Once again I was scrambling to get to Highline Ballroom. This time what held me up was getting off the wrong subway stop. I don’t know what happened but for some reason I thought it was closer to 23rd street, but I was totally wrong.
The only good thing about getting to the venue late is that you don’t have to wait in line. I proceeded to the entrance and the bouncers checked my bag. Not really paying attention, I was in the process of trying to find my ID so I could get stamped in case I wanted to get a drink; the bouncer said he was going to have to hold this. Not really knowing what I had in my purse that would be cause of concern that I couldn’t bring inside I looked up and saw he was holding my mace. I was surprised when he said this. I was like “I gotta protect myself.” He didn’t really seem to care and told me that I could get it after the show. I hope that I remembered and I got his name and then hurried inside.
When I got inside, I was really surprised by how it was so crowded. Last week I had been there and it was barely covered, while tonight the place was crammed with a bunch of people. It was good for the band.
I got in just when, The Morning Light had started. I was glad that I made it on time but I couldn’t find my friend. I had texted her and we decided to meet by the bathroom once the band was over.
I don’t know what was going on with the sound that night. It was louder than normal and didn’t sound that great. Luckily, it didn’t impact the band that much because they sounded okay to me. TML is a pop/rock band from Pittsburgh. Their music is upbeat and playful, with heartfelt lyrics focused on relationships. The lead singer, Bobby had a good voice and overall they were good performers, they didn’t leave that much of an impression on me.
After they ended their set, I met up with my friend at the bathroom and we talked about how annoyed we were at the lack of coat check due to the overwhelming amount of merch that was set up inside. That’s the one thing I hate about this venue, there is no room for anything. Next time they should consider putting stuff upstairs because there is way more room up there and not many people go up there during the show.
We watched the rest of the show from that area on the side of the stage where we ate. We felt displaced there in a way because there were a table of mom’s who were drinking while their 16-year-old daughters watched the show on the other side of the railing. It was funny.
This Providence was the second band to take the stage. They are a pop/rock band from Seattle. I really enjoyed their performance. They have fun music and there is something entrancing about lead singer, Daniel Young. Looking at him, he screams “lead singer” Perhaps it is the distinct sound of his voice, or the sheer sexual magnitude that he exudes that made me enthralled with his performance. At times the sound was a little off and his voice was a little muffled but he had a good connection with the audience and the crowd was definitely feeling the band. Their sound varied from song to song and I enjoyed their love and relationship lyrics, especially the song “That Girl’s A Trick.” At one point the lead singer, Pat Brown from Sing it Loud came out to do a duet. The crowd went crazy.
Sing It Loud was a cute punk pop band with abundant amount of energy. They seemed to be so excited to be out on the stage and they soaked up all the feedback the crowd was giving them. The girls on the side loved it. At one point they were sitting on top of each other’s shoulders. I almost thought they were going to start flashing the band, I think having their mothers there may have stopped them. They have a light hearted, poppy rock sound that makes you happy listening to it.
Sitting off to the side, I was trying to concentrate on the show and not all the back and forth of the band guys who kept coming and going. It was so cute watching all the star struck girls take pictures with their favorite band members.
Ludo came out to the theme from “The Never Ending Story” which was cute. I really enjoyed their performance. Andrew Volpe is the most interesting and quirky lead singer out there. He is very theatrical in his performance; he has a number of funny faces he makes and has hilarious mannerisms that he makes while playing guitar. He has a great voice and if he wanted he could double as a comedian.