i'm all tied up and i'm trying my best to get down.
on thursday night, i went to see the cobra starship show at the trocadero theatre. it was great! cobra was hilarious. at one point, gabe gave a shout-out to my chemical (b)romance because ryland said something inappropriate and gabe responded, "we can't do that. you know what they do to guys like us in prison!" jersey love, kids. the river runs deep. anyway. the whole point of this post is to talk about the very first opening act, with whom i have become acquainted (their music, at least; also, read as: fallen in love with) over the summer:
SING IT LOUD.
there was a point during the month of august where i was listening to one of their songs, come around, about 10 times a day because i would listen to it on my own, and then when i got in the car
helluvalot would put it on repeat in a not-so-subtle way.
you should all love them like i do.
THIS MAY NOT BE DIAL-UP FRIENDLY EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ONLY 25 PHOTOS.
as julie said after we saw them dancing with fans, they are "the scene" at its best. we should be dancing with these guys after they play their sets; we should get to scream and shout to great, fun music with the guys who play it. with them, we are.
first, i'm going to introduce you to them through a few photos, because we all love visuals.
THE BAND. this is sing it loud.
the first photo is sing it loud v1.0, and it is no longer the same band i know now.
l to r: ben peterson (keyboards/backing vocals), nate flynn (bass), pat brown (lead vocals/guitar), kieren smith (guitar/backing vocals), & the old drummer dane.
EDIT: this is sing it loud v2.0, including chris "sick boy" lee as their drummer.
l to r: nate, chris, pat, ben, kieren.
here are some facts about them:
1) they are from minneapolis, minnesota.
2) they haven't figured out how not to post personal pictures of themselves on the internet.
that's all i know.
this is their biography from their myspace, found here:
Sing It Loud is a proud pop band with an arena-rock musical background and a punk-rock pedigree. "So many pop bands are on ‘pop' record labels, but we're a pop band on the most badass, punk-rock label ever," explains vocalist/guitarist Pat Brown. "It lets us keep a more individual and original vibe because we're not associated with a bunch of bands on the same label that sound exactly like us."
On the flipside, the members of Sing It Loud are prepared for punk purists to call foul, but they aren't fazed. "Many old-school, Epitaph punk kids hate our band, but I don't care," admits guitarist/vocalist Kieren Smith. "Honestly, people will love and hate what you do. I'm doing this band for me and my boys. People change, music changes, labels change."
That said, Sing It Loud is happy to usher in change when Epitaph Records releases their debut Come Around on September 23rd. Produced by Motion City Soundtrack guitarist Josh Cain and engineered by Mark Trombino (Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World), Come Around is a collection of songs with fist-pumping melodies (like "I've Got A Feeling" and "Marionettes") and head-bopping choruses (like "Best Beating Heart" and "No One Can Touch Us (featuring Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low)"), which are sure to give fans a full-body workout. It's no wonder that audiences are advised to hydrate before seeing the band live, which is something that longtime listeners have known since seeing the band play their first shows.
Although those first shows were admittedly terrible ("I honestly don't know why [Epitaph label head] Brett [Gurewtiz] signed us; we were so bad," insists Smith.), Sing It Loud showed the kind of promise that couldn't be denied-despite only playing seven shows before they got signed. It all started in April 2007 when frenemies Brown and Smith were in two rival local bands in Minneapolis (Semester and Jamestown Story, respectively) but soon realized they had an unexpected connection: Smith's step-aunt was dating Brown's dad, unbeknownst to the two teens. It was then that they decided to join forces, form Sing It Loud and meld together Brown's love of pop punk with Smith's affinity for arena rock.
"I was always captivated by bands that could own their crowd and whose fans stood by them through thick and thin," remembers Smith, who counts Kiss and Def Leppard as among is early influences. "They became more than a band; they were a lifestyle."
