Senses Fail Brings Intense Live Show to Boston

The Out With The In Crowd Tour
Senses Fail
Bayside
Royale Boston
October 23rd, 2010

I was in high school when Senses Fail hit it big. Following the underground success of their debut EP, they released Let in Enfold You in 2004, and immediately rose to the top of the much maligned emo/screemo scene. In six years since, a lot has changed. Few bands remain from the scene that Senses Fail once ruled, and even fewer will ever be able to sell the 300,000+ units that Let It Enfold You did.

Much like  the industry itself, Senses Fail has evolved, and this has allowed them to retain a strong fan base. The band’s biggest evolution cannot be heard  on their newest record or in their numerous line-up changes, but in the immense improvement they have made to their live show. I hadn’t seen the band in four years, and while they’re  still a mess at times, the difference is remarkable.

The night began…. early. While Royale has quickly become one of Boston’s trendiest music venues, it also doubles as one of it’s trendiest night clubs. This means that Friday and Saturday night shows start and end early to make way for well-dressed club-goers and their disposable incomes. For this reason, I missed opening acts Title Fight and Balance and Composure.

The first band I did catch was Bayside. This was my sixth time seeing them as a full band, and I wasn’t all that excited for their set. While they are a very solid live band, it seems like they’ve been playing the same songs for at least the past three years. This includes largely ignoring their most recent record Shudder, which very well may be their best work.

It could have been my low expectations, but I came away with a renewed appreciation for the band. While they did cover all of the familiar tracks in their hour long set, they also threw in a few pleasant surprises and displayed a sense of energy I hadn’t seen from them in quite awhile.

Among the surprises were “Just Enough To Love You” from their 2001 Split EP with Name Taken, and “Alcohol and Alter Boys” from 2004′s “Sirens and Condolences.” The band continued to avoid tracks from Shudder, but the one they did include on the setlist was a great one, that being “I Think I’ll Be Ok.”

While the New York city quintet moved quickly in order to pack in as many songs as possible, they did fit in a few well-placed jabs at the Red Sox that had the Boston faithful at least slightly riled up. The joke, however, would be on the band, for their beloved Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs by the Texas Rangers later that night.

In addition to the national pastime, Bayside focused on sounding as good as I’ve ever heard them.  The highlights of the set for me were “Landing Feet First,” a mid-tempo track off The Walking Wounded, as well as fan favorite “Montauk.” Throughout the set the crowd sang along with fists in the air, showing that they may not have been the headliner, but Bayside certainly helped sell a fair amount of tickets to the sold-out event.

The band also debuted two new songs from their forthcoming album, both of which were punchy and upbeat, but not terribly memorable upon first listen. Their cover of Weezer’s “My Name is Jonas,” on the other hand, was quite memorable.  If I hadn’t been staring at the stage, I would have believed anyone who told me Weezer had just made a special appearance. While some fans would rather see a band put their own special twist on a cover song,  I subscribe to the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” school of though. And “My Name is Jonas” certainly doesn’t need fixing.

The band would close the set like they always do, with a spirited version of “Devotion and Desire” that got the crowd moving more so than any of the previous tracks. They had played for a full hour, not bad considering they weren’t headlining the show.

After a short wait (I’m guessing there was an early curfew), Senses Fail took the stage and opened with “Shark Attack.” My first impression was “I think my ears are going to explode.” The entire set was an aural assault, with the band seemingly out to ruin the hearing of everyone in attendance. Mission accomplished.

That isn’t to say that the band sounded bad. They did stray into some sloppy territory at times, but overall they handled even their most technical tracks with ease. Guitarist Zach Roach, who recently replaced Heath Saraceno, not only shreds, but also lends solid backing vocals, often allowing lead singer Buddy Neilsen to catch his breath after a round of guttural screaming.

Neilsen’s vocals were the most surprising, and impressive aspect of the entire show. When I saw Senses Fail four years ago, they did not sound good. Neilsen’s started the show strong, but quickly faded to the point where he sounded nothing like he did on any of their recordings. What a difference a few years makes. On this night, the charismatic frontman deftly switched from his much-improved singing voice to the type of screaming that threatened to blow out every single speaker hanging above the stage.

While Neilsen provided an admirable vocal performance, it is the crowd that really deserves a pat on the back. From the second the band stepped on stage until the final notes of “187″, the fans went absolutely nuts. They pushed, shoved, flailed, and crowd surfed throughout the set, and Senses Fail seemed to feed off their energy. Neilsen paced around the stage like a caged animal and did  his best in fighting the urge to dive headfirst into the crowd.

The band’s set lasted just under an hour and featured a mix of songs from their four full-length albums, including three tracks from The Fire. “Bite to Break Skin” from Let it Enfold You” received the biggest reaction from the crowd, although pretty much every song inspired at least some degree of chaos at the front of the venue.

The band would close the show abruptly, saying “we have one more left, and we don’t do encores, so this is it.” Once again, I think this may have been to accommodate a curfew the club had instituted. Either way, Senses Fail closed their set in the same way they’ve closed every other show throughout their career, with “187.” While it is a crowd favorite, it seems dated at this point, and I wish they would try something different. Based on their reaction, however, I  don’t think many in the crowd would agree with me.

