Show Review

After countless listens to the band’s debut EP Helium, various demos and a short acoustic show, I finally got a chance to see Halos in their live element. The band kicked off their set with the roaring “Helium;” The most upbeat song in their arsenal of released tunes. It was a great opening choice that immediately drew the crowd’s attention and got them bobbing their heads. The band slid into pace with the mid-tempo “A Rowboat In The Perfect Storm.” Following that, they slowed it down a little more with the next song, “Tin Man And The Lion” which prominently showcased keyboardist Josh Huber’s talent. The band was aware of its decreasing tempo though and kept the energy level up by moving around the stage to keep the crowd into the performance. After a short breather, they kicked up the energy with “Cair Paravel” and never looked back. The band went brawling into the next song debuting one of its newest jams “Poolhall.” A mix between Johnny Cash, Limbeck and The Clash it is by far one of my favorite of the band’s songs to date after just one listen. Bassist John Hoge really made the song stand out providing a strong backbone for what could be the next jukebox favorite at your local bar. The band finished off their set with the re-worked “Spectres.” The song originally appeared on their EP as an acoustic skeleton of what the song would become. It has now blossomed into a full-on rock song worthy of closing any band’s set. Lead singer Dan Lyman got so into the song during the last chorus he threw his guitar down before grabbing the micstand and passionately screaming the lyrics as if that breath was his last. In the meantime guitarist Zak Freedman jumped on the bass drum and strummed out the final chords. Overall, the band sounded very tight for only playing with each other for less than a year. This band has a lot of potential and with such a high voltage live show, it’s only a matter of time before they skyrocket up your Last.Fm play count.

review by Matt Zimmerman