#reckless intent

I can completely relate omg. And I usually read the read mores on my dash. I like to think it helps people know that people care.

It is nice to know that people can relate to what you're feeling. I mean, its nice because you aren't alone in that respect. But not-nice because someone else feels that way too and ugh, you know?

Since first going to Tree's after it's re-opening I've liked the club, mainly because they always managed to assemble such killer line-ups of local talent. But so far this year those local shows have been lacking, nay, non-existent. Sure they've gotten a local band or two on some of their bigger shows bills, but that's been about it. That is until tonight. And some thanks for this show should go to Sevendust, who had to cancel their tour, which was originally going to be making a stop here this night.

I got there a little late, and the first band, Sonar Lights, was already on stage rocking. But I still caught the majority of their set. And what I heard and saw was a band filled with talent, and if they just had the fan base out supporting them, they could've easily been headlining. They die mostly originals, such as "Help Me", "Mr. KnowItAll", and the show closer "Game", all from their debut EP. But they even did a great cover of a Beatles song, with much more of a rock sound to it. These guys really blow me away, and while they said this was their first time at Tree's, it certainly will not be their last.

Next up we had Shining Silence. I think it was last June, or at least sometime around the Summer, when I saw them here, and was none to impressed with them. And I liked them even less the second time around. The music is some pretty good Hard rock, but their singer's voice is just total crap. It's barely even audible most of the time, but when it is it just sounds like a whiney scream. They did at least get the courtesy of applause from me, but not very enthusiastically.

I believe it was the host of 97.1 The Eagle's Loud and Local show, Angela Chase, who introduced the next band. Meridian. Saying they could be heard Monday nights from 11-midnight, during the L&L show. And after she was through the band tore into their first song, "Hey Lover". Since I've seen the past four shows, I've picked up on their set list, and have come to know exactly what to expect. That is to say I thought I knew. It was a bit refreshing to hear them open with what, until know, had been the show closer. And it was a fantastic opening number, in the sense that it really pulls the listener in, which is exactly what you want to do at a show. However, I think the other tune better sets the tone for their shows. They continued their onslaught of rock with "Digress", another song that I love, but haven't yet caught the name of, "Wrecking Ball" and then I believe "Train". And during the latter frontman, Tim Ziegler, made his way over to stage right where one of the tree trunks stretches from the stage to the ceiling, and seemed to hide behind it for a second, before peering around at his band mates, bassist, Chris Gentry, guitarists, Mark Sims and Shannon Nedved, and drummer, Moe Martinez. I believe it was after that song they were forced to take a little time-out, as the drum monitor had fallen. But they got it put back up pretty quickly, and then went into a song I was a little sad didn't make the cut for their last gig, "Secret Safe". I'm fairly certain they did their newest song next, followed by "Starts and Ends" and "All Hands", and somewhere in between one of those songs Tim let everyone know about the bands goings on. That being that they are currently in pre-production for their debut record, which he pointed out they needed money to make. "We like shots..." he said, referring to a guy who earlier bought shots for the band, "...but we'd rather have money." As he encouraged everyone to go buy their newest t-shirt (which I of course did.) So far they'd played every song I was expecting, but their set was nearing its end, and I was getting a little antsy thinking they weren't going to play "Nights". When what did they wrap up their 38 minute set with? "Nights". I know I've said this the past three Meridian shows, and I don't want to seem repetitive, but I genuinely mean it when I say, this was the best Meridian show yet. They seemed much more cohesive together and the level of the performance blew the past ones out of the water.

Wow! As of this weekend the Curtain Club has had its doors open for thirteen years! Quite the accomplishment, and to help celebrate they'd assembled a weekend full of (mostly) astounding talent.

The first band that kicked the night off was Kennedy. I didn't like them at all when I saw them back in October, and I liked them even a little less this go around. Their live show is pretty good. Their music isn't half bad. And what I can understand of the lyrics, is really good. What's their problem then? Simple. Their singer can't sing worth crap. I swear he has no pitch whatsoever. I honestly preferred it when he screamed. Even though it still sounded horrible. Their little over 30 minute set was hard to sit through, and thankfully the bands did get better.

