The bitter cold didnt stop over 1000 Something Corporate fans from hitting the Webster Theater last week, waiting outside in line for hours to make it into the slightly warmer hall to take in the evenings entertainment.
The line, which had started forming very early that morning, had swelled into a very organized line that wrapped around the front and right sides of the building, going into the neighborhood behind the concert hall.
The first sign of fans being committed to their band: the time of the concert was listed as 7:30, but apparently most people didnt realize that the doors opened at 7:30 instead, and there was barely a complaint, despite the chattering of teeth and the foggy breath evaporating into the air all around the line.
After everyone finally made it in and squeezed their way into the main audience area (an over 21 area loomed above for those who were looking for beverages or for parents watching their kids), the opening act, Red West, performed. The crowd was not enthused, and it was easy to understand why: the band, while competent, didnt really offer anything exciting. One of their songs towards the end of the set was called Repetition, and considering how much all their music sounded the same, it wasnt surprising that someone from the audience mocked them, shouting out What did you say?
The most exciting moment was when someone threw a water bottle at the lead singer, who started taunting the fan who threw it. The only thing missing was the actual phrase Want a piece of me?, although I may have missed that. The over-21 area is definitely a good resource in those circumstances.
After a couple of false starts, Something Corporate eventually made it on stage. The crowd began to hem and haw in different directions as soon as the first notes of Hurricane led off the set, and by the second song, 21 and Invincible, people were falling over.
Crowd/band connection part two: Andrew, the lead singer, stopped the band to ensure everyone got up. While no one else fell the rest of the show, girls were being hoisted up and over the security fence in the front, a la the clips from David Cassidys Behind the Music.
The band was definitely in top form, despite the loss recently of one of their original members, William Tell, who had already been replaced in time for this concert. The band, which had some time off, definitely seemed energetic, and Andrew was brave enough to talk about his unfortunate drunken tumble down a flight of stairs.
The set was pretty straight-forward, grazing most of their more popular songs from both their Leaving Through the Window and North albums. They mostly avoided songs from their Ready… Break release, most notably the crowd-favorite and concert stable Konstantine. However, the songs they did hit upon worked up the crowd: Space, If U C Jordan, and I Woke Up in a Car, which had a Hartford reference subbed in that drove the crowd wild.
Also driving the crowd wild, an obviously excited Andrew, who was singing on his piano, playing with his knees and feet, and wearing a smirk on his face that showed how much he was loving the energy the night provided. He reached into the crowd a few times, and obviously was as into it as the crowd was.
Despite a really bad start to the evening with a painfully mediocre opening act, and an extremely long wait outside (maybe advertise the time the show starts, instead of the doors open time?), the night was saved by an extremely energetic performance by SoCo, making it well worth the $20 ticket price (once tax, ticket fees and the like were factored in). The band hinted they may make another pass through soon, so checking out their Web site wouldnt be a bad idea.
Judging by this concert, its easy to see that Something Corporate is really a live act that is capable of making a good recording, not the other way around – touring is their thing.
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