Friday night showcased the necessity for a frontman that knows how to put on a live show, which is more rare now than one might think.
One of the most diverse tours of the winter stopped at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester and left with the patrons begging for more.
Anberlin, Circa Survive, and Foxy Shazam all brought their high-octane live shows, but only two of the bands were able to warm up the crowd and get it participating.
Foxy Shazam is known around the underground as possessing one of the highest-energy and choreographed live shows in the industry, and it's true. Foxy's live show is Cirque du Soleil meets mosh pit.
From eating cigarettes to jumping onto the guitarist's shoulders mid-song, lead singer Eric Nally did his best to entertain the crowd, but to no avail. The pretentious underage crowd wanted no part of what Foxy presented.
The crowd stood arms-crossed and idle for the entirety of Foxy's set, and the band seemed to be quite offset by the audience. In response to this, Foxy informed the crowd that it was getting the boring ending instead of the acrobatic conclusion the band is famous for.
When Anthony Green and the rest of Circa Survive emerged from the dimly lit backstage, Water Street Music Hall exploded. The band's devoted fanbase had waited long enough; it was time to jam out with the beloved Circa Survive.
It had been nearly two-and-a-half years since Circa Survive had made a stop in Western New York. The select few fans who got a chance to see this sold-out show experienced one of the best live shows in the scene today.
The band seemed to be taken aback by the love Rochester radiated as it began to perform. By the time Circa started to perform their second song, they had begun to use that energy to present a more enjoyable stage show.
Green, the lead singer, came on stage to the roar of the crowd, more so than any other member of the band. From the moment he took the stage, Green had the crowd eating from his hand.
Green is known around the pop-punk world as one of the most dynamic musicians. From starting Saosin, to Circa Survive, to his successful solo career, Green understands what it takes to control the crowd.
The singer's voice was nearly spot-on during the entire show. He was able to hit his signature high notes while also adding a raspy touch, which went well with how heavy the instrumentals were. His voice is eerily reminiscent of Matt Pryor, lead singer of the influential emo group, the Get Up Kids.
While Green perfected the vocals, his supporting cast provided the instrumentals that have become just as prominent as Green's vocal capabilities. Along with the instrumentals, the light show that Circa Survive provided was one to entertain everyone, even those who weren't on drugs.
It would be hard for any band to follow such a high-energy show, but that's exactly what Anberlin did.
These Florida rockers are no strangers to Western New York. Not only does the band tour relentlessly, Anberlin was one of the opening bands for Spring Fest 2010.
Unlike the show at UB, Anberlin had plenty of fans there and were greeted warmly as they took the stage. This is a dramatic change from even just a few years ago, when they were the unknown opener that slowly won people over.
The years that Anberlin have put in to their career are on display during their live shows. Nearly every song was played perfectly, if it did not exceed its recorded counterpart.
Performing material from all five of their albums, Anberlin made sure that their setlist was diverse. Because of this, the band was able to appeal to the fans that had been there all along while also catering to its new fans.
As these seasoned veterans performed, the intensity of the crowd died down. While Anberlin's hardcore fans kept up their energy, it became apparent that most people were there to see Circa Survive.
By the end of the night, there wasn't a single person that didn't have at least a little precipitation on him. Everyone in attendance understood that these three bands are a dying breed, and music isn't made like this anymore.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
