The All Stars Tour that rolled into town yesterday for a stop at the Agora didn't quite deliver. Jam packed with ten touring bands and some local support, the concert started in the afternoon and went into the night. However, with such a long run time compared to normal shows, this one never really got its feet under it. With the exception of a couple bands, most of the performances fell flat. You can see a slideshow of photos from the concert here.
Upon a Burning Body was the headlining band for the tour and last night, unfortunately, their performance just wasn't on par with that of a headlining act. Their sound was off the entire time. It's weird to say for a metal show, but they were just too loud. Everything bled together — the bass was too loud and swallowed the guitars and the vocals got lost in the mix all too often. The band occasionally sounded sharp, but those times were just too far and few between — not to mention the performance itself just wasn't exciting. Maybe it was the lack of a crowd that held the band back as a small audience stretched thin throughout the theater.
Before Upon a Burning Body went on, Dance Gavin Dance played largest crowd of the night, though even with the largest crowd the theatre floor was still half full. One take away from their performance is that singer Tilian Pearson is one helluva vocalist. His voice is incredibly powerful and sounds crisp and flawless live. Dance Gavin Dance's performance sounded great. The guitars were clean, the drums were tight, the screams were raw and emotional. However, the showmanship wasn't there. It wasn't necessarily fun to watch. While it sounded great, it seemed as though it was just a listening party and not a concert.
If Gavin Dance Gavin didn't meet expectations, Oceano surpassed them and stole the show from everyone. Even with one of the shorter sets of the day, Oceano had no problem delivering an amazing performance. They were one of the more entertaining bands of the night and took control of the small crowd standing before them. Being one of the heavier if not the heaviest bands of the day, they also take home the crown for most brutal performance. Vocalist Adam Warren's screams came from down deep. On the opposite side of the spectrum, his highs were just as well done. The balance of the two, alongside the fast drums and technical guitars, brought a unique sound that had them standing tall, alone and above the rest.
Another performance worth noting came from Iwrestledabearonce. While it wasn't amazing, it was definitely one of the better shows of the day. The band's technical ability was sound and their skill of switching genres mid-song was spot on. With female vocalist Courtney LaPlante, it's never been the question of if she can hang with the boys, it's been can the boys hang with her. Yesterday, she proved that some of the boys just can't hang with her. Her lows were brutal and her highs were just as devastating. While her singing wasn't as toned and tight as her screams, she was one of the best to grab a mic and stand on stage during the day.
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