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Midtown / Recover / The Reunion Show

Live in Boulder, CO
2002
live show

Review by: SideLinedForLife
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Published on September 27th 2002

On the night of September 24, 2002 at 6 pm I wasn't sure if I was at a concert or a cult for Midtown. I mean sure it was a pretty good bill overall and seemed well worth the money, but were there any other bands playing that night? Thats what I asked myself looking at my ticket that said the bands playing were Midtown. I shook that off knowing that others were actually going to play also. That was just the beginning though...

I walked into the venue called Tulagis which was actually kind of a cool atmosphere for the most part. No one was even close to playing yet so I stopped by the merch tables. I was in a huge line waiting to buy some stuff for at least 15 minutes. During that time I tried to learn something. I turned around and asked someone if they have ever seen Recover play. After talking to several people I didn't get any decent responses. Some didn't even know who Recover was. All they could conjure up was that I should buy the new Midtown cd. It was like everyone was brainwashed over Midtown. I entered the actual floor where many people were standing. I looked up and saw a huge sign that said "Midtown Saves." My attention though quickly focused on a band called Grace Like Gravity who I have never heard before. I couldn't even find anything on them before the show so I was pretty stoked to hear what they had to offer. They played about six or seven songs that were very energetic power pop songs with some occasional screaming mixed in ala Glasseater. It wasn't that original, but very enjoyable. The only thing they may have needed to really grab me was more energy by the band members, but I am looking forward to more material by these guys.

After a very short break The Reunion Show broke into their set. They were replacing Taking Back Sunday as most of you know, and upon reading that for the first time I was very dissapointed being that TBS put on a spectacular show at Purgatory a while ago. Anyway I had heard one song by The Reunion Show before that night and it was very slow and very boring. Boy was I one too quick to judge because these guys fucking killed. In fact it was just plain insanity as kids were singing along and moshing while the bands sound belted out nerd rock bliss. Not only that but this bands stage preformance was almost equal to a hardcore bands energy. One guy played the keyboard a bit too, but not like the eighty year old woman that taught you how to play the piano. He simply banged on it crazy yet it was played flawless. The bass player who split the singing duties stood over the crowd pointing his guitar towards the front door which was cool. All I can say is this was the biggest suprise of the night to say the least with their set ending with the keyboard/guitar player on the ground playing the guitar ferociously while the keyboard swayed back and forth almost crashing to the ground. Amazing.

At this point there was a chance to catch my breath while Houstons Recover hit the stage. Ahhh Recover the band that I came to see. A band that has caught my intrest with the release of Rodeo and Picasso. For those of you who haven't heard these guys they are a blend of hardcore and pop while maintaining their own sound. They don't sound like Thrice or Thursday they are in fact quite original so when I say they are Hardcore/Pop don't jump to conclusions. They started their set off with a new song off their new ep album called "Recover." The crowd immeadiately responded with fist in the air and some singing along. I stress that part because not too many people really knew or cared about any of these bands besides Midtown. Recovers set consisted of lots of break downs including my favorite on the song "Dialogue From a Film" where the music stops and the bands singers scream "Kill Your Friends!" The set also showcased the bass player frantically swinging his head around and around with his hair all over the place, the guitarist that does the screaming moving around like an idiot, and of course the other guitarist who does the singing, jumping around off the drum set and playing his guitar above his head. Now I understand that a lot of bands jump around, but keep in mind that this guy is the tallest man I have ever seen. It was actually very funny. The drummer also got in the act by spitting a burst of water out of his mouth before a huge breakdown. Little things like that made Recover one of the best live acts I've seen. There was a lot of passion and energy in their music. They played about 3 or 4 songs of their new album and I believe about 4 off Rodeo and Picasso. Their set ended and Dan held his guitar out in the audience to let everyone hit the strings a little bit which was just icing on the cake. Everyone should check these guys out and if you dont like their music go see them anyway because my lord do they put on a show.

Chants of Gabe is God came out of too many twelve year old girls mouths before Midtown came on. My eyes flashed from the right side of the stage where there was a sign that said "You Love Midtown" or on the left side "Midtown Loves You." Now I don't hate Midtown, but I'm not all that crazy about them either. I like their old cd while there new one is very dull. Overall I didn't know what to expect. They came on the stage as screaming filled the air. The center sign that read Midtown Saves came on and they immediately started their first song. I realized after about five songs I had totally forgot the words to most of their songs which kind of took away the fun part. At one point it seemed as if they were going to do a cover for "Stairway to Heaven" but then suddenly broke into their own song. After the seventh song or so some guy in boxing gloves and his underwear stood on the stage. Definitely funny as hell, and I must say that it only made the show a little more interesting especially when he explained his outfit as Midtowns music kicking his ass hence the boxing gloves. Midtown played another song while the dude in his underwear punched himself in the face several times before leaving off the stage. A couple songs later he was in the mosh pit in a bath robe. So between my random rambling I actually did see Midtown play around 16 or 17 songs. Besides not knowing the songs, being crushed between people, feeling like I just joined some kind of group, and hearing teenie boppers telling me all other bands suck besides Midtown, I actually was suprised that they rocked out very nicely. They had tons and tons of energy, and all the band members were really rad people except for Gabe who just dissapeared.

