Seeking out hardcore friendship
Plus live thoughts on Knocked Loose, DRAIN, The Black Dahlia Murder and Militarie Gun
“How do you come up with what you’re going to write about in live reviews for your blog?” my friend Greg’s fiance Rianna asked me the other day.
Sometimes I’ll have an idea or larger concept I want to focus on ahead of time, I explained, but often, the context of the current reality reveals itself during the show … or finds a way of smacking me in the face at some point.
Due to “recent world events,” the current reality was a fantastically-timed, cathartic evening of rock, hardcore and metalcore at Grand Rapids’ 20 Monroe Live, providing some necessary release for Greg and I, two days removed from the conclusion of an election cycle that left us both — possibly others? — feeling drained and temporarily hopeless.
Rather than belabor that point with breakdowns of a stacked lineup headlined by breakthrough Kentucky metalcore band Knocked Loose, though, here’s what I’m writing about for this week’s live review: The importance of friendship and sharing each other’s company in cathartic times.
To back things up a bit, I decided to stretch a trip I had scheduled this past week to visit Big Rapids, Michigan, to pitch a book I’m hoping to write when Greg reached out to me about going to the show that also featured California hardcore band DRAIN, Detroit’s The Black Dahlia Murder and catchy hard rockers Militarie Gun.
Greg’s the definition of a true friend who is always looking for that next great live show or opportunity for us to do something stupid together. It has been suggested that when we are together, we share a brain cell, often teaming up to beat that thing into oblivion. My portion of the brain cell got to thinking: Marty go see more friends! Make sad time happy! Hardcore friendship! Pretty soon, I had made plans with a couple of other friends to meet up.
Since I left the grind of being a daily journalist in June, I’ve been trying to be more intentional about stuff like that: Cultivating real connections and being a better friend than someone who’ll send you a quick note on your birthday. The job gave me a lot of perceived purpose, but often at the expense of prioritizing it over things like faith, personal goals, hobbies, service to others and, of course, friendship. Clearing it from my life has given me more time and motivation to pick some of those things back up, even if it can be scary to give up big, important adult stuff like financial stability.
Like hardcore music, there’s really no substitute for experiencing friendship in-person. Being fed a traditional Sunday Roast by the aforementioned Rianna prior to the concert to assure Greg and I were not malnurished makes you feel cared for. Being able to laugh at and break down the selections for Las Culturistas’ “The Iconic 400” podcast simply hits different over a burger and a beer at Schuberg’s Bar and Grill, as opposed to an IG message exchange with your friend, Whitney. Poring over the list of my potential albums of the year with my friend, Nick, over lunch just felt more substantial than shooting him a link to a Spotify playlist equipped with a “check this out when you get a chance.” Those meet-ups and hang outs felt particularly rewarding and fulfilling, especially during a time like this past week.
As did the disposition of DRAIN singer Sammy Ciaramitaro, whose animated stage presence was a show-stealer of Thursday’s concert. I was a fan of DRAIN on record coming into the evening, but nothing could have prepared me for how much I loved and appreciated Ciaramitaro’s performance, which could perhaps best be described as Samuel T. Herring on steroids.
From the outset, the Santa Cruz frontman decked in military cargo shorts and a T-shirt sporting his own band’s name delivered equal parts sincerity, intensity and humor with an endless supply of energy and motivational tactics to ensure the audience did its part. That included frequent cries for the mosh pit to “SPIN IT!” before tearing into another burst of brief, chaotic, catchy music that can twist and turn several times over the course of just a couple of minutes. It was 30 minutes of hilarious maelstrom that was surprisingly easy to digest — probably because Ciaramitaro was such a damn hoot. Other bands in the lineup might have had more impressive musical chops, but DRAIN won me over as the most energetic and entertaining band of the evening.
This isn’t a knock on Knocked Loose, who replicated the pummeling energy from its breakthrough third album You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To beautifully during its headlining set. Singer/head screamer Bryan Garris was a magnetic presence with an alarming vocal register and ability to whip up bursts of blood-curdling screams on command like he did on standout songs like Don’t Reach For Me. The Louisville metalcore band’s sound and live show felt fully-realized and very of the moment, making it easy to understand why it was one of the sole heavy sounding bands to play big name festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo.
Michigan-based death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder sported the evening’s most impressive duo of guitarists in Brandon Ellis and Ryan Knight, with Ellis’ lightning fast leads serving as the highlight of the set. While founding member Brian Eschbach has filled in admirably as the band’s new lead vocalist after the death of singer Trevor Strnad in 2022, it’s difficult to ignore the transition is a bit unnatural for the band’s stage dynamic, even if it has allowed it to continue and maintain continuity. To the band’s credit, it stuck to crowd-pleasing cuts from its back catalog like Everything Went Black from its 2007 album Nocturnal and a pair of songs from its 2003 debut album, Unhallowed.
Rounding out the evening were Militarie Gun, a band I give a lot of credit to for opening up with a more pop-oriented hardcore sound. Vocalist Ian Shelton was charismastic and sincere in his performance, while the band’s guitar duo kicked out angular, punchy riffs that felt more accessible than the rest of the evening’s music, even if that wasn’t as natural of a fit given the makeup of the rest of the lineup. All in all, it was an evening that offered several varieties of heavy music and all of the bands brought a unique sound to the table.
Whether you’re seeking out cathartic music or friendship to help get you through these times we’re in, I’d highly suggest doing it live.
Great article. Friendship is very important during these hectic times! Well written Marty.