popwreckoning

I have been a big fan of The Graduate and Ludo for about 5 or 6 years now, so I was really excited to see them play at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City on October 12.

The show started off with Tommy and the High Pilots, a pop-rock band that had a hinting of Ludo’s quirky style. In a surprise for the crowd, the High Pilots had two members of Ludo playing with them on keys and drums, so they definitely fit the overall sound of the band. The High Pilots had a huge energy that seemed to engage the entire crowd to listen and dance along. Their use of harmonies is definitely one thing that stuck out in my mind. The harmonies were so well done and executed that it sounded like I was listening to a CD rather than a live show.

Next up was (my personal favorite) The Graduate. The vibe their set gave off is always so hard for me to put into words. I have seen them numerous times, coincidentally they always seem to tour through KC with Ludo, and I first found out about them at a show. Their energy, catchy hooks and ambient riffs, along with driving intricate drum fills, reel the crowd in. Even if you don’t know the songs you will try to dance and sing along with Corey Warning. Though at this particular show, they seemed to lack the part where two or three of the guys (along with a few member form other bands) run out into the crowd with various drums and break down mid song right in the center of the crowd… You almost just have to be there to experience it for yourself. However, I was really disappointed at the shortness of their set. If I can recall correctly, I believe they only played 6 or 7 songs, which I guess is an appropriate amount for an opening band. Needles to say, I wanted to hear more.

Then was There for Tomorrow. I’ve seen them live a few times and each time I am really impressed by how much they put into their set. They seem to give 110% for every show they play and that is something I really respect. A friend of mine who was at the show with me mentioned that they make up a big part of his “workout” playlist on his iPod and you can definitely see why. There for Tomorrow’s set was full of high energy, beat-pumping rock tunes that definitely upped the overall energy of the show. Their use of lights and smoke was not too over the top and actually provided an appropriate effect for their style of music. They have added a little ambient edge to their set that really illuminated their great chord changes and melodies.

Ludo‘s performance was amazing as expected. From the first time I have seem them (not initially being a fan) to the 7th or 8th time, they always seem to…lack for a better phrase… bring it. One of the more memorable moments of their set was when they whipped out one of their new songs, “Whipped Cream,” complete with pelvic thrusting choreography (like in there hilarious music video). The entire crowd spent each and every stanza of the chorus pelvic thrusting and fist pumping to the left, then to the right along with the Ludo guys. They are one of those bands that you simply MUST see live, even if you think you may not be the biggest fan of their music, their performance will reel you in. They are entertaining and amazing musicians. I had the chance to see them perform an acoustic set several years ago at the Apple Store on the Plaza (random place for a show, but it was perfect!) before their set at the Beaumont, and I was amazed.

I had an amazing time at the show and all four bands catered to a decent sized crowd at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City. As for the lack of an extended Graduate set… until next time fellas… perhaps a headlining show would be more than over due…

Written by Sarah Hassan and Andrew Dunlap. Photos by Andrew Dunlap.

On January 21, 2010, among an influx of a sold out crowd full of a majority of 12-16 year old girls, three bands prepared for a night of great electro-pop music at the Beaumont Club in KC: Deas Vail, Lights and Owl City. I have to admit that I was really excited to see both Deas Vail and Owl City.

I saw Deas Vail back in November of 2009 when they opened up for Mae at the Record Bar and they completely blew me away. So for the Owl City show, I arrived to the Beaumont about 30 minutes before show time, but the line extended into and wrapped throughout the parking garage that is adjacent to the venue. Unfortunately, I missed Deas Vail as a result of this. Needless to say, everyone should check them out if you are into a blend of Cartel and Mae. Lead by married couple Wes and Laura, they exude a solid, indie-pop sound full of strong harmonies reminiscent of old Copeland.

I got into the Beaumont just in time to catch Lights’ set. Lead almost entirely by a small, petite Canadian 20 something year old, Lights’ sound is extremely influenced by electro-harmonies and beats. It’s the kind of music you feel compelled to dance along to, even if you think it might be a little odd-sounding. Lights is a strong frontwoman and can definitely hold her own in a scene that is predominantly male. I became an instant fan of her purely strong voice. However, apparently I was behind on the times because approximately 90% of the crowd was singing all the words with her and dancing along to the music. Clearly she wasn’t as unknown as I thought she was. Regardless, Lights is a great band to listen to if you are in the mood for simple fun tunes. She was an excellent opener for electronically-based headliner Owl City.

