Images: The Sheds, Narrowed, Calmosa, Tuesday After School (acoustic) September 21, 2013 at Beach Hut Deli

Relentless touring has garnered The Sheds a pretty sizable following in Vegas, so much so that even with another Vegas date already scheduled, (October 21st at the Eagle Aerie Hall with A Loss for Words, Handguns, Major League and Stickup Kid), their September 21st gig at the Beach Hut Deli still drew passionate fans ready to sing along to every word. This being their first Vegas show since the release of their first full length I’ll Be Fine, it was a chance for fans to finally shout the words to jams like the title track and “Writer’s Block” with frontman Mac Miller and co., along with old favorites like “Heart” and “Namesake.” Their set was far too short for my tastes (no “Counting Sheep,” no Kid Dynamite cover) but they put on a good show as always and I’m already looking forward to late October.

The biggest reaction of the night, however, went to locals Narrowed, who have amassed a hefty following since first releasing The Valley EP last year. And I have to say, they completely deserve it. They’re one of the tightest sounding live bands in town, as well as one of the most energetic (guitarist/vocalist Sam Blasco is lucky the ceiling wasn’t a foot or two shorter or he’d be leaving with a concussion from all the double jumps). I love the multi-part assault of the quartet’s vocals, with each member getting a chance to chime in on songs like “Swing” and personal favorite “Tossed to the Wayside.” 2013 has seen longstanding groups like Holding Onto Sound, The Letter You and Deadhand calling it quits and many others slowing down or taking a break so Narrowed seems poised to take the reigns as one of Vegas’ top acts. And the passion on display from their fans was wonderful to see, with voices shouting along to the harmonies as they filled the deli from the makeshift stage to the front cash register.

Calmosa is another up and comer in the Vegas local scene, releasing two ultra-catchy EPs in less than a year. This show saw a slightly different Calmosa from when I last saw them, with vocalist Rob Kemerson pulling double duty on the guitar and a friend filling in on drums. Even with these changes the band sounded on point, blazing through a brief, but lively set. I’m hoping to catch more shows of theirs soon, because singing along with “Sleeping in Shifts” is just too much fun.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Vegas Sheds show without Tuesday After School, though this time the local ska punks were playing as a three piece acoustic act. Of course, ska and acoustic aren’t completely incompatible. Most recently Streetlight Manifesto frontman Tomas Kalnoky has proven that with his Toh Kay and Bandits of the Acoustic Revelation projects and he’s not the first, nor the last, rude boy to bring it down successfully. But the first time I saw Tuesday After School they incited a skanking pit, so I was concerned with how they would translate that energy into an acoustic setting. And thankfully, they pulled it off flawlessly.

Guitarist Chris Powers and trumpet-player-turned-guitarist John Gabaldon successfully gave the songs a nice folk tinge that I think sounds just as good, if not better, than their usual fare and vocalist Sterling Driscoll’s voice sounded sublime. I’ve always thought she was a good vocalist but I never realized just how good until seeing her perform in this type of setting and I sincerely hope the group considers releasing an acoustic EP at some point. Keep an eye out for the Stripped Down Session we filmed with them, which will be posted soon.

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

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