Usually, Monday nights are depressing because it means the weekend is officially over. But teenagers swarmed the Middle East in Cambridge this past Monday night, psyched to see Sleeping with Sirens on tour with Secrets and Abandon All Ships. The show was sold out and the downstairs pit was packed with kids who probably should have been doing homework, but when the bands took the stage, everything else was forgotten.
Sideshow, a band from Rhode Island, opened the show with progressive melodies and guitar riffs. This band formed when the members were in high school and they’ve come a long way from there. Opening for last night’s show gave them the chance to show their take on this hardcore scene along with their clear sense of musical talent.
Secrets could have been the headliner for a show at a smaller venue. They really packed a punch, with energetic stage presence and straightforward hardcore that opened the pit right up and got everyone moving. They got the crowd more than ready for the rest of the night.
However, when Abandon All Ships took the stage, the energy in the room plateaued. This band from Toronto, Canada, struggled to translate their dubstep and autotuned hardcore to the stage. The audience was unaffected by their fist pumps and empty stage presence, and instead moshed for the sake of moshing, rather than a real appreciation for the music.
Finally, Sleeping with Sirens came on stage and the crowd was ready for the main event. Sirens is a sort of super group, featuring members from other post-hardcore bands. Their most recent album, Let’s Cheers to This, came out last May, and Sirens is touring incessantly all this year, including a full stint across the country on Vans Warped Tour this summer.
Every song they played built up to an explosion that had the crowd thrashing and belting the lyrics with Kellin Quinn, the lead vocalist. When the fans in the mosh pit weren’t slamming into each other, they were jumping up and down to Sirens’ pop-influenced tunes, like “Your Nickle Ain’t Worth a Dime.”
A few songs into their set, they took a moment to catch their breath and played a couple new acoustic songs that they are releasing on an EP this summer. Quinn’s ability to switch between melodies, screams, and gentle acoustic vocals is something unique to Sirens. They aren’t afraid to try new things that might be out of their comfort zone and the crowd was pretty receptive to it.
Up there on the microphone, Quinn took the time to thank the fans multiple times for showing their support and offered some motivational advice as well. He told everyone that their lives may be rough or complicated right now, but following their hearts will get them to where they want to be. Sirens’ songs all have a greater message behind the screams and driving guitar licks. The fact that the show sold out on a frigid Monday night in March shows just how passionate they and their fans are for their music.
Sleeping with Sirens: http://sleepingwithsirens.net
Abandon All Ships: http://abandonallships.com/
Secrets: http://www.secretsofficial.com/
Sideshow: http://www.reverbnation.com/sideshowcranston
By: Deanna Archetto