By: Tony Peralez (UTSA)
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In less than a month some of the greatest underground bands in the scene right now will be gracing the fine streets of San Antonio. Sunset Station will be hosting Toursick, which features A Day to Remember, August Burns Red, Silverstein, and Go Radio on May 12th (The day before the big Campus Socialite Party at the Ivy Rooftop!).
Sunset Station usually hosts some great big bands, and Toursick will be nothing less!
Go Radio will be opening the show, a younger band from Tallahassee, Florida. Former lead singer of Mayday Parade, Jason Lancaster leads this foursome into an alternative world that is in need of great lyrical majesty. Lancaster’s previous Florida native band, Mayday Parade, completely dropped Lancaster in 2007, devoid of nearly all credit from A Lesson In Romantics, their sophomore album that he helped write, produce, and perform on.
I was a big fan of Mayday Parade, but mostly because of Lancaster. Mayday is still a good band, but I’m not here to talk about them. Since then, Go Radio has hopped on the scene (August 2007) and I’ve been incredibly impressed with every new track and lyric. With 2 outstanding EP’s and a new album to be released in less than a month, Go Radio is one of the most impressive underground alternative sounds of this decade. Their irreplaceable talent will have you sucked in, if their intoxicating pen to paper mastery doesn’t.
Pay close attention, because if this kind of talent is opening, this is going to be one hell of a show.
Silverstein is another fantastic band that could very well be a headliner themselves. I’ve actually seen them a few times and let me say this: they get better every time. They’ve only been around since 2000, but they’ve known what to do and have done it right ever since.
After being introduced by a great friend of mine I immediately fell in love with this band at an early age. Their latest album, A Shipwreck in the Sand, is an outstanding musical achievement. It’s a concept album that tells two separate stories that tie back to the same recurring theme, the breaking down of relationships and the change that comes after. Their opening track, A Great Fire, sets the tone for the rest of the album and demonstrates their talent for strong words and music.
August Burns Red is another great hardcore band that has been through it’s fair share of music and member changes. Heavily solidified in metalcore, this young band has made a lot of progress for being just 8 years old. Their second album titled The Messengers was released in June 2007, and sold 90,000 copies. That’s no joke for being the first follow up recording to their EP.
August Burns Red has some nasty tunes that will make you want to mosh and tear down walls like never before. Listen to “Meddler” before or during a work out. It hits hard.
I know some of you are reading this and saying, “Who the hell are these people? How can TP like them so much and I’ve never even heard of these scrubs?” I’m sorry you don’t know who they are and if you do, I’m buying you a beer. But all in all, this is what I am here for, kids. I’m here to introduce vibes and sounds to you that you would not otherwise know about.
Finally, our headliner, A Day to Remember, will be closing on this warm summer night. Also a Tallahassee native, A Day to Remember will be more vindicating than a middle finger in the face of that kid in class who just won’t shut her mouth. These cats have a fresh sound of hardcore mixed with pop punk.
“It’s weird. See it’s funny because we have been doing this for so long. When we started, this stuff was not cool. EVERYONE told us mixing the two genres wouldn’t work. Hell, a lot of people still feel that way. We’ve just always played what we wanted to hear, and to be honest people weren’t doing it back then. We loved pop punk, we loved hardcore bands, and we couldn’t decide what to be. So we said fudge it. Let’s do them both.” –Jeremy McKinnon, lead vocalist.
Sounds a little different but trust me, its good stuff. A Day to Remember comprises a harmonious blend of light hearted choruses and hardcore verses that will catch you with your pants down. It’s like poison in your ear that you can’t get enough of.
Their latest album, Homesick, was released in February 2009, debuted at 21 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums and number one on Top Independent Albums. This young band is destined for greatness, judging by their recent accomplishments in such a short time.
So that’s Toursick. I hope you’re excited because I know I am. I’ve been looking forward to these guys for a couple of months now. It’s going to be hot so wear little and come loud because Sunset Station is going to be a great place to be May 12th. You can follow me on Twitter or on Facebook for the latest information on upcoming bands and shows. Come find me May 12th and I’ll buy you a beer.
