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Matchbook Romance
Midtown
Hidden In Plain View
Name Taken
Concert Review by Keith Joseph / Rockstarpix.TV
This has to be one of the best lineups in a long time to go on tour together. They have all made a mark on the independent rock scene and seem to be on the verge to make an even bigger dent in the proverbial emo tourbus. Hidden In Plain View seems to come to Buffalo more than any other artist and they really seem to be getting a good following here. This is Midtown’s first return show to the Showplace Theater since Adam Lazzara, of Taking Back Sunday, had fallen off the stage and busted himself up about two years ago.
The show opened with youngsters Name Taken taking the stage. The band played a flawless set but only had time to play about six songs. The songs were all off of their new record which was released earlier this year. Name Taken really has a great distinguished sound and also an inspiring chemistry. The band was so in-sync with each other and they seemed to be seasoned pros. Their set was highlighted by tracks such as “Drive, Drive, Drive”, and “Panic”. The band played a very solid set for only having six songs to play.
The second band to perform was Hidden In Plain View. They really got the house rocking with their set. The first two songs they played were the only to get a pit going on this night. They played some new songs and also some old favorites from their previous EP. They played with so much energy and really had a great presence on the stage to get the crowd involved. Their set’s high points were “Ashes, Ashes”, “Twenty Below” and “Shaman’s Witch Project”. The band really showed off their great talent and this is one reason why people are anticipating their full length album so much, which will be released in February.
Midtown played third which was a huge surprise because they were on the ticket as the headlining group. With that in mind, they still played a completely awesome set. They had so much energy, and they show that they have been doing this for years. There was so much chemistry as the band was performing, but that comes in the picture considering all the members of the group haven’t changed. The band has been together for years now and has not deteriorated a bit. With their new release “Forget What You Know” on Columbia Records, they opened their eyes and made a great rock ‘n’ roll record. Their set was topped of by “Empty Like The Ocean”, “Just Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Waiting For The News”. With half of the band sick and ready to vomit, they put on a great and memorable performance. Rock on Midtown!!
Matchbook Romance closed the show and with too long of a wait in between sets, the band didn’t seem to wake the crowd up much. Watching the band play showed a lot of chemistry and stage presence, but it seemed as if every song sounded the same. This was more apparent watching the band live then listening to the record. The band still played well, and put on a pretty decent set but also made me realize that their music shows very little variation. With that in mind, the highlights of the set were “My Eyes Burn”, “Tiger Lily”, and “Lovers And Liars.”
In summary this show in could be considered any pop-punk, emo fan’s dream. The bands played great rock music and could be one of the top tours of the year in the Buffalo, NY area. Name Taken and Hidden In Plain View are newcomers to the scene compared to Midtown, they should take a few notes because they will only get better with time and that could be something special, if it isn’t already.
Best Performance- Midtown
Rating- A (9)
Keith Joseph
Check out their web sites for current tour dates and information.
www.nametakenmusic.com
www.hiddeninplainview.com
www.midtownrocks.com
www.matchbookromance.com
produced by Michael Giambra / rockstarpix.tv Copyright 2004
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