SCENE REPORT: MICHIGAN

RECAP OF THE LANSING STOP ON THE EIY SPRING (INTO ACTION) TOUR

We were super excited about this show on the tour, because this was the region that got the most involved with the EIY nomination/submission process, it had the most RSVPs and the widest range of people and bands posting about the event ahead of time.


In almost every way, the show lived up to our expectations. It got off to a great start with a huge meet-up circle that included two generations of bands (one of the bands at the meet-up actually formed because they were inspired by another band at the meet-up, years ago). The conversation was really good and everyone had a lot of things to say. The “pay to play” thing is, again, a problem here. But luckily there are house shows and promoters who aren’t charging bands; and almost all the local bands are also hosting shows of their own for other bands. We shared some great tips for effective flyering and marketing efforts. There were a handful of people who have been involved in that scene for at least ten years, and have been able to see the trends come and go while they have held their own, continuing to uphold the values of the punk/underground scene. Now if only the bands can educate their fans, and teach the younger bands how to act at a show!

After a great conversation where almost everyone was on the same page, we started the seven-band show. The schedule was already tight, and we had to be done by a certain time because of another event happening at the venue that night. The sound guy even made a point to tell everyone at the meet-up that he needed everyone’s help to keep the show on schedule.

Apparently, the first few bands on the bill either didn’t hear this, or didn’t take it to heart. By the time the first band ended, the show was at least 30 minutes behind schedule. By the time the second band ended, it was an hour behind. I assumed someone was aware of the issue and taking necessary steps to ensure that the show got back on schedule, but each band continued to play their full set length (and then some), and soon it was time for the second-to-last band, Know Lyfe, to go on. These guys had been helping load every band off stage all night in an effort to keep the show moving along, and they were the first band to get on stage and acknowledge that the show was behind schedule and voluntarily rush through their set. Unfortunately, by the time they went on, the show was so far behind that there was no way two bands could physically play in the time that was left, and the last band (The Banana Convention) ended up not being able to play.

Let me be the first take some of the blame for this. I noticed right away that we were behind schedule, and I should have said something either to the promoter, the sound guy, or the bands, instead of assuming that someone else had it under control. By the time the fourth band went on and we were waaaaay behind, I definitely should have at least asked what the plan was. Being involved in a show — even if you are just in the audience, or a friend of the band — means being proactive when it seems like the show is getting off-track in some way. If someone needs something, you offer to help. If something seems to be going wrong, you step in and try to fix it.

We sincerely apologize to The Banana Convention and would encourage all the bands on the bill to reach out to them to work on another show together in the future. Get to know them here:

The show was a lot of fun up to that point, and had some of the best crowd responses we’ve seen on this tour. There are definitely a lot of music supporters in Michigan, and a wide range of genres with strong followings. Now, if those bands can come together a bit more, on a regular basis, to share fans and encourage people to go to shows for the experience rather than the one band they want to see (or that they bought a ticket to see), I think this music scene could get even bigger and stronger than it already is.

Onto the show:

