Not Here Now, Fourth and Ten, Junior Doctor, Us vs. Them
Rocketown, Pompano Beach
Friday Jan. 21, 2011
Better Than: Getting stuck on I-95 at night.
The Review:
The road had no mercy on Friday when the Silent Scene broke down on the side of I-95. Rick Odria tweeted that the band would be stranded in Sebastian, Florida, overnight. They had planned to play at Rocketown for "The Road & the Radio Tour." Originally the bands the Summer Soundtrack and Lovesick Radio were supposed to perform too but ended up dropping the tour, according to Rocketown's entertainment director, Steven Whetstone.
Instead, Friday's show included the bands Fourth and Ten, Not Here Now, Junior Doctor and Us vs. Them. Since the stage was situated close to the ground, getting close to the musicians was easy. Miami-based band, Not Here Now performed first. Lead singer/bassist Kendrick Vasquez said the band was missing a member, but my ears still thought it sounded together and full of energy. A personal favorite was "You and I Against the World." It had a summer feel to it that the song story line mimicked. Throughout Not Here Now's set, drummer Hector Lima was clearly in the zone. Sweat dripped down his face as he took a solo.
Fourth and Ten's talking-singing style is simliar to the way New Found Glory and Blink-182 sings, and it came alive along with the instruments. "Taxi Cabs & City Lights" was a little heavy on bass, but overall the whole set stayed balanced throughout. Junior Doctor's "Uh Oh" really stood out with its clean harmonies. They have found their niche with this style of pop/rock music and they have nothing to "uh-oh" about in the scheme of musical technicality.
Us vs. Them's mix of rock music with an electric undertone was at its best on "Airplanes and Submarines." There's a lyric that goes, "you are the music in me." Hearing it as they have interpeted it was kind of like having music run through your veins as if it was battery fuel or something. All of these bands should be seeing good things happen, as their passion for music shows.
Critic's Notebook:
The Venue: Everyone at Rocketown -- a combo music venue, skate park and cafe -- is friendly. Since the venue is for a younger crowd, alcohol is strictly forbidden. Inside, there are two rooms. One is where the cafe and smaller stage are along with game tables. Within that is another main room that holds a capacity of 700 and houses the skate park and larger stage.
Random Detail: There were a lot of Converse to be seen on the crowd's feet
Random Detail #2: I was offered cupcakes before the concert
Personal Bias - I enjoyed being able to take pictures, even though my camera battery decided to die two hours in.
Set Lists:
Not Here Now -
1. By your Side
2. You and I against the world
3. Over You
4. Won't be what you Want
5. Poison Me
Fourth and Ten -
1. I'll stick to what I know
2. Taxi Cabs & City Lights
3. The Starting Line - Best of Me (cover)
4. Alexander Courage
5. Sandbox Love Never Dies
6. Aaron Green Broke Edge on Tour
Junior Doctor -
1. Impressive
2. Alright
3. Perfect Girl
4. The Middle (Jimmy Eat World cover)
5. The Prank
6. Beautiful and Blind
7. Uh Oh
8. What I Do
Us vs. Them -
1. Landslide
2. Deffinently Manny
3. So Routine
4. Better If We Do
5. 1,2,3,4,5
6. Airplanes and Submarines
7. I Found a Way
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