Of Mice & Men, Crown the Empire & Issues
April 22, 2015
Brewster Street Icehouse- Corpus Christi, TX
Corpus Christi, TX just finished taking a massive beating from the weather. But that did not stop the die-hard fans from selling out the famous Brewster Street Ice House on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. No it did not. Pulling into the iconic venue just down the road from the famous Concrete Street Amphitheater we were again out of luck as far as parking went. And yet again the lines were long and wrapped around the venue itself this time. Brewster Street Icehouse, quickly became a center staple for the S.E.A (Sports, Entertainment and Art) District in Corpus Christi, TX soon after opening in the summer of 06’. And to this day the venue has housed some pretty big name acts. Big name acts like Meghan Trainor, Devil Wears Prada, The Ataris Bone Thugs & Harmony, Queensryche, The Toadies, Fuel, Puddle of Mudd, LaCuna Coil & Hanson to name a very few. Yes; I said Hanson… Believe it or not in the 90’s they were a massive success… And if you don’t know who The Toadies or Queensryche are then shame on you!
The doors opened and people filed in 2×2. Merch centers were set up throughout the deck. The look on all the fans faces was that of pure excitement & eagerness to watch their favorite bands play live for them on this night; a night of epic awesomeness! Volumes took to the stage first, pumping the crowd up with a small but charged set-list. Volumes opened up their night with The Mixture, musically and lyrically kicking the teeth in of every fan who heard the very first bass hit… Halfway through the song, the music quieted up & the band exclaimed that they’re there to pump the crowd up for the headlining act. Following The Mixture, Volumes played Vahle. But before the song began Michael Barr struck up a brief conversation with the crowd, asking them to put their hands high in the air. Barr then asked the crowd to join him and jump! About that time the music kicked in harder than before while Gus Farias, jumped in the air about 4½ feet from the stage. The fans in attendance jumped right along with the band as their hands stayed high in the air.
I must say I was quite amazed by the powerhouse vocals that came from both Michael Barr & Gus Farias. So much charged energy came from these two phenomenal vocalists that its effectiveness could be seen written across the very emotional faces of every fan in attendance… The band, itself played with such on-time precision that it was evident this band doesn’t need much studio work done to finalize their masterpieces. BRAVO! Volumes’, night continued without a single problem, as they punched out 4 more hits in rapid succession. Up All Night followed Vahle. Up All Night begins hard & heavy with more amazing vocal styling(s) by Barr & Farias coupled with amazing double bass kicks by Nick Ursich & kickass guitar riffs by Gus’s
majorly talented brother Diego Farias… Volumes continued their night with Erased; Edge of the Earth & ended their phenomenal evening with Wormholes. Wormholes is one of those songs that have the tendency to grab you by the booboo emotionally, and physically making you jump your ass off throughout the entire ballad! The crowd, cheered Volumes so hard & loud that it could be felt through the concrete floors & the tin walls of Brewster Street Icehouse, as the band made their exit off the stage.
Volumes set was taken down quickly and replaced with that of Crown the Empire’s. Yet another occasion when the crowd got overjoyed at the site of Guitar Techs doing their job(s). Directly after mic check; Crown the Empire, hit the stage with a vengeance to play for the sold out house. The crowd went absolutely crazy, screaming to the point the veins in the very necks of each individuate in attendance were protruding as their faces became beat red & the capillaries in their eyes burst!
They opened up their night with Machines. Andy Leo stood up on the riser facing stage left. He picked up his mic to his mouth and began singing the opening of the amazing track when they experienced technical difficulties with the sound… But it didn’t really matter, because as they say in show business the show must go on. He continued singing microphone-less. Albeit, only for a couple seconds, it was evident Andy didn’t need one by how powerfully his vocals were belted out by he and the crowd.
Then everything came together at once. The crowd began jumping, causing an effect that resembled the waves on the ocean just feet away from the iconic venue. The girls in the front row’s faces were wet with the combination of sweat and tears as the band continued the night a plethora of hits that the South Texas fans love & adore as much as the musicians playing it.
In all Crown the Empire played very formidable 9 song set-list, pleasing the crowd every step of the way with their hits Initiation; Mnstr; Voices; Makeshift Chemestry; Rise of the Runaways; Children of Love; The Fall Out & ending the night with Bloodline. Be sure to catch these two phenomenally amazing acts as the Full Circle tour come to your city & town SOON!
Review by: Jared Wingate
Of Mice & Men
Crown the Empire
Volumes
