#dawn over zero

[themusicenthusiast]

Wednesday, February 24th, 2016 – An All New Dawn Over Zero Treats Dallas Fans to Classic Hits and New Cuts During High-energy Set

Over the last couple years or so, Dawn Over Zero has been fairly quiet. The rock outfit that calls Austin home hadn’t been up to Dallas in at least two years, maybe longer. Their show schedule had been pretty limited as well, leading me (and surely others) to wonder if after ten plus years the machine was winding down. I hoped that wasn’t the case. The last time I had actually seen DOZ was nearly three years ago, at the Heart of Texas Rockfest in Austin during SXSW, and that had been about three years too long. Needless to say, when they announced they’d be supporting Dead Letter Circus for the bands three shows in Texas, I was pretty elated, especially in seeing that Gas Monkey Bar & Grill in Dallas was one of the places they were hitting. It was 8:58 when they stepped on stage, and the changes they’ve made since they were last in Dallas were quite evident. No longer a four-piece rock outfit, they’ve expanded to five, Jared Mears now handling the second guitar, freeing up Mike Mears to just be a frontman.

“How you been, Dallas?!” he asked, clearly happy to be back after such a long time away. They had a nice gathering of fans out, all of whom roared in response, while Jared and fellow guitarist Steven Abbenante, as well as Jonathan Boyce and Kevin Abbenante, bassist and drummer, respectively, began setting up their first number. Their brief 28-minute long set was a hodgepodge of their career, beginning with “Caricatures”, the lead track from their most recent album, 2011’s Unity & Division. It was a fierce start to the nonstop set; the entire show benefitting from the newfound freedom Mike had as he raced and prowled about the stage, finishing the song — that at times had him showcasing the falsetto side of his voice — crouched down with his arms outstretched. He appeared to be basking in the love and fanfare they were getting. “It feels SO good to be back,” he commented as they segued things directly into their next number. That SXSW show I mentioned from a few years back was one where the band gave out a USB drive with a brand new song on it to all of those who watched their set. At least at that time the file was named “Schizzo”, and that was the track they broke out at this point. Even though I hadn’t heard it live before, for some reason, it felt as if I had. Perhaps all the times listening to the recording. It fits the classic DOZ mold, being in the same vein as the music found on their debut LP, so just an intense shot of straightforward rock ‘n’ roll, Steven wailing on his axe during and jumping about from time to time. “I see a couple of old faces,” Mike remarked over the fanfare both new and old listeners were creating. He asked if those longtime fans were ready for some “old stuff”, the boisterous noise signifying they were. “I remember when this place was Firewater,” he added, almost more thinking aloud as he seemed to reminisce about all the good times at that old establishment. The next number received a lengthy intro, keeping everyone guessing as to what it would be, some light percussion and more tapping of the instruments’ strings resulting in an enthralling piece. Rather abruptly, they officially fired up “Circulation”, and the longtime fans rejoiced at hearing DOZ’s oldest hit. I (and I think everybody) had forgotten just how amazing that song is, being nothing short of epic, though they were quickly reminded. It was one where some participation was required, especially on the chorus, “And when it all comes down to the rights and wrongs, will you see what circulates in front of me? Until the end of time I’ll be here last in line because of what I believe.” That was the pinnacle of their set, the quintet kicking things up several notches during it. Before continuing on, Mike informed everyone who they were, telling the fans they had been on more of a self-imposed hiatus for the last year. The reason he cited was they’re “trying to be good little rock stars” and write a new record. One would think that would have set up a new song, but no, they treated everyone to one more classic, “Out of Lies”. It was another one that went a mile a minute, Kevin being superb as he laid into his kit, setting the pace for everything else. Their time on stage was already nearly over, and they treated everyone to one more new song, a beast of one at that, before capping it all off with a cover tune, which everyone loved. They loved it to the point they weren’t ready for it to end, screams for more turning into disappointed sighs as they realized they were done. That’s how you want to leave a crowd though, wanting more, so next time they’ll be more likely to come out. Perhaps part of it was because it had been so long since I had seen Dawn Over Zero, but I would say this was the best show of theirs that I’ve witnessed. Sure, it was great to see them again after so long, but I don’t think it can all be attributed to that, though. The fact is, this is a whole new machine from what it has always been. Adding one extra member totally changed up the dynamics for these guys. It took a solid band that had found their groove and knew precisely what they were doing and allowed them to push things to a whole other level. Mike would move around when he could when he was pulling double duty as rhythm guitarist, but nothing to the extent he was able to this night, which only fueled adrenaline levels. It’s a role he’s certainly suited for; and it seemed the rest of the band was pushing themselves to new heights because of it. I’m glad DOZ is back, and they truly are better than ever. Hopefully their show schedule will pick up a little bit this year, and who knows if it will be this year or next, but it sounds as if fans can expect one more record form them sooner or later. Keep an eye on their FACEBOOK for info on future shows (like SXSW gigs), and be sure to check out their records in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.

