A BRILLIANT FUTURE TOUR REVIEW
The backbone of the modern music industry is local music, and if you don’t believe me, get out and support your local music scene. Let me tell you why I find this to be so unbelievably true.
I recently attended a show that included a rock band that came from my hometown. These three dudes had a show lined up for months, and regardless of the hoops they had to jump through to make it happen, they rocked the house. Well done, lads.
I went to the show at FUBAR in Sauget, Illinois last Tuesday night, August 2nd. Did I like all of the bands? No. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t support local bands! Everybody starts somewhere. At any rate, small shows like this are really what this industry thrives on. The intimacy of the performance, the bands’ interaction with the crowd, the networking done between fans and artists; local venues with small bands are what an aspiring artist and industry supporter like myself live for.
Weather Hill, a funky R&B/pop-rock group opened up the right side of FUBAR on Tuesday night. This band was not my personal favorite, but that doesn’t mean the talent isn’t there! The vocalist, Brady Shadeux, brought an interesting soul sound to the venue early on in the evening. Each song let the audience know that love is something to appreciate in all aspects; whether it be friends, family, or significant others. Each song had thumping bass lines and smooth keyboard riffs that made some audience members look around for R. Kelly’s manager. With all of that said, the music really wasn’t my cup of tea. I thought that the lyrics were a little repetitive, and the songs all sounded extremely similar.
While I believe that the idea of a vocalist being the “frontman” can hold some water in some contexts, I don’t feel that is the case with this band. The onstage chemistry was nearly nonexistent, and that really took away from the sound the group was creating. You can be a frontman while sharing the stage at the same time, as well as creating a strong connection between you, your bandmates, and the audience; this idea didn’t seem to be held on to too tightly by Weather Hill. ALSO: The guitarist wore sunglasses the whole time, and they remained on his face even after they got off stage. That bothered me.
By the end of the performance, I had decided that Weather Hill was not the band for me. Having said that, I still recommend that you all check them out if you’re into pop-rock and/or R&B music; Weather Hill might have some funky tunes for you to check out! They’ll have music on Facebook in the coming weeks.
Following their performance, A New State was stepping up to the plate. I’ve seen these guys live before; I had them play a show at my fraternity house! I already knew what I was going to get - a solid rock show with great banter, sweat beads flying in every direction, and great rock music blowing into both ears with sound waves that would register on the Richter scale. Connor Watson, the bassist, can think on his feet. This might have been my favorite part of their set: in between songs, the bassist’s strap broke. From the crowd, it seemed that he could just reconnect it to the other end of his instrument with no problem. After we saw Connor kneel down during the next song and slap his bass right on his knee, we all learned that wasn’t the case. For the rest of the performance, Connor rocked out just like that. I imagine he was kneeling to the Rock Gods praying for some sort of musical miracle. You didn’t need one, man; you killed each song on one knee!
As always, Mike Wachter beat the everliving out of his drum kit, and each audience member had fallen in love. Even during his vocal parts, when the microphone tipped out of his reach, he bent over and slammed on his drums, craning ninety degrees to one side.
Nick Wachter, the lead vocalist (who some had mistaken for Kurt Cobain’s long-lost son), made a real splash with the audience, and not just because of the crashing waves of sweat that came raining down on the pit of the venue. Each song was executed well, the transitions were crisp, and the chemistry was unreal. All in all, props to A New State. You can check them out here: www.anewstate.bandcamp.com
If you’re like me, and are often skeptical about female vocalists in bands of the rock/alternative/hardcore genre, then you might have felt the same way when you spotted the tiny blonde vocalist take the stage when Mocklove began setting up. “Here we go again, another chick singer.” HOLD ON - this isn’t about gender, as much as it sounds like it is. I, for whatever reason, have some odd aversion to female vocalists in bands of the aforementioned genres. Don’t get too upset just yet - I’m here to tell you that Madelyn Munsell really threw me for a loop that night at FUBAR. This “tiny blonde vocalist” really brought her A-game. Jumping around on stage, interacting with the audience, jumping down into the crowd, belting her vocals until the building shook; this girl was incredible. I was severely impressed.
Not only do I applaud the lead vocalist, but the other to singers as well. The guitarist let out some beautiful harmonies on a few numbers, as well. Each member of the band played a large role in that set, and it felt like they all felt that way, too. Their stage presence and chemistry between one another were both things I was happy to see on that stage. Well done, Mocklove. You’ve gained a new fan, and opened that fan’s eyes to female leads in hardcore bands. If you think you’d be into this band, check them out here: www.mocklove.bandcamp.com
I HIGHLY recommend it.
Unfortunately, I had to work the next morning at six o’clock, so I wasn’t able to stay for the last two acts, which were, of course, the touring/headlining bands. In lieu of not being able to comment on what I’m sure was a spectacular performance by both bands, I’ll give a brief biography of each group.
Coming all the way the way from Orlando, Florida, is A Brilliant Lie. This alternative quintet is bound to hype up all rock fans, especially anybody who listens to Emarosa, Taking Back Sunday, and/or Paramore. These zany rockstars all focus on what’s truly important within the art of making beautiful music: living in the moment and writing fun, soulful music that provokes thoughts in all of their audience members. A Brilliant Lie is currently touring in support of their 3-EP Collection titled “Threads.” Their second of the trilogy will be released this month.
Since 2010, the up-and-coming alternative group has received airtime on a plethora of radio stations, collegiate and otherwise. They’ve even played at venues such as the House of Blues in Orlando, Sand Point Park as a supporting band for Relient K, and the West End Trading Company as a supporting act for Framing Hanley. Needless to say, A Brilliant Lie has worked their fingers to the bone to produce, promote, and premiere their music, and the effort is nothing short of apparent. If you would like to check out their music, and I would definitely recommend doing so, you can find them here: http://abrilliantlie.com/epk/
Last, but surely not least, Pseudo Future was the act to close down FUBAR in East St. Louis. These dudes created this beautifully interesting musical trio in 2014, and have not stopped working since. Influenced by great names such as Brand New and the Foo Fighters, this energetic rock trio is in a constant strive to make their listeners feel the heavy guitar and the groovy drums at every waking moment. The sound they deliver is something completely unique and new, with sounds blended from genres such as traditional rock and alternative, all the way to a funky blues groove. I can personally say I have never heard anything like Pseudo Future, and I was thoroughly impressed when I discovered their music a few short weeks ago. The trio, consisting of Jeff, Justyn, and Patrick, comes all the way from Dallas, Texas. If you’re looking for a new sound, or something refreshing to listen to, do yourself a favor and discover Pseudo Future. Check out their website here: http://pseudofuture.com/
Even though I didn’t see the last two acts, the Brilliant Future Tour was an incredible show. I hope that I can continue bringing new music to all of you in the coming days. In the meantime, give these bands a listen. Local music not only deserves the support for all of the hard work they do, but you might find something you truly enjoy listening to. Until next time, readers.
Andrew
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