If you haven’t heard an Owl City song, there’s a good chance you have been living under a music-less rock. Lead by frontman Adam Young, Owl City started out as a small basement project that exploded onto the radio and music scene only recently. The catchy “Fireflies” has become an overnight phenomenon, opening up computer/electronically-based music into the mainstream. With a hint of a small techno vibe, Young uses synthesizers with odd beats and harmonies to create a sound that is unmatched among anyone in the music scene now. Barely using small talk at all, Owl City played an hour long set that included songs from both albums Maybe I’m Dreaming and Ocean Eyes. I was immediately surprised by the intensity Young displayed on stage. The strong drive behind his performance kept my eyes on the stage and my ears open for their whole set. You could just sense that he doesn’t take any part of this for granted. He throws out this extremely genuine vibe that just really makes you enjoy his music. Playing fan favorites “Fireflies,” “On The Wing” and new hit “Vanilla Twilight,” Owl City delivered a great, solid set complete with effective light use and crowd-band connecting intensity.

I usually say “this band might not be for everyone,” but I honestly think that you’d be hard-pressed to find a person that doesn’t think an Owl City song is (at the very least) catchy. They have created their own genre that transcends all labels and boundaries. They are one of the few bands that has successfully burst out of the underground indie scene bubble and made a name for themselves in the mainstream world. Just the other day I heard “Fireflies” on three completely different radio stations in Kansas City: Mix 93.3 (Top 40 music), 96.5 The Buzz (alternative-punk-indie), and Star 102.1 (easy listening for the older adult crowd). If that doesn’t say Owl City has an extremely universal likeability factor, then I don’t know what does. Whether you love them or hate them, I think it’s safe to say that Owl City will be around for quite a while.

Warning: Mayday Parade and The Dangerous Summer are two of my favorite bands. This story is about Mayday Parade’s headlining tour with opener *drum roll* The Dangerous Summer. I will try my best to remain unbiased. Keyword: “try.” That might explain why I drove eight hours round trip to see this show. To be completely honest though, the lineup was full of fun, upbeat bands that kept the crowd jumping and singing the whole night: City Lights, The Dangerous Summer, There for Tomorrow and Mayday Parade.

Openers City Lights had a short but solid set with songs reminiscent of fellow pop-punkers Every Avenue.

Next up was The Dangerous Summer, who’s 45 minute set was the standout performance of my night. In my opinion, The Dangerous Summer is one of the most underrated bands in the music industry today. They have some big shoes to fill, being compared to the likes of Jimmy Eat World and The Starting Line, and they fill them extremely well. The roughness of lead singer AJ Perdomo’s voice gives this epic band just enough edge to stand out from the crowd. With a strong debut EP entitled If You Could Only Keep Me Alive, the boys of The Dangerous Summer give listeners a fresh new sound that cause them to fall in love with music again. Their lyrics are so easily relatable that it’s easy to identify with each song individually. I still listen to at least one song from that EP everyday.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see them live for the first time and they did not disappoint. They are one of those bands that sound exactly the same live as they do on their albums. Unfortunately, the band stayed away from older territory and mainly stuck to songs from their newest release Where I Want to Be. It would have been nice to hear a few songs from the band’s beginning, but with a set list full of strong, catchy songs such as “Weathered,” title track “Where I Want To Be,” and my personal favorite “Northern Lights,” The Dangerous Summer got the crowd ready for the final two heavy hitters of the night, There for Tomorrow and Mayday Parade.

This might be a little hasty of me to say, but the crowd seemed to have been the most amped to hear There for Tomorrow over any of the other bands on the lineup. The energy in the room immediately exploded when they hit the stage. Playing favorites “Pages” and “Remember When,” the crowd energy was measurably heightened. The highlight of their set was a cover of “Ice Box,” originally performed by Omarion. It was such a great cover with all of their personal elements incorporated perfectly. Easily compared to My Chemical Romance’s style, There for Tomorrow took the audience through a whirlwind of rock with a hint of punk mixed in to prep the crowd for Mayday Parade to take the stage.

When Mayday started their set, the energy of lead singer Derek Sanders immediately matched the explosive energy of the crowd. It was hard not to dance and sing along with the band. Their set list included songs from each part of their musical history including “Jamie All Over,” “Kids In Love,” and always the crowd preferred ode to heartbreak, “Miserable at Best.” What really surprised me was that they played “You Be The Anchor…” To me that song has always been Mayday’s version of Something Corporate’s “Konstantine” because it has always been revered as an epic song, but never got the outward exposure. Hearing that was definitely the highlight of the night for me.

