On January 29th I got to see The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, along with the local openers Us &Us Only and Purrer. Although The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die wasn’t the reason I wanted to go to the show, the whole concert was an all-around great experience.
This show was my first time at The Metro Gallery, which I have been hearing good things about since I started school in Baltimore. I have to say, the venue lives up to its expectations. I went with my coworker, Steve, who has similar music taste to me and was equally excited for every band in the show. As we approached the Metro Gallery building, it looked like we were approaching a shabby bar. When we got inside, the bar vibe continued with dark lighting and a small bar in the back corner of the giant room. Walking in is like being shut off from reality by the black curtains that cover the windows, creating a world dedicated to the music. However, the best part about a venue like this is that the bands mingle among the crowd throughout the show and hang out on the couches in the room, giving the whole concert an intimate feeling.
[itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tree-that-bears-golden-fruit/id1133793603?i=1133793641&uo=4″ title=”Purrer” text=”Purrer”], a local trio fronted by Amanda Glasser, started off the night with their unique, lo-fi indie sound. This was my first time ever hearing Purrer and I was immediately amazed by their set. Known to cry on stage from time to time, Glasser writes deeply personal and emotional songs, which you can see and hear in the bands whole performance. Watching them move around on stage wrapped me up into their powerful sound, matching the emotion in the lyrics. Since the crowd was still fairly small during their set, the personal feeling that presented itself from Glasser’s emotional singing was intensified even more. Unfortunately though, Purrer’s set came to an end sooner than I would’ve liked, breaking the trance I was in as we waited for Us & Us Only to go on.
[itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/us-and-us-only/id589432050?uo=4″ title=”Us & Us Only” text=”Us & Us Only”], a local indie-pop band, was my real reason for going to this concert, and they did not disappoint. Before the set, I got a chance to interview the band about their recent signing to Topshelf and life as a local band, which you can check out here. By the time the band started their set, the Metro Gallery had a big crowd and Us & Us Only commanded it. Unfortunately, we had to miss part of their set so Steve could interview Purrer, which you can check out here. Playing their popular songs, like Rapture, the five-piece band had the crowd singing and dancing along with them. The set was high energy, which got everyone pumped and ready for the headliner, The World is a Beautiful Place.
It was finally time for [itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die/id463327806?uo=4″ title=”The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die” text=”The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die”] to start their set. This set though, felt more like one long song rather than a segmented listing of their hits, which created a flow unlike any show I had ever been to. Although I am not a bug fan of their music, this band of 7 created a great environment as their ambient, atmospheric rock soothed the audience. Don’t get me wrong though, they still put the rock in Psychedelic Rock with songs like January 10th, 2014, which the band members and audience alike would nod their head to while singing. This harmonious mix of calming songs and high-energy rock gave the perfect balance to their set and gave me a new appreciation for their music. All three of these bands fueled the live music fire that the Metro Gallery helps to keep burning with their unique sounds and energy.
Setlist:
Blank #5
Walnut Street Is Dead
Eyjafjallajokul Dance
Blank #11
January 10th, 2014
Heartbeat in the Brain
Gig Life
The Word Lisa
Haircuts for Everybody
Willie
I Can Be Afraid of Everything
Mount Hum
Smoke and Felt
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