Stars and Scars Brofest - Old First Church 1/24/09
Review by Tyler Clark
Nowadays, many people see music as a lost art. Greedy record labels and mass-marketed, talentless idols blind our eyes. Little do they know, there's something bubbling just below the surface. Something so honest, so sincere, so passionate that it's unstoppable. I've witnessed first hand the siren song of our scene, and it was amazing!
The lights dim and Between Me and You take the stage. They waste no time in pumping up the crowd. Midway through the first song "Yesterday," the lead singer Brett, is already straying out into the crowd. "Yesterday" sounds awesome from the start with a breakdown in the middle that every hardcore band should be jealous of. The entire band is in perfect sync with consistent energy throughout their entire set. Between Me and You combine fast and vicious instruments with a vocal style completely devoid of screaming to craft a sound that I can't get enough of!
All members of Like the Stars take the stage except for lead singer AJ. When he does arrive, he appears to be in a lively mood, blaming his absence on a "death metal show" he attended. Seconds into the first song, Like the Stars' charisma is apparent as they have everyone clapping along. Since the audience and the band are standing on the same level, AJ climbs on a monitor, letting everyone in the crowd experience the show equally. The microphone makes its way into the crowd numerous times where it's met by kids screaming the words. I'd love to join in, if only I knew the words. The last song is intense and the band finishes with amazing energy!
When We Scream Hero are set to play their last show ever and it's safe to say everyone's excited to see them - just ask the kid in the homemade When We Scream Hero t-shirt. The band hold nothing back and neither does the audience. This becomes crystal clear when they play a cover of "Sugar, We're Goin Down" by Fall Out Boy. My entire face instantly turns into a huge grin at the sound of old school Fall Out Boy. The entire room is red-hot as we all shout the lyrics at the top of our lungs. By the end of the set, the stage is a mess of bodies; everyone wants to be apart of When We Scream Hero's last show.
As soon as The Comeback Season start playing "Cities," the room explodes! "Cities" has me excited from the beginning with the first mention of Jersey and leaves me dreaming of 48-track mixtapes. Kids in the front row are singing along, while a few bold kids in the back start crowd surfing. The Comeback Season finish their first song and implore everyone to take two steps back. We all know the audience could easily swallow the band at any moment. The audience's intensity is matched only by the band, who can't stop jumping up and down. For the final song, Joe doesn't even attempt to sing the beginning - he lets the crowd do all the work. The Comeback Season finish up, swarmed by the crowd and exhausted from an outstanding set.
The Call Out are up last and everyone is in a frenzy. I'm surprised this tiny church is able to contain the energy and excitement. The first song starts out fast and passionate, which gets everyone moving. The Call Out don't let up for one second and become more encouraged with everyone singing along. AJ of Like the Stars is invited to the stage for a cover of "The Best of Me" by The Starting Line and things get crazy! The Call Out's version is a little faster and harder, but it still sounds excellent, and of course, I'm singing along!
At this point, kids are flying all over the place and there is no distinction between the band and the audience. A few brave souls dive off of a nearby table and into the fray. Here, in the midst of it all, nothing matters. Everyone's here to have a good time and just let everything miserable in life fall by the wayside for a few hours. With this tiny room on fire and bodies crashing down all around them, The Call Out finish strong with "Playing with Matches," then say goodnight.