By Solomon Swerling
Tuesday night, Brighton Hall in Allston became home to three different bands, each with their own unique style of new age, alternative rock. The headlining band was the up and coming Coasts, an English rock band from Bristol.
Although the night began roughly, with the leading band stepping onto the stage an hour after the performance was supposed to begin, the music drew in the crowd. The first group of the night was Symmetry, an up and coming band from Los Angeles with a sound very similar to that of other modern pop-rock bands like All Time Low. The vocalist, Michael Campbell, started off the night with his consistent boy-band tuned voice. Jared Hara and Will Weiner, respectively the guitarist and bassist, added a little extra to the performance with their fun expressions and self promotions. Max D’Anda, the drummer, led one the vocals on one song in the set and surprised the audience with his uniquely talented voice. Hopefully in future concerts, D’Anda will be able to rise to the occasion and add some well-deserved flavor to the band’s style with a few more songs.
The second band to come on the stage was Knox Hamilton, a progressive rock group from Arkansas. They began the show by exclaiming that it was their third time at Brighton. It was by this time that the crowd seemed to almost double in size. Knox Hamilton’s sound seemed to be a unique mixture, incorporating an homage to classic rock as well as a smooth upbeat alternative. That sound combined with the lead vocalist and guitarist’s rugged lumberjack looks, helped them give off a feeling similar to that of Mumford and Sons, with a little less folksiness and a little more pop. They welcomed cheers with their rhythmic songs including Work It Out and my personal favorite, Rightfully So. The lead vocalist, Boots Copeland, stormed the hall with his steady distinctive voice. It was with their rhythmic notes that Knox Hamilton got the crowd pumped up and ready for The Coasts.
After waiting yet another half hour for the stage to be reset for the headliners, the blue lights rose once again and an anticipatory chill spread about the floor. The Coasts stampeded onto stage and immediately began blasting the cheering audience with their smooth yet powerful rocking beats. The lead singer, Chris Caines dominated the stage with his rapid movements, sporadic hair flips, and empowering English accented vocals. After their first song, the group stated that it was also their third time at Brighton and were ecstatic to be back in Boston. They then brought the house down with their pure and unique new age rock sound. They went from song to song, never missing a beat in between. Fans were singing along with them in the front and dancing to their music in the back. They ended with a loud cheer from the crowd and a wish to come back to Brighton once again, hopefully some time soon.
