Beartooth, Silverstein, et Kingdom of Giants

With their debut full-length released this year, Beartooth look set to establish themselves in the hardcore scene with a raw, punk-edged record that straddles the middle ground between Every Time I Die's rowdy swagger and A Day to Remember's metallic tour de force. What started as an alternative creative outlet for Attack Attack!'s Caleb Shomo soon grew into his main pursuit, offering an entirely different beast to his former band. Their music is a fun new take on a scene that is heavily inundated with bands which they combine with an energetic, wild live show.
Their performance in support of Memphis May Fire on the Unconditional Tour this year displayed their ability to offer a visceral, energetic live show, with their songs translating well to a live setting. It was a powerful performance, with songs like "Beaten in Lips" setting the crowd into a frenzy of flailing limbs and screams in unison with Caleb. Their breakdowns are heavy and choruses anthemic and melodic, making a perfect combination for a quality hardcore act. WIth their album recently released, the band seem eager to perform these new songs and spread passion for their music through riveting live performances, making them definitely worthwhile checking out.

Silverstein has their sound down to a formula. There is little fluctuation in their 10 + year spanning career, but that is okay. They know where their strong suits lie and have perfected it to the nth degree. That's not to say they have fallen into complacency. Rather they have developed a confidence and intimate understanding of the direction they want to take. Listening to their first album "When Broken Is Easily Fixed" to their latest "This is How the Wind Shifts" it is easy to detect that much of their ethos and style remains in tact; however a leap in production and overall "tightness" as a band can just as easily be detected.
They are group known for their work ethic and have frequented the touring circuit since their formation. This is apparent in the professionalism and precision of their live shows. It is amazing to see the band at work. Their coordination is unmatched as well as the amount of emotional output they invest in their performance.
Silverstein was one of the first bands I saw live and to tell the truth I was a bit nervous to go. I thought I would get mangled in one of the mosh pits that so frequently erupts at their shows. I wasn't too far from being wrong. As they opened with "Smashed In to Pieces" the crowd turned into a frenzy blur, which persisted through out the show and ended with my brother passing out after "My Heart Bleeds No More" probably due to over-exhaustion, but it could have also been because he got punched in the face.
Next time I saw them the show was just as frenetic if not more. It was almost impossible to keep track of all that was going on in the venue. I was absolutely mesmerized by the sheer dexterity of drummer Paul Koehler. It was as if he was programmed before each show never to miss a beat. But my concentration on one member soon shifted to the next as the show progressed. It was hard to ignore the bass player Billy especially when he was playing his instrument while crowding surfing among the hord of people and Shane is without a doubt one of the best frontmen in the post hardcore scene.
Though Silverstein stays true to their post-hardcore/emo roots their setlist is peppered with a few pop songs such as "Still Dreaming" and even unexpected covers like a screamo rendition of the Beatles' "Help". Maybe if you pay close enough attention you might even catch one of their 6 second covers from "Short Songs".

I was very disappointed because they only played 20 minutes!!! All the support bands played 40 to 45 minutes and the headline played 20 minutes. NOT GOOD!
for the rest, I enjoyed it.