For a brisk wintry day, there was a large group of kids anxiously waiting on line in the cold to get into The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale to check out some bands. Some, however, decided it was a smarter idea to sit in their cars with the heat on while listening to some of the very bands that were going to be playing that night. The “Say No to Neon Tour” had arrived on Thursday and The Crazy Donkey was the first tour stop. Overall, it was a little shaky.
From inside the room, the first group of people that made it through the front charged the stage to get their best views. It was doubtful they were there for any of the locals, or perhaps not even the supporting acts. It was Valencia that a large portion of these kids came for.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m. the first local act, a fairly unknown band called Off City Limits, took the stage. They were mediocre at best, though it was more inexperience in front of a crowd rather than musical quality. But don’t be fooled, they do have a little to learn. Regardless, the crowd seemed mostly into it, as the room filled halfway by the middle of their set.
The next local act, Set in Color, has really been making waves in the scene in recent months. They started off with “With Fingers Crossed,” a MySpace favorite. Lead singer Matt Villani was sick, but his voice blended well with the rest of the music. Trey Ewald, the newest addition, seemed much more comfortable then last time they had played so the music sounded a lot tighter. Unfortunately their musical style isn’t very unique, it sounds like everything else out there.
Artist vs. Poet, straight from Dallas, took the stage next. They came out to intro music which doesn’t work unless it is for the headlining band. The entire set was fixed with background beats that were prerecorded.
The most noticeable fact was their style. Each member had a very similar haircut minus the drummer. It goes to show the way music is heading nowadays – less about the music, more about the appearance. Oddly enough the crowd, which was made up of mostly teenage girls, ate the gimmick up. Their set was easily forgettable.
Next up was Houston Calls. They hailed all the way from New Jersey. First notice to any fan was the different bass player and guitar player. Their set comprised a wonderful mix of new and old songs including classics like “Exit, Emergency” and “One More Won’t Hurt.” It was a nice refreshing set of good pop-punk songs. The most memorable part of the set was during one of their songs in which they let particular members of the crowd sing along. A lesson was learned – don’t let the audience sing.
Shortly after the end of that set, Valencia jumped up for their turn. These Philly boys, most likely saddened by the Eagles’ shortcomings in the playoffs, started off with a bang and continued on with a pretty full set.
Valencia has always been one of the few bands that still write catchy choruses with an edge. One could argue that they have always been underrated. But on this headlining tour they were the ones in charge, and the crowd accepted that. From circle pits, to jumping up and down, to choruses where lead singer Shane Henderson didn’t even have to use the microphone, the set had a wide variety of positive feedback.
They flew through popular songs and filler songs as one in the same. The set wasn’t as flawless as the band had hoped, as Shane’s vocals went in different directions, and even cracking. Max the drummer had also messed up the beat in “Away We Go” – their messiest song of the night. The band decided to end the set with their previous hit “The Space Between” as the audience chanted and danced – glow sticks and everything
All in all it was a quick concert, but memorable nonetheless. Valencia gave us all “a reason to believe” in music once again.
