It has been quite a while since the last entry and there are two shows that I have been to that I need to review. So I will do both in this post, starting with the Farewell to Freeway show that I attended back in the first week of December.

I arrived at the show midway through the first bands set. They were a local band that I didn't not catch the name of and they were okay. The next band, A Sight For Sewn Eyes, was also local but not very good. First off, I'd like to point out that bands need to leave the Seeing-Out-of-Disfunctional-Eyes name cliche and find something original and legit, seriously. Onward to the actual bands.

First came a band called Children of Eve. They were pretty good. The singer was one of those guys who catch you completely off guard when they start singing. Based off a first glance, he didn't sound like he should have. Nonetheless, he was a good singer! Being so long ago, I do not remember specifics about the band, other than there were a lot of interesting guitar riffs and melodies that I really enjoyed.

The second band, Arise and Ruin, was a band that I saw a couple of years back that I hated the first time I saw them. During their set, I went to Wendy's to get dinner.

When I came back, it was finally time to see Farewell to Freeway, the band that had drawn me to the show. I saw them in the summer for the first time and I loved them (you can find that review in the guitar blog section), so naturally, I went to the next show that they were playing at. For their  set, they played a collection of songs off of their CD entitled "Definitions", which is an absolutely awesome disc. I am extremely biased with these reviews, but heck, they played great, were super awesome with their fans, and just totally rocked the place. I was lucky to get to stand around afterward and talk with Michelle and Richie for quite some time. We talked about their upcoming record and tours and such and it was sweet.

The last band to play was Straight Reads the Line. I had heard of them before the show, but never actually sat down and listened to them. They were decent, but I don't know if I cared enough to actually pay too much attention. I don't know if I'd go to see them again, but if I were at a show they were playing at, I wouldn't go to Wendy's for dinner during their set!

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Now, on to the second show. The line-up: Assassinate the Following, Kingdoms, The Artist Life, Protest the Hero.

As usual, the first band was local. These guys were sweet though! Again, I'm pretty biased because I'm friends with a few of the band members but they were awesome. Great guitar riffs, harmonies, and solos. It was a great way to open the show.

Second was a band called Kingdoms. They were very Underoath-esque. I did enjoy their rendition of "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton. I was definitely singing along the entire time. Other than that, the only thing I liked about them was their lead singer ripping on hardcore dancing; telling them they looked like fools. It was magical!

Third, The Artist Life went up. These guys are in my first review of the Means show. Again, these guys were the stand out band. A giant metal show with tons of (stupid) hardcore kids who are too cool for school and then The Artist Life: Pop-punk central! They were great again though. I stood front and center to sing along and cheer them on the whole time. A couple of my friends liked them but a majority of the reviews for these guys were lame (because pop-punk isn't hardcore enough). People are lame. They played an awesome set and got me very pumped for Protest to play because they were so enthusiastic. I loved it.

Last, but not least, was Protest the Hero. My favourite band over the last few years, this is the 6th show I have been to in that span. As usual, they were awesome. They played their usual collection of songs, Rody told his usual jokes between songs, and it was a typical Protest show. But it was still awesome. These guys rock every time I see them play; it just never gets old.

PEACE!

Tonight was the final Halifax show for Saskatchewan hardcore band, MEANS. This my third time seeing the band and I can easily say that this was by far their most epic performance that I've witnessed. Though the audience was the smallest of the three shows, every single kid there was there to support MEANS. Every person was shouting along the entire time and the band put forth extra energy to ensure a great show.
The band started off with their usual CD-opening track, Awareness. They followed with a mix of songs from Sending you Strength (including 'The Promise' and 'Connected'), To Keep Me From Sinking (such as 'Breaking In'), and finished with More Than Watchmen for the Morning's 'You Will Become'.
As a diehard fan, I don't remember a time during the set when I wasn't screaming along with Dylan and Matt, but come the end of their set, I still managed to yell out a faint "ONE MORE SONG". They kindly retook the stage after a couple minutes to play one more from their Watchmen EP, 'Never Walk Alone'.

The first three bands were decent. The Artist Life was one of the bands that I really started to get into. They were a little out of place being a pop-punk band in a hardcore show, but they were effective in keep us all entertained. The other two bands weren't very special, but they didn't suck at least.

Tonight's show is one that I will not forget anytime soon. As one of my favourite bands and after getting to meet them all back home in the summer, MEANS has left a lasting impression on my music life. They are great guys and it is sad to see such a great band come to an end, but six years of intense touring has really paid off for these guys. They will be missed by many, me especially.

I end with a quote from their song 'The Promise'. It never really meant anything crazy personal to me or anything, but it was the catchiest part of my favourite song, so it's fitting that I post it here.

"If you feel like the only one
If you feel like you're on the outside
I know there's one who sees you so you don't have to be afraid"