounded really good, it didn't even feel like they were in the room. It was as if a couple hundred kids gathered together to listen to a Four Year Strong CD together.

set list (courtesy of setlist.fm):
The Takeover
Bada Bing! Wit' A Pipe!
Catastrophe
Abandon Ship Or Abandon All Hope
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Hell
Semi-Charmed Life (Third Eye Blind cover)
Prepare To Be Digitally Manipulated
Beatdown In The Key Of Happy
She Really Loved You (Reach The Sky cover)
Maniac (R.O.D.)

encore:
Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die

Nonetheless, I did enjoy myself. This tour was so worth it, it was one of the best times I think I've ever had at a show. I feel almost privileged to have been there, these bands are at the top of this scene, and to get them all on the same bill was quite a treat.

Hand in hand with the devil, singing "Hallelujah."

(July 19, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA - Garfield Artworks)
If you follow my posts, at least since April, you've done one of three things - you either listened to, and weren't impressed by Audrye Sessions (review here) or Paper Route (review here), you didn't take my advice at all, and completely disregarded both bands, or you took the leap (and my word) and went and saw the two bands on the New Deal Tour, because face it, I raved about them. I'm going to go ahead and hope we all went with option three, but I know that isn't necessarily the case. So allow me these five paragraphs to remind you what a terrible decision that really was.

The first band to play was Good Sir Con Artist, who were just added to the bill that day. They were doing a DIY tour and needed a place to play in the area, and I guess they found it. I wasn't super impressed, but they certainly weren't bad. I talked to the guys after their set, specifically to ask what they listen to, and their vocalist's taste was almost identical to mine (think Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra, and the likes of) and that did show through in their performance without a doubt.

Another (extremely pleasant) surprise on the bill was the second band, A Voice Like Rhetoric. A band based in Pittsburgh and Akron, Ohio, I'm somewhat familiar with their work. I have their full length and I've seen them once before, but I didn't get the full affect of their live show the last time, being that I was stuck in a crowd of Chiodos fans. Still, AVLR are definitely one of the coolest things that Pittsburgh has going. Skillfully combining math rock with it's much simpler counterparts in the scene, and making it sound (and look) effortless, A Voice Like Rhetoric are one of the few local bands that I won't pass up seeing at the given opportunity again. They're all very humble guys too, really easy to talk to. Definitely worth the listen. Definitely worth repeated listens, and probably seeing them live if you get the chance.

I knew two things coming into this show, it was a co-headliner, and both bands who could be headlining are fantastic live. What I didn't know was who would be headlining, and it turned out to be Audrye Sessions, which meant Paper Route would be playing third. I also didn't know who is actually better live, even though I've seen both bands. Well, as it turned out, Paper Route is the better of the two. The first time I saw them, the lighting in the venue was fantastic. This time, the venue was a lot smaller, but they made due by wearing flashlights on their arms and legs and shutting off the rest of the lights. It was really kind of indescribable. They sounded amazing too, so much better than they are on record. Paper Route is the best band I've ever seen live. That's all I can really say.

set list:
Wish
Carousel
Are We All Forgotten
Last Time
Tiger Teeth
You Kill Me
Gutter
Dance On Our Graves

That isn't to take anything away from Audrye Sessions. They're in the top five as far as bands I've seen live, without a question. Ryan Karazija, the band's vocalist, consistently steals the show. His range is mindblowing. The whole band is so together too, most of the songs are played much differently than the album versions. "Nothing Pure Can Stay" was without question the highlight of their set, the bridge of the song was dragged out for a good seven minutes, every second of it stunning. This whole tour was a dream come true, once you've seen these bands live you'll know why.

set list:
Where You'll Find Me
Turn Me Off
Hands Full (new song)
Awake
New Years Day
Nothing Pure Can Stay

Those who talk don't know; still she couldn't help but sing.

