(həd) p.e. @ Rosemount
w/ Nonpoint, Tempest Rising
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
A pretty disappointing midweek outing, salvaged only by awesome supporting acts, would be the short version of last Wednesday as (həd) p.e. descended on The Rosemount with Nonpoint and Tempest Rising.
Local metal giants Tempest Rising thrashed the crowd head-first into the night with their sweet groove metal tunes delivered with high energy that never dipped throughout their set and they made the most of every stage minute. It’s easy to see this band have been touring for a while. Their setlist was tight as fuck, each one of the five-piece doing their bit to deliver a high-quality opening slot that lured more people into the pit than most first acts of the night ever get to enjoy. A special mention has to be made to vocalist Vin Trikeriotis’ sweet vocal range and awesome, exciting and excitable stage presence, reminding me of Periphery’s Spencer Sotelo. One of the best things about the local heavy music scene is definitely how dedicated bands are to their fanbase and Tempest Rising are no exception, getting into the crowd afterwards and receiving pats on the back for a genuinely enjoyable performance that I thought was probably the best of the night. Pretty sure they made a bunch of new fans, and if that’s how they always play I’d bet they leave a trail of new admirers in their wake wherever they go.
American nu metal outfit Nonpoint followed, managing to maintain the energy in the room that Tempest Rising so carefully laid the foundations for. Vocalist Elias Soriano interacted well with the crowd, performing with passion that sent his impressive dreads flying in all directions, and bassist Adam Woloszyn and his death stares were definitely a sight to behold. Most of their songs were pretty catchy and people happily sang along to the belters, the highlights of which were Chaos and Earthquakes and Bullet with a Name. Their second to last song was a cover of In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins which felt a bit jarring and fell kinda flat, but there were definitely others that enjoyed it.
I was pretty disappointed with headliners (həd) p.e. I imagined a party vibe, a tight, responsive stage presence, and a high energy show, but instead a weirdly subdued band kinda went about their set as if it was just another performance, not quite living up to the heat created by the supporting acts. The energy in the room dwindled away over their set, making it hard to stay to the end as we became painfully aware that it was a midweek gig and beds beckoned. At one point I looked at the pit in confusion, realising I had never seen such a tame one, with people kinda just standing their ground and swaying a bit. Not a spilled drink in sight! That being said, people still had fun – it’s hard not to with a band as ecletic as (həd) p.e., and though it wasn’t the brutal, fast-paced evening I envisioned, there were plenty of smiles in a pretty packed room, the highlight most definitely being Bartender with what seemed like every human in sight singing along.
It’s pretty unusual for a show with international acts to start off with such a bang then kind of fizzle into a bit of an anticlimax, but there you are! Tempest Rising gave the local crowd bang for their buck for sure, stealing the show along with Nonpoint, but (həd) p.e… meh!
MELISSA KRUGER
Photos by Adrian Thomson
