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Ah, the Electric Factory. What a lovely venue. Giant, fluorescent images of Ben Franklin everywhere, what more could a kid ask for? I was there mainly to see Glassjaw with two friends, and ...hey, wow, alot of hot chicks must like one of those bands, because they were present. Before I was able to embarass myself by speaking, Dredg quietly announced their presence onstage ("Hi, we're Dredg").

After reading some stuff about them and hearing from other people, I was ready to hate this band. But, as you've probably figured out by now, I ended up thinking that they were awesome. Don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge a band by its desire to bring weird tree branches onstage. Dredg is one of the most creative live bands I've seen. Yeah, you've all heard how he sings into a trumpet, but trust me, it gives this really cool effect (think singing in the depths of a giant cave). Plus he is a great singer. He also implemented a shovel and a saw into the music, and the cool part is that it actually worked with the music. At one point he was chopping at a saw...or something...with another metal thing in his hand, and it was really rad. The band closed with an epic, 7-minute closer called "The Canyon Behind Her"; the opening lines "Does anybody feel this way? Does anybody feel like I do?" really gave you a cool feeling. Despite the nu-metal-sounding name, Dredg is closer to Sigur Ros and Radiohead than, say, System of a Down. Once the band's set was done, the guitarist, drummer, and bassist kept playing some mellow instrumental as the stage hands took everything down. The drummer played even as they started to disassemble his set. By the end he was just hitting his sticks against a cymbal, until that too was taken away. Gah, stop it with the originality...you're making my brain hurt. So you will definetly check out Dredg in the future. Why? Because I am cooler than you, and you must do my bidding.

So theres a break and Hot Water Music comes on next; everyone's favorite punk-indie-posthardcore-emo-rocknroll-newwave-ragtime-techno-[insert completely obscure genre ending in "core" here] band (there, now no one can get mad at me when I called them the wrong genre. god forbid I should do such a thing). They tore through a good set including material from all their albums. Yes, they played "A Flight And A Crash" to appease the gods of songs that bands should play. The crowd really moved around and got into them, to appease the gods of what fans should do during a HWM set. I need to get those glasses that have mirrors in them, so I can see crowd surfers that are about to drop kick me in the back of the head. But a really great set from the boys in HWM, despite some iffy vocals at times. Still a great set, not that anyone expected anything less from these veterans of rocking your socks. You probably have already heard HWM, so you don't need me to force you to listen to them. Just continue listening as you have been (pats a baton in hand).

Next up was Sparta, which came along with my biggest revelation of the night: Sparta is good. Hmm, go figure. I had heard "Cut Your Ribbon" before, but it just never caught on to me. I figured Sparta would just play a bunch of songs derivative of At The Drive In (yea, I named-dropped them. so shoot me. is it just me or does "Cataract" sound kinda like "Invalid Litter Dept."), which wouldn't be a bad thing, but I figured they'd all sound like "Cut Your Ribbon". I was really surprised with just how good - and cool - these guys were. The Philly show was going to be their last show on Snocore due to a funeral that they had to go to back home in Texas. And I know it sounds trivial, but the lighting was really good for Sparta, better than I'm used to anyway. Halfway through the set some kid started...I don't know what the correct word is...moaning I suppose....so, this kid started moaning, like he was high or something, "Cedric". I expected the band to get kinda mad, but they appeared to take it in good humor. They also dedicated a song to a friend of theirs who was dying of cancer, and you could see the emotion and intensity when they played it. Also, whenever Sparta played a trippy, spacy echoing guitars part, my friend and I made hand motions like a butterfly gamboling gently through a peaceful garden. Later, the lead singer took his hands off the guitar and did the same thing. So while that was a highlight for me, it is in no way cool to you, the reader, and it is just some desperate attempt to make it look like I'm cool. But I mean, when a band acknowledges your prescence it is still pretty cool, c'mon, stop being such a toughass, you know its cool. Before they played "Cut Your Ribbon" (how many times am I going to name that song?), the lead singer said, "This next song is about feeling guilty...and it is dedicated to our President," which really got a big cheer out of the crowd. He also added, "We wouldn't be in this situation if more of our generation voted," and told us that it was a good idea to vote. So, you, vote. Vote now or we'll have another pointless war on our hands. Plus Sparta can say "I told ya so" and I hate it when bands say "I told ya so." It just ruffles my stockings, or whatever the saying is.