(July 7th, 2009 Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls)

When I first heard mewithoutYou's new album, it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright, I can't say I was really very impressed at all. So, when I heard they were going on tour, I wasn't all that excited, but they were bringing The Dear Hunter, one of my favorite live acts, so I was willing. Then I started following mwY a little closer, only to find that this could very well be their last tour, so my mind was made up for me. Even if I don't like it's all crazy that much, I still like the band's previous output quite a bit. So, I managed to find a ride, and now here we are.

The first band that played was Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, featuring two members of Gatsbys American Dream, but more reminiscent of Sgt. Pepper's band than anything else. On record, the music is almost incomprehensible, only because of its complexities. Until you see it performed, then you get the big picture. In total, Kay Kay consisted of nine different gentlemen, playing a wide range of instruments, including but not limited to, tuba, trumpet, violin, cello, guitar, bass, keys, drums, all headed by frontman Kirk Huffman. There's so much going on, it's kind of hard to grasp it all, but it's mesmerizing nonetheless. While I, and the company I kept, were quite impressed, I did speak to some audience members who were not. I don't think Kay Kay's for everyone, by any means, but I certainly enjoy it.

While I haven't seen The Dear Hunter since I started this blog at the beginning of 2009, I did see them twice in 2007 and once in '08, and every single time, I've been very pleased (otherwise I wouldn't keep going back). This time was, as expected, no different. The set list was great, several songs from Act III: Life & Death, The Dear Hunter's new (and possibly their best) album, were played, and sounded great live. The other four tracks, all from Act II, also sounded good. The highlight of the show was probably the completely reworked version of "Red Hands," the only thing it shares with the version on the album is lyrics, but musically it was at least as good, if not, maybe better. Also, "Oracles on the Delphi Express" was played somewhat a capella, with a banjo even, also very good. The Dear Hunter always has a special treat in store for their fans at their shows. Still, the sound wasn't as good as I would have hoped, and it wasn't my favorite TDH set that I've seen.

set list:
The Church & the Dime
What It Means to Be Alone
Oracles on the Delphi Express
Mustard Gas
Where the Road Parts
Red Hands
He Said He Had a Story

Yeah, I frequent absolutepunk.net. I'm not the biggest poster or anything, but I'm there a lot, I follow the threads I'm interested in. Most of these are contained in the show reviews/set lists section of the forum. What can I say, I'm a sucker for set lists (as you can see by most of my reviews). Well, I'd been tracking the mewithoutYou set lists on this tour, and I wasn't that impressed. A lot of new songs, and not a lot of my favorite old songs. I didn't really know what to expect, but I couldn't have been happier with the set. The band sounded fantastic too, Aaron Weiss, the band's vocalist, seemed to be in a really great mood. His stage presence is unmatched by anyone. I got most of my favorite songs from Catch For Us the Foxes and Brother, Sister, and they sounded great. There were several notable moments when I felt quite blissful. My favorite was either when Aaron changed the lyrics to "Four Word Letter (Pt. Two)" to "Oh pretenders, let's go down, down to the three rivers to pray!" (a nod to Pittsburgh and it's three rivers), or during "O, Porcupine," when, at the part when the song goes "SHHHH!!! .... listen to it!," the band waited for complete silence before coming back in. In a room containing at least 400 people, complete silence is quite an accomplishment, and when it happens, it feels pretty awesome. Also, during several of the new songs, and the second half of the encore, Kay Kay's tuba, trumpet, violin, and cello players came out and played on the songs. Much of it was inaudible, but occassionally a musical phrase shined through and it added a little something extra to the songs. The whole set was much better than I expected it to be, I'm really glad I went.

set list:
Yellow Spider
A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains
every thought a Thought of You
Tie Me Up! Untie Me!
Carousels
Timothy hay
Orange Spider
Messes of Men
Four Word Letter (Pt. Two)
goodbye, I !
Disaster Tourism
C-Minor
the King Beetle on a Coconut Estate
O' Porcupine
the Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie

encore:
a Stick, a Carrot & String
January 1979
Allah, Allah, Allah
In a Sweater Poorly Knit