Glassjaw NYC
The Show: The Used / Glassjaw / H20 / 30 Seconds to Mars / Alexisonfire / Broke
The Place: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City
The Players: Me, The Elder and Roomate
The Moves: Pick Up Change, Kung-Fu Kick, Pizza Thrower, Windmill, Lawnmower
I hopped on the train, switching at Seacacus to head towards Penn Station. On the train, I noticed a skinny dude with a Kelly Osbourne lookalike girlfriend on his arm and a Walls Of Jericho hat. I also saw some guy who looked like Sloth from "Goonies" who also had a hoss on his harm, and was wearing a Story of the Year shirt. There was no question these young adults were headed towards the same destination as me. I decided to ignore the elders directions, and just follow the ugly men and their beastly women, assuming they were going to the show.
I arrived around 4:45 to wait in the line. As I sat waiting on the sidewalk, between the Hammerstein and the West Side Jewish Center I felt totally at peace. However, by 5:15 I began to get irritable. The other players had not yet arrived, as they are fully grown adults and were still in the process of getting out of their day jobs. So there I was alone, stuck listening to the conversations of a bunch of 12 year old Indian kids behind me, and some rather large "females" in front of me...One was wearing a t-shirt that said "Mrs. Bert McCracken." However, I expected nothing less from a crowd going to see The Used, and I gathered the strength to put up with them from the bearded Hasidic Jews walking in and out of the Center.
Finally, I met up with my small posse and the line began to move. We were quick to get in, and moved right along to the front ready to tear it up for everyone's favorite canucks, Alexisonfire. Instead, some band called Broke hit the stage. God was obviously punishing me for the time I pissed in the trash can at that sea food buffet, because sitting through the five songs these glorified roadies played was as fun as taking a plunger in the ass. This band is going nowhere, and I hope they enjoy their future pumping gas and flipping burgers.
Luckily Alexisonfire hit the stage soon after, putting on a great show. These guys truly have an original sound, and it translated well live. The singer, in the elder's words, looked like "an emo-Eli Manning" and they did their best to get the crowd involved. However, all of the Orcs with Used shirts on and red streaks in their hair took up whole front and just stared blankly at the stage. Some dancing finally erupted when they burst into "44. Caliber Love Letter" off their first album. This being their PSU theme song, my white collar brethren flew into the pit. I decided to hold off, until I heard "Accidents." The guitarist began to introduce that song when they were abruptly cut off, and forced to leave the stage, leaving a terrible void in all of us.
30 Seconds to Mars came on after what seemed like an eternity. I have nothing against these guys; their music is ok. However, the Elder's hatred for Leto knew no bounds as between every song he would whisper some smart-ass comment in my ear about Leto's lame frontman skills. However I'm pretty sure it was because he was jealous of the fact that Leto has wrecked every area in Hollywood. Hey, the guy gets the shit beat out of him in "Fight Club," murdered with an axe in "American Psycho," and gets stuffed by Collin Farrell's sausage in "Alexander," I say let the guy play frontman if he wants to.
I was getting pumped for Glassjaw when I realized H20 was up next. These guys blow harder than Moby Dick. The elder had forced me to listen to many an H20 record when he would drive us to high school, so I was quite familiar with their brand of two-minute long shitty pop punk songs. Their singer seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, because he spent half of the bands time on stage talking shit and making fun of the crowd. He kept telling girls to stop wearing make-up and buying CBGB's T-shirts from Hot Topic, and babbled on for what seemed like forever about "the scene" and "true hardcore" the "bullshit music industry" and "never selling out." While the elder was impressed and awed by this because he had a hard on for all things "hardcore scene" back in the day, I wasn't fooled. This prick has the nerve to talk about selling out and to make fun of the mall punk kids there to see The Used? To act like he is some legend who cares only about the music?
Wait, wasn't this the guy who after losing his record deal joined up with fat Madden and Duff banging Madden and Nightmare Before Christmas Leg guy from New Found Glory to form a pop group called Hazen Street? Yeah dude, touring with Good Charlotte is real hardcore. Too bad that didn't work out for you. You chased that money and that teenage pussy and failed miserably, so now you're bitter. You're also like 40 and covered in gay four leaf clover tatoos. Fuck Toby from H20 and his god-awful bad. And I don't even want to talk about him bringing out the trolls from Madball to sing and play on their last song...It was a true nightmare.
