Cherry Pit Mag

The night of the concert, Webster Hall was bursting with all sorts of music fans. Not only was the building host to two other concerts that night, but the lineup for the Dissonants Tour alone fostered a diverse group of bands, bringing fans of pop punk, post-hardcore, and more into the same room. This didn't cause any conflict, however. On the contrary, everyone in the room seemed to acknowledge their differences and still have a good night.

Due to traffic, I missed the first supporting act, Too Close To Touch, but judging from the energy of the room as I walked in, they performed quite the vibrant show. The first band I saw after exploring the merch tables was Brigades, a pop punk group from North Carolina. Though their style is incredibly different from what one would expect at this show, their stage presence commanded the entire crowd into frenzy. For such an open room, things got heated. The only band member that could be found in one spot at any given time was the drummer, who didn't have much choice. Even the crowd was in constant motion, being commanded by the vocalist to get into a New York circle pit. Don't mistake them for heartless rockers, however. Despite the band's raging show, the vocalist still took the time to dedicate a song to his mother at home, showing that even an intense pop punk vocalist can have feelings.

The next group to play was British sensation Lower Than Atlantis. While their older music fosters a harder rock sound, their latest album, Lower Than Atlantis, features a more hook-heavy, alternative rock style that was incredible when performed live. Most of the crowd had never heard of them, but the way vocalist Mike Duce was able to command the crowd would make one think otherwise. His charming humor and charisma drew in the crowd flawlessly, telling stories and jokes between songs. The band opened with their latest single, "Get Over It," a bold, but smooth introduction to their show. Each song brought about good vibes within the crowd, and just when we thought a song was over, the band extended the endings of the songs by fiddling with their instruments, trying to make the night last just a little bit longer. After their performance, the band went down to their merch table to take payments and talk to their fans face-to-face, showing their true love for the show and their fans. The good vibes didn't end here, though.

The direct support for Hands Like Houses was the rock band I the Mighty, hailing from San Francisco, California. One could argue that this group fits the definition of post-hardcore or alternative rock, but the group's sound truly can't be described by any sub-category.  This heavy-playing group took instant command of the crowd. While the second act, Brigades, commanded the crowd into a pit, I the Mighty didn't need to ask any favors of the crowd, which formed a mosh pit very soon after the band began playing. The group was not trying to come off as hardcore god, however; the vocalist spoke to the crowd as if it was a group of friends. He even yelled out 3 different song titles and asked them to "vote" on which one sounded better. Naturally, they played the one with the most cheers. He also had a fixation on the "sexy snap," which he taught to the crowd, bringing in influences from a type of music far beyond his own. The crowd loved them, proving it not only through mosh pits, but through stage diving, as well. After the intensity of the previous performance, it was going to be hard for Hands Like Houses to follow them, but they did. While waiting for their headliners to come on stage, the excitement in the eyes of the crowd was bursting through the walls, and once the band finally appeared on stage, the energy exploded into a burst of ground-shaking cheers, which is significant considering how small the crowd truly was. Wasting no time, vocalist Trenton Woodley commenced the first song of the set by yelling a song title and beginning to sing. Each band member performed exceptionally, inspiring the crowd to yell, jump, and more, almost without prompt. While many fans, including myself, spent a good portion of time screaming lyrics, the band surprised fans by playing two new songs that they couldn't sing along to just yet. They introduced the crowd to the songs, "Glass Houses" and "Perspectives," songs from their upcoming album Dissonants. While "Glass Houses" had a similar sound to their latest single "New Romantics," "Perspectives" had a much heavier sound than the band has ever produced before. Before playing it, vocalist Trenton Woodley even acknowledged this and beckoned the crowd to head bang, something that he seemed to quite enjoy doing, himself. In between songs, he  would come down to Earth and explain his sentiment towards certain songs and concerts in general, but was able to instantly get back in gear when the songs started, making the show feel more intense by making a direct connection to the fans in addition to giving an all-out performance. In my personal experience, this was the most intimate performance I've ever experienced, easily surpassing all other concerts I've attended in the past.

Despite the diversity of the crowd and the performers, the crowd easily merged into one group, united by their love for live music.  The show was incredibly successful, thanks to a combination of the crowd and the all-out performances that the musicians gave. Even for those who do not consider themselves fans of these bands, I strongly recommend attending one of the shows on this tour.