Girl at the Rock Shows

I’ve been feeling numb ever since all of my social media accounts got hacked. Don’t get me wrong; I won’t let the hackers win, and I am more than grateful for everyone helping me try to get my numbers back up as I go through this hellish situation. But the feeling of defeat is real, and I just needed something to make me feel alive again, so, you guessed it, I went to a show on Friday night, hoping to feel a little less violated and a bit more normal.

Up first at Zhora Darling on Friday night was Porch Knights. This is one of those bands where I’ve seen their name multiple times but have yet to have a chance to catch them live, and within just their first song, I realized what a mistake that was. This band has such a cool and unique sound. It’s part rock, part blues, part groove, and all heart. It was truly all over the place, and I loved it. Somehow this band went from doing an original track with a slight grunge-leaning tendency and ended up in a unique interpretation of a Nirvana song. During another track, the band slipped a reference to Cake in there. Like I said, it’s all over the place. Beyond their uncanny way of fitting seemingly random covers into songs where they probably shouldn’t fit, I was struck by the musicianship of this trio. There was one track (which I do not know the name of, so I apologize) where the band played with the time signature. There was a strong beat, don’t get me wrong, but that beat was far from typical, giving the song an almost trippy feel to it. Even though I found it hard to follow the beat, all three members of this band hit everything perfectly, almost convincing you that this is how a beat should be. Long story short, Porch Knights were a great way to kick off the night.

TV for Dogs was next, and I instantly fell in love with this band. The vocalist has a very Matt Pryor quality to his voice, giving every song this slight Get Up Kids influence, but the majority of the songs that the band played in their quick set had more of an edge than your standard Get Up Kids track. Much like the music of Porch Knights, every song was presented with a healthy dose of passion and heart. This was the first time I had ever heard of TV for Dogs, as they are a relatively new band to hit the stage. Their first show was just about ten months ago (okay, I know that seems like a long time, but in the lifespan of a band, it really isn’t). They could have had me fooled. This group felt tight and like they had been performing together for years. This has me so optimistic for the future of TV for Dogs and this surely won’t be the last time I write about them.

I just saw the next band, Battery Eyes, earlier this month, but that didn’t stop me from getting super excited as the trio loaded onto the intimate stage at Zhora Darling on Friday night. The fury that comes from this band is exceptional, and the three members’ talent is not lost in the mix. They powered through their set full of both old and new songs and had the small but excited audience stuck in the palm of their hands all the way through. As I mentioned in my review of this band earlier this month (you can read that one here), Battery Eyes is one of those no-frills kind of bands. They don’t try to be anything other than what they are, and I really appreciate that. With that being said, I feel like their new music brings a little something special to their already stellar sound. The new songs just had a bit more angst behind them and a bit more grit, and hearing them on Friday night makes me so excited to see what comes next for Battery Eyes.

I hadn’t seen the headlining act Unstable Shapes since their show at The Icehouse in April of last year, but I definitely have not forgotten about this band. Their set that night hit me so hard, and their music instantly became a constant in my daily playlists. I was floored by the amount of emotion and passion that they gave off during that set, and it spurred a flurry of texts to all of my friends, telling them that they had to stop everything and check out this band. I have no explanation as to why I haven’t seen them since, but I know that every time my boyfriend has gone to see them while I cover a different show, it has left my heart a week more shattered, so I was beyond excited to get the chance to see them again finally.

As soon as the band started into their post-hardcore set, all of the stress I had been feeling all week melted away. It was insane to finally feel the weight of the world come off my shoulders. The thunderous waves of sound that washed over me with every song that this band played seemed to cleanse my soul in an odd way. Every time vocalist Andrew Cahak would scream, I felt my soul screaming along with him as if releasing all of the pain and anger I had been feeling all week. I seriously can not understate the amount of raw emotion that comes from Andrew’s vocals. Honestly, it’s what hooked me into this band, but I stayed for the instrumentation. Sure, you could call Unstable Shape’s overall sound a little “Unstable,” but that’s what makes it so perfect. Yeah, you can focus on the words that Andrew is singing and screaming, but, really, every note played by any of the members of this band acts as lyrics telling a story of everything from the positive to the negative (although mostly leaning negative).

Since Tuesday, I’ve been feeling off-kilter, on edge, and frankly, a bit down. But thanks to the performances of Porch Knights, TV for Dogs, Battery Eyes, and Unstable Shapes, I’m starting to see a glimmer of light. Their music has lifted my spirits, and I’m ready to show the world that I can bounce back from this minor setback.

Line Up:

Porch Knights

TV For Dogs

Battery Eyes

Unstable Shapes

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 2 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

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

Porch Knights– 0

TV For Dogs – 0

Battery Eyes – 1

Unstable Shapes – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 9 out of 10

Show on Deck — Kepi Ghoulie / Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band / Dingus

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