For
many fans, it is surreal seeing The Story So Far play to sold-out large venues
across the country. Not long ago, TSSF
played VFWs and basements across the country but after seeing them play the TLA
in Philadelphia last week, they seemed like seasoned pros. With Stick to Your Guns, SUCH GOLD, ROTTING
OUT, and Souvenirs also on the ticket, nearly all sounds of the genre were
accounted for. If the tour hasn’t
reached your city yet and you’re holding out on buying tickets, stop what you’re
doing, buy some tickets, and then come back to reading this. It’s not surprising that these bands are
selling out venues all over the nation.
Souvenirs
kicked off the show with an emo inspired sound that essentially pulled in the
crowd. Emotional lyrics and tight instrumentals
started off the night on a sad note but seemed captivate those watching. The older kids in the audience (aka anyone
out of high school) seemed to really appreciate the sound as it is reminiscent
of early 2000’s emo. Souvenirs has the potential to be one of the
next big names in the genre so keep an eye on these guys.
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| Souvenirs at the TLA in Philadelphia 11/21/13 |
ROTTING
OUT was next and brought the heavy. With high energy and a ton of breakdowns, they
immediately had the crowd jumping off stage and throwing themselves
around. Their set, however, had a
seemingly equal music to motivational speech ratio. Vocalist Walter Delgado mentioned everything
from finding good friends to things getting better to the underground hardcore
scene. For those going to just enjoy
some music and thrash around, this was a little much. Yet, for any kids needing a pep talk or some
assurance while going through a tough time, I’m sure his words were
appreciated.
In
direct contrast to the previous set, SUCH GOLD kept the talking to a minimum
and played a jam-packed set, featuring two new songs. The lack of barrier at the TLA kept fans
hopping on stage and subsequently tipping over vocalist/guitarist Ben Kotin’s
mic stand. That didn’t seem to shake
SUCH GOLD though as they played one of my favorite sets of the night. Marked by a ton of energy, crowd interaction,
and great sound, the band really got the crowd going for the rest of the night
by playing some old favorites and new material (click
here to hear what Jon and
Devan of SUCH GOLD think about the new songs in their set).
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| SUCH GOLD at the TLA in Philadelphia 11/21/13 |
In
order to fully appreciate Stick to Your Guns and understand their huge and
dedicated fan base, you need to see them live. Each band member seemed to be
having a great time whether it be singing along to every song or smiling and
laughing with the fans who were about to dive off the stage. It’s clear that this is a band that is much more
than just music. While connection with
big fans was a prominent aspect of their set, Stick to Your Guns still pleased
those wanted to take in the hardcore music as their fan’s appreciation only
seemed to fuel the band as they played.
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| Jesse Barnett of Stick to Your Guns at the TLA in Philly 11/21/13 |
When
The Story So Far took the stage, the entire venue seemed to lose their
cool. From the first song through the
encore, TSSF kept the energy at an all-time high while still sounding great. I’m not sure if the audience would’ve even
cared if they didn’t as the entire crowd screamed the lyrics along with Parker
Cannon. At one point, he jumped into the
crowd and it took security about a third of the song to fish him out. Yet, it is that type of behavior that is
appreciated more at these types of shows.
We all know Parker Cannon can sing.
We all know that Kevin, Will, Ryan, and Kelen tear apart each song they
play. It was their ability to take a
sold-out show at the TLA and make it feel like a small show in the middle of
nowhere that it truly commendable. As
time goes on, TSSF shows will only get bigger and rowdier. However, if their performance last Thursday
is any indication of how they will continue handle this newfound fame, their
old fans won’t be going anywhere.
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| Parker Cannon of The Story So Far at the TLA in Philadelphia 11/21/13 |
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| The Story So Far at the TLA in Philadelphia 11/21/13 |
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