The fun began in the week preceding the show. The Landmark theater is historic and ornate, that just telling people about the show became a bit of an inside joke (known only to me) to tell people what my plans were for Saturday. "You're seeing a show at the Landmark?" they'd say, and I'd reply "Yep! The Front Bottoms!" at which point they would look confused, and I'd laugh, mostly at them for being unaware of The Front Bottoms in the first place. Often times when reviewing a show, I'm unfamiliar with the band and have to look to the crowd to gage if they were got what they came for, but that was not the case this night. I know the band, I know the songs, I had EXPECATATIONS.
The merch line stretched the width of the lobby the whole night.
Luckily, I wasn't alone. There seemed to be plenty of people in the Syracuse area who do know about The Front Bottoms. People were lined up early to get in, and the line at the merch table did not let up once, which led to the one dark note of night: by the time I ventured to the merch table, the tour shirt was sold out of every size except small and XXXL.
Alex Lahey
Opener Alex Lahey and her band successfully pulled the crowd all the way from their dinnertime food comas to standing in their seats and singing along. While they may hail from OZ (Australia), they actually had a connections to Syracuse! The sister of her bassist had attended SU. Ms. Lahey's songs are straightforward indie rock, well executed and catchy as hell. The whoa-o sing-along part of the song she closed her set with has been stuck in my head since the show. Ms. Lahey was unabashedly personable both on stage and off. A highlight of the night for me was witnessing her interact with a young girl at the merch table. The merch table was mobbed on all sides with people looking for tees and autographs, and she took the time to have a brief conversation and take a photo with the girl who had to have still been in elementary school. It was just a moment of genuine humanity and kindness, at a rock show.
The Front Bottoms' Brian Sella
The Front Bottoms put on an outstanding show and the crowd ate it up. At points the crowd was singing nearly as loud as the PA, bringing to mind the crowds from arena shows for legendary acts like Pearl Jam. All around me were smiling faces and people dancing in their seats. Unfortunately, the Landmark required the audience stay at their seats. Had the night been a GA show, I can only imagine how electric this crowd could have been.
This level of enthusiasm was pervasive throughout the crowd
Despite being a 3,000 seat theater with a full balcony, the show was surprisingly intimate. There was plenty of interaction between the crowd and the band. It's kind of funny how bands will ask for request and then everyone yells all at once, creating a deafening roar, with everyone thinking that somehow the singer will hear ANYONE clearly. All told they played 25 songs, spanning their catalog. Following the main set was a 3 song encore. When they came back to play "Au Revoir" to open their encore, Brian Sella engaged in a bit crowd-approved pandering by wearing an SU tee. They closed the night on a high note with crowd favorite "Twin Size Mattress." From front to back, top to bottom, The Front Bottoms' show was a Landmark success!
See more from the night!
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