[golf-course-tragedy]

I need another way To say it's just another day, and, I know I'll wake up tomorrow, And it's all the same

Dawn Over Zero

[beingawkwardisinevitable]

Visit Original Link

Out of Lies - Dawn Over Zero 

[themusicenthusiast]

Friday, January 4th, 2013 – Meridian

It was a little after eleven o’clock at this point, and approaching time for Meridian to take the stage. They originally had a CD release show booked here in late October, but due to Trees being double booked, their show got cut. And while they had not done an official CD release show any time since, their EP had been available at both shows and online. In some ways, maybe that did diminish the excitement level that usually surrounds CD release shows, but still, this was a CD release show, and those are always ones for the books. They ripped right into it, opening with “Re-digress”. I’m still not used to the new version of it, and couple that with the fact that I hadn’t seen the band in months either, and I didn’t even remember what song it was at first. I only recognized it when frontman, Tim Ziegler, sang the final line, “…Fuck all your politics. Fuck all your stupid tricks. Fuck all the things you say, words only get in the way.” Killer opener, and while I do still miss the original version of the song (which used those last few lines as the chorus), this new incarnation is more polished and has some sweet notes courtesy of guitarists, Mark Sims and Shannon Nedved. Following it up was their first song of the night from the EP, and that was “All Hands”. It was the best I’ve heard the song sound, and somehow it was also the first time I really took notice of the chorus, “I heard you call for me, but I could not be there, and you are wanting something that I forgot so long ago. And I have found the next best silhouette to take the place of you…”, which Tim crooned quite well, considering he was ill with the flu. Chris Gentry stepped up as the song concluded, and kept riffing on his bass, doing a brief solo which segued it into their next song, which was a newer one. Upon finishing it, they took a break, during which Tim mentioned his sickness and pulled out a bottle Singers Saving Grace throat spray. “…Let’s see if this works…” he said, testing it out, and also making a few wisecracks about it. They got back to it with their most aggressive song, “Nights Like This”. I’m not sure if the throat spray helped Tim or not, but it couldn’t have hurt either, because he sounded basically as good on it now as he has every other time I’ve heard them play it. A couple more tunes followed, the latter of which was an incredible sounding new one, while preceding it was what strikes me as being a fan favorite, and the chorus goes something like, “…This is war. The city is going to burn tonight…” Before moving on, Tim took a moment to plug their album. “…Let me tell you something about it. It cost eight thousand dollars to make. So go buy a copy. I think they’re only, like, five bucks… So at the very least you’ll have a cool coaster…” I already had plans to buy the CD, but hearing that only reinforced why I needed to. After he finished his speech, the sample track began for their next song, “The fire starts and ends.” It repeated a few times, with Tim adding, “With you.” to it to officially begin “Starts & Ends”. I said once before that was unsure about their tweaked version of this one, since the lyrics were what really drew it to me. But after hearing the recording of the new incarnation, I can say I still love it just as much as the old one… Maybe even more so. His voice may not have been one hundred percent, and while Tim has always been capable of a goofball personality on stage, he really seemed to let it shine through now, almost to compensate for the other areas. For example, during that song, he began thrusting his hips and humping the air. It was a nice dose of comic relief so to speak, and it only got better with their next song. “Lazy Eye” is another newer addition to the live set, and is not only a remarkable song, but was also the best one of their set this night. It just sounded better than anything else during their set, and while belting out the lyrics, Tim made his way around the stage, first to stage left to hump Mark, then over Shannon, where he proceeded to grind against his band mate. It was wrong, but oh so funny. “We have a couple songs left…” Tim stated, leading them into their “slow” tune, “Train”, which is also rather beautiful. That then took them to the final song of their 41-minute long set, as Mark began the song, before drummer, Joe Maurer, busted them into “Hey Lover”. Considering Tim’s illness with the flu, it was a good show. Though I’d be remiss if I said it was flawless. There were just a few times I heard his voice crack, or you could tell he wanted to step it up on a part, but just couldn’t take it to where he wanted to. I can’t really fault the guy, though, because how many singers would still perform if their instrument was compromised like that? I doubt many would. In every other aspect, though, it was pretty solid. You can find the bands EP on iTunes, and by all means, go buy it. You’ll be glad you did. They also have at least one show coming up, and it will take place on February 9th at Tomcats West in Fort Worth. The only bad thing about this show was the lack of people. It was an amazing lineup, but there were maybe fifty or so people there throughout the entire night. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but pathetic is the best word I can think of to describe the turnout, and it should have been much better than this. Oh, well. It’s too late to do anything now, and at least those who did show up where true, die-hard fans of the bands.

