Streetlight Manifesto
Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
March 9th, 2011
Review and Photos by Nick Morales
As I arrived at a completely sold out night at Culture Room, I was greeted by five other cars circling the parking lot like a school of sharks, desperately hoping to find the one spot everyone else missed. Despite having to park across the street, dodge traffic and watch friends find their place in a line that stretched well beyond the street corner, I was still ecstatic for the show to begin.
Jesse Marshall - Double Bass
Larry and His Flask
I had heard of the opening band, Larry and His Flask, before the night of the show and was excited to see them play live. Showing up after the first few bands is usually a trend at most concerts I attend. To my surprise this high-energy six-piece band opened up to a near full house, with more people spilling in as they played. The hype was justified. Larry and His Flask put on one hell of a show, specifically Jesse Marshall. Playing his stand-up bass like a man possessed, Marshall descended into the crowd at various points, ending the set up in the balcony playing a baritone. It was intense.
The other opener, and the only band without a horn section, was A Loss For Words. They were a very strong rock band from Boston, Ma. with quite a few fans in the crowd, though I personally had never heard them before. I actually enjoyed their set. Unfortunately, aside from a few diehards in the audience, the overall crowd reaction was “meh.” They're not a bad band by any means, it just seemed like they were playing for the wrong crowd.
Something about a Streetlight show gets you so caught up in the music that you don’t care about rubbing up against a bunch of half-naked people.
Nevada Smith - Guitar
A Loss For Words
It really is a beautiful thing, the kind of bonding that happens when a few hundred people are packed into a small room listening to one of the most well-known ska bands, Streetlight Manifesto. Something about a Streetlight show gets you so caught up in the music that you don’t care about rubbing up against a bunch of half-naked people—drenched to the bone with their sweat as well as the sweat of everyone around them—in the vain attempt to actually dance before submitting to jumping in place or swaying in time with the song.
Matty Arsenault - Vox
After sweating through the greater part of the set, the crowd was more than grateful for the bottles of ice cold water tossed out by security and lead singer, Tomas Kalnosky, between songs. I asked a friend of mine to lift me on to his shoulder so I could get a breath of fresh air and possibly snag a few photos. As I rose up, I could physically feel the full force of the crowd wailing the lyrics to songs like “Point/Counterpoint” and “Would You Be Impressed," songs I have heard played by smaller bands in tribute to these men time and time again.
It’s one thing to listen to these songs through headphones or hear them covered by local bands, but actually hearing them performed by Streetlight Manifesto was awe-inspiring. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget.
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Nevada Smith - Guitar
A Loss For Words
Mike Brown - BariAlto Sax
Jim Conti- TenorAlto Sax
Ian Cook - Lead Vox + Guitar
Larry and His Flask
Ian Cook - Lead Vox + Guitar, Andrew Carew - Trombone
Kirk Skatvold - Trumpet - Larry and His Flask
Jamin Marshall - Percussion, Ian Cook - Lead Vox + Guitar
Kirk Skatvold - Mandolin - Larry and His Flask