And so, another intermission ensued....hey, are they playing "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy. Cool. Yeah, I'm a dork, but that was the highlight of the time in between Sparta and Glassjaw.

...Yep.

So, Glassjaw takes the stage. I can't even remember what they opened with, probably because I was thrown to the back of the crowd and back up to the front after they struck the first chord. Just like Sparta before them, Glassjaw really interacted with the crowd alot, telling jokes and the like ("Sorry about my voice screeching, what with that whole hitting puberty thing a couple weeks ago, I'm also kind of sick"). I couldn't tell you an exact set list off the top of my head, but they played mostly stuff off of "Worship and Tribute". However, they did play "Pretty Lush", "Siberian Kiss", and "When One Eight Becomes Two Zeroes" from EYEWTKAS. I don't think they played anything else off of that album, but I could be wrong. Furthermore, Daryl (the singer) is absolutely insane live. He was jumping around like nuts, and it didn't compromise his singing nearly half as much as it would have for anyone else...he must work out. I would list some song highlights, but all of them rocked the hizouse. Some songs I distinctly remember (besides the ones listed above) are "Mu Empire", "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss", "Cavalcade...", "Ape Dos Mil", "Must Have Run All Day", "Radio Cambodia", "Trailer Park Jesus" and the closer "Convectuoso". In the last song, Daryl changed the lyrics to "That's you, American MAN-hood" instead of womanhood. I guess he was saying that chicks could use guys as much as guys use chicks.

Anywho...
You will attend a show featuring one of the above artists in your lifetime. Why? Because they rock.






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    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 19, 2003 at 6:44 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Sory Glassjaw was never awesome... you missed it or something.. Go pick up HWM forever and counting, that is where it's at.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 2, 2003 at 11:49 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Glassjaw??

    You guys used to be fuckin awsome. What happened? I still think you guys are fuckin awsome, but I neeeed to see more shotguns live. Oh, and HWM were horrible, Sparta kicked ass, and Dredg can lick the ballsack.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 6, 2003 at 3:48 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    GreenVandal, Do you even know what sarcasm means? Look it up retard.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 4, 2003 at 8:40 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Yeah he winds the prize for fag of the week along with GreenVandal. FAG!

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2003-04-03 21:28:09
    My Score:

    Heheheheheh. So I guess the fag joke kid did win. He got a whole debate going over what I assumed was sarcasm. Sparta rules. But just say no to Glassjaw.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 3, 2003 at 1:05 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    so....
    how about that snocore tour...

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 3, 2003 at 7:55 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Two posts down:

    All ages means all ages

    Posted by sadam on 2003-04-01 11:24:53
    My Score:

    You guys are arguing against someone who spoke up against homophobes?

    I think it is time for the "Am I being a hypocritical-asshole" check.

    Also there aren't "winners" on a message board. There are no winners we are ALL losers.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at 10:26 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    1. Retards are cool. They are god's way of cheering you up when you have a bad day. Having a bad day? Go listen to a retard sing, you'll be laughing & you'll forget your problems in no time!

    2. To the guy below, at 25 you're too old to still be calling yourself a punk.
    (not to old to listen to punk, & embrace the ethics, but you can't refer to yourself as "punk" anymore. Sorry, it's true.)

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at 7:55 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    I'm twenty five and obviously way more punk rock than either of you that is if punk rock means to be more intelligent than the average rascist hate-monger. To sum up how you feel Joeg it is uncool to use derogatory words againt people but it is even more uncool to speak out against them? You are a fucking tool of society. It sounds to me like you are the one taking this all to heart. Hyprocritical fuck.

    Posted by joeg on 2003-04-01 00:58:39
    My Score:

    "As far as the rules of punk rock some of the more accepted beliefs go: Pro-feminist, Anti-facist, gay-positive"

    hahahahaha! wow, you actually answered my question. see my point? people get a rise out of you all the time. you're too easy. but you're so much more punk rock than me. bet that makes you all fuzzy and warm on the inside, doesn't it? give me some more punk rock rules off your checklist, i need some pointers b/c my punk rock attitude needs some readjusting.

