Benchmark Blog 19: Cold, April 2009
So this has been an awesome week. This will have made the thrid concert that I have been to in one week and I won tickets to the next big concert to boot. Thirteen is a lucky year. I have listened to Cold since 2003 and love some of their songs. I was extremely excited when I heard thay were coming home to Jax. Chris and I ended up hiring a babysitter, which we never do, and seeing them on the Sunday night that they played. I was determined to make it work. On to the review:
The Venue, Freebird Live:
As many years as we have lived in Jax and this is the first time that we have been to Freebird. Crazy, I know. This venue is almost as intimate as Twisted Martini. You have to choose to have a bad viewing area, as you really can't be more than 10 (at absolute most) people from the front. There is an upper balcony for 21+ and an area off to the right where you might not be able to see, but you must choose to go over there. The major complaint that I have about this venue is that the music starts on time and they are extremely slow about getting people inside the venue. We missed the first act because the line was slow to move, there was no ability to drift in and they were late to get started. I did love the venue though. The drinks were actually reasonably priced for a concert. (Chris got a beer and a mixed drink for me, all under $7.) It was easy to move about. The bathrooms were clean when I went and it was not impossible to get back to my spot. I would definitely recommend seeing any band you like here. It is a very personal experience, as I have more room in my downstairs than the main area of their club occupies. Awesome for concerts.
Grade: A+
The crowd:
This was an extremely strange crowd. It ranged from teens to 50+ plus fans. They not only knew the Cold songs, but also those of the opening acts. They were rather rude for an eclectic crowd. The tall guy in front of me kept leaning back and taking up 2-3 body spaces. I almost had his elbows in my face numerous times. A couple of chics came through thinking that they were going to get in front of me. Since I was 1 person behind the rails, I did not move and just stared them down. I also dressed inappropriately for the concert. Jax Beach has a snooty rep, so I dressed nicer than I normally would for a concert. Turns out that I should have come in my regular rock concert attire. Sandals are a no-no. There were several crowd surges. One guy got so excited that he was pounding Chris on the back with both hands to call Cold out for an encore. Chris turned around and said something along the lines of 'What's your problem? Stop touching me.' The guy was obviously drunk and smarted off to him. I then said, hey back off. Luckily Chris missed his response about having a girl defend him. Chris would have floored him easily. The energy of the crowd was incredible though. One of the highest energy level crowds, especially for its small size.
Grade: C (Rudeness:D, Energy: A)
Opening Act, Validity's Fault:
Since we walked in on their last or next-to-last song, I do not feel right about evaluating them. I do know that they were a local band, because the girl standing behind us kept saying that she went to school with them. From what I did see, the band was fine; the vocalist was lacking. He had too much screaming and not enough melody. They might be ok as a studio band, but I can't see them making it.
Grade: I (Incomplete)
Opening Act 2, The Drama Club:
This band has obviously taken some cues from Cold, as they start with a projection. They have also been obviously influenced by Pink Floyd, as they have recorded openings/pieces to several of their songs. The band needs some work. I did not find them horrible. Their sound system was a little off. Their show would definitely send an epileptic into a fit of seizures. Chris hated the "Frankenstein" moves of the lead singer. They actually reminded me of Adema, but not as good. I could not recommend seeing this band now, but with some experience they might work up to a decent opening act for a good band. It would take a lot of experience to get them to good though. That being said, a good portion of the audience seemed to be familiar with their songs and the teenager in front of me apparently knew all their songs and her parents liked them too. Freaky.
Grade: C
Opening Act 3, Killer and the Star:
After The Drama Club leaves, they move the piano out onto the stage and plaster it with posters of the band. Scooter, the lead singer of Cold, and Michael Harris constitute the band. The main problem with the music is that it does not remotely fit into the music genre here. Yes, Scooter fronts the band and he has an amazing voice. However, the music produced here is solid AC. It was not bad. Chris actually enjoyed it, but it was such a non sequitur, that I was confused. The main problem with the band was the guitarist. The guy cannot play without his tongue lolling around his mouth and making funny and pained faces. It would be best to close your eyes while watching this band, as his stage presence seriously detracts from enjoyment of the music. I understand why they toured with Cold and a good portion of the crowd seemed familiar with the songs. Under different circumstances they might receive a better grade, but as for them being in concert with Cold, they did not fit the bill. Also, find a new guitarist. He is not talented enough to make up for his stage performance.
Grade: B (Scooter: A, Michael: F, Music: B)
Main Act, Cold:
Killer and the Star leave the stage and they project some stars onto the screen on the back of the stage. The crowd gets very excited. Then they proceed to show a 15-minute slideshow with canned music of Cold through the years (an entire decade with every album release noted) and fans from the shows highlighting their Cold-themed tats. The first few minutes fine, but 15 is way too freakin' long. It was ridiculous. They had a ton of apparently die hard fans in the audience and even they were getting restless. When they finally took the stage, the audio was messed up. Anytime they rocked heavier, the vocals were drowned out and I was literally 1 person from the stage rails in the center. The background music is awesome, but Cold is made with Scooter's vocals. I was also not aware with how unfamiliar I was with Cold songs. Being that they have spanned a decade, they have a ton of songs. They played "Stupid Girl" to a completely hyped audience. "Suffocate" was crazy and the lead singer from The Drama Club provided the feature vocals. Michael Harris from The Killer and the Star also provided feature vocals on one of their songs. He appeared to be killing it, but I could barely hear him and I was right up front. I swear that they must have had his mic turned off. He made funny faces singing too. They did an awesome job on "Wasted Years". I was disappointed that they did not play "Feel it in Your Heart". They played "Gone Away" and "A Different Kind of Pain" and a tone of songs that I could not readily identify, but the crowd knew. I was definitely in the minority here. I think that they put on a decent performance, but their sound system was off and the intro slideshow was way too long. I don't know if I could recommend going to see them as the headlining act. Scooter has an amazing voice and the band is definitely amazing, but if after 10 years they can not get their sound dynamics right, then something is wrong. They definitely make a great opening act, but they still don't seem main stage material.
Grade: B (Sound system: D, Music: A, Letting Michael Harris come on stage: D, Slideshow Length: D, Ability to hype the Crowd: A+)
Overall: Definitely worth the money to experience the venue and see the major songs from Cold. They just need better roadies, I guess.
Overall Grade: B