What did I get myself into? Last night at the First Unitarian Church, hoards of fans traveled to the hot, sweaty basement to revel in the genre-bending, cathartic, religious experience that is the music of Hey Monday. Emerging from the metaphorical Sarlacc Pit in the dead of summer covered in sweat (and possibly tears), I knew I had witnessed something magical, something extraordinary, something that has been done a million times before?
Hey Monday, a pop-rock band from West Palm Beach, Florida, is a five-piece group fronted by Cassaddee Popo. Formed in 2007, another woman-fronted band comparable to the likes of Paramore, Hey Monday displayed their musical prowess to a sea of 14 year-old-girls and a couple of dads sneaking pictures of Popo.
The music is fairly safe, rock, power-pop, which is not a bad thing these days in a world filled with uncertainty and a failing economy. The members know how to write tight songs that allow them to do the obligatory rock poses, pogo jumping, and other celebrated photo op moves. Popo constantly engaged the adoring crowd and it made sense why such a seemingly manufactured band can play a show at the church. Popo represents the every-woman, not a larger than life spectacle ala Gwen Stefani, but has a more down to earth appeal that is certainly appropriate in the subterranean music venue.
The subject matter of the songs include coming home to the boy you left long ago only to find him with another, and of course more horrible, girl. A majority of the songs followed the same formula, always ending with a huge chorus that tasted, figuratively, like candy. It was sweet for a couple of seconds and then it was gone.
Really, the most amazing thing is that there weren't more males in attendance, besides the aforementioned dads and myself. If you switch the pronouns in the lyrics with each other you get your everyday Fueled by Ramen band, Hey Monday being one of them. Girls seem to dig The Fall Out Boys and those Panic at the Discos, yet something held back the angst filled prepubescent boys from filling the church. A closer investigation may be warranted.
Openers This Providence, The Bigger Lights, Stereo Skyline, and The Friday Night Boys set the tone of the night with song after song of catchy hooks, soaring melodies, huge anthemic choruses, and any other textbook descriptions used for the genre. The boy band did not die with the death of N*Sync, but lives on, in spirit, in these musical acts. Now we just need some parachute pants and suggestive dancing and the checks will write themselves. I think I found my calling.
I just watched a video by Hey Monday. They're pretty good; certainly worth a listen. Was the concert in the church for any particular reason? Cheaper to hire? Nothing religious or Christian about the bands was there? Chris Djembes— cybarton