[sistermoonwillbemyguide]

Dawn over zero - Carry me home

[themusicenthusiast]

Saturday, December 3, 2011 – Part I: Unity and Division

Yet another night down in Deep Ellum, and while my main destination may have been another venue, I had to make a pit stop at The Bone.

Monte Pittman was probably the main draw for most of the people here, though I had never heard of him before. Apparently, he plays guitar in Madonna’s band, as well as some other high-profile groups. Like I said, his name meant nothing to me, but the name, Dawn Over Zero, did. It had been around nine months since I saw some of my favorite Austinites, and I couldn’t miss this opportunity. Their set time was 9, and they took to the stage just a couple minutes after. “How are we doing Dallas!?” asked vocalist and guitarist, Mike Mears. The place was already very busy, though everyone was caught up in their own conversations, and I was the only soul who made noise as a response. “No, no, no. That’s not what I’m looking for.” he said, again asking for some noise and got the desired result. “We’re Dawn Over Zero, from Austin, Texas…” he formally introduced themselves as lead guitarist, Steven Abbenante, took them into the first song, “Give and Take”. Mike began spitting the words out in rapid succession, “There were times in my life when I took a look in the mirror, and I watched as the day goes by…” I may not have gotten their new record until this show, but I’d been jamming out to the songs on their Myspace, and that one is hands down my favorite. Hell, I’ve loved it every time I’ve heard it, I just never knew the title. They followed it with the subsequent song on their record, “Kidney Stone”, then another real rockin’ number, “Short On a Dime”. Bassist, Jonathan Boyce, made sure to give thanks to everyone in between the songs, and Mike now took a moment to promote their record, stating that the songs they were doing could be found on it. That includes their cover of “Shattered Dreams”, which came next. It began very slow, with just Mike singing and barely playing the guitar, then, somewhere around the halfway point, they really exploded into the song. It seemed like they had only just begun, and they were already saying they had just a few left, with the single, “Carry Me Home”, being used to start wrapping things up. With the short set time they got, I hadn’t expected anything from their old EP, which made me slightly sad, since that’s the stuff I really know and can sing along to. And just when I was thinking that, they started their epic masterpiece, “Circulation”, to conclude their 28 minute long set. I really wish they had gotten at least another ten minutes, ‘cause that only would’ve made it that much more enjoyable, but oh well. The show was still really great, though. Now, for some reason, Mack Linan was unable to make the show, so they had Kevin Abbenante filling in for him. Before the show he said he was nervous, but he damn sure didn’t act or seem it up on the stage. It was up to the par that Mack has set, and in fact, Mack might should watch his back. (Haha, I kid.) Kevin did do a great job though. You MUST check out their new full-length, “Unity & Division”, as it is simply amazing. And apparently I’m the person to sell it to you, because I stood near their merch table as they rocked out on stage and had two people approach me and try to buy the record from me. You can also snag a free download of “Carry Me Home”, which is one of several songs on the compilation, Escaping the Ordinary: Volume Two. Again, that whole compilation is a FREE download.

