Show Review: Skate and Surf Festival 2014

When the landmark pop-punk and hardcore festival Skate and Surf announced that it would take place for the first time in almost ten years last year, the announcement was met with overwhelming support. That support turned to jeers, however, as the even was marred by a location change that proved to be both a logistical and organizational nightmare, a weekend forecast that simply didn’t co-operate with an outdoor festival, and a rumors of heavy merch cut percentages causing several bands to refuse to sell merchandise at the festival. I was fairly critical of last year’s Skate and Surf, saying that the one saving grace was that I also was able to go to Six Flags each morning before the festival grounds opened (and Fall Out Boy playing an awesome set in the pouring rain didn’t hurt).

So when the festival was announced as returning in 2014, I made a promise to myself. Despite having gone to every New Jersey area Bamboozle/Skate and Surf since 2008, I would only go to Skate and Surf 2014 if Midtown reunited. Well, it turns out festival organizer John D’Esposito got Gabe and the gang back together for not one but two sets on the weekend. As a result, I decided to make the trek to Asbury Park for the second day of the two-day festival. The festival suffered yet another location change this year, moving from Middletown to Asbury Park, but yet again the location change ended up benefiting the festival in the long run. Moving the festival back to Asbury Park allowed Skate and Surf to go back to its roots and allowed the fans to appreciate the festival’s legacy. 

Recommendation For the Week, 9/19-9/25

I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation:

"Hey (friend's name), check out this band, I think you'll like them."
Friend listens to song, with a puzzled look on his/her face.
"What'd you think?"
"I don't know, I don't really like how the singer's voice sounds."

It seems like any time a band is a little bit out of the "norm" a person listens to on a daily basis, the obscurity and unique style of a particular vocalist catches them off-guard, and the listener is immadiately turned off to the band altogether, regardless of the depth of the song's lyrics or the level of talent in its musicianship. As it were, quite a few of my all-time favorite bands (and a few who are quickly moving up the list) have vocalists who are a little different than what you're used to, but that doesn't mean they aren't good. And that's what this week's recommendation is all about: broaden your horizons and open your mind to one of these bands, even if the singer's voice is unbearable to you at times. Who knows, you may find something to hold onto for the rest of your life like I did.

Coheed and Cambria
This four-peice prog-emo group has been around since the beginning of the new millennium, and have quietly released four of their five albums on a major label. While Co&Ca write some of the best rock anthems you don't know about, the reason you don't know about is probably Claudio Sanchez's apparent "little boy who just sucked in helium" voice. The truth about the band, however, is that they are a group of talented and dedicated musicians who are arguably one of the most creative rock bands to come around in decades. With all of their albums telling the science fiction story that Sanchez himself is constantly in the process of penning, the band have changed up their sound time and again, all while keeping the intangibles of the band intact: honest, open songwriting, underrated musicianship, and for better or worse, Sanchez's "helium" influenced voice.
Key Track: "A Favor House Atlantic"

Circa Survive
When Anthony Green fled Saosin to form Circa Survive with guitarist Colin Frangicetto, fans of Saosin were heartbroken, of course, but interested nonetheless on how Green's voice would be used in his new band. However, those who were outside of the post-hardcore scene at the time were skeptical of Green's voice, saying it was too gravelly and high-pitched to be taken seriously. However, as many of the band's fans (and the band itself) will attest, there is so much more to Circa Survive than Green's monstrous voice and stage presence than people think. One listen through the band's 2010 release Blue Sky Noise  will show any listener that Circa Survive is comprised of two techincally gifted guitarists (Frangicetto and Brandon Eckstrom), an underappreciated drummer (Steven Clifford), and a bassist that melds all the sounds together to make a smooth, precise finished product (Nick Beard). Say what you want about Green's voice, but there is no denying the talent Circa Survive possess beyond the vocals everyone is so love/hate about.
Key Track: "Act Appalled"

New Found Glory
In a world where people automatically say "Green Day" and "Blink-182" when they hear the words "pop-punk," it's hard to tell why New Found Glory never got the mainstream recognition their fans will so readily tel you they deserve. Fads have come and gone, and it appears NFG have remained one of the more respected bands in pop-punk, never "selling out" to major labels and always giving their fans what they want. As for why they never caught that big break and became stars, many point to the nasally vocal output of the band's frontman, Jordan Pundik. There are many bands whose images are more accessible than NFG (most of the band's members have full sleeve tattoos on both arms), but there are very few who can write a catchier chorus. NFG have constantly given their fans songs to be screamed back at the band during their intimate, energetic live shows, and anyone who accepts Pundik's nasally voice will see a band who know how to relate to the pent-up, angsty teenager in all of us.
Key Track: "Failure's Not Flattering (What's Your Problem)"

Silversun Pickups
While the indie scene has become oversaturated and same-sounding, Silversun Pickups have found a niche in the game and are among the easiest bands to point out in a crowd, and it's not all because of the vocal delivery of guitarist/vocalist Brian Aubert. Though Aubert's voice seems rather feminine, and many people mistake bassist Nikki Monninger for the band's vocalist (example: me), SSPU have developed a reputation for being one of the most forward-thinking alternative acts around, thanks to Aubert's guitar work and the frantic drumming provided by Christopher Guanlao. Once you look past the gender-bending vocals Aubert provides, it can't be too hard to see from the band's 2009 release Swoon that Silversun Pickups aren't to be defined by one voice, but by the collective whole of the band's unique sound.
Key Track: "Panic Switch"

