I made it a point to see a show sometime during my weekend in Austin. I checked Pollstar on Friday and noticed that Emo’s was featuring a band called The Anniversary that night. I listened to the three mp3s on the band’s website and liked what I heard. It sounded like harmless emo-pop. I imagined the show wouldn’t be too thrilling, but at least it would be a show I could enjoy. Having not seen a show in several weeks, I was desperate for something to fill my music vacancy.

As my luck would have it, the two opening bands were much better than The Anniversary. First came Grand Champeen, who rocked. Their music was a mix of rock and pop with a tinge of alt-country. They displayed a good amount of intensity and general ‘fun-ness’ that was a breath of fresh air. The singer was especially energetic. He flailed about when the music took off and struggled to find his way back to the mic in time to sing. I thought he might hurt himself a couple times.

His vocal style was from the bottom of the throat and had a certain degree of grind (slightly Cobain-esque). The music was fast-paced and heavy but with an undeniable pop element. I liked them so much I just bought the cd from their distributor (as well as the new Deathray Davies album, who are on tour right now).

For another take on Grand Champeen, go here.

The second opening band was Cruiserweight, who I’ve seen like fourteen times but have consistently improved their show. The band sounded tight and Stella looked confident up there on Emo’s main stage. I won’t go into too much detail about their set, but suffice to say they've grown into a solid band.

The Anniversary, on the other hand, picked the wrong opening acts, or vice versa, or somebody somewhere messed up. Grand Champeen kicked things off with a bang, Cruiserweight kept the groove going, and The Anniversary stopped the train and forced everyone to take out their tickets and ponder how pop can be stretched out and turned into a quasi-psychedelic experience complete with soft harmonies and thoughtful arrangements.

While the music was unique and creative (and good) it didn’t fit the setting. I was only able to handle about twenty minutes of it before giving up. It was the kind of music I’d want to see while sitting down with a beer, not standing up in the sticky heat of an Austin club. So I’m sorry to say I didn’t particularly enjoy their show, but I did enjoy Grand Champeen and Cruiserweight.