“Professional concert attendee.” Why can’t that be a real thing? Not as someone who is there as part of the press or the merch girl, just pay me to go to gigs.
I find myself most at home at a concert, buried under a sea of others like me, lost in a couple brief hours where nothing exists but the collective whole of the audience and the music people have come together to enjoy. Something I have noticed in recent years, however, is that people have stopped showing up for the opening acts, especially if there are three or four on the bill. But I have found some of the most innovative and incredible acts at some shows, just by showing up. Here are just a few of the standouts.
Awaken the Empire
Who they are: Frontman Damien Lawson, Shivan Somartne and Vince Fox on guitars, and Daryl Falconer on drums. Awaken the Empire offers a solid hard rock sound, equally heavy with electronics and real live guitars. While they have spent the majority of their time to this point in bars and small clubs, Lawson could easily fill an arena, moving seamlessly from guttural screams to engaging melodies.
Where they’re from: Los Angeles.
Where to begin: Awaken the Empire has been getting a lot of media attention in their short career so far. A visit to their official YouTube page presents potential fans with full production videos for four of their seven officially released songs—three of which were directed by Chad Michael Ward. Really, there is no bad place to start acquainting yourself with this band, but my recommendation would be their most recent endeavor, Rise and Fall which garnered the attention of MTV and was featured on their Buzzworthy site.
For fans of: The Used, 30 Seconds to Mars, Breaking Benjamin.
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