    Posted by joeg on 2003-04-01 00:41:31
    My Score:

    you still don't get it(shocking). when i thanked you for the link, i was doing so b/c like you, i'm against racsim, sexism, etc. that's it. thanks for the tidbit of information. no more, no less that i know you'd like to read into. me then critizing you has nothing to do with me thanking you for the link so don't try to pull up some phantom contradiction trying to associate the two. i'll break this down so you can understand. again.

    it was a stupid, bad, tasteless joke. but a joke nontheless. you being the uptight asswad you are, you failed to see it. only YOU were the one in an outrage. nobody here acknowledged it but you. i said ignore him or else he'll get a rise out of you, that its not worth it, and that people say that kind of shit all the time on this site but that it shouldn't be taken seroiusly. you then proceeded to bash me for being some passive sexist/racist? you're a fucking idiot. bet ya didn't realize it.

    i called you self righteous b/c youre acting like you're teaching us some great lesson on how to be pro-active in combating prejudice-but by responding to a freaking joke on a website where we all already got the message? i know you'd like a pat on the back for doing the world some great service but really, you didn't accomplish shit.

    nobody acknowledged that idiot except you. that was my point. you acknowledge that joker, he wins. i was saying don't let him get to you. he indeed accomplished his mission. he got a rise out of you. me? my day wasn't too great but it ended with me getting laugh out of you. thanks.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at 12:01 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    "As far as the rules of punk rock some of the more accepted beliefs go: Pro-feminist, Anti-facist, gay-positive. "

    Let me guess, youre 14? 15 maybe? Get a fucking clue.

    thislightison,
    -feedmynightmare

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 9:58 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Godamn you must be dumb. You almost thanked me and yet you still want to cut me down and call me a self-righteous, uptight, delusional idiot, faggo for speaking up on these issues? A FAGGO? What kind of lame ass says this word? Just say FAG since you're so supportive of it. I'm not on a crusade to clean people's mouth out with soap but when I can get a chance to tell people that what they are doing is uncool and can be hurtful I'll do it because I'm not scared or to lazy to speak up. I'm not the full time PC-cop on punknews.com. Honestly I didn't think kids who listened to punk rock or hardcore or anything else on here would need one. So while you may be whatever race/gender/sexual preference I'M still the one trying to make a difference and YOU are still the one telling me to "lighten up". Someone else even said grow up. I think the problem is that I AM grown up.

    As far as the rules of punk rock some of the more accepted beliefs go: Pro-feminist, Anti-facist, gay-positive.
    (and I don't even like Propagandi)

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 8:46 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    what about fruit? that's kinda gay

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 8:33 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    why doesny anybody get mad on this site about usage of the word retard. Or even stupid for that matter. Everyones so quick to berate someone for saying gay or fag, but in actuallity the usage of it most of the time has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

    Posted by joeg on 2003-03-31 20:02:47
    My Score:

    you need to stop being so damn uptight. first off, i in no way condone any type of racist, sexist, or prejudiced remarks made anytime, anywhere. being a minority myself, i probably know as much, if not more than you about what it feels like when someone makes racist derogatoray comments IN YOUR FACE. trust me, its fucked up. but when i see comments like "the history of the word faggot" on punknews.org of all freaking places, i ignore it. not because i'm being passive in this crusade against prejudice. but b/c i know these idiotic comments are elementary school bullshit and its not worth my time replying to it. its admirable of you to berate them like that. i actually wanted to thank you b/c i visited the hatecrime site and its got a lot of interesting material. but really, how many times have people on this site used the term "fag" and not one mention of "you prejudiced scumbag-go to hatecrime.org and educate your ignorant self" comment? then i guess you would call yourself the lone noble crusader in this battle against prejudice on punknews.org, right? that's funny. really, you haven't been posting here that long or else every time someone here used the word fag, i would've seen you jumping in. and if i'm totally wrong here and if i'm not abiding by the rules of your "punk rock world" (funny, i didn't know punk had boundaries) then tell me and i'll give up my punk rock membership. in fact, with self-righteous, uptight, delusional idiots like yourself, by all means, the "punk rock world" is yours. faggo.... uh oh! he almost said the f word! well gosh diggity darnit, i guess i'm promoting hate now. hehe, thanks for the laugh buddy. end of my long ass rant......

