Bayside at Gas Monkey Live. My Experience.

 I'm going to do something a bit different this week. I went to a Bayside show on Monday. I know I know. Not metal. But fuck you they are great! It's also a band my wife is very much in to and my son fanboys over. His first ever show by the way.

 So anyway I am going to do a review of this show in a way. I'll start from the top.

 Bayside did a battle of the bands via the Internet for every stop on their tour. First of all this is an amazing thing for any band our package tour to do. The exposure a local band can get from something like this can't be overstated. The band that won the Dallas stop (fan voted) was Mother Freud. So let's get into this.

Mother Freud

 Alright! I had looked up who won this stop but just figured I would hear them when I got there. My mistake. I wish I had been more prepared. I wish I had learned some songs. I wish I had been right up front headbanging and screaming their lyrics back at them.

 To say I was shocked and surprised at how good Mother Freud was would be an extreme understatement.

 Now mind you I am not an Alt/Indie rock fan by any stretch of the imagination. But I do love almost everything about 90s rock. It's nostalgic and let's be real, the music was pretty damn good.

 Mother Freud is like listening to everything 90s rock had to offer injected with steroids. Shades of grunge and alt rock. A little funk sprinkled in. Some of the Ska that was popular with a hard edged surf rock feel at times.

 The music is phenomenal. These guys can write and play. As I stated it appears nothing is off limits from a composition or stylistic standpoint. Lyrically the writing is poignant, beautiful, and addresses important topics that are relevant to society today.

 Now for the actual show. I can not overstate how great Mother Freud is live. These guys are rockstars! Their live sound is incredible. They nailed everything. Having not known their music before hand I suppose I don't know for certain that they were nearly perfect. But knowing music as a whole it's hard to imagine they missed many notes. Even if they did it's a live show. Shit happens. Regardless it was extremely evident that these guys know their way around their instruments. Vocally it was crisp and clear as well. I know everyone reading this has seen a band that live, just doesn't have the same clarity as they do in a recording. I can not overstate how much this does not apply to Mother Freud. When I played them for the first time on Tuesday I already knew some lines just from having seen them live once.

 Bottom line Mother Freud was the most pleasent of surprises. They look and act like rockstars. However meeting Pat and Tom after their set, it was apparent they were truly greatful to be there and truly appreciated our admiration for their work.

 My son couldn't wait to buy their "hot off the presses" t-shirt and a CD.

 I personally can't wait to get out to one of their local shows. If you are in the Dallas area I highly encourage you to do the same. If not listen to them on Spotify or wherever you listen to music. They deserve your attention.

Capstan

 I was aware of Capstan before the show. I have some of their songs sprinkled throughout various playlists. But I have never been a huge fan. They are talented and write some great music. But as a whole it's just not my thing.

 That said I have to say they bring energy to the table when it comes to live performances. It's hard to imagine being In a venue they are playing and not getting into the music.

 I will be honest. From a sound perspective they were not as crisp and clear as I had hoped for. However they were still great. The energy was there and their presence on stage left nothing to be desired. They also played every song I listen to. So that was a fucking sick ass bonus.

 When asked to start a circle pit about 5 of us abliged. Not what I was hoping for not them I am sure. But hey. We did our best. I have a feeling everyone was saving themselves for later. I'll get to that shortly.

 Overall Capstan was fun. I enjoyed their set immensely. But someone had to be the low point of the night. But if I'm being realistic I have experienced a lot, I mean a fuck load lower than them.

 I recommend checking them out. Live or otherwise. As I stated I love some of their work and I listen to mostly deathcore and melodeath. So there is a good chance you will love them. I couldn't argue if you did. If you want to have a great te at a show I would recommend you check them out next time they roll through your town.

Bayside

 This is the 3rd time I have seen Bayside live. If you ever have you know they nail it every time. As far as live shows go they are the perfect blend of album perfection and live grit.

 As I stated in the intro this was my son's first show. He fucking loves Bayside. You're welcome kid! So this for me was an opportunity to see a band I loved when I was his age with him.

 Of course this show was no different. They nailed every aspect of the performance. Bayside has a way of engaging an audience through simple things. I have no doubt that touring is hard. A band gets tired, maybe even bored some nights. Each stop is different I am sure. Bayside always appears to be happy to be there. They engage with the crowd. They nail every note. Simply put they put on a great show. They make you feel something.

 The one thing about going to this show was I thought the crowd would be lame. Let's be honest. I'm 33... And fat. I like to pretend like I'm hard and jump in and out of mosh pits. But that shit wears on me. I can only go for so long. That said I thought for sure there wouldn't be a proper mosh pit. O.G. Bayside fans are all in their mid 30s. Our bodies are starting to break. Unbeknownst to me Bayside is still gathering young fans. I shouldn't have been surprised. They are fucking great. They just wrote some of their heaviest music ever. They are always current as far as the topics they write about. Of course they keep gaining new fans. But I guess I didn't realize that. I was stuck in my bubble.

 So suffice it to say that mosh pit on Monday December 9th 2019 in Dallas TX at a Bayside show was surprisingly chaotic. The only time it stopped was for It Don't Exist. Which if your a Bayside fan you know it doesn't get more emotianal than that song. It in and of itself was an emotianal experience. Anyway the pit was wild. It was constant. And it was fun! Part of it may have been the size. It was small. I don't mean the amount of people. Iean square footage. I have been to a lot of shows. I have never seen a group of people who weren't moshing so willing to take a hit to be close to the stage in my life. The kids in the pit were wild and the people around it had no problem holding the front line. In my wildest dreams I would have never thought this show would get this rowdy. The entire sole of one of my lawn mowing shoes got ripped off for fucks sake!

 Anyway. I ran out and changed shoes and then spent the second half of the set with my wife and son. I wanted to experience my kid experience the show. It was an incredible experience. Bayside didn't dissapoint my kid just like they never have me.

 If you are even a casual Bayside fan you need to go see one of their shows. They are everything you want from a live act. I promise you that.

The show overall

 As I stated none of these bands are "my music". But fuck man! I had a great time! All 3 bands put on a great show. I got to experience my wife and son having a blast. And I found a band I legitimately love in the process. From my perspective of course going to shows is what everyone needs to do. But even if it's not your thing. Find your thing and do it. You can't replace memories. Go fucking make some!