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Bouncing Souls / The Loved Ones

live in Farmingdale
2007
live show

Review by: Brian
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Bouncing Souls (link)

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Published on June 26th 2007

Static Radio NJ began this solid, generally punk rock show, and it's actually the second of three treks with the Souls that are lined up for the band. There's really no beating around the bush with them -- if you like melodic hardcore, you'll probably like Static Radio. Halfway through the set, one crowd member yelled a request for "'Pits + Poisoned Apples'!" to which the singer responded, "'Pits + Poisoned Apples'? Yeah, I don't like them...just kidding!" It was a pretty humorous bit of self-deprecation in the face of five million (but no less positive) reviews in which Static Radio find themselves being compared to Kid Dynamite. Although they also contributed several tracks to a previously released three-way split and played some new material that night, it was impressive that the band managed a 25-minute set considering their One for the Good Guys EP doesn't even eclipse 10 minutes. The songs might have been generally similar, and their style seemingly went over the head of many in the audience, but they were definitely enjoyable. Keep an eye out for a review of that EP soon.

I found I Am the Avalanche's self-titled debut enjoyable if not a little tepid, but it probably didn't help that my expectations were a little outrageous considering frontman Vinnie Caruana's main previous endeavor. But live, the band is definitely on, playing invariably tight and just energetic enough, likely thanks in addition to the experience of members like ex-Further Seems Forever's Brandon Swanson and ex-Scraps and Heart Attacks' Kellen Robson. They played the best material from said album, and threw in two new songs. The first of these was incredible -- it definitely showed off a healthy Lifetime influence, but just to hear Caruana's voice in front of fast, poppy tempos again is an indescribable feeling. The other reared it back to a mid-tempo frame and a simple, catchy chorus ("whatever happened to the Brooklyn Dodgers? / whatever happened to me?"), not unlike much of I Am the Avalanche, but more creative, with guitars that switched from brief, cathartic cuts to being wandering and atmospheric. ("Polar Beast" is the other "new" song that wasn't played that night, a Glassjaw-ish tune the band has previously played live often in recent months.) With new material like this, I Am the Avalanche's forthcoming (which is fully written, but yet to be recorded) could be the best work Caruana's been involved in since This Time Next Year. Lastly, the band nailed a cover of Weezer's "Tired of Sex," whose response was terribly underwhelming. Overall, a great set that I enjoyed way more than I'd figured.

Set list (5:59-6:29):

I Took a Beating
This Is Dungeon Music
untitled new song
The Brooklyn Dodgers [new song]
New Disaster
My Second Restraining Order
Tired of Sex [Weezer cover]
Dead and Gone

The Loved Ones have gradually grown on me since the release of their middling, self-titled EP in 2005, but it's still an ongoing process. I'll vouch for their live show, though -- it's decent enough. I'll even go so far as to say that while one will obviously miss the presence of "Spider" Cottman, the band are far more entertaining as a quartet than a trio, even though you could say the same for most bands. Granted, it was a little creepy when the stage right guitarist asked a girl in front, "How old are you?", heard her response of "16" and jokingly responded, "Me too!", but you'll have that. They opened with what's likely to always be my favorite output of theirs, "100K," and played a number off Keep Your Heart from there. Dave Hause really got the crowd involved, and with a barricade that really felt driven to create the divide between fan and band, that was key. Interesting note of the set: He also took a shot at the venue's overzealous bouncers and encouraged the little guys in the audience to stand up for themselves.

Set list (6:48-7:21):

100K
Suture Self
Breathe In
Player Hater Anthem
Hurry Up and Wait
Sickening
Benson and Hedges
Arsenic
Jane
Living Will (Get You Dead)

The greatness of a Souls live performance always seems to rest on the shoulders of that candid, candor-filled frontman Greg Attonito. He'll either stand around looking bored and apathetic or, true to the band's moniker, bouncing around like he'd regressed ten years in age. Tonight he was somewhere in between, but fortunately it usually seemed to lean toward the latter. That made the energetic, standout songs from How I Spent My Summer Vacation all the more enjoyable, while they delivered rousing cuts of newer stuff like "The Gold Song" and the fantastic Avoid One Thing cover (still confuses me) "Lean on Sheena." The crowd, while surprisingly young up front, was into it all though. The super old tunes like "Joe Lies" and "The Ballad of Johnny X" had a slightly less enthusiastic reception, but there were definitely those in the audience that chose to show off their nostalgia-soaked affectations in the form of passionately singing along.

Overall, the Souls were at their endearing usual, playing some favorites, some obscure ones, and always pulling entertaining moves (Attonito donning a graduation cap that'd been thrown at him, borrowing some white hipster sunglasses from one person, etc.) that added funny little nuances to the set. The Souls can definitely be a hit or miss act, but tonight was definitely a hit.

Set list (7:50-8:42):

The Gold Song
Private Radio
That Song
Hopeless Romantic
Lean on Sheena
The Something Special
East Coast! Fuck You!
Kid
Better Things
K8 Is Great
True Believers
The Ballad of Johnny X
Sing Along Forever
Joe Lies (When He Cries)
Midnight Mile
Highway Kings
Gone

Encore

Say Anything [Greg solo acoustic]
Kids and Heroes
For All the Unheard

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 9:05 PM (EDT)

also - a gig finishing at 8.42pm?????????? wtf??????!????????? - did they have to go home to bed?

