Sunday, October 24, 2010

Four Year Strong, Comeback Kid andThe Wonder Years concert review

And the day finally came where I was able to go see The Wonder Years, a relatively new band to my music arsenal but quickly rising to one of my favorites overall.
As Matt (KCR Radio/Music Still Exists) and I got to the venue, SOMA in San Diego, we met up with The Wonder Years tour manager John and got set up with the lead singer, Soupy, in the bands van to do an interview (will be posted on YouTube later today). As we shot him some questions, had some technical difficulties, and talked about cheese steaks, I was impressed by how genuine of a guy he was and how much he really cared about people just by the short time we got to spend together.
As we headed into the venue, we caught the last of local band A Dull Science’s set. The shirtless punk trio we stoked to be playing on the bill as they sold the required 150 tickets to get on the lineup.
Next on was a new band to me, American Fang. This music they played I could only relate to that of the Transplants, with hard lyrics and same style, it made for an interesting 20 minute set.
The Wonder Years were next on the bill. The band came out strong with “Logan Circle” of their album The Upsides. The ripped through several tracks off that album as well as some from past albums, and taking time for Soupy to talk to the crowd. He really emphasized on the importance of this album in his life and how it was meant to be uplifting to the crowd. The band definitely caught the attention of the few hundred fans that were there. They closed out their set with Washington Square Park and My Friends Play in Bar Bands. The high energy and creativity on stage made this band a much watch and made me more of a fan through their excellent live performance.
                                                               Soupy of The Wonder Years 
Comeback Kid came up next, and if you are afraid of contact, this band is not for you. The hardcore band brought their fast paced tempo their yelling lyrics and impressive guitar skills as the crowd responded with equal energy and even larger circle pits. It is quite a sight to see a bunch of kids running around in a circle listening to a band, but it seems to fit and I fully accept it. The band whipped up their 40 minute set with several new songs leaving the crowd stoked and ready for Four Year Strong.
Comeback Kid

As anticipated, Four Year Strong (Worcester, MA.) came out firing and played exceptional. Through the bands 60 minute set, they ripped through crowd favorites and invited the crowd to get amped as they responded throwing their hands in the air and having a great time with their hard core dancing. After getting to close to the dancers and getting a well placed kick to the groin, I moved back to enjoy the rest of the show from the back. Even from the back, I was able to enjoy the show and really made me appreciate what a show in a small venue is like. Seeing the full light show take place, seeing how excited the crowd was and viewing the whole band at once, truly amazing how great music is in everyone’s lives. Four Year Strong came out for an encore after their first part of their set to play one acoustic song and ended with the favorite, “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die”.
Four Year Strong
Overall, really impressed with the show. The energy brought by the bands, the musicianship presented and the overall crowd led me to have an enjoyable night. If this show is coming through your area, make sure you attend, you won’t regret this show.

No comments:

Post a Comment