I have to say that this show did not disappoint, and while I didn't expect much I got a little more.

Best Performance: Recover

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 3, 2002 at 4:45 PM (EDT)
My Score:

"it's so sad Adam go hurt"

The dude that posted this is a huge fucking baby. Anyways, I ended up selling my ticket to this show when I heard Taking Back Sunday cancelled. I have seen Midtown and The Reunion Show before (both times in a basement), and they both suck really bad. They are huge biters and they don't have an ounce of originality in them. Recover is good, but overrated.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 30, 2002 at 2:58 PM (EDT)
My Score:

How did Recover get on that line up?

Good review, good opinions without being too pushy about them.

I think you said it best, their old cd was good but the new one is dull.

"Gabe is God"

You wonder why he has such an ego trip.

Musicians aren't Gods, hardly clergy.
Recover is great. I haven't heard their new EP yet.
wyzo

Posted by hittrob on 2002-09-30 07:07:01
My Score:

Hey peeps. Everyone is so angry. Recover will be one of the biggest bands in the world, I've never seen a band so amazing. And TBS, I love them, it's so sad Adam go hurt. I miss them. Stop being so angry. People in bands are normal people just like everyone else who posts on message boards or checks their e-mail. There's no need to be a hater.

-Rob

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 30, 2002 at 1:41 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Whiners, get a clue. shit son, he was joking about shit son, you are bitches to him and me. worthless? ram your ass hard with ravenesque smack smacks. I'm kidding, joking. Getting emotional over jokes is sooo getupkidsshit.

A Season was not defending midtown, he was just saying they(midtown) thinks its funny to have gay ass signs, so fucking get over it. Do i care? no. I just feel like typing.

Fucking babies and shit = you bitches

Posted by krowdsurf on 2002-09-29 23:01:32
My Score:

Punks are mean.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 29, 2002 at 10:27 PM (EDT)
My Score:

"-Its a fucking joke. Get over that fact that they are trying to be funny. They suck, so does recover and Taking back sunday. who cares. shit son, shit"

Did I say that they were being serious? No. I said it's like Big Brother, but crappier. I didn't say anything like "Do they honestly believe that?" I don't give two shits that they're trying to be funny. I think Midtown is stupid and their little fucking signs are, too. "who cares." Obviously you, if you bothered to type out a comment. Dumbass.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 29, 2002 at 9:42 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Or Not

and also you just said shit son. that automatically makes you worthless. saying that TBS and Recover suck is one thing but when you defend Midtown in the same paragraph that is just sad. -The Reviewer

Posted by A-Season-of-Shrubs on 2002-09-29 21:29:52
My Score:

"Nope, that guy isn't lying. The "MIDTOWN SAVES" sign is HUGE and it lights up. And there ARE two scrolling lights that read "MIDTOWN LOVES YOU. YOU LOVE MIDTOWN." It's kind of like Big Brother, except crappier."

-Its a fucking joke. Get over that fact that they are trying to be funny. They suck, so does recover and Taking back sunday. who cares. shit son, shit

Posted by waste_elite on 2002-09-29 19:59:24
My Score:

"you go to the joey ramones comments and there isnt that many saying how he and the ramones fucking rocked"

well, that's because it's a given. joey and the ramones fucking rocked and everyone and their mother knows it.

plus, it's just more enjoyable to make fun of crappy bands that sell a lot of records instead.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 29, 2002 at 11:30 AM (EDT)
My Score:

i think the signs are kind of a take on what the hives do, the signs that read the hives are law, you are crime, or something like that. now i myself am a midtown fan, and since ive never met any of them im gonna talk trash. i think trash talking on these boards has gotten a bit ridiculous, but people have the right to say what they want. not to mention that i seem to notice there are more comments trashing a band or person, usually in the pop punkish type of category and then you go to the joey ramones comments and there isnt that many saying how he and the ramones fucking rocked. so i wish people would quit wasting their time trahing bands and people who were here yesterday, here today, and probably (though not always) here tomorrow. but i realistic enough to know that wont happen. so whatever

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 29, 2002 at 2:04 AM (EDT)
My Score:

The fact is...Gabe is a cocksucker and midtown blows...so who cares...the sight should read.."midtown saves my ass"

Posted by waste_elite on 2002-09-28 21:18:40
My Score:

it all depends in what kinda band you're in i think. seriously, guns n roses always played the part of badasses, so you want axl to be an asshole. if you're in a shitty band like midtown, you better be nice or people will hate you even more.

Posted by krowdsurf on 2002-09-28 20:19:52
My Score:

Slightly related but kinda off topic. What's the difference between having a good attitude problem and a bad attitude problem? People on this site seem to bitch all the time about how Midtown (or specifically, Gabe) is arrogant and rude to his fans. But then there are people like Axl Rose, who is notoriously a complete douche bag, yet so many people seem to love him, especially for that. Just curious...krowdsurf

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 6:54 PM (EDT)
My Score:

"i hope the whole thing with the signs was a joke by the writer. did they really have such signs? pathetic. it IS brainwashing. "

Nope, that guy isn't lying. The "MIDTOWN SAVES" sign is HUGE and it lights up. And there ARE two scrolling lights that read "MIDTOWN LOVES YOU. YOU LOVE MIDTOWN." It's kind of like Big Brother, except crappier. Needless to say, I ended up leaving after a few of their songs.

has anyone else ever noticed how incredibly hypocritical "Become What You Hate" is?

