Innovators Of Humorcore Come To The Masquerade
Monday, June 28th, 2010
By Josh Fritz.
Wednesday, June 23rd at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia was a haven for humorcore enthusiasts. There were three bands scheduled to play and they all came through in the end. Some better then others, but everybody was doing what they loved. What started out as a hot and sunny day turned into something out of a weather horror story. While the sun was shining bright, a torrential downpour came through, soaking everybody to the bone. Nobody could get inside quick enough.
Once inside of the venue, with beer firmly in hand, I sat back and waited to finally dry off. They were still finishing up all of the electrical work that needed to be done, when suddenly the power went out. Not once, but twice. Just completely shut off and we were left in darkness for a few seconds. Luckily, however, whatever problem arose was taken care of and it wasn’t an issue for the rest of the night.
About an hour after the doors opened, Syndicate opened the show. The venue was rather loud, given the small crowd that was there and the feedback was enough to drive one insane. It sounded like a screeching harpy dragging her claws across a chalkboard with a screaming cat in the background. Syndicate, however, played on. Overall, they had a very ‘Creed’-like feel. It seemed that they were copy the styles of bands who had their hayday in the early 2000′s, such as Creed, Staind, etc. The guitarist was a little overpowering. I realize that he was trying to show his skill on the guitar, but it was overpowering the vocals, drums and bass. They finished about 45 minutes into the set and broke down their gear, offering thanks for everybody that came out.
Next up was a band called Look What I Did. They are apparently great friends of Psychostick and have toured with them in the past. They had a very punk feel to them, as the guitarist and bassist seemed to be playing two different songs at the same time. The lead singer was screeching into the microphone and with the exception of a few words, it was completely unintelligible. They reminded me of the band, A.C who uses humor to distract from the fact that they are musically untalented. They did, however, play a Jane’s Addiction cover to honor their dead friend which was very sincere and they did it justice. The high point of their band was the drummer, who’s skills behind the set were nothing less then amazing. Another high point was the guitarist’s haircut. You have to see it to believe it.
Then the headliners of the show came out. Psychostick came on to the stage and from the first note, it was obvious that this is what they loved to do. Rawb had a smile on his face the whole time, as did the other members of the band. Any band who has a member wearing rubber moose antlers on stage is a band that I’m a fan of. They played a variety of their music from their three-album discography, finishing off their night with their most popular song, “BEER!!” They also did their own version of “Bodies” by Drowning Pool, called “I Can Only Count To 4.” Between songs, they played to the crowd, telling jokes and just generally having fun. Their energy is what made this show so great. It’s a magical moment when you see a band doing exactly what they love to do.
Overall, I was extremely satisfied with the concert last night. A few hitches at the beginning of the night, a couple of opening bands that could’ve been better, but Psychostick made it all worthwhile. Go to see them, if you have the chance. I promise it’ll be worth the money.
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