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 9:04 PM (EDT)

"""The Souls can definitely be a hit or miss act ..."

Seen them six times just over the past couple of years, both at Warped and in small clubs. Not a "miss" among 'em.""""

seen them 3 times and the last 2 they were poor

they played quick check girl recently in Leeds but apart from that this setlist is as identical as the last time i saw them

Posted by miff on 2007-06-27 17:17:31

in kerrang! a while back they discribed greg as looking like he wanted to go home for a cup of tea

Posted by keithybobeefy on 2007-06-27 16:41:49

I was in Asbury Park when they played there. I was going to the Stone Pony to watch my brother's band played and caught some of the 'Souls show just by being outside. I caught the last two songs which were True Believers and Gone. They sounded really tight from where I was.

Posted by Seth_Uber_Alles on 2007-06-26 23:09:21

that's the same damn setlist the souls played on thursday in lancaster! oh well it was still bitchin'

Posted by lostandclowned on 2007-06-26 22:08:45

yea, those bouncers were lame.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 8:16 PM (EDT)

This show was great. I thought every band was really good, and I wasn't expecting to be in into IATA.

And it's funny..at like 4 shows I've been to at the Crazy Donkey, members of bands have taken shots at that one asshole bouncer that Dave Hause talked about. The guitarist of This is Hell spit on him.

Dude's a douche.

Posted by misterspike on 2007-06-26 20:07:22

"The Souls can definitely be a hit or miss act ..."

Seen them six times just over the past couple of years, both at Warped and in small clubs. Not a "miss" among 'em.

Posted by SloaneDaley on 2007-06-26 20:03:03
My Score:

this must have been a fantastic show. The Loved Ones have been great everytiem I've seen them, IATA were awesome when I saw them with the Suicide Machines and the Souls were a lot better than I had heard they have been recently. Score is for those bands live shows.

Posted by coldwaffles on 2007-06-26 19:10:23

And Avalanche made a comment about how they couldn't sell their record because they didn't have the money to buy it from Drive Thru....

I liked Loved Ones set more than Souls, if only for the crowd.

Posted by coldwaffles on 2007-06-26 19:09:16

I saw this show in Lancaster and got a similar set from everyone but Avalanche. I'm bummed, you got Restraining Order and Weezer, we got a minute long new song that was great, but stopped when I got really syked about it, and Always. eh.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 6:28 PM (EDT)

I missed the begining of IAtA's set cause I came right after work and was very confused to see them close with Dead and Gone. I was curious what they opened with. The new songs sound so sick. Can't wait for the new album to drop [earlish next year according to Vinnie]. Should be fucking awesome.

Loved Ones and the Souls were awesome. Just a shame at the crowds on the island have been so bad lately.

Posted by patthetic on 2007-06-26 17:57:43

im sick of the say anything acoustic.

WEVE ALL SEEN IT! play it fast like it's supposed to be played. geeeeeeeeze

fuck play quick check girl too for once

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 4:39 PM (EDT)

The Souls usually only play Manthem when kids can get onstage, otherwise, y'know, what's the point?

I hate the fact that of all the great amazing songs off Anchors Aweigh Highway Kings remains a constant in the setlist. It's their second best record (behind Maniacal) and they totally neglect the best stuff from it. I'm so glad I went to that albums record release shows or I'd never hear any of the best songs on it live.

Posted by Ollywood on 2007-06-26 15:39:01

So they didn't play a number? I'm dissapointed

Posted by inagreendase on 2007-06-26 13:43:45

What number did they play off of "Keep Your Heart"?

I mean, like, a number of songs. See set list.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 12:49 PM (EDT)
My Score:

It was an all around good show. Iata were great despite really no response from thier hometown. loved ones and the bs were amazing as always.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 12:08 PM (EDT)
My Score:

loved ones and the souls. one of my favorite punk bands ever, and one of my favorite punk bands of the last few years. lucky fuck. sick my duck dude.

Paul

Posted by WarIsPeace on 2007-06-26 10:55:07

Damn, I should've went to this. The Loved Ones played Arsenic...that's amazing.

And I don't care if the Bouncing Souls play a similar set most of the time, if you're a fan, it's still worth seeing.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 10:24 AM (EDT)
My Score:

sick of the same old fucking setlist.

Posted by skankbook on 2007-06-26 10:24:52

"When was the last time someone saw the Souls playing the song Manthem??!!
It's about their best song and they haven't played it the last three times I've seen them..."

They played it in AC last December, and that was only the second time I'd ever seen them play it, and I've seen them 13 times. I'm not trying to be some elitist Souls fan, just pointing out that it is indeed a rarity.

Also, they kicked ass in Lancaster last week, with Greg crowd surfing during all of "Private Radio."

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 10:02 AM (EDT)

not enough maniacal laughter

Posted by knifetrader on 2007-06-26 05:02:19

When was the last time someone saw the Souls playing the song Manthem??!!
It's about their best song and they haven't played it the last three times I've seen them...

Posted by Torgo on 2007-06-26 02:37:55

Prepare for a Bad Brains/Bouncing Souls/Jello Biafra review...

Posted by punk_rawk_show on 2007-06-26 01:38:04

Id love to see the souls again to see if it is any better than last time, Greg was very boring last time. Although the support band played a cover (liberate), which introduced me to H2O, im very grateful for that.

Posted by Ollywood on 2007-06-26 01:18:34

What number did they play off of "Keep Your Heart"?