Oh yeah, the Rock Concert
It’s rather amusing that I should try to write a review for a rock concert, I who in 4th grade condemned all rock music as evil and who played mostly classical piano and listened to little rock throughout my life until now. But I’m doing it anyways. And in classic style, it’s a month late.
On December 10th, Awkward Silence, Commonplace, and Edward Bugg played a gig together. I missed Awkward Silence. I could review them anyways, but that might not be a very wise move.
Commonplace played before Edward Bugg, and I must say I really enjoyed their performance.
They are alternative rock with a very clear, clean sound. It’s hard to point out any one thing that drives the band as all three of the members are very skilled and play together quite smoothly. Shyla Weber is the vocalist/rhythm guitar, Esteban Roybal is the drummer, and JT Manning the ever energetic bassist. Shyla’s vocals are very strong and smooth, and JT’s bass really moves. Esteban is honestly one of the best drummers I’ve heard in person, with great precision and crisp, even rhythms.
They’re more mellow than, say, Greenday or Switchfoot, but still quite peppy. Their sound is straightforward and tight, with great crescendos and climaxes. The originals the band played were all good, but their strongest tune was their cover of 7th Nation Army (the closing number). It was the perfect song to show the very real skill each member of the band has, and the crowd loved it.
Commonplace does have one weak link; they have no lead guitar. Shyla’s chord progressions tend to be very pleasant but simple. She’s a good rhythm guitarist, but a strong lead player would really fill out the band. Beyond that, at times the bass was too quiet and the drums a little loud. But all in all, a strong performance and a good show from a local band. Their website is thebandcommonplace.blogspot.com.
Edward Bugg is pretty awesome. I’d heard four or five of their concerts before, and this was by far the best. But how to describe them? The band has a strong classic rock feel, at times like Skynyrd, sometimes more of a Zeppelin groove. Their vocals are often British poems by Kipling or Blake or Poe, and they are usually cleverly arranged and harmonized.
One of Edward Bugg’s identifying sounds is to have the bass (Luke Ryan) and lead (Samuel Dickison) match each other exactly in tight melodies. Combine that with a strong rhythm guitar (Danny Ryan), smashing, mashing drums (J.T. Grauke), and often melancholy vocal melodies sung well (everyone), and you get a taste of the band. They typically play their own stuff and stay away from being a cover band. Their overall sound is tight and complex with a melancholic feel and a heavy beat.
A few hilites of the Dec. 10 concert: the opener was “Sand,” one of the band’s most unique songs. It has a heavy feel, some fancy licks, and a very well-done falter-step rhythm. Very fun both to watch and to listen to.
A brand new tune was “ ‘PLRB’ – and no one knows what that stands for…” A happy, brilliant sound with very effective breaks, this song has some great harmonies and a snappy rhythm that blend into a sound like the Beatles with muscles.
I was really delighted with the four-part harmonies Edward Bugg put into “Shady.” They’d used two-part regularly in the past, and this was the first time they tried to orchestrate having every member of the band as a vocalist (everyone soloed at some time during the night). Pulling everyone together in the same tune was doubtless very challenging, and though a tad weak at times, highly impressive for a first timer.
The band is very talented and skilled, though not perfect. Occasionally they got out of rhythm or the vocals wandered a bit off-tune, and their music generally has a heavy feel, sometimes too heavy. However, the overall quality of their performance was excellent.
If you like heavy metal, if you like older, classic rock, you’ll definitely enjoy Edward Bugg. And even if you’re a classical music lover like me who doesn’t get out much (musically speaking), Edward Bugg is definitely worth hearing. So if you get a chance to hear this young band of Christians playing, go for it.
Luke Nieuwsma
On December 10th, Awkward Silence, Commonplace, and Edward Bugg played a gig together. I missed Awkward Silence. I could review them anyways, but that might not be a very wise move.
Commonplace played before Edward Bugg, and I must say I really enjoyed their performance.
They are alternative rock with a very clear, clean sound. It’s hard to point out any one thing that drives the band as all three of the members are very skilled and play together quite smoothly. Shyla Weber is the vocalist/rhythm guitar, Esteban Roybal is the drummer, and JT Manning the ever energetic bassist. Shyla’s vocals are very strong and smooth, and JT’s bass really moves. Esteban is honestly one of the best drummers I’ve heard in person, with great precision and crisp, even rhythms.
They’re more mellow than, say, Greenday or Switchfoot, but still quite peppy. Their sound is straightforward and tight, with great crescendos and climaxes. The originals the band played were all good, but their strongest tune was their cover of 7th Nation Army (the closing number). It was the perfect song to show the very real skill each member of the band has, and the crowd loved it.
Commonplace does have one weak link; they have no lead guitar. Shyla’s chord progressions tend to be very pleasant but simple. She’s a good rhythm guitarist, but a strong lead player would really fill out the band. Beyond that, at times the bass was too quiet and the drums a little loud. But all in all, a strong performance and a good show from a local band. Their website is thebandcommonplace.blogspot.com.
Edward Bugg is pretty awesome. I’d heard four or five of their concerts before, and this was by far the best. But how to describe them? The band has a strong classic rock feel, at times like Skynyrd, sometimes more of a Zeppelin groove. Their vocals are often British poems by Kipling or Blake or Poe, and they are usually cleverly arranged and harmonized.
One of Edward Bugg’s identifying sounds is to have the bass (Luke Ryan) and lead (Samuel Dickison) match each other exactly in tight melodies. Combine that with a strong rhythm guitar (Danny Ryan), smashing, mashing drums (J.T. Grauke), and often melancholy vocal melodies sung well (everyone), and you get a taste of the band. They typically play their own stuff and stay away from being a cover band. Their overall sound is tight and complex with a melancholic feel and a heavy beat.
A few hilites of the Dec. 10 concert: the opener was “Sand,” one of the band’s most unique songs. It has a heavy feel, some fancy licks, and a very well-done falter-step rhythm. Very fun both to watch and to listen to.
A brand new tune was “ ‘PLRB’ – and no one knows what that stands for…” A happy, brilliant sound with very effective breaks, this song has some great harmonies and a snappy rhythm that blend into a sound like the Beatles with muscles.
I was really delighted with the four-part harmonies Edward Bugg put into “Shady.” They’d used two-part regularly in the past, and this was the first time they tried to orchestrate having every member of the band as a vocalist (everyone soloed at some time during the night). Pulling everyone together in the same tune was doubtless very challenging, and though a tad weak at times, highly impressive for a first timer.
The band is very talented and skilled, though not perfect. Occasionally they got out of rhythm or the vocals wandered a bit off-tune, and their music generally has a heavy feel, sometimes too heavy. However, the overall quality of their performance was excellent.
If you like heavy metal, if you like older, classic rock, you’ll definitely enjoy Edward Bugg. And even if you’re a classical music lover like me who doesn’t get out much (musically speaking), Edward Bugg is definitely worth hearing. So if you get a chance to hear this young band of Christians playing, go for it.
Luke Nieuwsma
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