Concert Review: This Means War Tour

Attack Attack!
The Ghost Inside
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk

2/24/12
9:30 Club, Washington, DC

I don’t usually go to shows where I don’t really know any of the bands, never intentionally at least. The only band off the tour’s lineup that I was familiar with was post-hardcore act Sleeping With Sirens, who I learned mere hours before doors had left the door a few dates early. Somewhat disappointed, I decided to make the best of it and check out some new music.

Vocalist Bertrand Poncet of opening act Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! took the stage in a panda costume. Along with his adorable French accent and pronounciation of Washington (phonetically, I’m fairly sure he said Woosh-ington), that was probably the most memorable part of their set. The Paris, France based band played an energetic set, a mixture of pop-punk and hardcore, and were a solid opening act for the two bands to come.

The second set of the night, The Ghost Inside, was the heaviest act of the tour. The LA- based metalcore band did not disappoint, playing a strong set of heavy guitar and rough scream vocals. They set the stage (and the metaphorical bar) well for the headliner.

Coming into this show, I’d heard a couple of songs from headliner Attack Attack!. In the absence of any other band that I knew, I was familiar with, I depended on them to play old hits such as “Sexual Man Chocolate” off their self-titled album. And play they did. The Westerville, Ohio-based act played an hour-long set of addictive electronica/metalcore. Of all of the 9:30 club shows I have had the pleasure of attending, I have never seen a larger crowd, nor a more attentive one. The connection between the band and the crowd was phenomenal; the second lead vocalist Caleb Shomo told the crowd to jump, the entire crowd (filled at or near capacity) was on their feet. The entire band jumped into the crowd at least once during encore song “Smokahontas“, with or without their instruments and much to the chagrin of the 9:30 Club security staff.

I won’t lie, paying almost $30 (ticket price, tax, convenience fees, inconvenience fees, etc…) to see only 3 bands is not something I’m willing to do often. But this night of moshing, crowd surfing, jumping, and destroying my ear drums was well worth the expense.

– Sara Schlosser

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/19009489]

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