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The lyrics and the music were fresh, and well sung instead of screamed.

Concert Review: Over It – Toledo, Ohio, August 26

For last Saturday’s show, it was the small stage at Headliners in Toledo OH, the five bands were using and with 300 or so fans in their late teens and early twenties packed into the small area, it was hot. Though the headlining acts were Amber Pacific and Audition, I was there to see Over It, an up and coming band from Huntington Beach, California, recently signed to the Virgin label.

Following two even newer bands, Over It took the stage abound 8:25. The young crowd was enthusiastic and energetic as they opened their set with “Think Against The Grain” from their second album, Step Outside Yourself which is being released today, August 29. It began with good guitar riffs before giving way to a pounding drumbeat, and was a great choice to get the show and the crowd psyched up. It became instantly clear to me how good the drummer was, he pounded the hard and fast beat not letting up for even a moment throughout the twenty-five minute set.

Up next was “Truth Is,” from their Silverstand album. The vocal quality of the lead singer was interesting on this song, one thing setting them apart from the previous bands performance. Another was how melodic the songs were; the two before them mostly screamed vulgarities. Over It seems to get the concept of performing an emotional, angst ridden, punk influenced song. Occasionally they give way to the passion, but it is amidst singing strong lyrics to a well-built melody.

From there they bled into “Waiting” which is also from Silverstand. A very hard rocking song, it got the mosh pit going and the crowd surfing started. As they moved into the next song, “Siren on the 101,” I noticed a problem from the technical side. The mix seemed slightly off and there was a bit of feedback midway through. Even with the technical difficulties they carried on, ever the professionals. The crowd seemed to appreciate this as well as they were even more avidly into Over It than the previous bands.

With the next song, “Dishoner Disorder,” it became apparent it was a new song, as the enthusiastic energy died down a bit. They were still focused, but instead of enjoying it, they were trying to absorb this new nugget of music, which is a nice piece with hints of old rock influencing what still has a modern emo feel. Standing back and taking notice was precisely the reaction I had. There’s a lot going on in the song, especially to take in for the first time in the live environment. Having had the ability to listen to it on the new CD for a few days now, I’m sure the audiences will soon be singing along to this one soon enough.

To wrap up the show, the band abandoned the new music and returned to songs from the previous album, Silverstand. Both “Shine” and “Partners in Crime” were welcomed by the crowd who seemed just as happy to be seeing this band as they were eagerly anticipating the headlining acts, eagerly clapping and singing along. Over It seemed to feed off their fans and ended the show with as much energy and enthusiasm as they started with. You would have never guessed they had played their hearts out for the past twenty-five minutes.

It was refreshing to hear solid and strong music out of a band so young. Both the lyrics and the music were fresh, and well sung instead of screamed. And seeing a young crowd just as impressed as I was by them, I think it’s safe to say Over It is a band worth seeing live as well as on disc.

About Connie Phillips

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