Twin Cities Hardcore – Show Reviews

The first awesome thing about show was upon arriving to the venue, some guy outside handed me a free ticket. I was totally shocked…This actually happens? If the person that gave me the ticket is reading this, you seriously made my day.

Kylesa opened, and probably managed to riff about a quarter of the audience to death within the first 10 minutes of their set. They mainly stuck to material from 2009’s Static Tensions, but also played three new songs. I really like this band on record, and it seems to translate to a live setting pretty well. The new material left me pretty psyched for the upcoming record.

This was my first time seeing Torche, and I really can’t say anything proper about how great they were. They mainly stuck to the material from the new Songs for Singles ep, which continues with the more “poppy” direction established on their previous record Meanderthal. Everything sounded good and loud, and it was very apparent that Steve Brooks and company have a blast playing live. Torche ended their set with a few earlier, heavier numbers (Tarpit Carnivore! ), utilizing the “bomb note” found on the earlier material. I’ve rarely seen a band sound so huge/heavy live as they did. Check this band out if you haven’t already.

High on Fire was for the most part entertaining as usual, however there were some issues. Matt Pike seemed rather exhausted/drunk (purely speculation..), which may have caused some vocal issues, but there didn’t seem to be any problems riff-wise. I’m a big fan of Pike’s guitar playing (Holy Mountain, c’mon…), so it’s always cool to see it happen live. Unfortunately the previously mentioned issues, combined with a plague of tour problems and pretty serious rig malfunctions all night eventually caused a walk offstage, and an awkward end to the evening. Respect to the HoF bass player for finishing the set with gusto and trying to pull things together. They managed to come back out to end the set properly, but unfortunately there were still some serious amplifier malfunctions happening. Despite the problems, I still found a bad High on Fire set to be enjoyable.

And now, I’m off to work, where I’ll pretend to be able to hear for the rest of the day…

-Tony Brunner

High Hopes opened this show on Father’s Day with a solid set, playing their new ep “Remote” from front to back. I’ve seen this band plenty of times and they always have a great vibe and look like they’re having a lot of fun playing their songs. Plus, it was nice to hear some new songs after seeing them play the same stuff for a couple years.

Naysayer came on second and while it looked like they had a lot of people into them, they didn’t do much for me. Most of their songs just blended together and nothing really stood out from the other bands. They had a good stage presence and looked like they were passionate about what they were doing, so I’ll give them that at least.

Foundation came on next and really killed it. I’d never listened to these guys prior to the show, and didn’t really know anything about them except for being straight edge and signed to B9. I think that’s always the most impressive, when a band can give me a good first impression like that. The front man was the most entertaining for me, the dude went nuts for every song and you could definitely tell he gave it 110%. I didn’t have cash on me to pick up any of their records, but I definitely ordered the Hang Your Head 7″ from Six Feet Under when I got back home.

Up next was Grave Maker, who I had seen last year at The Beat with Regret. I pretty much forgot about this band until I found out they were signed to Victory and playing this show. I’m really torn on this band though; they have songs that I’m really into, but just as many stinkers. That Home is Where the Heart is 7″ is awesome though, and I was glad to see some songs from that.

Closing the show was the almighty Terror, and it was a rager. I’ve seen them a couple times now and it’s always been awesome, but this was probably the best I’ve ever seen them. They played everything I wanted to hear, and all the classics like Spit My Rage and Betrayer and shit, and the kids went wild. Even the new songs they played were good too. I wasn’t a big fan of The Damned, The Shamed but I’m more than excited to hear the new record now. There were plenty of stagedives, mic grabs, singsongs and Vogelisms to go around, just how a Terror show should be. Scott Vogel gave a very good speech on how hardcore is still alive and well in 2010, and you could tell that by the massive amount of people there.  The turnout was insane by the time they played, I’d guess over 200 people were packed into the Triple Rock to see them…and this is just for Minneapolis. If Terror is the band that keeps hardcore going in the country, I’d be fine with that.

-Nate Dimit

On this warm Saturday night I biked on over to the Triple Rock to see Crime In Stereo and some other bands. A few friends had made it out, but unfortunately not a whole lot of people showed up at all.

The first band to play was Robbers from New York. They had a decent number of people watching them since one of their members was originally from Waconia I guess. They played a somewhat spacey kind of indie rock. It was pretty boring and reminded me of having to watch Circa Survive one time, which was difficult. A few songs in I walked down to taco bell and got an 89 cent five layer burrito and walked back and there were still about four songs left. Maybe it’s just me but there’s not many bands I can see play for that long and still be stoked on. Even if its bands I like. Finally Robbers was done and I got to see Joel talk to people from high school and get very uncomfortable.

