Trevor Reilly and Brian Robinson of A Wilhelm Scream
Save & Share |
|
|
|
|
| Share on Facebook | |
Streetlight Manifesto
A Wilhelm Scream, The Stitch Up and The Swellers
Article by Katie Condon
Photos by Julia Cox
The line at Culture Room on Feb. 6 was almost around the block by 7:30 p.m., and the South Florida cold front was not letting up. Streetlight Manifesto fans, however, had no problem waiting.
I walked into a loud crowd that was talking away although there was a performer on stage, typical of South Florida. The front man from The Stitch Up was alone with his upbeat voice and guitar. After the first song, the crowd settled down to realize this was more than just an opening band. He cracked jokes and sang lyrics to match the pit’s motion, "Looks like a ceiling fan down there," he said.
The bassist and drummer then revealed their talents and accompanied the front man through songs off of their 2007 album, Attitude Adjuster. Coincidentally, all three members sported black rimmed glasses, which added to their ska feel. After 20 minutes of show time, their set came to a close.
Nuno Pereira of A Wilhelm Scream
Five minutes later, the outside projector showed four hyped guys walk across the stage, and there was an influx of kids inside for a change in pace. Although there was pot invading my nostrils from every corner, The Swellers’ set was everything but chill. "Ready to get heavy?" front man Nick Diener asked.
With their more traditional rock guitar solos and less-raspier vocals than ska, The Swellers proved that there was room for more than one genre at a show. Diener admitted, "You guys got me all sweaty and hot," but judging by the Old Spice Aqua Reef deodorant I could still smell on the guy next to me, I knew the night wasn’t over yet.
A Wilhelm Scream needed no introduction. They jumped straight into "The Horse" from their 2007 record, Career Suicide. The drums seemed unusually loud, but this didn’t trouble the audience, as it added to the band’s intriguing breakdowns and animated stage presence. Front man Nuno Pereira raised a beer and dedicated "Famous Friends and Fashion Drunks" to "the unsung heroes of shows: the bartenders."
Nick Diener of The Swellers
By now there was intense pit action, and security got involved when a kid jumped on stage, but there was no slowing down the energy. A Wilhelm Scream flowed through songs such as "The Rip," "Me Vs. Morrissey," and "I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz." They closed with "The King is Dead" off of their 2005 album, Ruiner. The crowd was torn. Half were shouting "Wilhelm!" and the other half was cheering "Streetlight!"
The audience was more than the typical ska-skanks. There were those who were for the punk aspects of the show, and some for the horns. I swear there was even a stoned mother next to me. Regardless, they were all there to represent the band from New Jersey’s third wave of ska that infused genres of all kinds: Streetlight Manifesto.
Dan Potthast of The Stitch Up
The lights dimmed and Streetlight’s "We Will Fall Together" from their 2007 record, Somewhere in the Between, kicked every other song’s ass that night. At some points, the audience’s one voice overpowered Tomas Kalnoky’s strong notes.
The pit became a show of its own, and the harmonizing horn section was frequently applauded. The band also continued to fake out the crowd by prolonging their stops within songs, which made the fans look quite dumb when they would start singing. However, it was all in good fun – even my busted lip, which I attribute to someone’s bobbling head and my braces.
Streetlight played energizing songs, ending with the much anticipated encore: an elaborate version of "The Big Sleep." The passion of the whole night was packed into one song, and by 2:30 a.m., everyone took Streetlight’s advice and had a much needed big sleep.
Twitter Us if you're a fan of these bands!