Show Review

I’ve watched The Early November grow musically and as a band since their early days back when they first signed to Drive Thru Records. I even saw their first west coast show in 2002 at the same venue as tonight’s show in front of about 20 Desa fans. That night, seemingly no one in the crowd knew, or cared, who they were. I was able to walk right up to Sergio (bass) and chat with him. Now, four years later that same situation seemed impossible to repeat. The band’s fan base has grown to a national following. Although Sergio and Joe (guitar) could be seen walking around outside of their tour bus, they were not quite as accessible.

The first band to play was Say No More who are a pop/rock band out of Los Angeles, California. I walked in a few songs into Say No More’s set. They seemed to be a young band and their sound reflected it a little bit but for the most part, they were a fun act to watch. Their youth also worked as a positive for them as their infectious energy seemed to rub off on the crowd. Their sound reminded me slightly of Sherwood and an older Motion City Soundtrack without the keyboards. If this band gets some more experience under their belt and some more variation in their sound, they could go somewhere in a few years.

The next band to come one was a personal favorite of mine called Paper Models. This was the second set the band had played that day and they seemed a little exhausted after playing another set just a few hours before. It didn’t help that they are also getting back into the show routine. Unfortunately though, the crowd seemed to be even more exhausted than the band. Although it was incredibly hot inside the small venue, the crowd seemed to be put asleep by the bands infectious pop hooks. The band did not let the lack of enthusiasm slow them down though. They rumbled through a six song set and have gotten a lot tighter since the last time I saw them. Besides a few missteps, they played a solid set and it’s too bad the crowd didn’t seem to wake up during their set.

Finally, the crowd started to come alive as the lights dimmed and The Early November hit the stage. The band was celebrating the release of their monumental triple-disc album The Mother, The Mechanic, And The Path and they really seemed like they were there to have a great time. The band came out swinging with the rocking opener “Money in His Hand” from their second disc The Mechanic. The crowd roared as Joe hit the keyboard making you feel like you were momentarily at a Jerry Lee Lewis concert. The band rocked on through a few more of their new songs including the stand out track “Decoration” and the first single “Hair.” Although this was their record release show, the band did not forget about their debut album The Room’s Too Cold or first EP For All Of This. The crowd sounded like they doubled in number as they shouted every word to “Fluxy” and “Sunday Drive.” The band did not show an ounce of fatigue as Sergio grooved about the stage and Jeff pounded the drums during the crowd favorites “I Want To Hear You Sad” and “Baby Blue.” Throughout the night, Ace (vocals/guitar) could not stop thanking the fans for “their constant support.” It was great to hear the sincerity in his voice as he really meant each thank you. Towards the end of the set, Ace came out to play a solo rendition of “Never Coming Back;” a song off the story album (The Path) before closing out with “Ever So Sweet.” But the band came back for one more as Ace said “we couldn’t leave you just yet.” They came on to play one of their oldest and seemingly the crowd favorite “Every Night’s Another Story.” All in all, this was probably their best live show I have seen. They were enjoying the crowd’s energy and it really showed through their music. The band members were constantly joking with the crowd and each other. More than a show, it was a record release party.

review by Matt Zimmerman