Show Experience: Boston Manor With Makeshift & Suburban Zombie

Sometimes, there’s just a band that has something special. Boston Manor is one of those bands. Between videos of their electric performances and the technical quality of their music, I knew I would regret it if I missed their show at Amityville Music Hall this past Monday. I was right: the show was one of the most fun I’ve been to, and worth every second standing in the heavy heat of AMH.

There was only one thing I would have changed about the show overall: The moshing. As the bassist of a melodic hardcore band, past punk bands, and an avid concertgoer, I am no stranger to moshing, but I have never been to a show where the people in the mosh pit were so disrespectful of others trying to enjoy the show. If I hadn’t ended up bringing my Dad this time around, I would have likely left with a concussion, or at least a black eye, from my typical spot standing along the right wall. As it was, I was stuck with a twisted ankle thanks to one particularly rude mosher who ran into another concert-goer in front of me and slammed us all into the wall. It was much harder to enjoy the show when I couldn’t put weight on one foot, especially when we moved to the back for fear that something worse would happen.

Moshing is fun, I understand—but please remember that not everyone is strong enough to push you back into the pit, and many others are trying to enjoy the show in their own way, too.

Thanks for putting up with my PSA. 🙂

The first band to take the stage was Suburban Zombie.

A local Long Island group, Suburban Zombie did a fantastic job of getting the crowd excited, which can be tough at a show where many fans are there exclusively to see the closer. With a classic pop punk sound made up of crashing cymbals and energetic choruses, Suburban Zombie was easy to enjoy. As a whole, the group came across as well-practiced and comfortable on stage, with great presence and chemistry between the members. When talking to the crowd, they were humble and approachable, two underrated qualities in the music industry. I was particularly impressed with the vocals from the bassist, which didn’t take away from his basslines, and the obvious enjoyment of the guitarist. Every member of Suburban Zombie clearly had a blast, which made their set even more fun. I don’t doubt that Suburban Zombie gained at least a few fans from their performance this time around.

The next band up was MAKESHIFT. While I had been hearing a lot about them in the local scene, it was my first time actually getting to experience their show live. They were well-practiced and professional in their set-up and performance, with an easygoing stage persona that allowed the music to flow well. It was clear that they were confident in themselves and their music: They didn’t shy away from the softer or slower parts of their set, as many bands in the genre do. MAKESHIFT utilized the spaces between notes well, as well as the transitions between verses and choruses, which were dynamic and interesting to listen to. Overall, MAKESHIFT was the perfect mix of heavy hitting and lighter pop punk/rock.

Boston Manor was exactly what I was expecting, but my Dad (a seasoned musician himself, and an old staple in the Irish music scene) was surprised and impressed with their set, which is one of the biggest complements a band can receive. While we both thought the band was too big for the stage, I won’t complain about getting a more intimate show experience with a band like Boston Manor. Their performance was hyper-energetic, but they seemingly got everyone in the crowd involved without effort. As expected of a band of this caliber, the rhythms were solid and practiced, enhanced by their own sound engineer, which made a clear difference. Their set was bass-heavy in the best way—I found myself closing my eyes to feel the booming echoes through my whole body more than once. The dark bass tones complemented the ambient guitar parts nicely, giving Boston Manor a sound all their own.

If given the chance to go back and see Boston Manor—or any of the wonderful openers—again, I would do it in a heartbeat!

Connect with the bands and see a show near you:

Boston Manor:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Makeshift:
 Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
 Instagram

Suburban Zombie:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram