The Silent Years lead singer Josh Epstein has gone on record as stating he wants their shows to be more elaborate productions - an experience to remember, instead of audience members just watching musicians sing and play instruments. As one of the minds behind last night's 5 band prom-themed concert event at the Crofoot Ballroom, he should take pride in the knowledge that the first such experience was a smashing success.
If you were not at the Crofoot Ballroom last night, I feel sorry for you. Moreover, you should feel sorry for yourself. I want you to go to the nearest mirror, raise your right hand into the air, and smack yourself across the face as hard as you can. Go ahead. I'll wait.
Done? That's what you get for not attending what was undoubtedly one of the most magical concert experiences I've ever had the pleasure to participate in.
I'll admit, despite my promotion for the show on this blog, I was somewhat skeptical. I'm a very reserved, self-conscious person and the thought of dressing up in prom attire for a concert was a bit frightening for me. Thankfully, I was able to get away with just a simple button-up shirt, dress slacks, and shoes as the fashion ranged from classic ruffled shirts and suitcoats, to sleek modern dresses, to jeans and t-shirts, and even a pair of fellas wearing short-shorts and tuxedo shirts.
Streamers hung from the ceiling, along with a banner at the rear of the stage. The Crofoot provided free cookies all night and a photo booth near the back of the main floor allowed those so inclined to capture memories of the night. Even the photographers and bartenders were dressed up to keep the theme alive. Throughout the evening, the video screen behind the stage displayed old prom photographs and home movies sent in by attendees, and from the moment you walked in you could tell it was going to be a special night.
Things kicked off promptly at 8:30 with Bars of Gold, out of Ferndale. Four of the band's five members can also be heard in Wildcatting, but the addition of lead singer Marc Paffi is what sells the band. On stage, their brand of hard rock, tinged with elements of funk, is intoxicating and the amount of sheer energy displayed is amazing. Paffi left the stage several times to greet people in the crowd, landing on us twice to inform us we looked nice, humped his microphone stand in a prone position, and leapt off the bassdrum several times during the set. He danced like a maniac, shouting words into the microphone with such exuberance that you simply couldn't help but smile. If nothing else, their performance proved that when you wear your heart on your sleeve and give your all on stage, the crowd will warm up to you quickly.
Even his onstage banter was entertaining, remarking they had seven shirts for sale, then clarifying he didn't mean seven designs, but seven actual, physical shirts. Not content to just sing and jump around, several times during their set he picked up a guitar or played a nearby keyboard. Though their music wasn't typically my taste, the outstanding musicianship - particularly the drummer, whose hands were a constant blur of motion - and top notch stage presence made their opening set a brilliant, energetic way to start things off on the right foot.
As much as I enjoyed Bars of Gold's set, nothing really could have prepared me for what I witnessed next; a band of such raw power and exceptional talent that the evening could've ended there and I would have been happy. The show-stopping performance came from The Summer Pledge, who celebrated the release of their debut record, You Are You, but performing it in its entirely from start to finish.
Seven bandmembers took the stage, several of whom pulled double or even triple or quadruple duties ranging from muted trumpet, trombone, drums and percussion, clarinet, and samplers. Two guitarists, a bassist, and a dedicated drummer anchored the band, but flanked by the two additional members, the music took on a majestic quality. A blend of hard rock, psychedelic reverb, and tinged with soul, The Summer Pledge could very well be the discovery of 2009. Songs shifted from somber melodies to explosive energy, with walls of guitars and thunderous drums coming at you in waves, at times with as many as four members playing some form of drums, causing the entire ballroom to reverberate. You could feel every note in your chest. It was one of those moments as an audience member where you're left in complete and total awe and before the set is even over, you're already planning your route to the merchandise table to purchase the band's CD.
Songs bled seamlessly into one another, almost to the point of becoming one long concept, and the band took the crowd through their entire album without missing a note, starting with the CD's opening trifecta of "What's Yr Favorite Collar", "Silver Choice", and "Who Are You?" Brief breaks between the songs afforded guitarist Jeremy Damaske (correct me if I have the member's names wrong - I'm basing this information on the CD booklet credits) an opportunity to thank everyone for coming out, as well as Josh Epstein for giving them the chance to perform during the event. Continuing on, they played through the guitar-laden remainder of You Are You, including "Fences For Teeth", "Recurring Dream Inter Pretation", "House Of Beds", "Lost In The Business World", and closing with the title track.
The minimalist lyrics shared a theme of dead-end white and blue collar jobs, but are put forth in a poetic, mature manner, and the sonic landscape the band paints conjures up images of both the mundanity of working life and the freedom to escape the confines of cubicles and ringing phones. To say the performance was sublime does not do it justice - it was revelatory and breath-taking. It was a superlative example of the power of music to convey moods and emotion, and it clearly established The Summer Pledge as one of the great young bands of the Metro Detroit area.
