Show Review

When I initially walked into the Avalon, I felt as if I were in a Verizon advertisment. Rather corporate and commercialized, the venue was decorated with all sorts of Verizon swag--from the teleprompt that allowed fans to text message random phrases and photos to a projector to the huge Yellowcard van with the huge YELLOWCARD paraphenila next to an equally obtrusive Verizon logo, it's obvious the company has taken an investment into the band (or the other way around). Nonetheless, Yellowcard's genuity, gratuity, and long-standing love for their fans outweighed the commercialism and the show made for a good time.

Over It, a band I've seen play in front of about 25 kids, recently signed to Virgin. I could see why--young, happy kids playing happy melodies with a few releases and established fanbase especially in SoCal is certainly enough. Though we missed about half of their set, these guys haven't changed a bit--they still do a great job putting on a fun, energetic show filled with catchiness.

I've seen Mae a few times now, and more and more I'm unimpressed with singer Dave Elkins inability to hit the melodies the band has on record. I think a lot of it has to do with his vocal style which just can't come across good live--and a lot has to do with their setlist. Though they played powerful tracks like "Painless," "Cover Me," "Someone Else's Arms," and of course "Suspension" off of "The Everglow," it was a disappointment to see the band playing the rather sparse "Soundtrack For Our Movie" from "Destination: Beautiful." The band is all on--great keyboards especially, and their energy was as usual pretty right on, but vocally they need a bit of work. I love their records and think they are an amazing band who are undoubtedly going places--it's just hard to get into the live singing.

Finally, Yellowcard, a band I first saw with another band on their former label, Park, a few years ago, took the stage with incredible prowess. Hundreds of kids went nuts as the band opened with the first single, "Lights & Sounds," hitting every note with precision. This band's stage presence is certainly something to be reckoned with, as singer Ryan Key and violinist/backup singer Sean Mackin wreck the stage with renowned energy and performance. Though last time I saw the band Sean did some sick flipping and they seemed to be a little more bouncy, the band's musical accuracy is unbelieveable. The band continued with "Way Away," the suprising "Avondale," "Only One," "Sure Things Fall," "Life Of A Salesman," "Empty Apartment," and "Rough Landing, Holly" all to an array of waving hands, shouting kids/adults alike.

I was especailly satisfied when the band brought back their roots with the wonderful "Cigarette" off of their first album, "One For The Kids," followed by "Believe," "Down On My Head," and sure enough, "October Nights." Their incredibly long and enjoyable set was topped off with "Breathing," "Holly Wood Died," and of course, "Ocean Avenue," and despite my insistence for an encore it seems the curfew for a lot of these kids was 11:15 sharp.

Though Yellowcard never ceases to impress me but still doesn't blow me away, what I'm constantly impressed with is their ability to encorage the crowd to participate in the songs--like when they had split the crowd in half and had a cheering battle during Ocean Avenue--or when they constantly said "Thank You" after every song and proudly but curteously bowed after their set. This band has always been considerate, appreciative, and respectful of their fans who got them to where they are today--and that's something to be proud of in itself. Easily, they could have played well and gone without acknowledging the crowd, like it seems many bands of their stature do these days, but, like they did when I saw them many years ago, they embraced their crowd and didn't hesitate to show their gratitude and genuine love for their fans. That in itself made for a worthy night, despite the constant advertising from big brother Verizon--and I strongly suggest you check out this tour if you have a chance.

review by Andrew Martin