This was an fun but unpredictable night which defied expectation. Like it was opposite day, nearly every expectation I had going into the show was subverted, thankfully with the exception of the performances being enjoyable. This off kilter energy started before a note was played. Doors were supposed to be at 7:00pm, they didn't open until around 7:15, and people were still bustling about on stage setting things up right up until Architrave took the stage at 7:50 to a small crowd of maybe 50 people. Achitrave's set was trance-like.
Architrave. This was the lighting for most of their set.
Unfortunately, the crowd didn't seem to really resonate with them. While there was definitely swaying, the crowd just wasn't very enthusiastic. It wasn't helped by the uneven sound quality, which was only a taste of what was to come for the night. The mix during their set was just all over the place. Singer Jennifer Maher Coleman's vocals came and went in the mix, and at points the other instruments rose to the fore, completely dominating the mix. Further hampering the proceedings was their stage presence. I hate to be critical of local groups, but Architrave just didn't bring any energy to the stage. Both Ms. Maher Coleman and bass player Paul Coleman spent their time on stage largely stationary and separated from the crowd by their electronics. I've seen other acts where the performers are similarly tied to keyboards but yet still manage to rile up the crowd or otherwise exude energy for the crowd to respond to, and that just wasn't the case. They weren't bad, but Architrave just didn't bring a rave.
Peak Ronnie Stone
Next up was Ronnie Stone. Ronnie's set was a cyberpunk spectacle. Ronnie and his DJ, Rosa Luna brought a stage setup with them that likely doubled the number of lights in the venue. His set was one of plentiful fog and crisscrossing beams of neon hued lights straight out of a Tron inspired fever dream. Where Architrave was almost timid, Ronnie's stage presence was just shy of aggressive. Dressed in a black duster with fingerless gloves and sunglasses that would not have been out of place in the Matrix, when he was on stage he was always right at the very edge. At several points he ventured off stage and into the crowd, stalking through it not around it, putting his face right in the face of audience members, as if challenging them to resist. And the crowd responded to it, answering the challenge by dancing and cheering with more and more energy as his set progressed. I honestly couldn't tell you if the stage persona was all an ironic bit or if he's committed to it, but if it ain't broke, why fix it?
Forrest Isn't Dead
The drama intensified when Forrest Isn't Dead took the stage. Their whole vibe was very theatrical, and felt very influenced by My Chemical Romance but with a less angsty, less over dramatic approach to the music. The lit up church window/tombstone things that had loomed over the stage since the doors had opened sprung to life, with shifting colors. F.I.D. also brought their own lighting, which stabbed through the smoke to dramatically light them with all the harsh highlights and pitch black shadows of a flashlight held under the chin while telling a ghost story by a campfire. Their set was pure energy. The crowd responded in kind, drawing ever closer to the stage. Energy was palpable throughout the room. The crowd was ready for Vision Video.
Dusty Gannon of Vision Video
Vision Video took the stage and sounded very different from their muisc on Spotify, with a lot more straightforward punk angst and distorted guitar to their sound than their records. Also, like a punk show, there was much politically charged talk. Topics ranged from of how fucked things are: the billionaire ruling class, the military industrial complex, LGBT rights, the upcoming election and voting, the value of a good balaclava, "good trouble", and... cats. Front man Dusty Gannon shared freely of his lived experiences, as a first responder, as an infantryman in Afghanistan, and as a person struggling with mental health issues like PTSD, and how it all inspired the music we were hearing. Sadly their set also bore the brunt of the worst audio of the night. The show had to straight up stop when after a song that was supposed to be rife with harmony ended up a surprise solo for keyboardist Emily Fredon when Dusty' mic just straight up stopped working. A charming and engaging front man, Dusty did an amiable job keeping the crowd engaged an energized while the sound tech diagnosed the issue and in the end had to wire up a whole new mic. In the big picture, the crowd didn't seem to mind, though apparently a few did leave, possibly having taken offense at some of the more political statements made from the stage. An attentive observer may notice there are fewer pictures in the gallery of Vision Video. This is not a negative result of their performance but a positive indicator of the crowd's enthusiasm. The crowd was so eagerly pressed against the front of the stage it was impossible to get other angles!
Emily Fredon of Vision Video
Overall it was an excellent night. If there is a negative take away, it would be about the venue itself. This was the second time The Syracuse Seen covered a show at the Song and Dance and it's now two for two for having sound issues, and in the big picture, having to halt the show for tech issues is a real let down. It should be noted that the sound varies SIGNIFICANTLY throughout the venue. Often times when the sound was worst in the audience, it actually sounded quite good back by the sound board. Syracuse needs all the music venues it can get, so I hope the Song and Dance figures out their setup. Not every venue can be Carnegie Hall, but it's really poor for a band to have to halt its show due to the PA malfunctioning.
Update 8/16/2024: Dominion, the promoter of this show reached out The Syracuse Seen on Instagram requesting the review be retracted, stating “…the issue during the headliner was not related to the venue or our equipment. You can refrain from highlighting the negatives of an event while still being honest.”
Having slept on it (literally) you can see: the review remains up and will continue to remain up. The Syracuse Seen does not wish to make enemies and endeavors to be supportive of the entirety of the Syracuse music scene. But! Artists aren’t the only ones who get to have integrity. We feel it wold be dishonest to completely ignore negative aspects of a show or venue in a review. To do so would not be reviewing, that’s marketing. While our tickets for coverage are often comped, they are clearly requested for the purpose of reviewing the show. We are not compensated for our coverage in any other way, and in fact we usually provide the photographs taken during the show to the artists and other stakeholders for use on social media, free of charge. When reviewing we generally put aside personal tastes and review based off the response of the crowd. The fans know what they like and what they came to see. If they’re happy, it’s a great show, if they’re not, it’s not. While we never want to hurt anyone’s feelings, we feel it is our duty as a reviewer to be objective and honest in our coverage so you, our beloved and few readers, can make informed decisions when deciding where you spend your hard earned money.
More from Vision Video @ The Song and Dance:
(Click to see full images!)
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