To say it was a tough act to follow is an understatement, but popular local band Manna & Quail took the stage next and put on the third brilliant set of the evening. Decked out in a yellow leisure suit, lead singer Steve Saputo furiously played his piano while a large portion of the crowd sung along to songs such as "Honestly", "The Western Calamity", which was dedicated to Saputo's soon-to-be-wife, and "Where Oh Where". There's an infectious pop quality to the band's music, but they don't spare the guitars either, as evidenced by the rip-roaring final performance of their set which saw the guitarist running back and forth, thrashing around with their instruments. During the performance of a song introduced as "The Pontiac Waltz", the band's two singers briefly clasped hands and danced together in a comical, yet endearing moment, joking that it was perfectly natural.
After receiving a hearty round of cheers and applause, Manna & Quail made way for - who else? - The Silent Years. Being the only band I truly knew ahead of time, I was able to keep a complete setlist once again. Just as every band before them had, The Silent Years asked everyone to make some noise for the preceding performers before kicking their set off in spectacular fashion with "Taking Drugs At The Amusement Park". This was no regular performance, however. Joining them onstage were several members from the various Schools of Rock in Detroit, an effort for serious young musicians to hone their skills. A tiny young man played an additional drum, while several kids played tambourines and sung along, and two other youngsters added additional guitars while the brand new video, shot during The Silent Years' trip to one of the schools, debuted on the video screen behind them.
Josh quickly remarked that he thought this would be the best show the band has ever played, thanks to the four other amazing bands. The majority of the set was made up mostly of new material from the band's recently released EP, Let Go, and peppered with some rare performances from The Globe, starting with "Goddamn You!".
The entire new EP was played during the course of the set, though the order was shifted between the new and older material. "Vampires Bite The Hands Feed Them" took the third slot, this time with its largely a capella opening verse axed, before another wonderful performance of "Black Hole". I would say this was the largest crowd I've seen The Silent Years perform in front of, and they enthusiastically sung along during the song's bridge before another excellent rendition of "Madame Shocking".
Also of note was the addition of Pat Michalak, one of the band's original members who has taken a more behind-the-scenes role on several recent works, including engineering duties. Kaylan Mitchell, another member of the band's extended family, also joined them to play cello on several songs.
"On Our Way Home" led into another rare performance - "The Sun Is Alive", where the lights were turned down and the stage was illuminated by strands of Christmas lights and lamps that flashed on and off at regular intervals. The set closed out with the other three songs from the new EP - a fantastic performance of "TV>BJ", followed by "Claw Marks", and an epic performance of "Forest Fire" where Josh once again entered the crowd, offering his microphone to his wife and her friends standing near the front of the stage. She bashfully declined to sing at first, but when the crowd around her began chanting the song's quiet bridge, she joined in as her husband got back up on stage for the song's climactic final moments.
To cap it all off, Deastro took the stage, donning a Daisy Duck cap and carrying a bag of stuffed animals and blankets that were thrown into the crowd as souvenirs throughout the set. He lead into the first song by requesting that everyone put their fist up in the air; "Even if you're shy, even if you're self-conscious, even if you're short, like me, just put your hand in the air like this." He announced that his car had been stolen just that morning, and people he knew had lost their jobs, but he felt that everything was going to be OK because the people around him were some of the best in the world. "People in Michigan just seem to be... a bit better," he proclaimed, "and I think when things turn around, people are going to look at us and say 'they had it right all along.'"
Deastro and his band played for over an hour, performing songs from his first full-band release Moondagger, including "Biophelia" and "Parallelogram", as well as some old favorites such as "Light Powered", "The Shaded Forests", and his cover of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U", which whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and a cover of The Penguins' classic "Earth Angel" - a fitting song for a prom, given its famous use in the film Back To The Future's Enchantment Under The Sea Dance scenes.
There were crowd surfers, including Chabot himself, and several false finishes to the show before announcing they'd play one more before inviting as many people onto the stage as it could hold for the final two songs. By the end of the night, Chabot's voice was once again hoarse and the crowd were both exhausted and elated.
If this is the type of thing that can be expected from future Silent Years and Friends shows, then they must not be missed. I can honestly say that last night was an enlightening, eurphoric experience. Smiles could be seen on the faces of nearly everyone in attendance, and two audience members were crowned Prom King and Queen via random ballot. It was an evening of unbeatable entertainment. I doubt I'll ever find a greater use for $5 than last night's Promcert. I only wish everyone in the world could've squeezed into that room to experience the same feeling of pure happiness that I and the other members of the audience clearly felt last night.
Check out Bars of Gold on MySpace.
Check out The Summer Pledge on MySpace.
Check out Manna & Quail on MySpace.
Check out The Silent Years on MySpace.
Check out Deastro on MySpace.
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