THIRD TIME'S A CHARM (?)

I'm a little late to the party, but hey, at least it's still a party, right? If you didn't catch it, you missed out on one hell of a show last Saturday. I know there's a lot of shows left, but this is going to be one difficult night to top.

LOOM opened the show with a barrage of lights and intensity, and it's apparent that this band loves nothing more than playing music. It's refreshing to see that kind of thing in a day when so many bands are merely looking for a way to get paid. I'd never seen LOOM play live before, but the buzz around them has been building steadily over the past year, and I'm glad I finally got a chance to see what they were all about. They have such a unique sound and every instrument is utilized to its full potential, that nothing ever comes across as a gimmick. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

SUBROSA was up next and this was another band I'd never seen live. Unlike the night's opener however, I'd never even heard them. I'd heard of them, and they're another band with a bit of buzz around the city, but I'm always skeptical when it comes to both hype and buzz. Those two things lead to expectations, and sometimes those expectations are unattainable no matter how good a band might be. Luckily for me (and SUBROSA for that matter), they are good and lived up to all my expectations. The dueling violins is a great asset to have, and anyone that's ever said ladies no nothing about heavy music obviously hasn't been treated to a set by this band.

One band left, and they saved the best for last.

Years and years ago, I saw Form of Rocket's first show when both Peter and Curtis played guitar and a guy named Ryan sang. I bought a demo (that I still have by the way), listened to it and knew these guys were on to something. I saw them a handful of times at local spots like Kilby Court and Area 51 (where they opened for Botch), but as the years went on and they started playing more and more bar shows, I stopped going. I loved the band, but hated driving home smelling like I'd just rolled around in a giant ashtray. With the new smoking ban, this would be my first chance to see one of the best Salt Lake Bands of all time in more than half a decade. FORM OF ROCKET took the stage and I remembered all the reasons I loved them in the first place. Tyler and Ben are one of the most dynamic rhythm sections around which leaves the guitarists more than enough room to create the bands signature sound. They played with more heart and energy than I ever remembered, and left everyone in that bar cheering for more.

FORM OF ROCKET definitely earned the headlining spot, but every band deserves every vote they get. Like I said, this night will be hard to top.
(Trevor Hale)