On Friday, May 11th, I saw another amazing show hosted by Blacklist Collective. The concert was a record release show in support of Long Island based melodic punk band, GutterLIFE and the release of their new album, “Radio Silence”. Older Than Oceans, Boys of Fall, Rival Town and This Crooked Home all played in support and each band killed it!
The night began with This Crooked Home, an alternative pop punk band out of Long Island. The band is comprised of Chris Carlson (vocals), Nate Rose (guitar/backing vocals), Derek Sitler (guitar), Jon Pascualini (bass) and Joshua Dennis (drums). The night was filled with bands who could really throw it down, so having This Crooked Home start off was a great way to get the crowd hyped for the rest of the action packed lineup. The band played their 2018 EP, “Distance” from start to finish.
Two songs that stood out to me during This Crooked Home’s set were Hold My Own and Out of Reach. I loved Hold My Own because it includes upbeat guitar chords with dark, heavy undertones that added that extra zing that makes you want to go nuts! I also loved the breakdown in this song. I love when a pop punk band is able to incorporate a sick breakdown that causes you to start head banging immediately! Out of Reach is a typical, fast paced pop punk song that people will love! The instrumentals on this song sound amazing. The guitar, bass and drums all sync together perfectly to create an awesome sound! It reminds me of an A Day to Remember song mixed with City Lights. I got the chance to speak with members of the band who shared some information! “Chris and Nate share vocal responsibilities trading on and off throughout each song who sings lead, but primarily Chris sings lead and Nate covers backing vocals. We believe the contrast of their distinctive voices play a huge roll in our sound. We strive to write songs that are catchy but not cliche, meaningful but also fun.” This Crooked Home released “Distance” this March and have released a music video for Out of Reach! Make sure to check it out and look out for upcoming shows!
Rival Town followed up This Crooked Home. Prior to a few days before the show, I had never heard of the band. They greatly impressed me with how well they could play and the energy they brought to the stage. Rival Town is a pop punk band out of St. Catharines, Canada. They have been active for just over three years, originally living in northwestern Ontario before moving to southern Ontario to pursue music professionally. Rival Town graced us with their presence in Amityville while on their first ever USA tour, supporting We Were Sharks (who sadly couldn’t make it to the show that night), and Boys of Fall! Being on their first ever USA tour meant that Rival Town had a whole lot to prove. Luckily, the band hit the ground running and put on a spectacular performance, filled with a sick light show and smoke machines that created an incredible atmosphere.
Rival Town performed a killer nine song set, with songs from their latest EP, “Make It Work”, their 2016 album, “Call It Like It Is” and a cover song from one of their influences. Something I noted while the band was playing was how much fun they were having on stage and how effortlessly that fun spread around the venue. Within seconds of them beginning to play, people who were reluctant to get on the floor in the front were making their way to the stage, eager to rock along with the band. Songs that stood out to me were Subjective, Better Luck Next Time, and Downfall of us All (A Day to Remember cover). Subjective is off of “Make It Work”. Subjective has one of the sickest intros to a song I’ve heard in a while. The intro is similar to that of a breakdown where you just want to kick your legs out, flail your arms around and lose control. The chorus is equally as engaging because it makes you want to sing along, whether you know the words or not! “I can’t stay here, but I don’t ever wanna crawl back home. I can’t waste my time for the rest of my life but it’s all I’ve ever known”.
Better Luck Next Time was another awesome song that the band played. The heavy guitars and bass that are persistent throughout the song caught my attention right away and had me head banging along. Rival Town covered A Day to Remember’s The Downfall of us All and what a treat that was. Everyone in the crowd sang at the top of their lungs and was going absolutely insane. Even Louis Navas of Blacklist Collective jumped on stage to join the band and perform the screaming/growling vocals in the song! Listening to Rival Town play these songs was awesome. The band has clearly mastered their unique sound and style with this latest EP and they made it known while they were on stage. This band is destined to do great things and I’m sure this isn’t the last I’ll be writing about them!
Boys of Fall, a pop punk band out of Detroit, Michigan came on next. This is the second time I’ve seen them since beginning this blog and they have yet to fail to impress me. Boys of Fall plays with the classic pop punk style that we hear so often, but add their own spin on it. At times, the band plays with a certain sound and style that makes you picture hearing their songs on the radio but are also able to throw it down and scream their heads off. While the screaming vocals are not heavily dominant on the band’s albums, it adds that perfect ingredient, if you will, to the music that makes it stand out. When I hear Boys of Fall, I can’t help but compare them to bands like Four Year Strong, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and A Day to Remember.
