Quiet Color

by john cole

I never expected it to have been this crowded of a show. I obviously didn’t know what to expect.

I was happy to see that the classiest beer in the place was a tall boy of Budweiser, while the rest of the commoners fashioned cans of P.B.R. and some oddly named beer in a disgusting looking can. The scent of body oder, pot, sweat, and cigarette smoke (that was a very typical smell while going to shows in ninth grade at firehouses) welcomed me in to Death By Audio, a legit D.I.Y. show space in South Williamsburg. I didn’t catch much of the opening band, but I was able to see Passive Aggressor, a girl-fronted punk/rock band who had some good songs (and a free/by donation live CD). Madeline, a solo artist who was also backed up by a full band for a few songs played third. Despite the loud talking amongst bridge and tunnelers and their underage friends, I really enjoyed her set. Even though it wasn’t as aggressive as the other bands, Madeline’s music was very catchy and sweet (think The Weakerthans with a female voice). As her set winded down, it was time to catch air. The only problem was trying to get back in for Defiance, Ohio.

Artist: Defiance, Ohio Song: The Condition

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Squeezing past people still trying to pay to get in, I just made it in time to be able to fit in the actual space. I was just to the right of the stage, in a perfect place to leave as soon as their set was over. However, many other people had the same idea. So there I was, amongst rebel rousers and anxious faces holding up the left PA speaker so it wouldn’t fall on me or anyone else near me as the crowd lunged forward for every song. The kids in the very front were forced onto the stage, with two choices: sucking it up or joining the band onstage and eventually getting down once that was too cramped. The audience was in a full uproar from beginning to end, as if it was the band’s last show ever. There was no use for microphones because we all sang over the vocals. Defiance,Ohio played a solid 30-40 minute set which I was more than happy with being the first time seeing them live. I don’t think my legs or the rest of my body would’ve held up for much longer.

It’s been a while since I’ve experienced a show like this. And I must say, it was good to feel and be in that experience again with a group of kids who just wanted to hear some good music on a Thursday night.

On a side note, please check out the Icarus Project. Quoted from their Mission Statement, “The Icarus Project envisions a new culture and language that resonates with our actual experiences of ‘mental illness’ rather than trying to fit our lives into a conventional framework.” I haven’t done much research on it, but it seems like something definitely worthy of checking out and possibly being a part of.