I flew up to New Jersey to go to a
couple shows in the area with Matt and Bamboozle Fest was the first. It is a two
day festival with tons of bands to please fans of most genres. Here’s a rundown
of all the bands we saw.
Day 1
The AKA’s - The AKA’s were the first band to play so we decided to check them
out as the bands we wanted to
see were to play later in the day. I got a good vibe from these guys. A lot of
energy, good sound, and a hatred for
George W. Bush. What more could you ask for?
The Sleeping - Wow. I had never heard them before but after one song I was sold
on them. Victory was wise to
sign this band. Being able to fuse emo and hardcore elements is a tough thing to
do well and they did it. These guys were all over the place. The crowd was really into them.
Bayside - I felt that I needed to see Bayside since they have had so much happen
to them in the past year. After a crash last year that took the life of their
drummer and almost taking their bassist as well, Bayside have pushed on. Pop
punk with good energy. They put on a decent show. Hopefully 2006 will finish
better than 2005 for them.
Halifax - Their singer was wearing a Slayer shirt. Enough said. They seemed to
have a lot of fun on stage, and the crowd had just as much fun. High energy
level. Check them out on tour with Bayside and The Sleeping.
The Spill Canvas - Stopped by to see them for about three songs before leaving
to go see Chiodos. They are one of the better emo bands out there now. I enjoyed
the little bit of their set that I caught.
Valencia - Caught the last three or four songs of their set waiting for Chiodos.
They had quite a fan base there. Clean sounding, good show.
Chiodos - Stole the show. Opening their set with “The Words Best Friend Become
Redefined” the crowd went absolutely nuts. The crowd knew every word to every
song. They went on early so they were able to play for around 40 minutes. I have
never had more fun at a show than I do every time I see Chiodos. The raw energy
that they bring is insane. They ended their set with “Baby You Wouldn’t Last a
Minute on the Creek” to a lot of hardcore dancing and one more song chants.
Silverstein - I have missed them the last four or five times they have come
through my area so I finally got to see them for the first time. One of the best
bands of the day. I was a little disappointed in the set list but other than
that no complaints. Tons of energy, catchy riffs, and a lot of screaming. My
idea of a good performance.
From First To Last - Only band I enjoyed more than FFTL was Chiodos. I had no
clue who was playing bass for them. The played a great mix of songs from both
albums. I figured the crowd would be a bunch of little girls who are in love
with Sonny Moore but I was wrong. Intense crowd. A lot of crowd surfing and
moshing. The new material sounds really good live.
Hawthorne Heights - I like Hawthorne Heights but if you have seen them once then
you’ve seen them a hundred times. Their live set isn’t that impressive. They
sound good but lack stage presence. They played mostly new material in which I
don’t know.
Motion City Soundtrack - One of my favorite bands to see live. The energy these
guys have make a great show. From singer Justin’s crazy hair to synth player
Jesse’s handstands, Motion City are fun live. It was the first time I have heard
them play “Don’t Call it a Comeback” live so that made my day.
Thursday - We didn’t stay for all of Thursdays set. To be honest, I wasn’t
impressed with the four songs I saw. They were playing new songs(I know they
just released a cd, I have it), but I would have liked to of heard older
material. The new stuff lacks screaming. Good presence and energy, but the song
selection blew it for me. So I will see Thursday again, so hopefully I wont be
as disappointed next time.
Day 2
As Cities Burn - I was impressed that a band could sound so good so early in the
day. I liked their style. They had really good stage presence for such an early
hour in the day as well.
Aiden - I am not a big fan of Aiden. I think that they are trying to be a mix of
AFI, HIM, and My Chemical Romance but because those bands are so different it’s
not working well for Aiden. They weren’t terrible, but I definitely wouldn’t go
see them if they were headlining their own tour.
Alexisonfire - They haven’t played a show in half a year. You would never have
guessed. Every riff was perfect, everything was in synch, and just sounded good.
A lot of running around on stage. Hopefully a new cd will come out sometime in
the near future.
The Number 12 Looks Like You - The heaviest and most diverse band there (along
with Method Man). Their performance gets better ever time I see them. It’s just
pure chaos on stage. They even played their cover of “My Sharona”. The crowd
went wild for that one. The rest of their set was great. Check them out.
He is Legend - Could there be a dirtier band? Probably not, but that’s ok
because they’re good. The sound quality on their stage was bad all day. The
performance was solid though.
The Fall of Troy - The most technical band I have ever seen. Only a few weeks
removed from a nasty dispute in Columbus, Ohio, the Fall of Troy were
spectacular. One of the best bands I have ever seen live. Singer/Vocalist Thomas
is an absolute madman on guitar. This wouldn’t be the only time he was seen
during the day either.
Poison the Well - Much better than a few weeks ago in St. Petersburg. This time
I could actually understand the vocals. Brutal performance. Tons of kids
dancing.
Underoath - The abuse their instruments take is incredible. One of the most
energetic bands you will ever see. They played a few new songs and the rest were
from “They’re Only Chasing Safety”. I don’t think we will ever hear “When the
Sun Sleeps” live again.
Senses Fail - Checked out two songs of theirs. They sounded good. Besides that,
I can’t really comment on their set.
Fluff My Boner (Chiodos) - Playing under a false name on day 2. Chiodos brought
the same intensity as they did on the first day. The crowd was a lot rougher
during this set though. They will be huge soon so check them out.
HIM - Not the setting that you would like to see HIM playing but it was great to
see them again. A half hour is not nearly enough time for them. The crowd knew
every word. Ville Valo is one of the best vocalist you will ever hear/see live.
He knows how to work the crowd and put on a show.
AFI - Speaking of putting on a great show and working a crowd, Davey Havoc of
AFI does just that. After three years of nothing new from AFI, they are finally
back. They played one new song, “Miss Murder”. Amazing performance. They truly
are one of the best bands to see live. They played fan favorites “Girls Not
Grey”, “Totalimmortal”, and “Silver and Cold”. They too deserved more time than
they were given. Check them out on their tour with the Dillinger Escape Plan and
Nightmare of You.