Michael Wolcott, lead vocals & guitarist for We Are the Union

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WE ARE THE UNION
And Then There Was You, From Me To You & more

April 23rd, 2009 @ Goo, Miami

Review and photos by Katie Condon

After passing the venue four times, my friend and I finally found ourselves in the heart of a sketchy downtown Miami area at its best kept secret: Goo. We figured the reason nobody arrived yet was because it was a Thursday night, but we later found out that Goo shows typically start two hours late.

We Are the Union pulled up in their tour van and brought nothing but high spirits to the still locked venue. Bassist Brandon Benson proved tours are tiring when he considered the abandoned lawn chair he found a luxury. Cars began filing in, and the doors opened. The crowd made its way inside to face the hand-made stage.

We Are the Union's Brandon Benson, bassist

Miami locals Giants! opened the show, and although they were playing to a crowd of 35, they had no trouble getting up close and personal. "Feel free to act stupid," vocalist Mike Robbins said. Fans sang along to songs such as "No More Locked Doors" and "Wake Up and Smell the Cyanide."

Go Rydell was next on the bill. With an inflatable toy shark chilling on the drum set, we all knew it would be an entertaining set. The five-man band blasted through songs such as "Lady You’re Scaring Us," with an intense bass line. The raspy vocals were perfect for a brave cover of "True Believers" by The Bouncing Souls. The crowd approved and began to show signs of excitement.

By the end of the set, bassist Brandon Benson, [We Are the Union] who seemed introverted when he started playing, was rolling on the floor.

We Are the Union's Brandon Benson, bassist

       Following was From Me to You who kicked off what you can truly call a "fun set." They played songs off of their CD Yeah, Good such as "How Rude." David Voss added his key skills to the mix and added diversity to the night’s bands. The highlight for the audience, however, was once again a cover: this time, Third Eye Blind’s "Jumper." They closed with "Cut it Out" and left the crowd pumped and ready for more.

       And Then There Was You. They took the prize for both the most clean-cut sounding of the night and the tallest front man ever. The band seemed comfortable performing, and the bassist got into the groove as he danced with his instrument. They played tunes such as "Make This Be the Last" and fanfavorite, "The Devil vs Father Moore." The innovative riffs and solid sounds caused the growing crowd to flow in and get ready for We Are the Union.

       We Are The Union jumped on stage and dove into their set with the occasional interjections between frontman Reed Wolcott and sax player John Ryan. The horn section and fast beats brought the crowd to create the first and only pit of the night. WATU fueled the crowd with songs such as "I’m Like John Cusack" and the legendary "MTV is Over if You Want it." By the end of the set, bassist Brandon Benson, who seemed introverted when he started playing, was rolling on the floor.

       We Are the Union They will continue to storm through cities and take over local venues, while picking up fans along the way.

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