Images: Bane, Defeater, Miles Away, Dead End Path, Unfair Fight October 22, 2011 at Hypnotic Lounge

There was a lot of talk leading up to the October 22 Bane show regarding whether or not the Hypnotic Lounge was fully prepared for the insanity that was coming its way. The Lounge only started hosting shows fairly recently and the layout, with a bar inconveniently close to the stage, didn’t seem like it would be conducive to a room full of kids all vying for a spot up front to hardcore dance or scream into Bane vocalist’s Aaron Bedard’s mic. If you remember the show Cheers, picture a stage about 8 feet from Norm and you’ll get an idea of Hypnotic’s layout. I was really rooting for things to work out because I’m not ready for our city to lose another venue and thankfully, despite everyone being what some may consider uncomfortably close, the show went on without a hitch.

Bane has always been one of my favorite live bands, and they didn’t disappoint this time. It’s the ten year anniversary of their classic Give Blood, so naturally the largest portion of their set was filled with favorites like “Some Came Running,” “Speechless,” and the title track from that album, which was a show highlight. Bedard first regaled the audience with the story of how a local  fan named Adrian, about 13 at the time, saved the band’s 2006 Vegas show by taking the vocal reigns vocal when the singer became too ill to finish their set. He then invited the same kid on stage to once again perform “Give Blood.” Cruel Hand’s Chris Linkovich came out to sing lead for a song and Bedard dedicated another to Lance Wells, former vocalist for Vegas hardcore legends Tomorrow’s Gone and Faded Grey. With a band that plays as many shows and has been around as long as Bane has, it’s refreshing how well they remember and really appreciate the bands and fans that have stuck with them all these years. Of course the biggest reaction came when Bane played “Can We Start Again,” which remains their signature song 12 years after it first appeared on It All Comes Down to This. It would have been tough to find someone not singing along during those 3 ½ minutes, a time that also saw the biggest circle pit, with kids literally running circles around Hypnotic’s bar.

I’ve talked before about how veteran punk rockers Face to Face had the best run of openers in the late 90s and early 2000s. Alkaline Trio, Movielife, Midtown, New Found Glory, Sum 41 and My Chemical Romance, to name a few, all of which went on to be successful on their own while simultaneously making the headliner relevant for a whole new generation of fans. Bane, then, is the hardcore equivalent of this idea, taking along bands like Evergreen Terrace, Modern Life is War and Trash Talk all as they were getting ready to break big, and now Defeater joins those ranks. If you haven’t heard Defeater, they play a style of emotional hardcore that is like a cross between Modern Life is War and Touché Amoré and they have quickly amassed a passionate following. Vocalist Derek Archambault spent the band’s entire set under a dog pile of fans screaming along with every word and my photo duties certainly didn’t stop me from singing along as well.

The packed set also included Miles Away, an Australian hardcore band that I hadn’t seen before but will definitely be following closely now, Dead End Path, who I discovered earlier this year when they opened for Title Fight in Anaheim and locals Unfair Fight and Primal Rage. They all did a great job of setting the tone for the night and kids were dancing from the moment they got on stage.

-Emily Matview

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/

and Tyler Newton | http://500px.com/spottedlens