|
Damn Near Killed Him, The Vista Cruisers, The Chrome
Kickers, and Delay
The Symposium
10-08-04
Talk about a bargain. It was only two bucks to
get in to this show, and every one of the bands was more than worth that
small amount. Black Market Massacre had just finished their set when I
got to the club, so unfortunately I missed getting even more value for my
rock n roll dollar. From what I heard from people I talked to, the
band was excellent.
Delay were the first band I caught this evening.
I had never seen these guys before, but had heard they were "pop punk".
That always scares me, but in this case my fears proved unfounded. The
band is definitely melodic, but they don't sacrifice on the power. And
thankfully the singer didn't have one of those annoying whiney voices all
the "punk" bands that get played on MTV and the radio have. The music
was also far more interesting than your usual power chords with a lame
guitar melody. These guys can actually play.
Next up were the Chrome Kickers. Since I last saw
this band, they've dropped the second guitar player. I think the
single axe approach actually suits the guys well. No offense to
ex-Kicker Curt, but the band sounded tighter and crisper than in the past.
The guys also had a few new songs, including the tasteful ode to good
parenting "Shake Your Baby".
If you remember The Interceptors, then you have a
pretty good idea what The Vista Cruisers sound like. They've got a new
drummer, and the old drummer has taken over the guitar slot, but they still
play some of the same tunes and rock just as much as the 'ceptors did.
The band's not so secret weapon is their vocalist, Vinnie A. Bomb.
He's one of the best vocalists/frontmen in town, with a melodic yet raw
style. The band writes simple, catchy songs with great hooks that
stick in your head and has a sound heavily influenced by The Stooges, Dead
Boys, and New Bomb Turks. Catch 'em if you get a chance.
Finally, Damn Near Killed Him closed out the evening's
festivities with a set of dark, moody rock. These guys aren't easy to
pigeonhole, but despite only having been together a short time they already
show promise. The song "Drown", featured on the most recent 'Cleveland
- Ain't it Fun?' compilation, is definitely their best tune. However,
there were some other solid numbers in their set. The lead vocalist
still seems a little stiff on stage, and it seems like they're still working
on finding their sound, but the guys still played a great set.
Definitely a band to watch. (Bob Ignizio)
For pictures, click
here.
 |
