Metal Fest/Sept. 29 at The Beaumont Club
If the six-pack of acts Friday night at the Beaumont Club reflects the state of the region's hard rock scene, the taste test revealed decidedly mixed results. Refreshing quaffs were offset by a few flat offerings.
The Kansas City Rock & Metal Fest was the farewell concert of The Stillborn, a ferocious Kansas City band that’s calling it quits after a seven-year run. Much of the band's hour-long swan song was spent acknowledging friends and family, many of whom stood on stage with the band With his athleticism, brazen antics and jeans hanging perilously between waist and knees, shirtless vocalist Pat Doyle evoked Iggy Pop. The tremendous tandem of guitarists Ben Hathaway and Josh Bowers produced a remarkable sound falling somewhere between The Edge and Tom Morello.
Even though a few of the most obstinate dancers had been ejected from the Beaumont by the time the Stillborn's cathartic set began shortly after midnight, they still inspired a violent mosh pit. Doyle was forced to castigate a couple of the instigators. "Do not ‘foul’ up my last show," he vowed. "Or I’ll leave you buried for dead."
The evening's obligatory passing-the-torch moment occurred when the vocalists from Until Broken and Moire joined The Stillborn for a group scream. At the end of their performance, The Stillborn took a well-deserved bow as they were engulfed by emotional well-wishers.
According to promoter Jim Kilroy, The Stillborn hand-picked the other five bands on the bill. An audience of approximately 400 were the beneficiaries of The Stillborn's eclectic tastes. Lawrence-based Lethe opened the evening's festivities just before 9:00 p.m with an instrumental set that too often felt like a rehearsal. The band's imagination outpaces their execution, but their experimental concoction should improve with additional aging. The dark brew of Kansas City's Until Broken followed. Their thirty-minute performance was highlighted by the dynamic showmanship of vocalist Mike Williams. The cyclone of hair known as Moire then pummeled the Beaumont with their extreme metal. Their specialty concoction has limited appeal.
Sidewise offered the equivalent of a raspberry-flavored ale. The night's most commercially-minded band, the keyboard-enhanced Sidewise is fully equipped to do battle on the Warped Tour. While they sometimes wobble indecisively between the anthemic rock of Thursday and their prog-rock tendencies, Sidewise appear to be headed for a bright future.
The Leo Project were given the dubious distinction of following The Stillborn. Most bands would have struggled in this slot, but the results of The Leo Project's steady tour schedule are paying dividends. Front man Tyler Lyon has a strong voice ideally suited for The Leo Project's blend of classic metal and contemporary thrash. When The Leo Project struck the evening's final note at 2 a.m., over two hundred fans were still on hand to drink it in.
| Bill Brownlee
yeah truly a great site.I really enjoyed my visit.
Posted by: Health News | March 10, 2011 at 06:19 AM