JESSICA MEDITZ
Asst. Life & Arts Editor
It’s pretty safe to say that not one person in BJ’s on Wednesday evening was bored.
Three local bands from the Western New York area took the BJ’s stage — Post Prom, Pale Hell and Makeout Tactics.
Expectedly, the crowd filled with the familiar faces who regularly attend BJ’s routine Wednesday concerts.
However, some newcomers were also present and there to kick off Halloweekend, or to simply discover new music.
This particular show’s vibe was different than that of other shows at BJ’s.
Last Call Entertainment, (intentionally or not) usually seems to group together bands who have a somewhat similar sound — whether it be emo, indie, alternative or so on.
This time, it was an eclectic, multigenre lineup which created a contrasting environment for the audience and made them wonder what kind of sound would be coming next.
Makeout Tactics was the show’s opening act.
The band’s seven members crowded the little BJ’s stage, but in the best way.
Self-described as a “real mixed bag,” the band showed the audience that they live up to that title.
It’s hard to classify Makeout Tactics into just one genre, but indie would be the best umbrella term for them.
A good amount of their material winked and nudged at other genres as well, including bluesy harmonica sections and fast-paced, punky sounds.
“F*** capitalism,” said the band’s front man, which resonated with the audience full of college students in a grungy bar where the décor is primarily “edgy” stickers.
From the perspective of a college-aged audience member, it was easy to pick out one of Makeout Tactics’ main messages. Basically, that it’s okay to be young, unsure about your future and all over the place right now — which can be quite reassuring to many.
Songs that suggested this included “I Hate My Job” and “Where Did My Money Go?”
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that Makeout Tactics is a fun and quirky group of people with a unique sound and powerful message.
Pale Hell, the nu metalcore/hardcore band who followed them, couldn’t be more different in terms of sound.
The powerfully overwhelming voice of lead vocalist, Charles Sanfilippo, visibly took many audience members by surprise.
They performed tracks from their latest EP, “Twice Born,” which was released in August.
There were various highlights from the band’s set, including a track titled “Accumulated Arrogance.”
You could say this about every song of theirs: their raunchy lyrics and sharp, intricate guitar riffs were enough to make you want to start a mosh pit — which the audience actually did.
I was thoroughly impressed with Pale Hell and thought they would be a hard group to follow up.
Although the bar was high, Post Prom, the show’s leading act, had the entire audience on their toes as well.
Not only did they ring in the Halloween spirit by dressing as “Average Joes,” but they opened their set with a brand-new song of theirs, titled “Spooky Caves.”
In fact, they shared a few of their new/unreleased tracks with the audience, including “Jessica Hates The Future,” “Boston” and “Headrest.”
Post Prom’s overall genre is alternative rock, but their influences in emo and pop punk allow for a melting pot of sounds that translated live in an interesting way.
In addition to their stellar original tracks, Post Prom played two covers, Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and “When You Were Young” by The Killers.
I applaud Post Prom’s take on local alternative music, and the fact that they were so in touch with their audience, being that three of the band’s members are Fredonia alumni and are no strangers to BJ’s.
The BJ’s concert series is growing more and more popular by the week, and each show seems to get better and better.