Smile Empty Soul, Cross Fade & Strata
Senator Theatre, Chico, CA
2004-07-20
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The Senator Theatre was already pretty densely packed with people by the time
Strata took the stage. Obviously pleased with this, the quartet didn’t waste
any time getting the night going. A strong set driven by some very powerful rhythms
and layered with dynamically intelligent instrumentation did a very nice job of
setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Though the crowd was almost evenly
divided between the standing area up front and the seating area in back, it was
pretty clear that everyone was enjoying the show. After an appropriately timed
set (just long enough to keep your attention and leave you with a good taste in
your mouth without getting repetitive), Strata said goodnight to the crowd and
exited the stage to make way for what was to come next.
What came next turned out to be an unusually long intermission, considering the fact that all of the gear for the evening’s next act, Cross Fade, was already set up on stage. Fortunately, Cross Fade turned out to be worth the wait and when they finally did come out, they pounded the crowd with their particular incarnation of aggressive, kick-you-in-your-teeth-with-a-steel-toed-boots rock. It was a sound in the same vein as Strata, but with more of a focus on vocals (the band came fully equipped with three strong singers and a solid grip on melody and harmony). The two main vocalists in the group really worked well together, adding one more element that broke the music up nicely and kept the crowd bobbing. The only time Cross Fade lost points was when they did the typical opening rock act thing and told the crowd that they needed to “stand up out of the seats.” Of course, no one did. Note to all opening rock acts everywhere: the crowd will stand up if they want to and they are feeling your music, not because you say to.
Closing that evening was Smile Empty Soul. If I had to sum up their show in one word, that word would be: holy-crap-that-rocked. (Thank god for hyphens.) With a style rooted in the Nirvana era and twisted just enough to sound inventive in our time, Smile Empty Soul got everyone out of their seats the old-fashioned way: they played music that kicked your ass and didn’t let up until the show was over.
“I’m pretty sure most of you have heard this before, so if you could go fuckin’ nuts, that would be great,” said frontman Sean Danielsen as a preface to the band’s most recognizable single, “Bottom of a Bottle.” The crowd was more than happy to comply as they sang along, “I do it for the drugs!” Other high points of their set included, “The Other Side” and “Every Sunday,” which Danielsen dedicated to hypocrites like Bush. When all was said and done, the night was a success and that good vibe that comes after a great night of rock could be felt lingering in the air. Ahhh
What came next turned out to be an unusually long intermission, considering the fact that all of the gear for the evening’s next act, Cross Fade, was already set up on stage. Fortunately, Cross Fade turned out to be worth the wait and when they finally did come out, they pounded the crowd with their particular incarnation of aggressive, kick-you-in-your-teeth-with-a-steel-toed-boots rock. It was a sound in the same vein as Strata, but with more of a focus on vocals (the band came fully equipped with three strong singers and a solid grip on melody and harmony). The two main vocalists in the group really worked well together, adding one more element that broke the music up nicely and kept the crowd bobbing. The only time Cross Fade lost points was when they did the typical opening rock act thing and told the crowd that they needed to “stand up out of the seats.” Of course, no one did. Note to all opening rock acts everywhere: the crowd will stand up if they want to and they are feeling your music, not because you say to.
Closing that evening was Smile Empty Soul. If I had to sum up their show in one word, that word would be: holy-crap-that-rocked. (Thank god for hyphens.) With a style rooted in the Nirvana era and twisted just enough to sound inventive in our time, Smile Empty Soul got everyone out of their seats the old-fashioned way: they played music that kicked your ass and didn’t let up until the show was over.
“I’m pretty sure most of you have heard this before, so if you could go fuckin’ nuts, that would be great,” said frontman Sean Danielsen as a preface to the band’s most recognizable single, “Bottom of a Bottle.” The crowd was more than happy to comply as they sang along, “I do it for the drugs!” Other high points of their set included, “The Other Side” and “Every Sunday,” which Danielsen dedicated to hypocrites like Bush. When all was said and done, the night was a success and that good vibe that comes after a great night of rock could be felt lingering in the air. Ahhh
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