Saturday Concert War of Ages
Just to let you know, what I did for the concert was that I took my PDA to the concert with me and actually wrote what you are about to read while I was there so much of what you read below truly is my First Impressions
My first impressions of the concert weren’t really positive. Waiting for the concert to begin I stood out in front of the merchandise table, I now understand the term ‘teenage wasteland’. Between the young trying to act like the older ones and the ‘older’ ones striving for what can only be described as ‘rebellion’. That this is nominally a ‘Christian’ event I am at a loss to spot what it is that makes a difference. While I am sure that things will change when the concert actually starts, but as I sit on one of the couches, sipping my tea I can see nothing that tells me I’m at a ‘Christian’ event as opposed to just a secular event.
The Venue is a small concrete windowless room with a tiny stage set up at one end. First band on stage now. Thoughts of tomorrow. Not bad for opening band. Vocals not to my liking but guitarist has talent. I was exposed to a different form of moshing called two stepping. Sometimes I wonder about things, I noticed that someone was wearing a Batman mask in the audience, I wasn’t sure what was stranger that there is someone wearing a batman mask or that no one seems to notice’
The second band Severed Skies was better but what they had in raw talent, they lacked in the ability to motivate the crowd. While there were those who were active most of the audience just stood around. The bands are getting better and I am still excited for some of the more well known bands. I was noticing that the whole time the first and second bands were playing people were still arriving. By the time the bands who were on the bill took the stage there was about 150 people. I don’t know if I will be going to many more of these concerts where all the bands are the harder screamo bands. While I enjoy this kind of music it is not my mainstay and serves more to offer me a change. I do not really like this style as a steady diet.
The third band “Hope for the Dying” Shows me again the difference between garage bands and a band that has talent and determination. I noticed that the Bass player played on stage in his bare feet, I was sure he was going to end up with his feet just crushed. When I asked the Drummer why the Bass Player played in Bare Feet he said “He feels that Playing onstage is part of his act of worship to God, so he plays in Bare Feet”
You could feel the change in the audience as the band took the stage, this vibe carried through with “Inhale Exhale”, and “Destroy the Runner”. “Inhale Exhale” took the stage to opening of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and consistently rocked the house. I seem to be enjoying the bands more and more as each of them come on stage. While there was talk of a wall of death it never materialized, I was a little let down by that fact, it is however for the best, it is a very small venue. “Destroy the Runner” while putting on a better show didn’t seem to rile up the audience the way inhale exhale did. Although I have noticed the visible lack of moshing during the entire concert. Perhaps part of this was because ‘Destroy the Runner’ performed with less than of a screaming content that I found more pleasing. We are down to the last band. War of ages. All in all a very enjoyable show so far.
The last band of the night was “War of Ages”. And it is clear to me why they are headlining t is show. Where some of the previous bands had talent and others got the crowd motivated war of ages is a complete package of talent and audience participation. The mosh pit was being well used, for the most part those in the pit were courtesy in their own way, and this is something I hadn’t noticed before. There were jerks, as there is with any groups, but the rules were posted on the wall, rule three was simple No whining, if you’re in the room during a Hard concert you have to expect the Moshing and understand you will be moshed on. I was punched, Kicked, shoved, knocked around, and stomped on and into, and yet there were people standing on the edge of the pit getting upset that they were getting hit and or shoved.
“War of Ages” ended with the song God save me. Got to like that. Over all the night has be a good solid 7 on a ten scale. If I learned anything on Saturday Night it is, there are two sides to every story. And it is when you think you know then you really don’t .
