Zack the Rookie show 9-13-02
Heard that zack the rookie could put on a good show, saw they were playing in ruston at a new venue. that's how the night started.
Got to the place... seems they count a block of wood out back on concrete blocks as a stage. Hey, it's a bit unorthodox, but I'm game, as long as it sounds ok...
Well, I could hear the instruments, that's the best I can say. they had a small pa that distorted at vocal levels above an "inside voice". that's about it. I can handle quiet shows, but it's a bit harder to handle pure unintelligibility. (note: the venue is new and in-construction, so this was a temp fix PA and stage, I'll chalk it up to growing pains)
First thing I hear when I get there is a decent drumbeat and an offkey voice. Maybe it wasn't off key, but it was at least the wrong key. Luckily this wasn't the band I came to see. After a fairly long period of soundchecking, the first band came on, and it happened to be the high point of the night, as a four piece called Zack the Rookie took their turn.
These guys rock. period. They have a band cohesiveness on stage that just adds another level to their songs. When there was supposed to be a silence, strings were muted and drumsticks were raised. And, most importantly, when things got heavy they each brought an element to the music that made it accessable even through the madness.
Their music would fall most easily into the category of hardcore rock. They calm down sometimes, but they generally keep things dense and fast, and the screaming moments don't seemed forced. Their musicianship is far better than I had expected, and their songs are tight and interesting.
Perhaps their weak point would be their lyrics (I listened to the cd in my car after I realized the second band wasn't getting any better).. though I will note that they didn't make the live show any less good (perhaps because I couldn't understand a word they were saying over the crapped-out PA). Their by no means bad, but just pretty good. Every now and then they fall into an overused emotional phraseology which takes away from the inventive and driving music. But, thankfully they never fall into cliche (*cough* The Calling *cough*).
The rest of the show kinda sucked. The next band was a pop punk band with a good drummer, a weak sound, and a weak vocalist. The final band was just decent.
check Zack the Rookie out if they're playing around you. And for those people in ruston, hopefully we can get them back soon.
the venue? I don't mind the setting, but a better sound setup would make it a regularly visited place.
-will |
