Photos and story by: Jess Kelly
FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
Not many bands play multiple shows in one state, but this time, Neck Deep did it for the second installment of the Peace and the Panic tour. Leaving Boulder on October 9th, the band headed down to Grand Junction on October 10th to entertain the scene down there. Mesa Theater is a relatively small venue, and the only one on the Western Slope. Being from Grand Junction, I’ve been attending shows there since 2009, and since I moved to Denver, I’ve noticed bigger bands stopping through the area; which is great for them.
Going into the show, I knew what I was expecting from Neck Deep, but as for the first three bands, Gardenside, Stand Atlantic, and WSTR, I haven’t listened to any of them before. The venue started filling up with people, and when Gardenside came onstage, I enjoyed their music.
Gardenside has a new EP titled Anything & Everything that releases on November 2nd. The most memorable song that caught my attention was “My Bad.” The vibe the band gave off to the crowd set the mood for the rest of the night, getting everyone excited for Neck Deep to come later.
Australia’s Stand Atlantic was next. With their alternative music, I couldn’t get away because I couldn’t stop dancing. Their stage presence was great and had the crowd going the entire set. What caught me off-guard was the fact that they were chanting random things because us Americans like to do so. My personal favorite song that they played titled “Lavender Bones,” is off their upcoming album releasing on October 26th.
Second to last was WSTR. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from them, but if you like The Story So Far, you will definitely enjoy them. It was the perfect band to play right before Neck Deep. When you hear the term Pop-Punk, you think of those more well-known bands New Found Glory and Sum 41, and WSTR is making their way up to that list. They released a new album titled Identity Crisis on August 31st and the song that had the crowd dancing and pushing to the most was “Featherweight.” Everyone was enjoying themselves as they continued their set.
Then, the moment everyone was excited for, Neck Deep was last. The band everyone came to see. It wasn’t a sold-out show, but Grand Junction’s music scene came out to play for that show. The lights were low, and the crowd was singing along to the music that played in between sets. Neck Deep came out and started off with “Motion Sickness” off their newest album, The Peace and the Panic. The crowd sang along, and smoke emerged from the stage. Neck Deep always have a great stage presence and know how to get a crowd excited, and this time around, the set was a mixture of older songs such as “Kali Ma,” “Candour,” and “December.” They also played their newest cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s song, “Torn,” off Fearless Records album titled, Songs That Saved My Life. Neck Deep finished off the night with “Where Do We Go When We Go,” and told Grand Junction that it wasn’t the last time that they would be back.
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Great pictures by Jess Kelly