PS: Recover isn't bad, and neither is the reunion show. But without TBS on the tour, I don't see why anyone would bother going.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 2:49 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Fuck you,if you knew what the CD was called,why didn't you say that ? HUH ?!?! WHAT !?!?! Bitch.PFFFFFTT !!!

THAT GUY

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 1:35 PM (EDT)
My Score:

When I saw this tour it's opening night in Lancaster, I thought TBS and Midtown totally ripped up the place ... I fell bad for people that are missing out on seeing TBS (though TRS are a great fill in). One things was apparent to me (at least at the Lancaster show) ... no one really cared at all for Recover. Now, I will say that Recover tried to put on a good, energetic set, but the crowd wasn't having any of that. The greater majority (at least 85%) just stood there. I was one of those 85% too ... I felt nothing from Recover. I will still check out the CD and such, but I hope if I ever see them again they live up to the title everyone here is giving them of 'best live bad'. Just my 2 cents.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 1:04 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Let me also clarify some things. Midtown may have had a good show but I liked how at the end some kid told Gabe that it was a rad show and Gabe turned to him and said "Yea Whatever" Thats the kind of shit that makes a bands respectability go down tremendously. Also Recover is NOT A GENERIC VERSION OF THURSDAY OR THRICE they play and sound a lot different. The Reunion Show despite what the guy said below does NOT SOUND LIKE THE GET UP KIDS OR WEEZER plus they went insane. Grace Like Gravity was a pretty good band. I would definetely check them out. And finally to the guy that said TAKING BACK SUNDAY made the show is wrong. I saw TBS once and yes Adam was good the rest of the band zero energy. TRS took their place and blew them out of the water. Now only if TBS would have taken Midtowns position.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 12:47 PM (EDT)
My Score:

To the guy that corrected me on Recovers new cd:
Actually I was aware of the whole cd name but at the show even Recover said that their new cd was called Recover. So I just made it easy.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 12:33 PM (EDT)
My Score:

i hope the whole thing with the signs was a joke by the writer. did they really have such signs? pathetic. it IS brainwashing.

oh yeah, GOOD shows don't have tickets by the way.

spitting water out of the mouth is done by about every band in the world and it's really corny.

Posted by THAT_GUY on 2002-09-28 11:55:48
My Score:

First off,Recover,one of the best live bands EVER,are from Austin,not Houston. But that's OK,cause Austin,Houston,and Spring sorta share their bands,even if Austin's scene is better.Also,Recover's new CD is Cest N'est Pas Recover,not just Recover.Oh,and the comment about only Midtown on the tickets,I've gone to concerts(quite a few) that had 2 or 3 bands listed.So pfffft !! Also,am I the only one getting a Nazi-ish vibe from the whole sign thing and fan thing ? Or is that a Christian-ish vibe ?EH,same thing.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 10:17 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Where's that REALPUNX guys? I wanna hear him rant about Midtown not being punk. I can't believe how badly everyone sucks this band's cock. They suck. In fact, they are the suckiest sucks that ever sucked. I tell ya, I saw them open for Face to Face on the day of their newn album release....thats 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Ifeel robbed. Thanks a lot Midtown.

-sickboi

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 5:19 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Yeah. Once The Reunion Show's new cd hits stores and becomes a success he'll start telling everyone how much they totally rocked when he saw them with Midtown when no one knew who they were.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 1:07 AM (EDT)
My Score:

i love how the guy a few posts down is gonna call TRS posuers and recover generic and then try and tell me how original midtown is and how much they rock... fuckin idiot

ps- not saying i'm a huge fan of TRS or recover, but still... you get my point?

Posted by waste_elite on 2002-09-28 00:39:29
My Score:

"those are some of the biggest 12 year olds ive ever seen"

yeah, they attract the fat ones...

Posted by WussEmoRock on 2002-09-27 23:48:16
My Score:

Good review, BUT, at first it seemed like you had never been to a show before. You made it seem like on the ticket stub it is suppose to say the opening bands and not just the headliner, weird. anyway, tbs made the tour, now it's nothing.

*****Wuss-Emo-Rock*****

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 27, 2002 at 8:36 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I have to say midtown put on a great fuckin show. It was totally unexpected. The crowd was awesome as well. The only thing is, you make it seem like the crowd was entirely comprised of 12 year olds. Man, those are some of the biggest 12 year olds ive ever seen. By the way; the reunion show sucked major ass (wannabee weezer and get up kids) and recover sounds like a more generic version of thursday, despite what you say. Midtown rocked it.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 27, 2002 at 8:22 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Hence FUCK GABE and FUCK MIDTOWN!!!!

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 27, 2002 at 6:53 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Those guys in Midtown need to eat. They're too skinny,and tall.

Sara(no h)