Tonight, we (Relentless) got the chance to jump on a show with Donnybrook!, Grave Maker, Venia, and locals, Stand Apart. Not knowing what to expect out of a show at The Vault in Buffalo, MN on a Tuesday night, I was anxious on the long drive out there. I have left The Vault many times with a horrible taste in my mouth due to terrible promos, bands, and as a result, draw.

Surprisingly, I saw a decent crowd of kids when I arrived and then hoped for the best! Due to circumstances beyond our control, Relentless played first. I am not going to review my own band for the sake of it being a lame thing to do.

Stand Apart played after us and they got some kids moving. Their cover of “Set It Off” got some dudes from the touring bands to mosh a little and also coaxed Bill to destroy some kids.

Venia, the Buffalo heroes (j/k), were awesome and tight as usual. It is fun to watch the kids lose their minds to this band! They are one of the hardest working bands out there today.

Speaking of hardest working bands, newly signed (to Victory Records) Grave Maker took the stage after teasing Ryan, guitarist of Relentless, with some Slayer riffage. Energy! This band exudes it! I was unaware that so many kids were into this band. Lots of people were singing along and moving in the pit. Hearing the song “Vlad the Impaler” live blew me away. Such a good band that is destined for good things.

The night ended with Donnybrook!, featuring members of Terror, Thick as Blood, and Furious Styles (at least tonight). Again, I wasn’t sure how this crowd would react to this band since they really haven’t been active for close to five years as far as albums and touring. I was personally stoked to see these guys again. Thinking I might be the only person to sing along, I was proved wrong. The younger crowd surprised me! The banter between songs was fun, and gross at times, “Buffalo, you popped our MN cherry!” Things went downhill quick. They played almost everything off of Lions In the Game, including their cover of District 9, which I was super excited about!

Overall, the night was a success and left me feeling good about what happened!

-Nick Sanchez

The show did pretty well, as was expected. Not an insane amount of people but perfect for a big show at the Beat. A fair amount of Twin Cities kids and a lot of out of area kids came out as well. It was good to see some good friends come from Wisconsin, Fargo, and even as far as Winnipeg for the show.

First band on the Bill was Getting Even. Getting Even is definitely one of the best bands coming out of Minnesota right now. These guys play awesome 80′s style hardcore punk in the vein of Negative Approach, Circle Jerks, etc. They played fast and solid with a hell of a lot of energy. The only downside of their set was the fact that, similar to most bands like this, all the songs sounded fairly similar. Regardless of this, check this band out and pick up a demo. You won’t regret it.

The next band up was Arms Aloft from Eau Claire. Seeing this band is always a treat. They do a damn good job playing catchy pop punk like a handful of awesome bands from around here like D4 and Off With Their Heads. They played a short but sweet set. Always a little hard to hear the vocals in a Venue like the beat but this aside they sounded pretty good.

Next was Harm’s Way. Harm’s Way is a ridiculously heavy metallic straightedge hardcore band from Chicago. They played pretty much all songs off of their new LP ‘Reality Approaches’ and nothing off of their old 7” which sounds a lot more like Infest. Harm’s Way totally killed it, sounding super tight and super heavy. The mosh was definitely brought, even by my uncoordinated out of shape self. The band sounded awesome and with limited ignorance, everyone seemed to have a pretty damn good time.

Finally was Blacklisted. This band has always blown me away live, and as someone who likes the direction their music went I thought there set was phenomenal. This band over the last few albums has evolved from pretty straight forward hardcore into a strange yet cool post-grunge rock kinda thing. The mix of screaming and raspy singing brings for a much more interesting listen than most bands out there. They sounded fantastic and got a pretty good response, at least for the songs they played off Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God. Their set may have disappointed a few of the mosh warriors, but seemed to blow away everyone else. I would have preferred to hear a song or two off of The Beat Goes On (Tourist maybe?) but still loved every second of the set.

Overall it was a good show with a good turnout. I’m new to this whole show review thing and this may have sounded like I was just kissing up to every band, but this was a genuinely a good show where all the bands sounded awesome. Well that’s it. Hopefully people can keep shows going at this level, regardless of the size of the touring bands. Peace the fuck out.

-Brady Mason

So NEVERENDER opened the show. It was their first show, and I was pleasantly surprised. They play mid-tempo hardcore with some hints of melody. The singer was stoked and had good energy. I think as time goes on they will grow into their own.

Second band to play was BRING THAT SHIT, and they brought that shit! With members of local faves, IN DEFENCE and PANDAMONIUM, BRING THAT SHIT plays fast, sloppy, pissed off hardcore. For me, they were the highlight of the night. As mentioned at the show, Triple Rock kitchen staff were in attendance and they knew how to have fun! That being said, the drummer of BRING THAT SHIT had a little temper tantrum that was way out of line! I don’t care if you’re drunk or not! Don’t disrespect the space by throwing your gear around and smashing it on the stage. Not O.K.!

