Less Than Jake with Cage and The Swellers
December 12, 2009
Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Written by Kate Dingle
Even with the torrential rain pouring from the sky and the entirely way too early door time (6pm), a decent crowd turned out to see Less Than Jake. Inside, the small cliques of young people scattered around the venue looked like little huddling wet rats.
Fresh off of touring with Paramore, The Swellers took to the stage to get the crowd warmed up two hours after the doors opened. By that point, the crowd was restless and somewhat confused after the twenty minute long Warped Tour video that had been shown only moments earlier. After a rough start, The Swellers finally got the crowd moving and in the mood for the headlining act. It also didn’t hurt that Less Than Jake bassist and lead vocalist Roger Manganelli joined the quartet on stage for one song. The guys from Flint, Michigan closed their set with (as front man Nick Diener put it), “the fastest song you’ll ever hear in your whole life”, “Dirt”. It was definitely not the fastest song we’ve ever heard, but it certainly got the crowd off their feet.
Following The Swellers was indie rapper Cage. “He is really great recorded”, was an opinion thrown around during his short set. Unfortunately, his talent was unnoticed. For most of the set, he stood in the same place and lacked any sort of stage presence. No one listening was willing to put aside their quick judgements and listen to the witty and clever lyrics and the amazing sound coming from the guy and his D.J. The only thought running through the minds of the young people watching was “who is this guy?” and “when will he be done?”. The audience let Cage know their opinions while chanting “Less Than Jake! Less Than Jake!” throughout a majority of the set. Now, I am a big fan of freedom of speech, but that was borderline disrespectful. On a side note, Cage IS fantastic on disc. Check out tracks “Eating Its Way Out Of Me” and “Nothing Left To Say”.
By the time Less Than Jake took the stage, the crowd was a bit confused. From the twenty minute long video, to The Swellers, to the lackluster performance from Cage, it had already been a very eclectic night (to say the least). Needless to say, the Florida boys took to the stage and delivered a heart pumping performance. They even started a debate as to which is the better school: University of Florida, Florida State University, or University of Miami. Obviously the boys from Gainesville sided with their Gators. The quintet showcased songs that spanned their sixteen year long career including, “Sugar In Your Gas Tank”, “Plastic Cup Politics”, and crowd favorite, “Liquor Store”. The set from Less Than Jake allowed concert goers to let go of all inhibitions, enjoy some cheesy banana jokes, and have a really good time.
However bizarre the night was, it was a great night for music. The lineup included different genres of music and had a little something for everyone attending. From inexpensive tickets to five dollar concert t-shirts, the entertainment was exactly what everyone needed during the holidays. An escape.
Photos by Christina Mendenhall
Cage
The Swellers
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