There was a lot to love about the band's performance, despite lead singer Brandon Rike not being in great voice. Zack Miles and Dusty Redmon's beguiling yet piercing guitar licks, in conjunction with thunderous percussive work by Jesse Sprinkle, made the all ages show well worth my while.
Here's what I didn't much care for about my Dead Poetic experience. I did not enjoy being the only one, besides the inevitable creepy guy who looks like he eats, drinks and showers at the Launchpad, who wasn't 14 years old.
This has become an unmistakable pattern associated with the last dozen (or so) all ages shows I've attended. I consistently find myself surrounded by youths, frenetically chatting about someone throwing too many elbows in the pit or their makeup being smudged beyond repair.
I want to stress here that I am not against all ages shows. As a law-abiding 20-year-old young man, I would be unable to attend any concerts if they were exclusively for the drink-buying crowd. I can honestly say, however, that after last night, I have never wanted more to be a part of said crowd.
I was content to watch Dead Poetic's performance from the relative safety of the far back of the crowd. As I watched the swirling chaos of the pit inching towards me, I found myself wishing that the sweaty mass of young teens would just “mellow out!”
In conclusion, I would like to invite everyone reading this to come out to the next all ages show asap. You might even see me there. I'll be the guy who's too young to sit at the bar, but who looks like he could use a cold one.
