I really did try to go into last night with a good attitude. Of course, I already had an opinion on Trivium, the headlining act. I really didn’t know much about Tremonti (the co-headliner) but I knew there was a connection to Alter Bridge and Creed… a connection to Creed… need I say more? So obviously, it took every ounce of me to walk in with a good attitude but I did it.
I was so proud of myself. I grabbed my bottle of water. Found my favorite spot along the wall of Mill City Nights up against the barriers in front of the stage and thought happy thoughts.
“Tonight is going to be a good night. Tonight is going to be a good night.”
Being in a music scene is like being part of a family. Yeah, yeah, yeah you get this. I write about this all the time. There was no sense of family last night. I’ve never once had to pay to see my family, you had to pay to meet the two headlining acts last night. Wilson was the only band that was chilling by the merch table and making friends… the way a band should act.
There was a sign at the merch table that said $50 for a meet and greet and a T-shirt. Don’t get me wrong, there are people that I would die to meet but I refuse to pay to meet a musician. Music is about family and being accessible. I want to be able to wander around at a show and literally bump into the one of the band members that was just on stage. I want to go up to the merch booth and have to buy directly from a band member. Musicians are not royalty, they are just like you and I only more talented (or in Trivium’s case, lucky that they got on Guitar Hero).
It only took Trivium fifty five minutes to get the stage set up and to get going. Only fifty five minutes… only. That right there is a huge turn off. You aren’t that special to need that time. Getting the stage just right isn’t going to make or break your show. They were not off to a good start in my book.
Trivium and Tremonti got up, played their sets (although I’m not convinced that some of the instruments were even turned on), got down, and the night was over. It left me feeling nothing.
I came home ranting and raving to my roommate about the show and I couldn’t stop talking about Wilson (mainly because they were the only highlight of the show). That’s when she said, “Yeah, we saw them last August with He Is Legend.” Unfortunately, I may or may not have been slightly inebriated (okay, I was wasted, sorry mom and dad) and do not remember seeing them. What a shame because they were great last night.
Being the sole opening band on a tour with two well known headliners has to be rough. It didn’t seem to phase the guys in Wilson. They got up on stage right at 7:30 and commanded the crowd from the first note.
Their sound is unique but not weird. It’s rock and metal but not just loud noise. It’s party music! It makes you want to dance. During the last song, the singer left the stage and came back with a giant marching bass drum on. He was banging the hell out of that thing and it put a smile on my face. It was simple, dumb, but you know what? I’ll remember that and I will be going to see them again next time they come to town just because I will remember that moment.
Looking back, it made sense that they played with He Is Legend last time I saw them. They have the same kind of style and sound. It made no sense that they were on the show last night. They were too good and sounded nothing like the headliners. More importantly, they acted nothing like the headliners.
I felt absolutely nothing last night after the opening band.
Line Up:
Venue: Mill City Nights
Sausage Fest Meter- 234 out of 10
Broken Bones- None
Average Age- 25
People wearing Trivium shirts to the Trivium show just in case someone didn’t know they were a fan- 79.45% of the crowd
Juiced up guys who were not even slightly attractive- 87.9% of the crowd
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