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 7:14 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    You are all fags!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 5:53 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Then you are both total pussies and you need to learn to speak up for what you feel. Then again I doubt either of you are old enough to have ideals or beliefs yet. Give it time. I'm not going to ignore stupid comments. Why the fuck are you arguing FOR the term FAGGOT to be ignored? Do you know how fucking stupid that is? Would it be ok if I said nigger? Would you ignore that too?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 3:39 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    "the entire punk rock world"

    ..What are you some kind of fucking expert on the "punk world." Grow up. And I agree, I pass off most coments made on this site as mere stupidity as well. Just because 90% of the people that post have little or no brain.

    theres no emoticon for what im feeling,
    -feedmynightmare

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 at 9:37 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Dear joeg, you are a big passive moron that shouldn't try to validate hurtful comments by passing it off as mere stupidity. You must be new here and by that I mean to the entire punk rock world.

    Posted by Le_MAD on 2003-03-30 22:26:29
    My Score:

    The score is for HWM and ATDI.

    Posted by joeg on 2003-03-30 22:10:41
    My Score:

    anonymous-two below- when i said ignore him, i obviously didn't mean ignore racists, sexists, etc. i never said don't post whatever you want. don't put words in my mouth. i just said ignore the idiot because in all likelihood, neither he nor anyone on this entire forum except for your dumbass took his comments seriously. you must be new here, right? calm down. take a deep breath. its ok. feels good, doesn't it?

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2003 at 12:29 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    mars volta - inertiatic. That song alone beats anything sparta's done. However, they are much better live than on record, and are pretty nice and friendly people. Still, find that song.

    we decided no one is to use the metaphor "blew them out of the water" in a live show review ever again. When was the last time you saw a good meritime battle, or saw or heard about anything getting blown out of the water without bringing up that scene from hunt for red october. Lets use something more familiar to the times. They "blew them away like tiny knee joints of iraqi children". Dig it.

    wyzo supporting canadas war against iraq

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2003 at 11:10 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Yeah just be passive and ignore it rather than voicing your own opinion on people who continue to hate races, genders or sexual peferences. Just let it slide! Just letting is slide is the punk rock thing to do.

    Posted by Strewtho on 2003-03-30 02:06:36
    My Score:

    "We really needed another review of this tour!"

    - You stole Insincere Dave's line.

    Posted by joeg on 2003-03-29 23:42:04
    My Score:

    anonymouse-below me-don't take it so seriously. there are mindless idiots and morons that post here everyday. just ignore.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 29, 2003 at 1:26 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    The moron that contributed the "history of faggot usage" sounds like a complete uneducated hick. I don't know if you are pretending to be some angry punk rock kid or something but this site maybe useful for someone who submits comments as stupid as yours.

    http://www.hatecrime.org

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 10:57 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Hot Water Music is much better than these bands combined. Glassjaw is just terrible, no one will remember Sparta when Mars Volta gets going and Dredg..well i actually liked Dredg.

    dropping names like dropping bombs,
    -feedmynightmare

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 8:46 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I skipped this show for a reason. What was it. . . . .hmmmmm. Oh ya. Line up sucked. I remember now.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 6:49 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    When I saw HWM in Cleveland, they sounded fucking awful. The vocals were so awful.

    Glassjaw blew them out of the water.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 6:45 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    fun if you are a retarded "faggot".

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 5:50 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    faggots. ya know,like fag maggots = faggots. its a term used for centuries from the days of columbus when he said "those indian faggots, kill em all" to times where nazi skins yell out "those queer faggots, let's beat em down!" to modern times where internet geeks like to say "he likes dashboard. what a emo faggot" so ya see, the history of the word faggot can be quite fun.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 5:29 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    People still say "faggots"?

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 5:00 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    it is a sad time when you faggots actually think spending money on a lineup like this is your idea of a good time.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 4:45 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    The Cataract guitar part does sound like Invalid litter dept. The Sparta song is better IMO though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 2:49 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    It is a sad time to be alive when total shit bands like Glassjaw headline over HWM. Forever and Counting will always and forever (and counting) blow away any album that any of the other bands on this bill could create. Think I'm lying? Listen to it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 2:09 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Glassjaw is the best live band you could ever see.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 1:34 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    glassjaw owns

    Posted by evildeadalive on 2003-03-28 13:33:51
    My Score:

    I think it's my fault... I asked for a few more reviews of this in the last one... Sorry guys.

    Posted by FortyMinutesWest on 2003-03-28 13:28:19
    My Score:

    We really needed another review of this tour!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 1:09 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I'm interested to see sparta with bad religion in april...

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