Riverside - 9/12 - New Brunswick, NJ

What a treat! A friend and I saw Riverside last night at the Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. The place holds probably 400 people; we sat last row center, which was also 8th row center!

The band put on an excellent performance. I have the three CD's (Out of Myself, Second Life Syndrome & Rapid Eye Movement), but the songs all sort of blend together in my head as having that 'Riverside sound,' and that's what the band delivered with power and soulfulness (as well as their unique take on "Shine on, You Crazy Diamond). The lead singer (you can look up his name; I apologize but it escapes me now) played his a** off on bass guitar, delivered both those semi-death metal growls and loud whispers when called for and sang with melancholic warmth. He and the drummer provided a strong rhythmic foundation for all of the songs. Lead guitar was excellent, both technically and emotionally, and the phalanx of three keyboards lent tons of atmosphere to the tracks.

While I was initially concerned that the power of the live performance would overwhelm the detail that you hear on their well-produced CD's, that was not the case. The live versions were different, but in a good way— they were extraordinarily powerful, often falling into a strong, hypnotic groove. There were several standing ovations throughout the performance from a very enthusiastic crowd.

The band played for an hour and a half, including two numbers in the encore; no complaints there. The mix was pretty good, though I would have upped the guitar by 10% and lowered the bass by 10%; I guess it sounds different depending on where you sit. No light show or graphic presentation, just 4 guys with their instruments and their amps, complete with extension cords running across the floor. Believe me, it was more than enough— these guys have n exciting future ahead of them.

I can't tell you how excited I was when we went upstairs and saw the seating for this show.  I only counted 270 seats! 

k, the set list:

AMAZING shots!

I second that, saw them last year at the Camden Underworld (another relatively small venue) and they were excellent. There's a lot to be said about the intimacy and atmosphere of these smaller venues and they would be my choice every day of the week over large stadiums (stadia?).