Lastly, if you live near Pflugerville, go check out DOZ this Saturday, December 10th, at Hanover’s Draught Haus.

I should also note this was the first time I’ve ever seen a show on the indoor stage at The Bone, and the sound in there is immensely better then the one on the rooftop. It’s a pretty cool little place, just a little cramped with the tables in what is an already narrow section where the stage is at.

After that, it was time to head next door for some Quiet Company...

______________________________________________________________ A note to whom it may interest: I'm wanting to get advertisers on my blog. If you are a band, music venue, or have any type of product or business whatsoever you want to promote, e-mail me at: [email protected] for full info. I will tell you now though, I get good traffic on my site and my prices will be VERY, VERY affordable to even the most broke bands/people. So please, allow me to help promote YOUR product constantly, and not just when I do a show review. Venues, I can list all your upcoming shows as I do for the Granada Theater. Bands, I can put up an image of your album cover and link that to iTunes, etc. Let me know if you would be interested in getting in on this exciting opportunity!

[themusicenthusiast]

Feburary 25, 2011 - "...Now You Can See What You're Left With..."

Somehow, out of the nearly 5 years I've been coming to the Curtain Club, I'd never really been upstairs. And since tonight there were acts in both the Curtain and Liquid Lounge I wanted to see, using the upstairs made perfect sense to easily access both venues.

Dawn Over Zero, who was doing an acoustic set, was set to be the first act up in the Liquid Lounge. But by almost 9 o'clock the stage there was completely void of anything. And after some drums were heard over in the Curtain, we made our way over there to see The Phuss. Their set began with drummer, Trey Alfaro, pounding out some beats while the curtain was still closed. And when it opened, they blasted off into the best Phuss show I've ever seen. I didn't much care for their first two songs, they were very aggressive both in the music (which I didn't mind) and in singer/guitarist, Joshua Fleming's voice (which I did mind). The majority of both songs just seemed like they were screamed, but I believe they were newer 'cause I didn't recall hearing them before. And if that's the case the anger can be understood, what with them being dropped by their record label last year. Then they got to some material that I didn't really know, but had at least heard before. They've really tightened up since last I saw them, on Halloween, and what I did see of their set... I was kind of left in awe. Even bassist, Forrest Barton, who has now been with the band right at a year, felt like he belonged more with the band this night then any previous shows. About 9:20 they took a break in between songs and I made my way over to see what was going on at the Liquid. DOZ was on stage. And of course, at that moment, The Phuss began my favorite song of theirs, "Preacher, Preacher". Yeah, that's my luck. Check out their upcoming tour dates, March 14th at Lola's Saloon in Fort Worth. March 25th at Andy's in Denton. And the 26th at The Moon Bar in Fort Worth. And oh, they'll be back here at the Curtain on April 8th.