Sure, that lifestyle had a lot to do with big hair and spandex pants, but it also included longevity-something that the members of Sing It Loud hope to achieve with the release of the album's first single "Come Around." One listen to this infectious, pop-tastic love letter and you won't be able to get it out of your head no matter how hard you try-that is until you listen to "Don't Save Me." Sometimes relationships just aren't meant to be and the song is an ode to making a clean break from the one you worked so hard to woo. Come Around has something for everyone-big riffs, bigger choruses and enough catchy melodies to fill a PODS storage unit.
"We don't want to be a band that lasts for only one or two albums and then drops off the face of the Earth," says Brown. "We want to be able to play shows and support ourselves by doing this for the next 10 to 20 years, hopefully. We love doing this and there's nothing else we want to do."
these are all photos with dane, their old drummer:
MEET THE MEMBERS.
ben, the keyboardist.
ben is absolutely fantastic. while we were waiting to tell pat how fantastic they had been, ben came flying by (probably trying to avoid the crowd, and also because fewer people wanted to talk to him). i smiled at him and he smiled at me and he kept walking, and then he turned around and smiled again and we stopped him so that we could talk to him. i leaned over and said, "you guys were really brilliant tonight. that was an amazing performance," or something like that, and he smiled so wide. he grabbed my hand, leaned in and said, in probably the most earnest voice i've ever heard, "thank you so much! i'm ben." and then he legitimately waited for me to introduce myself before he left for the merch stand, even though he'll never in his life remember my name or face.
nate, the bassist.
this kid is ridiculous, and probably my favourite to watch on stage. after his own set, he shot through the crowd to the merch stand and was there all through hit the lights' set. halfway through forever the sickest kids' set, he came racing into the back of the room where we were standing and started dancing so hard to one of his favourite songs, right in the middle of a circle of fans, singing along with them. they started videotaping (in a cute way, not a sketch way, if that's possible) and he grabs the camera and tells the girl videotaping to get into the circle so they can have a video of all of the friends dancing together. i leaned over to him because he was about a foot away from me, and i said, "hey, i can take that if you want to keep dancing with them," and he did the cutest voice (not able to be transcribed, i kid you not) and waved his hand and said, "nah." about 30 seconds went by of him still videotaping and he leaned over and said, "i feel like such a creep right now," and we laughed, and then he handed the camera back to the original girl and started dancing and singing along again, because in that moment he was just a kid who was watching one of his favourite bands at a concert.
pat, the lead singer.
the pat brown, kids! that's his myspace name, minus the kids part. he photographs well, but on stage this kid (and i say kid ironically in this one, because he's the only 21+ one in the band) absolutely radiates sex. he was trying to make his way toward the merch stand after their set and got mobbed by fans. we decided to wait it out, just to be able to tell him that he had done a spectacular job (we didn't want signatures or photos, by that point, because he looked so tired) and we ended up waiting through 1.5 sets (all of hit the lights and half of forever the sickest kids). he looked over a couple of times and i'm pretty sure he smiled apologetically atwow_katie, and he definitely knew we were waiting for him. eventually, he made it over to us and just slumped in gratitude when we just thanked him for playing a great set and told him he was amazing. he stood with us for about two minutes total, the first of which he kept leaning in to say things about how great forever the sickest kids were and to say how grateful he was that we were there, but the second minute was just silence, and at the end he leaned over, smiled, said thanks again, and then told us it was nice talking to us but he had to go. it was very sweet.
this photo was titled, "pre-show ritual!"
kieren, the guitarist.
wow_katie caught his pick! we didn't get to talk to him, but he was next to us talking to some girls for awhile. he seemed lovely. the only two photos i have are from his photo blog.
that is his cat. she is 16 years old, according to the original caption.
he got a haircut, said the caption.
chris, the drummer.
i have no photos of him! nor do i have stories, because he didn't come out into the crowd after. i do, however, know this: he was absolutely phenomenal to watch drumming. he was (almost) comparable to watching jeremiah (of manchester) in enthusiasm. he was kind of entrancing. if anyone has any info on him, i would greatly appreciate it!
