Devil Horns Were Raised High at Saturday Night's Four-Band Rock Lineup at Slowdown
By Audrey Kay xx

I've been writing for SLAM for several months now and through that short amount of time, I've been exposed to many different genres of music, some of which I have never really given a second thought about until this point. I have been going to a lot of acoustic sets, Celtic-inspired punk, jazz and blues, and I absolutely love it all, but what I haven't gone to in a while is a good, heavy rock show. I consider myself to be pretty eclectic in my musical tastes and I truly mean it when I say I'm into (almost) everything, but I start to have withdrawals when my Rock cravings aren't being satisfied, so I was really looking forward to the show at the Slowdown on Saturday. I saw that Cold Steel was on the lineup, of which I am a HUGE fan, so I was interested to find out about other local rock bands I could come to know and possibly be fond of as well.

I had just arrived for the end of the first band, Wicked Me. All around some nicely played generic rock. I use the word generic because there wasn't a whole lot that really set them apart from other good rock bands out there to make them stand out beyond the rest, but at the same time, it wasn't bad at all and was in fact enjoyable. I was pretty bummed to put their CD in my car and find only four tracks on there, but at least that means they have kept my interest enough for me to want to hear more of what they have. I think this band bears a strong resemblance of Godsmack (of which I am a big fan of) both vocally and also with very similar guitar riffs. Overall, I think Wicked Me does a great job with engaging the crowd and putting on an amped-up performance, which is great for an opener to be able to do, to help get the energy and excitement flowing in the audience for the bands to come.

Furiosity was up next and while they really had me in the beginning, they started to lose my interest a bit as time went on. First of all, it must be said that Jeremy Krieg, the lead singer, has a BEAUTIFUL voice. He has a perfect husky, raw voice that is ideal for hard rock singing. However, he kind of ruins it by going overboard with the screaming. If you're a Screamo band and that is your thing, then by all means, scream away. But I just don't understand why so many rock bands out there with awesome vocalists feel the need to scream just because they play hard rock. You don't. If you have a great voice, utilize it. I think it would do the band wonders musically if they just polished up the sound a bit. All in all, I think that Furiosity has amazing potential, and performance-wise, they can really put on a show. Therefore, would I go to another show of theirs' and know I will have a good time? Absolutely. Would I play their music in my car? At this point, probably not. But if they made a few small tweaks, I could see myself really digging these guys in the future.

Next up was Cold Steel, a band I saw a few months back and have just absolutely adored ever since. Not only are the 18-year-old twin brothers Alex and Matt DeBaise so adorable I just want to kiss their little faces off, but the talented teens can play guitar better than some people I know who have played for decades. Especially when Matt takes the spotlight for one of his several guitar solos, I just cannot keep my eyes off his fingers as they move across the strings faster than I can blink as he successfully carried out very difficult riffs. I'm just so impressed to see such a young group of musicians that had the dedication and passion to learn and perfect their craft. I can see in the way they play that this isn't just a "hobby" for them, and I can imagine great things are to come for this band. I think of all the bands that played that night, Cold Steel had the largest audience, and that went as no surprise to me. These guys love their fans and love to entertain a crowd, and judging by how everyone in the audience pushed and shoved to get closer to the stage, I'd say they have perfected the art of keeping the people's attention. Job well done to each of you, Cold Steel.

Next up was the headliner, Broken Crown. First and foremost, I want to thank them for inviting me out, I really enjoyed this band. They played till last call, and though it was getting late and the crowd was starting to die down a bit, they still maintained their energy from beginning to end, and kept the attention of everyone in the crowd till the last song. In fact, I'm pretty sure I counted three encores because the crowd kept begging for one more song, so it didn't even matter how many people remained in the crowd, the die-hards were there till the end. Broken Crown lists Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, and Metallica as some of their biggest influences behind their music, and I can hear a little bit of each of those inspirations is every song, mixed in with their own original styles to build something unique. The highlight of the set was when the band did a cover of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name". Whether you were way in the back or moshing up front, EVERYONE was rocking out somewhere, and though I'm not always the biggest fan of covers, they really nailed this one flawlessly.

All in all, it was an awesome night out, and really solidified why although I love everything that is music, I just cannot deny that I am a hopelessly devoted rock chick through and through.

Yours Truly xxx
Audrey Kay

Check out the bands!
http://www.myspace.com/coldsteelband
http://www.myspace.com/wickedmeband
http://www.myspace.com/brokencrownomaha
http://www.myspace.com/furiosityomaha

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