Third was MUCH WORSE who play fast hardcore, but not your average fast, punk riffs. They have their own personality for sure. Their singer, Max, is a definite wild man. He jumps around and yells as if he’s hopped up on goof balls! Definitely check them out if you get a chance.

Fourth was local straight edge mosh heads RELENTLESS. Relentless bring the mosh! They were loud as fuck, and tight as always. Their newer songs have a thrashier feel than their earlier stuff, which to me, is a plus.

Last was WEEKEND NACHOS. I still don’t understand how this band can bring out pure violence in people. It’s something else! First note they played kids started going apeshit. With no real rhythm, which is hilarious! WEEKEND NACHOS blasted through their brand of fast noisy hardcore, and Caution’s vocals still sound like MONSTER X, if you’re into that sort of thing. Ha!

All in all it was a good night, and a good amount of kids for the Twin Cities on a Sunday night.

- Kevin Herwig

I was looking forward to this show for a while because I wanted to crush my curiosity about a couple of things. First, do people attend shows with mid-level touring bands during the week? Second, what type of people would come out to see Andy Hurley, of Fall Out Boy, play drums in Burning Empires?

I had to roll up to Kinhdo for a pre-game meal, which as always, does not disappoint. Unfortunately, I missed the opener, High Hopes, so I apologize because they are one of the few local bands I have yet to see.

In Defence was the first band I saw. They remind me of early Agnostic Front mixed with some mid-80′s crossover bands. This band seems to play a lot of shows in the area but the majority of their local fan base was not in attendance. At times, they received a good response but I thought their set was too long. One thing that stood out to me was that they covered Ready to Fight by Negative Approach. Which got me thinking, why do so many bands cover this song? I would love to hear Tied Down, Can’t Tell No One, or even Evacuate. In Defence has been tight every time I’ve seen them although I can’t understand why their front man never stops talking about tacos.

I altogether missed the Ambush set because I was catching up with some friends from Milwaukee that I have not seen in awhile. They sounded decent but I don’t think I missed out on too much.

While Burning Empires set up the room filled with kids wanting to bow at the alter of Andy Hurley. I went in with an open mind because I have been friends with the majority of the band for years but did not want them to be a “good dude” band. The crowd was mixed with core show regulars and your typical teenage Warped Tour combatants. Burning Empires started out pretty weak vocally at first and the guitars were way too low. As the set went on, the vocals became stronger but the guitars continued to be weak. I guess I should not complain because it was in a coffee house after all. Vocalist, Ryan Morgan (Misery Signals), took the time to explain each song, which is something I don’t see many bands do anymore. Of course you do not have to stand up there and give a workshop, but hardcore is built with substance and expressing thoughts and ideals you feel strongly about. Overall, Burning Empires has their own sound that reminds me of Comeback Kid mixed with weirdo elements of Helmet. In the end, they left a good impression on me. I just hope they don’t waste their time being a band that loses their identity and passion on package tours.

As expected, some people left after the Hurley experience, but there were a lot of kids that actually stuck around to see the last two bands even though they had probably never heard of them before.

Forfeit from Syracuse, NY came next. I have never seen them before and I’m not into their recordings but I wanted to see if they could kill it live. Kids were totally into it from the first note. You would have thought No Warning was playing because this band had all their moves down. The singer did say that people put way too much into how they look and who cares if you are fat, skinny, or ugly because everyone has bigger problems to deal with. They got the best response of the night for sure, maybe not as many people watching as Burning Empires, but they had sing-a-long’s, bad moshing, and overall your typical late 2000′s show action.

Outbreak had their work cut out for them by headlining the evening. I have never been into Outbreak because a few years ago I was tired of how hyped they were yet I thought they were just okay. At this point in the show, the only people left were there to see them. I assume they were playing new songs at the beginning because people were not that into it. When they busted into older songs it seemed to rejuvenate the crowd. The best part about their entire set was this kid who was wearing a Blink-182 shirt and the worst shoes ever, just head banging the whole time. He probably had the most fun of anyone there and I back that because he was just hanging…not trying to flex or impress but just be there to scope bands! Anyway, at times Outbreak were too sloppy for my liking, and maybe that is what they are going for, but they did not really do it for me. Tonight did not change my opinion of them but they do give 100% when they play.

Overall, it was probably the best smaller hardcore show I have been to since moving here. Hopefully kids continue to come out to good hardcore shows and make bands thankful they decided to play in the Twin Cities.

- Jim Grimes