I missed a little of Dawn over Zero's set, but I don't think much. Because they seemed to play quite a while longer even after I got there. Just like their normal electric shows, their set featured mainly new material from their forth-coming record (which will probably be released in May), and even the older tune, "Take You Under". But, unlike the regular shows, I'm pretty sure they threw in some cover songs as well. It was a weird sight, seeing singer/guitarist, Mike Mears, and lead guitarist, Steven Abbenante, playing on acoustic axes. And even weirder was drummer, Mack Linan, beating on a conga drum. Aside from that their presence was also lacking, but I'd like to see any band create a presence while sitting on barstools. I'm not going to say I liked this better than them full on rocking out, but in some aspects I did. Mainly, it showcased Mike's voice even better than usual, 'cause without all the loud electric instruments to compete against, you could hear it in all its glory. It was a pretty good set from what I saw, but did have ulterior motives. Specifically to promote their upcoming show at Tree's with Drowning Pool, and they had tickets to said show for sale at the discounted price of $20 a ticket. Not a real fan of DP, but most the other bands on that bill sound pretty good. And it's of course a huge opportunity for DOZ, in which they need all their fans out supporting. And in a couple weeks, on March 11th, that is exactly what I'll be doing.

It took awhile to get those tickets, as the DOZ guys had to go pick them up. So after chatting with them for a bit and buying the tixs, I made my way back over to the Curtain and the tail end of Hello Lover's set. I didn't much care for the song I walked in on, which sounded like the singer's voice had been distorted a bit, and not in a good way. But then their closing number had me thinking, "Man! I wish I'd seen all of these guys set!" And then I find out well after leaving the club they have a CD out, which from the clips I listened to on iTunes, sounds pretty good. Just wish I had known that after their show. Their music is self-described Sex Rock. And really, who can't use a little Sex Rock in their life?

Next to perform was Secret of Boris. And while it wasn't "First Friday", Robert Miguel was still there to support and announce who he said was one of his favorite bands. "And they will be yours too, if you haven't heard them already..." he said to everyone. The curtain was opened just enough to reveal center stage, and as he left the band began their first song. And soon front man, Cameron Taylor, walked into view. He sang out the first few lines of "The Difference". "Maybe I'll just sleep all day. Away from the worlds view. Where I won't be in the way..." Then paused, as you could hear the audience singing out the next line. "Make some noise!" he shouted at everyone, while the curtain opened the rest of the way and guitarist, Taylor Walding, bassist, John Weiss, and drummer, Ryan Scherschell, exploded into the next part of the song. Frankly, I never would've thought they could top "Desert Blood" as the opening song. But in it's own way, this was an even better way to get the show going. "Desert Blood" followed, and it was very obvious that the crowd really came to life with this song. And during the bridge (?), while the most of the band was rocking out on the forefront of the stage, Ryan stood up from his kit, all the while continuing to lay the beats down. It was pretty epic, but then again that's one song that always is. "How many of y'all remember a band called Lame?" Cameron asked the crowd, referring to the bands old moniker. "Then y'all are going to know this one." he told them, as they cranked out "Tolerance". I just recently bought the album, "Nothing Ever Works", in which that song is on, and the record sounds just as good as the newer "Your Ghost", even though it's so different. (It seems to have a little more Metal / Hard Rock sound going on.) Cameron left the stage for the first bit of the next song, giving the instrumentalists some time to their selves, before returning to the mic just in time to start singing on "Falldown". Just one more song from their incredible album that I hadn't yet heard player live. And it was epic. They did a great cover song next, and then came what was undoubtedly the highlight of the night for both the band and their fans, as they received their plaque to go on the Curtain's Wall of Fame. You could tell it meant everything to them and they made sure to state, several times, that it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for their fans endless support over the years. And after all the thank you's were said, the announced the end of what ended up being all too short of a set. And most people agreed, as the booing and cries of "NO!" were heard. If only that would make a venue give a band more time. "This song is called Virus." said Cameron, as the band started into the song, "And it's about a girl I know right here in Dallas." Aside from the all too short set they got to perform, it was an incredible show. They put on one of the best, most intense, performances I've seen a band do, and they alone are well worth whatever the cover price is to get in.

