**Disclaimer: I thoroughly enjoyed every single band that performed last night and, on any other night, I would write about each of them and talk about how amazing the atmosphere was. So before you get the end of this article and realize I only talk about two performers and you decide to take to your keyboard to bash me, please realize this: I write a blog post every day. I write about multiple bands every day. I see more shows in a week than some of you probably do in a year. I get tired and burnt out. Last night I was not hired to write for the other blog I work for and went out to the show on my own accord mainly to see two bands on the bill and see some friends. This does not mean I didn’t like the other bands or anything like that, it solely means I’m tired and needed a break and just went to the concert as a fan, not a blogger.**

Last night was the first concert in a long while where I didn’t feel like I was working. I spent more time outside of the actual room where the bands were playing and more time downing crappy beer with the best of friends. Because of that, I missed majority of the bands that played. That’s not because I don’t like them or didn’t want to see them… more because I didn’t have to be at the show last night and I treated it as a night of. I mean, come on, can you blame me?

There were two reasons I decided to spend my night off at a concert. The first reason was Buried Above Ground. Not only are these guys taking the local metal scene by storm, they are some of the best of friends. These are the idiots that I rang in the new year with and the people that I can be spotted socializing with at many shows around the cities. No matter what I write about these guys, they never hold it against me and we always end up hanging out with beers in hand regardless of how much I hated their set.

Thankfully, I don’t have much to bash when it comes to Buried’s set last night. Although they seem to be cursed when it comes to playing the Skyway Theater, other than some small technical difficulties, last night was the first time they get to play through their whole set without being cut short and nobody ended up with staples in their head (last time they played at Skyway Eric, the singer, slipped and fell when trying to hop back on the stage and literally had to get staples in his head.. cursed… I’m not kidding). Their music sounded better and cleaner than ever and the energy was undeniable. Seeing your friends on stage is truly an experience and when you get to just stand there and take it all in instead of taking notes on your phone, it turns into magic.

After Buried Above Ground’s set, I found myself hopping from conversation to conversation and from group to group. Going to a show and being able to just talk to people and catch up is seriously what I’ve been missing. Going to shows every night is amazing and I don’t know that I would ever consider it “work” but, when it comes down to it, when I get hired to cover a show, I have to pay attention to everything going on around me. Last night I didn’t have to and I was definitely taking advantage of it.

The other band on the bill last night that I could not miss was Emmure. These guys get a lot of hate around the scene but they will always be one of my favorites. The band’s reputation comes from singer Frankie Palmeri. Frankie is controversial to say the least. He has said some stupid stuff and has put out some God awful t-shirt designs (he’s notorious for a shirt that took an image from the Columbine school shootings with the phrase “Shoot First Ask Questions Later”). Do I agree with some of his tactics and some of the things he’s said? No. Absolutely not. I do think some of what he has done has been in poor taste or a bit too over the top but, when push comes to shove, he knows damn well what he’s doing. He’s getting people talking and, let’s be honest, his poor choice in words or designs doesn’t change that fact that I absolutely love the music he and his new backing band (his whole band quit on him about a year ago) puts out.

Emmure’s music is brutal. I mean, absolutely brutal. It’s heavy, it’s metal, it’s a bit rap and it’s a whole lot of aggression. The crowd reflects that and I think that’s one of the reasons I fell so in love with these guys. It’s a place where you can get your aggression out safely (at least for the most part). Last night was the first night in awhile where I got to get up in the crowd and just let loose. Yeah, I was feeling it a bit a today and have a couple bruises on my legs from where I took some nice kicks but I loved absolutely every second of it.

Going to the show last night for no other reason than to see some music and hang out with friends was exactly what I needed. I would never call writing this blog and going to show after show “work” but, sometimes it gets tiring. Last night I got to go to a concert because I wanted to go. I got to see the bands I wanted to see and pay as little or as much attention to the bands as I wanted to.

I went to a concert just to go to a concert last night and it was exhilarating… No, it was magical.

Line Up:

AFTER THE BURIAL
Emmure
Fit For A King
Fit For An Autopsy
Invent, Animate
Buried Above Ground

 

Venue: Skyway

Sausage Fest Meter- 8 out of 10

Average Age of the Crowd- 25

Crowd Surfers- Didn’t Count

Stage Divers-Didn’t Count

Broken Bones- No Clue

Fights-None that I know of

Celebrity Sightings- Might be easier to list who wasn’t there.

Overall Score-9 out of 10

Show on Deck-  LVL UP