All Time Low

Slow Starts Finish Strong

On April 8th, Capsize, Counterparts, Hotel Books, Better Off, and Defeater took the stage at Nashville's Rocketown. As the energy builds up at a light pace, the shows moves slow but ends with a bang!

Hotel Books opened, bringing a spoken word, indie sound to the stage. It wasn't exactly my speed, but not bad. Even though it wasn't quite to my taste, Hotel Book's passion was undeniable. Several in the front uttered the words back to Cam Smith, lead vocals, proving that the modern poet is not lost. I requested a pass for Better Off, but I ended up unimpressed. To be frank, I can barely remember anything about their set; it was just forgettable.

Capsize really brought the heat; they wasted no time with introductions or a slow start ups, and their energy, enthusiasm, and talent was actually a little shocking. Even though a venue representative stated plainly that there was to be no crowd surfing or stage diving, rules are meant to be broken, right?

Counterparts took the humming energy left by Capsize and increased it exponentially. Kids were on the stage; Brendan was on the floor; kids were on top of kids; it was madness. Unfortunately, I had to leave before the end of Defeater's set due to personal complications, but let it be known that while I was trying to push through the densely packed room, I was a little scared of being trampled or hit in the face.

If I had to give the show an overall grade, I would give it a C. Some bands caught my attention and were exciting to watch and some not so much. However, I applaud diversity of bands on the tour with Defeater. It always impresses me to see more than one genre at a show; it strays from the typical and encourages a broadening of horizons.