Boys of Fall began their set with Anger Management. This song consists of the upbeat, fast tempo instrumentals that are usually prevalent in pop punk songs. I really like this as an opener for the band because it introduces the crowd to the sound and style of the band, without giving away everything they’re capable of doing. They followed up with Thanks for the Burgers, one my favorite songs by the band. Thanks for the Burgers was a great choice to go with next because it allowed the band to show off their amazing abilities. The hardcore undertones of the guitar chords paired with the melodic chorus and the screaming vocals that are intermittently dispersed throughout the song had the crowd going wild. Boys of Fall finished their set with two songs from their 2018 EP, “Chasing Lonely”; Chasing Lonely and No Good for Me. Boys of Fall is a band that is able to reach a broad audience due to the variety of sounds and styles they are able to incorporate into their music. Chasing Lonely is a perfect example of this. It’s extremely rare to hear a pop punk band that has the ability to throw in hardcore elements attempt to include hip-hop vocals. They were able to include these hip hop vocals in the verses of the song while going back to their traditional pop punk singing on the chorus. What a song! If you haven’t heard it yet, listen ASAP. No Good for Me, the first song on “Chasing Lonely” was the final song. It was so cool to see almost every person in the crowd singing at the top of their lungs. “HEY! Do you remember when you told me you were feeling lonely? Funny how that works. You love playing secrets, cause you could never keep them, you’re no good. No, you’re no good.”
Despite being a relatively small band, diehard Boys of Fall fans came out to support the band. It was amazing to see how much the band interacted with their fans. Michael Martenson (vocals) made sure that he gave each person in the audience attention, getting up close and personal with them and allowing them to sing along with him. It shows just how appreciative the band is of their fans. Without these diehard fans, most bands wouldn’t make it out of their hometown. It’s great that the guys recognize this and do everything they can to make each show memorable for those fans. Boys of Fall are signed to Invogue Records and will be touring through the end of this month. They have a full length tour coming this fall so keep an eye out for the dates; you don’t want to miss this band in action!
Older Than Oceans, a five piece alternative pop punk band out of Long Island came on after Boys of Fall and they were incredible. I have now seen them play twice and they have blown me away each time. I will make it a point to get to every Older Than Oceans show from now on! They began their set by playing their most recent EP, “Everything I Never Told You” in it’s entirety. The band is a local favorite so it was no surprise that they had the biggest crowd of the night so far. The minute they stepped on stage, everyone ran right up to the front, ready to go wild. They began their set with Merritt, the first song on the EP. I love this song because it is so fast paced that you can’t help but move your body along with the beat. Along with the infectious instrumentals, Tom Taglianetti (vocals) sang a melodic chorus that had everyone screaming the words along. “Oh you’ll never be alone, your feet are made of stone, as long as I’m looking at the world, you’ll never be alone, cause you are just what I’m searching for, never been so juxtaposed before!” Something I didn’t notice the first time I saw Older Than Oceans was just how awesome Nick DiPace’s backup vocals are. His voice is crystal clear and compliments Tom Taglianetti perfectly.
My favorite song that Older Than Oceans played is Buildups & Breakdowns, strictly because it is my favorite song by the band. I’m a sucker for harder instrumentals that make you want to throw down and go nuts in the pit and this song has it! The second the full band instrumentals began, a small pit immediately erupted with fans dancing and singing along. “I can’t fight it, it keeps pulling me in; though I’ve tried it, I still watch you crawl back, why do I do this to myself? I let you crawl back, back from the arms of someone else, but lately I feel better, but lately I feel better off without you.”
Older Than Oceans is one of those bands that you can’t help but listen to on repeat for weeks at a time. Their music is addicting and keeps you wanting more each time you listen. If you are a Long Island native and you haven’t caught this band live yet, you’re making a huge mistake. Older Than Oceans is destined for greatness and deserve much more attention than they have received! They are currently writing again and plan to play some shows over the summer, as well as release a music video. Keep checking the blog for updates on this sick band!
The night ended with GutterLIFE, the band that everyone came to see. As I stated earlier, this was the album release show for their 2018 album, “Radio Silence”. The band started with an acoustic set by vocalist Matthew Van Rossem. GutterLIFE was definitely the most “hardcore” band on the bill that night, so it was a pleasant surprise to see we would get to catch some acoustic songs. Once the acoustic set was complete, GutterLIFE made sure they tore down the house. The instant the band started playing, the crowd erupted. Everyone out there was dancing/moshing away and singing along to every single word of every song. This band is so interesting to me because of the variety of songs and sounds they were able to incorporate into one kick ass set. GutterLIFE included screaming vocals that reminded me of Comeback Kid or Silverstein, melodic vocals that can be heard on most pop punk songs, killer breakdowns that make you want to start breaking stuff, and soft, slow paced, emotion-filled songs. Prior to the show, I hadn’t had much exposure to GutterLIFE. After seeing their insane performance, they have become a staple in my daily playlists. I suggest anyone reading this does the same; you won’t be disappointed!
One of my favorite things I’ve learned since starting this blog is the amount of passion that both the bands/musicians and the fans have in the local music scene. It is amazing to see how much support a local band can receive and how greatly that support can make a band grow. Every band that played this show gave it their all and left a lasting impression on me, and I’m sure everyone else in the crowd. Make sure to listen to GutterLIFE, Older Than Oceans, Boys of Fall, Rival Town, and This Crooked Home on the blog’s Spotify playlist; After Hours Review!