NOW, ON TO THE MUSIC.
they are a baby bandom band. their brand of music is pop-punk, with a little bit more pop but the same amount of headbanging. think: we the kings, all time low, the academy is..., and bands a lot like that. in fact, they have toured with all of those bands! i think. don't quote me on that fact. they have at least toured with we the kings, i know that much.
anyway! their music is cute. one of their songs, come around, is totally and completely addicting, and it kills me that we were some of the only people rocking the fuck out to it last night (the only time i've ever moved my body harder during a concert is during the gym class set at warped). that one is their best (in my opinion) and sounds a lot like baby jimmy eat world (as first pointed out byhelluvalot). one of their songs, no one can touch us, features a guest appearance by alex gaskarth of all time low and it is fantastically adorable.
for all of their songs, think: strong vocals, loud choruses, some synth, strategic pauses, and sweet lyrics. i think they have a way to go with the development of their sound, but i also think that they're one of those bands who can definitely get there if they try. they have the potential to do something a little bit different with the pop-punk formula, and if it happens i absolutely want to be around to hear it. as of yet, they're better live in my opinion, but their recorded tracks are enough to hook you into wanting to see a show. if this grabs your interest, please go see them. they're outstanding on stage, have the cutest merch, and would love to talk to you.
here's a small .zip file of my favourite songs! they have a full lp that came out two weeks ago, and you should totally go buy it.
download the mix HERE. the download password is moremayhem.
come around; the one that's addicting.
don't save me; their newest single!
no one can touch us; featuring alex gaskarth of all time low.
bite your lip; starts out sparse and builds.
best beating heart; sappiest and cutest lyrics ever.
come around (acoustic); starts out a bit rough but has some stunning harmonies.
their myspace is here! and everyone should check them out.
they have an online merch store here and it is pretty cute stuff. i bought one of the tee-shirts and there are sunglasses, guys.
in conclusion! here are some photos of the dudes being dorks together.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: most of these photos were taken by a guy by the name of collin hughes. he's a music photographer and (seemingly) a friend of the band, and he deserves all of the credit in the world for his lovely photographs. check out his flickr here!
the rest of the photos were from their photoblogs (that they link to on their myspace) or from random image searches that i did. if any of these are yours and you do not want me posting them or want me to give credit, please let me know!
in summation: their music is so fun, guys.
SING IT LOUD.
there was a point during the month of august where i was listening to one of their songs, come around, about 10 times a day because i would listen to it on my own, and then when i got in the car
helluvalot would put it on repeat in a not-so-subtle way.you should all love them like i do.
THIS MAY NOT BE DIAL-UP FRIENDLY EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ONLY 25 PHOTOS.
as julie said after we saw them dancing with fans, they are "the scene" at its best. we should be dancing with these guys after they play their sets; we should get to scream and shout to great, fun music with the guys who play it. with them, we are.
first, i'm going to introduce you to them through a few photos, because we all love visuals.
THE BAND. this is sing it loud.
the first photo is sing it loud v1.0, and it is no longer the same band i know now.
l to r: ben peterson (keyboards/backing vocals), nate flynn (bass), pat brown (lead vocals/guitar), kieren smith (guitar/backing vocals), & the old drummer dane.
EDIT: this is sing it loud v2.0, including chris "sick boy" lee as their drummer.
l to r: nate, chris, pat, ben, kieren.
here are some facts about them:
1) they are from minneapolis, minnesota.
2) they haven't figured out how not to post personal pictures of themselves on the internet.
that's all i know.
this is their biography from their myspace, found here:
Sing It Loud is a proud pop band with an arena-rock musical background and a punk-rock pedigree. "So many pop bands are on ‘pop' record labels, but we're a pop band on the most badass, punk-rock label ever," explains vocalist/guitarist Pat Brown. "It lets us keep a more individual and original vibe because we're not associated with a bunch of bands on the same label that sound exactly like us."
On the flipside, the members of Sing It Loud are prepared for punk purists to call foul, but they aren't fazed. "Many old-school, Epitaph punk kids hate our band, but I don't care," admits guitarist/vocalist Kieren Smith. "Honestly, people will love and hate what you do. I'm doing this band for me and my boys. People change, music changes, labels change."
