Review: Bayside and Straylight Run at the Living Room, 1/25/08
Bayside’s one of those bands I’ve been trying to see for years. Kind of like the Mars Volta, no matter where Bayside is, I’m not. So when the Bayside date at the Living Room was announced I started structuring my life around this semi-epic event.
After a few personal delays and the time-consuming task of parking the BRU car, I got to the Living Room in time to catch Straylight Run start their set. I missed the openers, Four Year Strong and Tokyo Rose although both were said to put on high energy performances. Overcoming a delay and some guitar-related technical difficulties, Straylight Run greeted the crowd with excitement and appreciation. John Nolan, singer/pianist/guitarist of Straylight, sporting a rustic full beard, and his soft spoken sister/co-singer Michelle Nolan, were modest in speech but blew up with passion and dedication during the songs. Members of the crowd belted out every echoing word of the band’s dramatic music and the entire venue erupted with the lyrics to their 2004 single “Existentialism on Prom Night.” As their set progressed, so did my understanding of how two bands with such different musical styles could fit so well together performing. Straylight’s music features exaggerated instances of Bayside’s moving demeanor and dynamic sound. The bottom-line is that Straylight Run threatened to knock out those closest to the speakers with not only the wonderful cacophony of a band jamming together but the same enthusiasm and devotion that Bayside later delivered; their albums may be different genres but the performances of both bands showcase what it really means to be a Rockstar and why they so enjoy each other’s company.
to expand a category, and follow the links to posts about each topic.