Show Review

The End of The Ocean /Xerxes/ Pianos Become The Teeth

It's 2am in Columbus, OH. I'm at a BP gas station filling up my gas tank for the three and a half hour drive back to Michigan. I smelled like spilled, stale beer and sweat. My shirt is ripped, my hair a mess, and my clothes are all stretched. And I feel good, in fact, I feel the best I've felt in a long time. Rewind to a few hours before. I'm coming from a house show that The Story So Far headlined (not my thing, but the energy of the live show was entertaining) who played a half pipe, Good Charlotte style. It was insanity. I'm trying to find this place called the Carabar. It's the reason I'm in Ohio. I get there to catch the tale end of the openers set. They were a post-rock band named The End of The Ocean and they ruled. Next was the co-headlining band, Xerxes. I reviewed their new album earlier this month. Their set was pure intensity. This was punk rock of any sub genre at it's best just fast and beautiful and uncompromising. I was particularly impressed with the vocalists ability to be heard over the music even without the microphone at all at some moments. Pianos Become The Teeth were up to bat, you could feel the anticipation mounting as people gathered in from of the stage, it was a full house. This band is special to a lot of people. People are sharing stories of why it is that some of them drove vast distances for this occasion. They opened with "I'll Be Damned" and the crowd erupts right out of the gates. I yelled the lyrics so hard that after the first song I felt like I was going to be sick. This band sounds even better live then on record. Their tone is on point to the tee. Kyle's ultra-emotional vocal style shines through as it paints a picture of pure agony.  They continued  to play "Cripples Can't Shiver" "Spine" "Such Confidence" "Filial" "Liquid Courage" "Shared Bodies" and of course the emotional behemoth that is "I'll Get By". This song is vulnerability embodied in every single way. It was gorgeous in a gritty way. Towards the end of "I'll Get By" about ten or fifteen fans grabbed the microphone and we scream "There's no proper way to feel, no mirth, no levity no amazing grace, just a flame on a lake floating away. I can't let you lay, I want you to know, I'm learning patience against my will, I want you to know, I'll get by, always barely scraping with just a hunger, with just a heart apart. It's a hell of a thing. It's a hell of a thing."