By Jessica Paul
I felt the need to allude to the infamous phrase that best describes the bands I witnessed around Denton on Thursday night.
Glen Farris
I've seen Glen perform at multiple venues around the Denton area since last fall, and I must say that the man has quite the talent. The folk song-writer was the first to perform at Sweetwater on Thursday and he started off the night well. The entire set was very enjoyable and Farris never fell short of perfection. Glen's music is a gem of the music scene in Denton and I have found few who can perform so well as him. If anything was to be complained about, it was the amount of time the song-writer performed. Mr. Farris could have played all night and he would have had at least one fan sticking around.
Seryn
I'm going to be bluntly honest when I say that this was the one band I was most excited to see this weekend, even more so than The Flaming Lips. Call me crazy, but this band has become an incredible success in Denton since it's formation last spring. The five-member group radiates passion in every single one of their songs, and I find myself craving more every time. This was my fifth time to see the band perform, and just as it is every time, the performance was flawless. There seems to be an almost Arcade Fire-inspired influence with its variety in instrumentation and vocals. Nonetheless, this band will go far and it's already proved that assumption with its first album, according to Nathan James Allen, one of the members of Seryn, expected to be out next September. Set to play at this week's SXSW in Austin, the band has proved itself to be a promising addition to Denton's success in the music field. Seryn's performance was an absolute joy to witness; they'll be playing in Urban Outfitters faster than we can say "indie".
Saboteur
This group was the main reason for this post's title. Nothing good can be said about this performance, and I almost want to refrain from using the word "band". Asking others what they thought after the set at Hailey’s, "nonsense" and "noise" were probably the most popular choice of descriptors. I honestly have no idea how this band made the line-up for NX35. This statement is not biased; I appreciate punk bands and what they've brought to the music scene. Saboteur, however, has done none of this. The four-member group was painful to hear and I found myself covering my ears in an attempt to save them. What I would describe their sounds as would be, simply, noise. There were no melodies, no harmonies, and nothing that this group, musically, excelled at. I found myself rejoicing in ecstasy when the band announced that it was playing its final song, and was shocked at the amount of people who looked to be in just as much pain as I did. Maybe this was just not Saboteur's night. Maybe they just should never have another night of performing. Either way, it should have been dropped from the music festival's list. ASAP.
The Crash That Took Me
This group ultimately has potential. However, nothing about Thursday night's performance at Hailey’s would have given me reason to think so. In essence, the seven-member group that is The Crash That Took Me brings a lot to the table with the band's sound. And to be honest, it doesn't mesh well. With guitar, violin, keyboard, and drums, the band has an overcompensated amount of, well, stuff, to be able to be considered anything close to a coherent group. The melodies were difficult to pick out, and I was completely distracted by the lead singer who resembled more of a hippie who never grew out of the 70's than an actual guitar player. In his mind, he must have thought he was jamming. With the lead singer and his counter-part also singing, the violinist, I came to the conclusion that the violinist was better off leaving this group and starting another band. Her talent exceeded that of any other member, and I'm not really sure how she's stuck with them this far. However, the band did have its good moments. Some songs, after visiting their Myspace, are clearly great music samples; the live performance is not a direct reflection of this. Overall, I would not recommend seeing this group live unless you have some strange desire to play witness to a cacophony of sound. Only then would I actually start to judge you.
This Will Destroy You
At this point, I was thoroughly convinced that Thursday night’s music could only get better, and I was right. Hailing from San Marcos, the four-member group put on a crowd-pleasing show, albeit a much later performance time than anticipated. However, I would say the wait was worth it. The band’s post-rock sound gives hints of an Explosions in the Sky concept, and the group’s two albums give reason to believe so. The only complaint I would give would be the group’s last song, which was almost a musical face-plant. Announced halfway through the band’s performance, the drummer’s birthday was apparently that night. Jeremy Galindo, one of the guitarists, had found reason to intoxicate himself to the point of almost not being able to finish the set. As a result, the guitarist was told by his band-mates to just cease playing halfway through their last song in an attempt to refrain from a total epic fail ending. As disappointing as that was, This Will Destroy You was certainly a wonderful way to end the night.
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