This past summer, I got the pleasure of seeing 7 different bands and artists live, and now you (lucky reader) get the pleasure of hearing my very biased opinion on all of them. I’ll be answering all the real questions: Was the setlist good? Was the ticket expensive? How many people invaded my personal space? And most importantly, was it even worth going? Don’t worry, I’m here to over-explain it all.
Panchiko, Alison’s Halo, and (Unitiled) Halo
The first three bands I saw live were Panchiko, Alison’s Halo, and Untitled Halo, all on the same night. With both of the ‘Halo’s’ opening for Panchiko. After waiting in the 3 block long line in Brooklyn, I got into the venue around 7:30pm. The time I got there is super important, as the time I got home that night (a Thursday night in the middle of May) was absurd. We’ll get to that later. After walking through the doors of the Brooklyn Paramount Theater, I remember actually gasping at how beautiful the venue was. The high ceilings, roman style architecture, and insane lighting setup made this whole experience a million times better.
At 8pm sharp, Untitled Halo opened with their most popular song, Pedal Petal, my personal favorite. Being a huge crowd, somebody just had to start a mosh pit. Calm down guys, it’s literally the first song of the night. Following that, the band made their introduction, telling the crowd how excited they were to play in NYC that night. They followed with a mix of songs, including Limewire which instantly received a spot on my playlist. After about 30 minutes, they left the stage to well deserved cheers (and some mild tinnitus).
Following Untitled Halo was Alison’s Halo, one of my favorite bands ever. Honestly, I came more for them than Panchiko. They opened with Dozen, followed by, in my not so humble opinion, their best song by far: Raindrop. There’s zero words I could use to describe the performance of this song, it was just perfect. After a handful of songs and the loss of my voice, they closed out with a drum solo. They were quite possibly the best band I’ve ever seen live, which is a crazy statement coming from me.
Lastly, after a painful 30 minute set change, the main band, Panchiko, finally made their appearance. Mind you, they didn’t start playing until 10:30pm on a Thursday, so yes, I was already accepting the fact I was getting a maximum of 4 hours of sleep that night. Anyways, they opened with All They Wanted, and mid song, the lead singer made the questionable decision to toss 5 t-shirts out into the crowd. Huge mistake. Everyone erupted into chaos, and the G forces I sustained put a roller coaster to shame. After the earthquake, they played for another hour, going through all the fan favorites, and some newly released songs. They aren’t my favorite band, but the energy they brought to the crowd can’t be replicated anywhere.
After the last song of the night, about 1,000 New Yorkers ran to the merchandise stand to meet the members of the band, and to buy some $50 (100% polyester) t-shirts. I used this as my chance to escape, which still took forever. I dashed to the subway station, which was conveniently located right outside the venue. Making my way back to Port Authority Bus Terminal, I probably had less than an inch of personal space in the subway car. After a grueling bus ride home with a dead phone, I made it to my front door at 2:32 am. Before you judge me, it was so worth it. If you’re interested in seeing any of the mentioned 3 bands, go for it! It was so fun, and the music was great! All of my complaints were pure fun, and it was actually very enjoyable!
“Her New Knife” and “N/A”
You might be wondering “Why is the second band’s name N/A?” Well, don’t get mad at me, but I may have forgotten their name. But I still have pictures, and they were still amazing, but I don’t know their name. Let’s just call them “N/A” for now.
I, along with 3 of my friends, drove all the way to Hamden, Connecticut to see these two bands play live. Two weeks before the concert, I texted them, asking if they’d like to come with me on this road trip to nowhereville to see some live music. To my surprise they actually said yes.
After arriving at the venue, we hopped on the relatively short line. We only waited 15 minutes, then we were standing directly in front of the stage, at arms length of the whole band. The opening band, (the one I sadly forgot the name of) opened with 7 songs, each being a dreamy, distortion filled masterpiece. I am still mad at myself for not getting their name, and I’m still searching to this day.
After a surprisingly short set change, Her New Knife came onto the stage. Starting off with Vitamin Beauty. I wanted to hear that song live for months, and it 100% lived up to the expectations. After singing the rest of their setlist word for word, I lost my voice again, but like I say about all the concerts I go to, it was so worth it. Following a one and a half hour car ride home, we all agreed it was well worth the trip.
Have a Nice Life and Midwife
My last concert of the summer included Have a Nice Life and Midwife. Having listened to both of these artists for years now, when I saw that they were going on tour together, I knew I couldn’t miss it. After a long bus and subway ride to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, I arrived at the venue. After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, I got a tap on the shoulder. Turns out, a group of people I met at the Panchiko concert were also here. I originally went to this concert alone, so not being lonely the whole show was definitely a plus.
First up was Midwife, a small indie artist from Colorado. She set the mood so perfectly I decided I was fine with being sad that night. After 10 heartbreaking songs, she finished with a quick thank you, which was reciprocated from the entire crowd.
Last but of course not least, was Have a Nice Life. Fun fact: they’re literally just two high school history teachers who make music on the side, which I think is really silly. Opening with Earthmover, followed by Bloodhail, I’m pretty sure I shed a few tears. After another hour of heartshattering music, they closed with their most popular song, A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut. Before you judge the title, just listen to the song, it’s amazing.
Overall it was an amazing concert, and if they ever do this again, they will for sure be taking my money. This time, I got home before midnight, which actually felt very tame in comparison to the whole Panchiko situation.
The Summer In Review
All of the artists I saw this summer were nothing short of amazing. Being some of my favorite artists, they all lived up to my expectations. Along with the great music were the great people I met at these shows. Some of them are still good friends of mine now, and honestly, that’s the best part of concerts. So here’s my final take: go to concerts. Any concert. Doesn’t matter if it’s your favorite band or one you’ve barely heard of. You’ll end up with great memories, questionable hearing, and maybe a few lifelong friends.
