Restitution was the first band to play, but Mimmo's in Northampton makes an enourmous slice of pizza for 2.50 so I have no information regarding them.

Next up were Five Across the Eyes. I came in about halfway through their set and was pretty unhappy nearly immediately. They were nothing like the bands I had come to see; usually Pearl Street manages to book bands at least a little similar but this was not the case. They played pretty basic hardcore most similar to Comeback Kid, Have Heart and the like. I can imagine that in a different setting they may have been tolerable but they weren't doin' it for me. Apparently it was their first show in a while, but no one really seemed to care. The lead singer constantly shouted for circle pits but all he got were some pretty laughable ones. I haven't heard them on record but nothing at the show made me want too. They closed with a Kid Dynamite cover; I wasn't really listening but it sounded like "Shiner."

The thing about Catch 22 for me has always been that I like Streetlight Manifesto more. They are both great bands, but I have always found Streetlight a bit more consistent and endearing (though I do enjoy Catch 22's Dinosaur Sounds very much, so I was pretty excited). This show changed my mind. Catch 22 is a band that has to be seen live to be experienced. From the get-go they commanded great attention. The horns were right on, the sound was tight and the crowd was having a ball. They played a great selection from all their records. They had very little between-song banter which was acceptable because the music was flowing very well. No complaints here. I'm not one to list out tracks, but:

Sampling of set list by album:

Keasbey Nights:

• Keasbey Nights
• This One Goes Out To...

Alone in a Crowd:

• Point the Blame

Dinosaur Sounds:

• Rocky (opener)
• Wine Stained Lips

Permanent Revoltution:

• The Spark
• Opportunity

Big D and the Kids Table were exactly as one would expect. Dave McWane enthralled the crowd and the rest of the band were tight as hell. They leaned a bit more towards their faster songs and didn't play as much of How It Goes as I would have hoped, but really, that wasn't a problem. The show was very intimate (same with Catch 22) with the crowd right up next to and on the stage. Dave stopped the show for a moment so that one of the kids in the front could find his shoe. At one point he got the people sitting on the stage to part so that he could venture into the crowd, which everyone enjoyed. They played a long set (hour and 15) and held attention the whole time. They closed with "LAX" (which everyone had been shouting for) and the show ended with about 30 kids onstage singing "Do my shoes match my shirt...!". Great set, great band.

Partial set list (not in order):

• My Girlfriend's on Drugs
• Shining On
• Noise Complaint
• LAX
• Strictly Rude
• Bender
• How It Goes
• Hell on Earth
• Try Out Your Voice
• Take Another Look