Written by Kayla Lee
Photos by Nick Zimmer
Daisyhead
Daisyhead, a Nashville-based four piece, were the first band that played at The Orpheum to kick off Pre Fest. It was pretty cool to see a rock band from where we live (I’m realizing now that I had never seen them before which is a bit funny). Although the crowd was a bit boring, Daisyhead put on a lively and energetic show that included “Dishonest”, “Neck”, and “Wonder”. They definitely deserved more crowd participation, as well as a larger audience!
Gatherers
The Crowbar had heavier bands playing there throughout the night, and that’s where we watched Gatherers. This year marks their second time playing at Fest, and they kicked off their set with a high energy performance that mixed strong vocals, a raw sound, and funny banter with the crowd. “I Have Seen Mountains”, the second song that they played from Caught Between A Rock And A Sad Place, is definitely worth listening to. They’re a hardcore / punk band from N.J, and are currently on tour with Old Wounds (who we saw later on, don’t worry) so check them out if they have a date nearby.
Restorations
We headed back to the Orpheum after watching Gatherers to check out Restorations. They put on an incredibly impressive set that mixed a laid back vibe with loud, raw vocals. Although they’re a five piece, one of their guitarists doubles as their keyboardist as well. Giving off a sort of punk meets psychedelic vibe, it was easy to get lost in their music. The venue was filling up as they played, and everyone that was already there looked like they were having a great time. You could tell from the bands body language and expressions that they love what they do.
Xerxes
After Restorations, it was back to the Crowbar to see Xerxes. Fronted by Calvin Philley, who has consistently strong vocals that transition cleanly between singing and screaming, they drew a decent sized crowd for the small venue. Although their set had minimal interaction with the crowd between songs and ended abruptly, their performance was intense and included the song “Collision Blonde” which you can check out along with their other music right here.
Old Wounds
This four piece hardcore band from N.J was the heaviest band of the day so far. Five minutes into the set people were going crazy and opening a pit. With an infectious stage presence, you could see the passion for music in their vocalists face as he jumped around the stage and instructed the crowd to, “put your horns together for me!” If you haven’t already checked them out, you’re messing up.
Into It. Over It.
With the crowd singing along the entire time, Into It. Over It.’s acoustic set was packed full of fans and included “Midnight: Carroll Street”, “P R O P E R”, and poking fun at himself for sitting on stage in the past while performing acoustically. Evans light hearted banter with the audience durring his performance makes him seem so personable and humble.
Mewithoutyou
Mewithoutyou played at The Orpheum to a rowdy crowd that seemed to be getting more pumped for Pre Fest as the night went on. Their energetic stage presence could be seen with the band jumping around while the audience was singing along with every word.
Drug Church
Playing at the Crowbar, this five piece dove right into their set. Their vocalist, Patrick, is extremely animated and his energy was reflected in the crowd– I witnessed my first stage dive of Pre Fest during their set!
The Menzingers
The last band to play at The Orpheum was The Menzingers. Kicking off their set with “Good Things”, people were running on stage, crowd surfing, and stage diving for the better part of their performance. Each time that I’ve seen The Menzingers live, the venue has been filled with positive vibes– this time was no different.