Night Gallery was up next, doing their first show of the new year. It'd only been a little over a month since they headlined the Curtain to release their debut EP, and this show proved to be a shorter version of that December 4 show. At 10:09 their intro track began. Just like the CD release show, the intro track was a mash-up of one liners from movies. But I think this one consisted of totally different quotes from the ones used at their last show. It went on maybe a minute before the curtain opened and the band tore into "She Runs". It's a good song to open with, as it's pretty fast paced and short, which I think is a good way to catch peoples attention and drag them into your music. They did another song, during which frontman, Otter, introduced the rest of the band. Guitarists, Jeremy Root and Johnny Hand, bassist, Craig James, and drummer, Duckie. Next they played "Undone" and followed it with another, pretty killer, song. They took a brief break to change keys on the instruments, and to pass the time another track of movie quotes played. When it was over Otter introduced the next song, and my favorite from their EP, "Without Regret". They did another pretty good tune, then "Separation Anxiety", "Crazy Brave", and finally closed their 36 minute set with "Lynne". They put on a pretty good show. Otter is easily the best showman of the group, as I think the guys look stiff and rigid most of the time. With the exception going to Craig, who does move around from time to time. But regardless of that, they make some pretty awesome music, with some of the stuff being more on the pop side of music, with the rest falling into the rock category. Oh, and for what ever reason they have a plush Cookie Monster doll on the base of the mic stand. Its hands and legs are bound together with tape and it's mouth is also taped shut. And it's pretty funny to see.

What I would say was the best band of the night took the stage next. ReDefine. They opened with a song entitled, "Like A Vision, A Ghost", which was good, but it failed to set the in your face rock mood that "The Silent Hum" did, which was what they opened with the last time I'd seen them. But what the song failed to set up, the band members made up for, with lead guitarist, Chris Apaliski, bassist, Mike DiQuinzio, and frontman, Scott Headstream, covering all parts of the stage, and showing everyone what a rock show is about. The show did progressively get better though, as they rocked out half the songs from their current release, including "Leave the Light On", "The Darkest Night", and "The Silent Hum". Seriously, there was enough rock packed into those songs that could've been their entire set. They took a pause before starting their next song, while Scott let everyone know what they'd been up to. "It seems like we haven't played in forever." he said. "...And that's because we've been in the studio working on our third EP. And this next song we're going to do is my personal favorite." It was called "Arcana", and it sounded alright, I however, liked the song that followed it much more. I can't remember the title though, which is disappointing, since I made a point to look at and memorize their set list while I was watching them. They did a couple more newer ones, including the kick ass, "Motorcade", and "Take Your Medicine", before finishing with "Fall Down, I Believe It". It was an incredible 38 minute set they put on, and again affirmed how much they've grown and changed from the ReDefine I first remember seeing at the end of '06. They are easily worthy of being called on of Dallas's best current acts, yet it seems like they are still fairly unknown. But maybe that will change when they release their next EP, which I heard talk that they should be done in the studio by the end of next month, and then they plan to return to doing regular shows come March.

There was one final band left, and Reckless Intent had the honors of wrapping up the Curtain Clubs 13th anniversary weekend. They got things going at 12:18, and got everyone into the rock 'n' roll spirit with their opener, "Get Up". They did a few more, including a newer one entitled "Makes Me Smile. "This next song is about what all of y'all are making me do right now!" Singer and guitarist, Ryan Ray, exclaimed before they started the song. And then (I think) it was after that song they welcomed a staff member of the Curtain on stage. And, in his hands, was the highest honor the club can bestow upon a band. He gave a little speech about how great RI is, and then displayed their plaque that is too hang on the Wall of Fame. And Ryan pointed to a large empty space on the wall (the club was re-arranging the plaques that already adorn the walls, and there were several baron spots.) They got back to the show, playing a ton more songs, with the few I somewhat knew being "The Light", "Just Say It", and "Wrong Again". Before eventually ending their 55 minute long set, appropriately, with "Thank You". Which, when taking the words out of context, the line "...Thank you for the time that you've given me...", could easily be viewed as a thank you from the band for taking the time to watch them perform. And speaking of perform, a performance was exactly what this was. Maybe it was because I was as close to the stage as one could get (mainly to try to avoid the mosh pit that started) rather than hanging out towards the back of the club, as I've done the past two RI shows I've seen, but damn, they were so much better than what they were just last month when I saw them! And I again want to say how great the expressions bassist, Aaron Decker, makes are. As he prowls the stage and stares out at the audience, bugging his eyes out. And when he's doing that I swear, he looks like he maybe should be in an insane asylum (& that is meant as a good thing). They are a very solid band, who, by all means, is deserving of the plaque that I'm sure by now is proudly hanging in the Curtain Club. Oh, and I finally got around to buying their debut EP, "Redirect", at this show, and it sounds fantastic! I just hope they can get a full-length out in the not too distant future, cause six songs aren't nearly enough when considering their impressive catalog of material.

Another month, another "First Friday" show hosted a the Curtain Club and put on by Robert Miguel. But making this First Friday more "special" was that it was Robert's 40th birthday celebration. And to celebrate he had orchestrated a massive line-up of some his favorite bands.