It was great to hear that Mayday had kept the same style and vibe that they had always had in the past. They delivered a great set of pop-punk, catchy tunes that has proven to remain constant over the years. I remember reading an interview Mayday did awhile back about the production of their newest full length album, Anywhere but Here. The one thing that stuck out to me the most was their statement that this album would not really be too different than their highly popular full length debut, A Lesson in Romantics. I was extremely excited about this, as I am a huge fan of that album. I was a little worried that with the departure of Jason Lancaster the band’s style would change as well. For anyone that has listened to Anywhere But Here, it is apparent that the band still has the same fun/catchy/pop-punk sound. For once, a band held true to the music they love to play and didn’t get caught up in all the politics of fame. I have never really understood why a band feels that they need to change their image/sound on every album. Why try and fix something that isn’t broken, right? Mayday displayed their talent on A Lesson in Romantics and continue to do so on Anywhere But Here.

With such a diverse and solid group of bands on this tour, the crowd enjoyed a night of catchy, dance-worthy music. It was definitely one of my favorite shows of 2009 and I can’t wait to see what these awesome bands have in store for 2010.

Top 3 Albums of 2009:

• The Dangerous Summer – Reach for the Sun
• This Providence – Who Are You Now?
• Mayday Parade – Anywhere But Here

Best Show of 2009:

• Buzz Under the Stars – Taking Back Sunday, Anberlin, Alkaline Trio, The Offspring, The Used
• Mayday Parade, The Dangerous Summer, There For Tomorrow
• Paramore, Paper Route

Most Anticipated in 2010:

• 3OH!3
• Lydia
• Paper Route

Most Overrated in 2009:

• Jonas Brothers
• Miley Cyrus
• Rihanna

Speaking from the girl who claims The Starting Line as one of her top three favorite bands, I was ecstatic when I heard that Kenny Vasoli was starting a new band after the sad, seemingly abrupt ending of TSL. It’s becoming apparently that a lot of members of bands start new projects simply for the fact that they feel their new sound will not match their previous bands’ i.e. Andrew McMahon (Jack’s Mannequin), Craigery Owens (Cinematic Sunrise), Stephen Christian (Anchor and Braille) and now Kenny Vasoli and Person L.

I have to admit though, after hearing Person L’s debut album, Initial, I was a little hesitant. It was extremely different than the pop-punk, catchy vibe of The Starting Line and I selfishly didn’t know if I was okay with that. Vasoli has changed directions and moved into a more offbeat, groovey folk rock sound. That may sound like a strange combination, but if you have listened to Person L’s first album, Initial, you know that it is difficult to describe their eclectic sound. Their follow up album entitled The Positives continues on the same track, but it’s apparent that this album is a little more radio friendly than their debut. With an album full of one-of-a-kind beats and Vasoli’s passionately unique voice, The Positives is a strong follow up to Initial.

The album is kicked off with the starting track “Hole In The Fence,” a song with a mellow beginning but it explodes into a drum-driven instrumental piece with almost a triumphant feeling to it. It becomes obvious that this album has an underlying theme about change by the 3rd track, “The Positives.” I believe this song resonates the meaning behind Person L the best, quoting Vasoli’s lyrics – “At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, cause lord knows I’ve changed myself.” “The Positives” is followed up by straight rock and roll tracks “Goodness Gracious” and “New Sensations.” “New Sensations” has a classic 70s rocker feel to it aided by slick guitar breakdowns and the edgy attitude in Vasoli’s voice. The “change” image is presented blatantly with track 9, “Changed Man.” The predominantly upbeat album is brought to a halt with the mellow, eerie melody of “Stay Calm.” The epic “Untitled” quickly displays the fury and positive strain of Vasoli’s voice. His vocals are the definitely driving force behind this very fierce and intense album.

Whether you are a fan of Person L or not, everyone has to agree upon the fact that Vasoli has one of the strongest, most recognizable voices in the business. Although, that is kind of a catch 22 because yes, his voice is amazing on this record, but he was with The Starting Line for so long that now the only thing I think of when I hear his voice is them. It’s hard to get past the pop-punk legacy of The Starting Line. However, I recently saw Person L on tour as an opener for John Nolan, and I was completely blown away by the energy he had on stage. You could initially sense the explosive passion he felt about Person L that I had never really sensed with The Starting Line. I am a self-proclaimed music snob, and this album isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it is evident that it is a very well put together album, and if you were a fan Initial, you will no doubt love The Positives.

Track Listing:
01. Hole In The Fence
02. Good Days
03. The Positives
04. Goodness Gracious
05. New Sensation
06. Stay Calm
07. Sit Tight
08. Loudmouth
09. Changed Man
10. Pleasure Is All Mine
11. Untitled
12. I Sing The Body Electric

Person L: myspace | Intial review | @ the record bar