Indy Live Music

This Thursday evening show was one that Erica and I had been looking forward to for a long time. When we were on the Cayamo cruise sponsored by Sixthman back in February, we had heard a little about Stephen Kellogg and his band and managed to catch some on their shows as we were racing back and forth to other shows and the buffett. We had heard some stuff from Needtobreathe and have a couple of their songs on our iPhones. Erica had one Graham Colton song (Best Days) on her iPhone, but we hadn't heard any of his other stuff.

When we parked and walked our way to the Vogue, we were surprised to find that there were already quite a few people in line, despite the cold and rain. In fact, the line wrapped into the neighboring bar under the outdoor canopy. It is usually at this point that I look around and try to get a feel for what the audience will be like. This crowd was pretty diverse, made up of 20 something hipsters, the more adult types, college kids, and everyone else in between. One of the local radio stations, WTTS was sponsoring the show, which undoubtedly brought in some of the older crowd. As I did some research on Needtobreathe, I noticed that they have been at the top of the Billboard Christian Music charts and nominated for multiple Dove awards in 2008 and 2009. With that in mind, I knew to expect some the contemporary Christian music crowd, and they did show up in a big way. I even saw one of my old youth pastors in the crowd! All that to say, it was an interesting crowd but a very polite and respectful one, which we've come to appreciate more and more when we go out to see live music.

Graham Colton started off the show. It was just him and his guitar to get the crowd warmed up. Colton has a very clear, strong voice, and played his songs very well. His vocal range reminded me of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, but obviously a little softer. One thing I loved about Graham Colton's material is that it all sounded familiar, as in it is stuff that should be played on the radio.

Highlights from the Set List:

First Week - needs to be a radio hit

Cellophane Girl - one person screamed when he said he was doing this song and he responded with "Thank you, fan."

20 Something - from his new acoustic ep.

Best Days - definitely his most popular song, most likely a popular wedding song.

Colton's show was a good warm up for the other acts and he took the time to sign and meet people at the merch table, which always is a good thing for artists getting their start.

Next up was Stephen Kellogg and the 6ers. It was easy to tell that for some people in the audience, they were the band they were there to see. The collective energy of the crowd went up throughout their set. The sound was great and they showed off their fantastic harmonizing abilities. In a way, this band had a bit of a country feel, maybe more of a southern rock thing, but regardless, they got the crowd riled up in a good way.

Highlights from the set:

These guys have a lot of good energy and it is obvious they love what they do. They signed back at the merch table, as well. Their performance definitely got us more interested in their music and in seeing them perform again when they come back to Indy in October.

When Needtobreathe took the stage, the crowd was ready for them. Their stage set up was pretty cool: they had 4 big LCD screens covered by silkscreen portraits of people from the 1800's, with black strips over their eyes. It was a pretty cool effect and certainly the first time I had ever seen such a set up in a place like the Vogue. Even though it was cool, when the effects on the LCDs started up, they were hard to see, probably because they were meant for bigger venues. Regardless, it definitely gave them a true rock show feel. Perhaps this is a great time for Needtobreathe to get big, because they certainly have an audience, and their sound is very similar to Kings of Leon. They have great stage presence and it's easy to tell they've been playing together for a long time.

Highlights from the set:

Overall, this was a really good show. We left that night excited to find out more about these bands and we want to hear their music. They accomplished what all bands should do when they go out on tour to raise interest in their music...they had a good time, we had a good time, and in the end, everyone went home feeling good.