Amos' Southend

April 25, 2007

The Deal: Four bands do their best to bring the rock back to live music.

The Good: I won't say they were bad, but Autovein was a weak followup to opener Eve to Adam. The band had a difficult time getting the small crowd moving, though they tried their best. I'll give them points for effort, but even singer Bryan Roach noted, "Feel free to show your enthusiasm." When The Exies hit the stage, the crowd was up and jumping and ready to rock. Most of the crowd appeared to be there for the headliner, Smile Empty Soul.

The Bad: I was unaware that Eve to Adam would be playing on the bill as well. They opened the show with a 20-minute set that was little more than standard rock tunes that all sounded a little too alike as singer Taki Sassaris flirted with the women up front. On their Web site, they compare themselves to Nickelback and Creed — I guess that's why they didn't stand out. I'll admit it, I left before the headliner Smile Empty Soul. A small crowd was the reason the upstairs of Amos' was not open.

The Verdict: The Exies shredded their 50-minute set and sounded great after two weak openers. I give all the bands credit for trying to keep rock alive, but wish more people showed up.