Revolution of Knowledge was first up, and pretty much done when I arrivied. And I'm kinda glad I missed them, cause they didn't sound too good. Their singer had a good voice, when he sang, but he'd sing one word and scream the next nine or so. Not all that great.

Second up, from Tyler, Texas, was Rockett Queen. I'd never heard of them, but they said they'd been doing shows for Robert for almost ten years. So they've evidently been around for a while. They put on an incredibly high energy performance, with more energy packed into their first song than most bands do in an entire show. With their lead guitarist and bassist running around the stage, jumping on the monitors, trying to get everyone pumped up. And even their singer/guitarist did quite a bit of moving around, when he wasn't stationed in front of the mic. But during their second song something happened with his guitar, so he put it down and focused on just being a frontman. He did an excellent job at it, and I honestly thought that was part of the song, till he made a comment after the song. "I got through one song with out my guitar, I can't do that for the rest of the set." So they took 5 to 8 minutes out to solve the issue. Then did a few more originals, before ending their 30 minute set with an okay cover of "Rebel Yell". Overall they were okay and I did enjoy them, but I don't know if I'd make an effort to see them again.

A fairly short set change later it was time for the next band. Adakain. For the first half of their set they did the same things that made me dislike the first band. You know, doing a lot of screaming. But the last half I found myself kinda getting into it. The songs had a little relaxed sound to them, from hardrock to more rock. And when their singer wasn't screaming he had a good voice, granted it pitch every now and then.

It was finally time for the bands to get good, but not without first wishing Robert M. a happy birthday. It was lead by "Hollywood", who had been doing the hosting duties so far for the night. Then Robert thanked everyone and introduced some of his "...best friends in the world." The curtain opened wider on the three instrumentalists of Secret of Boris. Guitarist, Taylor Walding, bassist, John Weiss, and drummer, Ryan Scherschell. They opened with a short, balls out, instrumental piece. All the while running and jumping about the stage, just building the energy in the club. Then they transitioned that piece into their first song, "Desert Blood". Frontman, Cameron Taylor, then made his way on stage, grabbed the mic from the mic stand, and got things going. "The road is so cold. And every night you walk alone..." he sang, while staring out at the crowd. That song is, without question, their hardest most in your face song, and a fantastic way to open shows. But after it was done there was no down time, as it was right into their second most in your face song, "Retro". "How many old school fans we got out there?" Cameron asked everyone, during a little break before their third song. "If you know what I mean!" A lot of people did seem to know what he meant, and were pumped when they began a song from their first album, when they still used the moniker, Lame. It was a pretty good song, but it comparison with the new stuff, well, their growth as musicians is exponential. They rocked out "What You Became" next, and during the song Cameron clarified what the song is about. "...It's about sucking dick." he told everyone, before singing the second verse, "...Waking up each day where the sun won't go...". I really only listen to songs without digging to deep into the possible meaning of them. But you'd have to be an idiot to not know that song's about going down on someone. I think they did "What Have You Done" next. Part of the chorus is, "...HEY! What have you done here boy...". And live that is aided by John. Every time at the word "Hey", he'd shout/scream it out, with this booming, thunderous voice, that really got your attention. They followed that with a cover song. One that still strikes me as a weird song to cover for a rock band like this. And even more amazing is how incredible it sounds. The song is "Push It". After that they just had a couple songs left for the night, one of which, "The Difference", I hadn't heard live yet (that I'm aware of anyway), and was psyched to hear it. Then they finished with "Virus". This band is phenomenal, and they put on a killer performance. And making it better, in some ways, was they didn't do any songs that Cameron plays guitar on, allowing him to just be a frontman. They'll be back here on January 15 for the Curtain's anniversary show, and for that, I can't wait.

Reckless Intent was next. And while not the last band, they were the main attraction. And they left a much better impression on me this second go around than the first. Not that I didn't like the first show I saw them do, but tonight I really took notice of what a tight group they are. A lot of that credit could probably be given to singer/guitarist, Ryan Ray, since he spent time in the Dallas great, Neverset. But I'd have to say the member of the band with the most stage presence may be bass player, Aaron Decker. Who is an all around bad ass bassist, and he roams around the stage stareing at the crowd with his eyes slightly bugged out. I don't think they sound much like Hinder or Nickelback, but they apparently do. "I guess the main difference between us and say Hinder or Nickelback is we actually give a shit about what we're playing." Ryan told the audience, some time in the middle of their 50 minute set. And that was obvious when before playing one of their songs, he gave a heartfelt, "This next one means a lot to me." These guys are well oiled machine, no doubt about it. And they too will be back here on January 15. That show is going to freakin' ROCK!!!

Once again (or as always, depending who you are and how you look at it) Tree's was hosting a stellar line up of bands.

