Make Them Suffer/ Silent Planet | 10.02.16 | Dirty Dog Bar
I first heard about Silent Planet when one of my friends showed me their Native Blood video but didn't listen to them too much until the release of Everything Was Sound... which I have had in near constant rotation since it was released back in July. I was so stoked to find out they were playing a show here in Austin at the beginning of October and was really hoping to get some good shots of them playing. Turns out I fared better than I expected because when I showed up to the venue, the line for doors was almost around the corner, and I figured it was going to be too packed for me to get close enough to get decent photos. I found a spot side-stage that let me be near the stage without being in the thick of the pit (although some dude almost stepped on over my relatively new lens trying to climb over the speaker to jump into the pit at one point!) and chatted briefly with a super nice dude Jose who was there to do some video work for Silent Planet.
Some time ago, I told myself I should stop going to shows just to see opening bands, because I was totally doing that very often and spending so much extra money but I had to make an exception this time around. I'd never listened to Make Them Suffer before and I really wish I had before seeing them because their energy was insane. I feel like if a band can completely sell you seeing them live without having heard them before that is something really special. I could tell from their sound too that they didn't just have stage presence... they were all solid musicians. I was especially impressed with Sean Harmanis' vocal range and control; his guttural vocals combined with Louisa Burton's clean vocals worked so well together. They definitely have a new fan in me, and I'm looking forward to the next time I get to see them... which unfortunately probably won't be for a while since they hail from Australia.
The energy from both the crowd and Silent Planet was wild. I'd heard how great they were live, but it was definitely something that needed to be personally witnessed. It's so evident that they have very passionate fans and for good reason... Silent Planet is a band with a message and purpose. It's a very special thing when a band is socially aware and uses their music to bring attention to real issues in a genuine manner. I'm also really glad I got to hear some of my favorite songs of theirs during the set, that's always a really awesome thing when you get to hear songs you really love live.
I am hesitant to admit it and I'm sure I'm going to hate myself for it later, but I ended up leaving shortly after Silent Planet's set because I realized I hadn't eaten since before noon and was anxious to get home and relive the night through the photos I'd captured. I will say though, it's shows like this one that remind me of just why music is so important and means so much to me. The feeling I get when I catch shows this electric just resonates so deeply in my soul, and it's really hard to describe that eloquently. It's such an emotional, visceral thing. It also gets me stoked for this month because I'm getting to see a few of my favorites in a few weeks time... which also means this blog will look less sad!
