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A Four-Track Concert
Shannan Oneil
A good night always seems to start out with a line wrapping down the block, around the corner and to the second to last lamppost. The grimy streets of Pontiac held something special for the hopefuls of the night – the fans who were waiting to see four very different bands play under one roof. The Crofoot in Pontiac held a show on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. featuring The Rocket Summer, The Secret Handshake, The Morning Light and Michigan’s own Forever In A Day.
Track 1: The Prelude
The best entrance of the night started the entire evening. The music started slowly, gaining momentum and hitting the apex when Forever In A Day came out screaming. Like children at play, Forever In A Day grabbed their instruments as if they were about to play in their own backyard. Forever in a Day’s upbeat sound contrasts with its solid belief in lyrics. The biggest song, “Move in Slowly,” chants “save yourself girl, don’t give it up,” and was the best song of the night – the entire crowd was screaming the lyrics. The connection with the audience was intensified when Forever In A Day stood among the crowd socializing for the rest of the show. Getting to know the band and seeing the upbeat personalities of the members made the music even better because you could see that they were true to themselves.
Track 2: The Coffee Shop
A transformation of the crowd happened immediately by the presence of The Morning Light. A calm, cool and collected presence affected the once happy-go-lucky crowd not only with coffee shop music but with the band’s entire attitude. The band members did not fit in with the “scene” of the other bands sharing the stage, with tight bright clothes, and the “we owns this stage” attitude. They were more laid back, and they stayed true to themselves with their “share this stage with us” attitude.
The sound, perfect for a day of studying, filled the club with sophistication. It was obvious that The Morning Light was completely comfortable in its skin on stage; the members were quiet but powerful and unlike each person that came on stage afterwards. Each lyric, pang of the keys and rift moved fans old and new to appreciate them more than before.
Track 3: The Break Dance Crew
Poppy to mellow to techno, The Secret Handshake lifted up the crowd to move, dance, jump, sing and, most of all, sweat. Luis Dubuc, the only member of The Secret Handshake, had an intense confidence that controlled the audience with even the smallest hand gesture. The entire crowd was bopping hands to “ghetto rap” – a music scene very different than “normal” rock – just to help create Dubuc’s iconic performance. Starting each song with an opening of a popular rap song, The Secret Handshake made a happy, humorous performance that altered the mood of the room. The crowd was just short of moshing to Dubuc’s computer-altered voice. It gave the perfect set-up of excitement for the main event: The Rocket Summer.
Track 4: The Super Star
Bryce Avary from The Rocket Summer really was the super star of the night. The roar from the crowd after every song was deafening. Every person in the room seemed to have their eyes on him. Even though Avary has had three albums and two EPs, he still knows how to connect with the audience during a performance and make it feel personal and unique. After jumping from instrument to instrument – he plays all the instruments heard on his album, “Do You Feel” – he disappeared from stage only to appear in the back of the room. He played an acoustic song in the back of the room on a tiny platform so that the audience in the back could be up close for at least part of the show. He really seemed to reach out and try to get everyone to have a fun time. After the surprise visit to the back Avary made his way back to the main stage. However, he did not walk, he was carried. Avary crowd-surfed across the room, getting closer to the audience, and in a sense becoming one of the people cheering for his music.
The night had four very different bands with four very different sounds. The audience was shown a variety of music and could identify with at least one band, if not all of them. One thing is for sure; it wasn’t a show that was going to easily be forgotten.
Hidden Track: A Personal Encounter
With the music so loud I could feel the bass giving my heart a break and moving my blood for it, I approached Alex Burrows from Forever In A Day. Looking back on my film I noticed that none of pictures I took turned out well and was hoping to get a few shots to ensure something was decent. The music was too loud to hear what I was saying, so Alex took me out to the patio of the Crofoot. He couldn’t have been nicer. He talked about he brother that is going to State; apparently they look nothing alike. I told him not to even tell me his name, for I was not going to know him? Honestly how could I in a school so big? I felt somewhat dumb walking up to him while another band was playing, but he made me feel completely comfortable. Talking with Alex made me respect Forever In A Day’s music more; to me, they became more than a band; they became people. Forever In A Day is a Michigan band, an unsigned band and a band to keep an eye out for.
Questions? Comments? Contact Shannan Oneil at oneilsh3@msu.edu
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