Next up we had the New Magnetic North. I was expecting the entire show to be more or less the same as last months gig. But I should know by now to never expect anything (at least from certain bands). They had an opening track to begin the show. I don't know what it was, but it sounded like a low howling wind. And for me it conjured up the scenes you usually see in movies, where an eerie, howling wind is blowing across some desolate road, right before all the chaos ensues. And that last part was pretty much what happened, as eventually they started "Eleven", and the curtain then opened on them in full rock mode. The song has made its rounds in the set, it used to be the closer, last month it was smack dab in the middle, and now the opener. A helluva opener at that. They followed it up with another killer song, that was lacking in the harder edge most of their material, but I loved it and thought it was one of the best songs they did this night. "Minus the Fall" and "View of the Seconds" came next, which I've been able to familiarize myself with thanks to the videos of them from the show last month. They cranked out two more songs after that, the second of which was another one I'd say was one of my faves of the night. And it was during one of those songs that things accidentally turned violent. Vocalist, Tim Ziegler, had moved closer to the drum kit and had his back facing the crowd, and right as he decided to turn around, bassist, Bob McCrary, moved a little closer to center stage. And the collision with the head stock of the bass and Tim's face was inevitable. (My apologies for the rhyme, it was not intentional.) They both acted as if nothing happened though, you could tell Bob was looking at him to see if he was okay, Tim just kinda nodded, and that was that. Then, probably the biggest achievement in the bands history came next. As they too received a plaque that should, by now, adorn the walls of the Curtain Club. They of course thanked everyone for making it possible, and Tim even stated that the band had been working towards this even before he was their singer. Their set was now coming to an end, as they had just enough time for "The Owls Are Not What They Seem". The show was without a doubt better than last months, which is saying quite a bit. But I liked the overall selection of songs more this time. And talk about a show. Guitarist, Jacob Aaron, doesn't strum, he shreds. Constantly. And whilst on the subject of shredding, during one of their songs, while Tim was letting out a loud, deafening scream, Bob fell to his knees and I'm pretty sure shredded on his bass. Can't say I've ever seen a bassist shred before. Never knew they could. But Bob can. Definitely check out the NMN. Cause what I saw tonight, wowed me.

The House Harkonnen was headlining, but the two times I've seen them, I can't stand their music. I will give them this, they do put on a good show. But not nearly good enough for me to endure their tunes.

It was an astounding show tonight. And it was very cool seeing two bands get plaques. Out of all the years I've been seeing shows here, I've only seen three bands get that honor. I know there have been more, but not at the shows I've seen. And no matter what happens down the road, whether these two bands (God forbid) brake up or become the next big thing in music. They'll always be immortalized here at the Curtain Club.

[themusicenthusiast]

October 9, 2010 - Bringin' All My Friends

'Twas another killer line-up at Trees, this night to help Overscene celebrate their newest release.

Kennedy kicked things off, and I was none too impressed with them. As they began their singer said "Welcome to the badass side of rock and roll." Now, take the ass out of that and that's what their 30ish minute long set amounted to. Their music is okay, and they put on a decent performance, but their vocalist can't sing for anything. It was just real rough and not even close to being on pitch at any point of the night.

Thankfully the night improved though when Dawn Over Zero took the stage next, for their first ever show at Trees. Frontman, Mike Myers, introduced themselves to the people who were in Trees, which was probably a good idea cause I'm sure almost no one knew who they were, and then they got things rolling with a couple of their newer tunes. They were just finishing the second song (which has a killer, epic, intro, as well as outro), when lead guitarist, Steven Abbenante, played the opening chords of "Take You Under". And they followed that up with their masterpiece (in my opinion), "Circulation". I believe they did four more songs after that, including the single, "Carry Me Home", from their forthcoming album. The set was much shorter from the couple of times I've seen them up in Denton, but the quality of the show eclipsed them completely. Which is saying a hell of a lot. These guys really have an abundance of talent, and are far better live than I ever could've thought in just listening to their records.

