Theory of a Deadmain::San Antonio TX

There's no easy way to say it... the first band, Ember, just wasn't that great.  They were not at all what I was expecting as an opening band for Theory of a Deadman.  Ember, a five piece band, didn’t deliver the performance I was expecting. The lead singer, Chris, was off key in half the songs, or at least the mix made it seem that way.  His voice didn’t fit the music -- it was as if the songs were too fast for him to keep up.  One exception however was a song called “Suicide”.  This one brought out all the great aspects the band could offer including an awesome bass, guitar and amazing drums! I must say I give a lot of credit to the drummers out there who also add vocals.  The drummer would turn to the mic and still maintain his composure playing the drums without skipping a beat. There was plenty of heavy drums and bass in all the songs, which gave the performance an interesting twist.  The crowd however was not feeling this band and neither was I.  The performance seemed forced and the vocals just didn't stand out.  I realize live performances can be good and bad and don't always showcase the real talent of a band, but at least some talent should be highlighted, but the good moments (like the song they played and dedicated to the US Troops) were few and far between.  Slower songs played better and although it was nice of them to support our soldiers, these moments didn't come nearly often enough in the Ember performance.

The next band, The Parlor Mob, is made up of Sam Bey, Mark Melicia, David Rosen, Paul Ritchie, and Nick Villapiano. The Parlor Mob is a band that, for live performances at least, makes for some great mellow music.  I don’t want to sound stereotypical here, but the band looked and acted like a bunch of modern day hippies and played music reminiscent of Led Zeppelin with a hint of Jet. I mean, what I saw on stage were four hippie guys wearing girl jeans, with one guy coming off in a way most people would consider “Emo.”  When the guys came on stage, the first thing I thought was that the lead singer was either drunk or high. When he tried to grab the mic on several occasions he completely missed and stumbled a bit. Their music got at least part of the crowd moving though... some of the audience swayed along while others just stood there looking as though they wished the set would stop.  I enjoyed the set, for the most part.  I couldn't help thinking (if I were 21), this would be good music to drink to... it was music to groove to, for a relaxing day surfing at the beach (not in Texas of course, but run with it for a minute), or to just get drunk or stoned to.  As much as I loved the way The Parlor Mob incorporated a Classic Rock vibe in their set, I just didn't get involved.  Aside froma few head nods, I just wasn't drawn in.  The performance could have been better.  The main highlight, as with Ember, was the drums.  The rest of the instruments blended fairly well together, but again the vocals were off.  The Parlor Mob did bring some energy to the table; they had fun with it... especially the guitarist who smiled and appeared to have a blast throughout the set.  His smile never broke.  Overall, I think The Parlor Mob channels the hippie generation with a modern twist that sets them apart from many other bands... yet in the end, their performance just didn't cut it.

The headliner, Theory of a Deadman, finally delivered a performance the crowd had been waiting for the entire night.  Having sat through two mediocre bands already, I was excited to see them -- the band that would determine whether the night was a total waste. They did not disappoint!  When Theory of a Deadman walked onstage, the crowd came alive, not one word or instrument played and everyone began jumping around shouting the band's name. This was what they were waiting for -- the band that brings out the 'bad girlfriend' in every female in the crowd! 

Tyler Connolly (vocals/guitar), Dean Back(bass) and David Brenner(guitar) make up Theory of a Deadman, a rock band known for hits like “Santa Monica,” “No Surprise,” and  “Say Goodbye”.  They started their set with “Hating Hollywood” and everybody in the crowd really went crazy. The first thing I thought was that Tyler Connolly looked much skinnier in person than he does in pictures. The next thing that popped into my head, as the set went on, was how critics tend to put Theory of a Deadman and Nickelback into the same category. Though the comparison isn't completely without merit, Theory of a Deadman sets themselves apart from the aforementioned band on stage. There is no way anyone can get confused between the two bands live.

Amazingly, Theory of a Deadman played all the songs I love the most, like “Santa Monica” from their album “Gasoline.” That song was the reason I fell in love the band in the first place. Connolly's voice has a power that stunned me; he pulled off the power of the record to perfection. Even in today’s music industry, what you get on the album is usually not what you get on the stage. In "Santa Monica," I felt every bit of the power and loneliness that the song originally intended.  It’s amazing to see the energy and creativity put into the performance!

Connolly, Back and Brenner threw guitar picks throughout the night, and I was fortunate enough to get one from Connolly himself. At that point, I didn’t think the night could get better, but it did. The crowd was stoked; faces were lit up with happiness, sweat and excitement.   When they did “Better Off” some guy in the back of the crowd was as loud as he could be. Connolly heard him say “I love you guys” and replied back with a “thanks.” 

The best part of the Theory of a Deadman show was the last few tracks. “No Surprise” got everyone involved. Some guy, for some odd reason, decided to get out of the crowd and jumped over the barrier where the “security,” forcefully grabbed him and got him out of the way.  I got hit in the head by the guy’s shoe, which didn’t stop me from rocking out to the song.  Before the played “Santa Monica” Theory of a Deadman decided to record us being as loud as we could. People were screaming their hearts out and acting like complete insane fans that wanted to show their appreciation for a band that puts out music we love. It’s amazing. I screamed so loud, my voice was gone by the end of the show.

The next song, “So Happy,” is about not being in a relationship at all because it is better than being in a damaging one. This was the band's first single from “Scars and Souvenirs,” an immediate download for me and just about everyone I know. After "So Happy" ended, Theory of a Deadman walked off the stage, stunning everyone. People were yelling "Bad Girlfriend" and I started to wonder if it was going to be on the playlist.  No band I've ever seen live has left out a hit single and, keeping true to form, a few minutes later they came back out and the crowd went wild.  Before they begain to sing again, Connolly and the band orchestrated a contest between the guys and girls in the crowd -- to determine which gender could be the loudest.  I was biased, thinking we women had it in the bag. Connolly signalled when he wanted each group to yell. The girls were a part of Back’s team while the guys were a part of Brenner’s team. Connolly had announced Brenner had only won once while Back had won 444 times! Of course, this could was probably completely fabricated, but it was fun just to see the difference. While the shouting and yelling commenced, The Parlor Mob came out on stage to help out on the guy’s team. It wasn’t fair! They should have had been on the girls team since half of them looked like girls in the first place. It turned out the men’s team won, even though the women truly kicked ass!

Then, after the contest, came the song that we had been waiting for... and what a great way it is to end the night. “Bad Girlfriend” pounded through the speakers, people jumped around and sang along.  Girls were acting like the bad girlfriend they had deep inside them and guys were acting twice as pumped. It was awesome to be all together in the crowd for my favorite part of the song: “No one really knows if she’s drunk or if she’s stoned, but she’s coming home to my place tonight,” or “Does it make her wrong to have the time of her life?”  Being up front made the experience ten times better. Being able to see the way Theory of a Deadman behaved, sweated, and rocked out was something few get to experience so close.. I was left shivering and extremely happy!

After the show ended, the band threw out more guitar picks and handed one to my friend. I asked for the playlist and Brenner personally gave it to me, sort of. Because I am super short he had to give it to my friend to reach it for me, but I knew he was handing it to me! Thanks! I keep it in my treasure box of concerts I’ve been to.

Though the opening acts were not as great, Theory of a Deadman saved the night. I’m glad I was able to see them perform. Maybe next time they will tour with bands that get the crowd hyped... or bands people actually like. As a footnote however, I was under the impression that Black Stone Cherry was supposed to be on tour with them, so missing out on that act disappointed me a little too, but with the overall performance of Theory of a Deadman, all disappointment was stripped away!