That said, Sing It Loud is happy to usher in change when Epitaph Records releases their debut Come Around on September 23rd. Produced by Motion City Soundtrack guitarist Josh Cain and engineered by Mark Trombino (Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World), Come Around is a collection of songs with fist-pumping melodies (like "I've Got A Feeling" and "Marionettes") and head-bopping choruses (like "Best Beating Heart" and "No One Can Touch Us (featuring Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low)"), which are sure to give fans a full-body workout. It's no wonder that audiences are advised to hydrate before seeing the band live, which is something that longtime listeners have known since seeing the band play their first shows.
Although those first shows were admittedly terrible ("I honestly don't know why [Epitaph label head] Brett [Gurewtiz] signed us; we were so bad," insists Smith.), Sing It Loud showed the kind of promise that couldn't be denied-despite only playing seven shows before they got signed. It all started in April 2007 when frenemies Brown and Smith were in two rival local bands in Minneapolis (Semester and Jamestown Story, respectively) but soon realized they had an unexpected connection: Smith's step-aunt was dating Brown's dad, unbeknownst to the two teens. It was then that they decided to join forces, form Sing It Loud and meld together Brown's love of pop punk with Smith's affinity for arena rock.
"I was always captivated by bands that could own their crowd and whose fans stood by them through thick and thin," remembers Smith, who counts Kiss and Def Leppard as among is early influences. "They became more than a band; they were a lifestyle."
Sure, that lifestyle had a lot to do with big hair and spandex pants, but it also included longevity-something that the members of Sing It Loud hope to achieve with the release of the album's first single "Come Around." One listen to this infectious, pop-tastic love letter and you won't be able to get it out of your head no matter how hard you try-that is until you listen to "Don't Save Me." Sometimes relationships just aren't meant to be and the song is an ode to making a clean break from the one you worked so hard to woo. Come Around has something for everyone-big riffs, bigger choruses and enough catchy melodies to fill a PODS storage unit.
"We don't want to be a band that lasts for only one or two albums and then drops off the face of the Earth," says Brown. "We want to be able to play shows and support ourselves by doing this for the next 10 to 20 years, hopefully. We love doing this and there's nothing else we want to do."
these are all photos with dane, their old drummer:
MEET THE MEMBERS.
ben, the keyboardist.
ben is absolutely fantastic. while we were waiting to tell pat how fantastic they had been, ben came flying by (probably trying to avoid the crowd, and also because fewer people wanted to talk to him). i smiled at him and he smiled at me and he kept walking, and then he turned around and smiled again and we stopped him so that we could talk to him. i leaned over and said, "you guys were really brilliant tonight. that was an amazing performance," or something like that, and he smiled so wide. he grabbed my hand, leaned in and said, in probably the most earnest voice i've ever heard, "thank you so much! i'm ben." and then he legitimately waited for me to introduce myself before he left for the merch stand, even though he'll never in his life remember my name or face.
nate, the bassist.
this kid is ridiculous, and probably my favourite to watch on stage. after his own set, he shot through the crowd to the merch stand and was there all through hit the lights' set. halfway through forever the sickest kids' set, he came racing into the back of the room where we were standing and started dancing so hard to one of his favourite songs, right in the middle of a circle of fans, singing along with them. they started videotaping (in a cute way, not a sketch way, if that's possible) and he grabs the camera and tells the girl videotaping to get into the circle so they can have a video of all of the friends dancing together. i leaned over to him because he was about a foot away from me, and i said, "hey, i can take that if you want to keep dancing with them," and he did the cutest voice (not able to be transcribed, i kid you not) and waved his hand and said, "nah." about 30 seconds went by of him still videotaping and he leaned over and said, "i feel like such a creep right now," and we laughed, and then he handed the camera back to the original girl and started dancing and singing along again, because in that moment he was just a kid who was watching one of his favourite bands at a concert.
