Show Review: SSSummer Regrets Tour

I’m not usually a person who writes anything negative in reviews because I always bring out the good things; that’s just how I am. Yesterday night however, I was really disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the bands on the tour did an amazing job (I’ll get to that a little later) but a big part of the crowd and a lot of the people in the local bands really frustrated me. This isn’t the first time but I yesterday made me realize I needed to express myself so here it is: if you’re at a show because your friend is opening or if you’re in a local band who got a spot on the lineup for a tour’s stop in your city, the least you can do is stick around for the whole show.

Think about it, if it weren’t for the bands playing later in the night, your band (or your friend’s band) wouldn’t have a show to play. Now, if people never stick around for the main acts, they won’t want to come here anymore and your band (or your friend’s band) will have less opportunities for shows. I understand that some of the people I’m talking about are simply there to support their friend and might not like the genre but if you leave before the others hit the stage, you’re not even giving them a chance. If you’re a band, you have no excuse in my opinion. So what if you managed to sell x amount of tickets, like I said earlier, you would not have that show if it weren’t for the main bands. The least you could do is stay and check them out. If you leave right after you play, you’re just being plain rude.

That aside, I’d like to really congratulate all the bands on the “SSSummer Regrets Tour”. I think they did an amazing job despite the shrinking crowd. Something You Whisper was the first band of the tour to play and with a little effort, they managed to get people to get closer to the stage and get into it a little more. Blending a pop-rock sound with some screaming here and there, I’d say they are a more hardcore band of that tour, but they fit right in. They had a great energy on stage and I really enjoyed their set.

Next up was Set It Off. I had been told that their show was quite an experience and I definitely was not disappointed. Frontman Cody got everyone stuck together at the front before their set. When they started, I think I’ve never seen a more hyperactive band – in a good way. The whole time they played, the looked like they were having a blast and were bouncing around everywhere, it was really fun and I was impressed by their stage presence. They did an amazing job getting the crowd pumped and clapping; they even got all the crossed-armed people to jump, which isn’t an easy feat! A moshpit was even started at the end with 3 people.

The last band of the night was Sparks The Rescue, who did a mix of older hits and of newer songs off their latest EP. Despite the small crowd, they gave a great show and kept interacting with the sometimes unresponsive audience. When I looked around though, the fans who were there looked like they were enjoying themselves and were singing along; that’s what matters right? I think they did great and I just hope that the next time any of these bands are back, there will be more people because I think they are all very talented bands who know how to perform and who know how to give a great show.

If you want to check out any of the bands, here are a few links (I really recommend all of them, I bought a CD from each after the show and I’m glad I did):

Something You Whisper
Set It Off
Sparks The Rescue