Trophy Scars
Quite obviously the most unknown band mentioned this week, Trophy Scars may also be the most intriguing. An unsigned band from my home state of New Jersey, the band have released three full-length albums and have an EP coming out before the end of this year, cementing their place as one of the hardest-working bands in post-hardcore today. For whatever reason, however, the band never got off the local scene, whether it be a feeling of comfortability with where they are, or simply a lack of interest in the band from labels, which could be stemmed from the voice of its frontman Jerry Jones. Jones goes from a shrll, shreiking scream to Tom Waits-esque grumbling, Jones pours his own life's issues into each of the band's emotionally jarring songs, which spin a mix of influences into a blender that produces something rarely heard and often overlooked, but always, and I mean always, 100% authentic and honest.
Key Track: "Assistant. Assistants."

It's certainly an interesting conversation to have--bands you don't particularly like or listen to because of the singer's voice-- and it almost always points to stubbornness and complacency in one's musical taste. So before you navigate away from this entry and forget you ever read it, take a listen to one of the bands mentioned, and really listen to it. Try thinking of a band who writes songs even somewhat similar to Coheed and Cambria. Try and find a band more dedicated to their craft than the group of men in Circa Survive. Try and not sing (or scream) along to one of the New Found Glory's catchy and relatable choruses. Find a band that takes more risks and has them pay off the way Silversun Pickups do. Or better yet, think of another artist in any music genre that bares it all the way Trophy Scars' frontman Jerry Jones does. While each of these bands may not be tolerable due to their singers' voices, each of the bands mentioned prove that it takes more than a voice to make a band, and that when the music and songwriting is good, how the voice of the band sounds isn't all that important at all; rather, its more important that the voice is spoken and heard.

That being said, I'll turn it over to you: who did I miss? What experiences have you had with this topic? Who do you think gets little respect, yet deserves so much more? Leave it in the replies, I'd love to hear from you.

Show Recap: New Found Glory at The Stone Pony

You have to give MTV a little bit of credit for their current smash show, Jersey Shore. They've completely alienated the entire state of New Jersey to the point where no one outside of the tri-state area believes that not everyone at the Jersey Shore is a guido. However, an inquisitive (and well-traveled) soul will soon find that New Jersey is actually a breeding ground for great punk rock shows, and on August 2nd, New Found Glory played an awe-inspiring set that served as the perfect example of the kind of people that make up the New Jersey not seen through the lens of an MTV camera. After openers Wicker Hollow and Lemuria got their sets out of the way (they were in a tough spot, admittedly: no one was really there to see either band),  NFG took the stage for the first time ever at the Pony, a fact they did not take lightly (that's where Bruce Springsteen got his start, after all).

One of the more memorable aspects of the night was the cardboard box labeled "Requests" placed at the bands' merch table. Seeing their inaugural show at The Stone Pony as an opportunity to do something memorable by allowing fans' requests to make up about half their set. Thankfully, no one suggested a cover of any Top-40 hits, though the band did relearn a few covers from their "From the Screen to Your Stereo" series, including a plethora of key tracks from their earlier releases. As far as sound was concerned, the band lived up to their sterling reputation with spot-on, energetic performances of all 15 or so songs played. Vocalist Jordan Pundik's endless bounding across the stage and into the crowd paved the way for the rest of the band to follow suit, as each member's onstage persona seemed larger than life (even drummer Cyrus Bolooki's workmanlike approach was able to shine through). The crowd, which ranged in age from 15 to about 30, was astounding, and at times was louder than Pundik's voice over the sound system, as it got to a point in set closer "My Friends Over You" that Pundik gave up trying to sing over the crowd, letting them finish the song in near-perfect key.

It's hard to believe that at one point, when blink-182 and Sum 41 took over, it seemed like New Found Glory were the next band to take the plunge into the mainstream and get massive exposure as the former two mentioned had. However, for some reason, they never got as big as it seemed they were going to be. And now, (quite) a few short years later, NFG seems to be the only band out of the three that hasn't drawn a line in the sand for their fans to decide whether their newer or older material is better. This is thanks in part to their sterling return-to-form 2009 release Not Without a Fight, which more than made up for the fan-disappointing Coming Home. There is certainly a great amount of gratitude and respect for New Jersey fans have for the longtime pop-punk heroes, and the band returned that respect by playing an incredibly inspired set. "I could make the obvious jokes about the Jersey Shore," Jordan Pundik remarked in between songs, "but New Jersey has been like a home away from home for us over the years, and it wouldn't feel right." And in a time where bands are breaking up and reuniting left a right, it seemed fitting that Chad Gilbert ended the incredible night by adding "We've never broken up, never gone on hiatus, and we never will. We'll be in this band until we're all dead." Here's hoping that won't happen for a very, very long time, so that NFG can continue their reign as the kings of pop-punk.

More Pictures!