Saturday, April 10th, 2010 at The LC
Photos by Ryan Reeves of Front Stage Photography
Columbus yet again proved itself worthy as the uber-trendy force behind what makes Ohio “the heart of it all.” Saturday, April 11, 101.1FM celebrated CD101 Day at the LC Pavilion. It was another mind-blowing experience for a sold-out crowd, featuring six bands for only five dollars, the “Low Dough Show,” for which the station has built itself a reputation upon-they actually value their listeners!
Doors opened at 4PM, and by the time Violent Soho took stage at 5:30, the building was upbeat and ready to dance! This band from Brisbane, Australia, fired off the night with some good, hard, rock and roll. They’ve a tight sound showing off garage band roots, as they began playing in high school. The (un)official kick-off for the event was hearing their single, “Jesus Stole My Girlfriend,” which the crowd gobbled up. The performance was grungy, dirty, and fantastic.
Colin Gawel and the Lonely Bones played second, and were a pleasant surprise. The singer is from Columbus, and the sound is harder than the band name might imply—though they have a more indie-oriented sound, with some lyrics meant for contemplation. Lead singer Colin has an EP Release of his song “Superior,” and the man has the talent to back up the incredible press he’s received on this adventure. The energy displayed was spirited, and the set was another great addition to the lineup. Hopefully, his solid performance will set the tone for a successful career.
Third onstage was the Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, whose sound was so intense it was borderline metal—but they knew exactly how to take it to the brink without losing interest of fans not into the metal genre. Their new album has been released, “Only Revolutions,” and is worth a go, but for the faint of heart: be prepared! I’m not certain the crowd knew exactly what they were in for, but their set was a second wind that keep the high energy show rolling.
Dan Black brought a distinct genre change, but it seemed irrelevant when his music began. Electronic music is not for everyone (it is certainly more prominent in Europe, and he comes from Paris) but the raw power of his emotion in each song was mesmerizing. His performance of the single, “Symphonies” was heartfelt and touching, no matter how many times it’s been played. It didn’t matter there was no drummer—he has phenomenal talent in working the mixer, beat machine, all while delivering vocals that are brilliant and powerful. Along with his enmeshment with the music itself, his performance came out the dark horse winner in the overall lineup.
Flobots seemed to be the band that most people were curious to see. Before their performance there was a rumor flying outside the pavilion that they were not coming to the night’s show—and of course, those rumors proved to be false (they’re from Denver anyway, why would others make it across the ocean and NOT them?!). Their new album, “Survival Story” is a slight change from their first release, with stronger political and social commentary. Several surprises came from their set: first, I had no idea there was a female, Mackenzie Phillips in the group, and she plays the viola. Second, in the middle of the set there was a sound mishap when the only vocals from the monitor could be heard from one of the two emcees, Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit, yet nothing could stop their high octane performance from breaking down the walls. And third, their message of equal rights for all could not come at a better time. May they continue to shout their message across the country.
The headliner was Crash Kings, and though they certainly had some major brilliance to follow, it was not even an issue once the music began. They brought it back full circle to the grungier rock, playing mostly upbeat songs so that you could not help but thrash around! The slow songs were fantastic, showing that this relative no-name band from L.A. has a lot of promise for their future. Of course, the cherry on this wild, eclectic mix of soul-driven music was hearing their hit “Mountain Man” live, Finally! It was utterly fantastic, and I cannot wait to hear more from this fire-cracker band.
