Sing It Loud & Forever: The Sickest Kids Rock The Empire

I acquired a guest list spot for the Sassyback Tour show at Empire on October 28 with Cobra Starship, Forever The Sickest Kids, Hit The Lights and Sing it Loud. Since I was there, I figured I could put my time to good use and write about it. I was most impressed with the opening band, Sing it Loud. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I do like Forever The Sickest Kids, too.

Arriving at the show, I felt like I could have been at a Hanna Montana show. The line of teens wrapped around Empire and across the street, past the light rail station almost two blocks away. They were all wearing their band shirts, Converse shoes and sporting an almost ’80s look with bright mismatching colors. In my band shirt and Converse, I too joined the line.

Inside, the band’s merch was lined up along one wall, and the sound board was in an “in the way” spot, making everyone have to walk around it to get to the main area in front of the stage. The show started a little bit late, and as Sing It Loud went on, the crowd was surprisingly louder than I expected. Empire was a little over half full, and I would have guessed there were over 300 people, but not quite 500. I thought that was a pretty good turnout! As Sing it Loud started their set, I expected another melodic pop rock band whose songs I can’t decipher one from another to play. I was caught off guard, as the band struck me as different. Their songs didn’t bleed into each other, their energy was all over the stage. They interacted very well with the crowd and by the third song, they had everyone in the place jumping. In talking to the band, I explained to them that doesn’t really happen so much in Sacramento, especially for opening bands. I really wanted to get more pictures, but my camera battery died.

The second band was Hit The Lights. I didn’t pay much attention to their set because I was busy wandering around talking to people. Their music didn’t grab me, or keep my attention. I watched the first two songs or so and I started to get bored. They had good energy but they were very predictable. Their singer had good charisma, but he was slightly off the entire show. Maybe he was sick? I would definitely take a listen to them online, and give them another chance but, as for this show, I wasn’t impressed. They should have opened the show.

After a too-long set change, Forever The Sickest Kids was next. They sported their large backdrop on both sides of the stage and owned the crowd. They had everyone clapping and singing along to almost every song. They had quite a few kids manage to get their way up on to stage in the middle of their set to hug one of them or dance around. In true rock show fashion security grabbed them up pretty quick. I didn’t get this one kid who went up there. Once he got up there and danced around, he didn’t actually know the words to the song. Maybe he just wanted to get on stage? The members of the band are a solid group of entertainers. They do it well. I found out later that two of the guys in FTSK were sick, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell from their performance. They were also predictable, much like Hit The Lights, but they seemed to just have more collective confidence in their performance than Hit The Lights.

An even longer set change time passed and then Cobra Starship went on. At this point, I had a bit to drink and was socializing with Sing it Loud and a few other friends. Most of what I can remember about Cobra’s set is that the crowd was louder and sang along to every song, and the lights! They had epilepsy-inducing flashing lights all over the stage – which coincided with their songs. With the flashing lights and an energy that needed a bigger stage they were obviously the headliners. A few fans I talked to were a little disappointed because the band didn’t play one of their favorite songs. Cobra Starship fans are a little more picky than other fans I have noticed. They’ve kind of got a cockiness to being a fan.

My favorite band of the night was Sing It Loud, and I got a chance to hang out with them quite a bit after the show. I didn’t know much about the band before seeing them. They are signed to Epitaph and have been on tour almost since their signing. They have landed some pretty good spots with bands like Valencia and this current tour with Cobra Starship. I have a feeling it won’t take this band very long to get their own headlining tour, easily in 2009. So check them out online at www.myspace.com/singitloud