This past weekend was no less than fabulous when one of my personal favs took over the Summit Music Hall for a sold out show! Opening up the night were three other stellar bands but none could touch the power Senses Fail portrays on stage. With the ability to command the crowd from beginning to end, I have rarely seen a band do just the same. Labeled as post hardcore, this band came to be back in 2002 from a small town of Ridgewood, New Jersey. Tonight, the only remaining original band-mate is the singer James “Buddy” Nielsen but the other supporting members rocked all the old music and owned it as if they had been there from the beginning.
Opening up the night with ‘Family Tradition’, there wasn’t a quiet mouth in the house. From the first chord, everyone in attendance was singing along and you knew this was going to be one epic night. I had been hoping that I would hear all my longtime favorite songs and I was not getting disappointed on this evening. With a brief introduction into the song ‘New Jersey Makes, The World Takes’, Buddy told the crowd this song was dedicated to his wife whom was diagnosed with MS two years ago following the miscarriage of their child close to three years ago. A heartfelt story with a new soundtrack as the backbeat.
Immediately launching into ‘Bloody Romance’ followed by ‘You’re Cute When You Scream’, I was taken back to the first moment I discovered their music… two of my most favorite albums; “From the Depths of Dreams” & “Let it Enfold You”. I was in heaven the whole night long as were many in the crowd around me. As the chords for ‘Buried a Lie’ began, you could hear the crowd as loud as Buddy’s as they all sing “Rest in peace girl, your death is such a shame, the paper said a bullet got in your way” …the crowd was dancing around as they sang and the circle forming around the pit began to get larger. Everyone was thrown back to the old days of Senses Fail, the touring days of when they were young; and now we see them so many years later, their songs becoming classics to us. One of my all-time favs they played this evening was “The Priest and the Matador”, providing just the perfect amount of acoustic downtime from the excitement of the show.
Buddy’s voice sounds as true to the record as it does on stage as he croons out the lyrics word by word. Most of who were there crooned right alongside him and holding their lighters in the air. Yes I said lighters and not cell phones …we keep it real at these hardcore shows lol *wink* They closed out the night playing another fan fav ‘Calling All Cars’ and ‘Can’t Be Saved’. I did not realize just how much I had missed seeing them live! Their music is so energetic and captivating live. Mixed with the lights and progressive change ups, you are certain to be moving the whole night through!
Catch Senses Fail on tour, to find out where they might be next, click on this link to be directed to their website!
Make sure to follow them on Facebook for updated events schedules
https://www.facebook.com/sensesfail
Thanks for checking out the latest and hope to see you at another event to come soon!
Ciao,
Bella