“Took the cannonball down to the ocean, across the desert from the sea to shining sea. I rode a ladder that climbed across the nation…”
And roughly 50 feet of space between me and Between the Buried and Me.
The aforementioned metal band recently took over Deluxe at Old National Centre during a stop in Indianapolis on their latest headlining tour, bringing along sludge metal outfit The Atlas Moth for support.
Though they’ve been around for years, I will admit that I don’t know a whole lot about this band, aside from the two or three songs I got off Victory Records samplers back in the day. Admittedly, I feel a little out of place here being surrounded by some of the most enthusiastic fans I’ve ever seen at a show here (we’ll get to that shortly), but hey, maybe a clean slate is what I need to really grasp onto a BTBAM show.
That being said, let’s get started here, shall we?
It’s about 15 minutes before the show is about to start and the Deluxe room is a little, well, bare. Only a small crowd has gathered along the front barrier in front of the stage. They chat amongst each other while the rest of the room is filled with little green club lights, giving it a very celestial feel. It definitely adds to the ambiance, but now we need the right music to really set the mood.
A few more people start to trickle in, and not too long after, the lights go out and we’re greeted by five guys from Chicago who are very familiar with the music scene down here in Indy (there’s a shout-out to The Melody Inn midway through their set). Let’s welcome The Atlas Moth.
In keeping up with the theme of tonight, I have no idea who they are, nor have I heard a single song by them. As I find out, they lean more towards the sludge metal side of things. It may not be the cleanest sounding thing I’ve ever heard on stage (it’s not supposed to), but they’re a very solid opener. Maybe not my cup of tea, but it’s a matter of what you like, and judging by the crowd – which is starting to grow more and more by the second – they’re starting to get into it.
As for the performance itself, it’s not a visual showcase and they don’t do anything too crazy onstage. It’s more of a band that can set a mood and get people headbanging. Did they accomplish that? Mostly. It’s about 50/50, with half generally liking what they see and the others wondering when the headliner will go on. Though not my favorite, they did enough to pique my interest, which is great for a band you’ve just watched and heard for the first time. We’ll see what happens in the future.
In a matter of an hour, we’ve gone from a near-empty room to one where I can’t move around without bumping into someone. More people are filing in and the temperature is rising. What will happen when our headliner finally takes the stage? We’ll find out soon enough, but not so soon that I can get through a review without complaining about waiting (there we go…).
One last time, the lights go out, the cheers erupt, and a chant of “BT-BAM!” fills the room. They take the stage, go right into “Selkies,” and we’re off.
We may be in the smallest room in the building, but that doesn’t stop them from putting on the biggest show possible. They definitely didn’t skimp on production. LED boards, a circular light structure center stage, and two video screens playing everything from Sci-Fi imagery to the album cover of their forthcoming Coma Ecliptic are on display, all while the band plays through over an hour of favorites old and new.
There are two things to note during this performance:
- Attention to Detail: Progressive bands can tend to bog themselves down on a number of things when the play life. Over-complicating things, trying to do too much, and maybe not having some of the things they do in the studio translate to the stage. There was none of that here. BTBAM is one of the tightest bands I have ever seen. They were so on-point I had to remind myself that I wasn’t at home listening to a recording. They’re one of the rare bands that can play everything to a tee, and still put on a show that you want to keep watching until the final note rings out.
- The Audience: I’ve seen die-hard fans at a show, and I’ve seen die-hard fans. They mosh along to the heavier parts of the music, clap-along whenever it seems appropriate, they throw their fists in the air like their lives depended on it, and of course, they know every word and sing it right back like they were attending mass on the weekend. The person right next to me looks like he’s treating this like a religious experience. How do I know this band is doing something right? Just look around.
The songs may seem a little long, but I’m entertained, and they definitely know how to weave back-and-forth between the slower parts and the straight-up metal sections. Sadly, the show must come to an end, and almost without warning, they bid everyone farewell.
A few moments of standing in the dark and another “BT-BAM!” chant later, they come back to thank everyone for coming out, while also reminding everyone that their merch booth serves everyone despite a controversial piece of legislature that passed through the Indiana State Senate. This is metal for everyone, the way it should be.
It’s a few more songs of metal bliss before they really do end the set and send us all on our way. Some hang around to try to catch discarded drumsticks or guitar picks, or head over to the merch table. For me, it’s back to my car to think about what this will look like once I put it in into words to post to the internet.
So here we are, typing this in the most un-metal environment sipping on a Pike Roast with my headphones in trying to drown out the soft rock that fills this coffeehouse. Final verdict?
Shows like this may not be my cup of tea, but even I can’t discount seeing a quality band perform. Even to someone that wouldn’t describe themselves as a fan, you can’t deny what happened. It’s another example of what happens when a band knows to do to put on a great show, and does it better than most.
In short, this was a show that could awake anyone from the droll, musical coma that they might find themselves in.
The Good:
The crowd, the energy, the sight of a band that can perform to the best on all aspects of a live show. There wasn’t much missing from this show. Even for someone as unfamiliar with BTBAM’s work as anyone living underneath a rock, there was a lot to like from these guys.
The Bad:
The rising temperatures. Then again, that’s common in any venue that isn’t open air.