Concert Review
By Stacy Sardelli
Editor in Chief

Bands: Nightmare Of You, She Wants Revenge,
& Astra Heights
Location: Eagle's Club, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date: 04/20/06

The first band out was Astra Heights. They began to play but the Eagle’s Club neglected to turn off the Moby music, which was still playing loudly in the background. I felt bad for them. They also had to compete with a heavy metal concert that was currently in full swing upstairs. However, they had 75% of the audience’s full attention after the first 5 minutes.

I was feeling quite fortunate to have made it in time to see Astra Heights play. They were fucking awesome! Seriously, I was so blown away by their sound, their presence, their energy. These guys are fantastic musicians and they are going to be big!

I’ve delayed this review because I can’t quite describe their sound. It’s catchy, it’s unique, it’s fun, it’s the sixties, seventies, and nineties all mixed. They’d probably disagree but their sound reminds me of 'Just an Old Fashioned Love Song,' by Paul Williams meets 'Take Me Out,' by Franz Ferdinand.

There was so much more to their show than the music though. They had personality. A lot of it! I loved watching James play the bass. He was really feeling it. Mark was a powerful presence with his amazing vocals and an energy that commanded your attention. Mind you, these 4 gentlemen are easy on the eyes as well. Much more importantly, all 4 of them put their hearts & souls into each and every song.

Afterwards, I spoke with Page, who was at the band table giving away some freebies. She was kind enough to jot down the set list for me. You see, my folder (containing a pen and paper) was confiscated by the Eagle’s Club, along with baseball caps that others were wearing. One of which had a John Deere logo on it. What is this world coming to?

Their Setlist:
Never A Reason
Burning
Good People
Well Farewell
Call To The Underground
The March
Whole World Changes
Choices

I also had a chance to speak with James, the bassist, briefly. He stood by the band table with a genuine interest in meeting those who wished to meet him. He was extremely likable, made eye contact with me, and even patted me on the shoulder and shook my hand.

I love this band. Watch for their release this summer.

Nightmare of You was the 2nd band. Honestly, they left very little impression on me until the end of their set. They really needed more stage presence. Brandon, the vocalist, stared straight out at the wall across from him most of the time, making some hand movements. The rest of the band made little attempt to connect with the audience too. Frankly, I was bored and felt that they were either new at performing live or arrogant. However, it was like a different band possessed them for their last song, which I believe was 'Heaven Runs on Oil'. Suddenly, they were full of energy, looked at the audience, and their personalities really came out. I wish their whole show had had that same enthusiasm. It sold me in the end; I bought their cd online the next day.

It's important to note that Nightmare Of You has established quite a large following since forming in 2003. I love Brandon Reilly's voice and their lyrics tell great stories. I think that their self-titled release is magnificent. I really do. I just don't think they have that same spark live ... yet.

It seemed like a really long time for She Wants Revenge to come out but I am sure it was only due to my anxiousness.

The drummer appeared first and started to play. Soon, Adam 12 & Justin followed. The stage lights were dim and blue. Justin was wearing a large black hat. It’s was his birthday that day and he thanked us for helping make it a great one. They also mentioned that they have never been to Milwaukee before and that it was exciting to be somewhere new.

They played all the songs I wanted to hear (and there were many). They opened with ‘Red Flags & Long Nights’. Other well-known songs played were, ‘Out of Control,’ ‘I Don’t Want to Fall In Love,’ ‘Monologue,’ ‘Broken Promises For Broken Hearts,’ and ‘Sister’. The majority of the audience danced throughout their whole show. Justin also danced often, in a fairly controlled way.

She Wants Revenge were gracious and entertaining throughout. At the end of the show, they warned us that they would only play one more song. “We’re not the kind of band that does encores,” Justin stated. They then closed with ‘Tear You Apart’. Justin jumped off of the stage and sang amongst his fans. I didn’t need an encore, I was completely satisfied.

Links:
Official Nightmare Of You