The Ataris, Alukard, Dyslexic Postcards and The Swingers Chef Club
Level of Alukard
Save & Share |
|
|
|
|
| Share on Facebook | |
May 23, 2009
Sandbar
Kendall, Florida
Review and photos by David Levitan
Having never been to the Sandbar in Kendall, my friend and I arrived right at six to scope it out and get a feel for the place. After parking and looking around the area, we noticed it was like Ray’s Downtown Blues, except a lot larger. Funny thing, that's the last place I saw The Ataris in 2007. This time though they were having a bunch of local bands opening for them.
The Swinger’s Chef Club started the night out with the theme song from King of the Hill, diving right into their alternative punk style. With the energy of the band and the closeness of their friends only a few inches away from them, it felt more like a house party with live bands rather than a concert.
The Ataris guitarist Chris Swinney
Next up, Dyslexic Postcards another local Miami band. Having only heard songs off the band’s MySpace, I was curious to know what they would be like live. They had a unique sound and vibe onstage, which vocally reminded me of those European bands whose accents come through in their singing, such as The Hives. Dyslexic Postcards' MySpace player does not do them justice compared to their live show which musically held their own and had a beautiful blend of melodies from the keyboard and guitar.
But it was Miami locals, Alukard, who owned the scene. Their close friends created quite an interesting show. Alukard had that Miami/South Florida alternative sound, mixed with a love for punk and hip hop. In the middle of their set, singer Level was hoisted up while still playing and crowd surfed with the help from his friends. It was one giant party during their set: They played on the same level as the audience and only used the tiny band stand to hold the drum set and their gear. This brought it to be a very personal show. Closing their set with "Everyday Life," Alukard went out with Jagermeister shirts and hats flying from E. Grizzly (emcee of Alukard), a gift from their sponsor.
Kris Roe, The Ataris
Finding a spot right up between Kris Roe (vocals, guitar) and Bryan Nelson (bassist) of The Ataris, I was set for the next hour. Starting their set off with "1*15*96" off Blue Skies, Broken Hearts….Next 12 Exits, Kris Roe didn’t need any backup vocals; he had all the help he needed from the audience. In between songs the band would joke with the crowd who stood literally inches in front of them. If you’ve ever seen the video for Rise Against’s "Give It All," then you've seen the part where the band is playing in the crowd on the train: That’s exactly how it looked inside this bar. Having played Hoodwink Festival in New Jersey, The Ataris threw in Misfit songs into their set, starting the pit extremely close to the band.
The Atari’s played with passion and love for music, and the crowd returned that passion by drowning out Kris during "Boys of Summer" and "In this Diary." When it came to the last song, "San Dimas High School Football Rules," Kris had a fan in the crowd play his parts while he sang standing dead center in the crowd. It was one of those shows that you hear about or see in videos yet rarely experience. The Ataris promised that they would be back once their new album drops in sometime later this summer.
Twitter Us your thoughts!