Tonight Extensive Enterprise brings us an easycore/hardcore line up with as headliner american easycore masters Four Year Strong, followed by Canadian hardcore heroes Comeback Kid, as well as Handguns, Expire and Heart To Heart.
Originally planned at the Corona Theatre tonight’s show has been moved to La Sala Rossa, which in my opinion is a good idea as the venue is smaller and for this kind of show “the smaller the better”.
Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions (snow / -38°C) and my bus being late I couldn’t make it in time to see Heart To Heart. It’s 7pm and I enter a venue which only contains about 80 people at this time, but means I can grab a beer and go next to the stage without problem so I can’t complain.
Expire is getting ready while Lou Bega’s hit “Mambo N°5” is playing; this is by far the best intro I’ve heard in a while. The Milwaukee hardcore band starts hard immediately, with frontman Josh Kelting moving and jumping around as always. The crowd is getting wild with a pit full of moshers and hardcore kids going nuts on the songs “Abyss” and “Just Fine”, singing along and stage diving. This was really a good set and a band to check out if you don’t know them yet. One of the best hardcore acts around right now.
The atmosphere changes as Handguns take the stage. No more mosh pit, it is time for pop punk. It was my first time seeing them but despite the band dynamism and catchy songs, the crowd doesn’t seem that into it unfortunately. They would probably be more welcomed on a pop punk bill next time they come play Montreal.
8:45pm: the venue is packed and nearly sold out. Comeback Kid is ready to kill it and the crowd is super excited.
The whole set is full of sing alongs, moshing, jumping and so on, with the band playing the whole set with plenty of energy.
Comeback Kid played songs from their last album such as “Die Knowing”, “Should Know Better” or “Wasting Arrows” but of course played old ones like “Talk Is Cheap”, “False Idols Fall” and ending their set with their famous anthem “Wake The Dead”.
After nearly an hour of heavy hardcore, the band looks as exhausted as the crowd, proof that it was a great show.
This was the first time I had the chance to see CBK in a small venue and it was simply amazing; this band never disappoint me live.
10pm: Headliners and “easycore” band Four Year Strong is ready to take the stage, and even if some hardcore kids left the venue, the crowd is still ready to party one more time. The atmosphere is different from Comeback Kid, as people are more into sing along and prefer jumping around during the whole set, but everyone seems to be enjoying it and the song “Tonight We Feel Alive” is the perfect definition of what’s happening tonight.
Four Year Strong plays very well and the dynamic between guitarists/singers Dan O’Connor and Alan Day is good to see.
After playing songs like “Go Down In History”, “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die” or “It Must Really Suck To Be FYS Right Now” the band left the stage to come back after a few seconds to close the night with “Bada bing! Wit’ a Pipe!” and “Wasting Time”. It was my first time seeing this band live and have to admit they smashed it.
Review – Ingrid Pllrn
Photos – Steve Gerrard
