Girl at the Rock Shows

Sure, going to see superstars play at giant arenas and buzzy bands playing at legendary venues is fun, but have you ever gone to a local spot to see a good buddy play? I could have been at multiple shows on Thursday night, but, in the great words of New Found Glory, “I’d still pick my friends over you!” That’s how I found myself at Day Block Brewing Company on Thursday night. Sure, I knew that the style of music wasn’t going to be quite my thing, but I knew that I would see some familiar faces that, due to living this lifestyle, I don’t get to see much of, and that made it more than worth it.

First up was the debut performance of Death of the Heron. I’ll be honest; this felt like a first show. It was a little rough around the edges, but some of that was the space (it wasn’t really fit for a show like this) and the way the sound guy seemed not to care. Overall, I really liked Death of the Heron’s proggy sound and the way the vocals were presented in an almost harsh whisper. It was a cool vibe that, although leaning a bit more toward hard rock than I tend to go for, had a distinct style that I can appreciate. I also really appreciated their cover of a MUSE song. I’m not a huge MUSE fan, so I couldn’t tell you what song it was, but it was smart for this brand-new band to play a track that most people in the audience would know. All in all, Death of the Heron gave a solid debut performance and definitely made some fans.

The changeover between Death of the Heron and Shadow Lake was long due to what I assume to be a lack of attention by the sound guy and the fact that the PA the bands were using on Thursday night wasn’t quite powerful enough for the bands that were performing, but this band was worth the wait. I’ll be honest: I wanted to dislike this band but for all of the wrong reasons. They took the stage wearing football jerseys in honor of the draft happening at the same time, but I’m a bit of a purist and don’t understand sports. I feel like, if you’re into music, be into music, don’t muddy it up with sports, but I digress. I was able to look past the jerseys the second this young band started playing.

Shadow Lake’s sound is right up my alley. It’s a throwback to the emo and metalcore-leaning bands of the early 2000s but with a modern twist. I loved the balance that this band has found between tenderness and intensity and loved the contrasting vocals and how they fit together. There was emotion behind everything they did but also a sense of fun with the way they seemed to interact with the crowd and each other. That fun really came to the spotlight as the band played their cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” I honestly thought harder bands like this covering pop songs were a thing of the past, so this cover gave me a moment to go a bit further on my walk down nostalgia lane with this band. On top of that, the cover was just particularly well done. Shadow Lake had an uphill battle with me, but they ended up winning with ease.

Up next was Weekend Picnic. Full disclosure– the hard rock vibe of this band was not for me. I had expected this just knowing what I knew of the headlining act, and I did my best not to let it affect my opinion of this band. Sure, their music wasn’t for me, but Weekend Picnic was well rehearsed and brought a true sense of power to the super small stage. Vocalist Ehren Thomas absolutely has an impressive set of pipes. The way he was able to hit some of the highest of high notes after spending time in a lower range had me captivated to the point where I almost forgot that he oddly looked a lot like my brother. Add a cover of Hoobastank’s “Crawling in the Dark,” and I was left with a set that I really couldn’t complain about. I know that makes it sound like I was just looking for complaints throughout the night, but I promise that’s not the case. I’m just trying to convey the fact that I was super impressed by the talent of this band, even though their overall sound wasn’t quite right for me.

Somehow, the set change between Weekend Picnic and headlining act The Failsafe was one of the quickest of the nights. Although I feel like this led to questionable sound quality throughout the set, my heart fluttered as this local band kicked into their set. The drummer of this band and I go way back. I honestly don’t remember meeting him (he told me that he showed up at a house party that my roommates threw back in the day, and I said something a bit questionable, and he knew, at that moment, that we were going to be friends) but I know that I will support my friends until the end and even though I often refer to his music as “butt rock,” I was so stoked to see him doing what he loves– playing the drums and playing them damn well. You’re not here to hear about my friendship with Chad; you are here to hear about the show, so let’s talk about that.

Like Weekend Picnic, the sound of The Failsafe leans just a bit too heavily into the hard rock vein of things for my personal taste. Don’t get me wrong, they do it super well, but the almost commercial-styled choruses contrasting with the heavier guitar chugs of something resembling metal just have never been my thing. What does hook me about this band are their lyrics. You all know by now that I’m a sucker for positive lyrics or the complete opposite. I want a song that either makes me cry because it hits too close to home or I want a song that gives me triumphant energy and reminds me that all of the hard rock I put into every day of my life is worth it. The Failsafe leans into that later description and I felt life being breathed into me with every passing word.

I walked into the show on Thursday night solely because I had a friend playing and not because of the music. I knew what I was going to get musically– it was going to be a lot of what I consider “butt rock” with people who don’t concert often trying to “pit” around me. I wasn’t wrong about that, but I forgot how much joy I find in watching the people I love doing what they love. In the words of the greatest man on the planet (AKA my father), “[all of the bands were] great at what they do– I just don’t like what it is that they do.”

Line Up:

Death of the Heron

Shadow Lake

Weekend Picnic

The Failsafe

Venue: Day Block Brewing Company

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 25

Crowd Surfers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 out of 10

Amount of Alcohol Spilled on Me- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Bananas (long story)

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out Kids- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security- 0

How Many Drumsticks Chad Dropped During The Failsafe’s Set – 3

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Death of the Heron – 0

Shadow Lake – 0

Weekend Picnic – 0

The Failsafe – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 8 out of 10

Show on Deck- The Casualties / Strung Out / Venomous Pinks

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