And first up was The Commotion, who began playing right as we walked through the front door. I said after seeing them last month they seemed to be lacking something. Specifically the cohesion of a "normal" band, seeing that it's a solo project of Micah Creel, with the other members just doing the live shows. The songs sound amazing, lyrically, vocally, and musically. But they've never seemed that great on stage. Until tonight. The chemistry was really there, which I've never seen before, and they all seemed pretty into the show, thrashing around quite a bit. Even Micah, who usually just stands there playing the guitar and singing, was more active. And they even debuted a new song, "This one was conceived just about a week ago." Micah told the handful of people inside Trees, "So we'll see how it goes." And turned out pretty well. I hope they can keep up the momentum they got going from this show, cause if they can, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Hitting the stage next, and doing more of an official coming out show, was Meridian. The growth from two months ago to now was immense, and quite noticeable. They blazed through an awesome 10 song set, barely (if even) pausing between songs. And they didn't use any cues this time, which meant there could be no missed cues like at their first show, which really upped the professionalism of it all. I am still a little surprised how pop based most of their songs are though. Not that I dislike it, in fact "Starts and Ends" is one of the best, most catchy, songs I've ever heard. But after first learning who all was in the band I was just expecting a little different style I guess. The only thing I didn't like about the show was how it came to such an abrupt end. Usually bands will warn you with "We have one more for the night." or something like that, but once they finished "Hey Lover" Shannon, Mark, and Chris all took their instruments off, which sent a pretty clear message it was done. I think it even caught the guy who works the curtain off guard, since they always close it as soon as the band finishes, but it stayed open for  several seconds after. But of all the things that could happen/go wrong with a bands set, that's hardly a concern.

The main reason for me being at Trees may've been to see the previous band, but I was most excited at about the next one. Secret of Boris. Since seeing them last month their CD, "Your Ghost" has been stuck in my CD player. I've seriously listened to that thing somewhere between 70 to 100 times. And that's being conservative. (I don't think I've listened to a record that much since The FEDS put out "A Touch of Panic" 3+ years ago.) And after listening to those songs so much, I was finally going to get to hear them live (and know them). As the curtain opened on them, they were already raring to go, with Taylor and John on guitar and bass, respectively, playing some light riffs. And while frontman, Cameron, introduced themselves, the riffs started to turn into their first song. "Desert Blood". It's easily the hardest hitting song on the record and my favorite as well. And it serves as the perfect opener. "we've got all these lovely people up here." Cameron had pointed out before they began, "But there's plenty of room for the rest of y'all to join them." And after that song a lot of people did crowd the front of the stage. "Alright, this next song is called Virus. And it's about a girl I know right here. In Dallas." Cameron announced to everyone, as the band started the first track from the record. They did the first of a few different cover songs for the night next, this one being "Voices". (Not sure whom it's by.) But they quickly went back into some originals. One of which was another personal fave of mine, "What You Became". And the other was one I didn't expect to hear them do, "Lost In A Daze". At this point Cameron had gotten his guitar, which in one way diminishes the energy of the show, seeing as he's constantly walking around the stage. But even when he's stationed in front of the mic to play and sing, John and Taylor more than make up for the lost energy. Running about and frequently swapping out to the other side of the stage, so everyone can get an up close view of them. They did one more original, "Something Else", before throwing in a couple more covers, "Burning Down the House". Which sounded amazing, and as much as I enjoyed hearing the other songs, that one might've been the best they did. And the other cover was one I'd heard them do before, "Push It". They had a couple more to give for the night, including "What Have You Done" and finally "Retro". With a little help from the singer for Reckless Intent, who contributed the screaming parts of the song. Example, Cameron would sing "...You're plagiarizing plagiarizers. Well don't worry it's already been done." Then Ryan screamed out, "BEFORE YOU WERE BORN." They were fantastic. Amazing. Phenomenal. And every other such word. I would like to hear them do a couple less covers next time though, in change for say "The Watcher" and "The Difference" from their record. Just saying.

Matt JC and the All Stars were next. I've heard of them for quite some time, and I expected more from them than what they gave. They had Christian Sly, of Frolic/Opus Flux, as their singer, who is a fantastic person to have fronting a band. Except when the instruments are so loud you can't hear the vocals. As they began Christian introduced themselves as "...The most glorified cover band you will ever see." And that wasn't a good thing. There was also WAY too much going on, on stage. I believe they had 7 musicians plus four girls who danced about the stage in their skimpy, skin tight cloths. Now, I certainly don't have a problem with girls in skimpy outfits, but with them there was far to many people on stage. My advice, lose some band members (did they really need a second drummer playing the bongos?), or lose just a couple of the girls. I will give them props though, as this was their final show before going on a tour for the troops. So they are at least doing something worthwhile with their band.