NEVER SHOUT NEVER
Live at the Granada
On February 27th 2016 Joplin, MO’s own Never Shout Never rolled in to the Granada for what would be the last stop of their Black Cat Tour. They brought with them Waterparks, Jule Vera, and Metro Station. As we stood back and looked at the line waiting to get in we knew this was not going to be our normal brand of show. Pikachu costumes, teddy bears and lots of black x’s supplied by the Granada staff to indicate that they were under 21. Hey you got to shake it up a little bit every now and then; if I kept my blinders on I would have never experienced Ghost.
Unfortunately, we were not able to see Waterpark’s set although we were able to catch the set by Jule Vera, great young band out of Opelika, AL. Vocalist Ansley Newman has an incredible voice and is backed by some very talented musicians. They put on a very energetic set that had the crowd enthralled the entire time. I was also impressed with their Nothing More inspired drum solos that took place a couple times during the set. Even if you think they do not fit in to your musical genre, step outside the box and give them a try.
Next up was Metro Station, co-fronted by Miley’s brother Trace Cyrus. Listen, this is hard for me to do because I do not like to say anything negative about a band. This is not about their music because I actually kind of enjoyed it. It was catchy, had a good beat and was something you could move to. With music if you can give me that I am pretty happy. This has to do with the live performance. Trace, buddy, if you’re going to lead the crowd in some clapping, make sure it’s not during one of your bass lines. Yes, several times during the set Trace’s bass could be heard changing notes while his hands were nowhere near his bass. It was actually quite the conversation with several folks that were out front smoking. But hey, like I said, I did enjoy their music and am always glad when a band is broken up for 5 years that they are able to get back out there and “play” for their fans.
Rounding out the night in front of their giant back drop that featured a three eyed black cat with rainbows shooting from the third eye was Never Shout Never. Christofer Drew and the rest of the crew were welcomed to the Granada stage with a bevy of loud screams and cheers. The melodic groove of Never Shout Never took over the audience and kept them entranced till the moment they stepped off of the stage. There is something about an ukulele and a beat up baby grand on stage that can just set that laid back mood. I also learned that once you are done with said ukulele you can hike that bitch right off stage just like a football. Though the tour may have come to a stop in Lawrence that night, with the energy that was displayed on stage I doubt they will be off the circuit very long
Ace Sims – RockRevolt Contributor