A band by the name of Ursa played next, doing their first Dallas show. These guys must be somewhat of a big deal cause they had a mass of people out to see them. They even started chanting "URSA" over and over, long before they even took the stage. They were pretty good, and their singers voice really reminded me of the  singer for the defunct The Underwater from Pennsylvania, in that it's a little higher register and has a pretty unique sound to it. I didn't think they were worth the fuss that so many people were making, but I did like them and will definitely see them again sometime down the road.

Moving Atlas had the main support slot. This was the third time I've seen them in just six months, and they are incredible. Live. But every time I've attempted to listen to their recordings I can't stand them. Which is a shame, cause they do have loads of talent and they put on a spectacular show.

The night was all about Overscene, who had amassed quite a number of fans this night, to help them release their second record, the "Bringin' All My Friends" EP. Which was given away for free just for coming to the show, no matter who you were there to see. Their intro track was, of all things, a Country song. It sounded pretty good, but I thought a bit strange for a very hard rock band. It played for a couple minutes before stopping, and through the slit of the curtain you saw the stage lights go off. The band started into the first song as the curtain opened and then a few of the lights illuminated them. Vocalist, J.R. Munoz, was gazing out at all their followers, till it was time he started singing their opening song, "Off the Wagon". "YOU THINK THIS LIFE IS EASY. Live a day in my shoes...", goes the tunes first line. It's also the song whose lyrics bear the albums title, "...I'm bringin' all my friends. On my binge..." He even tweaked a portion of the song, near the end asking "Alright! Who here is coming with me!?" The crowd roared back at him in agreeance, to which J.R. responded "The lets go!". There was enough energy in that song as there is in most shows by other bands. And they still had about 50 more minutes to cover. They did a couple from their debut full-length next, "XOXO" and "Stems", before doing some more from the new EP. "This next song is about learning to take care of yourself before even bothering with trying to take care of someone else." J.R. told everyone. "Cause after all, we're the most important person to ourselves. And that's what this song is about, it called Time to Shine." It's pretty good, though I like the message behind the song more than the song itself. About 98% of their material is in your face hard rock, but took things down just a notch with their next one, "Don't Fly Away", which a little more of a love song. At least in my opinion. But the softer side didn't last to long as went into some more older songs, "Hate Myself" and "Here I Am", which I think they said they hadn't even performed in a year or more. J.R. gave a little speech about the next song they were going to do, saying it was one that they never play live, and some of their fans from West Texas had even gotten married to the song. It wasn't till he finished that I realized 3/5 of the band had left. Drummer, Michael Glass, guitarist, Justin Berry, and bassist, Erin Denis. Leaving only J.R. and their other guitarist, Toby Bittenbender, who had swapped out his electric ax for an acoustic one. I think they successfully shocked most of the people there when they started "Acceptance". It a fantastic song, and one of my favorites of theirs, but I never figured I'd hear it. And I really like the chorus of it, "...I am something. More than nothing. Accept me for who I am. Cause we're much better when we're together. I'm gonna do the best that I can...". And it's that line right there that makes me understand why people would want to get married to it. When it was done the rest of the band got back on stage, and they took things back up to the normal level, with "Missing You" then another new one, "The Battle Within". Next they did the only song from their new EP they had yet to play, a cover of Garth Brooks "Thunder Rolls". And I bet their version sounded nothing like Garth's. They pulled it off nicely though, and until reading the album credits I thought it was one of their songs, which is what I think every band strives for when they cover a song. And the thunder at the beginning of the song did sound pretty cool, as if a storm was just going to start pouring the rain inside of Trees. By this time they only had one song left for the night. And they made it very clear that there would be no encore. "Our encore is coming out there to celebrate with y'all!" J.R. told everybody, before announcing their last song, "Each Time I Fall". Which, in the case of most bands, they saved the very best for last. It really was an incredible, high-energy, show they put on. The only complaint I'd have is everything is turned up so loud, you can barely, if even, hear J.R. singing. For the songs I somewhat knew I was often unsure what was being sung. And for the ones I didn't know, I was doing good to catch ten words of what was said. And if they could just take care of that, I think they'd be doing even better than they currently are.