LIVE REVIEW: Taking Back Sunday & The Used

 

I am convinced that one of the requirements to be a band on this tour was: LEAD SINGER MUST BE A BUNDLE OF ENERGY.

That’s one thing I clocked almost immediately. Each lead singer was electric. In fact, I would go as far as saying that each band had a buzzing energy about them, which is very much appreciated. After going to a few shows, it’s common to see one member of the group jumping around happily like a kid, while the rest just kind of stand around and “do their part.” Not on this tour.

This tour was refreshing, like doing a cannonball into cool water on a blisteringly hot day.

Sleepwave kicked off the sold out show, and finale to the tour, and shook the crowd. The St. Petersburg-based band is full of familiar faces during their live shows, which added to many of the attendees’ curiosity.

While I had listened to Sleepwave before, and seen many of the live members in their other bands, I had never seen them live, and I have to say, I was impressed. Their set was energetic, crowd-pleasing, and interactive. They appeared to enjoy being on stage as much as the crowd enjoyed listening to them, which made for great entertainment.

Next up was Tonight Alive. One thing I found amusing about this set was the reaction of male audience members afterwards: “Man, that chick was awesome. You never see a girl fronting a band like that, dude.” Perhaps a slightly ignorant comment, considering the many wonderful front-women out there, but I suppose it’s a decent compliment. Jenna McDougall is a powerhouse who is truly awe-inspiring. After watching her dance and jump around on stage like she does, it’s incredible she still has the breath to belt out the words to the songs. The interaction amongst the group was fun to see as well; the sly grins and nods to one another as they played really solidified the image of “team” between each member.

As Matt Best went to town on the drums, the crowd seemed to follow along, becoming increasingly excited.

By the time The Used hit the stage, the House Of Blues had a real spark to it; the energy in the room was enough to generate the club’s electricity for the evening.

The set for The Used was amazing, and almost impossible to tear my eyes away from. With stacked TV-boxes filled with lights, “USED” was spelt out across the stage, illuminating the crowd and adding a really cool feel to the overall set. The band shot out like a bat out of hell, with Bert McCracken jumping like a maniac, with infectious energy that quickly spread itself among the venue. As someone who was already a fan, I didn’t think The Used could impress me any more than usual, but I found myself in awe of their stage presence, which, pardon the pun, considering their set design, seemed to illuminate the whole room.

Of course, the one aspect of their show I found myself admiring the most was their interaction with every person in the room; there was a joke or two, a statement, and of course, a few, “HEY ORLANDO, HOW YOU FEELING TONIGHT?!”

You cannot buy good crowd-interaction, and it is steadily becoming a lost art form thanks to the now-common human inability to communicate face-to-face rather than screen-to-screen.

The excitement for Taking Back Sunday pushed forward, and when the band hit the stage, it was like a balloon, slowly filling with air, had finally popped. The screaming and singing; even the dancing! It was like the night had hit a point where each concert attendee could no longer contain themselves, not that I could blame them.

I was buzzing at seeing the group that had graced so many copies of magazines I grew up reading; whose songs had filled my room many a time, from when I was thirteen to now. I didn’t know whether to snap a photo or stare up at them and grin like an idiot.

Their set, much like the other groups that evening, was full of fun and high-packed with a good dose of energy.

It was during Taking Back Sunday’s set that I recognized many of the characteristics of other bands I loved watching live; the way Adam Lazzara swings the microphone around his neck and all over the place, the certain movements Eddie Reyes made while focusing in on a chord. Just noticing those things made me realize how influential this band has been over the years, and it’s a very cool thing to spot, as is Adam Lazzara’s dancing skills. Seriously. Watch his feet next time he performs. He is surprisingly graceful.

Overall, I found the show to be incredible. The line-up was perfect; each band seemed to compliment each other well without imitation. Below are two close-up shots I took. The rest of the photos will be live in the next two or three days on FACEBOOK. Be sure to ‘like’ us!