pat, the lead singer.
the pat brown, kids! that's his myspace name, minus the kids part. he photographs well, but on stage this kid (and i say kid ironically in this one, because he's the only 21+ one in the band) absolutely radiates sex. he was trying to make his way toward the merch stand after their set and got mobbed by fans. we decided to wait it out, just to be able to tell him that he had done a spectacular job (we didn't want signatures or photos, by that point, because he looked so tired) and we ended up waiting through 1.5 sets (all of hit the lights and half of forever the sickest kids). he looked over a couple of times and i'm pretty sure he smiled apologetically at
wow_katie, and he definitely knew we were waiting for him. eventually, he made it over to us and just slumped in gratitude when we just thanked him for playing a great set and told him he was amazing. he stood with us for about two minutes total, the first of which he kept leaning in to say things about how great forever the sickest kids were and to say how grateful he was that we were there, but the second minute was just silence, and at the end he leaned over, smiled, said thanks again, and then told us it was nice talking to us but he had to go. it was very sweet.this photo was titled, "pre-show ritual!"
kieren, the guitarist.
wow_katie caught his pick! we didn't get to talk to him, but he was next to us talking to some girls for awhile. he seemed lovely. the only two photos i have are from his photo blog.that is his cat. she is 16 years old, according to the original caption.
he got a haircut, said the caption.
chris, the drummer.
i have no photos of him! nor do i have stories, because he didn't come out into the crowd after. i do, however, know this: he was absolutely phenomenal to watch drumming. he was (almost) comparable to watching jeremiah (of manchester) in enthusiasm. he was kind of entrancing. if anyone has any info on him, i would greatly appreciate it!
NOW, ON TO THE MUSIC.
they are a baby bandom band. their brand of music is pop-punk, with a little bit more pop but the same amount of headbanging. think: we the kings, all time low, the academy is..., and bands a lot like that. in fact, they have toured with all of those bands! i think. don't quote me on that fact. they have at least toured with we the kings, i know that much.
anyway! their music is cute. one of their songs, come around, is totally and completely addicting, and it kills me that we were some of the only people rocking the fuck out to it last night (the only time i've ever moved my body harder during a concert is during the gym class set at warped). that one is their best (in my opinion) and sounds a lot like baby jimmy eat world (as first pointed out by
helluvalot). one of their songs, no one can touch us, features a guest appearance by alex gaskarth of all time low and it is fantastically adorable. for all of their songs, think: strong vocals, loud choruses, some synth, strategic pauses, and sweet lyrics. i think they have a way to go with the development of their sound, but i also think that they're one of those bands who can definitely get there if they try. they have the potential to do something a little bit different with the pop-punk formula, and if it happens i absolutely want to be around to hear it. as of yet, they're better live in my opinion, but their recorded tracks are enough to hook you into wanting to see a show. if this grabs your interest, please go see them. they're outstanding on stage, have the cutest merch, and would love to talk to you.
here's a small .zip file of my favourite songs! they have a full lp that came out two weeks ago, and you should totally go buy it.
download the mix HERE. the download password is moremayhem.
come around; the one that's addicting.
don't save me; their newest single!
no one can touch us; featuring alex gaskarth of all time low.
bite your lip; starts out sparse and builds.
best beating heart; sappiest and cutest lyrics ever.
come around (acoustic); starts out a bit rough but has some stunning harmonies.
their myspace is here! and everyone should check them out.
they have an online merch store here and it is pretty cute stuff. i bought one of the tee-shirts and there are sunglasses, guys.
in conclusion! here are some photos of the dudes being dorks together.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: most of these photos were taken by a guy by the name of collin hughes. he's a music photographer and (seemingly) a friend of the band, and he deserves all of the credit in the world for his lovely photographs. check out his flickr here!
the rest of the photos were from their photoblogs (that they link to on their myspace) or from random image searches that i did. if any of these are yours and you do not want me posting them or want me to give credit, please let me know!
in summation: their music is so fun, guys.