Show Update #18 - ONE TWO LEE Tour! at the Trinity Cathedral
Instead of spending the night alone and getting wasted watching Dick Clark talk to M&M's I went to the ONE TWO LEE Tour. Good choice, my boy, good choice. (For those who don't know me so well, the me getting wasted was pure sarcasm...)
Anyway on with the show. Arrived a little late, not too many people there yet. Talk of warm milk and a very good cheese steak went around the group I was standing with, and although I knew what was being talked about I just laughed and didn't make my entrance into conversation. More and more people showed up and in the end there was a pretty large crowd.
So MeWithoutCotter started off. Basically it consisted of "the members of Arrow Three" - "Charolete" + "Andre", which made a very good combination, so it seemed. The band played mainly instrumentals. They fell apart a couple times, but for only practicing with Andre twice before the show, they did mighty fine. Not their best performance, but it was far from their worst, it was their first. I recognized some classic Arrow Three and the other stuff was probably played at Sarah Shield's birthday party, but it slipped my mind.
The drummers switched and Arrow Three ("the members of MeWithoutCotter" - "Andre" + "Charolete") took the stage. Though the drum beat went from crazy fill ins to standard rock beat, Arrow Three wasn't much of a different band in comparison to MeWithoutCotter considering the guitarists and the bassist were one in the same. I think I heard some more classics and then there was a very good Saves the Day cover. With an interview of random (not really) crowd participants, I discovered that the reason Arrow Three covers Saves the Day so well is because "Brian has the perfect voice for it". Ah well, I think I pulled that one out of thin air the first time I heard Brian's voice, since its quite obvious.
All I have to say is that Arrow Three or MeWithoutCotter, or whatever the next creation, consisting of the same members is, should sing. Fucking open your mouth and sing. The instrumentals are great and will be even better when practiced. Now write some words already.
It was time for the lights to darken and a new band to take over the stage with their set. Cat War (formerly known as The Never New Johnnys) dazzled us all with their tree branches, amps with tape lettering "Jesus Saves" on them, and their "Cryptkeeper style" stage lighting. Though they were missing the "Cryptkeeper style" microphones, that would have completed the package, they began their set by going crazy. Never once, had i heard or thought Matt scream. I could not hope, but wonder what had happened to their old sound. Now instead of mocking people and their faults, they released a noise that could only be explained as an experience.
With Matt on lead vocals yelling or screaming his words and a seemingly MeWithoutYou influenced accompaniment given by bass and guitar, Cat War just went crazy. Ian on bass began to jump around a lot with an energy that matched the music he was backing. Matt on guitar several times almost knocked over his microphone in excitement. Some of the guitar effects could be compared to the effects I saw at The Fiction We Live Tour presented by Cave In. All Cat War needed was some toy guns to do the pick slides and they would've been set, but Matt used a mic stand instead, which had the same affect.
Ian was often laying on the ground, in the crowd, or back with Chris, all the while slapping out some insane riffs. By the end of the set his bass had been thrown in the air 2 or 3 times. Matt continued to scream or sing even when there were technical difficulties. Chris banged out some quick rhythms as the whole band created some pretty technical combinations. Also the band featured some keyboarding by both Ian and Matt that filled in where guitar and bass left off. Meanwhile, with most of the crowd seated, a 4-5 person mosh took its course.
The set was an experience, it was genious in the making. The band has matured to an amazing level of talent and potential. They could do nothing else other than change their name to something new, like "Cat War".
Well, this was their record release party, they have a new album out. I suggest you get it.