Thank God for Glassjaw. Just as background, I was obsessed with these guys for awhile. They are my all time favorite band. I've seen them before, but not for a couple years since they took their hiatus. In fact, I hadn't listened to their records in awhile. As soon as they took the stage, the place erupted. Girls in The Used tee shirts ran for their lives as the one of the biggest pits I've ever seen formed throughout the whole back of the floor. The front was crammed with kids jumping for the mic and tossing mallcore kids aside.
I cannot put into words how much Glassjaw killed. Now a four-piece, the band played all of its songs to perfection. Their slower songs went over just as well as the faster ones, and the heaviness in all of them really came through. The elder and I stalked the pit, joining the other Glassjaw die-hards in some of the most fun I have ever had at a show. The dancing was insane. I'm pretty sure I pulled every single muscle in my back picking up change to "Siberian Kiss." Every one of us in the pit knew every word to each song, and the camaraderie made it so we could all go ape shit without worry. The Elder also had a life changing moment, as he glowed afterwords about his "high kick with a five foot running start."
Glassjaw played old favorites like "Pretty Lush" and "Star Above my Bed." Most of the material was off the "Worship and Tribute" album, but they did play one new song called "Natural Born Farmer." This show reminded me of why Glassjaw is the greatest band out there, and I'm convinced they will never be far from my playlist again.
The Used were on next. They were good but I'm not sure because I couldn't hear over the high pitched screams of the adolescent girls. Seriously, every time Bert opened his mouth it sounded like we were at a "Barney on Ice" show or something. Glassjaw is an impossible act to follow anyway, and I couldn't get my mind off their performance.
In conclusion, Glassjaw is a great, under appreciated band whose music only gets better with time. H20 and broke are two of the worst bands I have ever seen. My brother hates Jared Leto but loves Rob Lowe. I bet if Rob Lowe and his fellow "West Wing" castmates started up a band, he would praise Lowe's frontman skills and even buy the record instead of downloading it.
The Place: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City
The Players: Me, The Elder and Roomate
The Moves: Pick Up Change, Kung-Fu Kick, Pizza Thrower, Windmill, Lawnmower
I hopped on the train, switching at Seacacus to head towards Penn Station. On the train, I noticed a skinny dude with a Kelly Osbourne lookalike girlfriend on his arm and a Walls Of Jericho hat. I also saw some guy who looked like Sloth from "Goonies" who also had a hoss on his harm, and was wearing a Story of the Year shirt. There was no question these young adults were headed towards the same destination as me. I decided to ignore the elders directions, and just follow the ugly men and their beastly women, assuming they were going to the show.
I arrived around 4:45 to wait in the line. As I sat waiting on the sidewalk, between the Hammerstein and the West Side Jewish Center I felt totally at peace. However, by 5:15 I began to get irritable. The other players had not yet arrived, as they are fully grown adults and were still in the process of getting out of their day jobs. So there I was alone, stuck listening to the conversations of a bunch of 12 year old Indian kids behind me, and some rather large "females" in front of me...One was wearing a t-shirt that said "Mrs. Bert McCracken." However, I expected nothing less from a crowd going to see The Used, and I gathered the strength to put up with them from the bearded Hasidic Jews walking in and out of the Center.
Finally, I met up with my small posse and the line began to move. We were quick to get in, and moved right along to the front ready to tear it up for everyone's favorite canucks, Alexisonfire. Instead, some band called Broke hit the stage. God was obviously punishing me for the time I pissed in the trash can at that sea food buffet, because sitting through the five songs these glorified roadies played was as fun as taking a plunger in the ass. This band is going nowhere, and I hope they enjoy their future pumping gas and flipping burgers.
Luckily Alexisonfire hit the stage soon after, putting on a great show. These guys truly have an original sound, and it translated well live. The singer, in the elder's words, looked like "an emo-Eli Manning" and they did their best to get the crowd involved. However, all of the Orcs with Used shirts on and red streaks in their hair took up whole front and just stared blankly at the stage. Some dancing finally erupted when they burst into "44. Caliber Love Letter" off their first album. This being their PSU theme song, my white collar brethren flew into the pit. I decided to hold off, until I heard "Accidents." The guitarist began to introduce that song when they were abruptly cut off, and forced to leave the stage, leaving a terrible void in all of us.