Overall, the show highlighted two bands that have survived seismic shifts in the music industry without reinventing their sound, but by cultivating a dedicated fan base. While Bayside is always a decent live band, their performance was certainly the best I had seen from them. With a new record arriving in February, they seem primed to continue to grow that fan base. Senses Fail, on the other hand, has never had a reputation as a good live band, but shows like this will go a long way towards changing that. Their performance was an hour of pure intensity that would impress even the most cynical music fans.

Edit this setlist | More Bayside setlists

Edit this setlist | More Senses Fail setlists

(Same as previous show in Hartford)

The Bouncing Souls Home for the Holidays Night Three

The Bouncing Souls “Home for the Holidays”
December 28th, 2009
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ

Despite its ocean front location and spacious boardwalk, Asbury Park, New Jersey will never be mistaken for one of the prettier places in the world. On this bitterly cold December day, it was downright eerie.

All that was missing from the barren beaches and parking lots was rolling tumble weed, but even that would be hesitant to brave the arctic conditions that marked the end of 2009.

The cold weather proved no match for the Bouncing Souls or their fans, who packed the venerable Stone Pony for the third of four “Home for the Holidays” performances. Like the venue itself, the Bouncing Souls are a blue collar, no frills type of band that have earned their spot in punk lore. With help from some like-minded acts, the band would put on an outstanding hometown performance.

The night began with a short set from Static Radio NJ. The band played a mix of hardcore and melodic punk that that wasn’t all that well received by the crowd. Next up was P.O.S. The Minneapolis hip-hop artist who stuck out like a sore thumb in the show’s lineup. By poking, prodding, and borderline insulting the audience, he was somehow able to get the crowd involved as those at the near the front of the stage were waving their arms and chanting along towards the end of the set.

The main support came from Bayside, another no-frills act with a history of opening for the Bouncing Souls. The band almost always puts on a solid set, and this night was no different as the crowd finally had a chance to move and sing along. The only compliant I had was that the set list was very familiar to anyone who had seen them in the past. The quartet continues to shy away from material off Shudder, their most recent, and arguably strongest record.

While the Bayside set was enjoyable, it couldn’t compare to the energetic, sweaty, nearly perfect show put on by the hometown heroes. From the opening one-two punch of “Here We Go” and “Never Say Die/When You’re Young,” until the closing notes of “The Freak, Nerds, and Romantics,” the show moved at break-neck speed.

The set list came courtesy of a local charity that was present as the show, and boy was it a good one. Celebrating 20 years as a band, it would be almost impossible to satisfy everyone, but with a perfect mix of old and new, the quartet seemed to do just that. While favorites such as “Mantham,”  “Hopeless Romantic,” or any of the five songs off 1996′s Maniacal Laughter inspired giant circle pits, it was newer material that shined, including the very appropriate “Ghosts on the Boardwalk.”

Even up on stage in front of a sold-out crowd, you would think the band was playing a basement show in front of family and friends. To an extent, they were. The group had scheduled meet and greet events throughout the week, including after parties, “hang sessions,” and record store visits. They joked with those in the audience between songs, and even stopped one song to make note of how badly they had botched the opening. The group’s lack of “rock star” image or ego is another reason why they have managed to endear themselves to so many fans over the past two decades.

After closing the show with a four songs encore, the band would leave the stage having thoroughly exhausted those in the crowd. Half the fans slowly filed out onto a quiet and cold Ocean Avenue, while the other half rushed the merch table looking for a shirt or cd to help commemorate the night. Whether you walked out with souvenir or not, the show would be hard to forget. While a veteran band at the top of their game in front of an adoring hometown crowd at an intimate venue is always going to yield good results, this show was something special.

Listen To Your Friends, and Bring Them Out On Tour With You

New Found Glory
Bayside
Set Your Goals
Fireworks
House of Blues Boston
April 30th, 2009

New Found Glory will never been considered one of the most innovative or creative bands out there. Their latest record, Not Without Fight, is possibly their most predictable work yet, going back to the sound that helped propel them to great popularity earlier in the decade. After reading that, you’re probably thinking I’m not much of a New Found Glory fan. Truth is, I love New Found Glory. For years they’ve been one of my favorite bands, and their show at the House of Blues in Boston represented the sixth time I would see them live. I like New Found Glory because they don’t try to be something they aren’t. They play fast, catchy pop-punk songs that are great for singing along to, and they transfer the energy found in their records to their live show. Their headlining show with Bayside, Set Your Goals, and Fireworks perfectly illustrated this.

The night began with a short set from Fireworks, the Detroit based pop-punk act who recently released their debut record “All I Have To Offer is My Own Confusion. The band seemed like the perfect fit for the tour, considering they seem to be heavily influenced by New Found Glory and have toured with Set Your Goals in the past. While they may have been a good fit, there were very few in the crowd who showed any interested in the band, with only a select few bobbing their heads or signing along. This isn’t to say that the band didn’t put on a good show and attempt to get the crowd excited, it just wasn’t happening.

