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Intensity in One City
Topics: Chiodos, MXPX, Protest The Hero, The Color Fred, Music Review, The Dome, April, 2008, Bakersfield, Bakotopia
Posted by Chase Tue Apr 8, 2008 12:28:02 PDT
Viewed 329 times
0 responses 2 comments Location: 2201 V St., Bakersfield, CA 93301

Intensity in One City
Live review: Chiodos, MXPX, The Color Fred, Protest The Hero, The Dome - 4/7/08

By: Chase Brockett   Bakotopia Staff

I am not a dedicated fan of hardcore music but even I can appreciate some of the talent that is floating around in the ‘scene’ world today.  Monday night’s performance by Chiodos, whose opening acts included MxPx, The Color Fred, and hardcore outfit “Protest the Hero” helped to harden my soft-core heart by the end of the show (so I don’t really have a soft-core heart, but it helped with my point). 

Again, I am not a huge fan of hardcore.  Protest the Hero, however, did leave me with more respect for the genre.  Or maybe they are just a distinguished breed from the rest of the Live hardcore bands I’ve seen.  Whatever it was, they did it well.

Fred Mascherino (former guitarist/back up vocalist of Taking Back Sunday) decided to launch his solo career under the guise of The Color Fred.  Following Protest the Hero, The Color Fred was in different territory altogether, which may have left the unfamiliar with a less than enthusiastic response (save the gaggle of girls in the front of the crowd during the set who Fred happily solicited for a response).  It always gets a bit awkward when the majority of a crowd isn’t responding to request for excitement and there were plenty of those moments, given the hardcore swing of the crowd.  To be honest, I was not expecting The Color Fred’s live sound to translate differently from the CD.  But with the CD sounding polished and like much produced pop-punk music out these days, the live set sprang forward with a raw energy that took me by surprise.  Fred Mascherino’s enthusiasm was as sincere as the songs that he brought to the stage, with topics ranging from the never empty “Love” category, to being in a car with a bad driver

Photo: Emily Becerra

MxPx definitely had their fan base representing them.  What old-school skate-punk fan can forget songs like “Chick Magnet” and “Punk Rawk Show”?  It was a nice surprise to hear them dip into so many of their old, pre-The Ever Passing Moment material, where songs created during that album and after, like “Responsibility” and “Young and Depressed”, strike me too much as old guys trying to retain their ‘cool’ status with the new youth.  Despite my distaste for that portion of their career, they definitely resonated with a crowd that was oozing with nostalgia.  And for those who know, but missed this one, Mike Herrera’s famous “bass flip” did make its appearance.

Photo: Emily Becerra

From even the moment Chiodos' equipment was revealed onstage, you could tell these guys had taken a lesson in stage presence.  But maybe it isn’t all that hard to have ‘presence’ when you have a crowd of 500 swell with cheers every time your name is mentioned.  From the second they hit the stage, Craig Owens grabbed the crowd by their attention spans and engaged them like an evangelical preacher on an anti-abortion tirade.  Strong performances of songs like “The Words ‘Best Friend’ Become Redefined” and “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek” helped to push the show into the ‘great’ status.  These guys have not been hesitant to roll through Bakersfield before, and they will certainly be making their stop here again, so catch it. 

Photo: Emily Becerra

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Comment From: matt

That was pretty intense for one sitting in one city... Comment From: DreaFrom661

It was a really good show! Being the old fart that I am...was more into MxPx and I love them! hahaha I took my 14 year old daughter with me and she enjoyed Chiodos so that was fun. I had to sit with her on the stands no moshpits for her! Overall it was good!