SHOW REVIEW
Featuring: I Am The Avalanche, Transit, Daytrader, This Is Hell, Of Fortune and Fame, Criminal
Date: Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Location: The Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY
On May 26th, 2011, I had the privilege of attending a show at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY. Once inside, it is easy to see this bar serves as a unique place to take in live entertainment. The setup is composed of the stage set above a small mosh-pit area, with a raised level surrounding where you are basically eye-level with the bands performing. All in all, a pretty decent setup. Tonight, there were six bands total performing, with a good mixture of genres, from pop-punk to hardcore.
The first act was local band Criminal, who were apparently a bit of a last-minute addition to the set. Before they began, they informed us that it was their first live show. They definitely held their own wielding an intense blend of punk and hardcore. Their lead singer had a strong voice, mixing screams with faster, poppier shouted sections. Their final song in particular showed their strengths, with a slower paced, mellower beat and some excellent guitars.
Second to play was another local band, Of Fortune and Fame. They have more of a pop-punk sound, sounding a bit like Four Year Strong. Their music was fairly generic, but it was well-played. Overall a decent performance, with some catchy tunes. They also had to deal with the loss of their bass halfway through their set, playing one song without before they were able to borrow another.
Third in the lineup was Queens, NY based Daytrader. They blasted through their set, which featured some new songs and also a few from their EP, “Last Days of Rome”. They played their blend of punk very well, with tight instrumentation and excellent vocals. “Kill My Compass” and “Grey-Colored Glasses” were both highlights. This is definitely a band worth checking out if you are into the genre.
The fourth band, This Is Hell, definitely added a nice genre switch to the mix, with an aggressive brand of metal/hardcore. Playing some new songs and some from their last release, they really tore it up. The band was very tight, and the vocals were intense and heavy. “Bloodlines” was fantastic, with a piercing guitar solo and shredding vocals.
Next up was Boston’s Transit, who, admittedly, is the main reason I came out for the show. Their unique sound is not quite pop/punk, not quite hardcore, but a mixture all their own. Tonight, they played a solid set, featuring some new songs, including one which they had completed earlier that day, and some favorites from their past releases, including “For The World”, “Footwork”, and finally closing with the fantastic “Please Head North”. The vocals could have been louder, as sometimes they seemed to get lost behind the rest of the band. That was the only downside to their performance, however, as the band showed off their great skills at times, especially their lead guitarist, who played some great riffs and fill-ins.
Finally, I Am The Avalanche took the stage. I am, admittedly, a newcomer to their music, but after seeing this performance, I am a believer. They really killed it, with every song better than the last, and seemingly building up energy as they played. They played a mix of older songs from their self-titled album, and some new stuff to be released later this fall on their upcoming full-length. Every song was great, but “Green Eyes”, “Brooklyn Dodgers” and “Dead and Gone” were particularly excellent. The crowd really got into it too, which only added to the atmosphere.
Overall, for only $13, it was a great show. Not a huge turnout, but that just added to the intimate nature of the locale, and the fact that you could literally jump on stage with the bands and do some crowd surfing. I highly recommend any fan of punk/post-hardcore to check out and support these bands, and I strongly suggest they some back to Syracuse soon, because we’re always ready for a great show.
– by Trevor Kirch
When it comes to current record labels, none get the unmitigated flack and hatred than Rise Records. Certainly Rise has a model and likes to sign bands of a certain ilk, but if you are a fan of the styles that Rise signs, you can count on consistency above all else. Hell, one of my favorite albums of the past five years was released by Rise, PMTODAY’s In Medias Res (which is a masterpiece of progressive post-hardcore). With all that said, New York’s own DAYTRADER certainly doesn’t fit the traditional Rise mold, as there is nary a breakdown to be had, and the production is clear and loud yet it is unfiltered and raw. The guys in DAYTRADER grew up listening to the best of late 90s/early 2000s emo/punk, so their debut album Twelve Years retains many of the sonic elements that made bands like SAVES THE DAY and FUTHER SEEMS FOREVER so endearing. In fact, I would dare say that Twelve Years is so well done that the band has the potential to be mentioned with those greats one day if they can continue releasing albums like this. Each track has that patented heartfelt nature that is lacking from so much of today’s punk scene. The nostalgic feeling exists because of the execution of the band’s sound. I want to sing back the choruses alone in my room, like I did back with old FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER and TAKING BACK SUNDAY albums. The album will be a surprise for many; Twelve Years has the potential to end up on quite a few year-end lists for fans of the legends of emo/punk. – by Nicholas Senior
