So, I'm sorry about my absence of late.  I started my internship at X96 and also got a job at the kickin'est book store in SLC and I'm staying at my girlfriend's house until I get an apartment and haven't had much internet.  But I have been thinking about you wonderful people, and also enjoying some local music, and attending live performances.  So I'll try my best to get you updated.  First, lemme tell you a story.

About a year ago, my girlfriend, Katie, and I went to see House of Heroes and Blackpool Lights at Velour in Provo.  We were very excited for a couple of reasons: Blackpool Lights is fronted by Jim Suptic of Get Up Kids fame, House of Heroes has a song called "Katie Baby" which I've kind of dedicated to Katie [which is probably one of those inappropriate ones, but since it's got her name in the title, you know], and it was my birthday.  The exact lineup was kind of up in the air, but the two bands we wanted to see were there, so no big deal.  A local band, Victim Effect, was headlining, and a bunch of their fans were filling the club with eyeliner and stupid haircuts.  Having recently watched this video I was full of comments on the blackness of souls and breaking up.  During the last Blackpool Lights song there were a group of people standing by the stage, one of them leaning on it, back to the band, sending text messages.  Honestly, a little respect, please.  Jim Suptic was in a band that inspired maybe 75% of the bands these emo kids listen to, and this girls is here with her back to him, getting broken up with through text messaging.  Of course the band noticed, and as Jim was singing lyrics about not paying attention at all he made eyes at her.  That made me happy, but after Blackpool Lights finished very little else cheered me up.  I was being so snarky about the emo kids that Katie was more than a little embarrassed at the prospect of me being heard, so we dropped out and I left without actually hearing any of Victim Effect's music, but having a healthy distaste for their fans.

I told you that story so I could tell you this story.  X96 does a free summer concert series called 4Play, which features four local bands in a battle-type scenario, the overall winner of this battle wins a spot at X96's annual Big A* Show, which is pretty big exposure.  All summer things had conspired against me being in SLC and free enough to attend until a week or so ago.  The band performing that fateful night were The Explicit, a Suicidal Tendencies-style punk band, also reminded me of Suicide Machines without the ska, Nick Neihart and the Eye Candy, who had a bit too much country about them for fans of the third band: Victim Effect!  That's right, I was finally going to hear what all these kids from Provo with crappy haircuts were wetting themselves over.  You'll note that I didn't say anything about the fourth band.  This is because, after all the anticipation, and the wondering if I want Victim Effect to be any good or not, what I saw was truly appalling.  Once all the equipment was set up, enough to facilitate three, that's right three, guitarists and keyboards (including a keytar), the band lined up, all five of them that weren't bound to a drum kit, and after a little count in, all this frustration, curiosity, and anticipation was relieved when they started, are you ready for this?  -> Synchronized headbanging.  It was the most ludicrous thing I've ever seen on stage, and having three guitars play a riff that really only needs one didn't help the matter.  The song itself sounded like a fairly rough early Avenged Sevenfold track or something.  Really was not worth all the hype.  And when they prefaced their second song by saying, "This one is for all of you fans, we wouldn't be anywhere without you!" like they were Metallica or something was really too much for my emo gag reflex and I had to leave.  So now I know there is something worse than Victim Effect fans' haircuts: Victim Effect.

To be fair, you should check them out for yourselves, and I'm only being fair to promote local music.  Utah can do a lot better, though, as you'll see the next time I find time to update for ya'll.

MP3eesies:

Of the Periphery - HIM (Sprout Soundtrack) MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/04%20Of%20The%20Periphery.mp3]

Felix Laband - Whistling In Tongues MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Felix%20Laband%20-%20Whistling%20in%20Tongues.mp3]