JIMMY EAT WORLD
PANIC! AT THE DISCO
ALKALINE TRIO
The Hi-Fi, Sydney
Monday February 24, 2014 :
ALKALINE TRIO took to the stage as the impressive line outside worked its way in. I was captivated by the harmonies of the band members although I found it hard to understand their lyrics at times. With each song however, they gained a greater response from the crowd and the atmosphere only grew.
Whilst the band sounded great with the creative drum fills and memorable guitar riffs, there was a distinct echo in the room and I found earplugs helped to cut out a lot of the excess. As a result, I enjoyed the show so much more.
Alkaline Trio are a tight band, had a great sound and were very fitting for this line up but towards the end I started to find the performance slacken as there was not much movement from members. However, with the crowd singing back enthusiastically to them for their last song they definitely ended strong.
The eruption of deafening screams from all the girls in the audience could only mean one thing, PANIC! AT THE DISCO had taken to the stage. Along with the crowd, mesmerized by every movement and each lyric, I too was taken by their great stage presence and style. Each of the members dressed in collared shirts and bow ties and this definitely unified their image; they really looked great.
There is an art to being a front man; you have to give it everything you have and Brandon Urie certainly doesn’t disappoint. His high-energy performance left all the girls in the room swooning and his rich performance was completely supported by fellow band members who moved around behind him and often swapped sides of the stage.
“Let’s Kill Tonight” and “Gospel” were two in which Urie’s voice absolutely blew me away with his incredible vocal range. The performance as a whole was captivating and the crowd looked as enthralled and hypnotized as I was. The magic of it all, I believe, came from how much fun each of the members had on stage; you could see it it transferring onto the audience.
It is a rewarding feeling in itself to be in a room full of people who know all the words to all the songs performed and I can not even begin to imagine how it feels to be onstage and hear 1500 people singing them back at you. It must be magical. Throughout the set, the teasing alluding of Urie taking his shirt off resulted in a blood-curdling screams from all the ladies in the room and when the intro of “Girls Girls Boys” kicked into gear, the ladies got what they wanted, at last.
Panic! have got the formula right with their stage antics, diverse range of sounds and catchy lyrics and melodies. The atmosphere in the crowd had become electric and by the end of Panic!‘s set, they were ready….
When JIMMY EAT WORLD took to the stage the crowd erupted with cheers of enthusiasm; this was what they’d been waiting for. Starting with “I will steal you back” the crowd were involved at a deafening volume and I was instantly captivated with the lyrics.
Celebrating the 15th birthday of album ‘Clarity’, the band reflected on being together for an impressive 20 years, which brought a significant cheer of support from the crowd. It was fitting that “Appreciation” follow these reminiscent words. It is easy to understand why JEW have survived in the industry for so long; their devotion, talent and charisma is equally matched with such strong songwriting capabilities. Song after song I was mesmerized and hypnotized with the lyrical strength unfolding before me; this definitely is a band that hooks you and reels you in.
For such a highly successful group of musicians, it was refreshing to see just how humble they are for the support of the crowd. As they turned and looked at each other it spoke volumes of their gratitude to the supporting cheers coming at them.
“Hear You Me” really showcased lead singer Jim Adkins’ vocal range and I was genuinely impressed with his abilities. To be honest, this song is a particular favorite of mine; the sound, melody and lyrics really just captivate me. Moving effortlessly between faster rock songs and slower ballads throughout the night, only further complimented this further. Launching into “Futures”, followed by “Polaris”, they stepped up a notch to a bit of a heavier sound and wound the crowd back up. Despite my feeling like they were all standing still a bit too much, the harmonies between the band members complimented each other beautifully and enthralled all. The lyrics of “Pain” grabbed my, and I imagine many others, attention as soon as it began. The songwriting of this band is possesses a supporting ability in which their fans can attach to lyrics and meaning to lift themselves when going through different circumstances in their life. It’s quite an amazing thing.
There was no doubt that the final song “The Middle”, would be played in the set and absolutely everyone knew the words. I was awe-struck at the volume of the crowd singing the lyrics back to the band and I can only imagine how they might have been feeling at the end of the night.
Overall, it was a great night out at the Hi Fi Bar in Sydney; for my first visit, I was quite impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of the venue staff and security and even more so impressed with three very talented bands giving us everything they had to put on a show to remember.
Photographer: Jessica Ward
Reviewer: Courtney Laura
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