Lineup: Converge/Pile/Give
Venue: Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
Date: December 8th, 2017
Give: Of all the things I'd expect to see at Converge show, an Adidas jumpsuit-clad hardcore band hitting the stage was not one of them. Once the shock wore off, Give's powerful bass lines, goofy energy and subtle hip-hop influences managed to entertain me for the duration of their 30-minute set. Kudos to Converge for bringing a unique act that doesn't really align with any aspect of their sound on the road with them.
Pile: On the other end of the surprise spectrum came Pile. These guys played a strange hybrid of post-hardcore, stoner and indie rock that didn't resonate with me in the slightest. Every song, regardless of tempo, slogged along for what felt like a millennium and outside of Mastodon, I've never seen another band that looked less interested in performing. I was alarmingly close to falling asleep while standing up the entire time they were on stage and if I didn't go take a piss around the 20-minute mark of their set, that remarkable feat would've undoubtedly been accomplished. I'd be more likely to voluntarily enter the state of Vermont for the first time in 12 years than agree to sit through another live performance by these innovators in sleepytime songwriting.
Converge: A large of part Converge's legacy has been built upon their live shows. Their incendiary performances helped them break out of Boston's iconic hardcore scene in the mid-90's and went onto a play a crucial role in the metamorphosis that resulted in them becoming one of the most renowned metal bands on the planet in the early 2000's. 23 years into their run as a national touring act, the spastic forefathers of metalcore still eviscerate every stage they step onto in seemingly effortless fashion. The sense of chaos and pain that serves as the backbone of their music takes on a whole new life in a live setting that never fails to be captivating as all hell. Frontman Jake Bannon storms around the stage like a man that's hellbent on delivering destruction to the masses, happily sharing the mic with any fan that wants it while his bandmates (guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist/backing vocalist Nate Newton, drummer Ben Koller) establish this visceral, apocalyptic atmosphere that simply overwhelms you. Marinating this level of raw intensity and punk energy at a stage of their career where they've earned enough acclaim to go down in the annals of the genre's history, especially when playing a setlist that is driven by the somber, darkly melodic material from their new LP The Dusk in Us, is a stirring testament to the sheer amount of passion, pride and agony that goes into every single one of Coverge's sets. There are a very small number of acts that I would declare to be an absolute must-see every time they're in town and unless they undergo an unforeseen musical midlife crisis in the next few years, Converge will remain on this esteemed list for the foreseeable future.
Scores:
Give 6.5/10
Pile 2.5/10
Converge 9/10
Setlist:
Converge:
Reptilian
Under Duress
Arkhipov Calm
A Single Tear
Dark Horse
The Broken Vow
Aimless Arrow
Black Cloud
The Dusk in Us
Eye of the Quarrel
Broken by Light
Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast
Eve
I Can Tell You About Pain
Eagles Become Vultures
Encore:
Concubine
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