30 Seconds to Mars came on after what seemed like an eternity. I have nothing against these guys; their music is ok. However, the Elder's hatred for Leto knew no bounds as between every song he would whisper some smart-ass comment in my ear about Leto's lame frontman skills. However I'm pretty sure it was because he was jealous of the fact that Leto has wrecked every area in Hollywood. Hey, the guy gets the shit beat out of him in "Fight Club," murdered with an axe in "American Psycho," and gets stuffed by Collin Farrell's sausage in "Alexander," I say let the guy play frontman if he wants to.
I was getting pumped for Glassjaw when I realized H20 was up next. These guys blow harder than Moby Dick. The elder had forced me to listen to many an H20 record when he would drive us to high school, so I was quite familiar with their brand of two-minute long shitty pop punk songs. Their singer seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, because he spent half of the bands time on stage talking shit and making fun of the crowd. He kept telling girls to stop wearing make-up and buying CBGB's T-shirts from Hot Topic, and babbled on for what seemed like forever about "the scene" and "true hardcore" the "bullshit music industry" and "never selling out." While the elder was impressed and awed by this because he had a hard on for all things "hardcore scene" back in the day, I wasn't fooled. This prick has the nerve to talk about selling out and to make fun of the mall punk kids there to see The Used? To act like he is some legend who cares only about the music?
Wait, wasn't this the guy who after losing his record deal joined up with fat Madden and Duff banging Madden and Nightmare Before Christmas Leg guy from New Found Glory to form a pop group called Hazen Street? Yeah dude, touring with Good Charlotte is real hardcore. Too bad that didn't work out for you. You chased that money and that teenage pussy and failed miserably, so now you're bitter. You're also like 40 and covered in gay four leaf clover tatoos. Fuck Toby from H20 and his god-awful bad. And I don't even want to talk about him bringing out the trolls from Madball to sing and play on their last song...It was a true nightmare.
Thank God for Glassjaw. Just as background, I was obsessed with these guys for awhile. They are my all time favorite band. I've seen them before, but not for a couple years since they took their hiatus. In fact, I hadn't listened to their records in awhile. As soon as they took the stage, the place erupted. Girls in The Used tee shirts ran for their lives as the one of the biggest pits I've ever seen formed throughout the whole back of the floor. The front was crammed with kids jumping for the mic and tossing mallcore kids aside.
I cannot put into words how much Glassjaw killed. Now a four-piece, the band played all of its songs to perfection. Their slower songs went over just as well as the faster ones, and the heaviness in all of them really came through. The elder and I stalked the pit, joining the other Glassjaw die-hards in some of the most fun I have ever had at a show. The dancing was insane. I'm pretty sure I pulled every single muscle in my back picking up change to "Siberian Kiss." Every one of us in the pit knew every word to each song, and the camaraderie made it so we could all go ape shit without worry. The Elder also had a life changing moment, as he glowed afterwords about his "high kick with a five foot running start."
Glassjaw played old favorites like "Pretty Lush" and "Star Above my Bed." Most of the material was off the "Worship and Tribute" album, but they did play one new song called "Natural Born Farmer." This show reminded me of why Glassjaw is the greatest band out there, and I'm convinced they will never be far from my playlist again.
The Used were on next. They were good but I'm not sure because I couldn't hear over the high pitched screams of the adolescent girls. Seriously, every time Bert opened his mouth it sounded like we were at a "Barney on Ice" show or something. Glassjaw is an impossible act to follow anyway, and I couldn't get my mind off their performance.
In conclusion, Glassjaw is a great, under appreciated band whose music only gets better with time. H20 and broke are two of the worst bands I have ever seen. My brother hates Jared Leto but loves Rob Lowe. I bet if Rob Lowe and his fellow "West Wing" castmates started up a band, he would praise Lowe's frontman skills and even buy the record instead of downloading it.
posted by Benson | 3:07 AM
1 Comments:
you haven't found a recording of glassjaw's show from that night have you? that show was fucking nuts. fucking. nuts. i've been looking everywhere since september 1st. not a clip. only a few shitty photos.
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