I thought that when I got to the Scene, the lines were going to be very long and I'd have to do a lot of waiting before I got in the door, but it wasn't too bad. The show wasn't even sold out when I arrived but of course, this was The Get Up Kids' second appearance in a six day period in San Diego.
First up was local band The Lovelight Shine (former members of Jejune). These guys sound nothing like the other bands they were playing with, but they are awesome. The only way I can describe their sound is 70s rock. I didn't really see any huge reaction from the crowd, the people just didn't seem into it. They played a few songs from their EP "Makes out", but didn't get a real long set. Check these guys out if you haven't already.
The last time I saw Hot Rod Circuit play, people were so into them and it was great. This time, people were just standing there. I couldn't understand it, but it later occurred that the majority of the people in the venue only knew the closing song "The Pharmacist" from the regular radio air play it gets. Besides that, in my opinion, this was by far the best HRC has played. They had tons of energy and rocked it out. They played "Flight 89 (North American)" as well as others.
And for the long anticipated Get Up Kids. I've missed them every time they've come to San Diego. Half the people I talk to say they suck live, and the other half think they are awesome live. I thought they were great. Although Matt Pryor didn't seem like he was doing great. He rolled his eyes back several times. I am not sure if he just wasn't feeling well or in a bad mood, or if he just didn't want to be there. Whatever the case, he dealt with it and put in what seemed his best.
I think it's safe to say that most of the people who listen to the Get Up Kids, own "Something to Write Home About", because the songs played off that CD were the songs that got the best crowd participation, along with "Mass Pike". There were other songs played off "4 Minute Mile", "On a Wire" and "Somethingâ¦" The other guitar player took over the mic for a few songs, and I'll say he's just as good a singer as Matt Pryor⦠he just doesn't have the distinct high pitch Pryor has.
What would any good set be with out an encore, so GUK gave us a 4 song encore which included "Ten Minutes", "Action & Action" and the last song they played was the last song off their new album "On A Wire". I was disappointed with that choice, but I'll survive. Usually when a band closes a set, I like to hear one of their most popular songs. I don't have much else to say about this show. I thought all the bands put on a great performance and if you like HRC or the GUK, I highly recommend this show, especially if it's in a smaller venue. Have Fun.