Not a lot going on this Tuesday evening. Just five really cute bands rolled into one long show...
A Rocket to the Moon, Valencia, Anarbor, Runner Runner and Go Radio at The Loft
Formed
in 1996 by Nick Santino, A Rocket to the Moon can easily be considered
one of the poster children for the emo movement. Santino's got the hair thing down pat, he's could stand to gain a few pounds and his band's music straddles the line between pop
and metal in an utterly inoffensive way. Santino basically over-emotes his way
through such teenage sob stories as "Mr. Right," "She's Killing Me" and
"Baby Blue Eyes" while his makeshift band does a decently loud
approximation of real rock 'n' roll in the background. If you're above
25 and this stuff is on your iPod, you've got some serious issues. On
the other hand, this crowded bill does offer some pleasures despite the
headliner. Valencia, a nice five piece outfit out of Philly, actually
feels right at home in straight pop-rock territory. The band's third
effort, 2010's Dancing with a Ghost, adds a nice touch of vintage Cheap
Trick to the standard emo shuffle. The title track alone is well worth a
listen or two. Another band that could top this bill is Phoenix's
Anarbor. Beginning life as your standard Green Day-inspired, teenage
punk outfit in 2004, Anarbor have matured in ways not many expected.
Last year's The Words You Don't Swallow featured cuts like "Drugstore
Diet" and "Going to Jail" that sound like Fall Out Boy with some balls.
Add in California's Runner Runner and Florida's Go Radio ( a band that
features former Mayday Parade singer Jason Lancaster) and you have
yourself a pretty damn solid night of punk-related shenanigans. I guess.