Band: Alive, In Standby from Shelby Township, MI
This is a young band, still in high school, with a lot of musical talent and big ideas. They drove two hours to be at the show, and had to be at school the next morning, so they played first and put on a very energetic show. They are all solid musicians for being as young as they are, but they seem to be a bit confused about what style of music they want to play. Sometimes it was classical piano, sometimes it was the singer singing pop vocals while the drummer was screaming and growling, occasionally there were hardcore breakdowns, sometimes they sounded like an emo band, and other times they played pop punk hooks. All of this is fine if you can figure out how to blend it into one cohesive sound that is specific to your own band. For the last song, the drummer and the singer switched places and they played a straightforward metal song — which was probably the most cohesive song of the set. Give them a few years to define themselves and they’ll be a great band.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Shatter The Curse from Lansing, MI
I feel like this band has stepped out into the world too soon. If I was managing them, I would tell them to take off one full year from playing shows, and spend the entire time practicing, writing songs together (NOT recording into a computer; writing and learning songs together in the same room and memorizing them), attending and throwing local shows, befriending other local bands, listening to as many different kinds of music as they can get their hands on, taking weekly guitar/drum/voice/bass lessons, and reading a lot of philosophy books. Also, anything they recorded during that time would have to be to tape, not ProTools. I guarantee they’d come out a completely different, better band.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Act As One from Saginaw, MI
These guys were some of the most vocal band members in the meet-up, and got into playing music mostly because of the Warped Tour. They are one of these “happy hardcore” bands that are big right now, like Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong. They have done the “follow the Warped Tour” thing, which I’m not always a fan of, but it seems to have worked for these guys. They put on an amazing, high-energy, super fun show and everyone in the room loved them and had a great time. There were kids dancing in the front and moshing in the back, and their set was definitely a highlight of the show. Nice guys, young, and will definitely go on to do big things — at least for as long as their genre is popular. One thing though: where did they and all their fans disappear to when their set was over?
Check them out HERE.

Band: Of Virtue from Lansing, MI
These guys were inspired early in their career by Know Lyfe, so it was fun to have two generations share the stage. Really interactive during the meet-up, honestly nice people and talented musicians, these guys put on an intense, non-stop high energy performance. The crowd went wild for these guys. The front pit was so dense no one could do anything but sing, while the back pit was filled with people — both guys and girls — dancing like crazy for the whole set. This band loves stage divers, so it was a non-stop stream of people jumping from all sides of the stage into the crowd. Lots of positivity, a really strong family vibe, people picking each other up when they fell in the pit, just as many girls as guys in the pit AND stagediving AND crowd-surfing (you go, grrrls!), and everyone respecting each other, laughing, and having a great time. It’s pretty undeniable that this band had the craziest set of the night.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Violets For Verona from Detroit
This was another band that spoke up at the meet-up and had some great things to say. They are heavily influenced by bands like Attack Attack, Pierce The Veil, and Of Mice And Men. They put a lot of money/effort into stage production, which is a big trend right now with bands like the ones these guys look up to. They have great energy, but again this is a case where if they aren’t already working on figuring out how to develop their sound and get ahead of the curve, they might get left behind when this musical trend dies out — which it definitely will.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Know Lyfe from Lansing, MI
These guys have been around the Lansing scene for a decade, and have seen it all. They had great things to say during the meet-up, and have all the best old-school punk rock values. They are the type of band that every scene needs: one that isn’t chasing fads, is doing what they love and is honest about their motives and their music. They know proper show etiquette from both the band and fan perspective, have contributed to the success of their peers, care about doing something for the good of the scene, and so on. They have already been and will/should continue to be mentors to up-and-coming new bands in their scene. They’ve been able to accomplish a lot in their career, and will continue to do what they love for many years to come. Alfonso Civile, the singer of Know Lyfe, started a great Facebook discussion after this show that is still going on via his Notes section. They put on a great live show, are professional in every way, and know how to make everyone in the room pay attention and have fun.
Check them out HERE.

Again, our deepest apologies to The Banana Convention for not getting to play for us that night. Luckily they’ve gotten to experience playing at the Warped Tour in the past, so I’m sure they would have been okay with us giving the chance to another band, anyway. Please check them out HERE.

If not for the timing issue and the tension that it caused at the show, this turned out to be one of the biggest and best shows on the tour. It was sort of a tricky decision because of all the factors involved, and how many bands there were to choose from. The criteria we use to choose bands vary from show to show, and we have to custom-tailer it to each show’s specific details. In this case the band that met our criteria was Of Virtue. They won’t be able to have as many stage dives at Warped Tour, but we hope they bring the same amount of energy and positivity to the stage as they did in Lansing.

Thanks to everyone involved in this show! We are excited to see what this scene does to pull together, remedy some of the issues, and also continue building on all the great things people are doing within their community. Be a family, Michigan!

Love,
Sarah & EIY

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