Images: Hit the Lights, Seaway, Can’t Swim, Tonight We Fight May 2, 2016 at Eagle Hall

The 2016 edition of the Pure Noise Records tour took place last week at one of my favorite venues, the Eagle Hall in Henderson. If you haven’t had the pleasure, the Eagle Hall is a pretty big venue with a wide, open floor and no stage – which makes it perfect for getting up close and singing along with your favorite bands. This venue, which hosted a sold-out show with Pure Noise stalwarts The Story So Far and Heart to Heart a few years back, is also the most stable one we have for all-ages shows, which makes it the perfect place to host Hit the Lights, Seaway and more.

Unfortunately, upon arrival I found that I had missed GUTS. I hear GUTS played a cover of New Found Glory’s “Understatement” which I would have been ecstatic to see. They’re a wonderful local band that you should support by buying a CD, listening to them on Bandcamp, or anything else necessary to learn the songs and sing along.

So the first band of the night for me ended up being Tonight We Fight. They’re local, with a rambunctious energy reminiscent of fellow pop rockers Chunk, No Captain Chunk!, but with a bit more of a pop-punk edge thrown in for good measure. Case in point, they played a faithful cover of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down,” which got the crowd absolutely pumped! In the middle of one of their songs, bassist Cameron Gile sat on top of the amp and started bobbing his head to the song. There was suspense in the air, wondering if he would fall or not. He did, but he fell gracefully and with a smile on his face. Tonight We Fight is a pretty sick band, definitely worth the watch.

Keansburg, NJ’s Can’t Swim was the first Pure Noise band I saw for the night. I hadn’t previously heard their music or seen them live, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I definitely wasn’t prepared for the treat I was in for. A fitting description of Can’t Swim’s sound would be alternative rock mixed with punk, and I was thoroughly enjoying this band and how much energy all the members were putting into the performance. The singer put a lot of heart into it, and the crowd was giving positive feedback. I definitely left their set happy to have some new tunes to look up immediately. The next time this band comes to town make sure to swing by and say “hi.”

I also definitely wasn’t ready for what Oakville, ON pop punk band Seaway would be like live, compared to how they sound on my phone. It was insane, as the crowd was all gathered in the front waiting for frontman Ryan Locke to say the first lyrics. As soon as he did, everyone went crazy, crowd surfing and having fun, and it was really cool to experience everyone singing all the words in unison. The whole band looked like they were having a blast, doing what they love. It was a very memorable experience, that I’m delighted to have been a part of.

Finally, the night ended with Hit the Lights. Around since 2003, these pop punkers were the veterans of the night. They’re from Lima, OH, but the crowd showed them love like they were locals. The joy and excitement in the room was contagious, and this band’s unique blend of pop punk and rock was beyond refreshing. One of the upsides of a floor show is that frontman Nick Thompson could be as close to the crowd as he wanted to be, creating a closeness you just don’t get from larger venues. Fans were eager to sing along to songs like “Breathe In,” “Life on the Bottom” and “Bodybag.” This was the band’s second trip to Vegas on the singer’s birthday so one of the crew members bought shots to celebrate the best way you can.

-Margaret Schmitt | http://margaretschmitt.wix.com/margaretschmitt