Surprise winter weather made for a cold, gloomy evening on Friday, March 3rd. But all the snow and slush did not deter fans from storming the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre to support Highly Suspect on their aptly named Ice Cold Winter tour.
My Thoughts a Trigger Finger
There was just one opener, Dead Poets Society, an LA-based rock band, known for their angsty lyrics and fretless axes. Honestly, although their technique and sound was solid, I just really did not vibe with the band in general. Their movements and stage presence were all so big and campy, which was a stark contrast to the dark and generally angry sound.
That being said though, there were definitely things that I did enjoy about the performance! Off the top of my head, the bass line in “Sound and Silence” was great. I also definitely commend the lead singer, Jack Underkofler, for his vocal range. Several songs (notably “.swvrm.”) featured sections where he jumped into falsetto, and it was just **chefs kiss**. Their stripped down sound was honestly pretty lovely as well. “One Month”, which they played about halfway through their set, was just soft and pure with almost a Mumford and Sons-like folk rock quality to it.
Would I go to see them again? Definitely. I think they have a ton of raw talent and potential and all of their fans that braved the snow and came out were a testament to that.
You Grab the Gun, I’ll Take the Wheel
Here it is, the main event. Right off the bat, Johnny Stevens’ distinct and intense vocals hit with a one-two punch. The crowd was electrified, and immediately answered the call when Stevens encouraged them to sing along during the opener, “Bath Salts”.
Next was “Mom”; it gave me blues, it gave me grunge, it gave me a little bit of Pink Floyd. In fact, I noticed that multiple songs had blues motifs featured, which surprised and delighted me (I will admit I am a bit of a fair-weather fan and was really only familiar with their most recent album, The Midnight Demon Club, prior to the show).
Jack Underkofler reprised his role as lead vocalist on “23” and he really made the song his own. He seemed just as comfortable on stage with Highly Suspect as he was with his own band (dare I say even more so?).
“Canals”, off of the MCID album was next, and it transitioned over to a more technical, hip-hoppy sound with a heavy bass line, courtesy of Rich Meyer.
Stevens has such an emotional voice, but I did notice a touch of vocal fry. I’m going to chalk that up as having been on tour for a long time though, and it definitely did not take away from the sheer passion he was giving.
The latter end of the set was hella pop punk. “For Billy” is a tragic tale of the loss of a close friend, and is very stylistically similar to 2010s All Time Low. “Look Alive, Stay Alive”, the first encore song, was pure teen angst and anger. This transitioned well into the most hardcore version of “Pink Lullaby” ever, in which the band actively goaded the audience to “open up that pit,” and the audience was more than happy to deliver — much to the chagrin of every member of security in the room.
Also notable was the mini jam sesh towards the end of the set, complete with drum solo, as well as a cover of The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post”. Perhaps an homage to their roots as an undiscovered cover band back in their hometown of Cape Cod?
The Good
Highly Suspect really brought the energy—and kept fans highly engaged, even during an acoustic interlude.
Bonus points for using the lead singer of the opening band later during the main set.
The set list was not super heavy on tracks from The Midnight Demon Club, and in fact featured songs that they typically have not played on tour in the past.
The Not-as-Good
There were SO many technical difficulties that the band battled, most notably and consistently, mic feedback. I am by no means blaming the band for this, but it is always jarring to hear and really takes you out of the moment.
The Setlist:
- Bath Salts
- Mom
- Bloodfeather
- 23
- Canals
- Natural Born Killer
- Midnight Demon Club
- Arizona
- Serotonia
- My Name Is Human
- Lost
- For Billy
- Lydia
- Cloudeland
- ATL
- Look Alive, Stay Alive (Encore)
- Pink Lullaby (Encore)
The Lineup:
Highly Suspect – Johnny Stevens, Rich Meyer, Ryan Meyer, Matt Kofos, Mark Schwartz
Dead Poet Society – Jack Underkofler, Jack Collins, Nick Taylor, Will Goodroad