The Basement East // September 2019
OWEL
Tonight, the crowd at The Basement East was transported back to their middle school emo-wannabe days. The rebellious side parts and black clothes were daily armor against my anti-emo parental disapproval. Eyeliner was forbidden, but LimeWire was not.
The night began with the first opener, OWEL, an alternative indie rock ensemble.
Yes, that's a violin, and my excitement knows no bounds.
OWEL put on a mesmerizing show that set the tone for the rest of the evening. A six-piece symphony of instruments crafted an expansive sound, what one could truly call a perfect harmony. OWEL seamlessly blended the sounds of instruments not typically seen on most stages, such as a violin, trumpet, and a mysterious red tube wielded by the drummer.
The magnum opus of their career so far, titled "Snowglobe" is what one could call a seven-minute, thirty-four-second unconventional masterpiece. Its slow, simple beginning evolved into a crescendo. Listeners were taken on a journey of musical layers that complimented the beautiful vocals and violin melodies perfectly. Near the end, a moment of stripped-down sound evolved into a beautiful finale, leaving the audience nothing less than awestruck.
Violin, vio-lin, violin is IN.
Never has a crowd been so happy to arrive early to a show.
Have Mercy
Having celebrated a decade in the industry, lead singer Brian Swindle opened with a solo guitar performance with the rest of the band arriving on stage mid-song. The crowd swarmed forward and began singing along. "Let's Talk About Your Hair" proved to be a crowd favorite, a song highlighting defeat and lost possibilities. The less-than-happy song resonated deeply with the crowd, however, and even I was jotting the name of the song down to add to my playlist in the future.
I'm convinced the bassist is the 4th Jonas brother. Hair goals, indeed.
The set that started with a mellow pace quickly evolved into a rock-infused energy that excited the crowd more and more with each song. Despite my unfamiliarity with the band, I found myself enjoying each song more and more.
And then, the much-anticipated moment arrived – The Early November took the stage.
The Early November
As the emo rock band from New Jersey graced the stage, the few vacant spaces in the crowd filled out, and the excitement that OWEL and Have Mercy brought to the crowd lingered and grew with each passing moment.
As the band arrived on stage, they jumped right into their first song of the night, “A Stain on the Carpet.” The cheers from the crowd quickly turned into a collective silence, as if they were captivated by the unique voice of lead singer Ace Enders. Enders’ voice can be described as a soft and sweet, while also commanding attention.
The band's “Ave Maria” was a fan favorite, and the crowd’s energy shifted and skyrocketed as Enders began the anthem written for anyone with big aspirations for their lives, despite what the world may tell them.
“Didn’t give up at eighteen when everybody said it was just like the dream they had.”
The meaning of "Ave Maria" has been explained by Enders in the following sentence: "It's about being told things are impossible... this song is about ignoring all of that and pushing on."
The band played through their repertoire, including the emotional "Ever So Sweet,” which had the crowd feeling extra emotional. Then, they switched up the energy with more of their classic hits, which had the entire room singing along. As the show concluded, the band graciously lingered to meet fans, which added even more excitement to the venue even after the lights came on. After this performance, I can honestly say I am anticipating their next album and am eager to see what the future holds for The Early November.
+10 points if you can guess the number of guitar changes that night. We're estimating about 12.
