In the past few years, it’s become apparent screamo is finally making a mark in the music industry. Since it first surfaced in the ’80s, it’s been working hard to get a leg up on the competition. The genre’s recent breakthrough is credited to bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Of Mice & Men, who paved the rough road for many bands to come, but it’s about time some new bands made their way into the scene.
On the Music Over Matter Tour, I was able to meet and watch some of these very bands. I caught up with In Light of Us once again, a local Minneapolis band whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few times now. Though they’re still in the baby stages, they’re a very talented band with a bright future. In Light of Us has yet to let go of the passion that many bands have lost. They show this in their energetic music and set! It’s a show definitely worth the while.
My hopes are to see these guys on the big stage one day, but that is something I can say for all the bands on this tour. Though I was unable to shoot Persevering Promise, they may be my favorite band of the night. With a mix of a talented screamer and amazing leading vocals, they come with a sound reminiscing of early Black Veil Brides. However, don’t expect skinny jeans and war paint out of these guys. They look and act like anyone off the streets, until they hit the stage.
The Jekyll and Hyde syndrome seems to run ramped amongst screamo bands. Though my original intent of the night was to only shoot It Lies Within, a member of Curses approached me and asked me to cover their set as well. He, along with the rest of the band, were all very humble and sweet guys from Virginia. Imagine my surprise when they hit the stage and turn into full on bats out of Hell! With guitarists that are no stranger to shredding and head banging, a drummer that I can only compare to the Energizer bunny, and two incredibly talented screamers at the helm, Curses is bound to go far in this world.
Finally, the show was closed off by headliner It Lies Within. Now, if I could only steal a tenth of these guys’ energy! It Lies Within is one of those rare bands that has so much passion for what they do, that they sing through all the sweat and tears. They know how to put on a show! They have a great twist on the typical screamo formula, and hopefully that uniqueness is enough to skyrocket them to the top.
As far as venue goes on this one, Burnsville’s the Garage is slowly becoming a place I cringe to hear the name of. Though the stage makes for a great backdrop in pictures, it has a lot more to improve before I can say this place is worth revisiting. From a press or band’s standpoint, it’s utter Hell standing in a backstage that seemed to have no air conditioning. For anyone unfamiliar to the Midwest, due to high humidity, eighty degrees feels like a hundred! Most the afternoon and into the night, the bands were standing outside, because inside was hotter!
The merch tables aren’t set up in very good place either. They’re in the same room as the stage, which makes it impossible to talk to whomever’s running the tables. It’s understandable why bands are getting terrible turnouts every time they play the Garage. Minnesota in general has no good venues, only because the rock scene is pretty much dead here.
Thank you to the few bands willing to come to Minneapolis. Bands like In Light of Us, Persevering Promise, Curses, and It Lies Within are the reasons the few head bangers left in MN stick around!
Written by Meryl DeWitt – Twitter.com/Martyrs_Cross
Edited by Jacky Cabe – Twitter.com/RWBYRockett
Photos by Drift & Die Photography – Twitter.com/DriftNDie
Band Links:
In Light of Us
Twitter.com/InLightofUs
Facebook.com/inlightofus
Website/Merch: inlightofus.bandcamp.com
Upcoming Events: BandsInTown.com/InLightOfUs
Persevering Promise
Twitter.com/WeAreTPP
Facebook.com/theperseveringpromiseband
Website: ThePerseveringPromise.com
Merch: MerchNow.com/catalogs/the-persevering-promise
Upcoming Events: BandsInTown.com/ThePerseveringPromise
Curses
Twitter.com/officialCURSES
Facebook.com/officialcurses
Website/Merch: officialcurses.bandcamp.com
It Lies Within
Twitter.com/itlieswithin
Facebook.com/itlieswithin
Website: itlieswithin.com
Merch: http://itlieswithin.storenvy.com/
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