Set Your Goals

The crowd may have been saving their energy for the next act, Set Your Goals, the Bay Area band that has become somewhat of an underground phenomenon since the release of their debut LP Mutiny in 2006. They have played a number of memorable shows in the area, including a handful at the ICC in Allston that at times have featured as many fans on stage with the band as  down on the floor watching. While it would be much harder to pull off a stage dive at the House of Blues, the crowd still gave it their all during the set.

For a number of different reasons, I decided to stand off to the side of the stage for the entire show, so while I can’t exactly gauge just how crazy the crowd got, I can say I saw a good deal of crowd surfing and (attempted) head walking during Set Your Goal’s short set. The band sounded decent  music-wise, and included songs such as “Flight of the Navigator,” “Echoes,” and “Mutiny.”  The only complaint I had about the performance was the fact that the band has been playing the same songs live for about three years now.  This will change in July when the band releases their new record, one song off of which they played in the middle of their set.

Bayside's Raneri

Next was Bayside, and this was my forth time seeing the four-piece who released their excellent forth record, Shudder last fall. As expected, the band sounded nearly perfect live, with guitarist (and Strewsburry, Mass.) native Jack O’Shea ripping of one jaw-dropping solo after another. Lead singer Anthony Reneri kept the between-song banter to a minimum and let the band’s varied setlist take center stage. After openning with “Hello Shitty,” the band would follow with “Boy” and then “The Walking Wounded,” providing one standout track from each of their last three records. “Masterpiece” from the bands debut record Sirens and Condolences was a welcome addition to the set, and fan favorite “Montauk” was also included before closing the set with “Devotion and Desire.” While the crowd had been quite enthusiastic during the Set Your Goals set, Bayside did not receive the same reaction. The crowd was seemingly split between fans who wanted to move around and sing along, and those who couldn’t’ wait for Bayside to get off the stage. This is unfortunate, but having half the crowd on your side at such a large venue isn’t a bad thing either.

After a short wait, it was time for the headliners to do their part. I am a strong believer in starting a set off strong and getting the crowd excited right from the outset, for it always seems to make for better shows in the end. New Found Glory also subscribes to this philosophy, as they began with current single “Listen To Your Friends,” easily the catchiest (and best) song off their new record. The crowd responded in full force, and from what I could see, they never let up for the rest of the night. The band would go on to pump out anthem after anthem, mixing the best songs from Not Without a Fight with all of their older favorites. This is the type of show that makes it very difficult to pick out just a few highlights, so I might as well just say every song was excellent and had almost everyone in the building singing along as loud as they could. It was a nice treat to hear “Tip of the Iceberg” and “Dig My Own Grave” in succession, both of which came from last year’s hardcore-leaning “Tip of the Iceberg” E.P. The only misstep (and it was a very minor one at that) was their cover of “Don’t You Forget (About Me),” which they used to close the set. It appeared that a good deal of those in the audience weren’t familiar with the track.

NFG's Jordan Pundik

After a very short time off stage, New Found Glory once again grabbed the reins and ramped the energy back up with “Better Off Dead” to begin the encore. “Head on Collision” would follow, along with “Too Good To Be,” a slower track from 2007′s Coming Home. The band would then invite a random fan onstage to join the performance of the customary New Found Glory closing act, featuring Intro from 2005′s Catalyst, and of course, the band’s biggest hit “My Friends Over You.”

All in all, what I consider to be the strongest tour of the year so far easily lived up to the high expectation I had set for it. Each band sounded great and put together outstanding set lists. The crowd easily held up their end of the bargain, earning the title of “craziest show of the tour for sure” from NFG guitarist Chad Gilbert on Twitter (I’ve been doing some deep investigative reporting, I know). Title or no title, everyone in the building had a great time, from the people like me standing off to the side, to the crowd surfers getting tossed around, to the bands themselves. The only thing left to wonder is how long it will be until we see another tour this good.

New Found Glory set list (in order)

Listen To Your Friends
Understatement
At Least I’m Known For Something
Forget My Name
Right Where We Left Off
All Downhill From Here
Sincerely Me
Glory of Love
Truck Stop Blues
Truth of my Youth
Something I Call Personality
Hold My Hand
Tip of the Iceberg
Dig My Own Grave
Failure’s Not Flattering
Dressed to Kill
Don’t Let Her Pull You Down
Hit or Miss
Don’t You Forget (About Me)

Better Off Dead
Head On Collision
Too Good To Be
Intro
My Friends Over You

Bayside set list (in order)

Hello Shitty
Boy
The Walking Wounded
They’re Not Horses, They’re Unicorns
Carry On
Rochambo
Masterpiece
Duality
Montauk
Devotion and Desire

Set Your Goals set list (not in order)

Flight of the Navigator
Goonies
The Fallen
Work in Progress
We Do It For the Money
Echoes
To Be Continued
How Bout No, Scott
Dead Man
Mutiny