Show Review

Upon arriving at Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte, NC, I found myself less than enthused. I realized while walking to the door I was going to be watching a local band I have never heard, another local band that I have enjoyed in the past and a major-label band that put out a less than impressive album this year. When you set yourself up for disappointment beforehand, it always makes it harder to break through and truly enjoy it.

The first band to play was a little local band named Philmont. These guys actually did a great job. They played fervent pop-punk with a vitality found in the older albums of bands like Rufio and New Found Glory. Though it is not really my style anymore, I enjoyed watching them and could tell a lot of the kids in the crowd did too. Give this band a little more time, a little more self-discovery and a good producer; they might have something in the future.

So the first band wasn’t exactly a let-down, I did enjoy it. However, it is hard to find yourself excited by a band when the music is not what you tend to listen to. So I felt I was par for the night as far as expectations go, and was looking forward to seeing The Verdict play in hopes of lifting my apathetic mood towards the evening. And oh how they did…

This band has been playing live shows together for over two years now and you can certainly tell. Playing with a professional approach which most “professionals” seem to lack these days, The Verdict were able to win the Matchbook Romance crowd over immediately. I am familiar with the band’s old stuff, but after just getting back from a 3 week tour, they seemed a lot more confident with the new and stuck to playing the most recent songs in their catalogue. That usually bugs me when a band doesn’t play at least one old favorite, but The Verdict pulled it off beautifully. They are passionate about what they do and it makes them shine.

Then came the buzz-kill; Matchbook Romance. I think they must have been surprised and a little put-out that the turn-out was so slim because there was no infectious enthusiasm to get lost in. When a band with the status of Matchbook Romance stops bringing their A-game to the shows that just don’t sell out, I feel they deserve to have even less people watching. And the worst part is I know Matchbook Romance can play, I have seen them before and have been impressed with the talent on stage. However, at this particular show, they just came off lazy and mechanical.

Well, three cheers for the underdog! This is because the best band of the night was the unsigned Charlotte band, The Verdict. Bringing their all to a show even when the kids did not come to see them particularly is what gained my respect and recommendation. I would suggest to anyone who loves live shows to catch these guys whenever they can as they begin to tour more. Remember their name, big things lie ahead…

review by Kevin Condon