Live Music at Trailside Saloon

by Axe

Packing several high-intensity metal acts into a modest bar venue must be like building explosives. Swinging Noose Productions maintains a diverse but distinct niche in bands. Ranging from core to technical death and complementary subgenres, their regular event Live Music at Trailside brings this wild showmanship to an intimate atmosphere, with none of the pretentiousness of urban bar venues. With friendly staff and great deals ($4.50 draft Shock Top – large, of course – $4.50 Beam, $5 Patrón), Trailside is an ideal neighborhood hangout. A glance around suggests that it wears many faces, with pool tables tightly compressed to the back of the floor during concerts. The stage is a tiny, low-corner setup, like the Marquis. There’s virtually no division between audience and performer, and the result is an immersive auditory experience that’s usually only achieved by sitting in on a band practice.

The January 12 show was of six-act average length. The opener was Hollow, their sound check foreshadowing flavors of funk. This subgenre seems to engender some of the most visually entertaining instrumentalists (recent @Cheers Battle finalists, Pressure Point, come to mind), and the song “Denial” was especially animated. Hollow was a solid opener, and warrants headlining slots. From Within the Trench had a bit of a slow start, but ultimately delivered an engaging deathcore act. It couldn’t have been easy to fit a six-piece onto that stage, including the unusual pair of dedicated vocalists, but they managed a great follow up. For having been established a year and a half, the band displays serious promise and great stage presence, and can hopefully be expected to challenge themselves more on their songwriting and technicality as they progress.